Saturday, May 5: Spring Fling Dinner and Dance
Saturday, May 12: Second Saturday Study Group Resumes
Friday and Saturday, May 18 & 19: St. Mary’s Annual Rummage Sale
Sunday, May 20: The Day of Pentecost
Learn more about the May Madness Events at St. Mary’s!
On Sunday, January 28th, St. Mary’s will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Dedication of the Church by Bishop Henry Benjamin Whipple. Our liturgy that day will have the look, feel and sound of an 1868 Sunday service, with prayers and hymns from that era.
Following the 9:30 a.m. service of Holy Communion, we will gather for our Annual Meeting and election of Vestry members. A light lunch will be served following the meeting. (There will be no potluck until Sunday, February 4th.)
Almighty God, to whose glory we celebrate the dedication of this house of prayer: We give you thanks for the fellowship of those who have worshiped in this place, and we pray that all who seek you here may find you, and be filled with your joy and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Like the apostles, we long to learn to pray as Jesus prayed: with faith, fire and fervency. Too often, however, we’re not sure how to begin, what to say, or even if our prayers will be heard and answered. This four-session discussion series will explore the four traditional forms of prayer: Praise, Petition, Intercession and Thanksgiving. We’ll learn that praying is a simple tool everyone has been given to enter into a conversation with God. We will discover the wealth of resources for prayer in the Book of Common Prayer and learn the basics for developing a rewarding prayer life with some down to earth tips from best-selling author and pastor Max Lucado.
Join us at 9:35 a.m. on the second Saturday of October, November, December and January to learn, share, explore and experience how a simple practice of prayer can enhance and enrich our conversation with God. There are no books to buy, no homework to do, and no attendance requirement; just a space to learn, grow and share.
By Linda Friern and Tony Bartlett, in The Fire of Peace © 1992, Pax Christi
Let us pray that we may be set free from the chains of violence and war.
Jesus the Christ, by your cross and resurrection…deliver us
by your nonviolence and love…deliver us
by your witness to truth…deliver us
by your passion and death…deliver us
by your victory over the grave…deliver us
from the desire for power…deliver us
from the conspiracy of silence…deliver us
from the negation of life…deliver us
from the worship of weapons…deliver us
from the celebration of killing…deliver us
from the slaughter of the innocent…deliver us
from the nightmare of hunger…deliver us
from the politics of terror…deliver us
from a false peace…deliver us
from relying on weapons…deliver us
from the spiral of armaments…deliver us
from plundering the earth’s resources…deliver us
from the despair of this age…deliver us
from global suicide…deliver us
By the light of the Gospel…give us your peace.
by the good news for the poor…give us your peace.
by your healing and wounds…give us your peace.
by faith in your word…give us your peace.
by a hunger and thirst for justice…give us your peace.
by the coming of your reign…give us your peace.
by the outpouring of the Spirit…give us your peace.
by reconciliation of enemies…give us your peace.
by gentleness and nonviolence…give us your peace.
by the truth that sets us free…give us your peace.
by prophecy and witness…give us your peace.
by persecution because of your name…give us your peace.
by the power of your love…give us your peace.
Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world… have mercy on us.
Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world… have mercy on us.
Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world… grant us your peace.
Almighty God, kindle, we beseech you, in every heart the true love of peace, and guide with your wisdom those who take counsel for the nations of the earth, that in tranquility your dominion may increase till the earth is filled with the knowledge of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Join us at 9:30 a.m. on the second Saturday of each month as we delve deeper into topics important to the faith journey of all Christians. These one-hour discussion groups are informal and everyone is welcome to join us when your schedule permits.
Our current discussion series focuses on C. S. Lewis’ masterwork, Mere Christianity. Discussion topics will include: How do we differentiate right from wrong? Who is God? What is Free Will? How should Christians behave? Why is hope so vital to humans? Why is there a Trinity? What is the cost of being Christian?
One of the most popular and beloved introductions to the concept of faith ever written, Mere Christianity is a collection of scintillating brilliance which remains strikingly fresh for the modern reader, and which confirms C. S. Lewis’s reputation as one of the leading Christian writers and thinkers of our age. The book brings together C. S. Lewis’s legendary radio broadcasts during the World War II years, in which he set out simply to “explain and defend the belief that has been common to nearly all Christians at all times.” Rejecting the boundaries that divide Christianity’s many denominations, Mere Christianity provides an unequalled opportunity for believers and nonbelievers alike to absorb a powerful, rational case for the Christian faith. A forceful and accessible discussion of Christian belief, Mere Christianity is one of the most widely read and discussed introductions to Christianity ever written. Lewis uncovers common ground upon which all Christians can stand together.
Clive Staples Lewis (1898-1963) was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of his day. A close friend and colleague of J. R. R. Tolkien, Lewis was a Fellow and Tutor in English Literature at Oxford University until 1954, when he was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge University, a position he held until his retirement. Lewis wrote more than thirty books, allowing him to reach a vast audience, and his works continue to attract thousands of new readers every year. His most distinguished and popular accomplishments include Mere Christianity, Out of the Silent Planet, The Great Divorce, The Screwtape Letters, and the universally acknowledged classics The Chronicles of Narnia. To date, the Narnia books have sold over one hundred million copies and have been adapted into three major motion pictures.
Join us the fourth Monday of the month for a potluck and bible study as we “Meet God in the Garden” at St. Mary’s. We read and discuss one of the parables of Jesus and reflect on the beauty of creation in our beautiful church gardens. Potluck supper at 6:00 p.m. with discussion to follow. Meeting God in the Garden continues through September. Everyone is welcome!
The Denmark Township Homemakers are hosting a Community meeting to learn more about Sol
ar projects that are being planned for Washington County given Xcel Energy plans to double the amount of electricity it gets from wind and solar in the Upper Midwest.
“Customers certainly want cleaner, greener energy, so we are trying to be responsive,” said Chris Clark, president of Xcel’s Upper Midwest division, as quoted in a January 2015 StarTribune article.
On Tuesday, March 24th, Tena Rytel, Solar Project Manager for Aurora Distributed Solar, will present information about a proposed solar farm in Denmark Township and the growing movement for community solar gardens in Washington County. Aurora is a subsidiary of Geronimo Energy, a Minnesota based developer, that is proposing to construct a 100 megawatt solar farm across approximately 25 locations in Minnesota.
The meeting will be held St. Mary’s Episcopal Church (Afton/Basswood Grove) , 8435 St. Croix Trail South, Denmark Township, at 7:30 pm on March 24th. Come and get your questions answered over a cup of coffee with friends and neighbors. All are welcome
Jim and Linda Wallace (left), Deacon Brenda Hoffman and Gurtie Berkner (right) welcome the Rev. Scott Monson as their new Rector following his induction on June 24, 2014. Fr. Scott had been serving St. Mary’s as Priest-in-Charge since January 2012.
St. Mary’s is celebrating 150 years of ministry!
You are cordially invited to attend the 150th anniversary celebration of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Basswood Grove on Sunday, June 8, 2014.
Holy Eucharist in the Memorial Garden at 10:00 a.m.
Potluck brunch and group photograph following the service.
RSVP: 8435 St. Croix Trails, Hastings, MN 55033
651-459-5668 or 715-262-3941
Everyone is invited!
Pentecost Sunday, May 19, marks the culmination of work by our children born out of faith formation activities led by Sharon Lewandowski and Linda Wallace. Supporting help came from Jim Wallace, Susan Horn, Tom Hitchcock, Nancy Rotramel, Dar Cran, Carolyn Campfield and others. At the 9 am service the children will process in with banners they made over the past eight weeks and show you their artwork inspired by St. Mary’s beautiful windows.
We are grateful to all who have stepped forward to engage with our children this year in a variety of ways. The results are inspiring.
