April 2025
March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers.
The ancient Romans tied the month to the goddess Venus because of its beautiful and life-affirming effects, and for thousands of years the month was seen as the true beginning of the year.
The month of April gets its name from the Latin word Aperio, meaning “to open (bud)” because plants really begin to grow now.
Aries & Taurus are April’s zodiac signs (Aries: 3/21 – 4/19; Taurus: 4/20-5/20). Aries are bold, ambitious and natural leaders. The ram is their symbol. Their element is fire. Strengths: optimistic, courageous and enthusiastic. Weaknesses: impatient, aggressive and sometimes selfish. Taurus is a grounded and practical sign, known for their loyalty, patience and love of the finer things in life. The bull is their symbol. Their element is earth. Strengths: reliable, persistent and sensual. Weaknesses: Stubborn, possessive and can be slow to change.
April’s flower: Daisy and Sweet Pea. Both symbolize themes of purity, love and gratitude, fitting for the spirit of spring.
April’s birthstone: Diamond. Known for its brilliance, strength and symbolism of love and clarity.
By April, spring has finally sprung. Skies are bright and clear; lawns are green and lush; gardens are bursting with spring bulbs planted in the fall; and late spring and early summer plants are shaping up. Birds are busy making nests, migrations arrive almost daily, and the hummingbirds begin their return from the south.
We too are busy springing forth, budding with ideas & creating our personal spaces in & outdoors to reflect a vision of our own to enjoy and share. We welcome back the familiar plants, bushes, trees and animals that have shared our space for many years. We welcome the forgotten in the gardens and wonder “when did I plant you” or “I thought you were good & gone”, and we let out a good ole –“Welcome Back”- with a pleasing smile on our faces.
“Welcome Back” is a wonderful and warm sentiment, expressing joy and happiness of a return. It fosters a sense of community and belonging. It reinforces that someone or something – like the surprise plant coming up in the garden – is valued and missed.
Here at Epiphany, we see each Sunday as a perfect opportunity to think and feel the significance of “Welcome Back.” Each parishioner that walks through the doors is a valued member of our church family who is special and deserves a “Welcome Back” moment. Each Sunday, we share a “Welcome Back” with our guest organist and guest priest for the day, as they too are valued and appreciated for their time given, for the Good Word, for sermons that touch & teach, for music that lifts our spirits, and for their help in keeping Epiphany strong.
Spiritually we “Welcome Back” the annual lessons and guidance of Lent and enter a message into our hearts that soon we will once again re-live the rise and glory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The purpose of Lent is spiritual preparation: to provide an opportunity to deepen our faith through prayer, fasting and giving, that will lead us to a more meaningful celebration of Christ’s death and resurrection.
The spiritual message of Lent is to reflect on our sinful nature and praise God for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ who came to serve, live and die for our sins.
May this 40-day journey of spiritual renewal and reflection broaden our faith, deepen our hearts, and expand our boundaries while we prepare for that extraordinary day of celebrating the risen Lord of Easter.
Be Blessed.
Jim Fisher – Sr. Warden
The greatest illusion of modern society is that freedom is purely individualistic, when in reality, our freedom is deeply interconnected with the well-being of everyone.
Happenings around Epiphany
Our Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper was quite nice and well attended, with 32 enjoying the griddle made cakes, sausage, bacon and sauted apples. Charles led the kitchen with Carter assisting- and all went well. We had 4 Girl Scout volunteers helping in the parish hall (as well selling the Girl Scout cookies at the end of the meal!) Our in-house witchy poo, Ariel, read cards for ones pleasure and donated her proceeds.
Ash Wednesday was more than a bit “blah”, with some heavy-duty winds all morning, followed strong afternoon and evening thunderstorms. The Rev. Canon Win Lewis braved those March winds to dispense the 12:00 “Ashes to Go”. With the front doors tied to a bush and another planked open with a piece of wood, visitors and parishioners stopped by to begin their Lenten journey. At 6 p.m.., Win Lewis assisted The Rev. Anne Zobel, who celebrated with us for the first time, and those that attended exclaimed that her sermon was reflective and quite good. Let’s just say, “She clicked.” Thank you to both Win and Anne from the 24 souls receiving the imposition of ashes.
A Canterbury House @ ODU lunch was dropped off on March 6th. If you are not familiar with Canterbury House Episcopal Center, please check them out. https://oducanterbury.org
Easter Lily forms are on the table next to the bulletins.
Roof Fund Raiser
For a period of time, there was nothing to report about the roof repair over the rector’s office that the fundraiser was started for. My apologies for that, as my take was, I had no information to offer up, so why bring it up. My bad, according to some, & I get it.
Mike Diaz had worked on getting us 3 estimates, and we had whittled it down to one, when we received a call from a fellow parishioner – Dan Swain. Dan had read in one of the Chatters that we were roof fundraising and wanted to come by and have a look-see at the problem, as well to inquire why we had not contacted him to begin with, as he is a contractor. Oops – that had slipped by all of us on vestry. Dan met with Mike, devised a plan and then made the repairs. There were delays with different factors and thus no reporting to the congregation. In the end, the repairs were made, but future work will need to be done on that roof. Dan covered the cost of labor and materials, and we are very grateful to him for his generosity.
The donations received, for which we are also very grateful, are in a Restricted Fund for Roof Repair only. These funds cannot be touched without the full consent of vestry and can only be used for the roof. All donors were notified by letter of their options regarding their donation. I hope this briefing eases any concerns.
It was he who “gave gifts to people”; he appointed some to the apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists, others to be pastors and teachers. Ephesians 4:11
Pastoral care is always available. Our guest priests will always find time to lend an ear or to make an appointment with. For info, see Jim.
April Schedule
April 6th
- The Rev. Berkley Ford
- Organist: Pat Spoettle
- Lector: Marcie Kidd
- Usher: Susie Pedigo
- Altar: Len & Tina Wright
- Greens: Marcia Cronin
April 13th – Palm Sunday
- The Rev. John Baldwin
- Organist: Joe Ritchie
- Lector: Jim Fisher
- Usher: Tommy Gilleland
- Altar: Kevin LaPointe
- Greens: Jim Fisher
April 17th – Maundy Thursday
- Service at 6 p.m.
- Potluck Agape meal after the service
- Followed by the stripping of the altar
- April 18th – Good Friday
- Service at 6 p.m. with Stations of the Cross
April 20th – Easter Sunday (with Flowering of the Cross)
- The Rev. Peg Buelow
- Organist: Joe Ritchie
- Lector: Brian Pritchard
- Usher: Jackie Rochelle
- Altar: Ariel Fernandez
- Flowers: Altar Guild
April 27th
- The Rev. John Baldwin
- Organist: Pat Spoettle
- Lector: John Childers
- Usher: Kevin LaPointe
- Altar: Kevin LaPointe
- Flowers: Jim Fisher