First day back after vacation. Turns out I DIDN’T forget how to do this.
And now winding down the day with our monthly Taize service.
#Taize
#SJPHagerstown
#Episcopal
#Liturgy
#QuietPrayer

#Sermon in a nutshell: It’s not about God’s bad aim or about predestination, it’s about our willingness to learn and grow.
#ParableOfTheSower
#Episcopal
#SundayLiturgy
#SJPHagerstown

#WednesdayEucharist commemorating #Alban, first Christian martyr in Britain, traditionally dated at 303, but could be as early as 209. He was a Roman soldier converted by an escaping priest. When found, he changed clothes with the priest and claimed he was whom they were looking for. He was subsequently tortured and martyred.
#Episcopal
#WednesdayWorship
#SJPHagerstown

Today at 4:00 Eastern Time, my parish of Saint John’s is hosting a harp concert. If you have the time, go check it out on our Facebook page (Saint John’s Hagerstown—we’re the Episcopal one in case you have a choice). I listened to her practice and she’s really good.
#Episcopal
#SJPHagerstown
#MusicSeries

Seek him who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning…

This is the best opening sentence to #EveningPrayer, hands down.

#Episcopal
#Worship
#SJPHagerstown

Tonight, for the first time in over three years, the parish had a social event in the parish hall. The theme was April in Paris and there was lots of good food and a joyous atmosphere.
#SJPHagerstown
#FunTimes
#Celebrations

We’re restarting our Children’s Chapel today (think age-appropriate liturgy of the word). It was decided that the kids would benefit from having the priest with them sometimes. So every six weeks when I’m not preaching, I’m spending the first part of the service with the little ones. Beginning today.
#Episcopal
#LiturgyOptions
#SJPHagerstown

Took #EasterMonday off, as all clergy do/should. It was a very good #HolyWeek and #Triduum. Attendance was decent for MT & GF, and disappointing for HS. But #EasterDay made up for it with 58 at our 6am Vigil and 170 at the 10:15 service.
I only found one bulletin typo over the whole weekend, and that had to do with enternal joys (or something like that).
Now we’re back at it. Just remember, Easter is 50 days long — party on, dudes!
#Episcopal
#SJPHagerstown
#Alleluia

Alleluia! Christ is Risen! #Easter
The #EasterVigil at #SJPHagerstown begins at 6:00 am EDT. The timing this year is perfect as sunrise comes just about the time we’re shouting the first Alleluia of the season.
Here’s hoping your Easter is as joyful, wonderful, and fearfully amazing as it was to those who first experienced it.

On #HolySaturday we’re living with the loss of what was and the hope of what is promised. If we think about it, every day is Holy Saturday.
#Episcopal
#HolyWeek
#SJPHagerstown

Second #GoodFriday service at 7:00 tonight.
Basic sermon point: are we willing to stay with Jesus in the hard, painful, and messy NOW?
#Episcopal
#SJPHagerstown
#HolyWeek

Monday of #HolyWeek. Local clergy gathering and a home Communion this morning, #StationsOfTheCross at noon followed by some low level thurible maintenance, and now mulling over sermon ideas for #GoodFriday and #EasterDay.
#Episcopal
#PriestLife
#SJPHagerstown

#HolyWeek is coming and the hard work has been done. Now to sit back and experience it.
#SJPHagerstown
#Episcopal

#HolyWeek is right around the corner. At my parish our awesome admin person has all the bulletins ready to go. The only thing left to do is the actual liturgy.
#Episcopal
#SJPHagerstown
#Holiness

It was a good day at church with several visitors, some who might plant at #SJPHagerstown, and nobody passed out.
Came home to Mrs. Ref who went grocery shopping after the service. She bought FOUR containers of ice cream because she couldn’t decide which one was best.
#Episcopal #GoodChurch #IceCream

@RachelKolar Episcopal priest, here, and fully affirming. #FullEquality #SJPHagerstown #AffirmingChurches #EpiscopalChurch

At the late service today we had a choir member collapse during the sequence hymn. Transported to the hospital; all okay (low on fluids apparently). But seriously, people need to stop collapsing during service, or they need to start speaking in tongues when they do.
#SJPHagerstown
#MedicalIssues

Ash Wednesday schedule:
10:00 parking lot ashes
12:15 Holy Eucharist
2:00 parking lot ashes
2:45 hospital ashes
4:00 parking lot ashes
7:00 Holy Eucharist
#AshWednesday
#LentBegins
#Episcopal
#PriestLife
#SJPHagerstown

In hindsight, today was a normal day: services at 8 & 10:15 with a baptism at the second. Coffee hour, a short break, a Zoom class at 1:30, then home for a bit. Back to church at 5 for our monthly Taize service, now home for good. It was a normal day, but I. Am. EXHAUSTED.
#Sunday
#PriestLife
#SJPHagerstown
#BedInNearFuture
#Zzz

It’s Monday. That means breakfast with the group, lectionary study with ecumenical colleagues, and home visits with Communion. Not a lot “gets done” on Mondays; but at the same time, a lot of good stuff gets done.
#Episcopal
#HomeVisits
#PriestLife
#SJPHagerstown