SRCA NEWS AND NOTES

ANNOUNCEMENTS

YARD SALE: Saturday, May 14 at the Branches' home. Sign up to help on the hospitality table.

YOUTH BIBLE STUDY: Sunday, May 15 from 5 - 7 at the 304. Open to all in grades 5 and up.

WOMEN"S RETREAT: June 3 - 5 at the Crab Shack. (It's also fine to come on Saturday morning rather than FRiday night.) Topic: The Women of the Bible. Sing up on the hospitality table or by talking to Maryann or Becki.

FOR SUNDAY

This week we celebrate the third Sunday of Easter, as we still celebrate the echoes of the alleluias, and the wonder of the empty tomb.  The Lord has risen, and has appeared to the women, and to those locked away in the room in Galilee. This morning we hear of his encounter with the men on the Road to Emmaus. There is ample evidence and eyewitness account to tell us that the resurrection did, in fact, occur.  While we celebrate this great truth, we always must live in the shadow of the cross.

It is the cross Peter references in his sermon in Acts 2. Addressing the multitude, Peter says, ""Let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified." Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart…" Even while we stand at the doorway of the empty tomb, the knowledge of the cross is never far from our minds, and we, too, are cut to the heart.

Peter's solution for their grief was a call to repentance and to baptism so that they might receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. We are offered that same gift. It is not enough for us to stand in awe at the empty tomb, or enough for us to cry over the cross. We are called to action – to repentance, to affirmation of our faith, and to receive the Holy Spirit.

Our readings Sunday inclued Acts 2:14a,36-41, Psalm 116:1-3, 10-17, 1 Peter 1:17-23, and Luke 24:13-35. Let's join our voices together to worship the Lord Jesus.

Faithfully, 

Becki+

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Rev. Becki Neumann+

Rector, South Riding Anglican Church

Office 703-961-1983

Cell 240-217-4370

Home 717-762-0924

"When it's all been said and done; there is just one thing that matters. Did I do my best to live for truth, did I live my life for You?"

SRCA NEWS AND NOTES

Greetings in the Name of Jesus!

This Sunday and for the next 7 Sundays we begin our worship with the acclamation, "Alleluia, the Lord is risen. The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!" Easter is not just one Sunday, it is a whole season, beginning on Easter Sunday and ending on Pentecost (June 12^th this year).

This Sunday we will have the great joy of formally welcoming 5 individuals into the body of Christ, the Church, through the sacrament of Holy Baptism. When we do so we make a solemn promise to help them in their spiritual lives, in their walk with Jesus. We are making this promise before God and to people the Lord has entrusted to us. We need take this very, very seriously. It requires us to lay down our lives for our friends in Christ, to show up and speak up so the newly baptized, so Christine, Jackson, Mitchell, Tristan, and Isaac will indeed come to know Jesus through us.

Our readings for Sunday include Acts 2:14a,22-32, Psalm 16, 1 Peter 1:3-9, and John 20:19-31. Let?s join together to worship the God we love, and to celebrate with those whom we baptize into our church family.

Blessings,

Becki+

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Rev. Becki Neumann+

Rector, South Riding Anglican Church

Office 703-961-1983

Cell 240-217-4370

Home 717-762-0924

"When it's all been said and done; there is just one thing that matters. Did I do my best to live for truth, did I live my life for You?"