DEAR FRIENDS 

Unfortunately, the Season of Easter and the Season of Christmas share a similar fate in the minds of most people.  They are preceded by a season of preparation and an increasing level of work and intensity as the actual day approaches.  Then, when the Feast Day itself has come and is over, we think of it as the end, and we sigh and say, “Well, I’m glad that’s over for another year.”  In point of fact, as I wrote in my Eblast last December, Christmas and Easter are the beginning of something, not the end.  Christmas Day begins a season of only twelve days, and even then it doesn’t take people long to starting saying, “But Christmas is over.”  Easter Day begins a season that lasts for seven weeks.  This corresponds to the forty days Our Lord was on earth after his Resurrection, continuing to teach his Disciples, plus the ten days from his Ascension until the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, a total of 50 days—in fact, the word “pentecost” means the “fiftieth day.”  But my point is that Easter is not over just because the actual day has come and gone on the calendar; its joy and celebration continue apace.  And that’s only liturgically, that is in terms of our church year and the customs and character of our worship.  Easter and the Resurrection of Our Lord is, after all, the center of this thing we call Christianity, and it should live spiritually in our hearts and minds and inform and direct our lives practically all year long.  To be fair, it’s a bit easier to maintain the energy and celebration of Easter Day longer than we do after Christmas.  The weather is getter warmer and nicer, the flowers are abloom, and spring is upon us.   Still, it’s all too easy to think of Easter as something we did, and it was nice and lovely, and now it’s over.  We compartmentalize it and set is aside, instead of actively allowing it enter our spirits and affect who are as Christians.  That’s the hard part.  Notice in our Opening Acclamation during the Easter Season, the celebrant says, “Alleluia, Christ is risen,” and the people reply, “The Lord is risen, indeed. Alleluia!”—is risen, present tense; not was risen, past tense.  It’s not over.  Easter continues, rebirth continues, renewal continues, the Resurrection continues.  May it ever be so.
 
See you on Sunday
Fr. Wallace
 

SUNDAY SCHOOL RESUMES THIS SUNDAY, APRIL 15 

INSTRUCTED EUCHARIST

1:00 pm, Sunday, April 29 (right after Coffee Hour)

Ever wonder why we do the things we do at mass?  Why we cross ourselves when we do and stand and sit when we do?  What’s happening at the altar during the Eucharistic Prayer?  What all the vestments are about? Why do we use incense? We call ourselves an “Anglo-Catholic Parish,” but how is that different from other Episcopal Churches?  Now is your chance.  Fr. Wallace is conducting an Instructed Eucharist, sometimes called “teaching mass,” on Sunday afternoon, April 29, right after Coffee Hour.  We will walk through all the parts of the service, explain what it’s all about, and answer all of your questions.  Please plan to join us.

KNITTING AND CRAFTING CIRCLE

Optional subhead 

St Paul's Knitting & Crafting Circle will convene again for the next four Sundays following Sunday Service through 2PM, on April 8, 15, 22 and 29.  All skill levels are welcome—come for basic instruction or just the sharing of technics. Bring a project you are working on of some yarn and needles to start. Beginners are advised to have worsted, bulky weight yarns, and (US) needles size 6 to 10.  A light lunch of soup and bread will be available. 

NEXT PRAYER DAY

Saturday, April 28, 2:00-4:00, in the Library 

Our next prayer day is coming soon.  The last one was very successful and we hope more people will join us this time.  Lilo Carr Rivera will again lead group through types of prayer in a workshop/practicum experience.  This prayer day is offered as part of Bishop Provenzano’s Covenant of Prayer.  This time the group will explore:

• The Body Fantastic—The body has been much maligned in historical Christianity.  Hairshirts, fasting and other mortifications of the flesh abound.  Learn how to systematically bring your entire physical self into the presence of God with gentle compassion.
• Iggy's Way of Prayer—Use all 5 senses to come face-to-face with Jesus!  St. Ignatus of Loyala’s technique for engaging scripture capitalizes on our incarnated selves to bring us vividly into scripture and the presence of Christ.

This prayer day is offered as part of Bishop Provenzano’s Covenant of Prayer.

GUEST PREACHER, SUNDAY, APRIL 22 

We are honored to welcome the Rev’d Claire Woodley, Canon for Ministry Support for the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island, as our guest preacher next Sunday, April 22.  She will be guiding St. Paul’s through its search process.  Please give her a proper St. Paul’s welcome.

236 & 238 PRESIDENT STREET ARE SAVED! (at least for now) 

We are happy to announce that the historic buildings at 236 and 238 President Street have been “calendared” by the Landmarks Preservation Commission which means that the issue of landmarking these buildings has been added to the LPC’s calendar for discussion.  In the meantime, the buildings cannot be demolished.  Many thanks to everyone from the St. Paul’s community who contacted their local representatives and who showed up at the press conference/public meeting last month to advocate for preserving these buildings.  They are truly historic and deserve preservation, regardless of the impact the demolition and construction would have on Carroll Gardens generally and on St. Paul’s specifically (although all the better for us).  For more information on the history of these buildings, see the article in The Brooklyn Eagle: http://www.brooklyneagle.com/articles/2018/4/6/landmarks-preservation-commission-takes-step-toward-protecting-historic-carroll.

ST. PAUL’S STAR WARS MOVIE NIGHT

Friday, May 4th

There are a number of Star Wars fans in the St. Paul’s family, so we are organizing a Star Wars movie night on May 4, which is International Stars Wars Day (if you’re not sure why May 4th is International Star Wars Day, just keeping saying “May the fourth” over and over to yourself, and it will come to you).  If you are interested, please contact Fr. Wallace so that we can get a head count for food, etc.  We will watch the latest movie, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, recently released on DVD, and then spend time discussing (and arguing about) it.  This event is co-sponsored by Fr. Wallace, Michael Eckblad, and all Force-Sensitives and Force-Users everywhere (We’re not that weird, honest.  It’ll be fun).
 

FATHER WALLACE AWAY 

Fr. Wallace will be away from the parish Tuesday through Thursday, May 1-3, to attend the annual LI Diocesen Clergy Conference, in Riverhead.  He will be available by phone and e-mail.

THIS COMING SUNDAY AT ST. PAUL’S

The Third Sunday of Easter

• Solemn High Mass: 11:00 AM
• Sunday's Appointed Readings and Homily
  • The First Reading—Acts 3:12-19
  • Psalm 4
  • The Epistle—1 John 3:1-7
  • The Gospel— Luke 24:36b-48
  • Sermon—Fr. Wallace
• Music
  • Prelude:  Aria—David Ashley White
  • Entrance Hymn and Asperges, “Awake, arise, lift your voice,” Hymnal, #212
  • Offertory Hymn: “Now the green blade riseth,” Hymnal, #204
  • Communion Hymn:  “Alleluia, Alleluia,” Hymnal, #178
  • Dismissal Hymn:  “The strife is o’er, the battle done,” Hymnal, #208
  • Postlude: Rondeau—Jean-Joseph Mouret