Shirley DuBois' Requiem Mass - 2:00 pm Saturday, March 5, 2011
As I mentioned in a previous email, our dear Shirley DuBois died this week. She was one of the founding members of our parish and, in fact, was on the search committee that called me to the Verde Valley way back in 1984. Through the years she was a bastion of faith and love to all who knew her, and we will celebrate her Requiem Mass at two o'clock in the afternoon this Saturday, March 5. Her ashes will be put into the Memorial Garden at a later date, no doubt this month or next. Do come and join us as we give thanks to God for Shirley's presence in our midst, and ask that light perpetual shine on her forever more.
Ash Wednesday - March 9, 2011
The Ash Wednesday Mass and Imposition of Ashes will take place at noon. If you are working, take an hour off, and be assured that you will be able to make it back to your employment by 1:15 pm.
Sedona Jazz at the Church Concert - 1:00 pm Sunday, March 13, 2011
That's also the 1st Sunday in Lent, and the concert will take place following the 10am Mass and Coffee hour. Billy Mitchell comes back into our presence, and will be joined by a plethora of gifted musicians. As his concerts always are, the day will be a wonderful afternoon of exceptional music and joy in God's House!
Be sure to secure your tickets early. They can be purchased through the link on our web site. Also, bring a friend with you, if you can. Rest assured, your friend will overflow with thanksgivings to you after the concert! Here's the LINK for the tickets and concert information - and oh, yes, you may get VIP tickets (reserved seating in the 1st two rows) on Sunday morning, if you would rather not secure tickets via the internet.
Live Mass Streamings on the Internet
Live streamings of the 8 am Sunday Masses begin this month. It has taken a bit of time to come online, because what we are doing has not really been done before. Certainly there are churches who stream their Sunday services, but we are going to stream the Mass in High Definition with both visual and audio clarity the likes of which hasn't been accomplished as of this date.
Made possible through a grant from the Jazzbird Foundation of Scottsdale, Arizona, the creator of this fabulous evangelistic endeavor is EAR Professional Audio Video of Phoenix, Arizona. EAR's own John Gibson heads a gifted team of "Techno-Experimentologists" which has been creating the blending of all of the audio and video paraphernalia necessary for this truly unique ministry, and we are coming very close to the day when the camera, microphones and lighting will be installed and we'll begin this new ministry. [Incidentally, we will be using the Video and Audio capabilities for our Jazz at the Church Concerts, also!]
Some final thoughts and thanksgivings for our parish.
As all parishioners know, ours is a unique ministry at Saint Luke's Church. It's always been that way, and will continue to be so in the years to come. We not only exist as a "family of Christians" who live in the Verde Valley, Northern Arizona and Phoenix areas, but we also have innumerable visitors who, while on holiday, find our lovely parish, visit us for a bit of holy time in our courtyard and church, attend Sunday mass, and have the Seeds of the Gospel planted in their hearts.
Then there is our YouTube Ministry, which gives the weekly meditation videos to those who visit the site. A strong evangelistic effort, the videos have had more than 55,000 viewings as of today, and will only expand as time progresses.
The result? God is glorified and people are strengthened, and they carry those experiences with them the rest of their life, no matter where they go and what they must endure.
People know us, then, throughout the world. We have had visitors from every continent, and whether they come to Sedona or find us on the internet, it matters not. What matters is that the Gospel is offered to them all.
And now we are going to stream the liturgy!!
What other "small" church does so much with so few?
If you are geographically close to the church, you belong in the Lord's House on the Lord's Day. If you cannot attend, you can still profit spiritually through the time you give to God, by watching the meditations, reading the Bible daily through the resources available on www.episcopalnet.org, and making your Spiritual Communion on Sundays through the live streamings of the Mass.
Lent is a very good time, indeed, to renew our commitment to God and His church. Will you join me in that endeavor? You'll be glad you did.
See you in His Church!
PAX!
The Rt. Rev. David G. McMannes
