St. Peter’s by-the-Sea, Gulfport, MS

Keeping close while keeping our distance. A weekly guide for this journey. Our destination: Big Love BACK By the Sea.

March 15, 2021

the Good News

Holy Week is here ! While still at reduced capacity, here is our schedule of services

Wednesday, March 31	12:05p.m.	Litany of Healing Mid-day, mid-week service
Wednesday, March 31	5:30p.m.	Stations of the Cross Attendees will remain seated during readings
Paschal Triduum
Maundy Thursday, April 1	5:30p.m.	Holy Eucharist and Stripping of the Altar no foot washing
Good Friday, April 2	Noon and 5:30pm	Good Friday Services No Holy Eucharist
, Saturday, April 3	7:22p.m (sunset)	The Great Easter Vigil There will be no gathering outside with “kindling of the Easter Fire” pit.
Easter Sunday
Sunday, April 4	7:00a.m	Rite I service
	9:00a.m.	Family Eucharist (Rite II with Children’s Church) followed by Easter Egg Hunt
	10:30a.m.	Rite II service

* We are offering 4 Easter Services *
We are asking parishioners choose one service to attend
so that everyone wanting to attend may do so without exceeding our 50% limit
* All services will be live streamed
Check our website for links to streaming services
https://stpetersbytheseagulfport.com/holy-week-2021/

* Filled plastic Easter Eggs *
We need eggs (no chocolate please) and volunteers to hide eggs during the 9am Easter Sunday

If you are able to help with any of these please contact the church office by phone: (228) 863-2611 please leave a message
or by email: stpetersbythesea@bellsouth.net

FATHER PATRICK will be out of the office April 5th through April 10th.
We will NOT have a service on Wednesday, April 7th
RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE April 13th from 11AM until 4PM in the parish hall.
Visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS to make your appointment
MEN’S GRILLIN’ GROUP RETURNS !!! April 27that 6PM in the Parish hall. All Men of the parish are invited, bring your entree’ to grill, beverage of choice and $15 dues. Reservations are REQUIRED please contact Mike at 228-326-6601 to make yours.
(Could our ELNO or ELOTE be far behind ? Stay tuned ! )
Alzheimer’s Caregiver Support Group has resumed. Meetings are scheduled for the 4th Friday of each month at 2PM in the Parlor. Contact: Al Kirsh (228)383-5718 for more info

Upcoming Services

10:30am

Wednesday Bible Study

12:05pm

Wednesday
Litany of Healing*

6pm

Wednesday Lent Progam *

11am

Thursday Centering Prayer *

8am

Sunday Rite I *

9:30am

Sunday School
Adults & Kids

10:30am

Sunday Rite II *
Children’s Church & Nursery

Please:
– Wear your mask
– Wash your hands
– Maintain social distancing
– Please sign -in upon arrival

Would you like to be a reader ?
Interested in being an Usher?
Contact Susan at stpetersbythesea@bellsouth.net
be sure to include your contact info and time and date you can serve.

*Watch On Any Device

Can't make it to church ?

View our latest streaming offerings…

Rite I Service, Sunday March 7, 2021 8:00 am

Sunday Worship Service, March 7, 2021 10:30 am Rite II

Litany of Healing, Wednesday March 3, 2021 12:05 pm

Centering Prayer with Rev. Liz March 4, 11am

View any of our services, anytime

St. Peter’s Ornaments are back !

Commissioned in 2009, and the 4th in a series of Downtown Gulfport Landmarks, these cast pewter ornaments are the original work of artist Maurice Milleur.
Measuring approximately 2 3/4″ tall.
These make great gifts for Easter, Mother’s or Father’s Day and help support our ECW.
Ornaments are $20/each and may be purchased by contacting any ECW member or the church office.

Wednesday Bible Study

a story about Mary Magdalene

The Woman Caught in Adultery

⁵³Then each of them went home, 8 ¹while Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. ²Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them. ³The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, ⁴they said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. ⁵Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” ⁶They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. ⁷When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” ⁸And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. ⁹When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. ¹⁰Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” ¹¹She said, “No one, sir.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”
John 7:53-8:11

This year’s Lent discussion concludes at St. Peter’s by-the-Sea
Join us Wednesday at 6pm, In-person, on Facebook and through Zoom meetings.

Lenten Program
“Will you strive for justice and peace among all people,
and respect the dignity of every human being?
I will, with God’s help.” [BCP Baptismal Covenant]

This week’s topic for Lenten discussion will cover Political Dignity.
Check our Facebook page or our website for updates.

Inspiration

Holy Week is here !

Palm Sunday, or Passion Sunday, begins Holy Week. We all know what happens Thursday, Friday and Saturday of Holy Week but…

What happened on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday ?
Here’s a look of some of the events that occurred during the very first Holy Week. Gospel accounts vary so some events may vary in their chronological order.
Palm Sunday sees Jesus arrive in Jerusalem as the town folk celebrate with the waving of Palms and shouts of “Hosanna!” It would be this same cheering crowd that, within a weeks’ time would be calling for Jesus’ crucifixion.

Great and Holy Monday, as some refer to the day after Palm Sunday, is the day that Jesus Cleanses the Temple.
When Jesus arrives at the Temple he finds a place barren of righteousness; filled with merchants and money changers. He “cleans” the Temple by driving them out.
     He said to them, “It is written,
     ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’;
     but you are making it a den of robbers.”
                              Matthew 21:13

Great and Holy Tuesday, Fig Tuesday, or Busy Tuesday, is the day that Jesus curses the barren Fig Tree and responds to those that question Him.
Why curse a fig tree? We must first look at the “cleansing” of the Temple. When Jesus arrives at the Temple he finds a place barren of righteousness. The people of Israel are sometimes represented by the fig tree. Therefore, the cursing of the barren fig tree was symbolic the Temple.
When the priests and elders question Jesus as He begins to teach.
      “By what authority are you doing these things?”
According to Matthew’s Gospel, and after they cannot answer His question about John’s baptism, he replies,
      “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing
       these things”.
                         excerpts from Matthew 21:23-27
There are a lot of parables attributed this day including from Matthew’s Gospel alone:

The Parable of the Ten Virgins – Matt 25:1-13
The Parable of the Talents – Matt 25:14-30
The Parable of the Sheep and Goats – Matt 25: 31-46

Holy Wednesday or, Silent Wednesday, Judas agrees to betray Jesus.

Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I betray him to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.
Matthew 26:14-16

The Triduum (the period of three days that begins with the liturgy on the evening of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and reaching its high point in the Easter Vigil, recalling the Passion, Crucifixion, Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus, as portrayed in the canonical Gospels.)

Maundy Thursday We’re waiting for the inevitable; the grim as well as the joyous.
The word “maundy” comes from the Latin word mandatum, which translates to “commandment.”

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35

Jesus says this as he washes the disciples’ feet, a humble act and demonstration of His love for them.
This is the evening of the Last Supper and later, knowing He is about to be arrested, Jesus prays at Gesthemane.

Good Friday The “grim” anticipated one day before becomes reality. Jesus is arrested, convicted, sentenced, is crucified, dies and is buried.
There are many bad actors portrayed in every account of this day: the betrayer, the denier, the foolish, the evil and the corrupt.
And, Jesus died for them all. Take note: This is the “first” day.

Here are each of the Gospel accounts:

Holy Saturday Not to be confused with the Great Easter Vigil. (Here’s where it gets a little tricky, yet, all comes together.) Traditionally, Saturday was observed as the Sabbath and that day officially began at Sunset on Friday. Guards were called to watch the tomb and Jesus’ followers were there, too.

The Collect for Holy Saturday:
O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

At Sunset, Holy Saturday comes to a close, and the season of Lent to an end.

Take note: This was the “second” day. The vigil followers of Jesus Christ held after his death and burial, on Good Friday, lasted 40 hours, ending the 40 days of Lent.

The Great Easter Vigil Beginning at Sunset on Saturday, THIS is the “third” day! The joyous event we’ve waited for since Thursday is here. The tomb is empty. He has risen!

But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.” So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
Matthew 28:5-10

March 28th – April 3rd
Birthdays
28th – Avis Ozerden
28th – Isla Ozerden
30th – Lindsay Lang
1st – Allyson Funderburk
2nd – Audrey Montgomery
3rd – Courtney Taylor
April 4 – April 10
Birthdays
4th – Sue Del Frazier
7th – Pearl Kmack
Anniversaries
5th – Stephen & Karen Reuther

email stpetersbythesea@bellsouth.net
to subscribe to our newsletter

Donations and Offerings for 2021 can be made on our website or by mailing your check to the church

NEEDED:
plastic grocery bags
Drop off at the church office

Support our local non-profits:

Holy Week Readings

Maundy Thursday	The Great Easter Vigil	Easter Sunday
Exodus 12:1-4, (5-10), 11-14 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 John 13:1-17, 31b-35 Psalm 116:1, 10-17	The Liturgy of the Word Genesis 1:1-2:4a [The Story of Creation] Genesis 7:1-5, 11-18, 8:6-18, 9:8-13 [The Flood] Genesis 22:1-18 [Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac] Exodus 14:10-31; 15:20-21 [Israel’s deliverance at the Red Sea] Isaiah 55:1-11 [Salvation offered freely to all] Baruch 3:9-15, 3:32-4:4 or Proverbs 8:1-8, 19-21; 9:4b-6 [Learn wisdom and live] Ezekiel 36:24-28 [A new heart and a new spirit] Ezekiel 37:1-14 [The valley of dry bones] Zephaniah 3:14-20 [The gathering of God’s people] At The Eucharist Romans 6:3-11 Psalm 114 Mark 16:1-8	Early Use one of the Old Testament Lessons from the Vigil with: Romans 6:3-11 Matthew 28:1-10 Psalm 114
Good Friday		Primary Acts 10:34-43 or Isaiah 25:6-9 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 or Acts 10:34-43 John 20:1-18 or Mark 16:1-8 Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
Isaiah 52:13-53:12 Hebrews 10:16-25 or Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9 John 18:1-19:42 Psalm 22
Did you know we have readings for each day in Lent ? Find them here: lectionarypage.net/ And, the Lesser Feast Days and Fast for each day may be found here: Lesser Feast Days and Fasts

From the Episcopal church website: Way of Love Practices

Turn Learn Pray Worship Bless Go Rest

Explore the Way of Love: GO
As we discover the Way of Love and the practices through which we can follow Jesus more closely, we realize that Jesus did not stay in one place very often. The pursuit of Jesus can often mean moving out of our circles of comfort and going to other places – geographically, culturally, economically, spiritually. Because if there is one thing Jesus did, it is that he went – out of his home, out of his town, out of his community – to engage with other cultures and people, to listen and dignify their stories, no matter their culture or station in life. Jesus was a listener and witness to outcasts and sinners, drinkers and tax collectors, strangers and foreigners, the rich and the poor. He uplifted women who were considered unequal to men. He dignified people of other faiths or no faith at all, and showed them the values of the Kingdom of God, through his teaching, through his healing, through his listening, and through his meeting them where they were and putting love into action.
read more…

Explore the Way of Love: REST
When the scriptures tell us that we should love others as we love ourselves, there is an underlying message that we are allowed to love ourselves. The Way of Love recognizes that one way to love ourselves and to maintain ourselves as useful instruments of God is through the practice of rest.
As Jesus tells us in the Gospel of Matthew, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Part of the work of a Christian is to take time to put the work aside and be restored. After God created the heavens and the earth and everything in them, God rested. In doing so, God created a sacred pattern of work and rest, realizing that making dedicated time – to allow our minds to unwind, for our souls to be comforted and healed, for our bodies to be rejuvenated – ensures we can continue in this divine stream.
Rest is a gift and we are allowed to take it.
read more…

Explore the Way of Love – Bulletin Insert Series

View the entire Way of Love in Lent Curriculum here:
https://www.episcopalchurch.org/life-transformed-the-way-of-love-in-lent/

The Empty Tomb

Download
the PDF

This week, we are learning about Palm Sunday, sometimes called the triumphant entry. It the day when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. The account is found in all four gospels.

We will also reflect on some of the Holy Week events such as:

The washing the disciple’s feet,
The last supper
and praying in the garden.

From the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi

All about Lent — the 40 days before Easter

Lenten Activities For Children

Being Episcopalian

The Mississippi Episcopal Diocese
The Episcopal Church
National Cathedral
Episcopal Cafe

Check out our neighboring
Coast Churches

St. Mark’s Gulfport
Trinity Pass Christian
Christ Church Bay St. Louis
St. Patrick’s Long Beach
St. Thomas Diamondhead
Church of the Redeemer Biloxi
St. John’s Ocean Springs
First United Methodist Church

Bible Study

Palm Sunday (B) – March 28, 2021

Mary Barber

RCL: Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 31:9-16; Philippians 2:5-11; Mark 14:1-15:47 or Mark 15:1-39, [40-47]

Isaiah 50:4-9a

This passage is from what scholars call “Second Isaiah,” written while the people of Israel were living in exile in Babylon. This text is one of the “servant songs,” speaking of God’s servant, called to gather the exiled people back together and restore Zion. In these songs, sometimes the servant seems to stand for all of Israel, and sometimes the servant seems to be describing an individual person. Christians have long read these texts as pointing toward Christ, but this is certainly not the only way to approach them, even for us as Christians.

The speaker in this passage talks about God who “wakens my ear” and “has given me the tongue of a teacher,” allowing the speaker to listen to God’s word and tell it to others. But servanthood has consequences – the servant has to endure violence, insults, and disgrace for telling God’s truth. This is what Dietrich Bonhoeffer has called the “cost of discipleship,” and it continues to ring true in our present times, where fighting inequality and injustice is incredibly hard, and can lead to painful divisions.

Where are the servants you look to in these times, who set their “face like flint” and do the hard work of truth-telling and justice-making?
What are the difficult truths to which you are being called to waken your ear? And where are you being called to speak out?

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St. Peter’s by-the-Sea, Gulfport, MS

the Good News

FATHER PATRICK will be out of the office April 5th through April 10th. We will NOT have a service on Wednesday, April 7th

RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE April 13th from 11AM until 4PM in the parish hall. Visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS to make your appointment

Alzheimer’s Caregiver Support Group has resumed. Meetings are scheduled for the 4th Friday of each month at 2PM in the Parlor. Contact: Al Kirsh (228)383-5718 for more info

Upcoming Services

10:30am

12:05pm

6pm

11am

8am

9:30am

10:30am

Please: – Wear your mask – Wash your hands – Maintain social distancing – Please sign -in upon arrival

Would you like to be a reader ? Interested in being an Usher? Contact Susan at stpetersbythesea@bellsouth.net be sure to include your contact info and time and date you can serve.

*Watch On Any Device

Can't make it to church ?

St. Peter’s Ornaments are back !

Wednesday Bible Study

a story about Mary Magdalene

The Woman Caught in Adultery

This year’s Lent discussion concludes at St. Peter’s by-the-Sea Join us Wednesday at 6pm, In-person, on Facebook and through Zoom meetings.

Inspiration

Holy Week is here !

Palm Sunday, or Passion Sunday, begins Holy Week. We all know what happens Thursday, Friday and Saturday of Holy Week but…

The Parable of the Ten Virgins – Matt 25:1-13

The Parable of the Talents – Matt 25:14-30

The Parable of the Sheep and Goats – Matt 25: 31-46

Holy Wednesday or, Silent Wednesday, Judas agrees to betray Jesus.

Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I betray him to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he began to look for an opportunity to betray him. Matthew 26:14-16

The Triduum (the period of three days that begins with the liturgy on the evening of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and reaching its high point in the Easter Vigil, recalling the Passion, Crucifixion, Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus, as portrayed in the canonical Gospels.)

March 28th – April 3rd Birthdays 28th – Avis Ozerden 28th – Isla Ozerden 30th – Lindsay Lang 1st – Allyson Funderburk 2nd – Audrey Montgomery 3rd – Courtney Taylor April 4 – April 10 Birthdays 4th – Sue Del Frazier 7th – Pearl Kmack Anniversaries 5th – Stephen & Karen Reuther

email stpetersbythesea@bellsouth.net to subscribe to our newsletter

Donations and Offerings for 2021 can be made on our website or by mailing your check to the church

NEEDED:plastic grocery bagsDrop off at the church office

Holy Week Readings

Maundy Thursday

The Great Easter Vigil

Easter Sunday

At The Eucharist

Early

Use one of the Old Testament Lessons from the Vigil with:

Good Friday

Primary Acts 10:34-43

or Isaiah 25:6-9

or Acts 10:34-43

or Mark 16:1-8

or Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9

Did you know we have readings for each day in Lent ?Find them here: lectionarypage.net/And, the Lesser Feast Days and Fast for each day may be found here: Lesser Feast Days and Fasts

From the Episcopal church website: Way of Love Practices

The Empty TombDownloadthe PDF

Isaiah 50:4-9a

Report a problem on the website

Subscribe

How can we help?

FATHER PATRICK will be out of the office April 5th through April 10th.
We will NOT have a service on Wednesday, April 7th

RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE April 13th from 11AM until 4PM in the parish hall.
Visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS to make your appointment

Please:
– Wear your mask
– Wash your hands
– Maintain social distancing
– Please sign -in upon arrival

Would you like to be a reader ?
Interested in being an Usher?
Contact Susan at stpetersbythesea@bellsouth.net
be sure to include your contact info and time and date you can serve.

This year’s Lent discussion concludes at St. Peter’s by-the-Sea
Join us Wednesday at 6pm, In-person, on Facebook and through Zoom meetings.

Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I betray him to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.
Matthew 26:14-16

March 28th – April 3rd
Birthdays
28th – Avis Ozerden
28th – Isla Ozerden
30th – Lindsay Lang
1st – Allyson Funderburk
2nd – Audrey Montgomery
3rd – Courtney Taylor
April 4 – April 10
Birthdays
4th – Sue Del Frazier
7th – Pearl Kmack
Anniversaries
5th – Stephen & Karen Reuther

email stpetersbythesea@bellsouth.net
to subscribe to our newsletter

NEEDED:
plastic grocery bags
Drop off at the church office

Primary
Acts 10:34-43

Did you know we have readings for each day in Lent ?
Find them here: lectionarypage.net/
And, the Lesser Feast Days and Fast for each day may be found here:
Lesser Feast Days and Fasts

The Empty Tomb

Download
the PDF