Holy Comforter E-Messenger for Sunday,
March 24, 2024
Upcoming Events
Articles of Interest
Worship
Ministry Offerings
Social Media
Holy Week 2024 - March 24-31
Hearts Afire Storytelling Series - March 23
Hearts Afire Storytelling Series
Award winning storyteller Mark Binder
MC: Gayle Turner
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
This link directs you to the tickets page.
Hope to see you there!
Walking to Santiago - April 7
Join us on Sunday April 7th as we give Bonnie Weber-Lehman and David Lehman our prayers and send them off to hike the Camino de Santiago (The Way of Saint James) from St-Jean-Pied-de-Port in southern France across northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela. Bonnie's article on it is in the April Messenger.
Airswimming to be Directed at RTP by Melissa Rayford - Starting April 12
Richmond Triangle Players will be presenting the play, Airswimming, directed by Melissa Rayford. Melissa is the daughter of Julie Edwards. The show runs from April 12-May 4. Link for purchasing tickets: https://rtriangle.org/
Set in 1920's England, Airswimming is based on the true story of two women who have been incarcerated in a hospital for the "criminally insane" for having borne illegitimate children. Forgotten by their families and not released until the 1970's, Dora and Persephone adopt alter-egos, Dorph and Porph, to enact their fantasies and survive the silence of incarceration. By turns very funny and moving, Airswimming reminds us of the forgotten women of these generations in both Britain and Ireland.
Julie Edwards (Proud Mama)
Sacramental Citizenship Retreat - April 12-14
Dear friends,
I write to share information about an upcoming event at Roslyn Retreat Center. From April 12-14 I will host Sacramental Citizenship, a retreat designed for those seeking to engage faithfully in the 2024 election year. Using the baptismal covenant as our framework, retreatants will consider Christian citizenship from theological, ethical, and experiential perspectives. As we engage thoughtfully with hot-button issues, participants will be challenged to begin building their own faith-informed moral framework for engaging in politics at local and national levels.
If this is something members of your community might be interested in, please feel free to share both the above description and this link to more information: https://www.ststephensrva.org/reflect-learn/sacramental-citizenship/
The registration link is here, and also at the webpage link above: https://form.jotform.com/240446782776064
Thank you for your consideration and for sharing with your communities as appropriate! f I can answer any questions, please do not hesitate to be in touch.
All best,
Cate
The Rev. Cate Anthony | she/her
Associate Rector | St. Stephen's Episcopal Church
6000 Grove Avenue, Richmond VA 23226
April Is The Last Monthly Messenger
George Collier is retiring as the graphics layout artist for the monthly Messenger. April will be the last monthly Messenger unless or until we find a new layout artist. The short weekly eMessenger done by Chris Hall continues.
George has been composing (newspaper speak) or laying out the monthly newsletter since 2015. He loaded it with images and gave it a professional appearance.
If you have experience laying out newsletters, magazines, or professional publications, we would love to have you take over the laying out of the monthly Messenger. Contact me at editor@hoco.org or our Rector, Hilary Smith.
Bruce MacAlister, Editor
Good Foods Grocery Gets People With Autism Workforce Ready
Music Ministry Director Jim Bennett writes "This longtime Richmond natural foods grocer was a place I often shopped. I came across this story today and thought it might be of interest to some in the HoCo community."
Thanks, Jim!
Connection Time This Week
Connection Time will hosted this week by Tracy Councill and Don Ellison. Thank you so much for volunteering!
Do you enjoy gathering with your fellow parishioners after church? Maybe sharing a quick bite and a cup of coffee? Please consider going to https://bit.ly/hoco_connections and signing up to host on a future Sunday. No experience is necessary - if you need help hosting for the first time, just note that in your signup. Thanks!
Welcome to the Church of the Holy Comforter (HoCo)! Here is Some General Information
Join us at church on Sundays at 10:00 am for a service of the Holy Eucharist. We often use prayers from Enriching our Worship, which offers expansive images of God. We live stream our Sunday morning service on FaceBook and post it to be seen at your convenience on FaceBook and YouTube.
Parish office hours are Mondays through Thursdays, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm but do vary. Contact Vera Limn, our office assistant, to confirm the hours if you plan to visit the office. Email Vera by using office@hoco.org or call 804-355-3251.
If you have a pastoral emergency, at any time of day, call our Rector, Hilary, or Deacon Joe (their numbers can be found in the parish directory). Hilary's email is hbshococlergy@gmail.com and Joe's email is Deacon@hoco.org. If you would like to schedule an appointment to talk with Hilary, Joe, or another member of our parish clergy, please email or call to schedule a time.
If you would like to make a financial offering, you may use online giving or US Mail. Thank you for supporting God's ministry to our local community and beyond through HoCo.
This Week's Worship Bulletin
Metro Richmond at Prayer (Richmond Hill Cycle of Prayer)
We pray for the Spirit of the Resurrection in Metropolitan Richmond: For a spirit of justice, righteousness, equality, and mutual benefit.
Evangelism Resources
Please enjoy these evangelism resources from the Episcopal Church, and these cards that may be useful for prayer and thinking about how to share your faith.
Sunday Morning Adult Class
The Sunday Morning Class continues its current curriculum The History of Christianity II: From the Reformation to the Modern Megachurch. The presenter is Dr. Molly Worthen, associate professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a freelance journalist. The primary focus of this 36-lecture DVD-based course is to place Christianity in its historical context as it transforms from a relatively homogenous entity at the end of the Middle Ages into the diverse global religion of today. Presentations explore the basic ideas (and paradoxes) of Christian theology; see how these ideas are embedded in real life; introduce some of history's most fascinating characters; and see how secular modernity and globalization have transformed Christianity. We will conclude this curriculum on Sunday, June 23rd.
Monday Evening Classes on Hiatus
The Monday Evening Class will resume via Zoom on Monday, April 8th with its current curriculum The Fall of the Pagans and the Origins of Medieval Christianity with Dr. Kenneth W. Harl, Professor of Classical and Byzantine History at Tulane University. The course scope: "The conversion of the classical world to Christianity is one of the fundamental changes in Western civilization that has been matched only by the discovery of the New Word and the industrial revolution... This course will explain the reasons for the clash between the pagans ('worshippers of the ancestral gods') and the early Christians that ended in the Christianizing of the Roman world between the 4th and 6th centuries A. D." We will conclude this 24-part series on Monday June 10th.
Lectionary Study
Join us on Zoom, at 4 pm, on Thursdays. The Zoom link is found on our website, hoco.org. We consider the biblical readings for the coming Sunday. Our rector, Hilary, leads this time of reflection and discussion. This is a great way to prepare for Sunday! We will be on break for Holy Week and Easter Week, March 28 and April 4.
April Book Group
Following our March book group's deep dive into Russell Shorto's history of the Dutch settlement in New York, we will switch gears with our April selection to The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb. We will meet on April 16th (3rd Tuesday) at 7:00pm via Zoom. Contact is Peggy Hombs.
Here's brief description: Ray McMillian is a Black classical musician on the rise-undeterred by the pressure and prejudice of the classical music world-when a shocking theft sends him on a desperate quest to recover his great-great-grandfather's heirloom violin on the eve of the most prestigious musical competition in the world.
Growing up Black in rural North Carolina, Ray McMillian's life is already mapped out. But Ray has a gift and a dream-he's determined to become a world-class professional violinist, and nothing will stand in his way. Not his mother, who wants him to stop making such a racket; not the fact that he can't afford a violin suitable to his talents; not even the racism inherent in the world of classical music.
When he discovers that his beat-up, family fiddle is actually a priceless Stradivarius, all his dreams suddenly seem within reach, and together, Ray and his violin take the world by storm. But on the eve of the renowned and cutthroat Tchaikovsky Competition-the Olympics of classical music-the violin is stolen, a ransom note for five million dollars left in its place. Without it, Ray feels like he's lost a piece of himself. As the competition approaches, Ray must not only reclaim his precious violin, but prove to himself-and the world-that no matter the outcome, there has always been a truly great musician within him.
Tuesday Morning Book Group
Tuesdays at 11:00 am. We are discussing Brian C. Taylor's book, Becoming Human: The Core Teachings of Jesus.
We will NOT meet during Holy Week (March 26) and Easter Week (April 2). When we meet again on April 9, we will begin discussing the book, Ladder to the Light, by Bp. Steven Charleston.
The Current Messenger
