Month: March 2009

Lent 5 March 29, 2009

Jeremiah 31:31-34Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â

Hebrews 5:5-10Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â

John 12:20-33

Â Â

Each of us here this morning has something we must give up, surrender, sacrifice, in order that we might truly live. Itâ€™s something very precious to you, something youâ€™ve held onto fiercely in your deepest soul, for years, maybe all your life. And you donâ€™t want to let go of it. But you must, if you are to be truly free and whole and alive in Jesus Christ.

Tags cross, crucifixion, glory, God, Palm Sunday, sacrifice

People

Meet David Roy

Post author By vicar
Post date March 28, 2009

I guess I would have to be called a cradle Roman Catholic. I came from a family where it was “you better be to church 15 minutes early,” “you better have all the prayers memorized,” and “you better not sneeze or cough while the priest is talking.” As I grew older, church kind of phased out of my life because I already knew all the readings and sermons but it just didnâ€™t seem like it related to me.

Tags David Roy, People

People

Meet Joe Harrington

Post author By vicar
Post date March 28, 2009

I want to say something about the importance of Holy Cross, not just what it is, but what it stands for. I donâ€™t think a person can really live a moral life without hoping that God loves us enough to die for us and wants us to love each other the same way. The only way we can show that we want to live up to that idea together is by attending the Holy Communion and symbolizing that we want to be united in Jesusâ€™s sacrifice. Everybody in the world should be doing that together. I think thatâ€™s what Holy Cross stands for.

Tags Joe Harrington, People

People

Meet Will and Phyllis Townsend

Post author By vicar
Post date March 28, 2009

In the four years we have lived in Weare, Holy Cross has become â€œhomeâ€ to us. Things we relish about Holy Cross include:

Â· The way people have opened their hearts and homes to us.

Â· The fact that worship is taken seriously; it is never just â€œmatter of course.â€ We particularly relish the wonderful music in our worship services

Â· The importance given to the authority of the Bible, striving to understand and interpret its whole message, in contrast to narrow line-by-line or â€œliteralâ€ interpretation.

Â· Father Johnâ€™s stress on Christian Life as a â€œpathway to God.â€

Â· Emphasis upon the one-ness of love-for-God and love-for-neighbors (that is, all of humanity). We appreciate Father Johnâ€™s phraseology that â€œLove for God and love for our neighbors are inextricably intertwined.

Â· The fact that, by choice, Holy Cross is a vital part of the Weare community.

Â· The acceptance of diversity of liturgical practices, such as sitting, standing, kneeling for prayers, diversity of opinions, such as around the issue of sexuality.

We are happy that Holy Cross is â€œhomeâ€ to us!

Tags People, Phyllis Townsend, Will Townsend

People

Meet Fr. Harold Beliveau

Post author By vicar
Post date March 28, 2009

My wife Kathleen and I became acquainted with Holy Cross some 15 years ago when we supported the effort of St. Paulâ€™s, Concord, that had an extended and helpful ministry at Holy Cross. We were impressed by the worship and work of the clergy and people at that time.

Numerous events changed the direction of the Weare congregation and we lessened our attendance. However, we heard that a new priest and his wife with interesting backgrounds had been called and accepted the challenge of raising up a faltering missionary congregation.

Tags Harold Beliveau, People

People

Meet Bobbi-Jo Plamondon

Post author By vicar
Post date March 28, 2009

I have been coming to Holy Cross since I was a little girl. I was one of the very first female acolytes, in the old church which is now the atriums. I’m a single mom with two little boys, RyanÂ and Wyatt.Â I have lived in Weare most of my life, aside from a few years in North Carolina in my early 20â€™s.Â

I actually found my way back to Holy Cross during my pregnancy with Ryan. I will say it is so exciting to be in our new building. To be able to provide a community space for so many groups in town is wonderful. I think back to how many changes we have had over the years, but the closeness you feel here never changes.

I love the atrium and nursery program we have. It is so different than what I experienced. I think my children will remember more with the program we have here now. I love it here, and Iâ€™m proud to be a part of all we try to do for the community and beyond.

Tags Bobbi-Jo Plamondon, People

People

Meet Laura Arvin

Post author By vicar
Post date March 28, 2009

I came to Holy Cross, a little more thanÂ eight years ago. When I called to find about service times, I got the answering machine. The message, offered by Fr. John, spoke of a small congregation with lots of young families with children. Right down my alleyâ€”I had a 5-year-old and an 18-mo.-old. I was shopping for a church home after having moved to New Boston recently. I was starting with Episcopal churchesâ€”I had grown up in one.

Well, my shopping trip didn’t last longâ€”I came to Holy Cross that Sunday and never left.

Tags Laura Arvin, People

Worship

About Worship at Holy Cross

Post author By vicar
Post date March 27, 2009

Seasons of the Christian Year (here Advent) are observed in worship.

The Episcopal Church is a liturgical church, which means that at the heart of our life is our Sunday worship. Each Sunday we celebrate the Holy Eucharist, the original and most ancient form of Christian worship, instituted by Jesus himself. In the Eucharist we don’t just “say,” we “do.” This service is also called Communion or Mass.Â Our worship is drawn from the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, often called the most beautiful liturgy in the English language.Â You’ll find that Episcopalians value beauty in worship, and the kind of structure which allows all worshipers to feel at ease and participate.Â Weekly bulletins help you find your way.

Tags Communion, Eucharist, Mass, Worship

Believing and Belonging Worship

Joining in Communion at Holy Cross

Post author By vicar
Post date March 27, 2009

Of all the anxieties that visitors and newcomers to a church experience, “Can I receive Communion?” is probably right there at the top. There’s a fear that if one joins the congregation in coming forward at Communion time and one shouldn’t . . . an alarm will go off, God will hurl down a lightening bolt, or the priest will publicly humiliate you.

Well, none of those things will happen at Holy Cross! If a visitor comes to receive the Sacrament, she or he will receive it. At the same time, we do follow a simple rule, which is the requirement for receiving Communion in the whole Episcopal Church. That is, you should be baptized.

Tags baptism, Communion

Sermons

Lent 4 March 22, 2009

Numbers 21:4-9Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â

Ephesians 2:1-10Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â

John 3:14-21

I was more than a little surprised when Bishop Robinson said yesterday, speaking at the annual diocesan stewardship institute, that the Old Testament reading for today was exactly meant for us, at this moment of economic crisis in the world. The bronze serpent, I thought to myself? Iâ€™d been wondering how I was going to explain this bit of weirdness to my congregation.

Tags Exodus, God, promised land, trust, wilderness