The Rev. Dr. Henrietta Wiley is a philologist of biblical literature and former associate professor of Sacred Scripture at Notre Dame of Maryland University—as well as a visiting professor at Denison University. She is an Episcopal priest, and she did her internship several years ago at Emmanuel. She has a PhD in Hebrew Bible from Harvard University and an undergraduate degree in Classical Greek from the University of North Carolina. Rhetta will lead a three-part series on the Revelation to John. The Revelation is a wildly vivid vision of heaven and earth and God’s will for humanity. She will discuss this text and its history of interpretation, especially in music and art.

Celebrating “the birthday of the Church,” our rector will talk about how he’s settled into the rhythms of Emmanuel and what he sees the future holding for this parish.

As his second year at Emmanuel draws to a close, our assistant rector will discuss that journey and what it has meant to grow into his priesthood with this community. (Spoiler alert: the experience has been impossibly more than he could ever have imagined.) He’ll ponder why he’s grateful, what he’s learned, and where it may lead.

Immediately following our regular 10:30 am Sunday service, Emmanuel will hold its 2018 annual parish meeting. (There will be light refreshments, but please try to return to the main sanctuary quickly so that we can get started.) 

The planned agenda is as follows:

1. Opening Prayer
2. Rector's Report
3. Outreach Report
4. Accessibility Update
5. Financial Report - Fiscal Year 2017
6. 2018 Peek Prize
7. Election of Vestry Members
8. General Business
9. Closing Prayer

Dr. Fosarelli is the Associate Dean of the Ecumenical Institute of Theology at St. Mary's University. There are many spiritual practices, but some seem particularly suited to those who are more mature. This session will highlight such practices, with hints on how to incorporate them into daily life.

Dr. Sherwood Githens, a former Sr. Warden at Emmanuel Church, will talk about he methods for first identifying planets that have the right conditions for life as we know it (especially liquid water), some of the possible life-forms that might be encountered (touching on life found in extreme locations on earth, and the history of life on earth), and what signs of life will be sought via telescopes already built and under construction. He will further explore the philosophical and religious meaning of actually finding life on other planets in our solar system or around nearby stars.

Former Bishop Suffragan of Maryland the Right Rev. John l. Rabb will present a three part series on The Pentateuch, also called the Torah or Story. These books are the ones that can be found on the scrolls in the sanctuaries of synagogues.  They are the most formative guide to the covenant with Israel as God’s people. The Books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy can be understood from four sources: reflecting how Israel sees itself; understands monotheism and develops a moral code; an understanding of worship; and the place of ritual. This presentation will be presented in three consecutive forms, with the first week devoted to an overview of the five books.
 

Former Bishop Suffragan of Maryland the Right Rev. John l. Rabb will present a three part series on The Pentateuch, also called the Torah or Story. These books are the ones that can be found on the scrolls in the sanctuaries of synagogues.  They are the most formative guide to the covenant with Israel as God’s people. The Books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy can be understood from four sources: reflecting how Israel sees itself; understands monotheism and develops a moral code; an understanding of worship; and the place of ritual. This presentation will be presented in three consecutive forms, with the first week devoted to an overview of the five books.
 

8:30 & 10:30 am Festival Celebration of the Holy Eucharist

(The Easter Egg hunt returns to Emmanuel Church! In addition to a festive coffee hour, children will be given bags to collect brightly colored Easter eggs hidden throughout the church building. Please contact Joseph, jwood@emmanueldowntown.org, if you would like to help stuff plastic eggs, hide them or otherwise assist with this event.)

7:30 pm, Beginning in the Narthex

7:30 pm, Choral Tenebrae in the main sanctuary

7:30 pm, Holy Eucharist with Foot Washing & Stripping of the Altar in the main sanctuary

12:00 Noon, Holy Eucharist in Eccleston Chapel

7:00 am, Holy Eucharist in Eccleston Chapel

7:00 am, Holy Eucharist in Eccelston Chapel

8:30 am, Holy Eucharist in Eccleston Chapel

10:30 am, Blessing of the Palms at Mount Vernon Square before processing back to the main sanctuary for the Holy Eucharist and a reading of the Passion
**UPDATE: Given how cold it is, the 10:30 am will begin in the Narthex**

(There will be no Adult Forum on Palm Sunday or Easter Day.)

George Fisher is Emeritus Professor of Geology at Johns Hopkins University and a retired faculty member of the Ecumenical Institute of St. Mary’s Seminary. His professional life was devoted first to studying Appalachian geology, then to exploring the interplay between scientific and religious understandings of nature. In retirement, he continues to write on connections between the Earth sciences and our Biblical tradition. The Old and New Testaments both remind us that our religious ancestors sensed sacredness in creation from the very beginning. For Christians, the Incarnation is the clearest evidence of that opportunity. Modern science can enrich our ability to see the sacred in nature, and deepen our understanding of scripture. As an example, I will reflect on Jesus’ parable of the sower from an ecological perspective, which allows us to see the parable as a metaphor for successive stages of spiritual development that can lead to personal transformation, rather than three failures followed by a single success.

Our rector will talk about what Lent means for him and how we might live into the season together.
 

Celebrate Fat Tuesday with Creole food from Sandy's Feast and New Orleans Jazz by Tongue and Cheek! Tickets are $20 at the door or $15 in advance. $10 for kids.

Sign up in the narthex, or buy tickets online:

https://app.moonclerk.com/pay/3ylvka7xsh0r

Christian Mysticism in Surprising Places: Don’t look for Christian mystical writing just in the religion aisle. Science—particularly in the consideration of time, matter, and the universe— can often best be understood through a mystical lens. Among those who will be considered will be John Polkinghorne of Britain, perhaps an eventual winner of the Noble Prize in physics, who is an Episcopal priest and a deeply spiritual thinker and writer on such subjects as prayer, creation, and miracles. Also, Teilhard de Chardin, a Jesuit paleontologist, whose writings were suppressed in his life, but become immediately a transcendent new voice in Christian mystical devotion when published.

Christian Mysticism in the Modern Era: The great age of mysticism did not end with the Protestant Reformation. There was a new flowering of mystical reflection, writing, and teaching in the 19th, 20th, and even 21st centuries. This forum will look at such important mystical guides as Thomas Merton, Simone Weil, Henri Nouwen, and Mother Theresa. What do teachers of our age have to say to us and to future ages?

There are many great and exciting things happening in downtown Baltimore. The President of the Downtown Partnership, Kirby Fowler, joins us this morning to discuss some of the major events and happenings that are making Baltimore one of the most talked about cities on the East Coast. From the Inner Harbor to Station North and some of Baltimore’s “hippest” neighborhoods (like Mt. Vernon) the Downtown Partnership is your connection to all the excitement Baltimore has to offer.