“The Nicene Creed–Unplugged” Begins Wednesday

Angry SantaThis Wednesday, June 4th, Church of the Messiah will begin the first of its Summer Teaching Series starting with The Nicene Creed–Unplugged.  Fr. Scott Melanson will be introducing this new six-week series explaining, line by line, why Christians profess what we do in the Nicene Creed and why it is so important!  We have all affirmed the Nicene Creed practically every Sunday we have been at Church of the Messiah, but we have never taught the Scriptural foundations of what the Creed means.  This Bible study promises to transform the way you think about a part of our service we celebrate every Sunday.  Plus, Fr. Melanson promises to explain what in the world can make Santa Claus so angry that he would punch someone in the face!

The Nicene Creed–Unplugged is part of Church of the Messiah’s regular Wednesday night service, beginning at seven o’clock and including a time of praise & worship and intercessory prayer.  Our Youth Group will be continuing their exploration of Not a Fan: the Teen Edition and childcare through 5th grade is provided.  The service ends by 8:30 so that everyone can be home in time to prepare for work and school the next day.  Make plans to be at Church of the Messiah on Wednesday night!

An Amazing Weekend at Church of the Messiah

Saturday and Sunday are shaping up to be one of the most exciting weekends we have had in a long time at Church of the Messiah.fish-fry3

On Saturday, we will have our annual community Fish Fry!  Beginning at 11:30, Earl Shimp and his highly trained crew of sous chefs will be frying up some of the very best local fish the First Coast has to offer.  Bring either a side dish or a dessert to share and Church of the Messiah will provide the fish, tartar sauce, and appropriate goodies!  Janice Paysinger is coordinating this event and can use some help.  You can e-mail her or call her directly at 904-703-9866.  The Fish Fry will run from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm and will be in Showalter Hall, the fellowship hall of Ft. Caroline Presbyterian Church, the same location where we had our Epiphany Dinner.  We will also be joined this year by the bishop of Florida, Bp. David Simpson.

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Then, on Sunday morning, we will have one of the most powerful services of the Summer!  Bishop Simpson will join us on his annual episcopal visit to consecrate and dedicate our new building, preach the anointed word of God, Confirm two new members, and celebrate the Holy Eucharist with us!  Although we have been in our building for close to nine months now, we have yet to have an opportunity for our bishop to come and formally set apart the place to the glory of God and impart an apostolic blessing upon it.  Similarly, the Sacrament of Confirmation is a convergence sacrament wherein the recipients make a mature profession of their faith, receive an impartation of the Holy Spirit, and receive the Bishop’s blessing to minister in the Church.  This will be a very exciting service for everyone involved.  The service begins at 10 o’clock and will begin in the hallway of the church so that we may process in together and begin the process of dedicating the consecrating the building together!

Fifty Days of Glory Continues Wednesday Night

Fifty DaysThis Wednesday, April 30th, Church of the Messiah’s Easter Bible study continues.  We are studying Fifty Days of Glory by Canon Mark Pearson, a CEC priest from New Hampshire.  The first week was very powerful and the second week promised to be even more impressive!  We will be discussing chapters 2 & 3 which cover “The Road to Emmaus” narrative in St. Luke 24:13-35.  Reading along in the book is not mandatory and if you are unable to do so, you are still invited to participate in the Bible study.

As part of our regular Wednesday night service, the night begins with praise and worship and concludes with a time of intercessory prayer.  Our Youth Group stay with us for praise and worship and then depart for their own, separate time of study.  The Youth Group is currently studying the Teen Edition of Not A Fan, by Kyle Idleman.  Childcare is provided for children younger than 6th grade.  We look forward to seeing you every Wednesday night at Church of the Messiah.

Pray for Fr. Lon & Dru Pardee

Lon & DruFr. Lon and Dru Pardee are each leading a Kairos Weekend right now and need the prayers support of their church family and friends.  Kairos is a three-day spriritual retreat along the lines of Cursillo or Tres Arroyos and custom tailored for those who are imprisoned.  Fr. Lon and Dru are both serving as rector and rectora of their weekends (although they do not use those titles).  Fr. Lon is leading his weekend at Union Correctional Institution in Raiford, FL, while Dru is leading her weekend at Lowell Correctional Institution near Ocala.  Please keep both the Pardees in prayer this entire weekend.  They will both return Sunday afternoon.

Good Friday Service Begins Today at Noon

good_friday_009Today at noon we begin one the most eagerly anticipated services of the year.  Every year on Good Friday Service from noon until 3 o’clock, Church of the Messiah commemorates the three hours Our Lord Jesus Christ spent on His cross suffering for our sins.  This special service includes a reading of the Passion Gospel and Solemn Collects, special dance offerings, meditations by both lay and clerical speakers, veneration of the Cross, and Communion from the Reserved Sacrament.  This service is structured so that, if needs be, someone may come or go throughout the service based on their availability.  You can stay for the entire service of just come in for some prayer time on your lunch hour.  Childcare is provided throughout the entire service.  We look forward to seeing everyone there for this unique event in the Church Year!

Tonight is Maundy Thursday!

Maundy ThursdayTonight, beginning at 7 o’clock, we commemorate one of the holiest nights of the Church year, Maundy Thursday.  Every Sunday we celebrate that “the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”  In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” (I Corinthians 11:23-25)  Maundy Thursday is the night on which we celebrate Our Lord’s Institution of the Holy Eucharist are remember the events of the Last Supper.  But tonight it not just a night to remember the Lord’s Supper, we recall all the events that went along with that momentous meal: Jesus washing the feet of the Disciples, Our Lord’s teachings that night, and Judas’ betrayal of Our Lord into the hands of sinful men.  It is a powerful service and one of the most moving worship times of the entire year.  We invite everyone to attend and to invite your friends to join you for this special once-a-year service.

Order Fifty Days of Glory by Wednesday

Fifty DaysAs we announced Palm Sunday, Our Easter Bible Study will be based on Fifty Days of Glory by Canon Mark Pearson.  In order to get the special rate, you need to contact Janice Paysinger at 904-721-4199 by Wednesday!  The cost of each book is $16.99.   Ordering as a group allows us to get a group rate and give 100% of the proceeds to Fr. Pearson (as opposed to ordering online–which you can do if you miss the deadline–where Fr. Pearson only gets 20-30%).  Be sure to call or e-mail Janice right away so you can get your book for next week.  The Fifty Days of Glory Bible study begins Wednesday April 23 and runs through May 19!

“The Devil’s Playbook” Concludes This Wednesday!

The Devil's Playbook AdvertChurch of the Messiah’s Lenten Bible study series will conclude this Wednesday, April 9th, at 7 o’clock.  Having spent the last four weeks reading and discussing The Screwtape Letters, we will wrap up our study by focusing on Letters XXV-XXXI.  Here’s a spoiler:  The patient actually dies in the last letter!  Join us Wednesday night and see if the patient makes it to Heaven or Wormwood has his way with him for the rest of Eternity.  We will also be addressing the topics of “unselfishness,” cowardice, what is “real,” and more.  Be sure to be there as we conclude what has already been a life-changing study.

As with all of our Wednesday night Bible studies, the service begins at 7 o’clock with a time of praise and worship.  We end with intercessory prayer and dismiss by 8:30 so that everyone has time to return home and prepare for work and school the next day.  Childcare is provided and Church of the Messiah’s Youth Group meets at this time as well.  We look forward to seeing you there!

“The Devil’s Playbook” Continues Tonight!

The Devil's Playbook AdvertPride, Gluttony, and Lust, are all on the agenda tonight as we continue with week 3 of “A Peek Inside the Devil’s Playbook”: A Lenten Bible Study Based on The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis.  Wednesday night, March 26, beginning at 7 o’clock, we will discuss letters XIII – XVIII of The Screwtape Letters and address three of the Seven Deadly Sins!  This has been an exciting Bible study and many participants have commented how much the weekly sessions have impacted their daily lives.  Join Church of the Messiah tonight and see what everyone is talking about!  You need not have read the book to participate in the Bible study, but, if you have missed any of the sessions, you can view the previous weeks’ presentations and listen to the audio by going to the Wednesday Night Bible Study tab of our Sermon Library and downloading them or listening on-line.

As part of our regular Wednesday night services, the service begins with a powerful time of praise and worship, and concludes with a time of intercessory prayer.  Childcare is provided during the service and youth are participating in the Bible study with the adults.  The service dismisses by 8:30 so everyone has plenty of time to make it home in time to get ready for work and school the next day.  Invite your friends!  We look forward to seeing everyone tonight!

The Devil’s Playbook Opens Wednesday Night!

The Devil's Playbook AdvertThis Wednesday night, March 12, Fr. Looker will begin Church of the Messiah’s new teaching series, “A Peek Inside the Devil’s Playbook”: A Lenten Bible Study Based on The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis.  Each week, Fr. Looker will discuss six of the thirty-one letters the veteran demon Screwtape wrote to his novice tempter nephew Wormwood on how to better damn souls to Hell in the C. S. Lewis masterpiece of Christian spirituality.  By looking at the advice devil’s give on how to lure souls into damnation, Christians can compare that advice to Holy Scripture and see how to avoid the pitfalls altogether.  While a copy of The Screwtape Letters will enhance your experience, it is by no means required to participated in the Bible study and we encourage everyone to attend whether they have a copy or have read the letters for the week or not.

As part of Church of the Messiah’s regular Wednesday night service, the evening will begin with a time of praise and worship, followed by the Bible Study, and will conclude with a time of intercessory prayer.  Childcare is provided during our mid-week services.  We are always mindful to end the services before 8:30 so that everyone can be home in time to prepare for work and school the following day.  Be sure to make Wednesday nights at Church of the Messiah part of your Lenten discipline for the next five weeks and we will see you on Wednesday nights!