The church calendar is beginning to fill up quickly! I will try to capture things that will be happening in the next few weeks so people can mark their calendars to attend.
First, please note that there will be a Pancake Luncheon this Sunday, February 11 following Sunday services. It will be held in the Parish Hall. Carol Weathers sent out an email requesting volunteers to sign up to bring specific food items. I believe the item she has plenty of for now is butter. Syrup will be provided. Will check her list for sign up items still needed. If you can bring cooked bacon, sausage, fruit, juice please call Carol at 512-413-5920 or email [email protected]. Hope to see everyone at this first Potluck luncheon! Should be very tasty! Thank you to Carol and many others coordinating this effort!
Ash Wednesday is next Wednesday, February 14th! Father Michael is planning to be on the Burnet square again to participate in the Ashes To Go event starting at 11:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Please plan to come by either in your car or park and walk over to Fr. Michael to have a blessing and ashes on your forehead in remembrance of Ash Wednesday and its meaning. He will be positioned on the southwest corner of the courthouse. He welcomes everyone in the parish as well as all shoppers and workers to come by.
Thursday, February 15, is our turn to cook and give out meals at CommunityKitchen at the Vandeveer Church of Christ in Burnet. Cranz Nichols is cooking loaded baked potatoes! Sounds wonderful. Please come by and pick up your free meal!
Then, starting the next Wednesday, February 21, the first Soup Wednesdays will begin for 5 weeks during Lent. Carol Weathers is also coordinating this effort. Please contact her to let her know what you will be bringing.
Father Michael will begin the Lenten Series that day as well. He’s going to be following the book, “Walk in Love,” published by Forward Movement Publishing. The middle section of the book on basic beliefs would fit our time together during this Lenten Series every Wednesday.
Forward Movement offers a bulk price discount, so if you’re interested in purchasing a copy of the book, please let Janet Wilton know by calling the church office at 512-756-2334 or emailing her at [email protected]. You do not have to own the book to be able to participate in the Lenten series. Prices for ordering in bulk are as follows: Buy in Bulk and Save!
1 - 4 $22.00 5 - 9 $18.00 10+ $16.00
Right now I am going to order 6 for $18.00 each.
The schedule for the Lenten Series is as follows: February 21: 4:30 pm — bring soup in crockpots to Parish Hall to set up for the meal 5:00 pm — soup Wednesday meal served 5:30 pm — Lenten Series begins
The following Wednesdays will continue with Soup Wednesdays and followed by Lenten Series: February 28 March 6 March 13 March 20 Please join us in participating in the soup Wednesdays and Lenten series beginning February 21!
Palm Sunday is March 24th Maundy Thursday is March 28th Good Friday is March 29th Easter Sunday is March 31st
RENOVATIONS: From Deana Geuther We are hoping to begin our next renovation project on the Nave in mid-March. Permits will need to be obtained from the city. Also, the structural engineer is to finalize the drawings. At the next vestry meeting on Sunday, February 18th, the members of the vestry will vote on the cross for the front wall (design, and material). Mike Rose, job superintendent for DC Restoration estimated this project to take 8 to 10 weeks to complete (allowing for weather delays). Please know you are invited to attend the vestry meetings.
Our worker bee Junior Warden, Cranz, installed locking thermostat covers on the 3 thermostats in the Parish Hall. The vestry member of the day is responsible for thermostats on Sundays. There’s one key that is used to unlock all three in that building. It’s stored in the kitchen. Please allow all thermostats in our buildings to be controlled by the vestry person of the day. We had excessive energy costs last year. The goal is to keep our buildings comfortable and to manage our energy expenses. Thanks everyone!
Cranz is also obtaining bids from local vendors for installing the panic door hardware in the Nave and Parish Hall. This is to comply with the recent Fire Marshall inspection of fire prevention equipment at the church.
The 175th EDOT Diocese Council is this week: February 9-11, 2024. The delegates from Epiphany are Deana Geuther, Linda Myers and Lee Myers. It will be held in Waco, Texas this year.
Linda and Lee Myers just returned from a vacation in the Gulf of Mexico. They witnessed a true miracle while on their cruise. This is their story in their words:
Dear Epiphany Family, Lee and I were recently on a cruise (Jan. 26-Feb.2) which we enjoyed, but during which we were privileged to be a part of a wonderful miracle. I shared this with Fr. Michael and he felt you would like to know too. We had been at sea over 24 hrs (out of Galveston) and were basically in the middle of the ocean.
While standing on our balcony I saw the boat in the picture with multiple people aboard and one of the men was waving at our ship. I waved back, but quickly realized that this was not a recreational boat… These were people in serious trouble. Our huge ship (the Norwegian, Prima) came to a stop and as Lee and I watched and prayed, we witnessed a rescue at sea. It took two large “evacuation” vessels, lowered from our ship to pick up 12 desperate people. We later learned from the Captain’s announcement that they had been lost since December. They had no provisions and had been living on rain water.
Our Captain explained that the rule of the sea is that you “always rescue --it’s the right thing to do.” They were severely dehydrated and emaciated and several couldn’t stand. — They were brought on board and taken to the Prima medical center for care and food. We resumed sailing and docked in Costa Mya the following day and they were turned over to local authorities.
I am still overwhelmed at the graciousness of God that after over a month lost at sea we should “discover” them & their lives could be saved. Thanks be to God!
Truly an amazing story!
SUNDAY, February 4, 2024 Attendance: 50 In Church 7 Online 57 Total We thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of this life, especially for the anniversary of Nancy and Dale Petty (2/12) and the birthdays of Ian Rodriguez (2/12) and Carol Hervey (2/16).
We pray for all who have died, especially Jim Basinger, priest,2/1 Joe Marshburn1/328, and Diane Breeding2/3, that they may have a place in your eternal kingdom.
And for their families and friends and all who mourn their passing.
Those scheduled to serve this coming Sunday, February 11th are:
Lay Readers--Lee Myers & Rachel Bryson Ushers--Carol & Jim Weathers Acolyte--Grady Gonzales Altar Guild—Diane Hays & Susan Wallace Vestry Person of the Day--David Leitch Coffee hour host--Pancake Mardi Gras Altar flowers have been given by Cecile Gloier and Diane Hays.
The Ladies’ Bible Study group will meet in church library Tuesday, 13th, 10AM. Topic of discussion--Parables: 1.The Sower and the Soils Matt: 13:1-23 Mark: 4:1-20 Luke: 8:1-15 2.The Wheat and the Weeds Matt: 13:24-29, 36-43
All ladies welcome. Come join us!
Please continue to pray for all in need of comfort, healing, and support. We are all God’s children and are called to serve Him in any way we can.
Janet Wilton Parish Administrator
“The nature of humanity, its essence, is to feel another’s pain as one’s own, and to act to take that pain away. There is nobility in compassion, a beauty in empathy, a grace in forgiveness.” — John Connolly