March 2011Episcopal Church of the Epiphany1101 Sunset DriveP. O. Box 116Guntersville, AL 35976256-582-4897

www.epiphanyguntersville.org

Editor: Rusty Ogden

Living Stations of the CrossThe Hospitality Committee is planning Living Stations of the Cross for Good Friday, April 22,at 5:30 P.M. on the walking trail across from the church.

To help us complete the plans, we will need volunteers to read at each station and to be the "freeze" actors. No experience is necessary. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the hallway as you come out of the Nave.

There will be a rehearsal on Wednesday evening, March 20, in Sanderson Hall at 6:00 pm. Pizza and drinks will be available for all.

Books and Pamphlets for LentWe have purchased several new books and pamphlets for your Lenten devotions. These books and pamphlets are beyond our already sizeable collection in stock. You can check any of these books out from the Library cart in the back of the church, as we near Ash Wednesday on March 9, the traditional beginning of the season of Lent. Find your devotional book early to enable getting the one that you want. They are on a cart in the back of the Nave.

Pamphlets for 2011 that are yours to keep.

2011 Lenten MeditationsA Clean Heart Create In Me from C S. LewisGood Lord, Deliver Us, A Lenten JourneyNot by Bread Alone – Daily Reflections for Lent.

by Robert F. MorneauRenewed for Life by Henri J. M. NouwenSacredspace for Lent 2011Various Holy Week pamphlets by Forward Movement

To be returned to the Epiphany Library or office.

Lent and Easter – Wisdom from St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi Compiled by John V. Kruse

Lent and Easter – Wisdom from Henri J. M. Nouwen compiled by Judy Bauer

Lent and Easter, Wisdom from Thomas Merton Compiled by The Merton Institute for Contemplative Living

The Return of the Prodigal Son, A Story of Homecoming by Henri J. M. Nouwen.

Epiphany Star

March 9 is Ash Wednesday and the First Day of Lent. The name “Ash Wednesday” comes from the traditional practice of imposing ashes on worshipers’ foreheads. We will have two services on the 9th, noon and 7:00pm.

There will be no 11:30am Healing Service or other regular Wednesday night activities.

Please bring your blessed palm crosses from last year’s Palm Sunday to the office. The Altar Guild will collect them and burn the crosses to create the ashes for this, the first service of our Lenten season.

Shrove Tuesday Pancake SupperShrove Tuesday is March 8. It is the traditional holiday in which families would eat up all the fats and sugars in the house so that during Lent they could fast and live more simply as to pray more deeply. Epiphany will celebrate this day with a Pancake Supper served from 5:00pm to 6:30pm by the EYC. Red beans and rice will

also be served. Prices are the same as Wednesday Night. Funds raised will go to the Epiphany Scholarship Fund for graduating seniors.

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My dear parish family,

Once again we head into our Lenten season. In the early church, sinners who had been publically excommunicated from the church began a forty day period of penitential discipline at the beginning of Lent so that they could be readmitted to communion at Easter. In later centuries, Lent became a season of preparation for Easter and a time of fast-ing, penitence, almsgiving, prayer, and study. You will notice that many of the more festal elements of our liturgy are missing during the Lenten season, such as the alleluia’s and the Gloria in Excel-sis, and the altar reflects this austerity with pottery vessels, and no flowers. The service itself becomes much more penitential, although Sunday’s are not technically Lent. The 40 days of Lent are all the days of the week except Sunday which remains a feast day. Our liturgical colors are purple throughout Lent, until we reach Holy Week when they become red.

Lent is an important time of year for all Christians. I urge each of you to pick up some of the Lenten devotional mate-rial that I have purchased. In the back of the church you will see a cart with our Lenten offerings. Most of the pam-phlets are free, but some are actually books that can be used each year. These books I ask you to return once you have finished them.

I also want to remind you of the two fast days the church recommends – Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. If you are going to do an extended fast you should speak to your doctor, most of us could miss a meal without much hard-ship. Fasting is not only biblical, it is a sound penitential practice that gives us that time which we normally eat to pray.

The church also offers special pro-gramming on Wednesday evenings –this year an outstanding program led by the Reverend Jim Elliott, retired priest of Holy Comforter in Gadsden. Each week the dinner will be a delicious soup prepared by Sheila, our chef. The soup also is served some-what plain to allow us to remember the season.

Traditionally people “give up” or “add on” during Lent. I often give up my beloved caffeine products, sweets, or alcohol. Some give up a meal and give the money they would spend for that meal to some charity. Other ways to add to your devotional life; read devo-tions, extra religious books or a book of the Bible, pray at a special time, and even commit to attending each Sunday in Lent. How easy is that!

Each Sunday service is a designed liturgy and very important to our Lenten observance. The Lessons and Prayers are all designed for our pilgrimage through the season. I invite each one of you to make this season vital to your spiritual journey. Come weekly to church, it very well may change your life.

I hope you all have a blessed Lenten season. Although it is a penitential time, it is one of my favorite seasons of the year. Lent always reminds me of who and what I am. Maybe you will experience the same or something completely different. It doesn’t really matter as Lent is always a personal experience between you and God, and that is the way it will always be.

Peace

Fr. Bill Winters

Epiphany Boldly Going Green

Beginning very soon, Epiphany will be going much greener by either using bio-degradable paper cups and plates or china cups and plates. Beginning with breakfast, we will use our china and silverware. This will require us to use the dish washer every Sunday morning after breakfast. We already have two people who have volun-teered to cleanup and wash dishes, but we need at least one more person to volunteer when one of them is not available. If you are available to help on Sunday mornings please call the church office.

All smaller meetings such as commit-tee meetings, post-Celtic service wine and cheese gatherings will move to all paper products for convenience. We will use up our present stock of Styro-foam and plastic before moving com-pletely to dish washing and using bio-degradable/recyclable paper/plastic products We will also begin searching for bio-degradable trash can bags. These products cost more, but washing plates, cups, etc. will help keep costs down.

Our vestry decided to move in this direction, because our diocese believes it the correct thing to do and they are asking all parishes to take greener measures.

Everyone, we believe, must be more responsible with the waste that we create.

April 2, 2011at All Saints Church, Homewood

Information on the various workshops and the registration fee have not been finalized by the diocese but Rusty will e-mail the parish with full information when it becomes available.

PLTE

“Breaking the Code, Understanding the

Book of Revelation”Are you intimidated by the book of Revelation? Are you confused by the many views people hold aboutthis amazing book? Looking for some understanding of what John saw and what his readers would haveunderstood in the late first-century? If your answer is yes, then this class is for you.

Join us each Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. beginning March 6 for an eight week study of this exciting book. The text is "Breaking the Code, Understanding the Book of Revelation" by renowned biblical scholar Dr. Bruce M. Metzger. The book, which reads much like a commentary, is a guide to understanding the symbols expressed in apocalyptic literature. It is a step by step guide to understanding John’s vision in lay-man’s terms. This study promises to enlighten and strengthen spiritual convictions, as well as bring hope and comfort to those who participate.

Lenten Program

Our adult Lenten programs will be offered by the Rev. Jim Elliott, Jr. for five Wednesday nights at 6:30 p.m. starting March 16. Rev. Elliott is a former rector of Holy Comforter in Gadsden and has served as supply priest for us in the past.

Please bring a Bible as Rev. Elliott will have a brief time of discussion centered around a Bible passage which will be read and discussed.

The five Lenten programs will be based around surprises that I have experienced. In my travels, I have gone some-place expecting to see one thing only to discover that some-thing very different grabs my attention. These are surprises that have affected me in some profound ways and given me new insights into God, Jesus, and our Episcopal/Anglican form of Christianity. These serendipitous surprises have taught me to be open to God beyond my own thought and expectation. I hope to share some of this same spirit and openness in the five Lenten programs to help us all to be open to God’s unexpected grace. I still like to be in con-trol, but learning to let go of my fear and need to be in con-trol has yielded wonderful experiences of God’s grace and new understanding. The five programs are:

1- What is this place – The Temple?2- What was he really painting – The Last Supper?3- Who was Joseph – reflections in Nazareth?4- Did Jesus really have to die – Via Delarosa? 5- What in the world was God doing on the cross – images that make me ask why?

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FATHER BILL OFFERS MORNING CLASS FOR LENT

Father Bill, is offering a Lenten Devotion Class using Richard Rohr’s book entitled Wondrous Encounters –Scripture for Lent. The class will begin meeting on Thursday morning’s, March 3rd, which is actually the Thursday before Lent. The class will meet for six weeks at 10:00 a.m. He would have enjoyed doing an evening or Sunday morning class, but he had few Thursday evenings available, and there is already a great adult class scheduled for Sunday morning. Richard Rohr’s devotion book can be purchased in the office for $10.

The Commission on Spirituality invites you to attend a quiet, reflective day at St. Mary’s-on-the-Highland’s Episcopal Church in Birmingham during the holy season of Lent. Spend the day Saturday, APRIL 9, 2011, 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM with The Rt. Rev. Henry Parsley,Episcopal Bishop of Alabama. Cost of Retreat is $15 which includes lunch. Registration Deadline is April 2nd. Registration forms are available in the Epiphany office. Seekers and friends are most welcome.

the mystery of

FAITH

ADULT CHRISTIAN FORMATION

E-mail: rustyogden@bellsouth.netChurch: epis_ala@bellsouth.netFax #: 256-582-4899www.epiphanyguntersville.org

Daylight Saving Time

March 13Set your clocks ahead Saturday night so you

won’t be late for church Sunday

morning.

The Epiphany family extends its most heartfelt sympathy, love, prayers and support to Shaun and Bitsy Packard and family in the loss, February 7, of Shaun’s brother, Charles Packard of Birmingham.

Rest eternal grant to Him, O Lord

Holy Week SchedulePalm Sunday

April 17 - 8:00 a.m. and *10:30 a.m.

Maundy Thursday April 21 – *7 p.m.

Good Friday April 22 – 12 noon & *7 p.m.

Living Stations of the Cross April 22 – 5:30 p.m.

Holy Saturday and Easter EveApril 23

Easter Egg Hunt and hot dog lunch 11 a.m.

Easter Vigil at *7:00 p.m.

EASTER SUNDAY April 24 – 8:00 a.m. & *10:30 a.m.

Easter Sunday Reception immediately after the 10:30 a.m. service.

*Nursery provided

Last Chance for Beans ‘N Greens Tennessee Valley Family Services is holding a Beans ‘N Greens lunch March 3, 11am-2pm in Sanderson Hall. Turnip Greens, pinto beans, great northern beans, cornbread, dessert and beverage will be served, all for $5.00.

There will also be a used book table.

The proceeds will aid the agency in continuing to provide services to runaway, homeless and at-risk youth in residential programs and to help their families through support programs.

Rusty Ogden and Susan Foster are asking for your unwanted treasures for the annual Trash to Treasure Sale. We need good items so start your Spring cleaning now. Popular items are appliances, baby items and toys, electronics, furniture and household items, sports equipment and tools.

WE WILL NOT ACCEPT STAINED, TORN OR UNUSABLE CLOTHES OR SHOES

Clothes must be in excellent condition with the size available and shoes must be unworn. PLEASE MAKE SURE

ALL ELECTICAL AND ELECTRONIC ITEMS WORK,APPLIANCES ARE CLEAN,

ALL PARTS OF AN ITEM ARE TOGETHER

We will start accepting items April 6.

If you have items to donate, or would like to assist with the sale by helping to set up on Thursday and/or Friday or help out for a couple of hours in the morning on Saturday, please see the sign up sheet on the Nave bulletin board or call Rusty in the church office, 256-582-4897.

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March Mission Team Spotlight

The Mission Team will have an in-house work day March 5th at 9 am. We will do some cleaning and minor repairs. All are welcome to join us.

Kelly Auman

Epiphany collected supplies for an after school program located at Crain Courts. Kent Looney, program director, and some of the kids display items that were so generously donated by parishioners.

Reminder:The mission team still does miscellaneous ‘chores’ for people who cannot do it themselves and cannot afford to pay someone to do the chore – ex.: moving heavy items, changing unreach-able light bulbs, minor one-time yard work. There is a request box in the office.

World Day of PrayerMarch 4, 2011 10:00 AM

Warrenton United Methodist Church80 Warrenton Shores, Guntersville, AL

World Day of Prayer is a worldwide ecumenical movement of Christian women of many traditions who come together to observe a common day of prayer each year on the first Friday in March.

Each year a different country serves as the writer of the World Day of Prayer worship service. For 2011, the Committee of Chile devel-oped the theme How many loaves have you?

Epiphany has been involved in this annual prayer service for many years. It was dear to the heart of Carol Jean Rives who attended each service faithfully. Please prayerfully consider joining in this service.

There will be a time of fellowship at 10 am and the worship service will begin at 11. There will be readings, prayers, music and reflec-tion. Come and join in this World Day of Prayer.

Jim King Reorganizes 10:30 Sunday Coffee HourJim King has been asked by the Vestry and Father Bill to reorgan-ize our Sunday 10:30am Coffee Hour. We hoped offering breakfast between the 8am service and Sunday School would bring more people together for fellowship. The Vestry noted how important the Coffee Hour after the 10:30am service is to the “Hospitality” of our parish. This time is designed to allow people to sit down with each other and share fellowship instead of just leaving the church after the service.

What the Vestry desires to see happen is a much more coordinated effort, with the church providing the food in a much more balanced and orderly way. The different groups would be asked to put out food and clean up after the 10:30am coffee hour, but not necessarily provide the food. Jim King will be forming a committee very soon that will inform us how we can make this happen. We commend Jim for making this effort in managing a key area of our parish. We look forward to the implementation of his committee’s plan.

Episcopal Church Women MeetMarch 15, 2011 will be the next meeting of Epiphany’s ECW. We will meet at 10:30 am in the choir room. Light refreshments will be served. We will have a quick planning session and then listen to a presentation by Lee Hoggle on the ministry of Home Place. We would love to have the women of our parish to join us. Please let me know if you would like to attend. You may reach me, Cheri Blair, at 256-878-5950 or at blair110@earthlink.net.

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Sitting: Glen Beiter, Melanie Dorman, Becky Moses, Tabitha MohrLeft to Right: Rick Cooley, Billy Blevins, Denise Barry, Ron Holt, Sam Jones, Jerry Ann Holt, Sam Duffey, Carol Friday, Jon Auman, Jim Friday, Lauren Wainwright, Betty Rinckwitz, Bob & Robin RyanBack row: The Rt. Rev. Kee Sloan, The Rev. Bill Winters

Confirmed January 9, 2011

Carol Jean Rives

With a strong majority our Vestry decided to move forward on our Com-mons and Youth building. This year the parish has received a sizeable amount of pledges for the new building ($28,500) but we could not move forward in any meaningful way without some start up cash. The truth of the matter was that we could either pay interest (which is at a historic low) or wait years with rising construction cost. Either way we were going to pay. Another capital fund drive seemed unrealistic at this time. And it seems a bit silly to have a beauti-ful building sitting outside that couldn’t be used.

So this is what the Vestry decided. We will procure a line of credit of $100,000, which will eventually be added to our current loan. This will allow us to get the electricity in, the furnace/air condi-tioners installed and working, plumbing, water, and much more. We already have the money for the kitchen appli-ances, and installation, with promises for other items. Even with the loan, we will be about $30,000 short of occupy-ing the building. The vestry will review the situation at that time.

To pay for the loan the money that is pledged for the depreciation of our cur-

rent loans will come very close to paying the extra cost of the loan. If we need a bit more we still have the $28,500 to help with the yearly cost of the loan. If we can get the building up and running I see no reason why we can’t move quickly to reduce our debt. I assure you that there are no other building plans currently being consid-ered and unless something miraculous happens there will be none, only repair of what we already have.

I believe that the vestry made a wise decision. Their decision is something that will benefit and enrich Epiphany for generations to come. Spending our money, which comes directly from the rank and file of this parish, is something the vestry takes extremely seriously. These people know that money is not exhaustible, but some things must move forward for the good of the people. I pray you see the blessing that this new building will provide. We bit the bullet when we built this parish, many people wanted a Butler Building rather than the beautiful building that we now have. Many of those same people who wanted the cheaper building are now grateful for the magnificent building that graces us. I believe the same will be said of this new building when it is complete.

The Carol Jean Rives Center for Spirituality

Epiphany received a generous gift from the estate of Carol Jean Rives. The vestry has designated these funds for the formation of the Carol Jean Rives Center for Spirituality which will bring gifted speakers to teach, lead, and direct us in retreats. We are planning to have two forums each year.

Once the new Commons Building is complete it will house the Carol Jean Rives Center for Spirituality. That does not mean that everything that we do in the building will be based on spiritual-ity. It will house ECW, DOK, EYC, and many of the things we do week in and out for Christian formation. When finished we will move the Taizé and Celtic worship over to the new building. This marvelous new space will allow the services to become cozier and warmer for our worship. We will move our continuing Wednesday evening adult forum classes, adult Sunday school, as well as the dream class, and two centering prayer groups.

We will also upgrade our technology in the new Commons Building to permit webcasts, Skype broadcast, and other programs that might come to us through satellite and computer. Big plans are in the process of being firmed up but you will hear more in the near future.

Vestry Decides to Move Forward on Commons Building

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Applications available in the Epiphany office.

COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS Are you a graduating high school senior or going back to school? College Scholarship applications are now available and can be picked up at the front desk in the office. The deadline to apply is April 1st.

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SIFAT

Over the weekend of February 18-20, six youth and myself took part in SIFAT (Servants in Faith and Technology). This weekend gave youth the opportunity to learn about diverse cultures, differing living conditions and the technologies that SIFAT utilizes while serving people throughout the world. On Friday night we took part in the Slum Experience where participants role-play and encounter conditions faced daily by the urban poor. On average, one billion people live like this each day. On Saturday, we learned to use appropri-ate technology by building a smokeless oven with clay bricks. The fourth leading cause of death around the world comes from smoke inhalation effecting mainly women and children. By teaching others to build a smokeless oven, many lives around the world can be saved. We also learned how to use saw dust to make a sustainable fire and cook lunch, par-ticipated in some community service at a local trailer park, and took part in a hunger banquet. On Sunday, we took the opportunity to do some much appreciated community service around the SIFAT grounds. SIFAT was a life changing weekend for our youth and provided them with knowledge and skills that will reach far in to the future.

Clay Harden, Sam Jones, Jon Auman, Lauren Wainwright, Tabitha Mohr, Naomi Mohr, and Hannah Mohr at SIFAT.

April 17—Palm Sunday May 1—Silly Sock SundayApril 21—Maundy Thursday May 5—Epiphany Eats OutApril 22—Good Friday May 8—Mother’s DayApril 23—Easter Eve May 22—Youth SundayApril 24—Easter Day May 31—Last Day of School

CODE: BSA—Brotherhood of St. Andrew; CC—Children’s Church; CP—Centering Prayer; DOK—Daughters of the King; DG—Dream Group; ECW—Episcopal Church Women;

HC—Holy Communion; HE—Holy Eucharist; SS—Sunday School; Birthdays in italics

March 2011

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2CP 10:30am

HC & Healing 11:30amHE 5:30pmDinner 6pm

Programs and Choir 6:30pm

3Lenten Class 10am

DG 12pmBeans & Greens

11am—2pm

CP 6:30pmUltreya Stations

7pm

4World Day of Prayer 10am

Donna FarishJohn-Miller

HunterEllen Jones

5Altar Guild

Workday 9amMission Team Workday 9am

Jack Pate

6Discretionary Fund

SundayHE 8 & 10:30amBreakfast 8:45am

SS 9:30amCC 10:30am

Taizé Service 5pmSr. EYC 6pm

7EFM 6pm

Shari HarrisonLinda Katz

8Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper

5:00pm

Betty Warren

9

Imposition of Ashes12pm & 7pm

10Lenten Class 10am

DG 12pmCP 6:30pm

Mallory Alves

11Vocare

Larry CranfordJim McAllister

12BSA 8am

Garden Workday9am

Set clock ahead one hour at Midnight

Eddie Bors

13HE 8 & 10:30amBreakfast 8:45am

SS 9:30amOutreach 9:30am

CC 10:30amUltreya 6pm

Jordan Woods

14DOK 11:15am

EFM 6pm

Lorraine Iler

15ECW meeting

10:30amHospitality 7pm

Marsha BabbKim BensonEddie Brown

16CP 10:30am

HC & Healing 11:30amHE 5:30pmDinner 6pm

Lenten Program and Choir 6:30pm

NO VYP or EYC

17Lenten Class 10am

DG 12pmCP 6:30pm

Kim BoothBob Ryan

18

Pam Moore

19

Kate Jackson

20 1st Day of SpringHE 8 & 10:30amBreakfast 8:45am

SS 9:30amMission mtg 9:30am

CC 10:30amCeltic Service 5pm

Sr. EYC 6pmUltreya 6pm

Sarah BorsDyllon Howell

Marsha LeeRhonda Sparks

21EFM 6pm

Vestry 7pm

Joe AmburnPatrick Roberts

22

Kay Benefield

23CP 10:30am

HC & Healing 11:30amHE 5:30pmDinner 6pm

Programs and Choir 6:30pm

Francella Collins

24Lenten Class 10am

DG 12pmCP 6:30pm

Sydney Jarmon

25

Bob DavisKatie Grass

26BSA 8am

EFM trip to Sewanee

27HE 8 & 10:30amBreakfast 8:45am

SS 9:30amCC 10:30amSr. EYC 6pm

28EFM 6pmDOK 7pm

Alexander EastAmanda Hardin

29

Jessa Bors

30CP 10:30am

HC & Healing 11:30amHE 5:30pmDinner 6pm

Programs and Choir 6:30pm

31Lenten Class 10am

DG 12pmCP 6:30pm

Darlene Allen

April 3Newcomer’s

Luncheon 12pm

April 9Trash to Treasure

Sale 7am—1:30pm

S C H O O L S O U T F O R S P R I N G B R E A K

Sr. EYC Spring Break Conference

Vestry Person for MarchSusan Armstrong

256-302-3801EYC Happening