Evening Prayer will be offered on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings this week at 6:30pm for Whitsun Week (BCP pg. 183-186).

If you haven’t already, please pick up your copy of the Parish Newsletter from the table downstairs.

Our Parish directory has now been updated for 2012. Copies are available for everyone downstairs. Many thanks to Bonnie for all of her hard work in putting it together.

The annual synod for the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic States will be held on June 7th-9th in Roanoke. Epiphany’s delegates are Bill Cox, Mary Russell, and Melinda Tennis.

There are new Preparation for Holy Communion cards in the pews for your use and benefit. They were donated by an anonymous friend of the parish.

Birthday blessings this week to Whitey Gooding (May 28th) and Marsha Ponton (June 2nd).

If you donated an Easter Lily, feel free to take yours home with you; they are on a table downstairs in the parish hall.

In a similar vein, many thanks to all who helped out on Easter; our Altar Guild, choir, as well as our interim organist Elizabeth all did a fantastic job.

Also, thank you to the McClenny’s for hosting the Beer, Wine, and Cheese tasting at their home.

Fr. Kevin has been in contact with Beth Gamble, the director of Amherst Cares, and she has said that the next needed item is cereal. Therefore, starting in May, parishioners are encouraged to donate cereal for disadvantaged kids. Also, Amherst Cares have been very appreciative of our help; there is a thank you letter on the bulletin board downstairs.

The final session of our weekly Bible Study will be this Tuesday at 9:30am and 6:30pm, after which we will be taking a break for the Summer.

Birthday blessings this week to Fr. Crites (April 28th).

April 1st (Palm Sunday) - 10am Holy Communion
April 2nd (Mon. Before Easter) - 6:30pm Evening Prayer
April 3rd (Tues. Before Easter) - 6:30pm Evening Prayer 
April 4th (Wed. Before Easter) - 6:30pm Evening Prayer
April 5th (Maundy Thursday) - 6:30pm Holy Communion
April 6th (Good Friday) - Services at 2:30pm & 6:30pm
April 8th (Easter Sunday) - 10am Holy Communion
April 9th (Mon. after Easter) - 6:30pm Evening Prayer
April 10th (Tues. after Easter) - 6:30pm Evening Prayer 

Starting this Wednesday night at 6:30pm (and every Wednesday in Lent), we will be saying the Litany together as a special Lenten Service.

The Women of Epiphany will be meeting on March 6^th at 11:00am. Evi Kirkman will be hosting the meeting at her home; please let her know if you plan to attend.

Our new Episcopal Visitor, The Rt. Rev. Donald Lerow, will be here on Sunday, March 18^th to confirm and receive our new members. We will be having a pot-luck to celebrate; if you’d like to help, please speak with Carol.

Our Bible Study resumes this Tuesday at 9:30am and 6:30pm. We are now studying St. Paul’s Letter to the Colossians.

Birthday blessings this week to Evi Kirkman (Feb. 28th) and Eldon Cox (March 2nd).

Read Along with the Church this Week
Mon. - Ephesians 4
Tues. - Ephesians 5 
Wed. - Ephesians 6 
Thurs. - (Free Day)
Fri. - Philippians 1 
Sat. - Philippians 2 
Sun. - Philippians 3

Many thanks to all those who made our Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper a success!

Our annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper will be held on February 21st from 5pm- 7:30pm, so please mark it in your calendars. Also, if you would like to volunteer to help out that evening, please speak to Melinda.

The Vestry will be meeting next Sunday, Feb. 12th after the Fellowship Hour.

The Evangelism Committee will be meeting two Sundays from today (Feb. 19th) after the Fellowship Hour. Please bring your Spiritual Gifts Index and a Bible. Anyone who is interested is also invited to attend.

There are envelopes downstairs with the new Vestry update as well as calendars for members of the parish. If you haven’t done so, please pick yours up.

Our Bible Study on Philippians continues this Tuesday at 9:30am and 6:30pm.

Our Adult Inquirer’s Class continues today after the fellowship hour.

Birthday blessings this week to Rose White, Melinda Tennis, and Kayla Johnson (all on Feb. 7th).

Read Along with the Church this Week*

Mon. - Galatians 1:1–10 
Tues. - Galatians 1:11-end of ch.
Wed. - Galatians 2:1–10 
Thurs. - Galatians 2:11-end of ch.
Fri. - Galatians 3:1–9 
Sat. - Galatians 3:10–18 

* To be used with Family Prayer, BCP pg. 592

I am sad to announce that one of our new members, Charles White, passed away on Wednesday. There will be a viewing at Driskill Funeral Home in Amherst this evening from 6-8pm. The Funeral will be on Monday at 2:00pm

Our Bible Study on Philippians continues this Tuesday at 9:30am and 6:30pm. Unfortunately, due to technical problems, we were not able to record last weeks session.

Our Adult Inquirer’s Class resumes today after the fellowship hour.

This month we are collecting Pop-Top Cans of Spaghetti (or other Chef Boyardee type cans) for Amherst Cares. The next time you go grocery shopping, please consider picking up a can for a disadvantaged child.

READ ALONG WITH THE CHURCH THIS WEEK:
Mon. - Ephesians 4:17-end of ch. 
Tues. - Ephesians 5:1–14 
Wed. - Ephesians 5:15-end of ch. 
Thurs. - Ephesians 6 
Fri. - John 4:27-42
Sat. - John 4:43-end of ch.

The Holy Communion will be offered this Friday, January 6th at 6:30pm for the Feast of the Epiphany.

We have new Visitor’s Cards available by the door. Visitors are encouraged to fill them out and put them in the offering plate.

There will be a Vestry Meeting after the Fellowship hour next Sunday, January 8th.

As a reminder, we will resume our study of Philippians on January 10th.

Our Adult Inquirer’s Class is currently taking a break for Holidays.We will resume on on January 15th.

Many thanks to all who helped prepare for Christmas by donating poinsettias, beautifying the church, and for helping out at services.

READ ALONG WITH THE CHURCH THIS WEEK:

Mon. - 1 John 3:1–11 
Tues. - 1 John 3:13-end of ch.
Wed. - 1 John 4 
Thurs. - 1 John 5 
Fri. - 2 Cor. 4:1–6 (Epiphany)
Sat. - Matt. 3:13-end of ch.

Circumcision of Our Lord – Philippians 2:9

What’s in a name? For many of us, it may be a testament to family history – or a testament at least to our parents’ preferences. I know I was named Kevin largely because it isn’t prone to nicknames, the irony being, of course, that I love nicknames. What about your name? Were you named after some beloved family member or someone your parents admired? Or was it because they simply liked it?

In our culture, it is common to name people after other people; even our first names often convey our family history. Even among those with more exotic tastes, modern names rarely go beyond people or places. But in the ancient world, particularly among the Jews, a name conveyed a concept. Literally speaking, in the Bible people were named things like “God is Gracious” (that what John means) or even “Father of a Multitude” (that’s the meaning of Abraham). A name had power and importance, and that is especially true with God. Invoking God’s name was seen as calling down his power; it’s serious business. That’s why doing something like taking the Lord’s name in vain or swearing an oath carelessly is seen as such a great offense in the Scriptures.

And that’s important to remember because today we celebrate the Circumcision of Christ - the time when our Gospel says that Christ was given his name: Jesus - “the Lord Saves.” And it is a name with power and meaning because at the incarnation it becomes a name of God, a name to be invoked, a name which calls down his power. As St. Paul reminds us, “God…has given him a name which is above every name” and “at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow.”

You see, the name of Jesus is one that demands allegiance. That is the meaning of taking a knee, that is why a person kneels before monarchs. It is a way of saying, without words, “I am at your service; I am yours.” We are physical beings, and that sentiment takes tangible form in our posture. It is why, in our culture, a man kneels when proposing to the women he loves. For those of you who are married, think back to when your husband proposed to you. He got down on one knee; he said, with his body as well as with his mouth, “I am yours forever.”

At the name of Jesus, our response should be the same. By invoking his name, we call down not only his power, but we offer ourselves to him – our whole being, our full allegiance and love. That’s why we kneel at Communion, and why you see many of us dipping our heads when that Sacred name is mentioned.

But, you see, it is about more than just symbols and outward tokens of our belief; that allegiance is to take concrete form in our lives. St. Paul follows this image with something more startling – he says to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” If we kneel at his name, our allegiance should bear fruit in our everyday experience. That posture of humility does not mean that we are to be merely passive; quite the opposite. Just as when a man proposes to a wife, taking a knee doesn’t mean the work is over. Rather, that work is just beginning. I can see some of the men in the congregation looking at me right now, as if to say “If you only knew.” Perhaps they understand the “fear and trembling” part better than I do.

To kneel at the name of Jesus is to offer ourselves in his service means to order our lives to that end - to focus ourselves, in each of our unique stations in life, to serve him. But for each of us, that will take different forms. And part of the Christian life is figuring out, through prayer and study, what God wants that to look like in the specific circumstances of each of our lives.

But we are not called to do it alone; in fact, we can’t. At the end of the day, as St. Paul tells us, “it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” We are able to do such things only because God, in his mercy, chooses to work in, with, and through us. We are indeed beings of free will, but it is grace that empowers us. And it is by cooperating with that grace, that we are enabled to truly serve God. That’s why each of us returns to this fount of Grace every week. It’s why we pray to God for strength to will and to do the works that he would have us do. It’s why he offers himself to us – his Body and Blood – that being strengthened spiritually, we may likewise offer ourselves to him.

So as we kneel today at the name of Jesus, as we celebrate his circumcision and naming, take a moment to contemplate what that means for you - what that allegiance to Christ means in your daily life. And join all of us as we are strengthened by his grace, in undertaking that very service. In his name, Amen.

Fr. Kevin will be offering Evening Prayer at 6:30pm this Wednesday, Dec. 21st for the Feast of St. Thomas.

Our Christmas Schedule is as follows:
Christmas Eve: 7pm Holy Communion
Christmas Day: 10am Holy Communion
St. Stephen (Dec. 26th): 6:30pm Evening Prayer
St. John (Dec. 27th): 6:30pm Evening Prayer
Holy Innocents (Dec. 28th): 6:30pm Holy Communion

There are CDs available of past sessions of the Bible Study in the undercroft. We will resume our study of Philippians on January 10th.

We are having our last Adult Inquirer’s Class this Sunday before taking a break for Christmas. We will resume on on January 15th.

There are now Ordo Kalendars (church calendars with feasts, etc.) printed by the national church. They are $7.50 per Kalendar.

An early birthday blessings to Cynthia Webb (Dec. 30th).