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 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.
Lancaster County, PA COVID-19 Hub
Vaccine Distribution Information PA DOH
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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]
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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
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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!