weekly email from St. Andrew & St. John

Events and News from the Parish of St. Andrew & St. John View this email in your browser Worship Schedule St. John the Divine 315 Main Street, Southwest Harbor 244-3229 The Rev. Canon Michael Ambler will present Morning Prayer this Sunday, May 3, at 10:00 a.m. The following link is to the MDI-Episcopal Churches:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-fGpm4_aFoi0mNvMiXhSwg Links to other churches: Cathedral of St. Luke is  https://zoom.us/j/6894391895 (website is stlukesportland.org for info) National Cathedral in Washington DC is https://cathedral.org/worship/service-archive/ (website is cathedral.org)  St. John the Divine is temporarily closed. If you need access or need to talk with someone, please call Gen MacKenzie, 244-7313 Ted Fletcher, 266-8415     From the Wardens: Worship services have continued even with the closure of our churches!  This has been possible thanks to the creativity and flexibility of both the clergy and parishioners! Our services have been possible through the use of Zoom and YouTube. This is thanks to the clergy, Jayne Ashworth and Jim Vallette.   The Three Church Partnership Warden's AdHoc committee met on Zoom Monday to discuss our May services. We agreed to continue the YouTube Sunday services rotating between the churches. A Zoom midweek prayer service will be offered. Both the Sunday services and the midweek services will be dependent upon clergy availability. The Wardens are in discussion with the clergy.   We have been challenged to enter a new age of experiencing and worshiping God. Thank you for your heartfelt efforts in continuing St. Andrew and St. John's Mission of worshiping God and helping others! Gen MacKenzie, Senior Warden Ted Fletcher, Junior Warden       Reflections from Joan Bromage My  musical response to the pandemic Music has been part of my life since I was a child singing nursery rhymes, then in the children's choir at church, and on and on, especially in times of joy and sorrow, and loving most all kinds of music.   I was writing a wordy piece to reflect my musical way of experiencing the pandemic. The phrase from an old hymn, How Can I Keep From Singing, kept nudging me to look up the words, and Google led me to YouTube.  I offer you the following version I found.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li2hddmy63U  That spoke my words for me. There are other versions of this hymn, also links on the side bar to similar videos.   I was most recently moved by a forwarded video of The Episcopal Church Virtual Choir & Orchestra performing The Strife is All, the Battle Done.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAyi64eagTI   At the end I wept when the credits mentioned that the Director of Communications, at St. Martin-in-the-Fields in Philadelphia had helped produce the video.  St. Martin's was where I was nurtured, went to Sunday School, and was confirmed and married.  The great circle of faith joins us all.   I hope you can find some music that steadies and enriches.  (I have lots of CD's if you do not have good internet access -- or borrow a copy of the Hymnal).  May we join in singing joyfully The Strife is All, The Battle Done  when the pandemic comes to an end.  (Soli Deo Gloria )     St. John's Calendar The full St. John's Calendar can be viewed <HERE>.  All meetings have been cancelled until further notice.     At St. John's Keep in your prayers this week: Gail Leland, Jeremy Harkins, Michael Shook, Joyce and Jim Risser, Loretta Schmidt, Susannah Jones, Theresa Mitchell, David Douglass, George Harorack, Fred & Dollis Sprague, Sara Winchenbach, Dorothea Mead, Ray McDonald, Richard Ramsdell, Cassandra Crabtree, Beth Pfeiffer, Dorothy & Jim Clunan, Bill and Barbara Loveland.   Give thanks for the life of Bella Hammond who died this past week. Keep her family and friends in your prayers.   Check out our website for MUSIC:  www.saintsmdi.org Thanks to Stephen Sampson, Jayne Ashworth and Michael Shook, you may enjoy some piano music on the St. Andrew & St. John website.  On the menu on the left-hand side of the home page there is now a link titled 'Music,' and clicking on that link brings you to recordings of piano pieces by Stephen Sampson.    Westside Food Pantry We invite you to visit the new page for the Westside Food Pantry!  On this facebook page you will find periodic announcements and information about the Westside Food Pantry.  Please visit the page and like it. You can find it at: https://www.facebook.com/WestsideFoodPantry/ Upcoming distribution Sundays are as follows: May 3 and 17, June 7 and 21.  The first Sunday distribution hours are 12 noon to 2 PM, the second Sunday hour is 12 noon to 1 PM.  Distribution will be held at St. John's. YARD SALE The sale has been postponed until fall. If you are cleaning out your house (since you now have some free time at home) we ask that you keep the items that you wish to donate until we are able to open up St. Andrew's. Devotional Booklet If you would like a copy of the Forward Day by Day devotional booklet for May, June & July mailed to you, please let the Michele know.           From the Diocese of Maine As a Parish of the Diocese of Maine, we are part of a church family that extends from Kittery to Fort Kent, and connects us to the rest of the Episcopal Church and the worldwide Anglican Communion.  We share ministry with our Bishop and with every worshiping community. If you are not subscribed to the Diocesan twice monthly email newsletter, the DioLog, please click [here] to subscribe.  If you are subscribed, don't forget to open it and read it every time!  There is a lot going on in every corner of the Diocese, and you wouldn't want to miss anything.       MDI+ Episcopal Churches: Confidential Prayer Chain: Unlike our published prayer lists, prayer requests that come into the Prayer Chain remain private to the prayer chain itself, which will pray devotedly for one week unless an updated request is made. If you'd like to know more about this or our Pastoral Care Team, please contact our office administrators. St. Mary and St. Jude The Rev. Stephen Muncie is conducting a Zoom Bible Study on the Book of Ruth on Wednesday mornings at 10:30 a.m.  He will be using the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) translation of the Bible but you may use any translation you have on hand. For an online copy of the Book of Ruth, click here. For direct dial or URL information for this meeting, click here.       Community: A variety of ways exist on Mount Desert Island for people to offer to provide help or to receive help during the current pandemic.   Connecting with the people who are coordinating this effort may happen:   1)   Via a website - https://www.mdicr.org/  MDI Community Response   2)   Via FaceBook - search for the group: MDI Helpers:   Pandemic Mutual Aid   3)   Contact Jessica Stewart, one of the coordinators for the group       home (207) 266-0919       email jms733@cornell.edu   4)   https://www.mdislander.com/maine-news/resource-website-aims-to-help-mdi-community 5)  Also:  http://www.maine.gov/covid19/maine-helps       Stephen Sampson, Music Director Michele Daley, Parish Administrator (244-3229) Sr. Warden, Gen MacKenzie (244-7313) Jr. Warden, Ted Fletcher (244-5225) The Church Office is open Monday and Thursday 8:30 - 2:30 (244-3229) Copyright © 2020 St. Andrew & St. John Episcopal Church, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you are a member or friend of St. Andrew & St. John Episcopal Church. Our mailing address is: St. Andrew & St. John Episcopal Church 315 Main Street PO Box 767 Southwest Harbor, ME 04679 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list