A congregation of the Episcopal Church in Minnesota led by the Rt. Rev. Craig W. Loya FROM YOUR INTERIM RECTOR:
It has been a long winter, and I am starting to hear a lot of people excited about the Spring and what it will bring. I am a little bummed to see this winter come to an end. It was a great one. We had so few freezing cold days. On top of that, we had so much snow.
While I look forward to the warm weather, and the life the retreating snow will reveal, I do give thanks for the winter and all that it has given to us. Transitions are always fun, scary and challenging. As I touched on in my sermon on Sunday, we all experience different life changes and transitions almost on a daily basis.
Rarely do those changes hit at the level of a resurrection or major life moments, but they often are the tremors that reveal greater change. My personal story, lying on a dock experiencing the Holy fill me up with warmth and energy led me to a transformation moment where I made the decision to enter the priesthood.
It was on par with my Teens Encounter Christ experience where I went from seeing the world in black and white, to seeing the world in color. I didn’t know at that time that I would end up working in the Church, but I knew the Holy was real and I was filled with it, whatever it was.
Transitions and changes aren’t always great either, I remember with sadness the day I received the call from Bishop Prior informing me I was being removed from ministry. My heart sank, my legs were heavy, I was filled with fear. That began an eight year process that led me here to St. Edwards, another moment of transition or transformation.
I was nervous those first few Sundays with you all. Would you think I was a fraud? Would you think I was a bad fit? Would you think I didn’t have what it takes to be a spiritual leader? My knees were trembling for the first month every time I walked through the doors here at the Church.
But you didn’t reject me, or throw me out, you welcomed me and I found the experience so many of you have shared with me about St. Edward’s being your home. This place is special, this place is complex, this place is transformational. I have no doubt in my mind that St. Ed’s is alive with the Spirit.
With the Vestry at a retreat on Saturday, almost to a person, everyone said when they walked into St Ed’s they had found their home. Think about that for a minute. They found a home, it wasn’t home in the sense of where they live and find safety and security, it was a sense of welcoming and authenticity that allowed them each to be truly and authentically who they were.
It doesn’t matter if there are 30 people in Church on Sunday or 300 people, the most important work we can do as a community of faith gathered in the Spirit of God is to welcome people, all people, and be sure they can be themselves without exception. We are home, St. Ed’s is your home and it should always be that to every person who walks through these doors. Home.
CONTACTING ARON:
Email: revaronkramer@stedwards-mn.org
Phone: 218-310-8749
ARON’S OFFICE HOURS: The week: March 27- April 3
Monday, March 27 – In the office until 2pm
Tuesday, March 28 – Not in the office, call or email
Wednesday, March 29 – Evening, 4pm-9pm
Thursday, March 30 – Not in the office, call or email
Friday, March 31 – Morning, 9am-1pm
Saturday, April 1 – TBD, call or email
Sunday, April 2 – All Day
Monday, April 3 – Morning, 9am-1pm
THIS SUNDAY’S READINGS | April 2, 2023, Palm Sunday
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Psalm 31:9-16
Phillippians 2:5-11
Matthew 26:14 – 27:66
LECTOR ROTA (OT, Psalm and NT readings and prayers of the people)
DATE DAY READERS
Apr 2 Palm Sunday. Debbie Enyeart
Apr 6. Maundy Thursday Miles Ottenger
Apr 7 Good Friday. Timothy & Ellen Williams
Apr 9 Easter Sunday. Maryann Raymond &
Steve Anderson
Apr 16 2 Easter Katie May
Apr 23 3 Easter Judy Starkey
Apr 30 4 Easter Bryan & Susan Ripp
From Philippians 2:8
And being found in human form,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death–
even death on a cross.
Quote of the week
“We never know what can happen when we feel called to follow Jesus’ gospel witness of welcome. Heeding such a call can require incredible courage. Sometimes this gospel way of welcome can lead us to put our very lives on the line. But Jesus’ way of welcome can inspire us to keep working to do what is right in a world where too often too much is wrong.” ― Michael Curry, Crazy Christians: A Call to Follow Jesus
A PRAYER FOR TRANSITION AND DISCERNMENT
As we begin the process of discerning what comes next for St. Edward’s, the Vestry invites you to join them in adding the following prayer to your daily prayers:
Assist us, Lord, in living hopefully into the future. In the face of change, help us to set unnecessary fears aside and to recognize our potential for creative response. Help us to develop a reasonable optimism when confronted by “the new” and to guard against our own defensiveness. Be with us as we remember and celebrate former times, and keep us from unreasonable yearning for them, which takes us from the work you have set before us in our time. All this we ask in the name of your Child, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
COVID PROTOCOL UPDATES:
Masking – Masks are not required if you are vaccinated. If you are not vaccinated, masks are required.
Communion – We will return to having people come to the altar for communion. Communion will be distributed in your hand. We will also return to distributing wine with communion. As you come up for communion we ask that you pick up a plastic cup. You will receive the bread and then go to the Deacon Chip or Eucharistic Minister who will pour a small amount of wine for you to receive communion. There will be a trash bin near for you to throw the cup away.
ONLINE WORSHIP SUNDAY:
Topic: Sunday Morning Worship
Time: April 2, 2023 10:00 AM Central Time (US and Canada)
Every week on Sunday, Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/94331579175
Meeting ID: 943 3157 9175
Dial by your location
+1 253 215 8782 US
+1 301 715 8592 US
Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/adWZoFu8tM
Bulletin link: http://stedwards-mn.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/4-2-2023-Palm-Sunday.pdf
VOLUNTEER AND ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES:
MARCH AT THE STATE CAPITAL TO SUPPORT OUR TRANS COMMUNITY
Join us at the State Capitol to celebrate our incredible Trans Community! Hear from elected officials and fellow activists, party to musical acts, and learn about the ways YOU can make a difference!
WHEN: Friday, March 31
9:00 AM–1:00 PM
Rally at 10:00 AM
WHERE: Minnesota State Capitol
75 Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Saint Paul, MN 55155
THE PRAYER LIST CHANGES ON APRIL 1
As of April 1, the prayer list will change over, if you would like a person you put on the prayer list to remain, please contact the office by March 27 for the April bulletins.
LENTEN WEDNESDAY SOUP SUPPER FORMATION
During the Lenten Season we will be exploring the Gospel of Matthew. Looking at its history, authorship and understanding who Matthew was writing to. We will also look at different Biblical translations. Soup dinner will start at 6pm, Gospel Based Discipleship will start at 6:30pm and will follow with formation and end at 8pm. All are welcome to join us!
IOCP FOOD SHELF
Please continue to bring in non-perishable food items for our IOCP Food Shelf Basket. In a recent newsletter they asked for baby wipes and canned meat as a couple of the most needed items right now for their families.
LABYRINTH WALK AND CONTEMPLATIVE MEDITATION
The first Saturday of each month St Edward’s Episcopal Church in Wayzata will host a Labyrinth Walk and Contemplative Meditation. Coffee begins at 9:30 am followed by the labyrinth walk. At 10 am we will meet in the center of the labyrinth for Lectio Divina followed by twenty minutes of silent Centering Prayer. At the conclusion, we will walk the labyrinth silently in reverse. Contemplative Meditation is suitable for all faiths and every seeker is welcome to walk with us on our spiritual journeys.
Next Labyrinth Walk: April 1, 2023
TO ST ED’S MEMBERS
Note the above Labyrinth announcement is such that you can copy and paste it and send it to your favorite newsletter you follow or community bulletin board. Share it everywhere you can think of and with everyone you know. This is a great opportunity for us to serve our community in a time of hectic lives, this can be an opportunity for peace.
EASTER FLOWERS
As Easter quickly approaches, your support for making the sanctuary beautiful on Easter Day is needed. If you would like to help us purchase flowers, or if you would like to make a donation in memory/honor/thanksgiving of someone, please consider writing a check and putting in the memo line: Easter FlowersPRAYER LIST
AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH MONTH the prayer list will be set to BLANK, so please let the office know if you want the person being prayed for to remain.
THIS MONTH’S PRAYER LIST:
Arnie, Sarah, Carol, Jan, Ben, Grace, Jennifer, Matt, Kate, Alex, Baby Bloxham, Earl, Clay, Nancy, Collette, Eric, Ryan, People of Ukraine, Turkey & Syria
OTHER TIDBITS AND SUNDRIESIf you need a directory please contact the office at office@stedwards-mn.org
If you have information which needs to be placed in the Happenings, please submit an email to the church office no later than Monday 10am