Worship at St. Edward’s: Seventh Sunday after Pentecost: Proper 10 – July 11, 2021

Dear parishioners and friends of St. Edward’s,

Father Rick and all of us at St. Edward’s welcome you to our Sunday worship, tomorrow, the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost:  Proper 10.  Whether you will be joining us in-person, or via our live stream on our St. Edward’s YouTube Channel, please know we are glad to be worshipping with you!  All of the important links you need to our YouTube channel and our Sunday service bulletins are listed below.


Tomorrow, July 11th, is the Feast Day for Benedict of Nursia, Abbot of Monte Cassino. You may be familiar with St. Benedict by his writing, the Rule of Saint Benedict (516) for monks living communally under the authority of an abbot.  It combined the spiritual with the administrative tasks of their daily life.  A meaningful aspect of this writing is Ora et Labora – pray and work, meant to provide a guidance, in the monastic day, for balance between prayer, work, contemplation and/or charitable works.  It also elevated the dignity of labor in the service of God.  In reflection, maybe we can all take a little bit from the Rule of Saint Benedict and apply it to our daily lives.  We close by offering this Collect Of a Saint from The Book of Common Prayer, page 250:

Almighty God, by your Holy Spirit you have made us one with your saints in heaven and on earth: Grant that in our earthly pilgrimage we may always be supported by this fellowship of love and prayer, and know ourselves to be surrounded by their witness to your power and mercy. We ask this for the sake of Jesus Christ, in whom all our intercessions are acceptable through the Spirit, and who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

Image:  St. Benedict of Nursia writing the Benedictine Rule
Portrait (1926) by Herman Nieg (1849–1928); Heiligenkreuz Abbey, Austria
https://stfrancis.clas.asu.edu/gallery/art/herman-nieg-st-benedict

Rest well.  Keep the faith. Journey in peace.

Michelle


Click here to connect to the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost: Proper 10 service, July 11th, which will be live streamed at 10:15 AM on Sunday. 

Click here to download our 8:00 AM Rite I service bulletin for the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost: Proper 10 service

Click here to download our 10:15 AM Rite II service bulletin for the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost:  Proper 10 service

*If you enjoy the St. Edward’s Episcopal Church, Lancaster, PA YouTube channel, and you have a Gmail or YouTube account, the next time you tune in, please click the red SUBSCRIBE button on the home page to be included as a subscriber to St. Edward’s!  We would welcome the support and we will not generate any unwanted notifications to you.  Become a part of our St. Edward’s community!   Thank you to those who have subscribed! 


We also wanted to take this opportunity to share with you important announcements regarding upcoming events, as well as prayer and Adult Spiritual Formation opportunities.  Stay tuned to our weekly emails and web site posts for updates on specific details. We invite you to celebrate with us, as a community of faith!

Parish News:
You may have noticed, even though it is summer, there is so much happening at St. Edward’s, ranging from our 40th Anniversary planning, to seeking volunteers to create baskets for our fall basket raffle (we have 5 baskets already!); our Stephen C. Casey Memorial Fund beautification projects, to our upcoming Faith in Action school supply-focused project and an update on our Books for Prisoners project found in your Sunday bulletin and on the Faith in Action web page; our upcoming summer Lunch & Learn Session to the formation and meeting of our Widow’s group.  While Saturday emails are devoted to Sunday Worship news, we have provided quick links to all of these items, below, for you to access so you don’t miss a thing.

Youth Summer Event:  Our parish youth have the opportunity to participate in a diocesan event at Camp Mount Luther, which you will find on our Youth page – please scroll down on the page.  Click here to connect to our Youth page on our web site to learn more about this great event.  

Reminder:  We will be updating the parish directories this week and will distribute them via your parish mailboxes by Sunday, July 25th.  They will include your invitation (with a required RSVP) for our 40th Anniversary worship and celebration. So. . . now is your opportunity to update your contact information or add your name and contact information to the directory.  Please send an email to the parish office this week with your information.

40th Anniversary – September 12th

St. Edward’s Annual Basket Raffle – Seeking volunteers to create baskets

Stephen C. Casey Memorial Fund booklet (Our parish family and friends are invited to prayerfully consider participating in).

The Book of Joy – Summer Lunch & Learn

Widow’s Group Meeting Announcement

COFFEE HOUR IS TOMORROW BETWEEN 9-10 AM.  You will have the opportunity to pick up an FAQ sheet on coffee hour hosting and there will also be a sign-up sheet for August coffee hours.  You can also click the link below for sign-up and information!

Click here to connect to Google docs sign-up sheet and coffee hour information.

Please visit our Christian Formation page to explore the wonderful weekly lesson and activity postings for youth, from Leslie Arnold, Christian Formation ministry leader. Click here for the Christian Formation page.


Please continue your support of the Hempfield Area Food Pantry.  Requested items:  Canned fruit; Canned mixed vegetables; Canned garbanzo beans; 1 lb. packages of rice; 2 lb. packages of rice; Noodles; Boxed pasta; Pasta sauce; Cereal; Oatmeal (regular or quick NOT instant)

St. Edward’s is offering a full complement of Adult Spiritual Formation during the summer months!  Click here for more information about our summer offerings.

Sunday Evening Prayer – July 11th at 7:00 PM:  We use the 1979 Book of Common Prayer and the readings for the Sunday Lectionary.  It is a quiet service and a good way to end the weekend and prepare for the week to come.  Anyone interested can send me an email to be put on an email distribution list:  [email protected]

Sunday Evening Prayer @ 7:00pm
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/95355083080
Meeting ID: 953 5508 3080

Besides prayers, calls, cards and emails, there is one more thing you can do to support St. Edward’s. Please keep up-to-date with your pledge or regular contribution.  Pledges/giving can be mailed to the church, and we also have an easy-to-use “Give to St. Edward’s” button on our website that links to our secure Paypal page, as well as a “Donate” button on our YouTube Channel home page.

To assist parishes, 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.


We are providing links, below, that may be helpful and informative to you:

Lancaster County, PA COVID-19 Hub

PA Department of Health

Vaccine Distribution Information PA DOH

Worship at St. Edward’s: Second Sunday after Pentecost: Proper 5 – June 6, 2021

Dear parishioners and friends of St. Edward’s,

Night & Day – St. Edward’s is a vibrant community filled with life, spiritual gifts, and love.  Thanks be to God.   

We gather tomorrow to celebrate the Second Sunday after Pentecost:  Proper 5.

We invite you to join us, in the worship discipline you are comfortable with, in-person or livestream via our St. Edward’s YouTube channel.  

As always, we welcome you for in-person worship!  If you are at home, please know that we gather together, in community, for this Second Sunday after Pentecost: Proper 5 service, and you will find all the necessary links to connect to our 10:15 AM Sunday service on the St. Edward’s YouTube channel, as well as the service bulletins, noted below.

I offer this passage for Saturday from the devotional, Earth Gospel, by Sam Hamilton Poore.  It is under “Other Voices” which follows a pause for prayer and meditation following the Scripture readings for the evening.  It is attributed to Catherine of Siena (1347-1380) who was a lay member of the Dominican Order.  She is remembered on The Calendar of the Church Year on April 29th. (Book of Common Prayer, p. 20).

“The reason why God’s servants love [God’s] creatures so deeply is that they realize how deeply Christ loves them.  And it is the very character of love to love what is loved by those we love.”

Be well.  Keep the faith. Journey in peace.

Michelle

Click here to connect to the Second Sunday after Pentecost: Proper 5 service, June 6th, which will be live streamed at 10:15 AM on Sunday. 

Click here to download our 8:00 AM Rite I service bulletin for the Second Sunday after Pentecost: Proper 5 service

Click here to download our 10:15 AM Rite II service bulletin for the Second Sunday after Pentecost:  Proper 5 service

*If you enjoy the St. Edward’s Episcopal Church, Lancaster, PA YouTube channel, and you have a Gmail or YouTube account, the next time you tune in, please click the red SUBSCRIBE button on the home page to be included as a subscriber to St. Edward’s!  We would welcome the support and we will not generate any unwanted notifications to you.  Become a part of our St. Edward’s community!   Thank you to those who have subscribed! 


We also wanted to take this opportunity to share with you important announcements regarding upcoming events, as well as prayer and Adult Spiritual Formation opportunities.  If you click on the bulletin links above, you will get a complete list of our weekly announcements on the last page of the bulletin.  Stay tuned to our weekly emails and web site posts for updates on specific details. We invite you to celebrate with us, as a community of faith!


We are providing links, below, that may be helpful and informative to you.

Lancaster County, PA COVID-19 Hub

PA Department of Health

Vaccine Distribution Information PA DOH


Parish News:
Printed Scepters are in the narthex and parish hall.

Giant and SKH grocery cards are in your parish mailboxes.  Thank you Carl and Carol Cotnoir for your ministry in organizing and distributing the cards each month!  I love the once per month days you visit and bring your lunch and make a “date” of it!!!


COFFEE HOUR IS TOMORROW BETWEEN 9-10 AM.  Come early, stay late, but don’t miss out on our Coffee Hour fellowship.  If you have ever been to a St. Edward’s coffee hour you know how much you have missed gathering.  If you have never been to a St. Edward’s Coffee Hour. . .then please join us!!! They’re great, that’s all I can say!  

Needle Arts Ministry to meet again!!!!
Each Tuesday afternoon at 1 pm this group will meet in the lounge area of the Christian Education wing at St. Edward’s.  PLEASE JOIN US in this time of fellowship, learning, and listening to one another as we engage in all needle arts. . . from quilting and knitting, to crochet, cross stitch, to mending clothing.  Whatever needle arts you engage in, you are WELCOME! 

Please visit our Christian Formation page to explore the wonderful weekly lesson and activity postings for youth, from Leslie Arnold, Christian Formation ministry leader. Click here for the Christian Formation page.

Usher Update:  We are seeking people who would like to be a part of this important ministry of hospitality at St. Edward’s. If you would like to learn more about joining this ministry for the 8 AM and/or the 10:15 AM services, please contact Buddy Yeager at:  [email protected]

We are in need of an usher for the 8 AM service.

Click here to read a wonderful story in our local Townlively online publication regarding our upcoming blood drive and our books for prisoners project:
https://www.townlively.com/ministry-to-host-its-first-blood-drive/


THANK YOU, to all in our St. Edward’s community and in our wider community who supported the first St. Edward’s blood drive event!  Through your donations, and your volunteerism, today, at our Parish Hall donation site, we fulfilled a very successful donation collection!  Our July Scepter will feature donation results and pictures of the day.  And THANK YOU to the medical professionals who staff the blood drives and so carefully and lovingly take care of the donors!

Please continue your support of the Hempfield Area Food Pantry.  Requested items for the month of June:  Canned fruit; Canned mixed vegetables; Canned garbanzo beans; 1 lb. packages of rice; 2 lb. packages of rice; Noodles; Boxed pasta; Pasta sauce; Cereal; Oatmeal (regular or quick NOT instant)

The Faith in Action committee asks for your help collecting some books for prisoners in Lancaster. An Episcopalian prison chaplain, Deacon Stacey Catigano, keeps a library for prisoners, and she could use some Bibles and other devotional or inspirational titles to circulate among prisoners. You can either donate books or money to buy them. Just drop off your donations in the narthex or make out a check to St. Edward’s with “books for prisoners” in the memo line.  To learn more about this project, stop by the bookcase in the narthex and pick up a flyer and browse some of the books we have already collected.  Let us show our love for our incarcerated brothers and sisters.   You can also click here to see what kinds of books are needed.


Curious about becoming a prison ministry volunteer?  If you feel God is calling you to prison ministry, please join a Zoom Q&A Meeting JUNE 6TH (TOMORROW)at 1 PM to learn more.  The Rev. Stacey Catigano, Deacon, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Lancaster will be the host.  Please contact Deacon Stacey (717) 799 -9764 or email: [email protected] to sign up. View the information flyer  by clicking here.

St. Edward’s is offering a full complement of Adult Spiritual Formation.  Click here for our Spring information sheet. Please check your weekly emails which will have all the study details & Zoom invitation details.



Sunday Evening Prayer: Each Sunday at 7:00 PM. Anyone interested can send Br. David Rutledge an email to be put on an email distribution list: [email protected] Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/95355083080

Meeting ID: 953 5508 3080

Besides prayers, calls, cards and emails, there is one more thing you can do to support St. Edward’s. Please keep up-to-date with your pledge or regular contribution.  Pledges/giving can be mailed to the church, and we also have an easy-to-use “Give to St. Edward’s” button on our website that links to our secure Paypal page, as well as a “Donate” button on our YouTube Channel home page.  

To assist parishes, 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.

Worship at St. Edward’s: Day of Pentecost – May 23, 2021

Dear parishioners and friends of St. Edward’s,

We gather tomorrow to celebrate the Day of Pentecost. We have journeyed for 50 days.  The 40 days after the resurrection, which we celebrated at Easter, and the 10 days since Jesus’ ascension into heaven, which we celebrated on Ascension Day. Pentecost is the day we remember the story given to us in the second chapter of the Book of Acts.

You will experience a sanctuary bathed in red.  The clergy wear red vestments to signify the work of the Spirit, while we adorn the altar in red hangings and decorate the pews in red balloons. And, as is tradition, please consider wearing red to remind us of the fire of the Spirit!

We invite you to join us, in the worship discipline you are comfortable with, in-person or livestream via our St. Edward’s YouTube channel.  As we gather together for this Day of Pentecost, below you will find all the necessary links to connect to our 10:15 AM Sunday service on the St. Edward’s YouTube channel, as well as the service bulletins.

And, as always, we welcome you for in-person worship!

Be well.  Keep the faith. Journey in peace.

Michelle

Click here to connect to the Day of Pentecost service, May 23rd, which will be live streamed at 10:15 AM on Sunday. 

Click here to download our 8:00 AM Rite I service bulletin for the Day of Pentecost

Click here to download our 10:15 AM Rite II service bulletin for the Day of Pentecost

*If you enjoy the St. Edward’s Episcopal Church, Lancaster, PA YouTube channel, and you have a Gmail or YouTube account, the next time you tune in, please click the red SUBSCRIBE button on the home page to be included as a subscriber to St. Edward’s!  We would welcome the support and we will not generate any unwanted notifications to you.  Become a part of our St. Edward’s community!   Thank you to those who have subscribed! 


In Memory of:
We pass on sad news that the husband of Lynda Tinsley, Jimmy Tinsley, passed away yesterday.  Lynda, the daughter of Kate Peterson, along with her sister Susan Niggel and her husband David, were active members of St. Edward’s with their mother, Kate, for many years.  They all served in ministry for (and to) St. Edward’s in quiet and significant ways over the years, and for that we are so very thankful.  Jimmy was a quiet soul with a quick wit.  He will be sorely missed.

Please keep Lynda and her family in your prayers as they mourn the loss of Jimmy.

May light perpetual shine upon him.

We also wanted to take this opportunity to share with you important announcements regarding upcoming events, as well as prayer and Adult Spiritual Formation opportunities.  If you click on the bulletin links above, you will get a complete list of our weekly announcements on the last page of the bulletin.  Stay tuned to our weekly emails and web site posts for updates on specific details. We invite you to celebrate with us, as a community of faith!

We are providing links, below, that may be helpful and informative to you.


vaccinateLancaster.org

Lancaster County, PA COVID-19 Hub

PA Department of Health

Vaccine Distribution Information PA DOH

Parish News:
Needle Arts Ministry to meet again!!!!
Commencing this Tuesday evening, May 25th at 7 pm this group will meet in the lounge area of the Christian Education wing at St. Edward’s.  PLEASE JOIN US in this time of fellowship, learning, and listening to one another as we engage in all needle arts. . . from quilting and knitting, to crochet, cross stitch, to mending clothing.  Whatever needle arts you engage in, you are WELCOME!

Usher Update:  We are seeking people who would like to be a part of this important ministry of hospitality at St. Edward’s. If you would like to learn more about joining this ministry for the 8 AM and/or the 10:15 AM services, please contact Buddy Yeager at:  [email protected]

Click here to read a wonderful story in our local Townlively online publication regarding our upcoming blood drive and our books for prisoners project:
https://www.townlively.com/ministry-to-host-its-first-blood-drive/


Do you know that 1 pint of blood can save three lives?  The precious resource of blood is in constant need by area medical facilities, and St. Edward’s is offering an opportunity for our parishioners to donate a pint. Mark Saturday, June 5, on your calendar. The event will be held in our parish hall.  Questions? Contact Leslie Arnold. The direct link for registration below:
https://donate.717giveblood.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/34274


Please continue your support of the Hempfield Area Food Pantry.  Requested items for the month of June:  Canned fruit; Canned mixed vegetables; Canned garbanzo beans; 1 lb. packages of rice; 2 lb. packages of rice; Noodles; Boxed pasta; Pasta sauce; Cereal; Oatmeal (regular or quick NOT instant)

The Faith in Action committee asks for your help collecting some books for prisoners in Lancaster. An Episcopalian prison chaplain, Deacon Stacey Catigano, keeps a library for prisoners, and she could use some Bibles and other devotional or inspirational titles to circulate among prisoners. You can either donate books or money to buy them. Just drop off your donations in the narthex or make out a check to St. Edward’s with “books for prisoners” in the memo line.  To learn more about this project, stop by the bookcase in the narthex and pick up a flyer and browse some of the books we have already collected.  Let us show our love for our incarcerated brothers and sisters.   You can also click here to see what kinds of books are needed.

Curious about becoming a prison ministry volunteer?  If you feel God is calling you to prison ministry, please join a Zoom Q&A Meeting on Sunday, June 6th at 1 PM to learn more.  The Rev. Stacey Catigano, Deacon, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Lancaster will be the host.  Please contact Deacon Stacey (717) 799 -9764 or email: [email protected] to sign up. There are information flyers in our narthex, and by clicking here.

St. Edward’s is offering a full complement of Adult Spiritual Formation.  Click here for our Spring information sheet. Please check your weekly emails which will have all the study details & Zoom invitation details.

Sunday Evening Prayer: Each Sunday at 7:00 PM. Anyone interested can send Br. David Rutledge an email to be put on an email distribution list: [email protected] Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/95355083080 Meeting ID: 953 5508 3080

Besides prayers, calls, cards and emails, there is one more thing you can do to support St. Edward’s. Please keep up-to-date with your pledge or regular contribution.  Pledges/giving can be mailed to the church, and we also have an easy-to-use “Give to St. Edward’s” button on our website that links to our secure Paypal page, as well as a “Donate” button on our YouTube Channel home page.

To assist parishes, 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.

Worship at St. Edward’s: Seventh Sunday of Easter – May 16, 2021

Dear parishioners and friends of St. Edward’s,

With the CDC guidance that came out on Thursday afternoon suggesting that those who are vaccinated can now go without a mask in most circumstances, the bishop has communicated with clergy and lay leaders, via email, regarding “what to do in church this weekend.” (If you have not seen the new guidelines, you can find them here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html).

For now, until the bishop’s Task Force meets next week, we would encourage you for this Sunday to continue under the current recommended protocols that include mask wearing, social distancing, communion in one kind and no singing. There are still those among us who are not vaccinated, and, in Christian community, we must care for those who are most vulnerable, including our children who cannot yet get the vaccine and those who for health reasons, have not yet been vaccinated.

We thank you as we honor our love for God in Christ and continue to care for one another.

Let us pray this Collect for Guidance
Heavenly Father, in you we live and move and have our being: We humbly pray you so to guide and govern us by your Holy Spirit, that in all the cares and occupations of our life we may not forget you, but may remember that we are ever walking in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

As we gather for this Seventh Sunday of Easter, below you will find all the necessary links to connect to our 10:15 AM Sunday service on the St. Edward’s YouTube channel, as well as the service bulletins.

And, as always, we welcome you for in-person worship!

Be well.  Keep the faith. Journey in peace.

Michelle

Click here to connect to the Seventh Sunday of Easter service, May 16th, which will be live streamed at 10:15 AM on Sunday. 

Click here to download our 8:00 AM Rite I service bulletin for Seventh Sunday of Easter

Click here to download our 10:15 AM Rite II service bulletin for Seventh Sunday of Easter

*If you enjoy the St. Edward’s Episcopal Church, Lancaster, PA YouTube channel, and you have a Gmail or YouTube account, the next time you tune in, please click the red SUBSCRIBE button on the home page to be included as a subscriber to St. Edward’s!  We would welcome the support and we will not generate any unwanted notifications to you.  Become a part of our St. Edward’s community!   Thank you to those who have subscribed! 


We also wanted to take this opportunity to share with you important announcements regarding upcoming events, as well as prayer and Adult Spiritual Formation opportunities.  If you click on the bulletin links above, you will get a complete list of our weekly announcements on the last page of the bulletin.  Stay tuned to our weekly emails and web site posts for updates on specific details. We invite you to celebrate with us, as a community of faith!

We are providing links, below, that may be helpful and informative to you.


vaccinateLancaster.org

Lancaster County, PA COVID-19 Hub

PA Department of Health

Vaccine Distribution Information PA DOH


Parish News:

Scepter  Stories Wanted!
Pictures, articles, updates, and announcements for the June Scepter are due by Thursday, May 20th. If you have any graduates in your family, anything from pre-school to PHD we would love to include pictures and information. Please send it to:  [email protected]

Needle Arts Ministry to meet again!!!!
Commencing Tuesday evening, May 25th at 7 pm this group will meet in the lounge area of the Christian Education wing at St. Edward’s.  PLEASE JOIN US in this time of fellowship, learning, and listening to one another as we engage in all needle arts. . . from knitting, to crochet, cross stitch, to mending clothing.  Whatever needle arts you engage in, you are WELCOME!

Do you know that 1 pint of blood can save three lives?  The precious resource of blood is in constant need by  area medical facilities, and St. Edward’s is offering an opportunity for our parishioners to donate a pint. Mark Saturday, June 5, on your calendar and then watch for the soon-to-be-announced sign-up link to complete the required registration.  The event will be held in our parish hall.  Questions? Contact Leslie Arnold.


What a great day with team St. Edward’s as we walked together, prayed together, and shared stories during our “walk your way” Race Against Racism in downtown Lancaster.  It was a beautiful day both in weather and in being in fellowship!  Thank you to all who participated in this invitational opportunity to be in solidarity for naming the need to create change and showing that working together can make a difference.   If you took photos and would like to share them on social media, please tag them: #rarlancaster

For Social Justice (BCP p. 823)
Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart [and especially the hearts of the people of this land], that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


Please continue your support of the Hempfield Area Food Pantry. Current food list:  Canned green beans; canned corn; canned peas; canned applesauce; cereal; pancake mix; pancake syrup; large grape jelly; bagged noodles.

The Faith in Action committee asks for your help collecting some books for prisoners in Lancaster. An Episcopalian prison chaplain, Deacon Stacey Catigano, keeps a library for prisoners, and she could use some Bibles and other devotional or inspirational titles to circulate among prisoners. You can either donate books or money to buy them. Just drop off your donations in the narthex or make out a check to St. Edward’s with “books for prisoners” in the memo line.  To learn more about this project, stop by the bookcase in the narthex and pick up a flyer and browse some of the books we have already collected.  Let us show our love for our incarcerated brothers and sisters.   You can also click here to see what kinds of books are needed.

Curious about becoming a prison ministry volunteer?  If you feel God is calling you to prison ministry, please join a Zoom Q&A Meeting on Sunday, June 6th at 1 PM to learn more.  The Rev. Stacey Catigano, Deacon, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Lancaster will be the host.  Please contact Deacon Stacey (717) 799 -9764 or email: [email protected] to sign up. There are information flyers in our narthex, and by clicking here.

St. Edward’s is offering a full complement of Adult Spiritual Formation.  Click here for our Spring information sheet. Please check your weekly emails which will have all the study details & Zoom invitation details.

Sunday Evening Prayer: Each Sunday at 7:00 PM. Anyone interested can send Br. David Rutledge an email to be put on an email distribution list: [email protected] Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/95355083080 Meeting ID: 953 5508 3080

Besides prayers, calls, cards and emails, there is one more thing you can do to support St. Edward’s. Please keep up-to-date with your pledge or regular contribution.  Pledges/giving can be mailed to the church, and we also have an easy-to-use “Give to St. Edward’s” button on our website that links to our secure Paypal page, as well as a “Donate” button on our YouTube Channel home page.

To assist parishes, 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.

 

Worship at St. Edward’s: Fifth Sunday of Easter – May 2, 2021

Dear St. Edward’s Family,

I cannot adequately express my sense of deep gratitude for the thoughtfulness and the generosity of our community around the events of last week’s Celebration of a New Ministry.  In addition to the blessing of our bishop and the beautiful liturgy that accompanied the Installation, I was completely blown away by the virtual reception that we enjoyed together this past Sunday.  Without knowing what would be happening or who would be participating, the incredible efforts of our Installation Committee (Julie Hoff, Meredith Westgate, Nancy Mannion, Christina McLaughlin, Herb Johnston, and Mike Freshwater) facilitated a gathering that touched my heart and stirred my spirit.  Please know that Trina, Ricky, Christian, and I have been truly moved by the cards and the well wishes.  I’ve spent time this week breathing in an awareness of gratitude, reading every card, and praying for each of you.

Though we haven’t been able to spend very much time together physically in our first year together, the support and the prayers of our parish family have provided me with a palpable feeling of acceptance and of home here at St. Edward’s.  I am so very excited for what the future holds for us, and it is an honor to be serving as your rector.  With humble appreciation,

Father Rick+


We welcome you to worship with us as we celebrate this Fifth Sunday of Easter.  All essential information and links for our Sunday services are noted below. 

For this Saturday, the first day of a new month, as you enter the evening hours of this gorgeous day, may we reflect on the beauty of this life with:

A Collect for the Presence of Christ
Lord Jesus, stay with us, for evening is at hand and the day is past; be our companion in the way, kindle our hearts, and awaken hope, that we may know you as you are revealed in Scripture and the breaking of bread. Grant this for the sake of your love. Amen.
(BCP, p.124)

Be well.  Stay safe.  Keep the faith.

Michelle

Click here to connect to the Fifth Sunday of Easter service, May 2nd, which will be live streamed at 10:15 AM on Sunday. 

Click here to download our 8:00 AM Rite I service bulletin for Fifth Sunday of Easter

Click here to download our 10:15 AM Rite II service bulletin for Fifth Sunday of Easter

A few friendly reminders for those returning to in-person worship and for those new to our in-person worship:

– We will have ushers/greeters inside the narthex and they will have the service bulletins for you. We will also continue to take your name and contact information.

– Please do not forget to wear your mask.

– Ushers will direct you to pew locations to maintain social distancing and will also guide you during communion.

– As we will not pass the offering plate, it will be located on the pedestal at the back of the church for you to place your Sunday offerings.

– On the shelf in the narthex are materials that you may find of interest to take home with you.

*If you enjoy the St. Edward’s Episcopal Church, Lancaster, PA YouTube channel, and you have a Gmail or YouTube account, the next time you tune in, please click the red SUBSCRIBE button on the home page to be included as a subscriber to St. Edward’s!  We would welcome the support and we will not generate any unwanted notifications to you.  Become a part of our St. Edward’s community!   Thank you to those who have subscribed! 

We also wanted to take this opportunity to share with you important announcements regarding upcoming events, as well as prayer and Adult Spiritual Formation opportunities.  If you click on the bulletin links above, you will get a complete list of our weekly announcements on the last page of the bulletin.

We continue to honor the guidance delivered by our bishop, as well as our love for God in Christ, to care for one another, by remaining socially distanced, and refrain from in-person fellowship gathering.  There are many opportunities for us to worship, and perform ministry, in community, in ways that are of comfort to us, during this continued Covidtide. Please see a listing below and stay tuned to our weekly emails, web site posts, and Sunday bulletins for updates on specific details. We invite you to celebrate with us, as a community of faith!

Father Rick Installation

Click here to read a wonderful article from our local newspaper – TownLively – on Father Rick’s+ Installation and  St. Edward’s.


We are providing four links, below, that may be helpful and informative to you as they detail COVID19 vaccination site information and department of health information.

vaccinateLancaster.org

Lancaster County, PA COVID-19 Hub

PA Department of Health

Vaccine Distribution Information PA DOH

The May Scepter is online and in print.  Click here to view the online version.

Leslie Arnold has done amazing ministry keeping our youth engaged in Christian Formation Click here to view the lessons and activities that are posted each week. 

St. Edward’s is forming a team to “walk our way” in the YWCA 2021 Race Against Racism.  For more information on this event and to learn how to join us, please click the links below (they include passwords for registration). It is never to late to register to participate with us on May 15th!  We are so grateful for the support!  We have 22 participants signed up!

St. Edward’s Registration Information Flier

YWCA Race Against Racism brochure

Please continue your support of the Hempfield Area Food Pantry. Current food list:  Canned green beans; canned corn; canned peas; canned applesauce; cereal; pancake mix; pancake syrup; large grape jelly; bagged noodles.

The Faith in Action committee asks for your help collecting some books for prisoners in Lancaster. An Episcopalian prison chaplain, Deacon Stacey Catigano, keeps a library for prisoners, and she could use some Bibles and other devotional or inspirational titles to circulate among prisoners. You can either donate books or money to buy them. Just drop off your donations in the narthex or make out a check to St. Edward’s with “books for prisoners” in the memo line.  To learn more about this project, stop by the bookcase in the narthex and pick up a flyer and browse some of the books we have already collected.  You can also go to this link to see what kinds of books are needed.

Let’s show our love for our human family and strive to fill our bookcase, as we collect books throughout the summer months.

Curious about becoming a prison ministry volunteer?  If you feel God is calling you to prison ministry, please join a Zoom Q&A Meeting on Sunday, June 6th at 1 PM to learn more.  The Rev. Stacey Catigano, Deacon, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Lancaster will be the host.  Please contact Deacon Stacey (717) 799 -9764 or email: [email protected] to sign up. There are information flyers in our narthex, and by clicking here.

St. Edward’s is offering a full complement of Adult Spiritual Formation.  Click here for our Spring information sheet. Please check your weekly emails which will have all the study details & Zoom invitation details.

Sunday Evening Prayer: Each Sunday at 7:00 PM. Anyone interested can send Br. David Rutledge an email to be put on an email distribution list: [email protected] Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/95355083080 Meeting ID: 953 5508 3080

Besides prayers, calls, cards and emails, there is one more thing you can do to support St. Edward’s. Please keep up-to-date with your pledge or regular contribution.  Pledges/giving can be mailed to the church, and we also have an easy-to-use “Give to St. Edward’s” button on our website that links to our secure Paypal page, as well as a “Donate” button on our YouTube Channel home page.

To assist parishes, 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.

Father Rick Installation

A Celebration of a New Ministry: the Reverend Dr. Rick Bauer and the People of St. Edward’s

We thought the people and friends of St. Edward’s would enjoy this gallery of photos from our service on April 21, 2021 of a Celebration of a New Ministry at St. Edward’s.  Please click here if you would like to read the service bulletin while viewing the gallery.

Click here to read about Father Rick and a Celebration of a New Ministry at St. Edward’s, featured in our area newspapers.

LNP Online

(Note:  You may need a subscription or to sign up for a free article viewing to view the LNP article).

Townlively – Hempfield 

Worship at St. Edward’s – Palm Sunday, March 28, 2021

Dear parishioners and friends of St. Edward’s,

We welcome you to information regarding the return of our in-person worship, online worship essential links, and ministry offerings for this Sunday, Palm Sunday.  All essential links are noted below. 

I prayerfully request that we continue to refrain from gathering, with other parishioners, in public groups, without masks. In Lancaster County, we continue to move towards wider distribution of vaccines, and within our diocese, we are adhering to the same safety protocols we submitted in 2020 for our in-person worship.  We are all in this together, and honoring our parish community, by continuing to comply with the recommendations set forth during this time, conveys our love for God in Christ, the members of our parish family, and the wider community.

Here are three links that may be helpful:


vaccinateLancaster.org
**If you need assistance in registering/navigating this website, please contact me, or the parish office, and we will assist you.

Lancaster County, PA COVID-19 Hub

PA Department of Health

Father Rick+

As we enter this holiest of weeks, we are in deep prayer and silence, relying on our strong hearts, our willing hearts, and our believing hearts to endure the burdens of this life as we walk in the way of the cross and remember our Lord Jesus Christ, and all that he gave, of himself, for us.

Saint Paul said:  Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.

Be well.  Stay safe.  Keep the faith.

Michelle

Sunday Service Information: 

Click here to connect to the Palm Sunday service, March 28th, which will be live streamed at 10:15 AM on Sunday. 

Click here to download our 8:00 AM Rite I service bulletin for Palm Sunday.

Click here to download our 10:15 AM Rite II service bulletin for Palm Sunday.

A few friendly reminders for those returning to in-person worship and for those new to our in-person worship:


– For Palm Sunday, when you arrive at church, please pick up a blessed palm , along with your service bulletin, before you enter the sanctuary.  **If you are not attending in-person worship on Palm Sunday, we have placed blessed palms outside our front doors for you to pick up, today.

– We will have ushers/greeters inside the narthex and they will have the service bulletins for you.  We will also continue to take your name and contact information.

– Please do not forget to wear your mask.

– Ushers will direct you to pew locations to maintain social distancing and will also guide you during communion.

– As we will not pass the offering plate, it will be located on the pedestal at the back of the church for you to place your Sunday offerings.

– On the shelf in the narthex are materials that you may find of interest to take home with you, as well as the sign up sheet for Easter flowers with envelopes for your donation.

*If you enjoy the St. Edward’s Episcopal Church, Lancaster, PA YouTube channel, and you have a Gmail or YouTube account, the next time you tune in, please click the red SUBSCRIBE button on the home page to be included as a subscriber to St. Edward’s!  We would welcome the support and we will not generate any unwanted notifications to you.  Become a part of our St. Edward’s community!   Thank you to those who have subscribed! 


We also wanted to take this opportunity to share with you important announcements regarding upcoming events, as well as prayer and adult spiritual formation opportunities.

We continue to honor the guidance delivered by our bishop, as well as our love for God in Christ, to care for one another, by remaining socially distanced, and refrain from in-person fellowship gathering.  There are many opportunities for us to worship, and perform ministry, in community, in ways that are of comfort to us, during this continued Covidtide. Please see a listing below and stay tuned to our weekly emails, web site posts, and Sunday bulletins for updates on specific details. We invite you to celebrate with us, as a community of faith!


If you would like to participate in our Easter Flowers, “in memory of,” or “in thanksgiving for,” a loved one, friends, family, please sign up on the clipboard in the narthex this Sunday, or email the parish office by Wednesday of this week with your names to be printed in the Easter Sunday bulletin.  Flower donation requested is $20.  Your donations help us beautify the altar and pews for Easter Sunday.


Holy Week service information is as follows:

Tenebrae – Diocesan offering.  Visit their website: https://diocesecpa.org/holy-week-2021/

Maundy Thursday:  7:00 PM at St. Edward’s in-person and via our live stream YouTube channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNdh6URgkKg6HXMsrDiLhWw

Good Friday:  7:00 PM at St. Edward’s in-person and via our live stream YouTube channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNdh6URgkKg6HXMsrDiLhWw

Easter Vigil – Diocesan offering. Visit their website:  https://diocesecpa.org/holy-week-2021/

Easter Sunday at St. Edward’s:
6:30 AM Sunrise Service – outdoors, in-person, weather permitting

8:00 AM – Rite I in-person
10:15 AM – Rite II in-person and via our live stream YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNdh6URgkKg6HXMsrDiLhWw


St. Edward’s is forming a team to “walk our way” in the YWCA 2021 Race Against Racism.  For more information on this event and to learn how to join us, please click the links below.  Our team members must register by April 7th!

St. Edward’s Registration Information Flier

YWCA Race Against Racism brochure

Please continue your support of the Hempfield Area Food Pantry. Let us continue our tradition of generosity for those less fortunate than ourselves.  Requested food items for the month of March are:

Large peanut butter
Large jelly
Canned corn
Canned carrots
Canned mixed vegetables
Mac and cheese
2 pound package of dried pinto beans

Soles 4 Souls: St. Edward’s, with Saint John’s of Lancaster will collect shoes through Palm Sunday, March 28th and we invite parishioners to donate used shoes. The shoes can be lightly used to falling apart. Collection boxes will be placed in the sanctuary. Please tie any laced shoes together and rubber band all other shoe types.

St. Edward’s is offering a full complement of Adult Spiritual Formation which continues through Lent! Please check your weekly emails which will have all the study details & Zoom invitation details.

Bible Study: Wednesday Evenings from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM: For questions, please contact Bob Mosebach at [email protected] or Leslie Arnold at [email protected].

Lunch & Learn: Episcopal Beliefs and Practices: Fridays from 12 Noon – 1 PM led by Bob Mosebach

The Way of the Cross: Go to our St. Edward’s YouTube Channel to view our Stations of the Cross, each week, as a Lenten discipline. You will find the pre-recorded offering and a Way of the Cross pdf to download.
The Way of the Cross on the St. Edward’s YouTube Channel, click here.

The Way of the Cross order of service pdf, click here.

Friday Evening Prayer: Each Friday at 7:00 PM hosted by Patrick and Dina Ishler
Join us on Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86327105082
Join Code:  863 2710 5082

Sunday Evening Prayer: Each Sunday at 7:00 PM. Anyone interested can send Br. David Rutledge an email to be put on an email distribution list: [email protected] Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/95355083080 Meeting ID: 953 5508 3080

Besides prayers, calls, cards and emails, there is one more thing you can do to support St. Edward’s. Please keep up-to-date with your pledge or regular contribution.  Pledges/giving can be mailed to the church, and we also have an easy-to-use “Give to St. Edward’s” button on our website that links to our secure Paypal page, as well as a “Donate” button on our YouTube Channel home page.

To assist parishes, 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.

Online Worship at St. Edward’s: Fifth Sunday in Lent – March 21, 2021

Dear parishioners and friends of St. Edward’s,

We welcome you to information regarding the return of our in-person worship, online worship essential links, and ministry offerings for this Sunday, the Fifth Sunday in Lent.  All essential links are noted below. 

I prayerfully request that we continue to refrain from gathering, with other parishioners, in public groups, without masks. In Lancaster County, we continue to move towards wider distribution of vaccines, and within our diocese, we are adhering to the same safety protocols we submitted in 2020 for our in-person worship.  We are all in this together, and honoring our parish community, by continuing to comply with the recommendations set forth during this time, conveys our love for God in Christ, the members of our parish family, and the wider community.

Here are three links that may be helpful:


vaccinateLancaster.org
**If you need assistance in registering/navigating this website, please contact me, or the parish office, and we will assist you.

Lancaster County, PA COVID-19 Hub

PA Department of Health

Father Rick+

Happy first day of spring!  Being outside, today, gave us clear evidence of God’s love for all creation.

As we continue our Lenten journey, we are often reminded, that life is filled with hard work and suffering and that God calls us to walk that upward road.  But we also know that, in Him, we have a fellow traveler.  Whatever your journey may be, let us pray, tonight:

For Travelers 
O God, our heavenly Father, whose glory fills the whole creation, and whose presence we find wherever we go: Preserve those who travel; surround them with your loving care; protect them from every danger; and bring them in safety to their journey’s end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Be well.  Stay safe.  Keep the faith.

Michelle

Sunday Service Information:  Please note that our Rite II service is now at our 10:15 AM time.

Click here to connect to the Fifth Sunday in Lent, March 21st, which will be live streamed at 10:15 AM on Sunday. 

Click here to download our 8:00 AM Rite I service bulletin for the Fifth Sunday in Lent.

Click here to download our 10:15 AM Rite II service bulletin for the Fifth Sunday in Lent.

A few friendly reminders for those returning to in-person worship and for those new to our in-person worship:
– We will have ushers/greeters inside the narthex and they will have the service bulletins for you.  We will also continue to take your name and contact information.

– Please do not forget to wear your mask.

– Ushers will direct you to pew locations to maintain social distancing and will also guide you during communion.

– As we will not pass the offering plate, it will be located on the pedestal at the back of the church for you to place your Sunday offerings.

– On the shelf in the narthex are materials that you may find of interest to take home with you, as well as the sign up sheet for Easter flowers with envelopes for your donation.

*If you enjoy the St. Edward’s Episcopal Church, Lancaster, PA YouTube channel, and you have a Gmail or YouTube account, the next time you tune in, please click the red SUBSCRIBE button on the home page to be included as a subscriber to St. Edward’s!  We would welcome the support and we will not generate any unwanted notifications to you.  Become a part of our St. Edward’s community!   Thank you to those who have subscribed! 


We also wanted to take this opportunity to share with you important announcements regarding upcoming events, as well as prayer and adult spiritual formation opportunities.

We continue to honor the guidance delivered by our bishop, as well as our love for God in Christ, to care for one another, by remaining socially distanced, and refrain from in-person fellowship gathering.  There are many opportunities for us to worship, and perform ministry, in community, in ways that are of comfort to us, during this continued Covidtide. Please see a listing below and stay tuned to our weekly emails, web site posts, and Sunday bulletins for updates on specific details. We invite you to celebrate with us, as a community of faith!



Our 6:30 AM Sunrise Service will be weather permitting.  We will also offer in-person worship at 8:00 AM – Rite I and 10:15 AM- Rite II.  The 10:15 AM service will be live streamed.  Our weekly email will detail our Holy Week service offerings.

If you have a submission for the April Scepter, please make sure you get it to Mac Miller by Sunday, March 21st.  [email protected]

Please continue your support of the Hempfield Area Food Pantry. Let us continue our tradition of generosity for those less fortunate than ourselves.  Requested food items for the month of March are:

Large peanut butter
Large jelly
Canned corn
Canned carrots
Canned mixed vegetables
Mac and cheese
2 pound package of dried pinto beans

Soles 4 Souls: St. Edward’s, with Saint John’s of Lancaster will collect shoes through Palm Sunday, March 28th and we invite parishioners to donate used shoes. The shoes can be lightly used to falling apart. Collection boxes will be placed in the sanctuary. Please tie any laced shoes together and rubber band all other shoe types. There is also a need for shipping boxes approximately the size of an office paper box. Any questions can be directed to our outreach ministry members: Lynch’s, Milligan’s, Ishler’s, Peg Reiley, or Leslie Arnold.

St. Edward’s is offering a full complement of Adult Spiritual Formation which continues through Lent! Please check your weekly emails which will have all the study details & Zoom invitation details.

Bible Study: Wednesday Evenings from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM: For questions, please contact Bob Mosebach at [email protected] or Leslie Arnold at [email protected].

Lunch & Learn: Episcopal Beliefs and Practices: Fridays from 12 Noon – 1 PM led by Bob Mosebach

The Way of the Cross: Go to our St. Edward’s YouTube Channel to view our Stations of the Cross, each week, as a Lenten discipline. You will find the pre-recorded offering and a Way of the Cross pdf to download.
The Way of the Cross on the St. Edward’s YouTube Channel, click here.

The Way of the Cross order of service pdf, click here.

Friday Evening Prayer: Each Friday at 7:00 PM hosted by Patrick and Dina Ishler
Join us on Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86327105082
Join Code:  863 2710 5082

Sunday Evening Prayer: Each Sunday at 7:00 PM. Anyone interested can send Br. David Rutledge an email to be put on an email distribution list: [email protected] Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/95355083080 Meeting ID: 953 5508 3080

Besides prayers, calls, cards and emails, there is one more thing you can do to support St. Edward’s. Please keep up-to-date with your pledge or regular contribution.  Pledges/giving can be mailed to the church, and we also have an easy-to-use “Give to St. Edward’s” button on our website that links to our secure Paypal page, as well as a “Donate” button on our YouTube Channel home page.

To assist parishes, 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.

Online Worship at St. Edward’s: Fourth Sunday in Lent – March 14, 2021

Dear parishioners and friends of St. Edward’s,

We welcome you to our online worship and ministry offerings for this Sunday, the Fourth Sunday in Lent.  All essential links are noted below. 

I prayerfully request that we continue to refrain from gathering, with other parishioners, in public groups, without masks. In Lancaster County, we are moving towards wider distribution of vaccines, and within the diocese plans are being formed, adhering to safety protocols, for parishes to re-open for in-person worship! We are all in this together, and honoring our parish community, by continuing to comply with the recommendations set forth during this time, conveys our love for God in Christ, the members of our parish family, and the wider community.

Here are three links that may be helpful:


vaccinateLancaster.org
**If you need assistance in registering/navigating this website, please contact me, or the parish office, and we will assist you.

Lancaster County, PA COVID-19 Hub

PA Department of Health

Father Rick+

During our Lenten journey, we have been asked to rest, remember, and now, as we approach the Fourth Sunday in Lent, we are asked to repent.  These aspects are all part of the process of lament.  As we lament, we seek forgiveness, and we are called to forgive others.  Repentance can be a journey into darkness, but that does not mean it has to be, or feel, “bad.”  Throughout our lives, we must travel through darkness, to find the light, around us, and in us; the light that God provides. And the act of forgiveness, does not mean that we forget, but that we can start to move forward.

In our spiritual formation groups this week (please consider joining us!), we have touched on the aspect of darkness.  In an email to Father Rick and I, Rayelenn Casey shared a 24-hour Day of Prayer that she was participating in coming from the Leicester Cathedral in the UK with the theme of “Dazzling Darkness” and their motto: “God made the darkness and pronounced it good.”  In our Friday Lunch & Learn, Dina Ishler shared a link to the poem “The Night” by Henry Vaughan, which you can find here.

A daily discipline of mine is to walk 5 miles.  Many times, especially during Lent, I walk in the darkness of evening, taking in the mysteries of the night sky, while listening to a playlist of music that I purposely allow to be selected for me.  Last night, as I was finishing my walkabout, a song popped up in my ears that I had never heard before, but the lyrics that were repeated throughout the entire 7-minute ambient music piece were meditative to me:

Don’t think about all those things you fear
Just be glad to be here (Just be glad to be here)

We close with a prayer from page 831 in The Book of Common Prayer

For a Person in Trouble or Bereavement
O merciful Father, who has taught us in your holy Word that you do not willingly afflict or grieve our children: Look with pity upon the sorrows of all your servants for whom our prayers are offered. Remember them, O Lord, in mercy, nourish their soul with patience, comfort them with a sense of your goodness, lift up your countenance upon them, and give them peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Be well.  Stay safe.  Keep the faith.

Michelle

Please remember to turn your clocks ahead before you go to bed tonight!

Sunday Service Information:

Click here to connect to the Fourth Sunday in Lent, March 14th, which will be live streamed at 10:00 AM on Sunday. 

Click here to download our service bulletin for the Fourth Sunday in Lent.

*If you enjoy the St. Edward’s Episcopal Church, Lancaster, PA YouTube channel, and you have a Gmail or YouTube account, the next time you tune in, please click the red SUBSCRIBE button on the home page to be included as a subscriber to St. Edward’s!  We would welcome the support and we will not generate any unwanted notifications to you.  Become a part of our St. Edward’s community!   Thank you to those who have subscribed! 


We also wanted to take this opportunity to share with you important announcements regarding upcoming events, as well as prayer and adult spiritual formation opportunities.

We continue to honor the guidance delivered by our bishop, as well as our love of God in Christ, to care for one another, by remaining socially distanced, and refrain from in-person worship and gathering.  There are many opportunities for us to worship, and perform ministry, in community, in other ways, during this continued Covidtide. Please see a listing below and stay tuned to our weekly emails, web site posts, and Sunday bulletins for updates on specific details, as we are updated, with times and links. We invite you to celebrate with us, as a community of faith!


Stay tuned for additional service listings for Holy Week and Easter (which you can also find in the March Scepter, but will be updated to align with our re-opening plan!)

Virtual Coffee Hour this Sunday, March 14th, from 11:00 AM – 11:40 AM, on Zoom. Hosted by Christina McLaughlin. Let us share our fellowship with one another during our extended Covidtide. The Zoom join code and pass code are on the back page of the service bulletin. (Please disregard the information about “Annual Meeting” which was left in the bulletin in error.)

Please continue your support of the Hempfield Area Food Pantry. Let us continue our tradition of generosity for those less fortunate than ourselves.  Requested food items for the month of March are:

Large peanut butter
Large jelly
Canned corn
Canned carrots
Canned mixed vegetables
Mac and cheese
2 pound package of dried pinto beans

Soles 4 Souls: St. Edward’s, with Saint John’s of Lancaster will collect shoes through Palm Sunday, March 28th and we invite parishioners to donate used shoes. The shoes can be lightly used to falling apart. Collection boxes will be placed in the sanctuary. Please tie any laced shoes together and rubber and other types. There is also a need for shipping boxes approximately the size of an office paper box. Any questions can be directed to our outreach ministry members: Lynch’s, Milligan’s, Ishler’s, Peg Reiley, or Leslie Arnold.

St. Edward’s is offering a full complement of Adult Spiritual Formation which continues through Lent! Please check your weekly emails which will have all the study details & Zoom invitation details.

Bible Study: Wednesday Evenings from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM: For questions, please contact Bob Mosebach at [email protected] or Leslie Arnold at [email protected].

Lunch & Learn: Episcopal Beliefs and Practices: Fridays from 12 Noon – 1 PM led by Bob Mosebach

The Way of the Cross: Go to our St. Edward’s YouTube Channel to view our Stations of the Cross, each week, as a Lenten discipline. You will find the pre-recorded offering and a Way of the Cross pdf to download.
The Way of the Cross on the St. Edward’s YouTube Channel, click here.

The Way of the Cross order of service pdf, click here.

Friday Evening Prayer: Each Friday at 7:00 PM hosted by Patrick and Dina Ishler
Join us on Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86327105082
Join Code:  863 2710 5082

Sunday Evening Prayer: Each Sunday at 7:00 PM. Anyone interested can send Br. David Rutledge an email to be put on an email distribution list: [email protected] Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/95355083080 Meeting ID: 953 5508 3080

Besides prayers, calls, cards and emails, there is one more thing you can do to support St. Edward’s. Please keep up-to-date with your pledge or regular contribution.  Pledges/giving can be mailed to the church, and we also have an easy-to-use “Give to St. Edward’s” button on our website that links to our secure Paypal page, as well as a “Donate” button on our YouTube Channel home page.

To assist parishes, 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.

St. Edward’s Monday Message – March 8th

Dear parishioners & friends of St. Edward’s,

As we continue on our Lenten journey, and are at a midpoint, we may find that our travels have opened the eyes of our souls, allowing us to know ourselves in ways that can restore our flow and energy so that we can be guided to new directions.

In an email communication with my 89-year old uncle last week, I “signed off” in a way that I close most of my emails and notes – “With peace.”  His reaction was that he was “pleased and amused” by my words and informed me that in his spiritual life and study, he found Saint Thomas Aquinas teaching, peace is “the tranquility of order,” very meaningful to him in ordering the priorities in his life.  I was moved by his words, as we so often pray for peace and wish people peace.

What I discovered was that “orderliness” does not necessarily have to be complete and perfected to find peace. It can be a rhythm you bring to your life – finding quiet places for prayer and meditation; taking a walk in nature; helping others; calling a friend; listening to music; or exploring an artistic talent or a favorite hobby that can help you to order your thoughts, aspirations, and in figuring out what is important (and what can be discarded), helping one to be “with peace” even while living in an imperfect world that can be chaotic and disordered.   And, we remember that peace begins in our relationship with God.

As Father Rick+ closed his sermon, yesterday, he reminded us: “We are all living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time, and accepting hardships as the pathways to peace. We are each houses of the Holy, and together, we are the Church.”

We offer you these few passages of Scripture.  Maybe you have a favorite passage you can share with us, and with those you love, that offers a reflection of peace. 

If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. (Romans 12:18)

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. (John 14:27)

Be well.  Stay safe.  Keep the faith.

Michelle

Worship News:


In case you missed it, click to view the Sunday Service for the Third Sunday in Lent, March 7th 

We hope you will include, in your weekly Lenten discipline, our Stations of the Cross offering for Lent, via our St. Edward’s YouTube channel – a collaboration of St. Edward’s and St. Luke’s, Mount Joy.  Within the message, we will also offer a pdf of The Way of the Cross.   Click here to connect.

Lenten Meditations 2021 booklets:  Episcopal Relief & Development offers a wonderful booklet of meditations to take you through your Lenten journey.  This year, ER&D is offering this booklet in an online version.  You can click here to download the pdf.  We will also do on-demand printing of the booklet pdf for those who would like a printed copy to take home.  Just let us know if you would like a printed copy!

Looking for an additional Lenten Devotional Resource?  St. Luke’s Mount Joy offers us  “Living Well Through Lent” by clicking here.

Click here to access our Worship page on our sainteds.org web site.

Parish Business News:
Please stop by the church this week to pick up grocery cards, Annual Reports, the March edition of the Scepter, consecrated wafers, your signature St. Edward’s mug, and your giving statement for 2020.  Many people take the opportunity while visiting to drop off their pledge and giving. We would love to see you!  Items are available Monday – Friday 11 AM – 3:30 PM.

If you prefer to look at items online, here are links to interesting documents and pages on our web site:

St. Edward’s Annual Report 2020

March Scepter

Learn about your Spiritual Gifts Inventory

Ministry and Faith in Action Opportunities:


Soles for Souls:  St. Edward’s is participating in a shoe drive with Saint John’s of Lancaster during the Lenten season. Shoes will be collected through Palm Sunday, March 28th.  The shoes can be lightly used to falling apart.   Soles 4 Souls will send the shoes to impoverished countries to give the people an opportunity to provide relief, create jobs, and empower people to break the cycle of poverty.  Collection boxes will be placed in the sanctuary (near the Praise Band instruments). Please tie any laced shoes together and rubber and other types.  There is also a need for shipping boxes approximately the size of an office paper box. Should you have any questions, please contact:  Lynch’s, Milligan’s, Ishler’s, Peg Reiley, or Leslie Arnold.

In this season of almsgiving, let us continue our faithful support of the Hempfield Area Food Pantry for those less fortunate than ourselves, through monetary and food donations. Requested food items for the month of March are:

Large peanut butter
Large jelly
Canned corn
Canned carrots
Canned mixed vegetables
Mac and cheese
2 pound package of dried pinto beans

As we pray and ponder during this season of Lent, we invite you to consider participating in a free course (upcoming in the near future) that will be offered by The Stevenson School for Ministry.  Using the framework of the Episcopal Church’s “Becoming a Beloved Community” this course on antiracism will lead participants through four pillars rooted in the Baptismal Covenant: Telling the Truth about the Church and Race; Proclaiming the Dream of Beloved Community; Practicing the Way of Love; Repairing the Breach in our Churches; and Repairing the Breach in Society and Institutions. The Beloved Community is defined as one that seeks and promotes justice for the least among us.  We will keep you informed on when the course date will be.  You can also visit the diocesan website and connect with the Stevenson School of Ministry tab to learn more about their wide array of course offerings.

MINISTRY, WORSHIP & FELLOWSHIP CALENDAR VIA ZOOM
New and Updated: Adult Spiritual Formation – Winter 2021 Flier – Click here to view/download
Click here to access our Adult Spiritual Formation page on our web site.



Wednesday Evening Bible Study – Wednesday, March 10th – 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM: The focus for this session, led by Bob Mosebach and Leslie Arnold, will be on the Gospel of Mark from an Anglican/Episcopal perspective. Our Study Guide will be: Borg, Marcus (2019), Conversations with Scripture – The Gospel of Mark (Anglican Association of Biblical Scholars Study). For questions, please contact Bob Mosebach at [email protected] or Leslie Arnold at [email protected] with any questions.

ZOOM INVITE DETAILS:
Topic: St. Edward’s Episcopal Church Bible Study
Time: March 10, 2021 06:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
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Passcode: 201150

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Friday Lunch & Learn:  March 12th 12 Noon – 1 PM via Zoom
We will jump to Chapter 11 in our text, Walk in Love, Walking in the Way of the Cross – Holy Week and Easter.  Join us!  

Perhaps you would feel comfortable in delivering the closing prayer? There are so many wonderful Prayers and Collects to share with the group, from our BCP. Attendance at every session is not required.

With peace,
Father Rick, Bob Mosebach, and Wanda Stoltzfus

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Friday Evening Prayer – March 12th
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:
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