Dear Members of the Episcopal Church in Central PA,
How are we similar to lobsters? Click on Bishop Scanlan’s weekly video message below, to find out.
In the Way of Love,
The Rt. Rev. Audrey C. Scanlan
XI Bishop
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
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
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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
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
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.
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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Meeting ID: 837 8345 5362
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Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcPHHVL2rW
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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
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.”
—
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.”
—
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
—
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
Dear Members of the Episcopal Church in Central PA,
Today, Bishop Scanlan invites us “to hold fast, hold fast to God, hold fast to each other, hold fast to our plan, and we will know the love of God and the truth of God.”
In the Way of Love,
The Rt. Rev. Audrey C. Scanlan
XI Bishop
Dear parishioners,
Today’s email is going to focus on a new and exciting ministry we are commencing tomorrow – Virtual Evening Prayer!
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.
Welcome to Evening Prayer!
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87496043790
Join Code: 874 9604 3790
—
A few important reminders of upcoming ministries:
Soles4Souls: Beth Lynch reminds us that they are still collecting shoes, as the deadline was extended through June. So, if you have shoes, please bring them by the church. You can leave them by the table near the front red doors and we will bring them in. It would be best to bring them by between 10-5 during the day.
June Scepter: If you have stories, photos, graduation announcements, ministry meeting announcements, or thoughts to share, please submit to Mac Miller at: [email protected] by Wednesday May 20th. Thank you.
Bible Study: We have been putting forth the announcements for the next session of Bible Study, led by ministry leaders, Bill and Yvonne Gasperetti. The new session begins next Wednesday, May 20th and will meet every other Wednesday via zoom. Please connect with Bill or Yvonne for details.
Virtual Coffee Hour: Don’t miss our zoom coffee hour, hosted by Joe and Christina McLaughlin each Sunday at 10:00 AM. The Zoom info is included in every Friday and Saturday email with the service information for Sunday.
New Member Ministry Meeting: Saturday, May 16th at 10:00 AM. The group looks forward to getting together, but we extend the meeting to anyone NEW who would like to join us. Here is the information to join us: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83781865179?pwd=aVkxL0pNaHlxeEFaYWRPeHA5bm9BUT09
Join Code: 837 8186 5179
Pass Code: 170862
And here is a link to some material we will be discussing:
https://sainteds.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Dont-Lose-Your-Online-Guests-PUBLISH-4-15-20.pdf
Enjoy your evening!
Michelle
Dear parishioners,
Happy Wednesday! Two reminders of upcoming ministries that will be ramping up on Zoom that you may want to take advantage of.
On Saturday, May 16th at 10:00 AM, Mike Patrone and Mary Snyder, Co-Chairs of our New Member Ministry, will be holding their first ever “Zoom meet-up.” The New Member Ministry was a fantastic revitalized ministry that came from several Adult Forum sessions that covered this very topic, last fall. The ministry’s mission statement is: “Our culture as a community of faith makes us all part of God’s children and we welcome everyone to become part of our church family.” The group would welcome anyone to attend the Zoom meeting to share ideas and learn more about this very important ministry of authentic welcoming and hospitality. It’s funny, if you scroll down and read the meditation for today, where they speak of “The Art of Neighboring” this seems like the perfect ministry to engage with! Join us!
Here are the details:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83781865179?pwd=aVkxL0pNaHlxeEFaYWRPeHA5bm9BUT09
Join Code: 837 8186 5179
Pass Code: 170862
—
Consider joining our upcoming new session of Bible Study on Wednesday evenings, led by Bill & Yvonne Gasperetti. Here are the details:
The Wednesday evening Bible Study is progressing well, and we will soon finish our study of the book of James. The next session with new study material will begin Wednesday, May 20th, continuing at 6:30 in the evening. We will meet every other week, beginning May 20th, rather than weekly.
Have you been thinking about joining us? This would be a great time to come on board. We will be studying St. Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians. The study guide is Blackaby’s Encounter With God series, Philippians, which is available on-line with Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Consider placing your order right away, since Amazon tells us it could be up to 3 weeks for delivery.
If you want to join, but don’t get your book quickly enough, just let us know. We will help to ensure you can join the sessions.
Until restrictions are lifted, we will continue to hold these sessions on-line by way of Zoom. Contact Bill at [email protected], or Yvonne at [email protected], for instructions.
We are looking forward to continuing our study, and hope you will join us.
God Bless,
Yvonne Gasperetti
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Today, we offer you a wonderful site to explore our American history. It is chock full of something for everyone and allows us to experience ‘History at Home.” It is filled with Live Webcasts, Video Libraries, Colonial Recipes, a History Happy Hour (!), Stories, Hands-On Demonstrations, and much more. Visit the Jamestown Settlement & American Revolution Museum at Yorktown! https://www.historyisfun.org/at-home/
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Today’s Meditation from Forward Day by Day:
WEDNESDAY, May 13 Frances Perkins
Leviticus 19:18b You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Although I am not a biblical literalist, I wonder if this is one passage we are meant to take quite literally.
I’ve been reading about the Art of Neighboring, an initiative that asks neighbors to move beyond platitude to authentic relationship. The program challenges people in the pews to fill out a sheet that looks a bit like a bingo card, with the free space being their own home. They add the names and contact information for their actual neighbors—next door and across the street and catty-corner.
For most people this requires a visit to their neighbors—an introduction and a conversation beyond a friendly wave. The process also takes a bit of courage, especially if you’ve lived in a place for a while without knowing your neighbors—at least, that’s my situation.
In the gospels, Jesus is clear that the commandment to love our neighbor is second only to loving God. He also tells us that our Lord knows us by name. The least we can do is know the names of our neighbors as well.
MOVING FORWARD: Invite a new neighbor to coffee.
PRAY for the Dioceses of Lahore (Pakistan), South Western Brazil, and Southeast Florida
Ps 72 * 119:73-96 | Leviticus 19:1-18 | 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 | Matthew 6:19-24
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We’ll end with a funny note from an email I was sent today from Curt and Mary Ann Franck with some “Church Ladies with Typewriters” of actual sentences that have appeared in church bulletins. We gotta love our “church ladies”!!
The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.
Ladies, don’t forget the rummage sale. It’s a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.
Pot-luck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM – prayer and medication to follow.
The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare’s Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7 PM .. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.
Michelle
Dear parishioners,
Today, we started to pull together our service for Sunday. It starts with Father Rick recording our musical components. This week, we feature soloist, Jamie Alton, with Karen Waddill as his accompanist. As the week unfolds, we will record the service, sermon, and the individual readers, before all the parts get edited together.
We also had our restoration crew come in to start the kitchen project and that should be finished in 2 weeks!
We are thinking of ways to get our ministries together, via zoom, to connect on future ideas. We start this week with the new Member Ministry. The group will hold a meeting Saturday at 10:00 AM. The parish office will be setting up the meeting link and if anyone would like to be included to attend, please connect with Mike Patrone.
As always, if you have a hymn, or a prayer, or a thought to share in our Daily Message, please send it along to the parish office. We are always looking for content from parishioners.
Today, we offer to you Habitats of Grace from Presiding Bishop Curry. These are wonderful weekly meditations and are relevant to what we are experiencing in this time of pandemic. We hope you enjoy this week’s message.
Michelle
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Habits of Grace, May 12, 2020: An invitation for you, from Presiding Bishop Curry
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 12, 2020: Our time is in God’s hands
Hello to everyone who is kind enough to watch and listen to Habits of Grace. I just wanted to give you an alert, not a spoiler alert, but just a simple alert that when you listen to this video you will hear in the background the sound of construction at the elementary school on the other side of our backyard. We’ve listened to the video and you can hear it. But I just wanted to let you know that that noise that you hear is remodeling a school so that little children can go to a school that is modern and nice and meet and right so to do. God love you and you keep the faith.
I don’t know about you, but one of the things that has been a bit confusing during this pandemic has been sort of a discombobulation or a confusion about what time it is and what day it is. I found myself on more than one occasion just asking someone, “What day is today?” There’s a Psalm in the Hebrew scriptures, Psalm 31. It’s actually quoted in the service of Compline, which is a late-night prayer service, and it’s also quoted by Jesus on the cross. It says this:
In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame:
deliver me in your righteousness.
And then it goes on and says,
(Lord) Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe,
for you are my crag and my stronghold;
for the sake of your Name, lead me and guide me. . .
Into your hands I commend my spirit,
for you have redeemed me,
O Lord, the God of truth.
On the cross Jesus quoted this psalm as he commended his life into the hands of the father. Into thy hands I commend my spirit. But as the psalm goes on, later on in the psalm it says, “My times are always in your hand.” It may well be that if we have little reminders as the day goes on, we will have a sense of time not determined by a clock but determined by God.
In Psalm 55 the Psalmist says, “In the morning, at noonday and at evening I cry out to you, oh Lord.” Maybe a little habit of grace during this time may be a moment of prayer in the morning, another one at midday, and another in the evening, whether using a prayer book or just a moment to pause and be silent. Whatever way you do it take a moment – morning, midday, evening. Father into thy hands I commend my spirit. For my times are always in your hand.
In 1931 a man named Thomas Dorsey composed a hymn, the words of which and the song have been a long-standing favorite with many people. Lyndon Johnson, President Johnson asked for it to be sung at his funeral. Martin Luther King asked that it be sung at his funeral. Mahalia Jackson sang it. Aretha Franklin sang it. B.B. King played it and sang it. Tennessee Ernie Ford sang it. Johnny Cash sang it. It was composed by Thomas Dorsey living in a time when his times were very much discombobulated. His wife died in childbirth, both she and the child died. In his time of grieving he wrote the words of the hymn that say just simply, “Precious Lord take my hand.”
My times are in thy hand, oh Lord. Father into thy hands I commend my spirit this morning, in noonday, and in the evening.
God love you. God bless you. May God hold us all in those almighty hands of love.