St. Ann’s Parish Hall, 157 Montague Street

Mother Nell Archer will lead three one-hour lunchtime Bible Studies entitled Meeting Jesus in the Dark: Nicodemus Encounters Jesus in the Gospel of John. The discussion will focus on light imagery in the Gospel of John through the story of the religious leader Nicodemus. Bring your lunch and join us for a lively and thought-provoking discussion.

At the February meeting, the St. Ann’s Book of the Month Club will discuss God’s Secretaries: The Making of the King James Bible by Adam Nicolson. After 400 years, the King James Bible remains the most influential Bible translation of all time, and is known for its elegant, poetic style. Adam Nicolson’s book is a history of the preparation of the King James Bible told through stories of the translators and the social, political and religious cross-currents in Jacobean England. He presents compelling portraits and the varying motives of Puritans, Anglicans, and King James I. Some 50 translators, churchmen and laity, spent seven years, from 1604 to 1611, poring over Greek and Hebrew texts, comparing previous translations, and arguing over fine details to produce this masterpiece of English literature and milestone of the Protestant movement in Britain. Please join us in this conversation! Light refreshments will be served.

The first St. Ann’s Knitting Bee in December was such a success we’ve decided to do it again. All knitters and would-be knitters are invited to join us in creating warm handmade items, such as scarves and hats, for mariners at sea as part of a program of the Seamen’s Church Institute. Paige Sato, manager of the Institute’s program, will be on hand to instruct newbies. Some yarns and needles will be available—or bring our own. Refreshments provided.

Christianity is the religion of the Word made flesh. It is also a religion which claims that through Jesus of Nazareth, God lived a fully human life; that in Jesus of Nazareth we have one who is, paradoxically, fully human and fully divine. This two-part lecture will consider how artists through the ages have taken up the task of interpreting and commenting on the biblical text, thus teaching theology through their art. The focus of these presentations will be to examine ways in which artists have attempted to portray the reality and meaning of God-in-our-midst; how art reflects on theological concepts such as the Christian claim to have “seen” God in Christ Jesus, to have “seen salvation.”

Dr. Lucinda Mosher is a consultant, educator, and author on multifaith concerns. Currently, she is Faculty Associate for Interfaith Studies at Hartford Seminary, founding instructor for the annual Worldviews Seminar at The University of Michigan-Dearborn, and a researcher for Auburn Seminary and other agencies. Her publications include the Faith in the Neighborhood book-series.

In place of the usual Wednesday organ concert, St. Ann’s will host a Community Christmas Carol-Sing accompanied by our Organist, Gregory Eaton. A holiday reception will follow the carols. Please join us!

Calling all knitters and would-be knitters! Support Christmas at Sea, a program of the Seamen’s Church Institute that distributes handmade comfort to mariners who spend months at sea, by knitting warm items, such as hats and scarves. If you are interested, please email the church at SAHT157@gmail.com or call us at 718-875-6960. Yarns and needles will be available at the Bee—or bring your own. Refreshments provided.

How often do you have the opportunity to get your craft on, chat with your neighbors and support a worthy cause all at once? Come on down to the St. Ann’s Knitting Bee. You’ll be glad you did!

Join us at this monthly meeting of the Book of the Month club to discuss A Month in the Country, by J.L. Carr. The meeting, after the 6:00 pm Holy Eucharist, follows Tom Birkin, a World War I veteran employed to uncover a medieval mural in a village church in Yorkshire. The short novel explores England’s loss of spirituality after the war, as well as happiness, melancholy, and nostalgia as Birkin heals from his wartime experiences and a broken marriage.

Fr. Lapsley was an inspirational guest preacher at St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church on Sunday, October 30. During the violent years of anti-apartheid in South Africa, Fr. Lapsley publicly advocated for black and white victims of violence, spoke out against the government, and finally became its victim when he received a letter bomb. He lost both hands and his sight in one eye, suffered damaged hearing, and sustained severe burns. His struggles to achieve bodily, spiritual, and emotional healing are now the focus of his life’s work.

In 1998, Fr. Lapsley founded the Institute for the Healing of Memories in Cape Town, to offer support to fellow South Africans and, eventually, to victims of war, genocide, and violence in places like Rwanda, Burundi, Northern Ireland and East Timor. He uses his own inner healing to connect with people who live with searing memories and help them onto a path to forgiveness and reconciliation.

During his sermon at St. Ann’s, Fr. Lapsley discouraged using the phrase “forgive and forget,” and instead suggested that Christianity, with Judaism and Islam, is one of the great remembering traditions. “If anyone tells you to forget the past, tell them they are talking junk,” he insisted. Bad, destructive memories require that we first acknowledge them so we can begin to heal. Forgiveness, he said, is painful and difficult and requires a connection between the wronged and the one who wronged, who seeks reconciliation and “restorative justice,” rather than punishment.

Fr. Lapsley believes that people in pain need the help of God to acknowledge and disconnect from their memories, to free them to achieve forgiveness. He has brought his message to places around the world and is presently working to establish his institute in North America. To learn more, visit www.healing-memories.org.

The judges had a difficult time choosing winners from the assorted bat-kids, strawberry babies, sorcerers, pirates, and festooned creatures.

Prizes were donated by local Montague Street merchants, including Armando’s Restaurant, James Weir Florist, Area Kids and the City Chemist. The entire audience was rewarded at the reception afterwards with candies, cookies, and cupcakes.

View more photos of the event in the Media Gallery