Christ Church Cobble Hill

14 Sunday THE SECOND SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY

Church:

Christ Church for Kids 10:15 AM
Morning Prayer 10:30 AM
Choral Eucharist 11:00 AM
Evening Prayer 5:00 PM

Parish House:

AA 7:30-8:30 AM

15 Monday - Weekday Martin Luther King Holiday

Church and School Office Closed
Playspace Closed

16 Tuesday - Weekday

Parish House:

LINDEN TREE PRESCHOOL - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon
NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYSPACE - 9:30 AM-12:00 Noon
COBBLE HILL BALLET - 1:00-2:30 PM
MUSIC TOGETHER - 3:30-5:00 PM
ACTORS WORKSHOP - 5:15-7:30 PM

17 Wednesday -  Antony, Abbot in Egypt, 356

Church:

Evening Prayer 6:00 PM
Holy Eucharist 6:30 PM

Parish House:

LINDEN TREE PRESCHOOL - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon / 12:30-3:30 PM
NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYSPACE - 9:30 AM-12:00 Noon
COBBLE HILL BALLET - 1:00-2:30 PM
MUSIC TOGETHER - 3:30-5:00 PM
ACTORS WORKSHOP - 5:15-7:30 PM

18 Thursday - THE CONFESSION OF SAINT PETER THE APOSTLE The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity begins today.

Parish House:
LINDEN TREE PRESCHOOL - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon
NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYSPACE - 9:30 AM-12:00 Noon
GYMSTARS - 3:00-4:00 PM
COBBLE HILL BALLET - 1:00-3:15 PM
AA - 6:30-7:30 PM

19 Friday - Wulfstan, Bishop of Worcester, 1095 Day of Special Devotion: Abstinence

Parish House:
LINDEN TREE PRESCHOOL - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon / 12:30-3:30 PM
NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYSPACE - 9:30 AM-12:00 Noon

20 Saturday - Fabian, Bishop and Martyr of Rome, 250

Parish House:
AA - 7:30-8:30 AM
COBBLE HILL BALLET - 10:00 AM-12:45 PM

21 SUNDAY -  THE THIRD SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY

Church:
Christ Church for Kids 10:15 AM
Morning Prayer 10:30 AM
Choral Eucharist 11:00 AM

Parish House:
AA 7:30-8:30 AM

YOUR PLEDGE CONTRIBUTION
For 2006: Please make sure your pledge for the year is up-to-date and PAID! You MUST get your check to the office by this TODAY if you want it to reflect a contribution to your church for tax purposes for this year!

For 2007: Please continue to use your current envelope number and mark it on your check, or put cash in a plain envelope with the date and your envelope number on the front. You will receive your new envelopes in early January, together with Stewardship information for 2007.
We are revising our accounting system and getting it ready for the computer so that we can give you information about your contributions to Christ Church more easily. We apologize for the inconvenience, but we will all find that the new system will work more smoothly in the near future.

CHRIST CHURCH WARM CLOTHING DRIVE
Part of Christian education is learning to put our faith to work in practical, every-day, ways. Again this year, we have decided to try this and involve the entire parish and neighborhood. We will be collecting winter coats, hats, scarves, and gloves for distribution through CHIPS on 4th Avenue and Carroll Street. Please take this opportunity to go through your closets and What is an clothing o you, will keep someone else warm this winter! We also need XXL T-Shirts!!!

CHRIST CHURCH BOOK READING GROUP
THE CHRIST CHURCH BOOK READING GROUP is reading a quick and exciting book, Ultimate Prizes, by Susan Howatch. Fawcett Books; ISBN: 0449218112. The book is out of print, but is available from Amazon.com for 1 cent! This is the third in Howatch’s series about the Church of England in the 20th century; it’s a measure of her achievement that, besides telling a fascinating story boldly and well, she illuminates often quite abstruse religious and ecclesiastical questions. Here, Neville’s ministry to captured Germans in a local prisoner-of-war camp leads to the discussion of Christian–ethical, moral–behavior during war, a topic that can never be out of date. We will meet Wednesday, 14 February 2007, for a great meal and a lively discussion. If you are interested, please speak with the Vicar TODAY!

REFLECTION

One of the purposes of the gospel of John was to invite Greek-speaking Jews to convert to Christianity. This conversion required the convert to replace long-held ideologies with new, often difficult, notions of how life is to be lived. It is through the power of Jesus that people find the strength to convert. Today’s gospel highlights Jesus as an agent of change. This change is suggested in the reference to the jars used “for Jewish rites of purification” and through Jesus’ words to his mother. The common Jewish rite of cleansing is replaced by the purification Jesus will accomplish on the cross. Jesus tells his mother that his “hour has not yet come,” which is a hint of the greater hour of Christ’s revelation on the cross. The cross is the ultimate image of change; conversion in that death becomes the gateway to new life. Just as Christ replaced the old purification rites with messianic cleansing at the crucifixion, he renews the world in which we live even today. It is interesting that this passage is introduced with the phrase “on the third day.” This phrase is much more than just a calendar reference; it is an important theological reference. The third day is the day of victory, a day of newness: as we say in the Creed “on the third day he rose again.” Remember, also, that various Old Testament events involved some sort of a revitalization on the third day (for example, Jonah was spewed onto the shore on the third day). What areas of your life need to experience conversion? What role does Christ play in your conversion? People are often fearful of change. How do you feel about changes in your life? How can the Lord comfort you in times of change?

PRACTICE OF FAITH: THERE WAS A WEDDING. Though there is no guarantee that the marriage will be smooth, we gather around a couple and celebrate their wedding as if heaven has come down to earth. And in a sense it has. When baptized people marry, their union is a sign that points to and makes present the love that Christ has for us. When the names of those to be married at a parish are read (the “banns”), make a note of the names. Pray that Christ will come as a guest and as a gift to the wedding. When you attend a wedding, participate fully in the liturgy. Sing the songs and make the responses – don’t waste your time fussing with cameras and video recorders!

PRACTICE OF HOPE: A CROWN OF BEAUTY. Most of us will never know what it is like to wear a crown. Unless you are born into a royal family – or marry into one – that kind of headgear just does not figure into everyday life. For us commoners, our hair is our crown. But even this is not an option for children who are suffering hair loss due to chemotherapy or other medical conditions.
A not-for-profit organization called Locks of Love strives to return that bit of dignity and hope to these children through custom-fitted hairpieces. Donations of money and hair make this possible. Officials note that 75 percent of the donors are children. The recipients get the hairpieces without charge, or pay according to a sliding scale. The smiles of those who receive these gifts are priceless. To learn more about the Florida-based organization, visit www.locksoflove.org or ring 1-561-963-1677 that doesn’t stop God. We give and receive hope by being Christ for one another.

PRACTICE OF CHARITY:I WILL NOT KEEP SILENT. Tomorrow marks the anniversary of the birth of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr, in 1929. His refusal to be silent about racial injustice in the United States marks him as a prophet for all times. Despite many victories, Dr King’s work to promote racial justice is yet unfinished; people of color continue to struggle with racism in its myriad forms. While Christ Church has a fantastic mixture of races and cultures and the Episcopal Church, since the 1960’s, has championed racial equality and justice, this was not always the case. The book, Episcopalians & Race [The University Press of Kentucky, ISBN0-8131-2149-3], by the Reverend Gardiner H. Shattuck, Jr, explores this aspect of our church from the Civil War to Civil Rights. Buy a copy, or get your local library to get one, and read about the ambivalent relationship between black communities and the predominantly white leadership of the Episcopal Church since the Civil War. The book analyzes the impact of the civil rights movement on church life, especially in southern states.