Author: administrator

Daily Message from St. Edward’s – May 26, 2020

administrator

Dear parishioners,

We hope you had a lovely long weekend.  It was great to be outside to take advantage of the warmer spring weather and enjoy all of the natural wonders of God’s creation.

This week Father Rick is preparing his service for the Day of Pentecost, Whitsunday and we continue to complete renovation projects in the church and work on plans for our eventual re-opening.  We so appreciate parishioners taking the time to complete the survey as this will help greatly in how Father Rick, in consultation with the vestry, works to make sure that St. Edward’s is doing its absolute best to respond to our parish, while abiding by all health and safety protocols from our State, and the Diocesan Task Force, in creating our re-opening plan. We will most certainly keep you posted as we know more details.

As a gentle reminder, please continue to be aware of any email phishing schemes that may continue to come to St. Edward’s, through the illegitimate use of Father Rick’s name and/or partial email address.  We will alert you if they continue to bombard us, and please let us know if you feel an email you have received may not be quite right, before you venture to open it.

We thought you may be interested in following Bishop Curry’s The Way of Love podcast, Season Three (details below) and we will take you on a virtual tour of Dubai with the link here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdejM6wCkxA

Dubai is a fascinating part of the world with its deserts, architecture, and culture.  Enjoy.

Continue to be well, be safe, and keep the faith.

Michelle

Third season of The Way of Love with Bishop Michael Curry podcast continues May 26 with guest Jeff Chu

[May 26, 2020] Season 3 of  The Episcopal Church’s podcast The Way of Love with Bishop Michael Curry, is now available. These weekly conversations, featuring Bishop Curry, podcast host Sandy Milien, and a variety of guests, center on ways to live a life committed to living the way of God’s unconditional, unselfish, sacrificial and redemptive love.

Season 3 changes include longer conversations between Bishop Curry and his guests: faith leaders, authors, and thinkers who are committed to following the Way of Jesus in the world today. Framed by the Way of Love – those seven practices of turning, learning, praying, worshipping, blessing, going, and resting – listeners will hear stories and lessons about how they can grow closer to God in daily life.

In this episode, Bishop Curry talks to Jeff Chu, who tells us about his extraordinary career as a journalist, farmer, writer, editor, teacher, and Christian thinker – and how he has come to see God moving throughout those roles. Having spent time among groups of people who radically disagree – about the Church, about human sexuality, about love itself – he describes some of the lessons he’s learned along the way. The two reflect on storytelling, Sabbath, and the ways we are called to pause, to look back on our experiences, and to begin to understand where God has led us and is currently leading us. This episode of The Way of Love Podcast is sponsored by Emory University’s Candler School of Theology, offering a Doctor of Ministry that is ninety percent online.

Season 3 episodes and guests include:

  • May 4 – Episode 1: Jen Hatmaker, New York Times best-selling author and podcast host

This episode of the Way of Love podcast is sponsored by Trinity Church Wall Street, which offers services streamed live and on demand in HD six days a week.

  • May 11 – Episode 2: The Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber, Lutheran pastor, New York Times best-selling author, and speaker

This episode of the Way of Love podcast is sponsored by For People, a new podcast with Bishop Rob Wright about finding and holding on to Faith in the midst of the challenges of an ever-changing world. Listen via your favorite podcast player and learn more at episcopalatlanta.org/forpeople.

  • May 18: – Episode 3: Teddy Reeves, assistant curator of religion, Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture (NMAAHC), Washington, D.C.

This episode of The Way of Love Podcast is sponsored by Church Pension Group.

  • May 25 – Episode 4: Jeff Chu, writer, reporter, editor, teacher and community leader

This episode of The Way of Love Podcast is sponsored by Emory University’s Candler School of Theology, offering a Doctor of Ministry that is ninety percent online.

  • June 1 Episode 5: Shane Claiborne, speaker, activist, and best-selling author
  • June 8 – Episode 6: Fr. Richard Rohr, founder, Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC), Albuquerque, New Mexico

This episode of The Way of Love Podcast is sponsored by Church Divinity School of the Pacific.

  • June 15 – Episode 7: Check back for more information – coming soon

If you missed Seasons 1 and 2, or want to go back and listen again, individual episodes, including bonus episodes and reflection guides are  here.

The Way of Love with Bishop Michael Curry, is available on most podcast apps and at episcopalchurch.org. Visit the Way of Love podcast webpage to subscribe to the podcast through Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify and to sign up for notifications of new seasons and episodes as well as additional featured content.

Sunday Service Online – The Seventh Sunday of Easter: The Sunday after Ascension Day – May 24, 2020

administrator

Click here to download this Sunday’s service bulletin to follow along with the service.

Besides prayers, calls, cards and emails, there is one more thing you can do to support St. Edward’s during this time. Please keep up-to-date with your pledge or regular contribution. Even though we must keep our doors closed for a period of time, we also must continue to pay our fixed expenses such as electricity, insurance, and salaries. We will continue to pick up our mail, so you can easily mail your contributions to the office and we will see that they are properly credited.  We have also been blessed to discover that the diocese has set up online giving for each parish.  If you feel comfortable making your weekly giving or pledge donation in this manner (it is a secure giving tool), simply go to the diocesan web site, click on the tab up top and it will take you to a page where you can scroll down, find St. Edward’s, and continue with making your contribution!  Thank you for maintaining your faithfulness through your financial stewardship!

Click here if you would like to donate online through the diocesan portal. You will scroll down to find “St. Edward’s” under “Lancaster”. The portal is a secure giving site.

Consider joining the virtual coffee hour, hosted by Joe and Christina McLaughlin.  Please note:  We are going back to the OLD join code and pass code protocol via Christina’s account.  It appears there may be too much “traffic” on the paid-for subscription platform, and as with all technology, please bear with us as we work through a little trial and error to make sure we are bringing to you the ministries you love to participate in as we navigate the technology component, along with the millions of users who login each Sunday on Zoom for worship and fellowship.

Click here for step-by-step instructions to set up Zoom, that Christina put together.

And, if you have any questions, Christina has offered to please give her a call and she can help!  Her number is 717-415-7043.

DATE:  SUNDAY, MAY 24TH

TIME:  10 – 10:45 am

PLACE:  Wherever you are comfortable with your computer in your home environment!

WHAT TO BRING:  Your coffee and something interesting to share with others!

** The join code and passcode will not be posted on the public website or Facebook but are in the Saturday email you would have received.

Daily Message from St. Edward’s – May 22, 2020

administrator

Dear Parish Family,

 

            Michelle and I would like to thank you most sincerely for taking the time to respond to our survey on Returning to St. Edward’s in Covid-19 Conditions.  Having received responses from more than half of our congregation, we’ve discovered that over 60% of our members intend on returning to services in-person when we’re authorized to re-launch; and among those planning an immediate return, our numbers are evenly distributed between those who typically attended our Sunday 8:00 AM and 10:15 AM offerings.  In conjunction with the fact-finding of our survey, we’re hard at work developing the organizational capacities necessary to fully meet the health and safety standards set forth by both Governor Wolf’s office and the Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania for resuming in-person worship. 

 

                To these ends, in cooperation with our Vestry, we’ve begun purchasing equipment and supplies that will enable us to provide a disinfected sanctuary for our worship and aid us in the institution of health protocols that best ensure the safety of everyone in our community.  From wall-mounted soap dispensers in our restrooms to hand sanitization stations in our common spaces, and from touchless thermometers used upon entry to safety masks worn inside of our buildings, the materials that we are accumulating will help us all to mindfully gather while we continue to exercise the social distancing required of us in this season of pandemic.  In further line with our preparations, last Saturday, several senior leaders in our parish met online with the heads of our Welcoming/Hospitality & Ushers groups in order to discuss how we will go about fully implementing all health and safety procedures once we are ready to move into the “Yellow Phase” of operations here at St. Edward’s.  As you will now know from having read the document issued to all of us by the diocesan Task Force on Operations, we will need to maintain a record of those who come to worship (for the purpose of contact tracing) and provide single-use paper bulletins and masks to each member of our congregation (in gatherings initially limited to 25 persons in total).  While family units will be able to sit together, we’ll be strategically seated throughout our sanctuary to maximize our social distancing and will only serve communion in one kind.  While it may be difficult to imagine church without a hymnal or prayer book in hand, and while it may feel disconcerting to alter our sacramental practices and curtail our congregational singing, please know in your heart of hearts…that this too shall pass.

 

            We are particularly indebted to those of you who have expressed to us the seriousness of your concerns with respect to returning to church in the absence of adequate treatment, testing, or a COVID-19 vaccine.  As such, we want to assure all of you that we will remain committed to offering quality virtual avenues for worship as we move forward, as well as opportunities for engagement and spiritual formation online.  Ours will be a BOTH/AND approach to the new opportunities and the challenging limitations that we’ll be confronting in the coming months.  But, rest assured, your safety will be our primary concern when it comes to gathering in-person.  Trusting in the power of our merciful and loving God and with humble appreciation for the vitality of this incredible community,

 

Father Rick+

—

Here is the weekly message from Bishop Scanlan.  Click here.
 
 
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Our front entry and narthex floors are being cleaned. Stripped, and resealed tonight and tomorrow, so entry to the church on Saturday should be avoided.

—

Look for our usual email tomorrow by 4 PM which will include everything you need for Sunday worship and coffee hour.  Please note that we are going to go back to using Christina McLaughlin’s prior link and join/pass code information.  It will be included in the email.

Have a lovely evening.  More, tomorrow!

Michelle

Daily Message from St. Edward’s – May 21, 2020

administrator

Dear parishioners,

 

Well it has been an interesting day with some “technology difficulties,” so as they say in broadcast: “Please stand by”!  We are working through a variety of issues that include:

 

Father Rick’s name being attached to a fake email address in an email phishing scheme, which hopefully, you have received our email informing you of this, advising you of actions you can take to protect your email account, and expressing our sincere apologies for this inconvenience.

 

While working to send this email, it was revealed that our own office email address has been blacklisted as a “spam” within the Comcast system (I guess our Daily Messages to our parish email groups were just too frequent!)  Comcast is working on trying to remedy this and in the meantime we have devised a workaround, which hopefully will keep us in communication.  It seems to only pertain to group emails, not individual communications.  Again, our apologies.

 

 

 

Just a quick update on what is happening at St. Edward’s this week:

 

Father Rick is celebrating and preaching a wonderful Sunday service for the Sunday after Ascension Day.  Look for our usual email on Saturday with the service link and bulletin.

 

We will be working on putting together some “surprises” for Pentecost Sunday, next Sunday, so stay tuned.

 

The kitchen is just about complete.  Many thanks to Barb Jakiel as we both cleaned the kitchen surfaces and walls yesterday to prep for the equipment to be placed back in and hooked up.  Barb, Gail Irons and Gloria Kacinko will be working to place items back in the kitchen and we will really rework it so it is neat, clean and uncluttered!  It is quite a nice upgrade.

 

We are in the midst of accumulating the results of the Re-opening of St. Edward’s survey to determine thoughts and needs of our parishioners.  Everyone was sent the survey, via an email, yesterday.  If you have not taken it (please check your spam folder) we would encourage you to take a few minutes to complete it.  We want to hear from as many people as possible and we are so appreciative of your time in helping us to form our protocols, that will work alongside all of the mandated State and Diocesan protocols.  Father Rick will be addressing us tomorrow in his weekly message about these details.

 

Be well. Stay Safe.  Keep the Faith.

 

Michelle

 

 

 

St. Edward’s Friday Evening Prayer Readers:

 

We are looking for readers for our weekly Friday Evening Prayer service.  If anyone is interested in reading for this Evening Prayer service, please contact Patrick Ishler, [email protected] to schedule a week(s).  Thank you!

 

 

 

St. Edward’s Friday Evening Prayer:

 

Please join us for our virtual service of Evening Prayer on Friday, May 22nd, on Zoom, at 7:00 PM and every Friday at that time, led by our choir director, Patrick Ishler.

 

Ever wonder, what is Evening Prayer in the Episcopal Church?  Here is a little history from episcopalchurch.org library:

 

One of the principal Daily Offices. Evening Prayer has been the title for the Evening Office in Anglican worship since the 1552 revision of the Prayer Book. Evening Prayer may begin with an opening sentence of scripture and with the confession of sin. The Invitatory may include the canticle Phos Hilaron, an ancient hymn praising Christ at the lighting of lamps at sunset. The office continues with a selection from the Psalter, readings from scripture followed by canticles (typically the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis), the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, a set of suffrages, one or more collects, and the dismissal.  Evening Prayer may also include an office hymn or anthem, the General Thanksgiving, a Prayer of St. Chrysostom, and a concluding sentence of scripture.

 

We will be showing the text on screen to make it easy to follow along. We will also provide a simple pdf to follow along. Click here to download. And, if you have a Book of Common Prayer, you may start on page 115.

 

We invite you to end your week with the experience of Evening Prayer.  By simply clicking on the link below and adding the join code, you will be engaged in the service with ease.

 

Welcome to Evening Prayer!

 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87496043790

 

Join code:  874 9604 3790

 

 

 

Daily Message from St. Edward’s – May 20, 2020

administrator

Dear parishioners,

Well. . . I heard that several people did not receive the Daily Message yesterday, much to my dismay!  I am thinking it was a Comcast glitch of sorts as I have done a little tracing and it seems some people did receive and with some experimenting today, it was received by some test emails.  So, my apologies!  If you missed it, please remember I post all of the Daily Messages on our web site under “News & Posts” so if you want to go back and read one, they are all there.  Here is the link to yesterday’s post:

https://sainteds.org/daily-message-from-st-edwards-may-19-2020/

For today’s message we have important news about a survey, will relay our various ministry meetings you can attend and a fun link to share.  First, the survey:

We have formed a quick 8 question survey from Survey Monkey (the same company we used for the Search process survey).   It will arrive at the email we have on file for you and it is separate from our Daily Message.  You should have it in your inbox tonight.  If not, please check your spam folder.  We would very much appreciate it if you could complete it as soon as possible as it will help to guide us in how we can best serve the parish community as we re-open St. Edward’s.  If, you do not get the survey at all, please contact the parish office and we can go over it on the phone, I can ask you the questions and complete it for you.

 

Upcoming Ministry News:

Bible Study:

Tonight is the start of the new Bible Study session, led by Bill and Yvonne Gasperetti.  The sessions will be every other Wednesday at 6:30 PM.  If you are interested in joining this group, please contact Bill at [email protected] or Yvonne at [email protected]

 

St. Edward’s Friday Evening Prayer Readers:

We are looking for readers for our weekly Friday Evening Prayer service.  If anyone is interested in reading for this Evening Prayer service, please contact Patrick Ishler, [email protected] to schedule a week(s).  Thank you!

 

St. Edward’s Friday Evening Prayer:

Please join us for our virtual service of Evening Prayer on Friday, May 22nd, on Zoom, at 7:00 PM and every Friday at that time, led by our choir director, Patrick Ishler.

Ever wonder, what is Evening Prayer in the Episcopal Church?  Here is a little history from episcopalchurch.org library:

One of the principal Daily Offices. Evening Prayer has been the title for the Evening Office in Anglican worship since the 1552 revision of the Prayer Book. Evening Prayer may begin with an opening sentence of scripture and with the confession of sin. The Invitatory may include the canticle Phos Hilaron, an ancient hymn praising Christ at the lighting of lamps at sunset. The office continues with a selection from the Psalter, readings from scripture followed by canticles (typically the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis), the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, a set of suffrages, one or more collects, and the dismissal.  Evening Prayer may also include an office hymn or anthem, the General Thanksgiving, a Prayer of St. Chrysostom, and a concluding sentence of scripture.

We will be showing the text on screen to make it easy to follow along. We will also provide a simple pdf to follow (which will be in Thursday’s Daily Message).   And, if you have a Book of Common Prayer, you may start on page 115.

We invite you to end your week with the experience of Evening Prayer.  By simply clicking on the link below and adding the join code, you will be engaged in the service with ease.

Welcome to Evening Prayer!

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87496043790

Join code:  874 9604 3790

—

If you would like to join Brother David Rutledge in worship for Ascension Day Evening Prayer, tomorrow, here are the details:

Below is the Zoom info for Ascension Day Evening Prayer on May 21 @ 7:00pm.  We will be using Evening Prayer from the 1979 Book of Common Prayer.  The readings will be from the Eucharistic Lectionary for the day:

We will be lighting a candle at the beginning of the service, so those attending may want to have a candle ready for that.  I will be online about 15 minutes before the service to help with any technical issues with Zoom.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83783455362?pwd=c3ZyTEFwQXV1K29zU3VLUTBadzRQQT09

Meeting ID: 837 8345 5362
Password: 803673

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Fun Link to explore:  So, in anticipation of the upcoming Memorial Day Weekend and the unofficial start of summer and picnics, here is a link to Food Network Chefs Favorite Picnic recipes.  Enjoy!!

https://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/channels/picnic-favorites-from-food-network-chefs

 

 

Now. . .you are at the end of the Daily Message. . .so, as a reminder:  LOOK FOR OUR SURVEY!!

 

Have a good evening!

 

Be well. Stay Safe. Keep the faith.

 

Michelle

 

 

Daily Message from St. Edward’s – May 19, 2020

administrator

Dear friends,

 

As we enjoy another lovely spring day, it seems as if May is rushing by.  There is anticipation of “opening up” as we seek to re-enter some of the daily routines we were asked to put on hold these past weeks, and all of the planning that we must engage in to make our new normal as healthy, happy and safe as we can for all.  It seemed fitting to share with you Presiding Bishop Curry’s meditation from his Habitats of Grace series, which focuses on gladness.

 

Habits of Grace, May 19, 2020: An invitation for you, from Presiding Bishop Curry

[May 19, 2020] As we learn how to adjust our lives given the reality of the coronavirus and the request to do our part to slow its spread by practicing social distancing, I invite you to join me each week to take a moment to cultivate a ‘habit of grace.’ A new meditation will be posted on Tuesdays through May. These meditations can be watched at any time by clicking here.

May 19, 2020:  Finding gladness

In Luke’s Gospel, in the sixth chapter, Jesus says this,

Blessed are you who are poor,

   for yours is the kingdom of God.

Blessed are you who are hungry now,

   for you will be filled.

Blessed are you who weep now,

   for you will laugh.

It may seem strange to suggest it, but even in times of hardship, even in times when our hearts are heavy, sometimes, finding something to be glad about and maybe something to laugh about can actually help. Now, you can’t fake it, but sometimes it can help.

I think of times in my own family when we have attended family funerals, and after the funeral, there’s usually some kind of repast. And no matter how sad the journey to death has been or how painful it has been, when the family would gather around, folk would start telling stories, sometimes, stories about the deceased, sometimes, just family stories. There would be the sound of laughter and moments of joy even in the midst of grief and sorrow.

There’s a bishop in the Diocese of Western North Carolina named José McLoughlin. And Bishop José has, for the last five or six weeks, been publishing on YouTube, Quarantine with Bishop José. It will bring some gladness, some laughter, some sense of joy even in the midst of this difficult time of pandemic. That there is a time to weep, as Ecclesiastes says, and there’s a time to laugh. So, maybe a little exercise for this week will be to go to YouTube, find Quarantine with Bishop José, and add that or something else to your list of things that bring gladness.

God love you. God bless you. And you keep the faith.

—

I will also include a little virtual tour to enjoy (below).  Please note that for the balance of the week each Daily Message will include important information on ministries, as well as a survey we will be sending to you to complete at your earliest convenience, to help us plan our re-opening at St. Edward’s.  So, please, we encourage you to look for our messages!

 

Enjoy your evening as you go to beautiful Beara Peninsula in Ireland!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8-dWKkfk2Y

 

 

Stay well. Be safe.  Keep the faith.

Michelle

 

 

 

 

 

Daily Message from St. Edward’s – May 18, 2020

administrator

Dear parishioners,

We hope you were able to “attend” our online service yesterday!  There was wonderful music provided by our soloist, Jamie Alton, and our organist/pianist, Karen Waddill.  The great thing about having our services online is that you can view them, again!  We encourage you to watch and share as we worship in “virtual community” with Father Rick.

https://sainteds.org/sunday-online-service-sixth-sunday-of-easter-may-17-2020/

 

The daily message, today, is going to be a list of items to keep an eye out for this week in our Daily Messages.  We have many important events and news items coming up each day, so I will list them here in order to keep you informed on when to expect them between Tuesday and Friday.  And, we will close with a daily mediation from Forward Day by Day.

  • We apologize for the technical difficulties with the Zoom Coffee Hour.  It was disappointing to not be able to gather successfully yesterday!  It appears there were some glitches with the service for many. It may have been a one-time-only hiccup, or something related to the reality that more churches are using the subscription service on Sunday’s for worship and coffee hours.  Please pay special attention in the Friday/Saturday Daily Message for our messaging on the right link to connect to for coffee hour on Sunday, as we assess how to move forward so as not to miss this very important ministry offering to our parish on Sundays.

 

  • We will be sending out a short survey, from Survey Monkey, by Friday, with several questions we need you to answer about our reopening of St. Edward’s.  Please take the time to look for that and answer.

 

  • We had a lovely turnout for the ministry of Evening Prayer, offered by Patrick Ishler, on Friday evening.  What was wonderful was that it was hosted on Zoom, but also livestreamed on Facebook, which garnered an even larger audience.  So, look for the link in Thursday email for this week’s service.

 

  • The new session of Bible Study starts this Wednesday.  If you are interested in joining this group, please contact Bill and Yvonne Gasperetti prior to Wednesday to get the information for joining via Zoom.  [email protected] or [email protected]

 

  • On Thursday, Ascension Day, Brother David Rutledge will be holding space for a service of Evening Prayer that Father Rick would like to invite members of St. Edward’s to join in on.  Here are the details:

Below is the Zoom info for Ascension Day Evening Prayer on May 21 @ 7:00pm.  We will be using Evening Prayer from the 1979 Book of Common Prayer.  The readings will be from the Eucharistic Lectionary for the day:

We will be lighting a candle at the beginning of the service, so those attending may want to have a candle ready for that.  I will be online about 15 minutes before the service to help with any technical issues with Zoom.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83783455362?pwd=c3ZyTEFwQXV1K29zU3VLUTBadzRQQT09


Meeting ID: 837 8345 5362
Password: 803673
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Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcPHHVL2rW

 

—

Forward Day by Day Mediation for MONDAY, May 18                  Rogation Day

Matthew 13:10 Then the disciples came and asked him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”

Tell me a story, she begs. And I don’t think it’s just because she’s trying to postpone bedtime. At least, that’s not the complete reason. As I weave a story, part fantasy, part recollection, my sweet daughter curls into me.

Tell me a story, he asks. As the campfire flickers, I Frankenstein a ghost story from the horror flicks of my childhood—and my son listens, bewitched by the tale.

We are hardwired for story. Jesus knows this. He knows that stories about a wandering son or a lost sheep or seeds sown on rocky soil will soak into our psyches, shaping our lives as his followers. Imagine how different our reaction would be if Jesus simply said: Forgiveness is important; so too is having a deep faith. The End.

Jesus speaks in parables so that the lessons of faith are not rote recitations but lived experiences—so we can understand that the greatest story ever told is about the love that never ends.

MOVING FORWARD: What is your favorite parable? Share it with a new friend this week.

PRAY for the Dioceses of Lango (Uganda), Southern Malawi, and Glasgow & Galloway (Scotland)

Ps 80 * 77, [79] | Leviticus 25:35-55 | Colossians 1:9-14 | Matthew 13:1-16

 

 

Have a nice evening!

 

Michelle

 

 

Sunday Online Service – Sixth Sunday of Easter – May 17, 2020

administrator

Click here to download/view this Sunday’s service bulletin.

Besides prayers, calls, cards and emails, there is one more thing you can do to support St. Edward’s during this time. Please keep up-to-date with your pledge or regular contribution. Even though we must keep our doors closed for a period of time, we also must continue to pay our fixed expenses such as electricity, insurance, and salaries. We will continue to pick up our mail, so you can easily mail your contributions to the office and we will see that they are properly credited.  We have also been blessed to discover that the diocese has set up online giving for each parish.  If you feel comfortable making your weekly giving or pledge donation in this manner (it is a secure giving tool), simply go to the diocesan web site, click on the tab up top and it will take you to a page where you can scroll down, find St. Edward’s, and continue with making your contribution!  Thank you for maintaining your faithfulness through your financial stewardship!

Click here if you would like to donate online through the diocesan portal. You will scroll down to find “St. Edward’s” under “Lancaster”. The portal is a secure giving site.

Consider joining the virtual coffee hour, hosted by Joe and Christina McLaughlin.  Here are the NEW details (We are now hosting on the St. Edward’s Zoom account so that our time will be unlimited – SO PLEASE NOTE THIS LINK AND DETAILS IN YOUR SATURDAY DAILY MESSAGE):

Click here for step-by-step instructions to set up Zoom, that Christina put together.

And, if you have any questions, Christina has offered to please give her a call and she can help!  Her number is 717-415-7043.

DATE:  SUNDAY, MAY 17TH

TIME:  10 – 10:45 am

PLACE:  Wherever you are comfortable with your computer in your home environment!

WHAT TO BRING:  Your coffee and something interesting to share with others!

Click below coffee hour zoom link:

ZOOM LINK

** The join code and pass code are in your Saturday Daily Message.

Daily Message from St. Edward’s – May 15, 2020

administrator

Dear St. Edward’s Family,

Today, I’ve found myself contemplating the classical definition of pastoral ministry lifted up by Gregory the Great, as the “art of arts”.  Even under normal circumstances, we are called as ministers of our Lord to navigate, with great care and skill, at the intersections of complex realities that require our dedicated attention and deep listening over time.  And now, in this singularly strange COVID-19 context, much of what we’re exploring together is without precedent.  We’re at the vanguard of innovation around how to be an embedded and an embodied people in a virtual setting; and in one manner or another, all of us are experiencing new challenges as we actively lean into the “art of arts” as a priesthood of all believers.

But, not only have I felt the tactile presence of the Holy Spirit clothing the work that we are now engaging together, I have also found myself consistently awed by the steadfast patience and generosity of our congregation.  It is no small thing to maintain reverent poise as we yearn for our ‘normal’; and it is no small feat to listen with open hearts to the nuanced dialogue pushing and pulling in the arguments for opening up our economy and for staying home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

In large part, I have felt called to lower the volume of my own voice in the midst of these conversations.  It occurs to me that I am incredibly privileged to have a spacious home where my two little boys can explore this season of quarantine, a home unthreatened with the two incomes my wife and I are still able to generate, a home with stocked pantries and a freezer filled with the foods we both want and need.  In truth: Katrina, the boys, and I sacrifice nothing as we support the movement to stay home and stop the spread of COVID-19.  But I do wonder: How differently I might be inclined to behave were our circumstances different?  If we couldn’t work and risked losing our home, if our boys were hungry, I couldn’t imagine that I’d allow anyone to dissuade me from providing for my family.

And so, as I listen to the variety of perspectives and the sincere pain and longing permeating from them in our current cultural dialogue, I’m led into a place of deep stillness and prayer.  I pray for those who are angry and who are threatened by the absence of social safety nets, like stable jobs with living wages and the availability of health care that won’t decimate the economic future of the uninsured.  I pray also for those who are most vulnerable to the threat of COVID-19, and for those of us who can afford to listen to the needs of the other.  We are, indeed, all in this together.  But this is in no way the same for all of us.

Looking forward as a parish, we will continue to exercise extreme caution in our mission to protect the vulnerable – to degrees that compromise elements of nearly everything that we do in worship and in fellowship.  In line with diocesan protocols, when we are able to return to our church: we’ll be having our temperatures checked, wearing masks, socially distanced, using paper bulletins, and receiving communion in one-kind only.  In maximum groups of 25 in the first phase of our re-launch: we won’t be able to sing as a congregation, share the peace through physical contact, pass our offering plates, or even greet and chat together after worship.  It will inevitably feel strange for many of us at first.  But, while we will continue to offer virtual worship, fellowship, and formation for as long as restrictions dictate, we will also do everything that we can to pay sincere mind to the incarnational and relational DNA that makes St. Edward’s so special.  As more than one person has emphatically reminded me this week: “we’re huggers!!!”.  And we shall hug again friends.  But in the season ahead, we’ll be called to engage the “art of arts” in entirely new ways that will stretch us.  I trust that we’ll thrive and grow through it and come out the other side stronger, with God’s help and a commitment to one another.  Holding each of you up in loving prayer with deep respect for the diverse and nuanced perspectives that color the tapestry of our shared life in Christ,

Father Rick+

Here is a link to a very informative article posted on the Episcopal News Service that Father Rick wanted to share which speaks to how congregations are preparing to worship in this “new age.”

https://www.episcopalnewsservice.org/2020/05/11/pandemic-to-reshape-how-congregations-worship-as-dioceses-prepare-to-resume-in-person-gatherings/

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Dear Graduates,

As graduation season began in the midst of closed school buildings and online learning, partners in ministry indicated that they wanted to collaborate and pool resources to help everyone have a meaningful celebration. Presiding Bishop Michael Curry also wanted to send a message of hope, love, and encouragement to those who are graduating and marking special transitions in their lives, saying, “I thank God for you, thank God for your fortitude, for your doing the work, for your staying the course as they say, for your finishing the race as the Bible says. It has not been easy. And we thank God for you, and say congratulations to you.”

https://youtu.be/XCJ5ykT3Cis

 

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Welcome to Evening Prayer. . . Tonight!  An Invitation to All!

Please join us for our virtual service of Evening Prayer, on Zoom, commencing TOMORROW, Friday, May 15th at 7:00 PM and every Friday at that time, led by our choir director, Patrick Ishler.

Ever wonder, what is Evening Prayer in the Episcopal Church?  Here is a little history from episcopalchurch.org library:

One of the principal Daily Offices. Evening Prayer has been the title for the Evening Office in Anglican worship since the 1552 revision of the Prayer Book. Evening Prayer may begin with an opening sentence of scripture and with the confession of sin. The Invitatory may include the canticle Phos Hilaron, an ancient hymn praising Christ at the lighting of lamps at sunset. The office continues with a selection from the Psalter, readings from scripture followed by canticles (typically the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis), the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, a set of suffrages, one or more collects, and the dismissal.  Evening Prayer may also include an office hymn or anthem, the General Thanksgiving, a Prayer of St. Chrysostom, and a concluding sentence of scripture.

We will be showing the text on screen to make it easy to follow along. We have also provided a simple pdf to follow by clicking here.   And, if you have a Book of Common Prayer, you may start on page 115.

We invite you to end your week with the experience of Evening Prayer.  By simply clicking on the link below and adding the join code, you will be engaged in the service with ease.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87496043790

Join Code:  874 9604 3790

 

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Please check our website here, for the weekly message from Bishop Scanlan.

 

Tune into the web site tomorrow for the post to our Sunday service and virtual coffee hour!

 

Michelle