Where Faith Comes T o Life! The Newsletter of First Baptist Church Halifax
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Vol. 22 No. 1 February 2012
THE MORE THINGS CHANGE... o doubt you are familiar with the old saying, The more things change, the more they stay the same.
apply should their previous rector be appointed Bishop, as in this case. In spite of many efforts to change minds, the Bishop’s choice prevailed.
The saying came to me as I was reflecting on the situation faced by the original members of our congregation when it was organized on September 30th, 1827, 185 years ago this fall. Surprisingly, there are a number of similarities with the situation faced by First Baptist today.
Although the dispute between First Baptist and the CABC is much broader than the choice of a rector (pastor), one aspect involves the insistence by Convention officials that their authority over a pastor’s ministry takes precedence over that of the congregation. The specific issue is whether or not a pastor can conduct a same-sex marriage. First Baptist follows a non-discrimination policy regarding sexual orientation and the Convention threatens to remove pastors from its list of accredited ministers should they officiate at one. This particular issue is ongoing.
They had left their denominational home after lengthy efforts to resolve differences. The first six members of the Granville Street Baptist Church (our original name) had been active members of St. Paul’s Anglican Church, the oldest Church in what would become Canada. Because of a dispute with the hierarchy of the Church of England over the appointment of a new rector, these six, to be followed later by many others, had decided to leave their denomination to form a new congregation with a Baptist identity. Prior to making their decision, they had worked for three years to find another option, all to no avail. Ironically, 185 years later we find ourselves separating from the Convention of Atlantic Baptist Churches due to a dispute over congregational authority and freedom. Like our forbearers, we object to the unwarranted interference of denominational officials in the life of the congregation by proscribing certain doctrines and policies. Similarly, the process that led to such a difficult decision involved close to six years of intense efforts to resolve our differences with no success. Their dispute involved the appointment of a rector. When Rev. Dr. Inglis resigned St. Paul’s to become Bishop of Nova Scotia, the congregation, following its understanding of the law of the day, decided to recommend the appointment of Dr. Twining. To their astonishment, they learned that Dr. Inglis had already appointed Rev. John Willis, a choice ratified by the King. Apparently, the law allowing St. Paul’s to recommend their own choice for rector did not
They eventually found a new denominational home. At the time of its founding in 1827, the new Granville Street Baptist Church was not part of any organized denominational body even though it had specifically chosen a Baptist identity. As early as 1828 they successfully petitioned the Nova Scotia Baptist Association (one of the founding bodies of the CABC) for membership and became the champions of a new effort in education that led to the establishment of Acadia College in 1838. First Baptist Church Halifax is actively pursuing positive relationships with fellow progressive Baptists in the Atlantic Baptist Fellowship and the Alliance of Baptists. The Church continues to be an active member of the Halifax Region United Baptist Association, a membership first begun in 1827. Like our forebearers in 1827, we desire to be part of a vital and effective denominational body through which we can advance the local, regional, national and global mission of the Church. As we celebrate our 185th Anniversary this year, let us find encouragement and inspiration in the example of those brave six who were baptized on September 30th, 1827, beginning the adventure we continue to live! - Rev. John E. Boyd Page
ATLANTIC BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP
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he annual Friends Luncheon and Vincent Rushton Memorial Lecture sponsored by the Atlantic Baptist Fellowship (atlanticbaptistfellowship.ca) will be held in the Manning Memorial Chapel on Saturday, June 2 at noon. The speakers will be Rex and Rita Deverell. Rex Deverell is a socially engaged playwright born in Toronto, raised in Orillia, now living in Halifax. After graduating from McMaster University, he was a pastor in rural Ontario before writing for the theatre. A prolific playwright, having produced nearly fifty dramatic works - plays for children, musicals, political satires, historical documentaries, and scripts for television and radio, he also holds the Canadian record for longest run as a playwright in residence, 1975-90, at the Globe Theatre in Regina. In 1978 he won the Canadian Authors Award for Boiler Room Suite. Rita Deverell is currently the holder of Nancy's Chair in Women's Studies at Mount St. Vincent University. Her distinguished career has included work as an academic, broadcaster, television producer/ director, journalist, arts administrator and theatre artist. Rita was the first woman to lead a journalism program in Canada in her position as Director of the School of Journalism at the University of Regina in the 1980s. She recently completed her term as head of news and current affairs at the Aboriginal People's Network and was a founding member of Vision TV, the world's first multi-faith and multicultural network. Rita was recognized in 2005 with an Order of Canada for her pioneering work in journalism, and has authored several screenplays for which she also served as producer and director.
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The Luncheon is open to all interested people and you can reserve a ticket by contacting Kim Sweet at kim2@ns.sympatico.ca.
HOLY WEEK AND EASTER SERVICES
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e are continuing the tradition of early morning Holy Week Services among South End Churches. The services begin at 7:30 a.m. followed by a continental style breakfast at 8 a.m. This is the schedule: Monday: Cathedral Church of All Saints Tuesday: St. Andrew’s United Church Wednesday: First Baptist Church Halifax Thursday: Presbyterian Church of St. David We will have our Maundy Thursday Communion and Tenebrae Service at 7 p.m. on April 5th and this year the Good Friday Service will be hosted by St. John’s United Church at the Conservatory on Chebucto Road. The congregations of First Baptist Church, St. Andrew’s United Church, St. Matthew’s United Church, and the Presbyterian Church of St. David will gather there at 10:30 a.m. on April 6th. Easter Sunday will begin with a Sunrise Service at 6:30 a.m. at Point Pleasant Park, jointly sponsored by First Baptist and the Presbyterian Church of Saint David. Our Easter Service of Baptism and Communion will begin at 10:30 a.m.
PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE Deaths: Marion Scott, d. Jan. 24, 2012
MORE IMPORTANT THAN CHRISTMAS Easter is the time of year when all Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ after he was crucified on the cross. It is probably the most celebrated occasion in the Christian calendar. It is even more important than Christmas itself. Easter itself is the culmination of forty days in which time Christians pray, fast and reflect. That time is called Lent. The forty days are said to represent the forty days that Jesus was out in the wilderness alone and where he overcame many temptations of the devil. The week before Easter itself is the Holy Week. Thursday is known as Maundy Thursday and is the day Jesus had the last supper with his disciples then Good Friday is the day Jesus was crucified. As we all know Easter Day is the day in which we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and should not be forgotten when we celebrate Easter. The Christian church was looking for a time to hold a celebration for the resurrection of Christ and changed the pagan celebration of Eostre into their own celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. They also changed the day on which the celebration took place and decreed that the new date was after the first Sunday after the full moon on or after the Vernal Equinox. This also meant that the date changed from year to year and is now celebrated between the 22nd March or in some cases as late as the 25th April. Many centuries before Jesus was resurrected from the cross, civilizations celebrated the coming of spring with grand festivals and rituals so it's no coincidence the Christian church used this time to celebrate Jesus' life and death. But where did the Easter celebration come from? Well we are not quite sure but it's almost certain that it is from one of these events:
birth. The pagans believed she returned to earth each year around what we now call spring time and bestowed light and warmth to the land. To mark the coming of Eostre the pagans laid on huge celebrations in her honor so as not to upset the goddess. Another version is the Jewish Passover with some people believing this Hebrew tradition was the basis of Easter. The Jewish people celebrated around Easter time to herald the freedom of the Israelites from incarceration and slavery. This, along with the resurrection of Christ which happened around the same time as the Jewish Passover contributed to many Jews considering the Passover and Easter being one. It has become a much commercialized event too with the integration of Easter eggs, chocolate and the Easter bunny being at the forefront of the commercialization. The original Easter bunny and eggs originated from pagan times when they associated them with the coming of spring and fertility. The pagans would paint them with bright colors and hang them in trees and bushes and also give them out to family and friends. But it was the Germans who carried on with the tradition, so much so that around the 18th century the first chocolate Easter eggs were created by them. Since then we have seen an explosion of people giving chocolate around Easter time but it should not be forgotten why Easter is important for another reason. No matter how or why we celebrate Easter there is one thing that all Christian's must never forget. We should never forget the reason why the world over people celebrate Easter, and that is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. For that very fact Easter is an important date in the Christian calendar and possibly more important than Christmas itself. May you experience a victorious Easter! Rev. Nelson A. Metcalfe
The word "Easter" could be derived from the pagan word Eostre who was the goddess of fertility and
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UPCOMING MUSIC WITH FBC SR CHOIR
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BC Lenten services will feature one of Pergolesi's most celebrated choral works, the “Stabat Mater Dolorosa”. Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710– 1736) originally wrote his Stabat Mater (1736) for male soprano, male alto, string orchestra and basso continuo. It was commissioned by the Confraternità dei Cavalieri di San Luigi di Palazzo, a group Italian gentlemen, for the annual Good Friday meditation in honor of the Virgin Mary. Stabat Mater Dolorosa is a 13th-century Catholic hymn to Mary. The text has been attributed both to the Franciscan Jocapone da Todi and to Innocent III. The Dolorosa hymn, one of the most powerful and immediate of medieval poems, meditates on the suffering of Mary, Jesus Christ's mother, during his crucifixion. This Dolorosa text has been set to music by many composers, with the most famous settings being those by Palestrina, Pergolesi, Haydn, Rossini, and Dvorak. Our own FBC Senior Choir will present 4 of the 13 movements of Pergolesi's “Stabat Mater Dolorosa” in our Lenten services on Mar. 18th and 25th. The translations of the entire Latin text is as follows: “At the Cross her station keeping, stood the mournful Mother weeping, close to her Son to the last. Through her heart, His sorrow sharing, all His bitter anguish bearing, now at length the sword has passed. O how sad and sore distressed was that Mother, highly blest, of the sole-begotten One. Christ above in torment hangs, she beneath beholds the pangs of her dying glorious Son. Is there one who would not weep, whelmed in miseries so deep, Christ's dear Mother to behold? Can the human heart refrain from partaking in her pain, in that Mother's pain untold? For the sins of His own nation, She saw Jesus wracked with torment, All with scourges rent: She beheld her tender Child,
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Saw Him hang in desolation, Till His spirit forth He sent. O thou Mother! fount of love! Touch my spirit from above, make my heart with thine accord: Make me feel as thou hast felt; make my soul to glow and melt with the love of Christ my Lord. Holy Mother! pierce me through, in my heart each wound renew of my Savior crucified: Let me share with thee His pain, who for all my sins was slain, who for me in torments died. Let me mingle tears with thee, mourning Him who mourned for me, all the days that I may live: By the Cross with thee to stay, there with thee to weep and pray, is all I ask of thee to give. Virgin of all virgins blest!, Listen to my fond request: let me share thy grief divine; Let me, to my latest breath, in my body bear the death of that dying Son of thine. Wounded with His every wound, steep my soul till it hath swooned, in His very Blood away; Be to me, O Virgin, nigh, lest in flames I burn and die, in His awful Judgment Day. Christ, when Thou shalt call me hence, by Thy Mother my defense, by Thy Cross my victory; While my body here decays, may my soul Thy goodness praise, Safe in Paradise with Thee.” Translation by Edward Caswall Lyra Catholica (1849)
Lynette Wahlstrom Director of Music
50 YEARS AGO: LOOKING BACK TO 1962 THE AFRICVILLE PROJECT
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right to vote. Walmart opened its first store. In the Vatican, Pope John XXIII convened the Second Vatican Council to discuss and settle various matters of church doctrine.
he Africville Project had been championed by Jane Gill, Nancy Hagen, Catherine Isnor, and Joan MacKinnon. The congregation decided that this work was so important that they formed the Social Service Committee to take responsibility. L.T. Hancock chaired the first meeting of this new committee.
In future issues: May 2012: New Directions August 2012: Reaching Out November 2012: The Life of the Church Research by Ed Tummers
The founding concept of the committee was to promote action, rather than to take action. Therefore, it was agreed that their efforts would be best channeled through Cornwallis Baptist Church. The Social Services Committee would act as enablers, rather than doers. They worked tirelessly to build awareness of the plight of Africville among responsible authorities and agencies. They persuaded City Recreation to establish a playground at Fort Needham. Catherine Isnor and Nancy Hagen were hired by the City Recreation department to run the program. They convinced City Council to take action to provide better housing. Two clothing drives were organized. Also, clothing was donated to the triplets born to Mr. and Mrs. Upshaw at Cornwallis Baptist Church.
e finished off the year with a busy advent schedule. On a beautiful, sunny, Sunday afternoon in December, the ladies of Victoria Hall gathered for a special Christmas communion service. When they arrived they were greeted by "Men Without Jackets" singing hymns and carols of the season. After the service, the men mingled with the women, who were so grateful and appreciative for the musical accompaniment to the service. Thanks to Brandon Lange for his musical leadership. Special thanks to two of our singers: Nelson Metcalfe for organizing the event and leading the worship; and special thanks to deacon, usher, server, singer and scripture reader John Dalton. As one of the ladies commented after the service: "Thanks so much for sharing this special Christmas time with us again this year. Your singing makes such a difference."
The congregation promoted opportunities for religious education and recreation at First Baptist Church, YMCA and several other locations. The Junior High class shared a meeting with students from Africville. The Guides served meals at the Africville Church Day Camp. Reverend Charles Coleman was called to lead Cornwallis and Seaview Baptist Church. The committee helped the Cornwallis congregation to organize and host a joint Christmas party for over 100 children from the three congregations. Supper was prepared by the Women’s Auxiliaries and served by the CGIT. Santa Claus even made a surprise visit. The Africville children were included in the Christmas program at FBC. Elsewhere in 1962, the UN condemned apartheid in South Africa. In France, women were given the
MEN WITHOUT JACKETS
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With barely time to relax the Men Without Jackets gathered again later that afternoon for the choir photo, rehearsal and then the Annual Christmas by Candlelight Carol Service. We sang a beautiful arrangement of "O Little Town of Bethlehem". Our thanks to Shawn Whynot, who offered again this year to play the organ so that Lynette could direct. We always enjoy singing along with Shawn. And a warm welcome to Tony Marshall who joined us after being recruited to sing the Duinker Magnifacat. Jeremy Dutcher sang Schubert’s "Ave Maria" in his native Maliseet language and then followed that with a beautiful duet with Natasha Sider. Readings by Ed Tummers, John Dalton and Nelson Metcalfe rounded out the men’s participation in the service. Con’t on page 8
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EASTER OFFERING
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ach Year at Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas we challenge ourselves to make three special offerings in addition to our usual offering for these Sundays. Although these offerings are not tied to any specific part of our budget, they are a crucial part of our strategy to meet the challenges of ministry and outreach. The commitments we made at the Annual Meeting on February 26th will challenge all of us to more sacrificial giving this year. What better time to start than with our special Easter offering as we remember the outpouring of God’s love in the Resurrection of Jesus. This year's Easter Offering goal is $2500 and a special envelope is included with your newsletter. Wouldn't be wonderful to exceed this goal as we rise to the challenge of the ministry and mission needs we have committed ourselves to meet this year?
YES, WE’RE STILL COLLECTING SOUP LABELS Barbershop Choruses in the Metro area are still collecting Campbell’s Soup labels as one of their charity projects. The labels are trimmed, packaged and delivered to Landmark East (a school for those with learning disabilities) in Wolfville. In turn, Campbell’s provides the school with computers and other equipment. A receptacle for your labels is located just inside the entrance to the church parlor. Thanks for your help. Nelson Metcalfe for the Atlantic Swells Barbershop Chorus.
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DATES TO WATCH FOR! Sunday,
April 22, 2012—12 noon The Annual 55 + Chowder Luncheon Sponsored by the Community Outreach Committee Saturday, May 12, 2012 Bridge Social Sponsored by the Women`s Auxiliary Saturday, May 19, 2011 9am—12 noon Annual Plant Sale Come one, come all!
ANNUAL YARD SALE The Women’s Auxiliary will once again hold a yard sale on Saturday, April 28, 9am—12 pm. All volunteers are welcome to help set up and price through the week and to assist the day of the sale. Please contact Louise Schurman at 429-2304 or louiseschurman@bellaliant.net. There is always a cup of coffee (and a muffin) on and lunch at the end of the sale. We also need things to sell so as you clean out basements, attics and garages consider donating items. You may bring them to the church the week prior to the sale. Please no TVs or computers.
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This is an Easter Egg Tree for you to colour. It’s also something you can make at home. Ask Mom or Dad for permission and help!
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What has been happening with the used postage stamps you have been donating Here is a letter sent to Ellen Layton that explains it all! Thank you Ellen—good job!
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Con`t from page 5 After the service, we were all invited to a choir Christmas party at the home of Alan and Laurie Cruess. This was one of those rare years when Christmas is celebrated on Sunday and we hold morning worship services. More than a dozen of us "Good Christian Men Rejoiced" together in the "Little Town of Bethlehem", most of us sporting our special Santa neckties. Valentine’s Dinner at the church is always a highlight for us and for the ladies. This year we joined together with Nelson Metcalfe and the barbershop quartet "Crosswind" for some our our favourite love songs. Remember, we call ourselves "Men Without Jackets" because God never said we needed to dress up to sing his praises. We rehearse normally the last Saturday of each month at 10 am. Join us. For further information, contact our Director of Music, Lynette Wahlstrom. Men Without Jackets: Luke Morrison, Bryan Darrell, David Morse, Mac Philips, Ian McKee, Jim Stanley, David Bourque, Alan Manchester, Erick Lee, Joe O’Brien, Brian Ashton, Ken Margeson, Nelson Metcalfe, David Dexter, Paul Henderson, John Dalton, David Gibson, Garnet Colwell, Rex Deverell, Tom Crowell, Alan North, Tony Marshall, Jeremy Dutcher, Gordon Taylor, Kim Davison, Ed Tummers, Dahrl Whitney, Richard MacMichael. Guest Conductor: Brandon Lange. Guest organists, Patrick Salah, Shawn Whynot. LENT 101 By Rev. Penny Ford, Pastor of a small UMC Church in Carrolton, Alabama. From Upperroom.org. Lent is a season of the Christian Year where Christians focus on simple living, prayer, and fasting in order to grow closer to God.
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When is Lent? It's the forty days before Easter. Lent excludes Sundays because every Sunday is like a little Easter. Basically, it's about one-tenth of a year (like a tithe of time). Mardi Gras is the day before Lent, which begins with Ash Wednesday. This year it's from March 9- April 24 (Easter) 2011. Mardi Gras? What does that have to do with JESUS?? Mardi Gras means "Fat Tuesday". It refers to the day before Lent starts. Since Lent always starts on a Wednesday, the day before is always a Tuesday, and it's called "Fat" or "Great" because it's associated with great food and parties. In earlier times, people used Lent as a time of fasting and repentance. Since they didn't want to be tempted by sweets, meat and other distractions in the house, they cleaned out their cabinets. They used up all the sugar and yeast in sweet breads before the Lent season started, and fixed meals with all the meat available. It was a great feast! Through the years Mardi Gras has evolved (in some places) into a pretty wild party with little to do with preparing for the Lenten season of repentance and simplicity. Oh well. But Christians still know it's origin, and hang onto the true Spirit of the season. So the real beginning of Lent is Ash Wednesday? Yes. Ash Wednesday, the day after Mardi Gras, usually begins with a service where we recognize our mortality, repent of our sins, and return to our loving God. We recognize life as a precious gift from God, and re-turn our lives towards Jesus Christ. We may make resolutions and commit to change our lives over the next forty days so that we might be more like Christ. In an Ash Wednesday service, usually a minister or priest marks the sign of the cross on a person's forehead with ashes. Why ashes? In Jewish and Christian history, ashes are a sign of mortality and repentance. Mortality, because when we die, our bodies eventually decompose and we become dust/ dirt/ash/whatever. Repentance, because long ago, when people felt remorse for something they did, they would put ashes on their head and wear "sackcloth" (scratchy clothing) to remind them that sin is pretty uncomfortable and leads to a sort of death of the spirit. This was their way of confessing their sins and asking for forgiveness. Con’t on page 9
Lent 101—con’t from page 8 Where do the ashes come from? On what we now call Palm Sunday, Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem while people waved palms and cheered him on. Less then a week later, Jesus was killed. The palms that were waved in joy became ashes of sorrow. We get ashes for Ash Wednesday by saving the palms from Palm Sunday, burning them, and mixing them with a little water (like tears) or oil. It's symbolic. What do Christians do with ashes? At an Ash Wednesday service, folks are invited to come forward to receive the ashes. The minister will make a small cross on your forehead by smudging the ashes. While the ashes remind us of our mortality and sin, the cross reminds us of Jesus' resurrection (life after death) and forgiveness. It's a powerful, non-verbal way that we can experience God's forgiveness and renewal as we return to Jesus. So what is LENT? At Jesus' baptism the sky split open, the Spirit of God, which looked like a dove, descended and landed on Jesus, and a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, My Beloved, with whom I am pleased." Afterward, as told in Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus was sent into the wilderness by the Spirit. Where he fasted and prayed for 40 days. During his time there he was tempted by Satan and found clarity and strength to resist temptation. Afterwards, he was ready to begin his ministry. (Speculation) Maybe Jesus needed some time with God to sort through the major changes happening in his life. Maybe needed to get away from family, friends and the familiar routine in order to see God (and himself) more clearly. Perhaps he wanted some intentional time with God as he searched for direction and answers like you. Like Jesus, we may need to take some serious time to pray and listen for God. Why "DO" Lent? How do I start? Are you searching for something more? Tired of running in circles, but not really living life with direction, purpose or passion? It's pretty easy to get caught up in the drama of classes, relationships, family, and work. Our lives are filled with distractions that take us away from living a life with Christ. We try to fill the emptiness inside us with mindless TV, meaningless chatter, stimulants, alcohol, too many activities or other irrelevant stuff. We run away from life and from God.
Lent is a great time to "repent" -- to return to God and refocus our lives to be more in line with Jesus. It's a 40 day trial run in changing your lifestyle and letting God change your heart. You might try one of these practices for Lent: FASTING: Some people have been known to go without food for days. But that's not the only way to fast. You can fast by cutting out some of the things in your life that distract you from God. Some Christians use the whole 40 days to fast from candy, TV, soft drinks, cigarettes or meat as a way to purify their bodies and lives. You might skip one meal a day and use that time to pray instead. Or you can give up some activity like worry or reality TV to spend time outside enjoying God’s creation. What do you need to let go of or "fast" from in order to focus on God? What clutters your calendar and life? How can you simplify your life in terms of what you eat, wear or do? SERVICE: Some Christians take something on for Christ. You can collect food for the needy, volunteer once a week to tutor children, or work for reform and justice in your community. You can commit to help a different stranger, co-worker or friend everyday of Lent. Serving others is one way we serve God. PRAYER: Christians also use Lent as a time of intentional prayer. You can pray while you walk, create music or art as a prayer to God, or savor a time of quiet listening. All can be ways of becoming more in tune with God. Christians from many different traditions celebrate Lent. How will you use the time to grow closer to God? Top Ten List: THINGS YOU CAN TRY FOR THE LENTEN SEASON 10. Try an electronic fast. Give up TV, Guitar Hero, texting, tweeting, e-mail and all things electronic for one day every week. (or everyday of Lent!) Use the time to read & pray. 9. Start a prayer rhythm. Say a prayer every time you brush your teeth, hear an ambulance, or check your email. Before you text someone, pray for them. 8. Read one chapter in the Bible each day. (Matthew is a good book to start with. Psalms, too.) 7. Forgive someone who doesn't deserve it (maybe even yourself.) Con’t on page 10 Page
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2012 COMMITTEE AND BOARD CHAIRS The following are the Chairs of the various committees and boards of First Baptist Church, as voted on at the Annual Business meeting, Sunday, February 26, 2012. Board of Deacons Board of Trustees Board of Management Board of Christian Education Sunday School Superintendent Finance Committee Investment Committee Property Maintenance Music Committee Community Outreach Refugee Committee Tellers Committee Co-Chair Co-Chair Planned Giving Nominating Committee Board of Ushers Co-Chair Co-Chair Flower Committee Visitation Committee Archivist Church Clerk Auxiliary President
Lee Nicholas-Pattillo Naomi Mensink Joe O`Brien Paul Henderson (to June) Cynthia Thomson (July on) Erick Lee Bill MacInnis Ian McKee Bryan Darrell Laurie Cruess Gwendolyn MacLean Elinor Nicoll Bill Ferguson Frank McGill Larry Doane David Morse Steven Dexter David Gibson Johanne McKee David Bourque Louise Schurman Louise Schurman Joanne Stonehouse
443-9784 402-1772 422-9859 835-7952 422-5534 423-1291 422-6238 477-3112 422-7884 423-8466 425-6959 445-5761 456-5619 457-2229 477-7761 820-2312 222-2399 454-0503 477-3112 479-0708 429-2304 429-2304 435-4724
Lent 101—con’t from page 9 6. Give up soft drinks, fast food, tea or coffee. Give the money you save to help folks in Haiti or others in crisis. 5. Create a daily quiet time. Spend 30 minutes a day in silence and prayer. 4. Cultivate a life of gratitude. Write someone a thank you letter each week and be aware of how many people have helped you along the way. 3. Be kind to someone each day. 2. Pray for others you see as you walk to and from classes or drive to and from work. 1. Volunteer one hour or more each week with a local shelter, tutoring program, nursing home, prison ministry or a Habitat for Humanity project.
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Worship at First Baptist March 2012—May 2012
March 4: Lent 2 Genesis 17:1-7,15-16; Ps.22:23-31 Rom. 4:13-25; Mark 8:31-38 Are You Crazy, God? - Rev. John E. Boyd Music: Children’s Choirs, Copland, Rutter March 11: Lent 3 Exodus 20:1-17; Psalm 19 1 Corinthians 1:18-25; John 2:13-22 Why Was Jesus Angry? - Rev. John E. Boyd Music: Tallis, Byrd March 18: Lent 4 Numbers 21:4-9; Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22 Ephesians 2:1-10; John 3:14-21 Look and Live! - Rev. Renée Clark Music: Pergolesi March 25: Lent 5 Jeremiah 31:31-34; Psalm 51:1-12 Hebrews 5:5-10; John 12:20-33 Bigots Need Not Apply - Rev. John E. Boyd Music: Pergolesi April 1: Palm/Passion Sunday; Communion Mark 11:1-11; Philippians 2:5-11 Mark 14:1-15:47 (selected verses) The Heart of the Story - Rev. John E. Boyd Music: Gibbons, Handel, Fauré Holy Week Services; 7:30 a.m. April 2: Cathedral Church of All Saints April 3: St. Andrew’s United Church April 4: First Baptist Church Halifax April 5: Presbyterian Church of St. David April 5: Maundy Thursday; 7 p.m. Communion and Tenebrae Service Music: Fleming, Soloist—Breanna Miller April 6: Good Friday, 10:30 a.m. Joint Service with First Baptist, St. Andrew's United, and Presbyterian Church of St. David at St. John's United Music: Combined Choir April 8: Easter Sunrise Service, 6:42 a.m. Joint Service with Presbyterian Church of St. David Location: Point Pleasant Park, Black Rock Beach area
April 8: Easter Sunday; Baptism and Communion Acts 10:34-43; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 Mark 16:1-8 Why Death Doesn’t Win - Rev. John E. Boyd Music: Vaughan-Williams, (five Mystical songs), soloists, choir and trombone quartet April 15: Easter 2 Acts 4:32-35; Psalm 133 1 John 1:1-2:2; John 20:19-31 Heart and Soul - Rev. Renee Clark Music: Thompson, Roberts April 22: Easter 3 Acts 3:12-19; Psalm 4 1 John 3:1-7; Luke 24:36b-48 The Trajectory of Peace - Rev. John E. Boyd Music: Stabback April 29: Easter 4 Acts 4:5-12; Psalm 23 1 John 3:16-24; John 10:11-18 Boldness from God - Rev. John E. Boyd Music: Hatch May 6: Easter 5; Communion Acts 8:26-40 ; Psalm 22:25-31 1 John 4:7-21 ; John 15:1-8 Where Do You Live? - Rev. John E. Boyd Music: Daley (Missa Brevis) May 13: Easter 6; Mothers’ Day Acts 10:44-48; Psalm 98 1 John 5:1-6; John 15:9-17 Friends of God's Choosing - Rev. John E. Boyd Music: Duruflé, Rorem May 20: Easter 7; Ascension Sunday Acts 1:1-11; Psalm 47 Ephesians 1:15-23; Luke 24:44-53 The Up and Coming Christ - Rev. Nelson Metcalfe Music: Bach, Bissell May 27: Pentecost Sunday; Communion Ezekiel 37:1-14 ; Acts 2:1-21 John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 A Celebration of Spirit - Rev. John E. Boyd Music: Tallis
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