Volume 5, Number10                                 The Fifth Sunday of Lent                                   March 9, 2008

Holy Week and Easter Day — Schedule of Services

March 16      The Sunday of the Passion:  Palm Sunday

             8:00 and 10:30 am   Liturgy of the Palms and Holy Eucharist, dramatic reading of the Passion

March 17      Monday in Holy Week

             7:30 am     Morning Prayer
             5:30 pm     Holy Eucharist, in the Chapel
             7:30 pm     Sung Evening Prayer, in the Chancel

March 18      Tuesday in Holy Week

             7:30 am     Morning Prayer
             5:30 pm     Holy Eucharist, in the Chapel

March 19      Wednesday in Holy Week

             7:30 am     Morning Prayer
             5:30 pm     Holy Eucharist, in the Chapel
             7:30 pm     Healing service

March 20      Maundy Thursday

             7:30 am     Morning Prayer

             6:15 pm     Holy Eucharist and Washing of Feet,
                     Agapé Supper, Stripping of the Altar

March 21      Good Friday

             7:30 am     Morning Prayer

             1:30 pm     Stations of the Cross
                     In this simple service of meditation and prayer based on fourteen events in Jesus' walk on
                     Good Friday, we will follow Jesus' steps from his trial before Pilate to his burial in the tomb.
                     This service is presented by the youth of the parish.

             7:30 pm     Good Friday Liturgy
                     St. John Passion sung by the Immanuel Choir, Devotions at Cross and Tomb,
                     Communion from Reserved Sacrament

March 22      Holy Saturday

           10:30 am     Holy Saturday Liturgy, at the Tomb

March 23      Easter Day

             5:15 am     The Great Vigil of Easter
                     Lighting of the New Fire, Vigil with Lessons, Renewal of Baptismal Vows

             7:30 am     Festival Eucharist of the Resurrection, followed by Parish Breakfast

Fr. Thom may be reached at his church phone, 302-658-7326 Ext. 14, during his normal office hours Tuesday-Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. He works from home on Fridays. Please feel free to call him on his cell phone 302-229-8449 or write to thomjensen@gmail.com at any time other than church office hours, if a need arises.

NOTE:  Sun 3/9    Daylight Saving Time Begins (reset your clocks and watches forward this Saturday night)

Dear Parishioners and friends,

To listen to an audio version of the last Sunday's sermon, go to: http://tinyurl.com/2oyo9r.  If you want to download it, go to: http://tinyurl.com/yrzkj6 and push the little arrow to the right of "3408.mp3". This is a plain old mp3 file and can be listened to on your computer or downloaded onto your iPod.                                                                     John 9:1-41

                                                                                     Fr. Thom

THIS WEEK AT IMMANUEL: 

Sun       9      Fifth Sunday of Lent

                      8:00 am        Holy Eucharist in Chapel

                    10:30 am        Sung Eucharist, followed by Coffee Hour downstairs

Mon   10       7:00 pm        Vestry Meeting (Parlor)

Tue     11       6:30 pm        Girl and Boy Choristers (Choir Room)

                      7:00 pm        AlAnon (Common Room)

                      7:45 pm        Coro Allegro (Choir Room)

Wed   12       4:00 pm        Search Team Subcommittee Meeting with diocesan representatives

                      6:30 pm        Search Team Meeting (Parlor)

                      6:30 pm        Quiet Prayer (Common Room)

                      7:30 pm        Healing Service (Chapel)

Thu     13       7:30 pm        Mixed Choir (Choir Room)

Sat      15       9:00 am.       Altar Guild Cleaning Day

                        .                 Rehearsals for Holy Week and Easter Liturgical Ministers

                                          (times vary according to schedules which were sent to participants)

COMING SOON:

Sun     16      Palm Sunday –The Sunday of the Passion

                     Holy Week Services: see schedule on Page 1

Mon   17       8:00 pm        Mixed Choir Holy Week rehearsal (Choir Room)

Tue     18       6:30 pm        Girl and Boy Choristers Holy Week rehearsal (Choir Room)

Thu     20       8:30 am        Emmanuel Dining Room Cooking – see Nancy Loux to help (Kitchen, Dining Room)

Fri      21     10:30 am        Rehearsal for Stations of the Cross (Nave)

Sat      22     12:00 noon     Rehearsal for all choirs, bell-ringers, brass players (Nave)

Please sign up at the foyer bulletin board to:

·         Help with the Maundy Thursday agapé meal (preparation, serving, clean-up).  If you have questions, ask Teresa Pentoney or Barb Volko.

·         Attend the Maundy Thursday agapé meal.

·         Help with the Easter breakfast (preparation, serving, clean-up).  See or call Laurie Hay or Vicki Anthos with questions.

·         Attend the Easter breakfast.

 Lenten Food drive and collection on Maundy Thursday.  Bags of non-perishable groceries can be brought to Immanuel on Maundy Thursday, March 20, and stored in the undercroft.  The food will be taken to St. Stephen’s Pantry on Rodney Street.

Maundy Thursday Foot Washing:  On Maundy Thursday we will have our traditional foot washing during the Eucharist.  All are invited to participate by having their feet washed.  Please contact Fr. Thom, if you have questions.

Tomb builders are needed on Good Friday morning – March 21.  If you can help, please contact Andy Molter (984-2860) or Joe Stoeckle (737-7401) for time and tasks.

Would you like to be a reader at the Easter Vigil?  Call or see Jack Burnam.

The children and youth of Immanuel, Highlands, invite you to be a part of our Lenten Mission Project.  We have teamed up with Quilts for Comfort to make quilts for at-risk infants and children, as well as adult cancer and dialysis patients, in Delaware.  You can help; we are holding a Fabric Drive – we need two-yard pieces of 100% cotton fabrics.  Please help us to bring comfort to our community.  If you have fabric donations or questions about the Quilt Project, please see me, or call 302-737-0144.

                                                                                    Eve English

Renewal of Ordination Vows will be held Holy Tuesday, March 18, at the Cathedral Church of St. John, beginning at 10:00 a.m. with a social gathering and a public forum with Fredrica Harris Thompsett, and continuing through a 12:00 noon celebration of the Eucharist.  Everyone is welcome; if you plan to attend, RSVP by March 10 to 656-5443, ext 106, or email cyndebimbi@dioceseofdelaware.net .  Dr. Thompsett is the Mary Wolfe Professor of Historical Theology—Episcopal Divinity School, a well-known leader in the Episcopal Church, and author of several articles and books which focus on the ministry of the baptized among women and men, lay and ordained.  She is the coeditor of a recent Episcopal bestseller, ‘Confronted by God: The Essential Verna Dozier’. Dr. Thompsett will lead the forum and preach at the noon Eucharist.

                                                                                    Email from Cynde Bimbi, Assistant to the Canon

The following has been posted on the lobby bulletin board for about a week.  A copy is included here, in case you have not had opportunity to read it:

Concerning Alcoholic Beverages at Immanuel Church, Highlands

The Episcopal Church has never endorsed prohibiting the use of beverages containing alcohol among adult members.  Scripture offers Jesus' example of the use and serving of wine in his first miracle at Cana and in the institution of the Holy Eucharist.  This Church also supports and has a responsibility to those people who abstain from the use of alcoholic beverages for whatever reason.  Many churches do not serve alcoholic beverages at social functions, but for those which do, the following guidelines will be followed:

• All applicable federal, state and local laws should be obeyed, including those governing the serving of alcoholic beverages to minors.

• Alcoholic beverages must be clearly labeled as such.  Food prepared with alcohol does not need to be labeled if the alcohol is evaporated by the cooking process.

• Whenever alcohol is served, non-alcoholic alternatives must always be offered with equal attractiveness and accessibility.

• Food must be served when alcohol is present and the serving of alcoholic beverages should conclude well before guests are scheduled to leave.

• The group or organization sponsoring the activity or event at which alcoholic beverages are served must have permission from the vestry.  Such groups or organizations must also assume responsibility for those persons who might become intoxicated and must provide alternative transportation for anyone whose capacity to drive may be impaired.

• Recognizing the effect of alcohol as a mood-altering drug, it would be advisable to consider the nature of the function at which alcoholic beverages are proposed to be served.

• The use of other illegal mood altering substances is forbidden at any function.

                                                                                    Adopted by ICH Vestry, 2/18/2008

“An Evening Out” – Friday, March 14^:   All are invited to attend the Episcopal Campus Ministry (ECM) fund raising event of the season, “An Evening Out,” to benefit their upcoming spring break trip to Romania with Habitat for Humanity. Beginning at 7:30PM, ECM will host a fashion show featuring teens' and women's evening and formal wear, including some vintage dresses from as far back as the 50s, and perhaps even earlier! Diocesan youth and college students will be modeling, and the show will be followed by a “Rich Chocolate Reception.” Tickets are $20 for adults, $5 for children (childcare available upon request), and reservations are strongly suggested. Please contact the Rev. Sarah Brockmann at 443-553-0349 OR imabiah@yahoo.com for information and to reserve your spot.

                                                                                    Sarah Brockmann, ECM

Support Wanted: Episcopal Campus Ministry (ECM) mission to Romania. Students will work during this year's Spring Break (March 28 - April 5) for Habitat for Humanity in Romania. To see their page on the Habitat website, which includes a way to make a secure on-line donation, visit

 http://www.habitat.org/cd/gv/participant/participant.aspx?pid=93031320

                                                                                    Sarah Brockmann, ECM

2008 Memorial House Summer Registration forms are available (in Immanuel’s lobby).  The forms include the current rates and, to some extent, the availability of spaces.  For more information or reservations, please call Kathy at (302) 656-5443, ext. 105, or fax her at (302) 656-7342, or email:

kathymoore@dioceseofdelaware.net .  Office Hours are: Mon, Tues, Wed, and Fri, 10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

                                                                                    Email from Kathy Moore, Reservations Manager

                                                                                    A. Felix duPont Memorial House

Articles from The Net - A Weekly Newsletter For Delaware's Episcopal Clergy

Lenten Recitals for Organ and Voice

Continuing through March 18^th, Saints Andrew and Matthew (SsAM) offers half-hour recitals in the church starting at Noon. Lenten Lunches are offered before and after the concert, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Delicious soups, sandwiches and desserts are served in the auditorium at reasonable prices. Concert details are on the SsAM website: www.ssam.org.

The last of this year’s Lenten series of Brown Bag Lunch Concerts

will be held at Grace Episcopal on Friday, March 14 at 12:15 p.m.  Bring along your bagged lunch to enjoy during the concert; we will provide a beverage!  Performers will be “Smile Awhile” Tenor/Soprano Duet.

Journey of the Beloved: Contemplative Practice and Youth Ministry - Sunday, March 30^th

This workshop features Thom Chu, Director of Ministries with Young People in the National Episcopal Church and will take place at St. Thomas' Church, Whitemarsh, Pennsylvania (near Philadelphia). For details, call 215- 233-3970 or visit: http://www.stthomaswhitemarsh.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/content.contentItem/contentid/23

St. David’s Day School Summer Camp

Great field trips, themed weeks, including arts and crafts, and new this year, Mad Science Week.  Full or half days are available.  Registration forms and more info is available in the Day School Office or at

 st_davids_day_school@verizon.net , or call 302-475-3747.

Interfaith Resource Center

The Barnabas Fund of St. Albans Church has awarded the IRC a $2500 grant to replace selected items of our VHS collection with DVD’s.  This is a real blessing as the cost of upgrading our entire video collection is prohibitive without assistance from our many friends. To learn more about this grant and other events go to www.interfaithresourcecenter.com .

Items from the website of the Diocese of Delaware:

Evensong, Sunday, March 9, 4:00 p.m. at Immanuel on the Green, New Castle. with Schola from Immanuel's Choir, Lee Dettra, organist and choirmaster. Details: 328-2413.

Compline, Sunday, March 9, 7:30 p.m. at Saint David's, Wilmington. Join the Delaware Compline Choir for an evening of Gregorian chant and a cappella choral motets with incense and candles in the beautiful acoustics of Saint David's Church. We will feature William Byrd's "Nunc Dimittis" from his Gradualia. Admission is free and open to the public. For additional information, please contact Dr. Roland at 654.6279, ext. 3.

Musick to Delight the Ear: Musick from 18th Century London, Saturday, April 5, 7:30 p.m., at St.Peter's,Lewes. Brandywine Baroque, Delaware's award-winning early music ensemble, will perform music written by Handel, Dibdin, Arne, and Festing. There will be a pre-concert talk by musicologist John Burkhalter at 7:00 p.m.  Admission is $15 for adults and $6 for students.

223rd Convention of the Diocese of Delaware, Friday and Saturday, April 11 and 12, at St. Philip's Episcopal Church, Laurel. For details, call the diocese at 656-5441.