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Lent: Our Spiritual Outline
While Advent is a celebration and a time of great anticipation, Lent is frequently seen as a time of solemn observance and preparation for the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus at Easter.
“Every year on the First Sunday of Lent, rotating between the three Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the Gospel reading describes the Lord’s retreat to the desert. After his baptism in the Jordan River, the Lord goes to a place of solitude to prepare for his public ministry. He spends time in prayer and fasting. The Lord allows himself to be tempted and for the darkness of wayward pleasure, vanity, and raw power to be exposed.
“In these ways, the Lord’s forty days in the desert is the spiritual outline for Lent. By reflecting on this sacred time in Jesus’ life, we are given a direction for our own Lenten observance. As the Lord’s human nature was prepared for his service to the Father, so a good Lent purifies and strengthens us to live out our mission more faithfully and zealously…” the work that God has called us to do in our Altar Guilds. (https://cruxnow.com/commentary/2019/03/lent-offers-a-microcosm-of-the-entire-christian-way-of-life/)
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Highlights from Epistle
Wild Water
If I asked you to describe the sacrament of baptism, what adjectives would you choose? Beautiful? Solemn? Ancient? Holy? Would you to use the word “wild?” As in: baptism is one of the wildest things Christians do?…
Chipmunk Attacks Frontal
After the 8 a.m. service on November 21, 2020, the Eucharistic Minister noticed a hole in the corner of the green frontal. It was later determined that a chipmunk had chewed the silk at the edge of the altar. Since the frontal was to be switched to white for Christ the King the following Sunday, the green frontal was put aside and photos taken of the damage…
After much thought and prayer, your Executive Committee has decided to hold a short virtual meeting in 2021. While we truly regret the need to cancel our 2021 in-person meeting, the health and safety of our membership far outweighs our delight in seeing each other…
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Connect with NAGA
COVID Resources: We have compiled a selection of articles and resources about worship and communion during this difficult time. If you have any ideas to share, we would love to hear your suggestions and solutions. Please email Dianne Walters. Click here to read more.
Seeking NAGA Representative for Province VII (Southwest) and Province IX (Central & South America). For more information, contact Dianne Walters.
Contribute to a History of NAGA: In 2006 Barbara Gent researched and wrote a book spanning 73 years of NAGA’s history. Now, a second volume of NAGA history and the future of altar guild is in its infancy. We welcome any suggestions for inclusion in this work. Click here to read more.
Disaster Communion Kits. Should fire, flood, hurricane, tornado, earthquake or epidemic leave your parish unable to host Eucharist, NAGA will provide a free Disaster Communion Kit. If you need a kit, please contact Joan Konecny (or 936-870-5781). Click here for a video on how to assemble them.
Order your Epistle in living color. Members can receive their Epistle by email. Just send your e-mail address to Donna Anderson.
Share your insights with others. We are happy to share your altar guild newsletter on our website. Please send a PDF of the current issue to our webmaster Betty Hinchman.
Who’s Who? Who are your current Provincial and Diocesan Altar Guild Directors? Please send current contact information to Donna Anderson or Dianne Walters.