A Newsletter by and for the people of Christ Church Bronxville

TheSpire

Mar. 2011 VOL. LXIV No. 5

Contact us:914.337.3544Monday-Thursday 9:00 AM to 3:00 PMFridays9:00 AM to 12:00 PM

www.ccbny.org

Children’s Formation 2

Adult Formation 3

Youth 4

Music at CCB 7

Holy Week Schedule 8

At a Glance

The Gospel reading for the First Sunday in Lent is Matthew 4:1-11. In it we find Jesus freshly baptized and now led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. At each temptation, and there are some good ones, Jesus refused to put himself before God or to put God to the test. Instead, through the clarity of baptism, fasting and prayer Jesus chose relationship and connection with the Almighty, his Father.Lent is of course the great seasonal and liturgical reminder that temptation is everywhere and that avoiding its many pitfalls requires deliberate discipline and a rule of life. In Lent we recapture that discipline and remember that rule. In Lent we seek simplicity - the removal of all of the unnecessary accretions we take on as move through the world, in order to get to the essential truths. The truth that God’s love for us knows no bounds. The truth that we find the meaning of our lives in our open and trusting connections with God and our neighbors. For our young people, this is the message and the experience of Taizé. At that monastery, separated from the pressures and distractions of their lives, they rediscover themselves. And in doing so they rediscover God and their connection with all humanity. This is of course the ultimate intention of Lent. I pray that we all have the presence of mind, heart and spirit to seek the essentials during those forty days. I look forward to seeing you all on Ash Wednesday and to a fruitful Lenten journey together.To help us on the way, below is an article about Taizé written by Karly Redpath, one of our high school seniors. She is a wonderful young woman who clearly understands the essentials.

This past week, Christ Church Bronxville’s Episcopal Youth Community returned from their pilgrimage to Taizé, a monastery in France. The group, being one of the largest to travel to Taizé thus far, experienced one of the most powerful trips they could have hoped for. With only three hundred people at Taizé during their stay (three hundred is considered to be a small amount - during Easter Taizé welcomes close to 8,000 people) the group, composed of members from three parishes, learned about the true meaning of connection through the time they spent together and the time they spent in prayer.

The Arrival of Lent - a call to simplicity?

continued on page 4

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Church School begins each Sunday with Children’s Chapel at 9:45 AM in Taylor Hall

Godly Play (Ages 3 to 1st grade)Mar. 6th Jesus Feeds the 5,000Mar. 13th The Prodigal Son Mar. 20th The Parable of the Two Sons/ Who is the Greatest?Mar. 27th The Parable of the Great Pearl

Second GradeMar. 6th Prayer in the Liturgy: Prayers of the People, The Lord’s PrayerMar. 13th The Creed and the Trinity Mar. 20th Easter Story: Benjamin’s Box – Part 1Mar. 27th Easter Story: Benjamin’s Box – Part 2

Third & Fourth GradeMar. 6th The Prodigal Son & The Raising of LazarusMar. 13th Jesus’ Last Days (Part 1)Mar. 20th Jesus’ Last Days (Part 2) Mar. 27th Jesus’ Last Days (Part 3)

Fifth/Sixth GradeMar. 6th John KnoxMar. 13th John BunyanMar. 20th John WesleyMar. 27th John Newton

For more information please contact:Barbara Potgieter Children’s Christian Formation bpotgieter@ccbny.org

Church School Calendar

The Spire

Nursery Care is available for babies and children too young

for Church School.

Tuesday, March 8th, 2011Shrove Tuesday from 5:30-7:30 in Taylor HallJoin us for the the annual pancake supper provided by the men of Christ Church on Shrove Tuesday, March 8th. We are looking for volunteers from the men of the parish to help in the preparation. We provide a unique product (e.g. not perfect) that has been a long tradition at Christ Church. We offer our best pancakes topped with real maple syrup, sausage, apple sauce and orange juice or coffee. All proceeds go to outreach and a grand time is had by all. Please contact Mike O’Guin at oguin@optonline.net.

Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper

Lenten Possibilities

Ash Wednesday is March 9thAsh Wednesday, a day of fasting and penitence, is the gateway to Lent. The ashes we receive remind us of our mortality. Our coming to receive them is a sign that we will make a sincere effort to cleanse our lives of sin and to put God first. Ash Wednesday calls us to put aside pride and choose humility. It calls us to acknowledge our failings and amend our hearts in the comfort of knowing that we are loved.

The Christ Church service schedule for Ash Wednesday is as follows:7:00 AM Holy Eucharist and Imposition of Ashes12:00 PM Imposition of Ashes7:00 PM Holy Eucharist and Imposition of Ashes

Traditional Lenten Regulations:The Book of Common Prayer indicates two days of expected fasting and abstinence from meat – Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.For many Christians, Fridays in Lent have been days of special observance, generally including fasting. Traditionally, fasting has meant that one full meal per day be taken. Two smaller meals have also been allowed to maintain strength. The tradition has also been to refrain from eating meat on Fridays. Remembering Jesus’s death through some form of observance on Fridays is an important aspect of any Lenten spiritual discipline. It is our hope that these Forty Days of Lent might be well used to set our hearts, minds and souls toward “things ofimportance.”

Ash Wednesday

Take on a new Lenten DisciplineFeed your soul and fill your belly on Wednesday mornings at 7AM in the Lady Chapel. Join us for Holy Eucharist and then Breakfast. Begin your day with prayer and fellowship.

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Adult Christian FormationLate Epiphany & Lent “Sunday Shorts” SeriesPracticing our Faith continues on March 6th

“Christian practices are things Christian people do together over time in response to and in light of God’s active presence for the life of the world.”That is the claim of the theologians Craig Dykstra and Dorothy Bass in the opening pages of Practicing Our Faith: A Way of Life for a Searching People. This year, for our third

“Sunday Shorts” Series, we will explore the meaning and importance of Christian faith practices and ways in which leading Christian thinkers are working toward the reclaiming of these practices in our own time. Our study is particularly apt for this season of the Church year, when our focus is on the manifestation of Christ as the “light of the world” and our responsibility as bearers of that light. The schedule of our study in March is as follows:March 6: “Hospitality”; March 13: No Session; March 20: “Forgiveness”; March 27: “Healing”; April 3: No Session; April 10: “Dying Well”(Please note that there are breaks in this schedule, as required by other events in the scheduling of parish programs).All sessions, lead by The Rev. Amy Lamborn, will be held in the Crispell Lounge immediately following the 10 AM Eucharist. As usual, coffee and a light snack will be available there for you enjoyment and convenience.For questions, or to reserve a copy of the book, please contact Mother Lamborn at alamborn@ccbny.org or at 914-337-3544.

Center for Spiritual GrowthCentering PrayerTuesdays 8-9 PM, March 15, 22, 29 and April 5 –at the Chapel of the Guardian Angels at Christ Church Bronxville.For God, my soul in silence waits. - Psalm 62Centering prayer is an ancient practice of silence, and never more necessary in our noisy and over stimulated lives. Join us for four weeks as we join together in silence, and learn to let go of distractions and the things that pull us away from God and our own true selves. In this season of Lent we remember Christ’s self emptying life as in invitation for us to become more available to

God’s presence and transforming love. The text we will be using is Cynthia Bourgeault’s Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening which can be ordered on Amazon.com. To sign up please contact the church at 337-3544 or contact Hondi Brasco, Debbie Cook or the Rev. Amy Lamborn by March 11th.

The ART of PrayerIf you are willing to pray with your hands--- to cut, paste, paint, and use art materials, come and join us as we discover another way of engaging with God. By using art media to explore our relationship with God, we can often discover insights we could not know by other means and experience the creative process as a form of prayer and meditation. The arts can help us discern how God is at work in our lives. No art experience is necessary. Our potential start date is Friday, April 1 from 9:30-11:30 AM in the conference room and we plan to meet for three Fridays: April 1, April 8 and April 15. Please sign up by calling Christ Church 337-3544 or contacting Hondi Brasco (771-8870) by March 25th.

Challenges for Women of FaithSunday Evening, March 6, 2011, 7 PMYou are invited to a discussion about contemporary challenges to women of faith, featuring panelists:

Cantor Janet Leuchter• Hondi Duncan Brasco, M. Div.• Dr. Mahjabeen Hassan• Rabbi Barry Kenter, of the Greenburg Hebrew • Center and President of the Center for Jewish-Christian-Muslim Understanding, will moderate

Join others from Conservative synagogues, local churches and the American Muslim Women’s Association for an evening of learning in friendship. All are welcome.No Couvert, Dessert and Coffee/Tea ServedKindly respond by Tuesday, March 1st, 2011 To register & for additional information, please respond to Tamara Kossoff, TSPOL@NETZERO.NET, 917-596-8599GREENBURGH HEBREW CENTER515 Broadway, Dobbs Ferry, New York914-693-4260

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EYCTaizé article continuedSophomore and first time Taizé pilgrim, Andrew Jackson, was truly shocked by the intensity of the impact Taizé had on him despite all of his preconceptions. “I had heard that Taizé was a life-changing place from so many people,” he said, “but I had trouble believing it. The rigorous prayer and fear of a bad group experience really scared me.” But the unique atmosphere and pattern of life at Taizé won both Drew and the group over. Senior, McKenzie Burton, whose trip this year was her fourth and final, said that there seemed to be more of a connection within the group this year because the overall mentality seemed to be more deeply rooted in meaningful relationships with God rather than a more social experience that occurred within the group in other years. “It seemed like everyone was there for the right reasons this year” she said. Perhaps the most important lesson of this trip is that what is learned at Taizé is supposed to make its way back into the lives of members from the Bronxville, Yonkers, and New Canaan communities. As Brother Leandro of the Taizé community stated, “take the light that has grown in you at Taizé and bring it back home with you.”

Almighty God, who sees us as equal and loves us all, grant that we have the strength to see each other as you see us and love each other with all our hearts. Grant us also the ability to value not the material, but the immaterial. Guide us as we work to make our Taize pilgrimage available to everyone. All this we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayer written by the Taizé Pilgrims

A Prayer from Brother RogerGod of mercy, we are yearning for peace of heart. And the Gospel allows us to glimpse that,

even in hours of darkness, you love us and you want happiness for us.

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EYC Pilgrimage to Taizé - cont’d

MarchBirthdays

1: Corbin Callaway, Tracey Gilliam; 2: Nora Hogan, Sam O’Neil, Sophie Feinberg; 3: Cameron Elkerton; 4: Thomas Kenney, Patrick Sica; 5: Monna MacLellan; 6: Julia Castle, Louisa Eaton; 7: Catherine Bird, Rosalie Frost, Ann Tighe; 8: Bradford Marvin; 9: Laney Goodrum, William Kelsey; 10: Laura Hibbler; 12: Mary Daly, Clifford Schneider; 15: Juan Buendia; 16: Kevin Ewy, Susan Rooney; 17: Gary Hayes, Dylan O’Donoghue, Arthur Taylor, Beatrice Welch; 18: Barbara McKinnon, Sheldon Reynolds; 20: Emma Fursland, Jeannette Gray; 21: Courtney Crystal; 22: Jayne Warman; 24: Ansley Jones, Eleanor Pennell, Andrew Sullivan; 25: Ashton Minich, Charlotte Reynolds; 26: Carol Bender, Joseph Kratovil, Owen Thomas, Hank Thomas; 29: Alina Atayan, Megan Whitney; 30: Mark Sears; 31: Steven Ahmuty

To submit birthdays please send to Amy Capeci at acapeci@ccbny.org or Elisabeth Campbell at ecampbell@ccbny.org.

The Blessing of Our High School Pilgrims and their Chaperones

February 13, 2011Rector From the beginning of time, the Lord our God has led people on pilgrimages to holy places. The patriarchs - Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - each traveled at the Lord’s behest. Moses and the people of Israel were led from bondage in Egypt through the Red Sea into the wilderness and eventually to the promised land. Much later, the Magi were led by the Star of Bethlehem to the birth place of our Lord, and Jesus, himself, as a boy traveled from Nazareth to the holy city of Jerusalem.

Now it is your turn. You are being called to a pilgrimage. A pilgrimage is a sacred expedition, a holy trip, where the interior journey is more important than the exterior one.

Do you give yourselves to this pilgrimage?

Pilgrims: We do, and we commit ourselves to seeking Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Congregation: Almighty and merciful God, be present with our young people as they journey to the monastery at Taizé. Watch over them as they travel and guide them by your Spirit; that they may find the deep communion they seek with you. At the conclusion of their journey bring them back safely to us, filled with your love and inspired by your peace. All this we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Rector: May the spirit of Christ Jesus, the spirit of love, confirm your hearts; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be with you on this journey and always. Amen.

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Global Mission Sunday is March 20th!!!

Global Mission Sunday is the day we bring attention to the many possibilities that exist for reaching out to others as a church community. Many of the outside entities we support are in need of year round help, so during the course of our program year we try to highlight each one in a particular month.

That Sunday morning we will gather for Morning Prayer, joined by the kids from Young at Arts, and then get to work as Christ’s Body in the world.

This year the programs for Global Mission Sunday will include:

In Taylor Hall and the Undercroft: • Teens can help sort socks for Midnight Run.• Buy cans of fruit to donate to the Interfaith Food Bank.• Help cook a meal for the residents of Fessenden House.• And as Easter approaches, CCB’s younger parishioners can contribute to the day by decorating cards and filling baskets with goodies for the children at Thorpe House.

Off-Site Work Projects (and ones that start at CCB and move off-site): • Join Father Bird and help restore Harlem’s landmark Church of the Intercession.• Join Jim Sutton and his team of “lumberjacks” to help clean up the Bronx River: its shores and paths.• Primary Choir, you can head off to sing for the residents of Wartburg Senior Center. • At 7AM grab a cup of coffee in the CCB kitchen and hop in the van to New York City for a Breakfast Run. You’ll be back in time for the 10AM service.

Brief background on organizations we support with our efforts: Midnight Run is dedicated to finding common ground between the housed and the homeless. Midnight Run volunteers distribute food, clothing, blankets and personal care items to the homeless poor on the streets of New York City. The late-night relief efforts create a forum for trust, sharing, understanding and affection. That human exchange, rather than the exchange of goods, is the essence of the Midnight Run mission. In addition to the Midnight Run, Christ Church also offers Breakfast Runs several times a year, an opportunity for CCB’s younger members, generally fourth grade and above, to help the homeless poor by serving breakfast and distributing clothing and other essential items.

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Global Mission (cont.)United Interfaith Food Bank collects, organizes and distributes food to other food banks around Westchester County. Thorpe House is a “house of peace” for homeless women and their children, providing each family with a furnished, clean and safe apartment. The program is funded by the NYC Department of Homeless. Services provided to the residents are designed to assist the residents in moving toward independent living, and include regular visits with a social worker to create a plan for employment and permanent housing, visits from a nurse practitioner to provide immunizations and other basic health services, meetings with a family assistant to arrange schooling and other educational needs, and 24-hour security to provide a safe living environment. Fessenden House is a housing facility in Yonkers for men recovering from drug and alcohol addiction who are also dealing with major health problems. With oversight provided by the staff, (Episcopal monks Brother Christopher Jenks and Randy Horton), the community ethos of Fessenden House enables men who have “slipped through the cracks” to find a home and support system. The Wartburg is an adult care facility in Mount Vernon, New York that provides various levels of assisted living and full-scale nursing home care to its residents. Church of the Intercession is a congregation located in the Harlem section of New York, New York. It was formerly a part of the Parish of Trinity Church, Wall Street and until 1976 was known as the Chapel of the Intercession. The diverse congregation has been active in community development and outreach in the neighborhood. It has Sunday services in English at 8am and 10am and in Spanish at 12:30pm. The Church is located at the intersection of Broadway and 155th Street (Manhattan).

Choir Tour to Philadelphia March 4-6Members of the Christ Church Choir, Schola Cantorum, and Treble Choir will be taking a Choir Tour to Philadelphia. In addition to sightseeing and visiting the world’s largest pipe organ (in the “Wanamaker” (now Macy’s) department store), the choirs will sing at both Christ Church Philadelphia and St. Mark’s (Locust Street) - both landmark churches in The City of Brotherly Love.

Combined Musical Forces for Outreach Sunday March 20 During the brief Morning Prayer Service on Sunday March 20, Christ Church choirs will team with the talents of Young at Arts in “Run, with the light of God”. The text of this anthem is perfect for Outreach Sunday, and the music will shake us up and prepare us for a day of work together. When everyone scatters to accomplish their good deeds, several members of the Primary Choir will make a visit to a local nursing home to sing.

Music Notes for March

8 The SpireThe SpireChrist Church Bronxville17 Sagamore RoadBronxville, NY 10708-1599

Palm Sunday, April 17th Palm distribution at all services8:00 AM Holy Eucharist (Traditional Language)9:45 AM Palm Procession (Taylor Hall)10:00 AM Holy Eucharist5:00 PM Contemplative Eucharist

Monday, April 18th 7:00 AM Holy Eucharist

Tuesday, April 19th7:00 AM Holy Eucharist

Wednesday, April 20th 7:00 AM Holy Eucharist w/ Breakfast7:00 PM Tenebraemusic and meditations for Holy Week

Maundy Thursday, April 21st 7:00 PM Choral Eucharist with Stripping of the Altar8:30 PM All Night Vigil over the Blessed Sacrament

Good Friday, April 22nd 12:00 PM The Passion according to John and Good Friday Liturgy Children’s Service with age-appropriate Stations of the Cross

Holy Saturday, April 23rd 7:00 PM The ancient chant “Exsultet” The Great Vigil of EasterThe First Eucharist of Easter

Easter Sunday, April 24th 9:00 AM Festive Holy Eucharist with Children’s Choirs, Brass, & Tympani

10:30 AM Easter Egg Hunt

11:15 AM Festive Holy Eucharist with Choirs, Brass, & Tympani

Holy Week

March HighlightsSunday, Mar. 6th 11:15 AM Lenten Sunday Short Series 2:00 PM Counseling Center ConcertTuesday, Mar. 8th Shrove Tuesday 5:30 PM Pancake SupperWednesday, Mar. 9th Ash Wednesday 7:00 AM Ash Wednesday HE 12:00 PM Imposition of Ashes 7:00 PM HE and Imposition of AshesFriday, Mar. 11th 7:45 PM Midnight Run Tuesday, Mar. 15th 12 noon Sacred Heart Soup Kitchen Cooking

Wednesday, Mar. 16th 9:30 AM Altar Guild Meeting 4:30 PM Deliver Food for SHSK

Sunday, Mar. 20th 6:45 AM Breakfast Run Global Mission/Outreach Sunday

Sunday, Mar. 27th 11:15 AM Lenten Sunday Short Series