Thursday Message from St. Edward’s – July 9, 2020

Dear friends,

Look for the Saturday afternoon message which will have links to all things for Sunday worship.

There are many exciting ministries that we launched in our July/August Scepter.  If you haven’t read about them, yet, we direct you to the link (above) where we hope you will join us, in ministry and fellowship, as we launch into several initiatives meant to beautify our sacred spaces, such as the Memorial Garden; soothe the soul (and our love of food) with our parish cookbook initiative; and raise funds (and have some fun!) via our annual Basket Auction.

Through these initiatives, we are working on creative ways to enfold all of us, whether we see each other at church weekly for in-person worship or whether we have chosen to stay closer to home, for now, worshipping online, so that our community of faith stays connected and strong, for each other and the wider community.  It is our hope, that you will join us!

We are so grateful for the response in our first week, as we have 5 trees purchased for our plant-a-tree fundraiser for our Memorial Garden (we are seeking a total of 20) and we have secured 5 baskets for our basket auction (we are seeking 20 baskets). Our goal is to have all of the trees purchased and all of the baskets secured by the end of August!

We are also participating in a school supply drive for the Landisville Primary Center for the 2020/2021 school year.  Supplies needed are:

Pencils
Colored pencils
Crayons
Erasers
Notebook paper
Colored paper
Glue sticks
Tissues
Hand Sanitizer
Dry Erase Markers, fine pt., black
Dry Erase Markers, fine pt., red
Folders without clasps

Let’s help our neighborhood children be ready to learn!  There will be a drop off box in the narthex on Sundays and in the front entry just inside the red doors during the week for supply drop off.  We thank you for your generosity in helping St. Edward’s reach out to the wider community.

Continue reading below to get the details for our Friday and Saturday worship and fellowship activities and our closing prayer for the parish, from the Book of Common Prayer, page 817.

Be well. Stay safe. Keep the faith.

Michelle

We invite you to Evening Prayer this Friday evening at 7:00 PM.  This is a wonderful way to peacefully end our week and is led by Patrick Ishler.

Join us on Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86327105082
    Join Code:  863 2710 5082

 

Join us for our Virtual Saturday Social from 9 AM – 9:40 AM Saturday morning on Zoom.  It will be hosted by Christina and Joe McLaughlin.  Maybe we could talk about the cookbook initiative and favorite recipes to share and where we find them (grandma’s old recipe box, perhaps?!?) So join us!  Ask questions, give us your feedback and enjoy some fellowship THIS SATURDAY, July 11th at 9:00 AM.   Please check your Thursday email for the join code and the passcode.

 

We leave you, this Thursday Eve, with a Prayer for the Parish

Almighty and everliving God, ruler of all things in heaven and earth, hear our prayers for this parish family. Strengthen the faithful, arouse the careless, and restore the penitent.
Grant us all things necessary for our common life, and bring us all to be of one heart and mind within your holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

St. Edward’s is ALIVE!

In so many ways. . .making good use of our time of “Lenten-like wilderness” to prepare for the day when our physical church will open to all.

Today, we placed a new banner on our front lawn to let our community know that Christ is Alive! and so is worship at sainteds.org.  Spread the word and join us in worship on Sundays as well as in our Daily Messages we post on our website (under “recent posts and news”).

We are all in this together!

Daily Message from St. Edward’s – Earth Day, April 22, 2020

Dear parishioners,

Today is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.  We thought it only fitting to provide you with information from Episcopal News Service on how The Episcopal Church promotes good stewardship for God’s creation, even in this time of COVID19.  Some services of worship occurred this past Sunday (but may still be available to view) and there is a discussion tonight via zoom and Facebook live, which is highlighted.    There are many interesting links within this article that will allow you and your family to explore Earth Day, its history and other interesting and important facts, especially in this time of a health pandemic.  We only have one planet and if we can be good stewards, in any way possible, we can feel confident we are protecting what God has so generously given to us.

While we continue to “Stay at Home” during the pandemic, it is a good time to take the time to go outside and go for a walk, plant a flower, observe nature and the myriad of creatures we share our space with, take a deep breath and rejoice in the fact that we are all here, together, with our loved ones and we can look forward to the day where we will worship, again, in person, at St. Edward’s.

Be well. Be safe.  Keep the faith.

Michelle

 

How Episcopalians can celebrate the 50th Earth Day during a pandemic

[Episcopal News Service] For many Episcopalians, the COVID-19 pandemic is a reminder of the interconnected nature of humanity: our health depends on the health of those around us, and small-scale individual actions can ultimately have global consequences. While the pandemic is demanding the world’s immediate attention, another crisis is looming that requires a similar level of urgent global action: climate change.

That issue will take center stage as Episcopalians celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22. In 1970, the first Earth Day launched the modern environmental movement, with an estimated 20 million Americans demonstrating for environmental protection; today, it is said to be the largest secular observance in the world. Fifty years ago, primary concerns in the United States included pesticides, oil spills, toxic waste dumps and other agricultural and industrial pollution. While many of these problems have been ameliorated since then by the Environmental Protection Agency (created that same year), the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act, the greenhouse effect caused by carbon emissions has emerged as the most dire threat to the environment and to the future of the human race.

“It’s strange and fitting that we’re marking the 50th Earth Day during a global pandemic,” said the Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers, canon to the presiding bishop for evangelism, reconciliation and stewardship of creation.

“COVID-19 has forced us to acknowledge the web of life that connects us and all of creation. We are – for better and for worse – in this together. I pray we will really look around on Earth Day, notice the presence of God in the trees that keep on blooming, the birds whose song you can now hear, the waters you long to visit as soon as we can move freely. Notice, be grateful and swear to protect and honor all that God has made. In the process, we are also saving our own lives,” Spellers told Episcopal News Service.

While it may seem counterintuitive to focus on climate change amid the COVID-19 emergency, the two issues are inextricably linked. Climate change compounds the problems that lead to disease outbreaks and that limit effective responses. And a Harvard University study has found that even a small increase in long-term exposure to air pollution (which disproportionately affects African Americans) significantly increased patients’ risk of dying from COVID-19. At the same time, within the past few weeks, the Trump administration has been rolling back regulations on air pollution and ignoring its own public health experts’ recommendations on protecting citizens from industrial emissions.

The Episcopal Church has long been engaged in climate action and other environmental stewardship efforts (like protecting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and fighting against the Dakota Access Pipeline) under the theological mandate of being good stewards of God’s creation. So, although it won’t be possible to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day by holding rallies, the church invites Episcopalians to participate in other ways.

Washington National Cathedral will hold two virtual worship services on Sunday, April 19. A Holy Eucharist service at 11:15 a.m. EDT will feature a sermon from the Rev. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, creation care missioner for the Diocese of Western Massachusetts. Then, at 2 p.m. EDT, the National Cathedral will hold a multifaith Earth Day service focused on climate action with prayer, song and a message from Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. Episcopalians can also participate in the interfaith Nationwide Climate Prayer. Other Earth Day services and events across the church can be found at TryTank’s Digital Church Guide.

The National Cathedral and the presiding bishop’s office will also co-host a discussion on creation care and environmental justice via Zoom and Facebook Live at 8 p.m. EDT on Earth Day, April 22, with church leaders including Spellers, Bullitt-Jonas and Bishop David Rice of the Diocese of San Joaquin. More Earth Day resources for congregations are available from the Episcopal Church Foundation. The presiding bishop’s office also invites Episcopalians to share their prayers for the natural world and their Earth Day experiences – how they’re taking action to protect the environment, where they see life and hope in creation – on social media.

Another way Episcopalians can observe Earth Day while confined at home is to use the Carbon Tracker developed by the Diocese of California. The concept has been generating churchwide buzz since the diocese launched an early prototype of the tracker in July 2018 during the 79th General Convention in Austin, Texas. Since then, web developers have continued to refine the tool while inviting more Episcopalians to test it out. The tool can track participants’ carbon emissions from all of the church’s 110 dioceses and regional areas. The Diocese of California has organized webinars to help people navigate the tool, and as of this month, it reported 1,350 participating households.

Stephanie Taylor, the diocese’s communication director, said a key challenge going forward will be to broaden the pool of participants beyond those who already had been taking personal steps to curb climate change.

So far, “it’s a lot of enthusiasm from people who are generally more plugged in to the environment, to care of creation, stewardship of creation,” Taylor told Episcopal News Service in an interview last month. Likewise, the West Coast is overrepresented in the early results. The Diocese of California has the most participating households, with 402, followed by Los Angeles with 180 and Olympia in Washington with 154.

“The next step is going to be getting it out to the mainstream,” Taylor said. Diocesan officials are making the case to Episcopalians across the church that even simple actions to improve the environment and preserve God’s creation can be meaningful.

“Small, tiny actions do matter,” Taylor said, and adding those actions to the tracker can place individual work in the context of the collective impact. “When you take those actions collectively with other Episcopalians … the numbers start to add up.”

Egan Millard is an assistant editor and reporter for Episcopal News Service. He can be reached at [email protected]. David Paulsen, editor and reporter for Episcopal News Service, contributed to this report. He can be reached at [email protected].

 

Neighbors in Our Community Need Our Help!

At 11:53pm on 2/22/20, a family in our community who lived on Marietta Avenue, the LaBarriere’s, had a devastatingly life changing fire. Their 18- year-old daughter made it out but she has been transported to Crozer burn center in Chester. The 12-year-old twins (boy and girl) made it out ok. Sadly, their loving mother and grandmother did not make it out of the fire. The house is a complete loss, therefore the kids and Dad need anything and everything.

This community is absolutely amazing and has shown such support in such a short time! Please drop off donations at the West Hempfield Fire Department at 3476 Marietta Ave, Lancaster, PA. Drop off at doors around back. There will be a big Tupperware container there that you can place any gift cards in (just put lid back on top), if nobody is there.

At St. Edward’s, we are asking for anyone that finds it in their heart to help, to please donate what you can to this cause. In addition to the Fire Department drop-off location, you can also drop items off at the parish office and we will deliver them to the drop-off locations.

There is also a GoFundMe page set up to make monetary donations:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/urqdx-family-that-lost-everything

Size 7 girls shoes
Size 10/12 girls clothing
Size 8 boys shoes
Size 10/12 boys clothing
Size Large clothing for Dad

18-year old clothing size – Medium

And please, please PRAY so hard for this family. They are completely devastated!

 

St. Edward’s Annual Cookie Sale – Saturday, December 7th

UPDATE:

2019 cookie sale was a fantastic success!  Thank you to all the volunteers, bakers, crafters who take on this ministry every year and do such a fantastic job.  We raised a total of $3,085.80!  And, of course, thank you to all who come each year and buy these delicious cookies, baked goods and our *NEW* crafts.  Without the community support, we would not have such great fundraising success!

It’s that time of year when St. Edward’s holds their Annual Christmas Cookie Sale.  Renowned for the awesome variety of cookies, it has become a Lancaster favorite as the line forms early before doors open at 8 AM.  Come early for the best selection!

This year, we will be adding Christmas crafts to our sale with a lovely variety of handmade crafts for you to purchase.

As part of our fundraiser, we will also be offering a continental breakfast of coffee/tea, juice, fresh fruit, muffins or bagels for $5.00.  Come and take a break or take it with you (we will have coffee to-go cups!)

Mark your calendars and we look forward to seeing everyone and sharing this St. Edward’s “tradition” with our wider community!

Opioid Epidemic – The Episcopal Church Communique to Parishes

As a follow-up to our Adult Forum on October 20th, the parish office received the communique posted below from The Episcopal Church Task Force.  We feel it is important information to share. 

The Episcopal Church Responds to the Opioid Epidemic

Members invited to participate in survey

Responses requested by: November 27, 2019

[October 30, 2019] The Task Force to Respond to the Opioid Epidemic, created by legislation at the 79th General Convention, is seeking input from lay and ordained leaders throughout the church about the local response to the opioid epidemic through the short survey linked in English here, in Spanish here, and in French here.

Resolution 2018-C037 Call to Respond to Opioid Epidemic calls on all dioceses and parishes in The Episcopal Church to respond to the opioid epidemic with training, pastoral care, advocacy, and liturgy. Central to this response are partnerships with local responders and others in the medical community, other faith communities and local recovery programs to offer pastoral care to those affected by this epidemic, and with other faith leaders to advocate with local and state government regarding policies and laws to promote healing and wholeness for those affected by this epidemic.

This brief survey is designed to gather information in two areas: what is currently working in local contexts, as well as what kind of resources are still needed. There are eight survey questions and an open-ended space for sharing additional resource needs. Survey questions include:

Have you offered pastoral support or guidance to an individual or family facing substance use disorder involving opioids/heroin?

For those who preach: Have you addressed addiction, substance use disorder, opioid/heroin epidemic, social stigma and discrimination of persons with substance use disorders from the pulpit?

The information collected will help the Task Force to shape their work as they curate and create resources for real-life, church-based opioid response ministry for use by churches, organizations, and others in the communities we live, work, and worship in.

Please take a few minutes to help with the important work of loving our neighbors that this Task Force has been called to address. Your participation is greatly appreciated!

For more information on the General Convention mandate “2018-C037 Call to Respond to Opioid Epidemic,” click here.

Task Force resource materials will be posted in the coming months.

Task Force members include:

The Rev. Dina van Klaveren, Chair, Episcopal Diocese of Maryland

The Rev. Amanda Kotval, Vice Chair, Episcopal Diocese of Virginia

The Rev. Jan M. Brown, Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia

Ms. Twyla Wilson, Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina

The Rt. Rev. William Klusmeyer, Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia

Dr. Donna Barten, Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts

The Rt. Rev. Jake Owensby, Episcopal Diocese of Western Louisiana

Mr. Merrick Williams, Episcopal Diocese of Long Island

The Rev. Debra Bennett, Episcopal Diocese of Ohio

The Rev. Canon Katharine Harrigan, Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania

Ms. Amy Cochran, Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio

The Rev. Dr. Benjamin Nelson, Episcopal Diocese of West Texas

The Rev. Gay Clark Jennings, president, The Episcopal Church House of Deputies, ex officio

The Most Rev. Michael Curry, presiding bishop, The Episcopal Church, ex officio.

October 20th Adult Forum – The Opioid Crisis in Our Community

On Sunday morning, October 20, 2019 at 9:10 AM, St. Edward’s Episcopal Church will be holding a very informative and relevant presentation by Doug Cwienk, a Certified Family Recovery Specialist, on the Opioid Crisis.  The event will take place in the parish hall at St. Edward’s.

Doug is a co-founder of a support group for families dealing with addiction called, “Storm Riders.”  Doug will speak about the chemistry of addiction and its effects on the brain, and also about the effects of addiction on the family and loved ones of an addicted person.  Doug brings to the table his strong background in science, his expertise as a trained recovery specialist, and his experience with addiction in his own family.  His son, Nate, died of an overdose in 2017.

Amos Herr Community Festival – Sunday, September 15th 11 AM-4 PM

St. Edward’s will be a participant in the 40th annual Amos Herr Community Festival Sunday, Sept. 15, 2019, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (rain date 9/22).

Look for our booth in the “D” row next to the Kid Zone.  Click here to download a program with map.  It promises to be a great day!

Produced in cooperation with East Hempfield Township, Landisville Lions Club, and the Amos Herr House Foundation and Historical Society     The award-winning community event features the Landisville Lions Club Car Show, Kid Zone, crafts, food, entertainment and Amos Herr Homestead free tours. Another highlight of the day is always the Lancaster Kennel Club’s events.

​ Encourage your friends and family to come and enjoy the day!  Admission is free. Parking donations benefit the Landisville Lions Club service projects.

St. Edward’s is looking forward to participating for the first time in this community event and we are so pleased to have a combination of New Member Ministry, vestry, and social outreach ministry members coming together to have a wonderful booth representing St. Edward’s.  Stop by to say hello or volunteer to help!  Contact Mike Patrone or the parish office with any questions.

Episcopal Home Sunday – August 4, 2019

Remember, this Sunday, August 4th is Episcopal Home Sunday. With special prayers for the residents of The Episcopal Home and an ingathering of personal care items for the residents – don’t forget to bring your donation! St. Edward’s supports this non-profit mission in our diocese. Here is a link to inform you of specific personal care items they need & other ways to help.

https://episcopalhome.com/our-mis…/volunteering/how-to-help/