March 2020

1

Each Week:

Sundays 10 AM ............................ Holy Communion

Wednesdays 10 AM ... Holy Communion & Healing

Wednesdays Noon ............................... Staff Meeting

1st Sundays 1 PM .................... Area Recovery Group

Mondays 7PM ............................................... Alanon

Wednesdays 3:15 PM ........................ Choir rehearsal

Thursdays 6:30 PM ............................................. NA

March 3 .............................. Liturgy Committee 5:30

March 5 .................................. Lent Bible Study 5:30

March 7 ........................... 1st Saturday Supper 4 PM

March 8 ......................................... Jeff—Choir Tour

Daylight Savings

March 12 ................................ Lent Bible Study 5:30

March 17 .......................................... Vestry 5:30 PM

March 19 ................ Kyle—United Churches 10 AM

Kyle—Library Board 12 noon

Clericus 2 PM

Lent Bible Study 5:30

March 21 ................ Presbyterian Home Bingo 1 PM

March 23 ........................................... Daffodill Days

March 31 .............................. Litugy Committee 5:30

April 2 .................................... Lent Bible Study 5:30

April 4 .......................................... 1st Satruday 4 PM

Pride Fest in Lounge 2 PM

April 5-12 .......................................... HOLY WEEK

April 7 ................................... Weeping Tree Cantata

The Messenger

Happy Birthday to Brian Mitchell ........................... 3/14 Patricia Miller ......................... 3/15 Ann Morrison ................................ 3/19 John Matter ..................................... 3/21 Michael Mechtley ............ 3/30 Todd Benner ...................................... 3/30 Veronica Chappell ................. 3/30

&

Grant us, gracious Father, the grace to observe a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on your holy Word. Grant that we may remember that though we are dust, and to dust we shall return, that we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

March 2020

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Dear People of God: The first Christians observed with great devotion the days of our Lord's passion and resurrection, and it became the custom of the Church to prepare for them by a season of penitence and fasting. This season of Lent provided a time in which converts to the faith were prepared for Holy Baptism. It was also a time when those who, because of notorious sins, had been separated from the body of the faithful were reconciled by penitence and forgiveness, and restored to the fellowship of the Church. Thereby, the whole congregation was put in mind of the message of pardon and absolution set forth in the Gospel of our Savior, and of the need which all Christians continually have to renew their repentance and faith. I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word… (BCP pp 264-5)

21 February 2020 Dear Members of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania,

In just a few short days, we will gather in churches across our diocese on Ash Wednesday to hear words from

our Book of Common Prayer inviting us to the observance of a holy Lent.

We will transition from the season of light and glory- Epiphany- in to the season of prayer, fasting, and reflection-

Lent- and, working through a process of discipline, study and introspection, reconcile ourselves before the Lord and

prepare for the paschal feast of Easter.

Lent offers us a time for deep soul work: We are given the opportunity to look with compassion at parts of us that

are broken, to seek understanding, and to ask God to give us the tools to make us whole again; we are given the

grace of time to focus on changes that we would like to make in order to live more harmoniously with our creation,

each other, and our Creator; we are invited to draw from the well of Holy Scripture to find ancient wisdom for our

modern lives; and we are really blessed to have this “time apart” to dwell on the gifts that God has given us and to

pray for new insights for how to best use them.

Adopting new spiritual disciplines or refreshing old spiritual practices are important features of Lent. We may take

on a new prayer practice, choose to read a book of the Bible that is new to us, give up a favorite food or activity,

devote ourselves to service or mission- but these are not ends in themselves. The spiritual practices that we take on

at Lent are vehicles of devotion for us to attain a deeper understanding of God and our relationship with God and

each other. 1

This Lent, I will devote myself to fasting on one day of the week answering the call of our Presiding Bishop to join

him in this spiritual practice as we pray for the “soul of our nation” https://episcopalchurch.org/posts/

publicaffairs/lent-2020-call-prayer-fasting-and-repentance-leading-action, I will shift my morning spiritual practice

from reading Morning Prayer to engage a period of Contemplative Prayer, and I will study in two areas: I will

investigate the work of the Poor People’s Campaign, a revival of the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that is

moving across our country and sounding a “national call for moral revival” https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/,

and I will participate in the study group offered by Mrs. Lisa Work and The Rev. Deacon Marsha Roscoe on the

book by Mary Bea Sullivan, Living the Way of Love. For more information on the virtual group that is forming,

click on this link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/WayOfLoveLentenBookGroup/

An additional resource that we are offering this year through our diocesan leadership is a daily reflection on the

themes of our diocesan wide initiative Shaped by Faith: Change, Discovery, Experimentation, Collaboration,

Creativity, and Faith. These reflections will be posted daily on our diocesan Facebook page and on our diocesan

website.

As we continue in our diocese to discern how we are “Shaped by Faith,” working with our convocations to explore

our vitality and to search for new ways that God is calling us to be Church, I pray that our own inner journeys

during Lent will bring up in us the boldness and courage that we need to do this important work of re-shaping our

diocese. I pray that our spiritual walk in the desert of Lent will yield an Eastertide for our diocese that is wildly

abundant, fresh, and brimming with new life.

Join me. Join our diocese in a holy, holy Lent. Commit to a practice that will lead you into deep soul work, and

allow God’s loving hand to shape you- shape us- by faith.

In the Way of Love,

The Rt. Rev. Audrey C. Scanlan

XI Bishop

Please see the Bishop’s

other letter on page 9.

March 2020

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Dear Friends, Approximately one billion people each year observe

the season of Lent. Abstaining from meat on Fridays,

and giving up something that we love; food, drink, or

Facebook are some of the most common fasts

associated with the forty day-long season. By giving

something up, the Faithful hope to remind themselves

of Christ’s sacrifice and put themselves in the mind

of penitence and repentance.

In my adulthood, I abandoned the practice of giving-

up and decided I wanted to make Lent a time to take

on. I tried new ways of praying. I would pray more

often or volunteer extra time at an organization,

basically any way I thought I might be able to serve

God in a new way.

This Lent however, I have decided to do nothing and

I might encourage you to consider doing the same.

This is not out of laziness nor have I run out of good

ideas. Instead, this practice of doing “nothing” is way

to take time to sit with the Lord.

Author Jenny Odell describes our world as one where

“every last minute” ends up “optimized” by

advertisements, social media, technology or taking

something new on. I often hear people say, and

admittedly I say this too, “I don’t know how to slow

down”. It seems when these rare slow moments

come, we are overwhelmed by them.

Instead of optimizing our Lent, or testing our will

power and stamina in new ways, why not take some

time each day (or more time if you already do this) to

let God wash over you? Allow yourself to marvel at

the ways God is at work in your life and in the world

around you. No agenda, no task list, no expectations,

no nothin’! Just you and God.

Perhaps, in this time of nothing, with noises quieted,

distractions put aside, idle fretting ceased, a less well-

documented social media presence, we may just

make some space to experience our Lord; the peace

that world cannot give (John 14:27).

So, this Lent if you do anything, do nothing.

Remember, the Prophet Elijah seeks the voice of God

in the great wind, in a rock-splitting earthquake, and

in a fire but God was in none of those. Scripture tells

us there was the “sound of sheer silence and when

Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and

stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a

voice…”

Let those with ears to hear, listen.

Kyle+

Dear Friends, I commend to your reading the Exhortation to a Holy

Lent on page 2. This was traditionally read before the

first service on the first Sunday of Lent, but has fallen

out of favor in recent years. I think this is due to our

society’s emphasis on the avoidance of any

uncomfortable feelings of guilt that might inhibit

one’s “self-esteem.”

Now, I believe in the value of self-esteem; we are

created in God’s very image, and so have a holiness

within our very DNA unlike that of any other

creature.

This intrinsic goodness does not counteract the fact

that we are also fallen creatures of the Kingdom.

Thus, it is a good and necessary thing that we, from

time to time, take an honest evaluation of our

position relative to God’s desire for us. The

exhortation details such a process in words more

eloquent than I could say.

If you have troubles burdening your minds, troubles

in the past or the present, Lent is the perfect time to

do the spiritual work that may put those troubles to

rest. Both Kyle and I are available for confession

and/or spiritual counseling—just give either of us a

call for an appointment.

Lent is also the perfect and traditional time to try new

spiritual disciplines or to resume those that have been

abandoned though busyness and sloth.

If you have been lax about attending church, make a

Lenten commitment to give that one hour each week

to God; you will most likely discover that by Easter

you are back in the good habit of regular attendance.

Weekly Holy Eucharist is the central sustenance of

our Christian lives; let this be the time you rediscover

its beauty and value.

God requires so little of us—that we love and

worship God, and love each other. With that in mind,

may you have a most blessed Lent.

Veronica

March 2020

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@ Christ Church Dear Christ Church Family,

I am very excited about our upcoming cantata,

The Weeping Tree. Trinity Episcopal Jersey

Shore, Trinity Episcopal Williamsport, St.

Mark’s Lutheran, and Messiah Lutheran’s choirs

and clergy are all participating. Almost 40

singers are registered. A small orchestra will

accompany the 45-minute work. Please mark

your calendars for Tuesday, April 7th at 7:00

PM. Bring friends and family! It will be a

powerful and prayerful way to begin Holy Week.

I’m looking forward to seeing everyone there!

Prior to the Cantata, the Lycoming College choir

will be traveling to Washington D.C. March 7 –

12. Stops include the historic St. John’s Lutheran

near the White House, and the beautiful

Epiphany Episcopal. On the way down we are

stopping at one of our choral scholar’s churches

in Damascus, MD; Sydney Fennington is one of

the anchors of our soprano section and I am

looking forward to meeting her home church

family. Wednesday evening, we are taking the

students to see the National Opera perform

Mozart’s Don Giovanni at the Kennedy Center.

During the day the students will visit local high

schools as well as take tours of the monuments

and visit the Smithsonian.

Donna Elkin will substitute for me on Sunday,

March 8th. She enjoys visiting and leading

worship on our beautiful organ.

Blessings for a Holy Lent.

Jeff

Saturday, March 21 Doors open 11:30 Games start 1:00

$20 pre-sale $25 at door Carole Smith & Veronica have pre-sale tickets

March 28 @11:30

Johnson’s in

Montoursville

All are invited to this time of casual fellowship; please sign up so we can make a reservation.

We are looking for additional

Altar Guild members; men and women alike!

Please join us for training:

March 14 10—2 Lunch provided

We are NOT able to park

in the Lycoming College lot

behind the church at any

time. You will be ticketed.

March 2020

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Worship Stations of The Cross .............................................................. Fridays, 6:00 PM

Stations of The Cross with Music ....................... Feb. 28 & March 27, 6:00 PM

Holy Communion with Healing Prayers .......................... Wednesdays, 10 AM

Sunday Service .......................................................................... Sundays, 10 AM

Spiritual Enrichment Bible Study: From the Garden to the Grave ...................... Thursdays, 5:30 PM

Lent Madness ............................................................................................... Daily

Music “The Weeping Tree” Cantata .................................................... April 7, 7:00 PM

From the Garden to the Grave During the course of this six-week Bible study, we will study the Passion Narratives of all four gospels,

seeking to discover the image of Christ through each evangelist’s perspective and what it means for our

faith and lives as disciples. Join us Thursdays from 5:30-6:30 PM beginning February 27.

Lent Madness Lent Madness began in 2010 as a fun engaging way for people to learn about the women and men who

have inspired generation of Christians. Rev. Tim Schenck came up with this unique daily Lenten

devotion, combing the love of sports and the passion of the lives of the Saints. Thirty-two saints are

placed in a tournament-style single elimination bracket. Each pairing remains open for twenty-four hours,

and people vote for their favorite saints. The winner is awarded the coveted “Golden Halo”. Pick up your

saintly scorecard in the office and visit www.lentmadness.org to vote. Check our the bracket in the

parish hall for daily updates.

Stations of The Cross Every Friday, we will gather for Stations at 6:00 PM in the sanctuary. Join us twice in Lent for two

special services of Stations of the Cross with music. The object of the Stations of the Cross is to help the

Christian faithful to make a spiritual pilgrimage through contemplation of the Passion of Christ. The

stations imitate the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem, which is believed to be the actual path Jesus walked to

Mount Calvary.

The Weeping Tree Please join us on Tuesday, April 7 at 7:00 PM as we come together with our fellow Episcopal and

Lutheran choirs to present “The Weeping Tree,” a musical service for Holy Week. This event is free and

open to the public.

March 2020

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WHO WILL WIN?

The format is straightforward: 32 saints are

placed into a tournament-like single elimination

bracket. Each pairing remains open for a set

period of time and people vote for their favorite

saint. The first round consists of basic

biographical information about each of the 32

saints.

Things get a bit more interesting in the

subsequent rounds as we offer quotes and quirks,

explore legends, and even move ino the area of

saintly kitsch.

Books with the saint’s biographies and

instructions are in the hallway outside of the

office. We hope you’ll participate fully this Lent

and vote with reckless abandon! (Once — this

isn’t Chicago).

EACH DAY, CLICK ON: HTTPS://WWW.LENTMADNESS.ORG/ TO VOTE!

THE TRIDUUM—WHERE DID THOSE NAMES COME FROM?

A triduum is a religious observance lasting three days.

The best-known example today is the liturgical Paschal Triduum (the three

days from the evening of Maundy Thursday to Easter Sunday).

Maundy Thursday – According to John’s gospel, Jesus washed the

disciples’ feet at the last supper, and the name for this day may come from

the Latin word mundo which means “wash.” However, most scholars think

the name comes from the Latin mandatum (like the English word mandate)

referring to John 13:34 where Jesus gave the disciples a new

commandment, to love one another.

Good Friday – This may seem a rather odd name for the day on which Jesus

died. A common folk etymology incorrectly analyzes "Good Friday" as a corruption of "God Friday"

similar to the linguistically correct description of "goodbye" as a contraction of "God be with you". In

fact, "Good Friday" comes from the obsolete sense "pious, holy" of the word "good". In Old English, the

day was called “Long Friday” ,and is still used in Scandinavian languages and Finnish.

Easter –The general assumption is that Easter comes from the old English Eastre who was a pagan

goddess of spring, symbolized by a rabbit; hence the Easter bunny. Some scholars, however, believe that

the word comes from the German eostarun meaning “dawn,” recalling the time of day that the women

went to the tomb and the fact that Jesus’ resurrection bring a new dawn.

In Eastern churches – Ukrainian, Russian, Greek Orthodox, and others – Easter is referred to as Pascha,

coming from the Hebrew word for “Passover” because the first Easter occurred at the time of and in the

context of the celebration of Passover. Many people see parallels between Passover and Easter, both being

times of God’s amazing and miraculous intervention in human history.

March 2020

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1ST Saturday March 7 Mac & Cheese

Please sign up to work.

The sign up sheet for the April meal is also up.

SOUP COOKING DAY THURSDAY, MARCH 5 10 AM

Many people from the community have donated

dried beans to Christ’s Cupboard. So, we are

going to make some ham and bean and black

bean soup. We will freeze containers of the soup

and it will available for patrons of Christ’s

Cupboard. Some of the Ham and Bean Soup

will be donated to United Churches Campus

Ministry for their soup sale.

THINGS MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME

My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE - "If you're going to kill each other, do

it outside. I just finished cleaning!"

My mother taught me RELIGION - "You better pray that will come out of the carpet!"

My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL - "If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into

the middle of next week!"

My mother taught me LOGIC - "Because I said so, that's why!"

My mother taught me MORE LOGIC - "If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not

going to the store with me!"

March 2020

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UNITED CHURCHES NEWS

CHURCH WOMEN UNITED OF LYC. COUNTY

CELEBRATES WORLD DAY OF PRAYER

Friday, March 5 1:30 PM

First Church of Christ (Disciples)

1250 Almond Street in Williamsport.

The theme, “Rise! Take Your Mat and Walk”

was chosen by our sisters in Zimbabwe and is

based on Jesus’ encounter with a lame man who

although positioned for healing, had not acted

upon the opportunities given him.

SUPPORT UNITED CHURCHES

Please help us continue to provide hope to so

many in our community through the many

ministries including....

• The Shepherd of the Streets

• Food Pantry and

• Campus Ministry

• 900 Nursing Homes & Prison Services

• Weekly Editorials and Daily Devotions

• Newsletters, Podcasts, and Lunches

• Interfaith Dialogue Commission that helps us

all learn how to better live together in a more

diverse world.

You can look at information about each

organization now by visiting

https://raisetheregion.org ; you will be able to

make donations from 6 pm on March 11th to

11:59 pm March 12th.

EARTH WEEK CLEAN-UP

The Susquehanna Greenway Partnership (SGP)

is organizing a cleanup for the week of Earth

Day, taking place April 18 - 26. SGP will

register groups with Keep Pennsylvania

Beautiful and obtain and provide gloves, safety

vests and garbage bags for them. They ask

groups to self-organize teams, and then share

with them their weight of litter, number of

volunteer hours, and area of litter collection.

Interested? There is a sign-up in the parish hall;

if we get interest, we’ll assemble a team.

DIOCESAN NEWS

ROOTED IN GOD: SHARING OUR STORIES Saturday, May 30 Camp Mt. Luther

EVERYONE in the diocese is invited to join us

on Saturday, May 30, at Camp Mt. Luther for a

special Shaped by Faith event, Rooted in God:

Sharing Our Stories. The event will include

Diana Butler Bass as keynote speaker and

workshops on ways to celebrate your parish’s

stories. There will be no charge for this event.

CLERGY RENEWAL OF VOWS SERVICE

Mar. 31, 11 a.m. St. John’s, Bellefonte

IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES

FUNDRAISING WORKSHOP

Saturday, March 14

9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

St. Andrew’s in the Valley, Harrisburg

This fun, fast-paced day featuring Lori Jacobwith

from Ignited Fundraising will be filled with

opportunities to learn tools to help catapult

fundraising and exponentially raise awareness of

your organization’s mission and purpose. Carole

Smith is attending this—check with her if you

want to go too.

STAR WARS MASS

May 4, 2020

St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Harrisburg

May the force (or fourth!) be with you.

March 2020

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Dear Clergy and Members of the Episcopal Diocese of

Central Pennsylvania,

The arrival of the Coronavirus in the United States has

prompted several of you to inquire about implications for

our common life and worship in the Church. I have

consulted with our Diocesan Disaster and Emergency

Preparedness Coordinator, Mr. Ed Robertson, and also

with our Canon for Communications, Mrs. Alexis Guszick,

who is in regular contact with her colleagues across the

wider Church on this matter.

Here are facts about the Coronavirus (Covid-19):

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory

illness that can spread from person to person. The virus

that causes COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus that was first

identified during an investigation into an outbreak in

Wuhan, China. In recent weeks, the virus has spread from

China to other countries.

Symptoms of the disease are fever, cough, shortness of

breath. If you are experiencing these symptoms, call your

doctor immediately. Symptoms may appear between two

to 14 days after exposure to the disease. It is spreading

rapidly with cases developing in many countries around

the world.

The disease is new so there is no vaccine at this time.

Health professionals are still learning all of the ways that

the disease is transmitted and who is most susceptible.

There is little information about how the disease impacts

pregnant women or the child in their womb.

It is best to take precautions, especially if you have a

weaker immune system, a history of respiratory issues or

are over 70 years old. If identified early, the survival rate

for this virus is high.

(from episcopalrelief.org)

At this time, common sense precautions are recommended-

the same precautions that are in place during the cold and

flu season:

• If you are sick, please stay home and take care of

yourself. Call your church to let them know that you

are ill and if you need any assistance during this time.

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water,

scrubbing for at least 20 seconds.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

Episcopal Relief & Development (episcopalrelief.org)

offers these additional guidelines for church communities

and when we gather together for worship:

Encourage clergy to wash hands with soap and water

before services and use hand sanitizer before distributing

communion; also provide hand sanitizer for congregational

use:

a.) Communion: those who are ill should stay home;

those who are concerned may abstain from

communion or receive “in one kind” (host only); use

of the common cup with proper purificator procedure

presents relatively low risk;

b.) intinction should be avoided (see this document from

the Diocese of New York during the SARS epidemic

for more information on intinction and other liturgical

practices)

c.) Sharing of the Peace: waving is perfectly acceptable in

place of shaking hands or hugging.

d.) If desired by the congregation, adapt rituals to

minimize personal contact.

e.) Provide tissues and no-touch disposal receptacles for

use.

f.) Say a prayer during service for people who are ill and

mail prayer cards to their homes.

g.) Perform routine environmental cleaning in the

sanctuary, kitchen hall, and other spaces where people

gather.

h.) Bolster outreach ministries to prepare to help low-

income hourly workers who must call out of work.

Encourage those who may consider going to work for

the sake of income to stay home because you can offer

assistance.

If the virus becomes more widespread in our area, we will

offer recommendations for alterations to our common

practices that include gathering for worship and meetings,

care of the vulnerable among us, and sacramental nurture

during isolation. We will also address the role of the

Church in society during a pandemic and best practices for

serving as a community resource. Please know that our

Diocesan Disaster and Emergency Preparedness

Coordinator, Ed Robertson, is in regular contact with

officials at Disaster Information Management Research

Center at the National Institutes of Health and the

National Voluntary Organizations Active In Disaster

(VOAD) and he is prepared with plans for Continuing of

Operations and procedures in the event of a large scale

quarantine.

Please keep those who are sick across our world in your

prayers, and those who care for them:

For the Sick

O God of heavenly powers, by the might of your command

you drive away from our bodies all sickness and all

infirmity: Be present in your goodness with your servants

that their weakness may be banished and their strength

restored; and that, their health being renewed, they may

bless your holy Name; through Jesus Christ our

Lord. Amen. (BCP pg. 458, adapted)

For Doctors and Nurses

Sanctify, O Lord, those whom you have called to the study

and practice of the arts of healing, and to the prevention of

disease and pain. Strengthen them by your life-giving

Spirit, that by their ministries the health of the community

may be promoted and your creation glorified; through

Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP pg. 460)

In the Way of Love,

The Rt. Rev. Audrey C. Scanlan

XI Bishop

March 2020

10

March Ministry Schedule

FORGIVING SIN

When Jesus appeared to the disciples in the

locked room he told them, “If you forgive the

sins of anyone, their sins are forgiven; if you do

not forgive them, they are not forgiven” (John

20:23). Isn’t it intriguing, of all of the issues that

Jesus could have raised with the disciples, he

chose forgiveness. In the paraphrase The

Message, Eugene Peterson translates this verse:

“If you forgive someone’s sins, they’re gone for

good. If you don’t forgive sins, what are you

going to do with them?”

When Christ was in pain,

we were in pain.

All creatures of God’s creation

that can suffer pain suffered with him.

The sky and the earth failed

at the time of Christ’s dying

because he too

was part of nature. - Julian of Norwich

O holy Father, as we enter

another season of Lent,

draw our hearts and

minds away from the

things of this fleeting

world. How often have we

neglected to speak to Thee

in prayer and devotion!

Keep us from falling asleep spiritually. Keep us

watchful at all times that we may not make the

same mistakes that the disciples did. In all

crosses and afflictions of this life, let us be able

to say with Jesus, “Thy will be done.”

O Lord Jesus, we will ponder now on Thy holy

Passion. Let our thoughts be centered on Thy

cross and the price Thou didst pay that we might

not be cast away forever, but be enabled to live

with Thee in glory.

O blessed Spirit of the Lord, enter into our

hearts with Thy life-giving warmth, that we may

be closer to Thee in prayer. Open our hearts and

minds that there may be a new awakening among

us, that our faith in Christ may burn brighter,

and that we walk as children of God should walk

— closer to Thee.

O holy Triune God, hear us and bless us for the

sake of the bitter sufferings and death of our

dear Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. -Harry Shiley, Pastor

Date Lector Acolyte Ushers Coffee Host Altar Guild

3/1 C Ellis T Hanner J Porter & J Smith L Desmond P Miller & J Blum K

3/8 A White M Yaw D Ickes & B Mitchell D Mechtly J Lowery & L Desmond V

3/15 B Folk C Ellis A & P Girven C Smith J Forster & D Packard K

3/22 C Lamade P Girven S & J Lowery P & S Rider L Desmond V

3/29 D Ambrose T Hanner J Porter & J Smith B Mitchell P Miller K

March 2020

11

On the first day, God created the dog and said, "Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes in or walks past. For this, I will give you a life span of twenty years." The dog said, "That's a long time to be barking. How about only ten years and I'll give you back the other ten?" So, God agreed...... On the second day, God created the monkey and said, "Entertain people, do tricks, and make them laugh. For this, I'll give you a twenty-year life span."

The monkey said, "Monkey tricks for twenty years? That's a pretty long time to perform. How about I give you back ten like the dog did?" And God agreed......

On the third day, God created the cow and said, "You must go into the field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves and give milk to support the farmer's family. For this, I will give you a life span of sixty years."

The cow said, "That's kind of a tough life you want me to live for sixty years. How about twenty and I'll give back the other forty?"

And God agreed again......

On the fourth day, God created humans and said, "Eat, sleep, play, marry and enjoy your life. For this, I'll give you twenty years."

But the human said, "Only twenty years? Could you possibly give me my twenty, the forty the cow gave back, the ten the monkey gave back, and the ten the dog gave back; that makes eighty, okay?"

"Okay," said God. "You asked for it."

So that is why for our first twenty years, we eat, sleep, play and enjoy ourselves. For the next forty years, we slave in the sun to support our family. For the next ten years, we do monkey tricks to entertain the grandchildren. And for the last ten years, we sit on the front porch and bark at everyone.

Life has now been explained to you.

Wisdom from a 90-year-old Life isn't fair, but it's still good. When in doubt, just take the next small step. Life is too short to waste time hating

anyone... Pay off your credit cards every month. Your job won't take care of you when you

are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

A little boy got lost at the YMCA and found

himself in the women's locker room. When he

was spotted, the room burst into shrieks, with

ladies grabbing towels and running for cover.

The little boy watched in amazement and then

asked, "What's the matter, haven't you ever seen

a little boy before?"

Everything I need to know about life, I learned from Noah's Ark. 1. Don't miss the boat.

2. Remember that we are all in the same boat.

3. Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built

the Ark.

4. Stay fit. When you're 600 years old, someone

may ask you to do something really big.

5.Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job

that needs to be done.

6. Build your future on high ground.

7. For safety sake, travel in pairs.

8. Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails

were on board with the cheetahs.

9. When you're stressed, float a while.

10. Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs;

the Titanic by professionals.

11. No matter the storm, when you are with

God, there's always a rainbow waiting.

March 2020

12

The Messenger The Messenger is the monthly newsletter of Christ Episcopal Church, Williamsport,

in the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania.

The Rev. Veronica Donohue Chappell, Rector The Rev. Kyle Murphy, Curate

570-322-8160 christepchurch@gmail.com

We Worship Sunday: Holy Communion, 10:00 a.m.

Wednesday: Holy Communion with Healing, 10:00 a.m.

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