1

TheMagnificatNewsletter of

St. Mary’s Episcopal ChurchEl Dorado, Arkansas

March 2018

A Message from Our New Priest, Fr. Robert

Grace to you and Peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ!

What a blessing it is to be writing to you, my friends! There are no words to capture the joy my family and I have in knowing we will soon be joining you in El Dorado. Working with your search committee, wardens, and staff has been a blessing beyond measure that has led to the promise of fruitful and joyful work for years to come. I look forward to our journey together as we grow in faith and service together and come to know God’s love for us more fully. Our journey together appropriately begins during the great feast of Easter, that season in which we celebrate the life that springs forth from the boundless love of God. Our task is always to learn how we can more fully reflect that love with God and with one another. I rejoice in our opportunity to reflect on such a joyous mis-sion together. We begin that work by nourishing each other and proceed with outstretched hands into the world around us. Know that I am excited to begin sharing that work with you. I look forward to the fullness of life that we will share together in the time before us. Thank you for inviting me into your lives as your priest and fellow traveler following the footsteps of Jesus. May God bless us all in our new beginning.

Yours in Christ,Robert+May the peace of God revealed in Christ Jesus be always with you.

‘Til We Meet Again Before I even arrived in El Dorado for my first Sunday, I was welcomed with offers of places to stay and food. I must say that my family and I have been treated to the very best hospitality that El Dorado has to offer. Even more, the people of St. Mary’s allowed me to serve not only as a supply priest, but you welcomed me as your pastor for a short time. You welcomed me into your homes. You allowed me to teach Bible Study and the DOK Lenten Retreat. You called me in times of sickness, grief, and joy. You suffered through my bad jokes. In short, you made me feel at home. If you do the same for your new rector, he will be a blessed man, indeed, as will you all. I will never forget you, St. Mary’s. Thank you.

God’s blessings be upon you this day and every day,

2

April Birthdays

If your birthday has been omitted or listed incorrectly,please call the Parish Office.

Sunday Readings for AprilYear B

Revised Common Lectionary (RCL)

Sunday Psalm Readings

The Daughtersof the King willpray for everyfamily in the

Parish during the course of

the year.

April Prayer List:Jane Feinberg

Tim & Marcia FordFred & Paula Franklin

Larry & Charlene FrisbyFreddie Fuller

Keith & Teddi Gale Ann GarrettCarol Garrett

Gig, Kim and Zack GiaconaLucie Giller

April 8

Easter 2

April 15

Easter 3

April 22

Easter 4

Psalm 133Acts 4:32-351 John 1:1-2:2John 20:19-31

Psalm 4Acts 3:12-191 John 3:1-7Luke 24:36b-48

Acts 4:5-121 John 3:16-24John 10:11-18

Holy Days in April 1 Bl Frederick Denison Maurice, Priest, 1872 2 Bl James Lloyd Breck, Priest, 1876 3 St. Richard, Bishop of Chichester, 1253 4 Bl Martin Luther King, Jr., Civil Rights Leader, 1968 8 Bl William Augustus Muhlenberg, Priest, 1877 9 Bl Dietrich Bonhoeffer, 194510 Bl William Law, Priest, 176111 Bl George Augustus Selwyn, Bishop of NewZealand&ofLichfield,187819 St. Alphege, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Martyr, 101221 St. Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, 110925 St. Mark, Evangelist29 St. Catherine of Siena, 1380

April 1

Easter DayPsalm 118:1-2, 14-24

Isaiah 25:6-9Acts 10:34-43Mark 16:1-8

Psalm 23

4 Joan Tribble 5 Richard Wharton 9 Emily McGarity10 Kermit Parks14 Clara Jones16 Katherine Steelman19 James Brown Lura Brown23 Burney Wilson24 Allyson Menefee26 Zach Giacona Kaylee Bell29 Cecile Sheppard

April 29

Easter 5

Acts 8:26-401 John 4:7-21John 15:1-8

Psalm 22:24-30

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. John 11:25

3

4

5

From Your Senior WardenSunday, April 15th Please join me as we honor Father Michael Millard for his amazing service to St. Mary’s with a potluck lunch following the 10:00 a.m. service. The church will provide the meat.

Sunday, April, 22nd We are excited to welcome The Reverends Robert Wetherington and Betsy Baumgarten and their children, Emily and George, to our church family. Please join us in the Parish Hall for coffee and donuts between ser-vices. We ask that everyone wear their name tags as we welcome them to St. Mary’s and get to know them. The name tags are on the rack in the parish hall hallway beside the rest rooms. St. Mary’s has an exciting future. Please come and be a part of it.

Bubba Robertson Senior Warden

You Are Cordially InvitedTo A Bridal Shower

For

Lura MangumBride-elect of

Blake ClaytonSon of Kathy & Donnie Clayton

Saturday, April 7, 201810:30 am - Noon

St. Mary’s Episcopal ChurchIn the Cloister facing Madison Ave.

512 Champagnolle Rd.El Dorado, AR 71730

Registry at:Online: Target and Dillards

Locally: Timmins, Armoire, Taylor Designs and Sydney Murphy Design

Easter Egg Hunt

Sunday, April 19:00 am

The children of St. Mary’s and their guests are invited to hunt Easter eggs

on Easter morning.

Meet in the Cloister Easter Sunday. Goodies Following

the Hunt!

6

Presiding Bishop Curry: Easter 2018 Message from the Holy Land

“Hatred does not have the last word. Violence does not have the last word. Bigotry does not have the last word. Sin, evil do not have the last word. The last word is God, and God is love.”

March 26, 2018

Filmed on Palm Sunday during his visit to the Holy Land, Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop and Primate Michael Curry delivered his Easter 2018 Message while standing outside of St. George’s Cathedral in Jerusalem.

“Hatred does not have the last word,” the Presiding Bishop said. “Violence does not have the last word. Bigotry does not have the last word. Sin, evil do not have the last word. The last word is God, and God is love.”

The Presiding Bishop is traveling in the Holy Land during Holy Week. The Festive day of Easter is Sun-day, April 1. The following is the text of the Presiding Bishop’s Easter 2018 Message:

Hello on Palm Sunday from St George’s Cathedral in Jerusalem. There is a passage in the 27th Chapter of Matthew’s gospel where religious leaders, political leaders come together once again after Jesus has been crucified and executed, after he had been buried in the tomb. Once again they come together to seal the tomb, to make sure not even a rumor of his resurrection will happen. And this is what some of them say: Therefore command the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may go and steal him away and tell the people he has been raised from the dead. And the last deception will be the worse than the first. It is easy to overlook, and sometimes convenient to forget, that Jesus was executed, Jesus was crucified by an unholy alliance of religion, politics, and economic self-interest. Politics represented in Pontius Pilate, governor of the Roman Empire, representative of that very empire and all of its power. King Herod, who heard Jesus at one of the trials, representative of the Herodian and economic self-interest at the time. The Chief Priest, representative of religious aristocracies who had a vested interest in the status quo. These three powers came together - economic, religious and political - to crucify the one who taught love the lord your God, love your neighbor, and actually live that way. The truth is the message of Jesus was unsettling to the world then as it is unsettling to the world now. And yet that very message is the only source of hope in life for the way of the cross, the way of unselfish living, the way of sacrificial living, seeking the good, the welfare of the other before one’s own unenlightened self-interest. That way of the cross is the way of love. That is the nature of love. And that way is the only hope for the entire human family. The reality is the way of Jesus was a threat to the way that the world is, and hope for the way the world can and will be. But on that third day after the crucifixion, when by the titanic power of God, by the power of the love of God, Jesus was raised from the dead. God sent a message and declared that death does not have the last word. Hatred does not have the last word. Violence does not have the last word. Bigotry does not have the last word. Sin, evil do not have the last word. The last word is God, and God is love. On our pilgrimage here, we stopped and spent two days in Jordan. In Amman, Jordan, we were able to spend some sacred and blessed and painful time with Iraqi Christians. These are Christians, many of whom are Anglican, who have fled their country in Iraq because of war and violence and hatred and desecration. They

(continued on page 5)

7

have given up everything, refusing to renounce their faith in Jesus Christ. And there in Jordan, with the help of the Anglican Church there and many other relief agencies, they are at least safe, hoping to find safe and perma-nent homes in other countries. In the course of our conversations, and listening to them, at one point I found myself quoting a hymn, a song that many folk have heard around Easter, certainly in our country. And I didn’t expect a response. You probably know how it goes – it says, “because he lives,” referring to Jesus and his resur-rection, “because he lives, I can face tomorrow.” When I quoted that song, those who have lost their homes, people who have lost everything except life itself, those who have lost loved ones, actually responded to the words of that song. When I said, “Because He lives I can face tomorrow.” When I said Jesus is alive, He’s been raised from the dead, I saw them lift up their heads and respond with the words amen, hallelujah. My brothers and sisters, evil could not stop him. Death could not stop him. Violence could not stop him. For the love of God, the heart of God, the reality of God is stronger than anything else. And Jesus really rose from the dead on that first resurrection morning. God love you. God bless you. And, may this Easter season be the first day of the rest of our lives. Amen.

The Most Rev. Michael B. CurryPresiding Bishop and PrimateThe Episcopal Church

A Letter from Bishop Benfield:

Rehearsing the Christian Story

As close as I have ever gotten to heading into a tomb such as might have been the type in which the body of Jesus was laid was once in college when I took a tour of one of the catacombs in Rome. Back in the day when I was a college student, it was not a tourist attraction; I merely took a bus to a church, went in and walked to the lower level, and was given a candle and shown the entrance. No Disneyland sort of experience: no crowds, no voiceover in the background, no one dressed in period costumes. Just me and a candle and niches in the underground walls. I almost got lost. The directions on how to traverse the catacomb were not clear. At one point the candle began guttering. I was more than a bit scared, I must admit. But it was an experience less focused on death—and more focused on resurrection—than I consciously thought at the time. Yes, I was where the dead had lain long ago. But I was also in the midst of where early Christians came to anticipate a new life as they gathered among the dead. In the very midst of fear and getting lost and sometimes directionless paths and the chance of darkness overcoming what little light there was, these people found hope for the future. They knew that resurrection is to be surrounded by signs of death and yet be confident that a tomb can ultimately hold no one. We learn from rehearsing the Christian story week after week and year after year that the many tombs in our lives—both imposed by others and self-made—cannot hold unconditional love captive. Doors will be opened, stones rolled away, burial cloths set aside because they are no longer needed. Yes, love has the power to conquer any human obstacle—if we but allow it. It was a powerful story 2,000 years ago, and this Easter story remains just as powerful today. It is our resurrection message, and it is our privilege to share this message with a world that so needs to hear it.

Faithfully yours,

Larry Benfield

8

Parking Now Available on Young’s Funeral Home Parking Lot

on Sundays EYC Wish ListSt. Mary’s youth group would love to add a barbeque grill and patio furniture to their new youth house yard. If you have some you wish to donate, please call the church office at 863.7064.

MEMORIALS Bill Hearnsberger: Bill Lines, Mr. & Mrs. Martin Machen, Ms. Paula Bryant, Ms.

Doris Pursell, Mr. & Mrs. Drew Sheppard, Drs. Heath & Adriana Stacey, Mr. & Mrs. Aubra Anthony, Mr. & Mrs. Beege Bilo

Don Barrow: Bill Lines, Mr. & Mrs. Martin Machen, Mr. & Mrs. Drew Sheppard, Margaret Morgan, Mr. & Mrs. James Brown, Mr. & Mrs. Aubra Anthony, Mr. & Mrs. Beege Bilo, Mr. & Mrs. Sam Richardson

Janet Stuart: Mr. & Mrs. Drew Sheppard

2nd Annual Episcopal Men’s Retreat Jesus: Toward a Healthy Model of Masculinity

April 6 - 8This event is for men who are looking to spend a weekend growing in faith. Spend a weekend away from the hustle and bustle of life, in community with other faithful men exploring how to be a follower of Jesus. Enjoy fellowship, meaningful discussion, and the opportunity to explore the beauties of Petit Jean Mountain. Retreat led by The Reverends Danny Schieffler and Carey Stone. For more information about this retreat, visit http://www.campmitchell.org. The cost is $190, which includes lodging and meals. For reservations email program-director@campmitchell.org or call 501-727-5451.

Want All the Latest News from theArkansas Episcopal Diocese?

They will email to Communiqué to you each week!

Sign up to be on the Episcopal Church in Arkansas electronic mailing list by going to their website at http://episcopalarkansas.org. On their home page, scroll to the bottom where it says, “Sign up here for the Communiqué” and fill out the information.

9

Remember that the first Sunday of the month is Discretionary Fund Sunday

Interfaith Help ServicesActivity Report February 2018

Interfaith Help ServicesFinancial Statement February 2018

Prescriptions 0Dental 5Utilities Entergy 37 Water 4 Gas 9 Propane 0Gasoline 23Bus Fare 1Food People Served 286

Total Clients Seen 175

First Time Clients 31

Beginning Bank Balance $43,567 Total Income 4,755Expenses Administration 289Program Services: Program Equipment 0 Groceries 683 Dental 462 Eyeglasses 0 Medicine 99 Gasoline/Bus 701 Assistance with utilities: Electricity 2,613 Water 22 Natural gas & Propane 247Total Program Services: 4,827Total expenses: 5,116 Ending Bank Balance $43,206

The Wednesday Kids of St. Mary’s celebrated St. Patrick’s Day in March with lots of green decorations, snacks, and drinks.

(Right) Many ladies from St. Mary’s pitched in and helped to prepare the Holy Week luncheon hosted on Holy Wednesday. Approximately 90 people were served both before and after the church service.

10

St. Mary’s Episcopal Church512 Champagnolle Rd.El Dorado, AR 71730

(870) 863-7064 www.saintmaryeldo.org

The Episcopal Church for El Dorado and Union County since 1849The Rt. Rev. Larry Benfield, BishopThe Rev. Chuck Chapman, Interim Rector

Non-ProfitU.S. Postage

PAIDPermit 58

El Dorado, AR

Postmaster, Please do not hold - Dated MaterialAddress correction requested

The Episcopal Church for El Dorado and Union County since 1849The Rt. Rev. Larry Benfi eld, BishopThe Rev. Chuck Chapman, Rector

St. Mary’s Episcopal Church512 Champagnolle RoadEl Dorado, AR 71730

(870) 863-7064 www.episcopaleldorado.org

Non-Profit U.S.Postage PAID Permit 58 El Dorado, AR

Address Service Requested

The Episcopal Church for El Dorado and Union County since 1849The Rt. Rev. Larry Benfield, Bishop

Worship ScheduleSunday 8:00 am Holy Eucharist, Rite I 9:00 am Adult Sunday School 10:00 am Children’s Sun. School 10:00 am Holy Eucharist, Rite IIWednesday 5:30 pm Evening PrayerMonday-Friday 8:30 am Matins

Contact InformationParishOffice:(870)863-7064

Fax:(870)863-3713Office Hours

Mon.-Thur., 9:00am-4:30pmFri. 9:00am-Noon

Websiteepiscopaleldorado.org

Emailepiscopaleldorado@att.net

St. Mary’s Web Address:episcopaleldorado.org

Vestry MembersBubba Robertson,

Sr. WardenGary Harrell, Jr. Warden

Virginia Ray EllzeyJennifer ParksDonnie ClaytonGlenn HolmesDon WilliamsLarry Frisby

Alexandra BellMartin Machen

Dominick MarinoScott Simpson

Otherofficers:Heather McGarity, Treas.

Becky Choate, Asst. Treas.Sandra Pugh, Clerk

Staff

Fr. Michael MillardSupply Priest Plus

Becky ChoateAdministrative Assistant

Anita Ash JohnsonAdministrative Professional

Walter HaleParish Minister of Music

Bob LolleySexton

Robin DealNursery