Highlands Voice Immanuel Church

Highlands Voice
Immanuel Church, Highlands
Wilmington, DE 19806

302-658-7326
Website

Staff, Vestry, Ministries:

Staff

The Last Sunday after the Epiphany

Exodus 34:29-35

Psalm 99

2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2

Luke 9:28-43a

Volume 7, Number 7

The Last Sunday after the Epiphany

February 14, 2010

This Sunday we celebrate the Transfiguration. Our gospel reading recalls the manifestation of Jesus’ glory as God’s beloved Son, the anointed one, and how Peter wanted to remain safely on the mountain basking in the experience of the revelation. In the midst of reflecting on this scripture, a friend forwarded the following quote to me:

Peace must be dared. It is the great venture. It can never be safe. Peace is the opposite of security. To demand guarantees is to mistrust.... To look for guarantees is to want to protect oneself. Peace means to give oneself altogether to the law of God, wanting no security... not trying to direct it for selfish purposes. Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Bonhoeffer’s words bring me up short. They cause me to consider how Peter’s desire for a safe pseudo-peace on the mountain is a denial of the true peace of Jesus’ transfiguring and all-transforming love. Like Peter, how often do I want to build a safe dwelling to function as a retreat from the world? Sitting with this question, the reality expressed in Thomas Merton’s prayer comes to mind:

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

As we journey through Lent, looking forward to the new dawn of Easter, how is the Spirit inviting us to trust that our desire to please God does in fact do so? How is the Spirit inviting to trust that God will lead us by the right road, even though we may know nothing about it? Phillip Stephens

George Parshall, Vestry Person of the Day: Each week a vestry member is assigned as Vestry Person of the Day. This enhancement to our Sunday morning schedule is designed to promote awareness of our lay leaders at both services and to further improve our welcoming embrace.

Valentine’s Day Babysitting: Babysitting will be available for the children of Immanuel from 6pm to 10pm on February 13^th. We want to provide an opportunity for the parents to have a “date night” to celebrate Valentine’s Day. If you have not yet signed up, the sign-up sheet is on the bulletin board in the foyer. Please do so ASAP so that we can coordinate the night appropriately. We are asking for a $20 offering per family to go towards the youth group fund to cover dinner that night and future events. Britta Bimbi and Vikki Anthos

Palms: Please bring in your palms for burning into ashes for use at the Ash Wednesday services. There are boxes marked for you to deposit the dried palms. Sunday, February 14^th is the last day for this collection. Thank you. Altar Guild

Shrove Tuesday Dinner: Once again the youth will be providing a pancake supper on Shrove Tuesday, this year on February 16^th. Dinner will be served from 6pm-7pm, buffet style. This is a night for good food, good fellowship, good fun and a good will offering. So, come one, come all, and bring a friend!

Communion Stations during Lent: During the six Sundays in Lent we will be administering Communion by what is commonly called “stations”. The congregation will remain in their pews rather than come up around the Altar for the Eucharistic Prayer. Then, from front to rear, everyone will come up the center aisle, receive Communion, and then return to your pew from the side aisle. Parishioners in the choir and the transepts will be directed to a second station. We will return to our customary practice on Easter.

2010 Lenten Program: This year, Ash Wednesday which begins the season of Lent, falls on February 17th. Lent is a time when people of faith have willingly sought additional spiritual discipline as part of their preparation for Easter. In the spirit of the invitation to keep a holy Lent, I invite you to join us here at Immanuel each Wednesday evening in Lent beginning Feb. 24th. We will be offering a simple supper at 6:30 PM followed by an educational offering. Britta will be coordinating the youth program and I will be coordinating the adult program. We will conclude by 8:00 p.m. each week, ending with Compline. Thank you! Fr. Kim

Our Acolyte team wants you! We are offering initial training for new acolytes on Saturday February 20^th at 10 AM. There are NO age restrictions and we are hoping that any boys or girls who would like to come to this training will do so. Please let us know who is coming (or if you have questions) by emailing the rector or our acolyte leader Eve English.

Day of Reflection on the Holy Spirit in the Hebrew Scriptures: Please join us in the church on Saturday, February 27, 2010 from 9:30 – 3:00 p.m. for a Day of Quiet Reflection. The day will be led by Barbara Tucker, an experienced spiritual director, who studied at the Shalem Institute in Washington, D.C. Barbara is active with the Spiritual Companions of the Diocese of Delaware, a diocesan ministry designed to provide resources for spiritual growth, knowledge and inspiration, and she serves as a spiritual retreat leader. Barbara has served a leadership role in contemplative prayer groups at Christ Church, Christiana Hundred and Immanuel Church – Highlands, where she has been co-convener of a weekly group for over a decade. Throughout the day there will be three brief reflections, as well as an opportunity for individual prayer and reflection. The day will conclude with worship and Eucharist.

The New Orleans trip: The Katrina Mission Trip will take place from March 6-13th and we have a great group of 12 people going to New Orleans this year to continue the work of rebuilding the city. Seven of the team members are coming from the University of Tampa, recruited by our own Ryan and Sophie Day. The students will be driving from Tampa and two other members will be driving from Delaware so please keep us in your prayers. We look forward to celebrating the Super Bowl win by the Saints, visiting with our sister parish, St. Luke's, and working once again with Episcopal Community Services (formerly known as the Office of Disaster Response) to rebuild the Crescent City. Vicki Anthos

Flower Memorial Chart: The 2010 Flower Memorial Chart is posted in the foyer by the Epistle transept door. Please sign-up to donate flowers as a thanksgiving or memorial for loved ones.

Matching Grant for Haiti: We have a special opportunity for our gifts supporting relief work in Haiti to be matched. The Church Pension Fund has generously offered to match the first $5,000 raised by each Trustee for Haitian Relief work. All the money raised will be contributed to Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD) to support the work they are doing in Haiti. If you would like to have your gift matched, please send a check to:

Make sure that your checked is marked "ERD/Haiti." If you have questions, or need further information contact Mary Ann Brillhart in the Bishop's Office (302) 656-5441, ext. 103 or mabrillhart@dioceseofdelaware.net

Epiphany Paper Drive for Friendship House: During Epiphany, we are again collecting rolls of toilet paper for the many ministries led by Friendship House for homeless people in Wilmington and New Castle County. Last year, we collected 566 rolls of toilet paper! Please put your donations under the foyer table and we will deliver these throughout the next month. Friendship House now uses over 400 rolls of toilet paper a month in the Men's and Women's Day Centers, the Clothing Bank of Delaware, Winter Hospitality, Code Purple Winter Sanctuary, Andrews' Place, the Newark Empowerment Center, and its eight transitional houses for men, women, and women with children. These in-kind donations are critical to helping Friendship House meet the needs of the many homeless folks who are unable to find employment during the recession. The Outreach Ministry

Friendship House Job Readiness Volunteers: Volunteer Opportunities are available for computer literacy tutors, Math & English tutors, Job coaches and Computer Lab monitors. Volunteers do not need to be experts, but must have some experience and competency in basic computer or employment skills. Flexible hours. Time commitment as little as two hours twice monthly. Orientation is provided! Contact: Kathy Graham at (302) 588-7712 or email fhvolunteer.coordinator@verizon.net.

Church Office: 302-658-7326 x14 4:00 pm each Tuesday for the next week’s issue.

Home Phone: 302-777-5418 Phillip Stephens, Parish Administrator and Highlands Voice Editor