| Worship With Us IN PERSON and ONLINE Sunday, January 23, 2022 Morning Prayer
9 am at Church of Our Father Officiant/Preacher: Mike Bullard Holy Eucharist
10 am at St. Saviour's, Bar Harbor* Celebrant: The Rev. Holly Hoffmann Preacher: The Rev. John Burton Deacon: The Rev. Mary-Carol Griffin *= The wifi network at St. Saviour's was recently expanded to include the nave. We will attempt to live stream the service at the time of the service to YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/MDIEPISCOPAL This service remains at the previously announced time of the 10 AM island-wide service. Next week the service at St. Savior's will be at 11 am, as usual. Evening Prayer
4 pm at St. John the Divine Officiant: Ted Fletcher | | | Midweek Holy Eucharist on MDI
Wednesdays at Church of Our Father at 8 am Using the readings appointed for the day in the Book of Common Prayer,
we will have a service Holy Eucharist.
On the first Wednesday of the month, we will use a Rite I liturgy. | | Covid Precautions: If you are exhibiting any of the symptoms of Covid, please choose to attend a service online. Everyone masks indoors.
Wear a medical-grade mask (double mask, if using cloth).
Medical masks are available at all churches.
Socially distanced seating.
Communion in one-kind, Bread only.
Sanitize your hands prior to receiving Communion.
Contact tracing sign in for visitors and guests. God bless you for keeping our church, our community,
and our loved ones safe. If you or a close contact tests positive for Covid, please let Mother Holly know so we can support you in your recovery and communicate with the community as necessary about their possible exposure to the virus while maintaining confidentiality and pastoral privacy. | | | Weekly Sermons and More
This past Sunday's sermon:
(live streamed from Church of Our Father)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQNnN9hzjOU
Second Sunday after the Epiphany, Church of Our Father, Hulls Cove, ME. Sunday, January 16, 2022. "When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now." John 2:1-11. Sermon by the Rev. Holly Hoffmann, begins at 2:15. |  | | | Assisting at Services We are in need of support for our worship services: Acolytes, Greeters/Ushers, Lectors, Intercessors, Altar Guild, and officiants for Morning Prayer. If you would like to help at any of our services, please contact the parish administrator of your church. Thank you! | | | Please Wear Your Name Tag to Church Remember that wearing your name tag at worship is helpful to each other, Mother Holly, supply clergy, and to visitors! If you would like a new name tag, contact your Parish Administrator. | | | IMPORTANT NEWS and DATES! | | | January 23: Noon Church of Our Father Vestry Meeting and Parish Budget Discussion If you are a member of Church of Our Father and have not received the information about the Vestry meeting this Sunday that will include discussion of the 2022 budget with the parish,
please email the office by clicking here. CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE ZOOM MEETING AT NOON ON SUNDAY. This meeting will be fully online. No one will be meeting in person in the Parish Hall. | | | Now – February 7
"Mission: Joy" Film Screening, Discussion, and Book Group Invitation on MDI
 The MDI Partnership with St. Mary and St. Jude's is hosting an online screening of the film Mission: Joy Finding Happiness in Troubled Times. This series is open to anyone, so this is a great opportunity to invite a friend to participate in a church community event! Simply forward them this email.
Watch the Film
1. Participants watch the 90-min. film at their leisure between now and February 7. Click here to watch the film.
2. Join a film discussion with Mother Holly, Father Steve, and others over Zoom on Thursday, February 10 at 7 pm. Click here to join the Zoom.
3. If you want to watch and discuss the film in person, Church of Our Father will host a screening in their Parish Hall on Wednesday, January 26 at 9 am following the 8 am service of Holy Eucharist. Please email Mother Hollyif you would like to attend. (limit to 20 people, masked and socially distanced)
Read the Book
4. Join the community and read the book upon which the documentary is based: The Book of Joy: Lasting happiness in a changing world. Sherman's Maine Coast Book Shop in downtown Bar Harbor has copies of this book in stock for $26. It is also available on Amazon ($20) Audible.com (1 credit or $24) and on Kindle ($15) and Barnes and Noble Nook ($15) and in Large Print ($25).
5. A book discussion will be held Thursday evening on February 24 over Zoom at 7 pm. Click here to join the Zoom. An in-person book talk will be hosted by Church of Our Father on Wednesday, February 23 at 9 am in their Parish Hall following the 8 am service of Holy Eucharist. Please email Mother Holly if you would like to attend. (limit to 20 people, masked and socially distanced) | | Synopsis: Deeply moving and laugh-out-loud funny, Mission: JOY is a documentary with unprecedented access to the unlikely friendship of two international icons who transcend religion: His Holiness the Dalai Lama & Archbishop Tutu. In their final joint mission, these self-described mischievous brothers give a master class in how to create joy in a world that was never easy for them. They offer neuroscience-backed wisdom to help each of us live with more joy, despite circumstances.
Inspired by New York Times bestseller The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World, the film showcases the exchange between these two Nobel Peace Prize winners that led to that book.
Consisting largely of never before seen footage shot over 5 days at the Dalai Lama's residence in Dharamsala, the film invites viewers to join these luminaries behind the scenes as they recount stories from their lives, each having lived through periods of incredible difficulty and strife.
With genuine affection, mutual respect and a healthy dose of teasing, these unlikely friends impart lessons gleaned from lived experience, ancient traditions, and the latest cutting-edge science regarding how to live with joy in the face of all of life's challenges from the extraordinary to the mundane. Mission: Joy is an antidote for the times. | | | January 24: Techniques for responding to today's political world | |
Join Building Bridges Maine (an affiliate of Braver Angels) at 5:30 pm on Monday, January 24 for a session on how to apply therapeutic techniques to today's polarized politics. Advanced registration is needed to help coordinate the meeting, so please sign up below to get your link to join. Register here.
With folks feeling anxious about the state of affairs in our country and world, many are getting caught in their "fight, flight or freeze" responses to stress. - Do you find yourself feeling overwhelmed or depressed about what is going on in the world?
- Do you find yourself getting furious about what other people are doing or are not doing?
- Do you get an adrenaline rush when engaging in confrontational political discussions?
Come learn simple techniques to stay calm in difficult situations. The goal is to learn and practice skills that we can use to calm ourselves and engage more effectively in civil discourse and effective policy making. | | | | | Beginning February 1:
Deacon Tracy to lead Sacred Ground Study Several years ago, under the guidance of Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, the church established a framework for becoming and growing into "Beloved Community" as a church and as a people seeking to live like our Lord Jesus Christ. To perhaps focus less on institutional matters and rekindle how we treat others, model ministry and how we relate to our Lord's grace, especially in matters of race, social justice and reconciliation.
One of the offerings in this framework for conversation and study is "Sacred Ground." The series' website notes that this is a 10-week film and readings based small group study that invites participants to "walk through chapters of America's history of race and racism, while weaving in threads of family story, economic class, and political and regional identity." Specific focus is given to Indigenous, Black, Latino, and Asian/Pacific "American histories as they intersect with European American histories."
Valerie Doebler and I plan to offer the course via Zoom, starting with an introductory/organizational session on Tuesday, Feb. 1 at 6:30 PM.
The 10-session study will begin on Tuesday, Feb. 15 and will meet from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM every other week concluding on June 21.
Prior to each session, the session study guide and student website will allow access to documentary films and readings. Students will want to plan on spending two to three hours prior to each class session watching and reading the materials.
All materials are offered at no charge via the website with the exception of two books that need to be ordered for the class: Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman and Waking Up White: And Finding Myself in the Story of Race by Debby Irving. Students are asked to order these individually using Amazon or some other retailer. If help is needed defraying the cost, please let me know and we will order these for you.
Also, we may have a few participants from other area Episcopal churches. As the roster fills, we will let participants know the other attendees.
This series requires a dedication of heart and time to listen to ourselves and each other. Because it is a confidential, safe space to share, the conversations can be meaningful and fruitful offering connection in a time where this continues to be limited due to the pandemic.
I hope you will consider joining Valerie and me in this journey. Please formally enroll by emailing Tracy or by phone by January 25.
To learn more about Sacred Ground, please visit the website: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/sacred-ground/ The syllabus is attached here as well for your consideration. | | | February 2: World Too Beautiful service
Over Zoom from St. Luke's Cathedral
Featuring The Rev. Dr. Jennifer Reece
World Too Beautiful, a service that uses prayer, scripture, poetry, contemplative silence, and the beautiful native-style flute music of Kevin Reams, is held on the first Wednesday of each month at 6:15 pm in the Emmanuel Chapel at St. Luke's Cathedral, Portland and online via Zoom. All are invited to celebrate the beauty of the natural world and be inspired to care for God's creation.
The next service on February 2 at 6:15 pm will feature speaker The Rev. Dr. Jennifer Reece. Jenny is a retired priest in the Episcopal Diocese of Maine and Chair of the Diocesan Climate Justice Council. She lives in Orland on the banks of the Narramissic River, where she has opened the Oranbega Retreat Center as a place of inspiration and support for writers, artists, and spiritual seekers.
Click here to join on Zoom. (Passcode is 365962) Download the service bulletin here. | | | | February 12: Evening Music Concert
St. Saviour's Episcopal Church is pleased to announce that its series of chamber-music concerts, "Evening Music," will continue in 2022. The concerts are presented on Saturdays at 4:00 pm in the sanctuary at St. Saviour's, at 41 Mount Desert Street in Bar Harbor. Admission will be free, but donations to the Friends of Music at St. Saviour's are requested. The building is fully accessible to all; and all members of the audience are required to wear face-coverings. The concerts scheduled will be as follows: February 12 — Baroque Orchestra of Maine March 19 — Daniel Pyle, harpsichord, playing Bach's Art of Fugue May 21 — Baroque Orchestra of Maine June 18 — Baroque Orchestra of Maine Further information is available by writing to St. Saviour's at music@stsaviours.me, or at https://www.baroqueorchestraofmaine.org/ | | | | Covid Task Force Update Our Covid Task Force of the four Episcopal parishes of MDI meet biweekly. We will continue: - Masking required for all, regardless of vaccination status at all indoor gatherings
- Social distancing will be marked within the worship space of all our churches
- We will keep a list of attendees at services to assist in contact tracing, should that be necessary
- Refreshments will be only served outdoors (as has been our policy)
- Ushers will take care to remind people of masking when entering the building and maintaining social distancing, especially during the distribution of Communion
- The celebrant will either mask during the celebration of the Eucharist or cover the elements being consecrated so as to not unknowingly transmit the virus
- Continue to promote other online opportunities for worship such as at St. Luke's Cathedral, the National Cathedral, and monthly diocesan pre-recorded services
- Limit congregational singing (specifics to be determined at the parish level by the priest based on the particular context and in discussion with the Music Director and wardens)
- Offer a streamed, in-real-time option for attending worship wherever possible (currently only Church of Our Father and St. John's have this capacity; St. Saviour's is soon to have this capacity)
- The clergy request that all mask during visits to parishioners' homes for the safety of all.
- Encourage people to not cluster or block exits following a service so that those who want to exit swiftly may do so.
- Promote the option of attending the Wednesday 8 am service of Holy Eucharist at Church of Our Father where social distancing is easily maintained.
Note: Full vaccinations expected, unless medically prohibited.
We will extend precautions to include: - Move all parish meetings and gatherings online (for example, vestry and parish meetings). Small groups from inside the parish and outside the parish may continue to meet in person and follow our Covid protocols.
- We will not hold island-wide worship in January and February so as to not gather in as large a number at this time.
| | Bishop Thomas Brown released a message to the diocese in light of the Omicron variant surging around the world and here in Maine where it's impacting our healthcare systems, schools, our work and home lives. He states that our guidance has not changed and in consultation with our COVID Advisory Team, includes additional information about safety protocols. Read the full message here. | | | | The Bishop, the diocesan COVID Advisory Team, and many from around the diocese gathered on Thursday, January 13 to discuss what is happening in church communities, shared experience, and some helpful metrics. A recording of this meeting is available here. | | ** Get free at-home COVID-19 tests ** Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order 4 free at-home COVID-19 tests.
The tests are completely free. Orders will usually ship in 7-12 days.
Order your tests now so you have them when you need them: https://www.covidtests.gov | | | | Pastoral Care Requests Holy Communion: If you are unable to attend an in-person worship service and would like Holy Communion brought to you, please contact the church office (contact information is at the bottom of this email). We will arrange a time for the clergy or Eucharistic Visitors to bring the Sacrament to your home or hospital bedside.
Hospital Visits: If you or a loved one is in the hospital, please let Mother Holly know. She is glad to come visit you in the hospital or call you during your stay. | | | Youth & Family Formation
Children's Faith Formation at Home on MDI Brad Berry and Chris Krenicki of Church of Our Father send home materials to support faith formation at home monthly for elementary and middle school aged youth. If you would like to receive these materials or be notified when in person events are happening here for youth in this age range, please be in touch with the parish office. Contact information is at the bottom of this email. Episcopal Maine Youth of all ages are gathering online
| | All youth grades 6-12 are invited to join a fun and prayerful online space each month! The next meeting for this age group is Monday, February 21 at 6:30 pm.
No registration needed! Youth can just click here to join via Zoom to spend time getting to know one another, playing some games, and praying together. | | High schoolers and young adults (21 and younger) are also invited to gather for conversation and prayer online.
They can cick here to join on Zoom on the first Monday of each month. The next meeting is Monday, February 7 at 6:30 pm. The group will talk about current events, their faith, God, and everything in between - wherever the conversation goes!
Questions about either of these monthly gatherings? Please contact the Rev. Cn. Sara D'Angio White. | | | | | | | Bible Study with the Rev. Stephen Muncie on Wednesday mornings at 10 am. If you would like to be added to the class mailing list please send Fr. Steve an email here: Email Father Steve. Contemplative Prayer Group: Mother Regina Christianson and the Rev. Dr. Jenny Reece are gathering those who have or would like to learn a centering prayer practice every Friday at 1:00 p.m. at the Oranbega Retreat Center in Orland, Maine. Beginners are always welcome, as are the more experienced, so long as they have "beginner's mind"! Participation via Zoom will be available for those who live too far away to come to Orland for an hour on Fridays. To receive a link, use the above contact info. If you intend to come to Orland in person, please call or text Jenny at 207-952-2363 for the schedule (or if you need directions), as the meeting will be Zoom only on the weeks when she is absent and Mother Regina is leading the group. | | | An Invitation to Pray Transformation Northeast is a nondenominational effort to renew Christianity in New England. Tony Sousa, Senior Warden of Church of Our Father in Hulls Cove, encourages churches in our diocese to become involved. Join them in praying 24/7 for Church and regional renewal, transformation, and awakening. Click here to "start to pray". Sign up for a time slot that isn't yet taken. You will receive an automatic reminder to let you know your prayer time is coming. Find prayer guides here. Email questions to David Janssen.
 | | | Praying Compline in the Diocese
Monday-Friday at 8 pm
A core community at the Cathedral of St. Luke, Portland have been praying the service of Compline together for sometime. They would now like to invite anyone in the diocese to come and pray with them! Follow this Zoom link to join them Monday through Friday at 8:00pm. They look forward to meeting you as they end the day in prayer together. | | We pray for the victims of the recent natural disasters around the world. We pray for all essential services personnel, the first responders and healthcare workers affected by the pandemic. Church of Our Father Please let us know if we don't have your birthdate or anniversary date to celebrate! shalomcoof@gmail.com | | Birthdays:
January 22 Joel Linscott
January 25 Rachel Libitzki-McCabe
January 25 Joanne Beal |
Anniversaries:
none for the rest of January
| | St. Saviour We pray for Yolanda Ferrari, Cheryl Kolodziej, Julie Grindle, Geoff Schuller, Eleanor Raynes, Howard Brush, John Stewart, Ruth Westphal, Gretchen Westphal, Lucy Triplett, Gail Leland, Christopher Lebida, Christopher Walls, Linda Carman, Mary Smith, John Fibiger, Ray McDonald, Emily O'Connor, Sarah Cleaves, Nicholas, Janet Flood, Rachel, Mimi, Charlie, Sarah B., Dickie, Alex, Penny Ayer, Arletta Sullivan, and Anne Cleaves. Please let us know of any updates. Please let us know if we don't have your birthdate or anniversary date to celebrate! info@stsaviours.me | | Birthdays:
January 28 John Stewart
January 30 Marjorie Walls
January 31 Connie Hartley Brush | | We pray for Ward and Gen MacKenzie, Edie Stanwood, Susan Buell, Elizabeth Ward, Bunny Watts, Anne Wetzel, Paul Haertel, Chuck Bradshaw, Ted Bromage, Jean Storace, Spencer Ervin, Geoff Schuller, Doris McCorison, Gail Leland, Jeremy Harkins, Michael Shook, Joyce and Jim Risser, Loretta Schmidt, Theresa Mitchell, Fred & Dollis Sprague, Sara Winchenbach, Richard Ramsdell, Dorothy & Jim Clunan, Bill and Barbara Loveland. Please let us know if we don't have your birthdate or anniversary date to celebrate! sasj@mdi-episcopal.org | | Birthdays:
January 31 - Sally Clark
| Anniversaries:
January 22 - Paul and Margot Haertel
| | Mother Holly's Office Hours
Sunday as scheduled and where needed
Monday at St. John's
Tuesday at St. Saviour's
Wednesday at Church of Our Father
Thursday where needed and sermon preparation
She is happy to schedule an appointment if you would like to see her!
Call the parish office or E-mail her For pastoral emergencies, call her at 207-244-8144
and leave a message,
if you do not reach her immediately. | | | | IN CASE YOU MISSED IT . . . | | |  | | The Maine Council of Churches, the BTS Center, and Atlantic Black Box cohosted the MLK Day event, Committed to Listen, a public reading of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s sermon "Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution" on January 17. If you missed it, here is a recording. | |  | Episcopal Peace Fellowship's monthly series of free, online Peacebuilding presentations featured a dynamic talk by Dr. Catherine Meeks on racial healing to kick-off the new year. Executive Director of the Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing in the Diocese of Atlanta, Dr. Meeks addressed a Zoom audience of 61 participants from around the country. In combatting racial injustice in our society, she asserted at the outset that "white folks have also been wounded by racism. White supremacy is a belief that has wounded all of us. Our approach to change needs to come, she said, from a place of "broken-heartedness," by facing fairly and squarely our mutual "woundedness." Together, white people can unite with people of color on a common pilgrimage toward liberation. As a Jungian psychologist, social worker, and much sought after workshop leader, Catherine Meeks told her listeners that in our zeal to cure racism we look in all the wrong places. There is both an 'outer community' and an "inner community" in each of us, and the work of racial healing must begin by looking inward, examining our personal histories and deepest thoughts, convictions, prejudices. "Interrogate yourself if you really want to wake up!" she adjured. When asked how the work of racial healing relates to peace building, she answered simply, "There can be no peace without justice." For a recording of Dr. Meeks presentation, click here or above. This EPF free series continues! Up next, on February 6 at 4:00 pm, join a discussion with Anglican priest Dan Hines on "Hidden Wholeness: Exploring a Circle of Trust." Register here for this event. | | $$ No Frills Oil Discount $$
No Frills Oil gives a discount to all Episcopalians for a private home: 8 cents off the cash price. Inquire directly with No Frills and contact Andrew McMullan, Junior Warden of St. Andrew and St. John, with questions. | | | | Support Your Church
Online Giving To facilitate stewardship, the Diocese of Maine has an online giving site at no charge to the parishes. The Diocese will transfer the funds you give to your church or summer chapel using this online payment system. Simply select your church and set up your one-time or recurring gift or establish automatic weekly or monthly donations to the parish, either charged to your credit card or to your personal checking or savings account. You can also name your gift in memory or honor of someone through this site in the memo section. Congregation names begin with their town; chapels begin with "Chapel" followed by town and chapel name. Click here to visit the online giving portal of the Diocese or click the button below.
As always, the church accepts other forms of donations. Contact the church office if you would like to request pledge envelopes for the future. | | | Devotional Materials to Support Prayer at Home - Teen Simple Daily Devotional https://d365.org/ This resource is used by teens across the country. It walks you through simple daily devotionals (sort of like meditations). You could use it any day, to strengthen you on your faith journey.
- Forward Movement has the daily office (morning prayer, noonday prayer, evening prayer, or compline) on the Forward Movement Daily Prayer website.
- There is also a daily podcast, A Morning at the Office, with various people leading the prayers and reading the scripture lessons for the day.
- The popular daily devotion Forward Day by Day is posted each day online, and it too is available as a podcast.
- Hardcopies of the Day By Day readers are available by contacting the church office or stopping by when the parish office is open.
| | | Community Resources
Westside Food Pantry Distribution of vouchers at St. John the Divine in Southwest Harbor occur on the first Sunday (12:00-2:00) and third Sunday (12:00-1:00) of each month from November through April and beyond, if necessary. We invite you to visit the facebook page where you will find periodic announcements and information about the Westside Food Pantry. Please visit the page at: https://www.facebook.com/WestsideFoodPantry and like it.
Open Table MDI exists to inspire strong, loving, and inclusive communities by bringing people together to share in nourishing food. For more information visit their website here.
Everybody Eats Free Community Meal is a project whose goal is to provide free, healthful and wholesome meals to the Ellsworth community. Visit their Facebook page at
https://www.facebook.com/Everybody-Eats-A-Free-Community-Meal-568143769902367/.
AA recovery groups, online and in person, in Downeast Maine can be found by clicking here | | | Warning about email, phone and text scams.
Neither the Rev. Holly Hoffmann nor any member of the church staff or leadership will solicit gifts, specifically gift cards, via email, phone or text directly. Neither will we ask if you are "free now" and request only an email or text response. Always check the actual email address from the sender to see if it matches Mother Holly's email and do not respond to the email, text or call. Please report these emails as phishing/scam attempts and block the sender or caller from your inbox or phone . If you are in doubt, or need more information, please contact the parish office. We will return your call. | | |
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