Good morning, Dear Saints of All Saints; I hope you are all well!
Here is our Schedule for the Coming Week and Beyond:
- Every Mon-Fri @ 8:00am Morning Prayer on Facebook, our ongoing offering of the Daily Office and our parish intercessions streaming live and archived at https://www.facebook.com/AllSaintsEpiscopalep.org/ This is not new. I just forget to include it in the weekly church calendar. We have a wonderful group of folks, led by Courtney, Darryl & Ychel (and frequently joined by Althea, Corrine, Erica, Russell, Thelma and others) praying in real time, although it is also available for streaming at your convenience later in the morning.
- Sunday, 4/30 @ 10:00am Holy Eucharist followed by fellowship and refreshments
- Wednesday, 5/3 @ 7:00pm Open Mic in the parish hall. Please bring a voice, instrument, dance, poem etc. or just come out and join the fun with Flora & Mike, Chuy & Pepe their house band, Vehiculo, and often featuring eclectic guest artists. Free of charge and everybody always welcome!
- Thursday 4/27 & Friday 4/28 Prep & Set-up for SPRING FLING in the Parish Hall. Volunteers Needed: Please sign up in the Narthex.
- Sat 5/6 10:00am-3:00pm SPRING FLING! Volunteers Needed: Please sign up in the Narthex. In addition to Volunteers for 2.5 hour shifts, we still need 16 two-liter sodasfor ring-toss prizes. Please share the attached flyer far and wide. See everybody May 6th!
- Sun 5/7 @ 10:00am Holy Eucharist with Child Care, followed by fellowship and refreshments. Please spread the word that All Saints is excited to offer Child Care from 9:45-11:45 in the Chapel throughout the month of May, and hopefully indefinitely. Please spread the word: Children and families are always welcome at All Saints!
- Sat 5/13 10:00-11:00am Choir Rehearsal for Mother’s Day
- Sun 5/14 @ 7:30am Kitchen Call for the Boys and Men of All Saints to join us in preparing breakfast for the Women of All Saints.
- Sun 5/14 @ 9:00am Breakfast for the Women of All Saints
- Sun 5/14 @ 10:00am Holy Eucharist with Child Care, followed by fellowship and refreshments
El Paso Episcopal Clergy are now meeting regularly. Now that all of the El Paso-area Episcopal churches have clergy, Canon Kathy McNellis of Holy Spirit graciously initiated a regular clergy gathering to share news, information, resources and happenings in our churches. Last Tuesday, clergy from all six El Paso-area congregations (All Saints, Holy Spirit, St. Alban’s, St. Christopher’s, St. Luke’s/La Union and St. Francis on the Hill) met and shared lunch and church news. Thank you to Mother Kristin Kopren and St. Francis for hosting us, and thank you to these colleagues for helping publicize All Saints’ SPRING FLING May 6th 10:00-3:00! Our El Paso Episcopal clericus includes Fr. Benjamin Newland and Fr. Nick Earl, both active duty chaplains stationed at Ft. Bliss.
The Episcopal Chaplains at Ft. Bliss offer Morning Prayer Wednesdays at 9:00am at Center Chapel One on post. Thanks to the invitation from Fr. Ben, I hope to join them as I am able most Wednesdays, so will likely not be in the office on Wednesdays until 10:00 or so. I will of course still look forward to praying MP with my All Saints’ sisters and brothers at 8:00 as well.
Collaboration and Cooperation with other Episcopal Churches is one of the anticipated outcomes of meeting regularly.
This Thursday, 4/27 @ 7:00pm Opera UTEP will offer a free concert at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 1810 Elm. See the attached flyer for more information about this wonderful concert.
One of Fr. Ben’s contributions to our clergy group already was the idea that we observe major weekday Feast Days together (ALL of us; not just clergy!) : – P The first of these joint celebrations will be a Holy Eucharist for the Feast of the Ascension Thursday, May 18th @ Noon @ Holy Spirit Episcopal Church, 10500 Kenworthy.
Later in the summer, we are all invited to join our friends at St. Francis on the Hill for Evening Prayer and Fireworks for the Fourth of July. What a wonderful perch above El Paso for viewing the fireworks as we celebrate Independence Day.
What happened to the Confession at the Eucharist? (No, your priest did not just forget it.) You may have noticed that we are observing the common resurrection practice of omitting the General Confession from the Eucharist for the Easter season. Just as fasting and penance are common spiritual disciplines of Lent, JOY is a common spiritual discipline of Easter. And it is a mindful, intentional practice of Eucharistic celebrations especially in the Easter season. I hope you will join me in continuing to confess your sins in your private devotions, knowing God’s forgiveness and pardon even as you do so. And I pray that you continue to have a JOYOUS Eastertide in your lives generally and especially in our Sunday Eucharistic feasts! The Confession will return to our Sunday liturgies in Ordinary Time (green season).
Below is a good succinct explanation of the history and practice of suspending the Confession at the Eucharist in Easter (from a Roman Catholic priest, but completely congruent with our practice and theology as Anglicans):
Thank you for the blessing you each are to the Beloved Christian Community of All Saints Episcopal Church!
Soli Deo Gloria, with Easter Joy and Thanksgivings,
David-Luke BSG +