From Fr. Bill . Reservation of the Sacrament-Restoration of the Sacred
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St. Alban’s Episcopal Church February 2021 From Fr. Bill…. Reservation of the Sacrament—Restoration of the Sacred According to the Episcopal Dictionary of the Church holy about real candles. (yes, this is a real thing and references all things The use of real candles – oil lamps to be exact – is associ- “episcopal”), the following is stated regarding the ated with Abrahamic worship as far back as Moses in Exo- “Reservation of the Sacrament:” dus. While the Hebrew people wandered the desert during “Following ancient custom, the Book of Common Prayer those long 40 years, they would take with them a place of provides that the consecrated bread and wine may be re- worship – a place where God would meet with Moses in a served for the communion of the sick or others who for tent called the Tabernacle. Within the Tabernacle stood a “weighty cause” could not be present at seven-branch lampstand made of pure the celebration or for administration of gold; this lampstand, is not a Menorah. It communion by a deacon to a congregation is said that God – Yahweh – commanded when a priest is unavailable (pp. 408-409). the lampstand, which was then trans- The sacrament also may be reserved on ferred, or likely recreated, and placed in Maundy Thursday for communion on the Holiest of Holies in the Temple. While Good Friday. It is customary to keep the the original lampstand was destroyed or consecrated elements in a tabernacle or an taken during the Roman destruction of the aumbry or covered with a veil on a table Temple in 70 CE, a replica of the Temple or altar. A lamp or candle burns nearby to Lamp sits outside in the middle of Jerusa- announce the presence of the reserved lem near the site of the original Temple as sacrament. This light is known as a sanctu- a way to remember what was before. ary lamp if the reservation is near the al- But enough of my own seminary geek- tar.” ery. I bring all this up because the purpose Following the fire that happened in the of the sanctuary lamp is, for us, a remem- basement of St. Alban’s nearly 10 months brance that Christ is always with us – in ago, amidst the melted tents, scorched the good times and the bad. Yet, because electronic candles, and destroyed towels, of the fire, our power was shut off and for ladder, and other sundries was the original sanctuary lamp – several weeks the sanctuary candle was dark because there unharmed and in one, complete piece. was no electricity to power it. Which is why the finding of Those of you who have been here awhile might remem- the original sanctuary lamp is so important. The original ber this lamp as it hung directly over the altar, shining the sanctuary lamp with a lit, with a real candle, is a visible sign Light of Christ for everyone to see. From what I under- that no matter what – if there is electricity or not – God is stand, once Fr. Rex saw members of our Altar Guild climb- ever and always present with each and every one of us, all ing atop ladders – and possibly standing on the altar itself to of the beloved people of St. Alban’s. change the candle – the sanctuary candle was retired and an This last year has been unlike any other year – a year of electric sanctuary candle took its place atop of the aumbry. isolation, of hardship, of pandemic. And I find that I need I do not think it is a secret that I am not a fan of electron- that visible, physical reminder of God’s presence in my life. ic candles. Yes, I understand the cost benefits and safety Which is why, I have restored the original sanctuary candle features associated with them, although the hand-held elec- to the Church. I hope it brings you as much peace as it does tronic candles remain a “person of interest” as the cause of me. the fire. For me, however, there is something sacred and
Community Pantry Off to a Good Start We are excited to announce the creation of the St. soup packets, Alban’s Free Community Pantry, which is located small boxes right in front of the Little House. The pantry will be of dry milk, stocked with safely wrapped/packaged food and shelf-stable hygiene items, is available 24/7 to anyone in the milk, tuna community to access, and will be restocked several packets, fruit times per week as needed. Folks will be able to ac- cups, coffee, cess the pantry from the sidewalk and there is plen- tea, juice, and ty of parking for those who drive. other bever- Thank you to the Cub Scout Den 5, Pack 199 for ages are all your hard work in constructing this beautiful free welcome. community pantry. Additionally, This free community pantry, much like our grow- small con- ing Community Gleaning Garden, is St. Alban’s tainers of living out its mission of being the hands of Christ staple items to a hurting and hungry world, welcoming all. such as flour, If you wish to support the pantry, please drop off sugar, salt, shelf-stable, individually wrapped food items in the rice, beans, collection box inside the Parish Hall. Items such as and artificial small jars of peanut butter, snack crackers, jerky, sweetener, as granola bars, oatmeal packets, individual cereal and well as indi- vidually wrapped utensils are also welcome. Connect with us! Bishop Next spring, we will add canned items, but for now, The Rt. Reverend Kym Lucas the danger of freezing means we cannot offer them. Priest in Charge Please know we cannot offer any items that are sub- The Reverend William Stanton ject to spoiling without controlled temperatures. 303-521-7233 We also are in need of hygiene items, including first father@stalbanswindsor.com Administrator aid supplies, feminine products, soap, lotion, sham- Diana Vanderleest poo, lip balm, sunscreen, toothbrushes and tooth- office@stalbanswindsor.com paste, etc. If you travel please think of the pantry Senior Warden when you stay at a hotel and bring us the complimen- Ann Kling tary shampoo, lotion, etc., that you don’t use. kling_ann@hotmail.com Junior Warden For more information, please contact Mike or Lin- John Ginnity da Peters, 970-302-4514. If we don’t answer, please johnginnity@gmail.com leave a message and we will return your call. Or you Newsletter Editor can email us at LJVHP@comcast.net. Carol Jones jonesmartin@cowisp.net Shawna Hendricks is Visit our Website looking for volunteers www.stalbanwindsor.com Visit us on Facebook: for the Run Windsor https://www.facebook.com/stalbanswindsor Lucky Brew 5/10K race that benefits the I Whoever you are. Heart Humanity program. I Heart Humanity provides Whatever your story. laundry vouchers and soap for those in need in the Wherever you find yourself in your faith journey. There’s a place for you here. community. Volunteers will direct runners throughout the race. The race takes place on March 13 from 9–11 P.O. Box 697 – 311 6th Street – Windsor, CO 80550 a.m. It begins at High Hops Brewery, 6461 CO-392, 970-686-9658 – www.stalbanswindsor.com Windsor. Contact Shawna Hendricks with questions: 970-518-8333. Page 2 St. Alban’s Episcopal Church
Preparations for Lent The Season of Lent is that 40-day period, not includ- ing Sundays, beginning on Ash Wednesday and contin- uing until Easter, which falls on April 4 this year. The observance of a Holy Lent dates back to the earliest days of the Church, when converts to Christianity would undergo final preparations for their baptism at the Great Vigil of Easter, and believers would reflect honestly and intentionally on their relationship with God in preparation for the renewal of their baptismal vows. Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, falls on Feb- Sunday. ruary 17. We are offering two in-person services that Included in the Lent home bags, is your own edition day at our outdoor altar where we held our summer of the saintly scorecard for you to play Lent Madness! services. The services The brainchild of the Reverend Tim Schenck, Lent will be offered at 10:30 Madness is a fun and engaging way for people to learn a.m. and again at 5 p.m. about the men and women comprising the Church’s During this service, you calendar of Saints. Saints compete against each other in will be invited to ob- a "March Madness" tournament-like, single-elimination serve a Holy Lent bracket. Each pairing remains open for a set period of through self- time and people vote online for their favorite saint. Six- examination and repent- teen saints make it to the round of the Saintly Sixteen, ance, by prayer, fasting, eight advance to the round of the Elate Eight, four and self-denial, and by make it to the Faithful Four, two to the championship, reading and meditation and the winner is awarded the coveted Golden Halo. on God's Holy Word. Through these practices, we draw near to Jesus Christ and become like him. It is the tradition of the church to impose ashes as a way of remembrance that “we are dust and to dust we shall return.” Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have arranged a safe way to impose ashes so as to of- fer the best protection to everyone while still honor- ing this long-held, ancient tradition. At the service, you will receive a small glassine envelope – like the ones in which we offer our communion hosts – with ashes. You will be invited, once directed in the ser- vice, to impose the ashes on yourself, or if you live with a family member, you may impose the ashes on Ashes to go 2020. From left: each other. Our 5 p.m. service will be live streamed on Reverend Emily Flemming, Dick and Mary Cella. our Facebook page if you wish to remain at home for the service. You can subscribe to Lent Madness to receive the daily Beforehand, we will be delivering Lent at home bags, emails of saint pairings by clicking the following link which will provide all that you need to celebrate Shrove and subscribing: https://www.lentmadness.org. (or Fat) Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, and Lent up to Palm Visit St. Alban’s on Facebook here. And find more information about the church at its webpage: https://www.stalbanswindsor.com/ St. Alban’s Episcopal Church Page 3
Treasurer’s Report The year ended 2018 Unrestricted Income/ 2018 2019 2019 2020 2020 2021 with an operating Expense Budg Actual Budget Actual Budget Actual Budget loss of $115, exclud- et ing the benefit of 138,1 Total Income 70 168,814 149,590 178939 188,310 175,148 152,945 the PPP loan forgiv- en ($16,047). It also Special Events 3,000 2,710 2,500 2,265 600 1,485 3,300 included the net in- 32,00 Plate 0 30,432 30,000 25,383 20,000 14,473 12,500 surance proceeds of 101,4 $34,918 that will be Pledge 70 110,046 110,890 122,901 136,085 129,724 128,145 used primarily for the kitchen update Restricted Income 1,200 4,315 2,000 8,581 10,000 5,500 and the net remain- ing proceeds from the playground grant Total Expense without 1774 of $2,223. Depreciation 90 160,441 181,081 206,037 207,283 175,263 176,388 Looking forward to Ordinary Recurring (39,3 Net Income 20) 8,373 (31,491) (26,184) (18,973) (115) (23,443) 2021, the updated pledges received are $128,445 from 36 family units. is $42,500. Last year there were 54 pledging units. There is an esti- We are thankful for the members and the financial mated budget shortfall of $23,443. The estimated support during 2020 – a challenging year for all! budgeted expenses amount to $176,388, of which Excluding insurance proceeds and expense, PPP loan $124,118 is for personnel to lead us in ministry. forgiven, and net income from the playground grant, The checking and savings account balances available the chart above is a summary of profits and losses. for 2021 total $24,129, and the rainy day fund balance Update on Kitchen Renovation The kitchen renovation is beginning to take shape. lower cabinets. Thanks to the leadership and work of Sandra and Ter- Angels donated a new dishwasher with a high tem- ry Fornes, a phoenix will be rising from the ashes that perature sanitizing feature and a new refrigerator. The once was our kitchen. Due to smoke damage caused by vents above the stoves, which were not vented proper- the fire, the kitchen needed ly, were removed and re- to be demolished down to placed with new stainless- the studs, proving an op- steel vents that will match portunity for renovation. both the refrigerator and New circuits were in- the dishwasher. stalled in the electrical pan- Currently, the framing el, and both the kitchen and and electrical is complete. the Sacristy were wired for New spray foam insula- new recessed cam lighting. tion was installed on the To gain more cabinet and walls, and bat insulation counter space, the door installed in the ceiling. from the kitchen to the Sac- The next step is drywall, risty, and the window that which is in the process of opened to the east were being scheduled. Renovations underway. Insulation. closed off. This allows for You are welcome to new upper and lower cabinets on both the east and come in and check the progress of the kitchen at any west walls of the kitchen, increasing the kitchen stor- time. Please contact Fr. Bill if you are interested. age space. New countertops will be installed on the Page 4 St. Alban’s Episcopal Church
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