LITURGY OF THE WORD

Sermons Of The Rev. Tracy Johnson Russell

To hear the sermons of The Rev. Johnson Russell CLICK HERE

Sunday, April 26, 2015: Fourth Sunday of Easter

First Lesson: Acts (4:5-12)

Psalm 23, Page 612, BCP

Second Lesson: John's Epistle (1 John 3:16-24)

The Holy Gospel Of Our Lord Jesus Christ According To John (10:11-18)

Sermon: Deacon Darryl Burke

Sunday, April 19, 2015: Third Sunday of  Easter

First Lesson: Acts (3:12-19)

Psalm 4, Page 587, BCP

Second Lesson: John's Epistle (1 John 3:1-7)

The Holy Gospel Of Our Lord Jesus Christ According To Luke (24:36b-48)   

Sermon: The Rev. Tracy Johnson Russell

Sunday,April 12, 2015: Second Sunday if Easter 

First Lesson: Acts (4:32-35)

Psalm 133, Page 787, BCP

Second Lesson: John's Epistle (1 John 1:1-2:2)

The Holy Gospel Of Our Lord Jesus Christ According To John (20:19-31) 

Sermon: Ministry Intern Kacei Conyers

Sunday, April 5, 2015: Easter

Sunrise Service Only

Lighting the Paschal Candle

Exultet

Exodus (14:10-31, 15:20-21, Canticle 9 Page 85 BCP

Ezekiel 36:24-28; Canticle 9 Page 86 BCP

Renewal of Baptismal Vows Page 292 BCP

First Lesson: Isaiah (25:6-9)

Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 Page 760, BCP

Second Lesson: Paul's Epistle (1 Corinthians 15:1-11)

The Holy Gospel Of Our Lord Jesus Christ According To Mark (16:1-8)

Sermon: The Rev. Tracy Johnson Russell

Email

monicahartford@gmail.com

NEWS AND EVENTS 

Sermons Of The Rev. Tracy Johnson Russell

To hear the sermons of The Rev. Johnson Russell CLICK HERE

St. Monica's Website

To visit St. Monica's website CLICK HERE.

Directions To St. Monica's

For driving directions to St. Monica's, 3575 Main Street, Hartford CLICK HERE

From The Desk of  the Priest-In-Charge

Let Your Light Shine!

Luke 8:16-17 The New American Standard Bible (NASB)

16 "Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it over with a container, or puts it under a bed; but he puts it on a lamp stand, so that those who come in may see the light. 17 For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light."

When the light of the truth about Jesus illuminates us, it is our duty to shine that light to help others. My friends, our witness for christ should be public...not hidden away. We should not, we must not, keep the benefits that we have been given through God's boundless grace for ourselves alone but pass them to others.

So, I urge you to seek out opportunities within and outside our church to "LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE"

Blessings and Peace!

Rev. Tracy

Annual Walk Against Hunger
The Annual Walk Against Hunger will be Sunday, May 3, 2015. Every member is asked to make a personal donation and then ask friends, family, colleagues and neighbors to donate or sponsor them. Our neighbors are counting on us.

Birthdays And Anniversaries In April

Happy Birthday to: Ijeoma Nwazojie 6th; Kylee Lightfoot 8th; Carmen Garvey and Justin Hall 10th;Nicole Walters 11th; Donna Ricketts 13th; Maureen Anderson 19th; Hattie Henry 21st; April Carter, Joan Jones, Andre Krausz and Denzil Ricketts 23rd; Julio Anderson 26th; Ingrid Dupuy and Norma Ifill 28th.

Happy Anniversary to: Nicholas and Marie Harvey 25th.

In Memory Of: Carrie Babcock 5th;  Anna Fish 6th; Wilfred Jaell 8th; Phoebe Smith and Mabel Ramsey 12th; Marie Williams, Silver gardner and George Sadler 13th; Clinton Dowen 16th; Mabel Mitchell 17th; Theodore Canigen, James Weeks and Emma Walker 18th; Vernal Morgan 20th; Glendora Skeete 21st; Georgianna Scott 22nd; David Murray 23rd; William Washington and Anna Crawford 24th; Bevbal Atkins, Lillian Seymour and Clarence Williams 25th; 

Rev. Tracy Johnson Russell
St. Monica's Church family extends its sincere condolences to Rev. Tracy Johnson Russell and her family on the death of her mother. May she rest in peace.
Olive James
St. Monica's Church family extends its sincere condolences to Olive James and her family on the death of her nephew Damien. May he rest in peace.
Verona Brown Francis and Family

I sincerely thank all of you for the concern you've shown my family and I during this difficult time. Thanks for your calls, visits and prayers.
From Verona Brown Francis and Family     

Vestry Members

Carol Anderson, Cyrus Aimey (Junior Warden), Veronica Airey-Wilson, Joyce Asiedu, Winston Barnaby, Walter Benjamin (Senior Warden), Marie Brown-Harvey (Secretary), April Carter, Evelyn Green, David Hickmon, A. Bates Lyons, Joseph Noel, Evelyn Stewart, Terrie Thomas.

Music

Rochelle Holder - Youth Choir

Nathaniel Baker - Music Director/Organist

Rector Emeritus

Canon Cyril Burke

Email

monicahartford@gmail.com

ITEM OF INTEREST

Today's Health
If you're looking for tasty ways to get more essential nutrients, mix it up with healthy salads. One of the keys to building a better salad is to explore new or unfamiliar produce items. Including a variety of toppings and other nutritious additions can turn a salad into a meal while boosting your daily intake of fruits and vegetables.

Pile your plate with leafy green vegetables - dark greens pack the most nutrients. If possible, choose several types o greens. Adding other vegetables and fresh fruit provides the satisfaction of crunch, texture and flavor along with more nutrients and fiber. You need only a little protein in the mix. Choose lean or low-at protein sources. and don't forget he whole grains. Whole grains help you feel fuller longer. For added flavor, use as many herbs as you please.

As for those extras - salty items such as pickles and olives, and calories -pack nuts and dried fruits - be sparing. Perhaps skip the creamy dressings altogether and instead squeeze on some lemon juice or drizzle a little red wine vinegar or olive oil over your salad instead. Another option is a spritz-style vinaigrette dressing. Each spritz adds just a calorie or two.
Source: Mayo Clinic Health Letter (April 2011: p. 7).

THE BOOK CORNER 

Short Stories by Jesus
by Amy-Jill Levine

This author provides many insights if you're open to different interpretations based on contextual knowledge of the period. My favorite is the parable "The Pearl." I had my favorite interpretation, but I enjoyed seeing how many different folks have seen this entirely differently. This is the point of good parables, more than one meaning can be pulled forth. If you approach the Bible as having fixed singular meaning, this book is not for you.

I admit I was challenged by a very scholarly approach, dissecting the parable carefully. I often just want to get to the summary-tell me what it really means! But this misses the power of a good story. Sometimes to appreciate the full meaning, you need to turn it over, look at it from different angles, feel it slowly and try on these different meanings. This may not be the approach many take to the Bible, as we often want to believe there's one firm meaning there that all can see. What this author does successfully is show that Jesus was like many thoughtful leaders-they didn't provide answers as much as they provoked us to search ourselves for how their story fits our circumstances.

May you all fund your "pearl."
Review by Jeremy Freeman