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   January 17, 2021 Diocese of Maine The Rt. Rev. Thomas J. Brown 7:30 a.m. Link:  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's sanctuary is open for meditation. Please sign in and wear a mask. If you need help or need to talk with someone, please call Gen MacKenzie, 244-7313 Ted Fletcher, 266-8415     Church Bells to ring to honor Americans lost to COVID-19 The Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) planning the events and activities surrounding the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris has invited bells and bell towers across the nation to ring out together on January 19, 2021, at 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The coast-to-coast bell ringing memorial will honor the Americans we have lost to COVID-19. To accompany the bell ringing, the PIC is illuminating the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C. and is asking buildings across America to light up in solidarity. It will be the first-ever lighting around the Reflecting Pool to memorialize American lives lost. "In the midst of a pandemic – when so many Americans are grieving the loss of family, friends, and neighbors – it is important that we honor those who have died, reflect on what has been one of the more challenging periods in the nation's history, and renew our commitment to coming together to end the pandemic and rebuild our nation," said Pili Tobar, PIC Communications Director. The bells will be rung and the churches will be lit at both St. Andrew by the Lake in Seal Cove and St. John the Divine in Southwest Harbor. Individuals are encouraged to take a moment at home, light a candle and, if possible, stand outside and ring a bell.     St. John's Calendar The full St. John's Calendar can be viewed <HERE>.    Vestry meeting will be held on Monday, January 18 at 4:00 p.m. via Zoom.   At St. John's Keep in your prayers this week: Peppy Seavey, Ted Bromage, Jean Storace, Spencer Ervin, Geoff Schuller, Doris McCorison, Gail Leland, Jeremy Harkins, Michael Shook, Joyce and Jim Risser, Loretta Schmidt, Theresa Mitchell, David Douglass,  Fred & Dollis Sprague, Sara Winchenbach, Ray & Susan McDonald, Richard Ramsdell, Dorothy & Jim Clunan, Bill and Barbara Loveland.   Give thanks for the life of Bill Krueger who died this morning. Keep his wife and friends in your prayers.   Joan Bromage recently sent a prayer shawl to Bill and Diane Krueger and received the following thank you: Dear Friends of St Andrew's and St John's The prayer shawl you sent is very precious. It came at a time when Bill and I need to be wrapped in prayer. You are a blessing especially now. With God's Greatest Gift, Love Diane   Remember to 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 A quick note to say that Sunday's distribution was accomplished safely and efficiently.   With the increase in Covid cases on the west side there was a bit of apprehension in the air among everyone involved--volunteers and neighbors alike.  With our preparations and protocols I believe that we maneuvered the potential dangers as well as possible. We owe a deep bow of gratitude to our "front line volunteers".  Special thanks go to Sunday's distribution team: Pamela Hattem, Jean Warren, Barbara Campbell, and Dean Henry.  We were able to perform a wide-variety of functions, safely, and with minimum personnel.     Sunday, we distributed to our Neighbors a brief announcement from the St. Andrew and St. John Wardens and Vestry offering monetary help from their Rector's Discretionary Fund with winter emergencies such as heating, electricity, warm clothing, repairs, and rent.  I believe that this is a generous response on the part of the church to these typical winter needs in particular, especially in these uncertain times. Thank you St. Andrew and St. John. We invite you to visit the facebook page for the Westside Food Pantry!  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/     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 Wednesday mornings at 10:30 a.m.  He is using the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) translation of the Bible but you may use any translation you have on hand. For direct dial or URL information for this meeting, click here. The group will not gather on January 20, but will resume the following week.   Church of Our Father Music and Chatter:  On each Wednesday at 5:30 pm there is a 30 minute program entitled "Music & Chatter".  The idea is to keep us all involved and up to date.  It can be seen on the MDI Episcopal You Tube channel. Click on the link below: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-fGpm4_aFoi0mNvMiXhSwg.      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 6)  Lincoln Millstein has put together a Quietside newsletter:  theqsjournal.com     Stephen Byers 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 © 2021 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