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 Ninth Sunday after Pentecost: Proper 12. 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.
Today, on our Calendar of Saints for The Episcopal Church, we remember Thomas à Kempis, Priest 1471. While Thomas was never declared a saint, he is widely known for his manual of spiritual advice, The Imitation of Christ. His works embody a devotional character with the intention to assist the soul with its pursuit of holiness and communion with God. Thomas belonged to the school of mystics who travelled and lived along the Rhine in Switzerland, Strasburg, Cologne, and in the Netherlands. Many people consider The Imitation of Christ an essential read and speak to the way it is so beautifully written and truly speaks to the soul. One of my favorite quotes from the book is from Book Two – The Interior Life, The Third Chapter – Goodness and Peace in Man:
“FIRST keep peace with yourself; then you will be able to bring peace to others.”
I close with a prayer from Lesser Feasts and Fasts,
Holy Father, you have nourished and strengthened your Church by the inspired writings of your servant Thomas à Kempis: Grant that we may learn from him to know what is necessary to be known, to love what is to be loved, to praise what highly pleases you, and always to seek to know and follow your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Rest well. Keep the faith. Journey in peace.
*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!
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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 via direct links noted below. 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:
SCEPTER REMINDER: There will be no Scepter in August, but looking forward to September, Michelle will be on vacation August 30-September 10, consequently the September Issue will need to be completed by August 29th. Therefore articles, pictures and announcements for the September Scepter will have to be submitted no later than Friday, August 20th. Pictures from your summer travels, family get togethers, celebrations, warm weather activities, etc. would all be welcome. Please send items to: [email protected]
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: Parish directories will be in your parish mailboxes tomorrow, Sunday, July 25th. They will include your invitation (with a required RSVP) for our 40th Anniversary worship and celebration as well as an information flyer regarding creating baskets for our fall fundraiser.
40th Anniversary – September 12th INVITATION
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 this set of beautification projects. We will be finalizing all contract details by August 15th, with the completion target date for projects of December 2021. The beautification projects welcome donations of any size.
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.
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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.
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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)
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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 25th 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
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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!
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We are providing links, below, that may be helpful and informative to you: