Church of the Redeemer, a Spiritual Community and an Episcopal parish in Baltimore, Maryland

E-Redeemer

Weekly E-Newsletter

The Church of the Redeemer
Baltimore, Maryland

In This Issue

Weekly Reflection

Worship This Week

Adult Education This Week

Parish News and Notes

Your Vestry

Quick Links

Listen to sermons

The Church of the Redeemer

Faith At Five Contemporary Service

Elizabeth Tunkle in the Peace Corp

Facts on Episcopal Church Growth

Thursday, May 8, 2008
Volume 2, Issue 19
Covering the week of May 8 thru May 14

This Sunday is Pentecost!!!

This Sunday we celebrate Pentecost, one of the three spokes of the Christian Year. While most of us are very familiar with the other two - Christmas and

Easter - Pentecost has remained a poor stepsister in the attention given to it by the present day church. The most likely reason is that it has never been commercialized in our culture. Nevertheless, Pentecost demands our attention. It was on this day that God gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Two lessons this Sundayreport the coming of the Holy Spirit. The first is from the second chapter of Acts. Fifty days had passed since Jesus' resurrection. The appearances were over and the resurrected Christ had ascended to the Father. The disciples following his directions, were waiting together in Jerusalem. All of the sudden the Holy Spirit came with wind and fire. Explosive energy blew open the doors and windows of the room and empowered the disciples to go forth into all the world, witnessing to what God had done in Jesus Christ.

The second lesson is from the twentieth chapter of the Gospel of John. It takes us back to the evening of the Resurrection. Again, the disciples were gathered together. The Resurrected Christ came and stood among them. Then, just as God had breathed life into Adam and Eve at creation, the Resurrected Christ breathed new life into the disciples. This time the energy was focused on forgiveness. The disciples needed it and so do we. Forgiveness is necessary for new life to take hold.

The inability to forgive and receive forgiveness holds us captive to the past. It weighs down our spirits and makes it almost impossible for us to move forward. And it does not just affect us. Like a disease, it finds its way to the people around us. The Risen Christ offers a way out of this dilemma. He offers God's great gift of the Holy Spirit - in this case the gift of grace, which can free us from all that keeps us captive. Once we are free, we are ready for the explosive energy of the wind and fire. Then we can leave self behind and move outward to share the Good News.

The gift of the Holy Spirit is God's ongoing gift. It is given to us in Baptism and sustains us all through our lives. The Holy Spirit keeps us intimately connected to God and to one another. It draws us together and then sends us out. It comforts us and then opens up all kinds of new possibilities.

Because the commercial world has not yet figured out its importance, the Feast of Pentecost may seem like a poor stepsister to Christmas and Easter. But for us it is an essential and wonderful feast. Help us celebrate this Sunday by wearing something red. Come ready to be refreshed and inspired by God's great gift of the Holy Spirit. One never knows what may happen.

Thelma Smullen +

Note: During Paul's sabbatical Thelma will be at Redeemer on Sunday's, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Her email is tsmullen@redeemeronline.com.

Oil on Canvas by Istvan Dorffmaister 1782, Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest

Worship This Week
Saturday and Sunday May 10 and 11, 2008 Day of Pentecost Sunday Year A, RCL ___________________________________ May 10, 2008 Confirmation 10 am - Church The Rev. Charles Messer Scheduled to serve CHALICISTS: Anne Carroll, Melissa Heaver, Anne Pidcock and Nina Wakefield READERS: Drew Jiranek and Ellen Wallack INTERCESSOR: Charlotte Blaylock ACOLYTES: Isabel Heaver, Catherine Hebert and Conor McGee USHERS: Porter Siems and David Wallack ALTAR GUILD: Emma Rhoderick and Ginny Siems FLOWERS: Pam Meier Faith At Five \| Contemporary Service Saturday at 5 pm - Chapel The Rev. Charles Messer Robert Chrystal, Worship Team Leader Come as you are. No books needed. Contemporary Christian Music and Worship ___________________________________ Sunday at 8:00 am in the Chapel Holy Eucharist, Rite 1 The Rev. Charles Messer No hymns today Scheduled to serve CHALICISTS: Jo Ann Roswell READER: Sally Murphy ALTAR GUILD: Sally Murphy and Jo Ann Roswell FLOWERS: Pam Meier ___________________________________ Sunday at 9 am in the Church Holy Eucharist, Rite 1 The Rev. Charles Messer (Junior Choir) Hymns: 782, stanzas 1 & 2 Wonder, Love & Praise; 516, stanza 1 & 2; 506, stanzas 1 & 2 (Music is Hymn 368) Songs by Junior Choir Ring out your joy - Aniceto Nazareth Ho, Ho, Ho, Hosanna - Jason Daniel Scheduled to serve CHALICISTS: Jennie Rose , Alice Weber and Judy Wright READER: Robin Fidler INTERCESSOR: Ray Fidler ACOLYTES: Emma Messer, Allie Pierson and Anne Viccellio USHERS: John Gephart and Mark Sandberg ALTAR GUILD: The Burkett Family FLOWERS: Pam Meier __________________________________ Sunday at 11 am in the Church Holy Eucharist, Rite 2 The Rev. Charles Messer Adult and Youth Choir Hymns: 225, 516, 506 (Music is hymn 368) Gloria: S 278 Sanctus: S 125 At the Psalm - Risen Lord - Barry Rose Offertory Anthem: Dum complerentur - Tomas Luis de Victoria Communion anthem: Savior, like a shepherd lead us - William Bradley Roberts The Lord bless you and keep you - John Rutter Prelude: Fantasia super: Komm, heiliger Geist (Come, Holy Ghost, Lord God) - Johann Sebastian Bach Postlude: Finale (Symphony No. 1) - Louis Vierne Scheduled to serve CHALICISTS: Caroline Coleman, Sherrill Nash, Jim Strassberger, Laurel Strassberger and Doris Walker READERS: Patty McLean and Paul Grimm INTERCESSOR: Torie Harlan ACOLYTE: Jay Sandberg USHERS: Supervisor: Bob Venables; Ned Campbell, Charles Flagle, Bill Gammon, John Griffith and Bill Hazlehurst ALTAR GUILD: Pat Kaestner, Phyllis Spence and Margaret Daley FLOWERS: Pam Meier _____________________________________ Sunday at 5 pm in the Chapel Healing Service and Holy Eucharist The Rev. Charles Messer _____________________________________ Tuesday, May 13 12 Noon - Holy Eucharist - Chapel The Rev. Charles Messer _____________________________________ Wednesday, May 14 7:30 am - Holy Eucharist - Chapel The Rev. Sandra Lawrence _____________________________________

Adult Education Offerings

In the Forum: The Historical Jesus (part 2 of 3) - The Gospels are not biographies but religious exhortation. The Rev. James Blackburn (Parish Hall)

In Families of Faith: Exposing Virtue - We will explore how attention to life giving spiritual ideas and practices might address modern anxiety in the fact of overwhelming problems such as poverty, inequity and exological degradation. (Woman's Council Room)

__________________________________________________________

Enjoy Fellowship

and

Refreshments

in the Melrose Cafe

(Choir Room)

Parish News and Notes
CONFIRMATION This Saturday at 10am marks the beginning and end of a spiritual journey for youth and adults who will be confirmed and received into Christ's One, Holy and Apostolic Church. The Rt. Rev. Martin Townsend, former Bishop of the Diocese of Easton, will officiate. For twenty-seven 9th graders this is an end of a long process. The confirmation program is a two-year based program for grades 8 and 9 that culminates with confirmation by the Bishop for 9th graders who choose to make their adult affirmation of their Baptismal vows. We give thanks to Patty Eager who has taught this class of confirmands for the two years. Besides confirmation, adults who have been confirmed Roman Catholic desiring to make the Episcopal Church their home will be received. We congratulate those who will be confirmed an received and pray God's blessings on their ministry that is to come. Members of the Confirmation Class Sara Robin Bailey Emily Elizabeth Muhvich Augusta Lee Carroll Bruch Palmer David Murray James Thomas Carlson Carlin DeLancey Ober William King Carter Grace Margaret Ogburn Taylor Pierce Classen Louise James O'Neill William Rinehart Gilbert Sarah Anne Pidcock Laura Elizabeth Greenbaum Elizabeth Marie King Siems Thomas Benjamin Heaver David Joseph Socolar Elizabeth Anne Hebert Wilmer Curtis Stith V Alice Drake Jiranek Nancy Parran Swindell Charlotte Heptinstall Brokaw Jones Elliott Loring Wakefield Samatha Farrell McGee Sarah Elizabeth Wallack Olivia Kirk Millspaugh Margaret Brent White Anna Victoria Windsor
Adult Confirmands Christopher Scott McPherson Rachel Yvonne Stephens Candidates for Reception Albert Jay Boggs Patricia Mae Eisenhart Eager Kathryn Scherer Gallagher BLOOD DRIVE Monday May 12th 1:00 0 7:00 p.m in the chapel. Rejuvenate yourself and someone else. Give the gift of life this Spring - donate blood. If you don't have an appointment, please feel free to come anyway. Thank you! Funeral services for Carolyn K. Carlson will be Friday, May 9th at 1:00 pm in the Church. Memorial service for Raymond C. Bryant will be Friday, May 9th at 3:30 pm in the Chapel. Christ will open the kingdom of heaven to all who believe in his Name, saying, Come, O blessed of my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you.

Vestry Members
George Wills , Senior Warden Rick Buck, Junior Warden John Griffith, Treasurer Paige Marvel, Registrar 2009 Ellen Chatard, Allene Pierson, William Gamper, Chris Lord 2010 Will Morton, Muffie Sandberg, Ted Smith, Nancy Hubble 2011 Tom Frazier, Patty McLean, Linda Boyd, Chris Pistell

We'll stay in touch with you. Our goal is to have you join us for worship, education, fellowship, and outreach. At The Church of the Redeemer, we welcome everyone to receive Holy Communion and participate fully in our life of faith. We're here for you with the love of God in Christ.

Paul Tunkle+
Rector, Church of The Redeemer