February 23, 2023

Wander the Rooms of Your Heart

As a church family, we are officially in the season of Lent! I have always been a fan of Lent. It feels like a very honest season. Advent is like this as well. Advent reminds us that a lot of life is… waiting. The season builds up our capacity to wait and to put our yearning towards God’s kingdom of love and justice. Lent reminds us that a lot of life is… death. Of course, all of us experience literal deaths of loved ones, but also there are little deaths around us all the time. Deaths of dreams, of expectations, of how we thought life would be. In our tradition, seasons of celebration (like Christmas or Easter) are always preceded by times of preparation (like Advent and Lent). It makes those times of celebration that much more meaningful when we have had devoted time to prepare ourselves first.

The great paradox of Lent is that being reminded of our own mortality is what it means… to live. Pretending like everything is fine and avoiding all difficult emotions is not living at all. Lent invites us to go deep within ourselves and find that God has been there all along.

We do not know how many days we have left, but for today there is breath in our lungs and it is a gift. Allow this season to open you in new ways. Frederick Buechner says that during Lent, “Christians are supposed to ask one way or another what it means to be themselves.” Ask the questions, embrace the ambiguity — find God in all of it.

I will share this poem by Jan Richardson to be a companion for you as we journey together through Lent.

Rend Your Heart
A Blessing for Ash Wednesday

To receive this blessing,
all you have to do
is let your heart break.
Let it crack open.
Let it fall apart
so that you can see
its secret chambers,
the hidden spaces
where you have hesitated
to go.

Your entire life
is here, inscribed whole
upon your heart s walls:
every path taken
or left behind,
every face you turned toward
or turned away,
every word spoken in love
or in rage,
every line of your life
you would prefer to leave
in shadow,
every story that shimmers
with treasures known
and those you have yet
to find.

It could take you days
to wander these rooms.
Forty, at least.

And so let this be
a season for wandering,
for trusting the breaking,
for tracing the rupture
that will return you

to the One who waits,
who watches,
who works within
the rending
to make your heart
whole.

Jan Richardson

I love the image of Lent being a time to wander around in the rooms of your heart to find what might be there. I hope this image is helpful for you as we enter this season!

Blessings to you,
Rev. Janelle

 
 

Word & Table: February 26

Our next Word & Table service will be held this Sunday, February 26 at 5:00 pm in Hadley Hall. Offered once a month, Word & Table is a casual, contemporary, and creative service based on our familiar Episcopal liturgy. Our additional upcoming services will be held on March 19, April 23, and May 21.  

 
 

Parish Weekend Away Planning Committee:
Would You Like to Help?

We are beginning to plan our next Parish Weekend Away. Would you like to join our planning committee? This committee creates the outline for our time together at the Barbara C Harris Camp this coming September 22-24. We plan workshops, worship, outdoor activities, art, fellowship, and more! We need many types of help (from budgeting to hiking to crafting to snacking). If you are interested in helping, please reach out to Bryn. 

Our first planning meeting is Sunday, March 5, from 7:00 - 8:00 pm in the Suter Room. 
 
 

Midweek @ Epiphany: March 1

Our next intergenerational Midweek @ Epiphany is this Wednesday, March 1. Each Midweek begins at 6:15 pm with dinner and fellowship. This coming Midweek is going to be chili night! There will be a vegetarian option, pizza for the kids, and cookies for dessert.

Following dinner, we'll continue our intergenerational Lenten Midweeks mediating on water, baptism, and new life. Around our tables we'll use special materials to experience prayer and water in new ways together. Join us this Wednesday for a meal and brief liturgy as we prepare ourselves for our Lenten journey together! 

 
 

March Birthdays & Anniversaries

Do you have a birthday or anniversary during the month of March that you would like remembered in 3 Crowns and the Sunday bulletin? If so, please send the details to Kathryn in the parish office by Monday, February 27. 

 
 

Faith Forum: Community & Kinship

Every Sunday in March at 11:30 am, Rev. Nick will welcome community guests to join us in exploring what it means for us to live lives with integrity towards God's call for kinship, compassion, and solidarity. Join us in Hadley Hall following the 10:00 am service for conversation and dialogue as we hear from community partners from Boston to Haiti.

 
 

Lenten Evensong: March 5

All are invited to a service of Choral Evensong on Sunday, March 5 at 5:00 pm. Choral Evensong is the most particularly Anglican service in all of Christian worship. Originating from monastic hours, it consists of the distinctive parts of the ancient offices of Vespers and Compline. The Parish Choir offers canticles, prayers, and anthems so that everyone's devotions at the end of the day may be enhanced by music, scripture, and candlelight. 

 
 

Clothing Drive for Malden Warming Center

The Malden Warming Center provides a warm and safe shelter for those experiencing homelessness during the winter months. They are currently on the lookout for these items:

  • Hoodies/Sweatshirts
  • Sweatpants
  • Coats
  • Winter Boots
  • Backpacks
  • Small or Medium Suitcases with wheels
  • Thermal Underwear

Let’s care for our unhoused neighbors! Leave donations in the back of the church in the shopping cart in the Nave until March 5. Rev. Janelle is also gathering a group (18 and older) to be trained to volunteer at the center. If interested, please email her. You can learn more about the Malden Warming Center here

 

Photo courtesy of Malden Warming Center

Lenten Quiet Day: March 18

Sign Up for Lenten Quiet Day

On Saturday, March 18 from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm, join Br. Sean Glenn, a brother from the Society of St. John the Evangelist, who will lead us in a Lenten quiet day at Epiphany around the theme of finding strength and courage amidst the challenges of life. Create some space in yourself, in your day, and during the season of Lent to sense God's nearness.

 

Reception for Haiti:
Introducing Locally Haiti

On Saturday, March 25 at 4:00 pm in Hadley Hall, join Rev. Nick and the Executive Director of Locally Haiti, Wynn Walent, as he visits Boston and introduces the amazing work and innovative approach to sustainable, vibrant, and impactful non-profit work in Haiti. This Episcopal-affiliated and Haitian-led organization focuses on community health, education, agriculture, and girls' empowerment in the community of Petit Trou de Nippes. Come for a festive reception and evening together as we learn about Locally Haiti.

 

Photo courtesy of Locally Haiti

Youth Winter/Spring Calendar

 
 

Help with Fellowship Hour

Sign Up to Help with Fellowship Hour

We are looking forward to fellowship hours on Sundays in February and March, and would greatly appreciate your help! Please click on the button above to contribute a baked good, a gluten-free snack, fresh fruit, or your help with serving and clean-up. 

 
 

This Week's Calendar

Click here to access the complete parish calendar.

Thursday, February 23

5:30pm Men's Group via Zoom 
7:30pm Parish Choir Rehearsal in the Upper Parish Hall 
7:30pm Healing Ministry Team Meeting via Zoom 
9:00pm Compline via Zoom 


Sunday, February 26

8:00am Holy Eucharist: Rite I in the Sanctuary
9:00am Fellowship Hour in Hadley Hall 
9:00am Bible Study in the Suter Room
9:00am Parish Choir Warm-up in the Sanctuary
9:45am Nursery Care Available (Ages 0-3) in the Dewart Room 
10:00am Holy Eucharist: Rite II in the Sanctuary and via YouTube 
10:00am Church School in the Upper Parish Hall and the Suter Room
11:15am Fellowship Hour in Hadley Hall (Sign up to help) 

11:15am Exploring Our Faith (Grades 6-12) in the Garret

12:00pm Vestry Work Day in the Upper Parish Hall 
3:00pm Lenten Book Study in Melrose 
4:00pm Lenten Book Study in Winchester 

5:00pm Word & Table in Hadley Hall 


Monday, February 27

10:00am Lenten Book Group in Belmont
6:00pm AA Meeting in Hadley Hall 
6:30pm Joint Property Committee/Creation Care Call via Zoom
7:30pm Lenten Book Study via Zoom
7:30pm AA Meeting in Hadley Hall 
7:30pm Creation Care & Environmental Justice Group Meeting in the Upper Parish Hall 


Tuesday, February 28

8:00am Holy Eucharist in the Chapel 
8:30am Bible Study in the Suter Room
10:00am Staff Meeting in the Suter Room
6:30pm Lenten Book Study in Lexington 


Wednesday, February 29

1:00pm Lenten Book Study in the Suter Room
5:15pm Choristers Rehearsal in the Upper Parish Hall 

6:15pm Midweek @ Epiphany in Hadley Hall 


Thursday, February 30

5:30pm Lenten Book Study Offered by Men's Group via Zoom 

6:30pm Lenten Book Study in Winchester 

7:30pm Parish Choir Rehearsal in the Upper Parish Hall 
9:00pm Compline via Zoom 

 

For More Information

For pastoral emergencies, please contact Rev. Nick by dialing 781-729-1922 Ext. 5. 
Click to view our Family Newsletter for parents, youth, and children. 
Click to find information on our worship services
Click to learn more if you are new to Epiphany.
Sign-up for online pledge payments here.

 

70 Church Street, Winchester, MA  01890
781-729-1922
www.3crowns.org

A WELCOMING COMMUNITY