Author: vicar

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People

Meet Will and Phyllis Townsend

phyl-willIn the four years we have lived in Weare, Holy Cross has become “home” to us. Things we relish about Holy Cross include:

· The way people have opened their hearts and homes to us.

· The fact that worship is taken seriously; it is never just “matter of course.” We particularly relish the wonderful music in our worship services

· The importance given to the authority of the Bible, striving to understand and interpret its whole message, in contrast to narrow line-by-line or “literal” interpretation.

· Father John’s stress on Christian Life as a “pathway to God.”

· Emphasis upon the one-ness of love-for-God and love-for-neighbors (that is, all of humanity). We appreciate Father John’s phraseology that “Love for God and love for our neighbors are inextricably intertwined.

· The fact that, by choice, Holy Cross is a vital part of the Weare community.

· The acceptance of diversity of liturgical practices, such as sitting, standing, kneeling for prayers, diversity of opinions, such as around the issue of sexuality.

We are happy that Holy Cross is “home” to us!

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People

Meet Fr. Harold Beliveau

10-29-07-003My wife Kathleen and I became acquainted with Holy Cross some 15 years ago when we supported the effort of St. Paul’s, Concord, that had an extended and helpful ministry at Holy Cross. We were impressed by the worship and work of the clergy and people at that time.

Numerous events changed the direction of the Weare congregation and we lessened our attendance. However, we heard that a new priest and his wife with interesting backgrounds had been called and accepted the challenge of raising up a faltering missionary congregation.

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People

Meet Bobbi-Jo Plamondon

10-14-07-004I have been coming to Holy Cross since I was a little girl. I was one of the very first female acolytes, in the old church which is now the atriums. I’m a single mom with two little boys, Ryan and Wyatt.  I have lived in Weare most of my life, aside from a few years in North Carolina in my early 20’s. 

 

I actually found my way back to Holy Cross during my pregnancy with Ryan. I will say it is so exciting to be in our new building. To be able to provide a community space for so many groups in town is wonderful. I think back to how many changes we have had over the years, but the closeness you feel here never changes.

 

I love the atrium and nursery program we have. It is so different than what I experienced. I think my children will remember more with the program we have here now. I love it here, and I’m proud to be a part of all we try to do for the community and beyond.

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People

Meet Laura Arvin

10-10-07-006I came to Holy Cross, a little more than eight years ago. When I called to find about service times, I got the answering machine. The message, offered by Fr. John, spoke of a small congregation with lots of young families with children. Right down my alley—I had a 5-year-old and an 18-mo.-old. I was shopping for a church home after having moved to New Boston recently. I was starting with Episcopal churches—I had grown up in one.

Well, my shopping trip didn’t last long—I came to Holy Cross that Sunday and never left.

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Worship

About Worship at Holy Cross

Seasons of the Christian Year (here Advent) are observed in worship.
Seasons of the Christian Year (here Advent) are observed in worship.

 

The Episcopal Church is a liturgical church, which means that at the heart of our life is our Sunday worship. Each Sunday we celebrate the Holy Eucharist, the original and most ancient form of Christian worship, instituted by Jesus himself. In the Eucharist we don’t just “say,” we “do.” This service is also called Communion or Mass.  Our worship is drawn from the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, often called the most beautiful liturgy in the English language.  You’ll find that Episcopalians value beauty in worship, and the kind of structure which allows all worshipers to feel at ease and participate.  Weekly bulletins help you find your way.

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Believing and Belonging Worship

Joining in Communion at Holy Cross

Of all the anxieties that visitors and newcomers to a church experience, “Can I receive Communion?” is probably right there at the top. There’s a fear that if one joins the congregation in coming forward at Communion time and one shouldn’t . . . an alarm will go off, God will hurl down a lightening bolt, or the priest will publicly humiliate you.

Well, none of those things will happen at Holy Cross! If a visitor comes to receive the Sacrament, she or he will receive it. At the same time, we do follow a simple rule, which is the requirement for receiving Communion in the whole Episcopal Church. That is, you should be baptized.

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Sermons

Lent 4 March 22, 2009

Numbers 21:4-9                                                                  

Ephesians 2:1-10                                                                

John 3:14-21

 

I was more than a little surprised when Bishop Robinson said yesterday, speaking at the annual diocesan stewardship institute, that the Old Testament reading for today was exactly meant for us, at this moment of economic crisis in the world. The bronze serpent, I thought to myself? I’d been wondering how I was going to explain this bit of weirdness to my congregation.

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Categories
Worship

“Body Language” in Worship

The processional cross at Holy Cross was made by Weare blacksmiths Cook's Forge. It is a Celtic cross, and echoes the pattern of the window above our Altar.
The processional cross at Holy Cross was made by Weare blacksmiths Cook's Forge. It is a Celtic cross, and echoes the pattern of the window above our Altar.

Someone coming to Holy Cross from another denomination remarked, “The thing I like about it here is people are free to do different things at church: sit, kneel, stand, cross themselves, bow or not.” We do have that kind of flexibility. But sometimes people want a bit of guidance in feeling their way to what works for them in worship. So here’s an attempt to provide that.

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Worship

Come With Joy Sundays

One of our Holy Cross teens joins guitarist Jim Sims to provide Sunday music.
One of our Holy Cross teens joins guitarist Jim Sims to provide Sunday music.

For the past couple of years, Holy Cross has been experimenting with periodic “Come With Joy” Sundays. These are inspired by a ministry of Caroline Fairless and Jim Sims called Children at Worship ~ Congregations in Bloom. Caroline, an Episcopal priest, and her husband Jim, a musician and composer, have a mission to make Episcopal worship more attractive to children, teens and young adults. They bring a rich array of music, drama, visual arts and other exciting ideas to Sunday morning Eucharists.

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People

Meet Richard Harbour

 

Richard Harbour joins Bishop Gene Robinson at a Holy Cross potluck dinner.
Richard Harbour joins Bishop Gene Robinson at a Holy Cross potluck dinner.

Richard likes to describe himself as a doer, not a planner. Which is a great orientation for the Property chair on the Holy Cross Vestry. Though he’s in sunny Florida for the winter months, for most of the year Richard is right on top of all the building and grounds jobs that need attention: painting, gutting the old basement, washing windows, grooming the grounds. Richard is a retired sales representative, who lives with his wife Ellie in Hillsborough. When we want something done, we ask Richard! Everyone should be so lucky as to have a guy like him on hand.

 

 

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