As was announced two weeks ago, this Sunday, Palm Sunday, we will begin using a new (to us) response to “The Lord be with you.”  Now, since Church of the Messiah has been using “And also with you” for as long as there has been a Church of the Messiah, and many of us have used it for years, if not decades, before that, a little bit of explanation is reasonable.  The explanation of the change is two-fold.

First, at a recent conference Fr. David attended, Archbishop Craig Bates, the Patriarch of the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church said, “Change it.”  Since all of your priests and deacons have taken vows of obedience to their bishops, that just about settles it on our end.

Secondly, for those who have not taken vows of obedience, the fact is that the new response of “and with your spirit” is an infinitely better translation than what we are using now.  In the 4th century, when St. Jerome first translated the Bible into Latin, the phrase “Dominus Vobiscum” appeared in Ruth 2:4 and II Chronicles 15:2.  The phrase was picked up and included in the Latin liturgies along with its response, “Et cum spiritu tuo,” which, of course, spread throughout all of Europe.

In the very first Book of Common Prayer ever was written in 1549, English scholars and priests very accurately translated the response as “And with thy spirit.”  The translation is simple, clean, and straightforward.  That usage continue in the Anglican and Episcopal Churches for 430 years!  It is still in use today in the Rite 1 or traditional language of the current (1979) Book of Common Prayer.

In 1963, when the Roman-Catholics convened the Second Vatican Council, known as Vatican II, one of their decisions was to update their liturgies by translating them into the language of the people.  That is when the Latin Mass fell out of common usage.  In order to do so, they established a body called The International Commission on English in the Liturgy or ICEL.  When ICEL translated the liturgy into English, they decided “Et (and) cum (with) spiritu (spirit) tuo (your)” should be rendered “And also with you.”  They believed, I assume, that their translation captured the spirit of the phrase better than a direct translation.

Sixteen years later, when the Episcopal Church in America revised the Book of Common Prayer, the editors of the new prayer book decided they would follow the Roman-Catholic usage.  Episcopalians in America have been using “And also with you” ever since 1979.

Starting with the First Sunday of Advent in 2011, the Roman-Catholics revised their liturgy again in order to render the translation more faithful to the original.  The correction has spread and is finding wider usage.

In essence, we have been doing a poor translation for as long as we have been doing it and this Sunday, along with a large portion of the broader Church Catholic, we will start translating the line more faithfully.

Or, we are doing it because the Patriarch told us to do so.  Take whichever explanation works for you.

Dear Friends of Bishop John Holloway.

As you may know, it will be six years this coming June since Bishop Holloway suffered a debilitating stroke. Bishop John was the first bishop of what was then the Missionary Diocese of Georgia, then the Diocese of Georgia, and eventually, the Diocese of the Mid-South. He is now Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of the Mid-South.

He will have a birthday on March 18. He will be 59. If you would like to send a card (which would lift his spirits greatly), his address is:

Bishop John Holloway, 107 McEthel Drive, Griffin, GA 30224

Thank you in advance for your thoughtfulness.

.

Wednesday, February 13, is Ash Wednesday.  Church of the Messiah will be celebrating Ash Wednesday at 7pm in the Sam R. Marks Chapel at Jacksonville University.  The service will include the Litany of Penitence, Imposition of Ashes, and Holy Eucharist.

Ash Wednesday is the traditional start of the season of Lent, the forty days of prayer and fasting which both commemorates Our Lord’s forty days in the wilderness and helps Christians prepare for the celebration of the Resurrection of Our Lord on Easter.  Ash Wednesday is an especially beneficial way to begin Lent for a number of reasons.  First, the Litany of Penitence reminds us how “we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”  (Romans 3:23)  Second, the Imposition of Ashes reminds us of the inevitability of our own death, judgement and the need to repent.  Third, in the Holy Eucharist we have the opportunity to exchange our failings and sinfulness with the victory and sinlessness of Our Lord Jesus Christ so that we can, by His grace and mercy, overcome our sins.

This Wednesday, we invite you to join us at 7pm in the Sam R. Marks Chapel as Church of the Messiah begins their observance of a Holy Lent with the annual celebration of Ash Wednesday.

Lord, Have Mercy!
Christ, Have Mercy!
Lord, Have Mercy!

Correction to the February E-News the Ash Wednesday service correct date is February 13, 2013.  The service will be held at the Sam R. Marks Chapel on the Jacksonville University Campus at 7 pm.

Beginning February 10, Church of Messiah will resume our Sunday Night Bible Studies with 24 Hours That Changed the World, a landmark Bible Study by Pastor Adam Hamilton.  The study covers in extensive detail the period of time from the Last Supper to Our Lord’s Crucifixion.

The Bible Study groups will meet every Sunday night beginning February 10, the Sunday night before Ash Wednesday, running through March 24, Palm Sunday.  We will not be meeting on Easter but, in the weeks that follow, we will meet once more to discuss the Victorious Christ.  Participants are not required to purchase anything, but several products are available.

Participants may purchase the book 24 Hours That Changed the World in either hardback, paperback or electronic editions.  Those looking for additional daily devotional reading throughout Lent may also purchase 24 Hours That Changed the World–40 Days of Reflection.  Neither of these books are required to participate in the Sunday Night Bible Studies, but they will enrich your experience.

For more information, contact the parish office at 904-721-4199.

This Sunday, January 6, Church of the Messiah will celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany, the day on which we commemorate the Three Wise Men bringing gifts to the baby Jesus.  This year, like the Wise Men, we have the opportunity to bless young mothers and their children.  In partnering with Emergency Pregnancy Services, we will be providing gifts for women and children in need.  EPS currently needs size 3, 4,and 5 diapers, baby shampoo, baby wash, baby powder, diaper rash cream, pacifiers, formula, and baby food.  We also have the opportunity to provide gifts for five young women and their children who are enrolled in an advanced program called Growing Parenting Skills (GPS).  If you would like to provide gifts for one of these young women, please contact Lizz Looker as soon as possible at 904-424-8622.  We will be collecting these gifts this Sunday morning during the Offertory.  We look forward to seeing you there!

We invite you to join the people of Church of the Messiah as we celebrate the Birth of the Messiah and the Feast of the Incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Christmas Eve: 7pm Family Pageant at the Sam Marks Chapel at JU.

Christmas Day: 10:30am at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church (click HERE for map).

Wednesday, November 21, Church of Messiah have our annual Thanksgiving Eve service.  This year, once again we will gather at the Law Offices of Lansing J. Roy in order to worship together.  Since Thanksgiving is a day to give thanks, we should remember that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes from the Father.”  (James 1:17)  This year, be sure to gather with your church community and give thanks to God from whom all of your blessings and gift come.

The service begins at 7pm.  This service is in place of the Wednesday Night Soup, Supper & Prayer Service, however there will be not pot-luck dinner served this Wednesday.  For directions and a map click HERE and look for directions for “Wednesday nights.”

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

Psalm 100:4

Sunday morning, November 4, Rufino “Ralph” Bitancor ended his two-year long battle with cancer and went to be with the Lord.  There will be a viewing on Thursday, November 8, from six o’clock to eight o’clock in the evening, at Arlington Park Funeral Home (click HERE for a map).  The following morning, Friday, November 9, the funeral service will be held at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church (click HERE for map) at eleven o’clock.  The internment will follow immediately thereafter at Arlington Park Funeral Home, and, after the internment, a reception will follow at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church.  If you would like to provide  food for the reception, please contact Lizz Looker at 424-8622.  If you would like to provide meals for the Bitancor family during the next several days, please contact Suzie Kirkpatrick at 894-3228.

Give to the departed eternal rest, O Father;
May light perpetual shine upon them.

Church of the Messiah is proud to revive our old tradition of throwing an All Saints’ Festival for our children and youth! Halloween is really “All Saints’ Eve” and we are going to celebrate the feast together! The festival will be this Wednesday, October 31, at the home of Earl and Cathie Shimp (click HERE for a map) from 6:30 to 8:30. There will be food for everyone, candy, games, prizes, and even a BOUNCE HOUSE! Invite your friends and, of course, bring your children. Please dress in family friendly costumes only.