By Greg Goebel Almost everyone seems to feel the letdown after Christmas Day. After six weeks of singing Christmas carols, shopping, and partying, it all comes to a grinding halt at 8:30 am on Christmas morning. Another year till next Christmas. And as much as people complain about commercialization and hectic holidays, etc., we still…
One of the glories of the Advent experience at Epworth is our annual service of Advent Lessons and Carols. This candlelight service which was held on Sunday, December 8th, included scripture lessons and hymns that lead us from the Old Testament prophets to the birth of Christ. This service is one way in which we…
Below is the proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln that established a national day of Thanksgiving. Prior to this, each state scheduled its own Thanksgiving holiday at different times, mainly in New England and other Northern states. The Thanksgiving proclamation established a national “day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the…
Several Epworthies participated in this year’s Rake Up Boise effort on Saturday, November 9th. The weather was perfect for raking! We met at the church and ate doughnuts to carbo-load before getting a few hours of exercise. Like most years, Epworth signed up for two homes. The residents were very grateful for the help. Some…
As we prepare to celebrate All Saints Day on Sunday, perhaps some of you have wondered at some point: What’s it all about, anyway? The following may prove helpful: Every December, the secular, cultural celebration of Christmas overshadows the religious holiday on which it is based. Essentially the same thing happens at the end of…
Epworth held its annual Harvest Festival on Sunday, October 13th this year. It is a time to recognize our many blessings from Christ, which prompts generosity to others as our proper response. Harvest Festival is an Anglican tradition dating back to 1843, and has been an annual celebration at Epworth for years. Epworthies celebrate Harvest…
Recently I was teaching my history students about early monks and ascetics. Unsurprisingly, they reacted to the details of St. Anthony’s and St. Symeon’s lives rather strongly. My 21st century teenagers find the idea of strict ascetic practices very off-putting. I really don’t blame them, although I hope to sway their perspective. In our modern…
As the school year began, Pastor John and his boys (Josiah, Stephen, and Asher) delivered much-needed school supplies to Koelsch Elementary. This has been an annual effort by Epworthies for many years, donating everything from paper and pencils to Kleenex and backpacks. The cost of buying school supplies can be daunting for many local parents,…
For several weeks this summer Epworth was blessed to have a Mandela Washington Fellowship recipient visiting our congregation. Fleurot Raharilala was one of the 100+ up-and-coming African leaders recognized by this State Department program that offers training on US college campuses around the country to further the skills of these remarkable young people. Fleurot teaches…
The Epworth stained glass windows were all designed and constructed by artist Carolyn Houts Gilbert. On the completion of the project Epworth held a celebration and dedication service. On that occasion Gilbert said, “The thing I most want you to know about my involvement in this window replacement project is that I wanted to do…