In light of the Renewal of our Baptismal Covenant in this past week’s service, we invite you to click the link below to an article from the House of Deputies of The Episcopal Church, from the perspective of an African-American Episcopalian, Reuben K. Varghese MD, MPH, who is a member of the Task Force of the Theology of Social Justice Advocacy, created by General Convention Resolution 2018-A056, and a member of St. John’s, Georgetown in the Diocese of Washington.
Father Rick is so grateful that parishioners are reaching out to him with their thoughts and feelings on the current statements made by the National Church and would encourage all of us to keep our hearts and minds open, as well as the conversations. Please know that his lines of communication are open and confidential.
Let us pray for both justiceAND peace and that no one feels left out in the life of the Church. We are all in this together and with God’s love we are being called to be understanding and transformative in our daily lives to make our world, for all of humanity, a better place.
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We also leave you with a video link to “We All are One In Mission” from
First-Plymouth Church Lincoln Nebraska
As we continue to take in and try to make sense of the unfolding unrest in our country, we want to keep you attuned to the most recent statement from our Presiding Bishop Michael Curry from last evening.
In speaking with Father Rick this morning about these nationwide events, which are unsettling, jarring, and profoundly sad, I found his ability to listen and counsel very mindful and introspective. To that end, Father Rick would like to convey that his lines of communication are always open and confidential. If anyone, at any time, would like to speak with him about any thoughts and feelings you may have, please feel at ease and confident that he is there for you, with an open mind and heart, to listen. You can reach out to him on his direct cell phone line or via his email: [email protected].
Please also keep in mind all those who are suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic and remember those who have lost their lives. It is far from “over” and we must not forget to be mindful of people’s feelings and anxiety navigating the re-opening of our way of life we were so accustomed to.
We leave you today with a meditation (very apropos for today) and a virtual tour and hope both bring a little peace to your evening.
Forward Day by Day for Tuesday, June 2 The Martyrs of Lyons Matthew 13:54 [Jesus] came to his hometown and began to teach the people in their synagogue, so that they were astounded and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these deeds of power?”
How often do our expectations lead to our downfall? When the people of Jesus’ hometown see him, they expect the carpenter’s son. And even when confronted with the evidence of his wisdom and power, they still refuse to believe. They have already made up their minds before he ever opens his mouth.
Our own preconceived notions of others and the world regularly blind us to the actual reality God is creating. A quick glance through the Bible illustrates just how often God upends our expectations—humbling the proud and exalting the meek.
But perhaps the least helpful expectations are the ones we place on ourselves. When we expect too little of ourselves, we limit what God will do with us. When we expect too much, we rely too much on ourselves. Keep an open mind and an open heart, and God will shatter your expectations.
MOVING FORWARD: Make appropriate amends to someone for a wrong assumption you made.
We are working on finishing up the June Scepter this week which is chick full of great content! It should be posted online and available to pick up before the end of the week.
Look for messages regarding Bible Study and Evening Prayer for later this week.
As we continue to look outward, and reflect inward, on all of the recent events happening to our humanity, we thought you may like to read this article from Episcopal News Service from our Presiding Bishop, Michael Curry. So important and gives us more perspective to contemplate.
You will also see at the bottom of the article page there are articles/links to Presiding Bishop Curry’s Pentecost sermon, as well as his Habitats of Grace series: Pray for the entire human family.
Have a lovely evening. . enjoy the cooler weather for today!
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!
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.
Dear Members of the Episcopal Church in Central Pennsylvania,
George Floyd.
This is the name of the latest victim of racial violence in our country- violence perpetrated against people of color in brutal and deadly ways, violence that without proportion targets black men- Eric Garner, Philando Castile, Michael Brown, and Alton Sterling to name a few- violence that is issued by people of authority in our culture whom we have been taught to trust, and violence that is born of institutional and systemic racism. Violence that has left still another dead man lying on the street. This is the mark of institutional racism.
Healing from the sin of systemic, institutional racism requires work that is long and deep. It begins with the painful coming to understand that all white people are responsible. We must look over our shoulders to those whom, since the dawn of this country, have divided men and women into categories of White and Other, we must look at how power structures in our nation have been built based on the color of one’s skin, and we must own up to how the sins of white superiority and racial inequality have been kept alive- and grown- in all the parts of our society- in education, employment opportunities, housing, the legal system, prisons, and even in our churches.
Owning our place in the system as white people is the beginning. And changing it will be the work of several lifetimes.
Our (recent) attempts at anti-racism work in our diocese have been honest but ineffectual on a large scale; we have not reached enough people to create transformational change. The net has not been cast wide enough. We have gathered a few faithful souls who want to learn- Christians who want to create the world that the prophet Isaiah talked about where the lion and the lamb lie down together and peace reigns. We want to live like Jesus taught us, loving our neighbors as ourselves, and we look with hope to the day when the City of God will come down from heaven like a bride adorned for her husband, and we will live together, in unity, in a shining and glorious land that is marked by love. But we are not there yet. Our journey is long, the road is rough, and we need the whole company of faithful people to join. Only then will we stand a chance at transforming our corner of this world- the beautiful diocese of Central Pennsylvania- into a place where every person is valued, every person is welcomed and has opportunity, and no one needs be anxious to step outside of their home for fear of violence perpetrated against them simply because of the color of their skin.
Dismantling institutional racism is a tremendous task that involves the transformation of minds and hearts. Only when our minds have been turned and our hearts have been opened will we be equipped with the passion and the power that is needed to change a centuries-old oppressive system.
Will you join me?
A first step is to enroll in our cost-free “Becoming the Beloved Community” class through the Stevenson School for Ministry. This introductory 10-week online course focuses on the sin of white supremacy and its role in creating and sustaining systemic and institutional racism. The course examines the connection between Western Christian identity, development, and white privilege in the creation of race as a means of advantaging those classified as White to the detriment of those classified as Other. Ultimately, the course examines the responsibility of communities of faith to truly demonstrate the expansive love of the Kingdom. You can register for the class at https://diocesecpa.org/vocationalcourses/
I will be taking the class this term and invite you to join me.
We can- through open and sincere dialogue and learning -begin the work of transformation.
Before another George Floyd, Eric Garner, Philando Castile, Michael Brown, or Alton Sterling is killed, please join me in the work to dismantle racism and to create God’s dream of a peaceful, beloved community here, in the place that we call home.
In the Way of Love,
The Rt. Rev. Audrey C. Scanlan
XI Bishop
St. Edward’s Episcopal Church is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Evening Prayer – Friday. May 29, 2020
Time: May 29, 2020 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
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, which you can access by clicking here. And, if you have a Book of Common Prayer, you may start on page 115.
Make certain you check your DAILY MESSAGE tomorrow for our link and information to our online Sunday Service of Pentecost, as well as the link to join our Virtual Coffee Hour!
Please bear with us as we transition to some new communications methods via our new parish-wide communication address of [email protected] and utilizing some email marketing programs, such as Mail Chimp. You may find these new communications in your SPAM folder initially as the new email “gets to know” your email and you may want to go into your spam filter settings (if you are daring!) and add our new email to your “safe list.” We will continue to send emails for the next few days in a couple methods (old and new) while we work the kinks out. Thank you for your patience and grace as we work to make communicating with you more modern and efficient.
Dear Members of the Episcopal Church in Central PA,
Bishop Scanlan shares her thoughts of isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic and reminds us to hold on tightly to the teachings of Jesus including justice, love, mercy, and grace.
For resources during this time of COVID-19, click here.
As we wind down this short week, and with such challenging times, on so many levels, we thought it would be good to remember, as Episcopalians, What We Believe:
We Episcopalians believe in a loving, liberating, and life-giving God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As constituent members of the Anglican Communion in the United States, we are descendants of and partners with the Church of England and the Scottish Episcopal Church, and are part of the third largest group of Christians in the world.
We believe in following the teachings of Jesus Christ, whose life, death, and resurrection saved the world.
We have a legacy of inclusion, aspiring to tell and exemplify God’s love for every human being; women and men serve as bishops, priests, and deacons in our church. Laypeople and clergy cooperate as leaders at all levels of our church. Leadership is a gift from God, and can be expressed by all people in our church, regardless of sexual identity or orientation.
We believe that God loves you – no exceptions.
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We have wonderful services coming up this weekend, starting with Evening Prayer tomorrow evening. Here is the information to join Patrick Ishler in this wonderful service to end the week:
St. Edward’s Episcopal Church is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting
Topic: Evening Prayer – Friday. May 29, 2020
Time: May 29, 2020 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85776051371
Meeting ID: 857 7605 1371
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Meeting ID: 857 7605 1371
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kfhKQaryf
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, which you can click on here. And, if you have a Book of Common Prayer, you may start on page 115.
Make sure you check your email and the website on Saturday as that will have the information for our service of Pentecost for Sunday, May 31st as well as information to join us for our virtual coffee hour.
As we prepare for this Sunday’s online service, and BTW, please make sure you tune in, and celebrate Pentecost with us – it is a wonderful service, we are very reflective and mindful this week as many areas start to re-open. It is wonderful, in many ways, that we can start to get back to doing some of the routines we have had to refrain from for the past almost 90 days, but with that, there can be anxiety in adapting to the “new normal.”
As we are guided by our faith, particularly as we pass the milestone of 100,000 deaths, today, due to COVID19: Please take care of yourselves. Be gentle on yourself and others. Be mindful of others in how they navigate our changed world. Be kind. Be patient. Be safe. And, as always, keep those who are less fortunate than ourselves, in so many ways, in our hearts and minds. That is our ministry.
As the meditation below explores: We all have gifts. Let us continue to discover them and embrace them to help others.
Michelle
Meditation by Forward Day by Day for WEDNESDAY, May 27
Ephesians 4:11-12 The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.
The staff of Forward Movement has spent the past year exploring our various gifts. Guided by an assessment tool called StrengthsFinder, we have learned about our individual strengths as well as those of our colleagues and how these interplay with one another.
The experience reflects the sentiment of this wonderful passage of scripture: We all have gifts—not the same ones, of course—but each one of us has talents and skills to contribute to our ministry at Forward Movement and more broadly to building up the body of Christ.
In this letter to the Ephesians, Paul doesn’t rank the gifts, scaling them by importance or difficulty. And neither should we. God blesses each of us with the gifts we need to go out into the world; may we be brave enough to embrace our own giftedness and celebrate those of others.
MOVING FORWARD: What gifts has God bestowed upon you? How are you using them to God’s glory?
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:
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.
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+
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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.
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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.
