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St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Mountain Home
A welcoming, prayerful community devoted to love of God and one another, in Christ. |
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St. Andrew’s is a vibrant, diverse, and growing congregation in the heart of the Ozarks in Mountain Home, Arkansas. We are located in North Central Arkansas between the beautiful Twin Lakes Region of Bull Shoals Lake and Lake Norfork. There are many active community outreach ministries at St. Andrew’s, including Angel Food Ministries, Kindness, Inc., Hospice House and Serenity House, support of area children in need, along with social and educational “inlets.” You may find companionship in a mens’ or womens’ group, crafting such as woodworking or stitching, exercise activities such as gardening, or yoga for balancing your body, mind and spirit, or joining the fun of planning breakfasts, or our annual Mardi Gras Dinner. Between Sunday worship services, there is an engaging Adult Forum which investigates and discusses a variety of interesting topics through books and DVDs. If you are interested in more formal theological studies, you might want to explore Education For Ministry, a four-year distance learning program from The University of the South, studied weekly at St. Andrew’s. Being fed, healed and reconciled are the core teachings of Jesus Christ. No matter what your current situation is in life, know you may enter as a stranger here, be fed, and leave with new friends. The Peace of the Lord be with you. | ||||||||||||||||
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The Vicar’s Corner |
After joining the Episcopal Church I learned to appreciate our church seasons and the value of changing our worship liturgies along with the different seasons. The Episcopal form of worship, our liturgy, is designed to open our hearts and souls to God on many levels. In our service of the Word, we read and contemplate the scriptures. In the Great Thanksgiving we enter into a spiritual space where with sight, sound, taste and smell we experience God’s timeless presence. The use of structured prayers provides a connection with those who have said the same (or variations of the same) prayers for generations before us and who will say them for generations to come. They also connect us to people throughout the world who worship with a prayer book similar to our own. Prayer Book worship is, for us, a fundamental part of who we are. For all the positives it provides us, there is a down side. By saying the same prayers over and over again, we run the risk of no longer hearing what is being said. Familiarity can dull the message. The availability of multiple forms of these prayers, though, keeps this from happening. It is good, therefore, to change from time to time the Euchartistic Prayers, the form of the Prayers of the People, and even the Rite. Changes challenges us to concentrate on what is being saying and helps prevent the mind from wandering. Familiarity and variety are two strengths of the Episcopal Prayer Book. The season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and goes for forty days (not counting Sundays since these are Feast Days) and ends on Holy Saturday (the day before Easter). The season of Lent is traditionally a time for prayer and fasting. The forty days represent the time Christ spent in the desert and was tempted. It is described as a penitential time, a time to contemplate when in our lives when we have yielded to temptation. It is a time to put our lives in order, to re-examine and re-align our priorities. Many people give up something (a symbolic fast) and others take on a new discipline (symbolic of a penitential act). It is not necessary to do either to observe Lent, but self examination is essential to any Lenten reflection. During Lent, our worship will change significantly. Our first service will observe Lent by using the Rite II service with the Prayer A form of the Eucharistic Prayer. Our second service will use the Rite I liturgy with Prayer I for the Eucharistic Prayer. Both services will use the Trisagion after the opening collect for purity: Holy God, Holy and Mighty Holy Immortal One, Have mercy on upon us. Both services will also use Form V of The Prayers of the People. Changes in prayers and music help to mark the changing seasons and give us cause to reflect upon the message of each. We will also offer a simple Eucharist each Wednesday during Lent at noon and Stations of the Cross each Friday. These additional offerings provide each of us the opportunity to pray, to meditate, and to listen for God’s Call to each of us. God’s Peace, Jim+
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Sunday Worship Schedule Rite I-Holy Eucharist Adult Forum Catechesis Rite II-Holy Eucharist Any Fifth Sunday of the Month
The stained glass window in St. Andrew’s nave may be viewed as a type of mandala, or circle of completion, with its symbols drawn from the Old and New Testaments of the Holy Bible. It is a spiritual teaching tool in a sacred space, useful for focusing attention toward the divine and aiding in meditation.
Mark Your Calendars!
Mardi Gras Party Kick off your Valentine Weekend with this annual party at St. Andrew's on Friday, February 12. We'll have a buffet dinner at 6:00 (Shrimp and Tasso Pasta, Chicken Gumbo, Ambrosia too), music to dance to by local saxophonist and entertainer, "Dick B," Fun and Revelry...costumes and masks encouraged! Tickets are $15.00 each. Pancake Supper Shrove (or Fat) Tuesday, February 16 An English Tradition the Day Before Ash Wednesday and the soon to be famous Lenten Fish Frys on Fridays: Feb. 26 + March 26 (Carryout available for fish frys) Be Fed at 5:30, sponsored by St. Andrew’s Men’s Group Enter a stranger, leave with new friends . . .
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Links to articles and interviews with Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori: |
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Scriptural Resources The Lectionary “…a book or listing that contains a collection of scripture readings appointed for Christian or Judaic worship on a given day or occasion.” The Book of Common Prayer is one of the major works of English literature. There are several dozen versions of the BCP from all over the world: Forward Day By Day is available online with links to either NRSV or RSV of the Bible: Links to more Bible resources: Other Sites of Interest:
The Christian Classics Ethereal Library http://www.ccel.org/ Internet Sacred Text Archive http://www.sacred-texts.com/
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church| 511 Coley Drive| Mountain Home, Arkansas 72653| 870-425-3560
Last Update 11/21/2009 | ||||||||||||||||
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