[st uriel's] St Uriel's Community Liturgy Dates through Epiphany and Lent

[Tim Mansfield]

Hi folks,

Here's the dates, readings and intents for regular services between  
today and Ash Wednesday. Note that we've shifted to a slightly earlier  
time of 6pm.

This early season of the year is full of ritual and drama. If you want  
to gather support for your private prayer and spiritual practice, the  
festivals of Epiphany, Candlemas and Lent are the ideal way to fortify  
yourself.

All welcome!

Epiphany

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphany_%28holiday%29

The month of January has been mostly occupied by the festival of  
Epiphany, which is celebrated on January 6 – the twelfth day of  
Christmas. Epiphany (which means "revelation" in Greek) among other  
things recalls the arrival of the Three Wise Men at the nativity of  
Christ.

In the season of Epiphany (which lasts from The Epiphany up to  
Candlemas, 40 days after Christmas) all Christians recall the events  
of the life of Jesus in which he progressively revealed himself as  
Divine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphany_%28feeling%29

As Gnostics, this is a season in which we celebrate our own Epiphany.  
Some of us have had clear experiences of noticing the Divine Presence  
in everyday life, some of us may still be hoping for such a moment  
though we're not certain we've had it. So this month is a time to  
engage in spiritual practice in a mood of both dedication and  
thanksgiving.

27 Jan – Fourth Sunday in Epiphany
Intent: The Overcoming of Sorrow
Readings: http://gnosis.org/ecclesia/lect019.htm

Service: 6pm - Logos Liturgy at St Uriel's with meditation. All Welcome!
Liturgy followed by tea and discussion of chapter 1 of "Inner  
Christianity" by Richard Smoley.

Candlemas

February begins with Candlemas, the fortieth day after Christmas. For  
exoteric Christians, this is a commemoration of the presentation of  
Jesus at the Temple. The name of the festival comes from the tradition  
of blessing the church's candles on this day.

For us, the festival is a recollection of the presence of the Sacred  
Flame in even the darkest places and the power of the Flame to  
illuminate the world. Bring along a candle and we'll collectively ask  
for a blessing on them, so that you can take it home for use in  
private meditation.

3 Feb – Candlemas Sunday
Intent: Kindling of the Light in Darkness
Readings: http://gnosis.org/ecclesia/lect119.htm

Service: 6pm - Logos Liturgy at St Uriel's with The Christ Practice (a  
guided meditation intended to fortify one's intent for spiritual  
practice). All Welcome.

Note: Bring along a candle and we'll collectively ask for a blessing  
on the candles.

Lent

Lent is the solemn period leading up to Easter and is characterised by  
a process of turning inward, of "giving up" what stands between you  
and the Divine and of purification. Fortified by the joy of the  
Incarnation, strengthened in our practice of prayer and meditation by  
Epiphany and Candlemas, we turn our attention to purifying our selves  
to better see the Light.

This is an ideal time to engage in emotional cleansing practices like  
psychotherapy, Focusing, various kinds of Vipassana meditation,  
journalling and so on. We enter this period in humility, but not  
grimly, determined to do what needs to be done.

The first day of Lent is always Ash Wednesday, in many churches ash is  
blessed and a priest signs the sign of the cross on each person's  
forehead in ash with the words, "Remember Thou, O soul, that thy body  
is dust and unto dust it shall return." We don't yet have a priest, so  
we won't be able to observe this tradition, but we will have a moment  
to dedicate our attention to the purification of Lent for those who'd  
like to join in.

6 Feb – Ash Wednesday  (Note Irregular Service Time)
Intent: Purification
Readings: http://gnosis.org/ecclesia/lect027.htm

Service: 7.30pm - Logos Liturgy at St Uriel's. All Welcome.
For those who wish to take part a silent dedication to purification  
will be held.

10 Feb – First Sunday in Lent
Intent: Self-examination
Readings: http://gnosis.org/ecclesia/lect028.htm
Service: 6pm - Logos Liturgy at St Uriel's with meditation. All Welcome.

17 Feb – Second Sunday in Lent
Intent: Yearning for God
Readings: http://gnosis.org/ecclesia/lect030.htm
Service: 6pm - Logos Liturgy at St Uriel's with meditation. All Welcome.

24 Feb – Third Sunday in Lent
Intent: Understanding
Readings: http://gnosis.org/ecclesia/lect032.htm
Service: 6pm - Logos Liturgy at St Uriel's with meditation. All Welcome.

2 Mar – Fourth Sunday in Lent
Intent: Spiritual Refreshment
Readings: http://gnosis.org/ecclesia/lect034.htm
Service: 6pm - Logos Liturgy at St Uriel's with meditation. All Welcome.

Thanks for your continued support of our community. I hope to  
encounter many of you at Sunday liturgy through this fascinating and  
important season.

With Love,

Rev Mr Tim Mansfield
Lay Leader, St Uriel the Archangel Gnostic Community
Apostolic Johannite Church

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mail.saint-uriels.org/pipermail/announce_saint-uriels.org/attachments/20080126/e0bce0f6/attachment.html