S T .

J O H N ’ S E P I S C O P A L

The Chimes
St. John’s Episcopal Church is a loving community of faith and
worship, showing the love of God to each other and the world.

a publication of St.John’s Episcopal Church Sealy, Texas March 2019

Upcoming Events
Hwy 36 N at 6th St. Sin, Like Ashes in Our Schedules Schedule of Upcoming
Sealy, Texas Eyes Birthdays & Events
Susana Metz Anniversaries
Phone: 979-885-2359 Page 7
Page 1 Here’s the Scoop Church Worship
Keep up with what is Schedule and Calendar
Email:
happening the the Page 4
info@stjohnssealy.com
lives of our Lenten Schedule
parishioners St. John’s schedule
Website: for Lenten services
www.stjohnssealy.com Page 3 has changed this
Join us at 10 am on year.
Sunday for Worship! Page 5-6

days when we’re reminded to

Sin, Like Ashes in
Our Eyes
By: Susana Metz
The ashes are gone – washed off
Is that what Lent is all
our foreheads – but their
darkness still stains our thoughts
and spirits as we begin Lent
Sin is like that most days,
once again. Tiny grains of ash,
like the darkness of sin, may
have fallen in our eyes or down
our faces. Annoyed, we may
have rubbed our eyes or brushed
our cheeks. Maybe the ash was
wet – a big stain on our heads,
right between our eyes. How can
we get it off, without looking
insincere, before we get in our
cars and go to work out in the
real world where most people
don’t even know it’s Ash
We have 40 long days to
Wednesday, where most people
no longer remember the word
“Lent” or what it means?
our youth, a desire to get it over
a bit of an annoyance, a speck in
our eyes that must be rubbed
away. For heaven’s sake, we
don’t want to talk about it – it’s
annoying – oh my, that word
again. Being reminded that sin
still exists in each one of us can
be just plain annoying, not earth-
shattering, nothing really to worry
about, it’s just there hovering
around the edges, picking at us,
especially during Lent.
model Jesus. Lent can help us
think about it, though. Forty long
repent and be saved. Our hymns
are melancholy. In many
churches, they hide a banner
with the word “Alleluia” on it until
Easter Day.
about? A surface look at it, a few
memories from Sunday school in
with and get back to the real
world, might make it so. But look
at our readings today. If we really
pay attention to what we’re
hearing, there is a whole lot more
light than darkness – a whole lot
more graciousness poured on us
by our God, than punishment.
Yes, we’re reminded about the
temptations of sin, but we’re
offered the unstopping gift of
forgiveness and a chance to
go deep into ourselves.

March 2019 1

Moses’ story in
Deuteronomy is full of light. God
has given the Israelites a land
flowing with milk and honey. All
they have to do is show gratitude
through their offerings. “A land
flowing with milk and honey” is
an image of peace and beauty.
Is that part of the ash that
The people acknowledged their
rescue from the Egyptians by the
God who heard their cries of
affliction.
Psalm 91 says, “He shall
call upon me, and I will answer
him; I am with him in trouble; I
will rescue him and bring him to
honor.” This is another image
Jesus’ second temptation
that should remind us that God
But if that ash is left in our
continues to hear our cries, even
when they’re moaned from the
depths of our sinfulness. At the
beginning of Lent, we’re
reminded that we are not alone.
God not only has not abandoned
us, God is “so bound to us in
love” the psalm says, that even
when we are focused only on
ourselves to the point of sin, God
is with us, ready to bring us back
Luke reminds us that
to the light. God is ready to
brush the ash from our faces.
Paul says the same thing
to the Romans. “The word is
near you, on your lips and in your
heart.” That is not only the word
of faith, but the capital W “Word”
of God. “You will be saved,” he
says, “everyone who calls upon
the name of the Lord will be
Even Jesus didn’t send
saved.” Is there any better news
than that?
Paul does put in front of
us, however, one type of sin we
may need to think about during
There is a lot to be joyful
Lent – because after all, this
good news of salvation is reliant
on the fact that we actually want
to repent and return to the Lord.
Paul drops in a very salient fact:
There is no distinction between
The three temptations are
Jew and Greek, the same Lord is
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T H E C H I M E
Lord of all and is generous to all
who call on him. This speaks to
us of God’s inclusion of all
people – no exceptions. We
might need to examine ourselves
to determine how much we really
want to include all others.
grow into the serious sin, for
has fallen in our eyes? We might
need help getting that out. We
might need to read over and over
again Jesus’ words all through
the gospels that call us to love
even our enemies. “Our
enemies?” we might want to ask.
It’s hard enough to love our own
families sometimes.
might make us think about what
eye, it could fester and make us
blind – blind to our responsibility
to share God’s love with
everyone. This is a good time to
remember that for the Jews,
“love” doesn’t mean the
Valentine’s-Day-card emotional
kind of love. Love, when Jesus
talks about it, also means
“loyalty.” We don’t have to agree
with everyone to love them. We
don’t have to have emotional
love for the person or group
doing evil. “Loyalty” means we
acknowledge that these too are
children of God and need our
prayers. They need us to want
them to see the light, not for us
to judge them as worthy only for
hell.
reminded even more about the
his tempter immediately to hell in
our gospel story. Isn’t it
interesting that Jesus only
responds to the temptations by
reminding his tempter that God
alone is worthy of our worship
and service? There was no
argument, no discussion: God
alone is our refuge and our
stronghold in times of trial.
St. John the Baptist Church, Battle Creek,
interesting in themselves. Would
S
it have been so wrong if Jesus
just turned a few stones to
bread? Certainly, there’s no sin in
that. What is Luke really telling
us? Perhaps, that we might be
tempted to want to manipulate
the world to our liking. That can
example, of not caring where our
food comes from, or the
environment from which it grew.
Do we care enough about those
who grow the food we eventually
buy in our stores to make
deliberate choices about where
we shop?
we feel we must own. What in
our lifestyles comes before our
consideration of God? If we’re
honest, many things can draw
our eyes away from God – things
that, in and of themselves, are
not bad, but things, such as that
annoying speck of ash that fell in
our eyes, that might fester in us
until we can see nothing else.
Jesus, too, was faced with
temptations. He was, after all,
fully human as well as fully
divine. He knows what we face.
He knows the power that tries to
turn our hearts from God. Our
ashes remind us of the same
thing, but today we hear about
God’s great love for us. We’re
fact that we abide under the
shadow of the Almighty. We, too,
have been promised a land
flowing with milk and honey.
about in Lent. After all, Paul tells
us, “Everyone who calls on the
name of the Lord shall be
saved.”
 — The Rev. Dr. Susanna Metz is the Rector,
TN, and Assistant Professor, School of
Theology, Sewanee, TN
March 2019
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Marge Michaelis was visited by family

members last month.

And during the passing of the Peace at

the Holy Eucharist one day, she
happened to kidnap bring baby Freya
back to her pew. Freya took it like a
champ, though some of us found it hard
to focus on the service until she was
safely back into her mother Louise’s
Clay Roberts, grandson of Toby
arms. You never know what these two
Roberts, was named to the First Team
will get up to next! We love having both
All District for basketball.
of them at St. John’s.

• Gloria Noy
• LaJuan Farrell
• Fr. Eric
• Carla Beckendorff
• Cody Childress
• Al Heath
!!
• Annie Smith
• F. Sam Todd

March 2019 3
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March Church Schedule

Sunday, March 3, 10 a.m., Last

Sunday after the Epiphany, Rev.
Tom Wallace, Celebrant

Wednesday, March 6, Noon and

6:15 p.m. Imposition of Ashes,
Rev. Tom Wallace, Celebrant

Sunday, March 10, 10:00 a.m., 1st Sunday in Lent, Morning Prayer Rite I , Mary
Emerson, Officiant

Sunday, March 17, 10 a.m., 2nd Sunday in Lent, Penitential Order and Holy
Eucharist Rite II - Rev. Tom Wallace, Celebrant

Sunday, March 24, 10 a.m., 3rd Sunday in Lent, Holy Eucharist Rite I, Rev.
Virginia Brown, Celebrant

Sunday, March 31, 10 a.m., 4th Sunday in Lent, Morning Prayer Rite I, Worship
Leader, Officiant

March
5, Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday
Pancake Supper, 6pm, Parish Hall
6, Ash Wednesday, Ash April
Wednesday Services, Noon and
6:15 pm 3, Wednesday, Anglican Rosary
& Soup Supper 6:15 pm
10, Sunday, Vestry Meeting
11:30, Parish Office 10, Wednesday, Alzheimer’s
Support Group, 10:30, Parish Hall
13, Wednesday, Alzheimer’s
Support Group, 10:30, Parish Hall 10, Wednesday, Evening Prayer
& Soup Supper, 6:15 pm
13, Wednesday, Soup Supper &
Evensong 6:15 pm 13, Saturday, Palm Cross
Folding, 10:00, Waverly & Cricket
18, Monday, ECW Friendship
Johnson’s Ranch
Luncheon, The Oaks, 11 am
14, Sunday, Palm Sunday, 10 am
20, Wednesday, Compline &
Soup Supper 6:15 pm 18, Maundy Thursday

27, Wednesday, Stations of the 19 Good Friday, Stations of the

Cross & Soup Supper 6:15 pm Cross
21, Easter Sunday
4 March 2019
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England, evensong is sung by clergy and choir

as a choral liturgy.
Compline - The last of the four services in
the Daily Office (BCP, p. 127). It is descended
from the night prayers said before bed at the end
of the monastic round of daily prayer. Compline
is a simple office including a confession of sins,
one or more psalms, a short reading from
scripture, versicles and responses, the Lord's
Prayer, collects which ask for God's protection
during the night to come, and the canticle Nunc
dimittis. A hymn for the evening may follow the
short reading from scripture. The collects may be
Lenten Season will start off as in previous
followed by a time of silence, along with free
year with a Pancake supper for all as we host the
intercessions and thanksgivings.
residents of Willow River Farms. This tradition
Evening Prayer- One of the principal Daily
was begun by resident, Jean Cargill, a St. John’s
Offices. Evening Prayer has been the title for the
member asked if she could invite a few friends to
Evening Office in Anglican worship since the
the Pancake Supper. It is always a treat to see
1552 revision of the Prayer Book. The BCP
Jean. I wish there was a way we could get her to
provides forms for Daily Evening Prayer in
church on Sunday.
traditional and contemporary language (pp. 61,
Ash Wednesday will follow with the
115). Evening Prayer may begin with an opening
Imposition of Ashes at two services celebrated
sentence of scripture and with the confession of
by Fr. Tom Wallace.
sin. The Invitatory may include the canticle Phos
Sundays in Lent will vary with Morning
Hilaron, an ancient hymn praising Christ at the
Prayer, Rite I, Holy Eucharist, Rite I and Rite II
lighting of lamps at sunset. The office continues
and also the Penitential Order. Fr. Tom Wallace
with a selection from the Psalter, readings from
and Mtr. Virginia Brown will be with us to
scripture followed by canticles (typically the
celebrate the Eucharist and our St. John’s
Magnificat and Nunc dimittis), the Apostles'
Worship Leaders will officiate Morning Prayer.
Creed, the Lord's Prayer, a set of suffrages, one
Wednesdays in Lent will keep us
or more collects, and the dismissal. One of the
connected throughout the Lenten season with a
two suffrages is a version of the litany in the
soup supper and various services to choose
Evening Office of Eastern Orthodox churches
from. The theme for the Sermons will be the
with images of evening and death. Evening
Episcopal Church. St. John’s Worship Leaders
Prayer may also include an office hymn or
will officiate Evensong, Compline, The Stations of
anthem, the General Thanksgiving, a Prayer of
the Cross and Evening Prayer. The Daughters of
St. Chrysostom, and a concluding sentence of
the King will lead the Anglican Rosary.
scripture.
Here are a few definitions of the services
from the Episcopal Church website.
Evensong - Since the late middle ages
"evensong" has been the popular name for
vespers (from the Latin vesperis, "evening"), the
Evening Office of the western church. Cranmer
used it in the 1549 BCP. Although in 1552 he
replaced it with "Evening Prayer," the common
Way of the Cross (Stations of the Cross) - A
name remains "evensong." In many Anglican
devotion to the Passion of Christ which recalls a
cathedrals and other large churches, especially in
series of events at the end of Jesus' life from his
March 2019 5
 T H E C H I M E S

condemnation to his burial. The Way of the Cross The Way of the Cross is a popular devotion that is
imitates the practice of visiting the places of often done on Fridays during Lent.
Jesus' Passion in the Holy Land by early Christian
pilgrims. The first stations outside Palestine were
built in Bologna in the fifth century. This devotion
was encouraged by the Franciscans, and it
became common in the fifteenth century. The
number of stations for prayer and meditation in
the Way of the Cross has varied, but it typically
includes fourteen stations. Each station may have
a cross and an artistic representation of the
scene. The stations may be erected inside a
church or outdoors. The Book of Occasional
Services (BOS) includes the following stations in
the Way of the Cross: 1) Jesus is condemned to
death; 2) Jesus takes up his cross; 3) Jesus falls
the first time; 4) Jesus meets his afflicted mother;
5) the cross is laid on Simon of Cyrene; 6) a
woman wipes the face of Jesus; 7) Jesus falls a
Anglican Rosary - Anglican Prayer Beads are a
second time; 8) Jesus meets the women of
relatively new form of prayer, blending the
Jerusalem; 9) Jesus falls a third time; 10) Jesus is
Orthodox Jesus Prayer Rope and the Roman
stripped of his garments; 11) Jesus is nailed to
Catholic Rosary. The thirty-three bead design was
the cross; 12) Jesus dies on the cross; 13) the
created by the Rev. Lynn Bauman in the
body of Jesus is placed in the arms of his mother;
mid-1980s, through the prayerful exploration and
14) Jesus is laid in the tomb. The BOS notes that
discovery of a contemplative prayer group.The
eight of the stations are based on events that are
use of the rosary or prayer beads helps to bring
recorded in the gospels. The remaining six
us into contemplative of meditative prayer—really
(stations 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 13) are based on inferences
thinking about and being mindful of praying, of
from the gospels or pious legends. The BOS
being in the presence of God—by use of mind,
allows these six stations to be omitted from the
body, and spirit. The touching of the fingers on
Way of the Cross. The BOS provides opening
each successive bead is an aid in keeping our
devotions and the Lord's Prayer. There is a
mind from wandering, and the rhythm of the
versicle and response, a reading, a prayer, and a
prayers leads us more readily into stillness.
collect for each of the fourteen stations.
Concluding prayers before the altar follow the
fourteenth station in the BOS service. The hymn
Stabat Mater has been associated with the Way
of the Cross. Verses of this hymn traditionally
have been sung between each of the stations
when the devotion is done by a congregation.
The Stabat Mater appears as "At the cross her
vigil keeping," Hymn 159 in The Hymnal 1982.
The BOS suggests that verses of this hymn be
sung as the ministers enter for the Way of the
Cross and as they approach the first station. The
BOS also suggests that the Trisagion be chanted
as the procession goes from station to station.

March 2019
 T H E C H I M E S

Upcoming Events at
Historic St. John’s Episcopal Church

Come dressed in your

Imposition of ashes in ECW is hosting a
finest Mardi Gras
this traditional Ash Our weekly Lenten
colors of purple, green Friendship Lunch at
Wednesday marks the services will be held on
and gold as we the Oaks on March 18.
beginning of the Lenten Wednesdays beginning We will be serving and
celebrate with a
season. March 13 - April 10. dining with the
traditional Shrove
Tuesday Pancake We will be exploring residents we serve
Supper. different aspects of the through our outreach
As part of our outreach Episcopal Church and program.
program, we invite the experiencing different We need food
residents of Willow services from Evensong donations and people
River Farm to eat with to Compline, Stations of to volunteer to serve on
us. Enjoy all of the the Cross to the that Monday.
pancakes and sausage Anglican Rosary. Please contact Rita
you can eat. Services begin at 6:15 Royle for more
Shrove Tuesday marks followed by the Soup information:
the end of Epiphany Supper. rroyle9150@gmail.com
and the beginning of
Lent. 979-885-7097
St. John’s Episcopal Church is located at Hwy 36 N & 6th St., Sealy, TX
Phone: 979-885-2359

Email: info@stjohnssealy.com Website: www.stjohnssealy.com

7 March 2019