Fwd: 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   St. John's Worship Service is suspended thru March 31st   The Sanctuary will be open for private prayer, meditation and quiet contemplation.   For your safety we recommend no more than 10 people gather at one time in the sanctuary.         St. John's Calendar The full St. John's Calendar can be viewed <HERE>.    All meetings have been cancelled until further notice.   Suggestion for the day: Reach out to one person today who may be particularly isolated. Reach out via phone, text, or email. Keep in your prayers this week: Jeremy Harkins, Michael Shook, Keith Storm, Joyce and Jim Risser, Loretta Schmidt, Susannah Jones, Theresa Mitchell, David Douglass, George Harorack, Lee Pike, Fred Sprague, Sara Winchenbach, Dorothea Mead, Ray McDonald, Richard Ramsdell, Cassandra Crabtree, Beth Pfeiffer, Dorothy & Jim Clunan, Bill and Barbara Loveland.                      At St. John's Meditation on Tuesdays at 4:00 at St. John's has been suspended until further notice.   Westside Food Pantry Upcoming distribution Sundays are as follows: April 5 and 19, May 3 and 17.  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 in Harbor House.                  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 worshipping 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.   Dear People of God called to be the Diocese of Maine,   In my video message posted online last Saturday, I referred to Jeremiah's words in the Book of Lamentations; he felt as if the world around him was crumbling, and yet he proclaimed the truth that God's mercies are new every morning.    Our world has changed dramatically, almost overnight. Anxiety and confusion buffet us on all sides, and we're left wondering what to do, and how to live each day amidst the uncertainty. So, how shall we live? We shall preach and live Jesus Christ crucified and risen. It's who we are!    Of course this is a terribly unsettling moment, but it's also a glorious invitation to be both citizens of the world and citizens of the commonwealth of God. And although they're not always recognizably compatible, today it's crystal clear: for us to care for the world, to slow the spread of this virus, we must act in new and uncharted ways. This is a moment to be a follower of Christ, to care for our neighbor, to step-up if we are healthy, and to rest if we are vulnerable.   Last night in a special announcement, Governor Janet Mills outlined significant recommendations and signed a Civil Emergency Proclamation in responding to COVID-19 in Maine. Our responsibility now as the church is to the common good of all - rooted in Jesus's great commandment: to love God and to love our neighbor. For us to fulfill the great commandment, the Episcopal Church in Maine must take unprecedented action:    Effective immediately every faith community in the Diocese of Maine should suspend in-person worship, formation programs, and governance meetings until further notice (as of today, the Centers for Disease Control recommends against gatherings of 50 or more for the next eight weeks). However, we are not closing our churches: in fact, I encourage our congregations to explore options for providing limited access to our buildings for individual and private prayer (within the safe parameters of CDC guidelines). Nor are we stopping our work as followers of the Risen Christ: We strongly encourage online gatherings and ask that you please let us know if your church plans to live stream worship and prayer by emailing diolog@episcopalmaine.org. We want to share the list of churches in Maine who are responding in making this new way to worship accessible to all.   Our ministries, especially in pastoral care and outreach, are in much need and must continue: we are working on resources and recommendations to be shared on how parishes can best respond safely during the COVID19 outbreak, especially to our friends who are in 12 step recovery programs, and those whose daily bread comes from pantries and meal programs.   Tomorrow evening about 100 clergy and lay leaders in the Diocese of Maine will gather online for prayer and conversation in a Town Hall. I will then be assigning diocesan staff members to be responsible for communicating weekly with every congregation's clergy person and/or warden. In proactively and regularly emailing you, we hope to address your congregation's mission and stewardship-related concerns. Along with your leaders who exercise oversight (the Standing Committee, the Diocesan Council, Trustees of Diocesan Funds) and the members of my staff, we will share communications with you every Wednesday via email, video, and online messages for the foreseeable future.    Although practicing socially distancing we will in fact be walking "hand in hand" together as we remember and lean on Jeremiah's message of strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow.    Faithfully in Christ,             The Right Reverend Thomas J. Brown Bishop of Maine tbrown@episcopalmaine.org      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.         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, Tuesday 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

WEEKLY EMAIL from St. Andrew and 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   Sunday, March 15 Lent 3   10:00 a.m. – Morning Prayer   Scripture: Exodus 17:1-7 Romans 5:1-11 John 4:5-42 Psalm 95 Participants at St. John's: Officiant: Kai Ce Burton Usher: Edie First Lesson/Psalm/Second Lesson: Linda Prayers:  ___ Acolyte:  Ted Altar Guild: Joan Coffee Hour: ___ Vestry Member in Charge: Linda   Weekday Healing Prayer and Eucharist at 12:00 noon on Thursdays   St. John's Calendar The full St. John's Calendar can be viewed <HERE>.  Sunday, March 15, 10:00 a.m. – Morning Prayer                                12:00 p.m. – Westside Food Pantry distribution Sunday, March 22, 10:00 a.m. – Eucharist, The Rev. Tom Mousin Sunday, March 29, 10:00 a.m. -- Combined Service at St. Mary & St. Jude Tuesdays, 4:00 p.m. — Meditation Thursdays, 12:00 noon — Healing Prayer & Holy Eucharist Fridays, 10:00 a.m. – Prepare backpacks Michele will be out of the office until March 19   * * *    The cut glass bowl that was in the Baptismal Font at St. John's is no longer there.   If you know of its current location, please let Joan Bromage know.   Thank you!   * * *           At St. John's During Lent, there is a 9:00 A.M. Book Study on Sundays in the Undercroft, beginning March 1st. Copies of the book, Entering the Passion of Jesus: A Beginner's Guide to Holy Week, by Amy-Jill Levine, professor, and biblical scholar are available in the office for $8.50. Meditation on Tuesdays at 4:00 at St. John's. Please join us for 30 minutes of shared silence and "prayer of the heart," an ancient meditative practice of the Christian tradition. All are welcome! We meditate sitting on chairs, though if you prefer to sit on the floor, feel free to bring a mat or cushion.    Westside Food Pantry Upcoming distribution Sundays are as follows: March 15, April 5 and 19, May 3 and 17.  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 in Harbor House.                  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 worshipping 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.   Diocesan Spring Training 2020 https://www.episcopalmaine.org/spring-training   Gretchen Lane was beloved in our diocese, and her death evokes sadness in all of us who knew her. At the same time, this is an occasion for us to proclaim hope in resurrection, to give thanks for her presence and friendship, and to convey our love to Steve, who was our bishop for over a decade. Her funeral is the same day as Spring Training. Several in our community, especially members of governing bodies and diocesan staff, would like to be in Rochester on the 21st of March. Therefore, I am taking the decision to cancel Spring Training.   Certainly some of us will be disappointed about this decision. Many of you had already committed to being in Augusta, to hearing the Reverend Jay Sidebotham, and to attending or leading workshops. However, not all is lost, not ever. Early in May we will gather in Bangor to be with Canon Stephanie Spellers, and with our Presiding Bishop, Michael Bruce Curry. It will be an occasion for us to gather together, to claim our call as evangelists, to learn, and to worship. I hope all of us will make this a priority. For more information about the Presiding Bishop's visit, click here.   Gretchen's memorial service will be at the Episcopal Church of Saint Thomas, 2000 Highland Avenue, Rochester, NY at 11:00am on Saturday, 21 March. If you are interested in joining others from the Diocese of Maine in attending the service, arrangements have been made for bus transportation and a room block at a nearby hotel. Those details appear below.   Please send condolence notes, and sympathy cards to: The Rt. Rev. Stephen Lane and Family, 1400 East Avenue, #313, Rochester, NY 14610. Memorial contributions in thanksgiving for Gretchen may be made to:  Saint Elizabeth's Essentials Pantry, 143 State Street, Portland, ME 04101 or The Center for Wisdom's Women, PO Box 1016, Lewiston, ME 04240.     Read the full letter from Bishop Brown that includes details about bus transportation to the service.   Refunds for lunch purchases have been issued. If you wish to independently donate to Maine Youth Mission Exchange, click here to donate.    EXPLORING OUR ANGLICAN HERITAGE A Pilgrimage for the Episcopal Diocese of Maine Dear Friends, Will you join me for a pilgrimage in England after Easter -- April 15-27, 2020? A neighbor in Portland asked me, "so, is the Episcopal Church the same as the Church of England?" "Well, "I said, "yes and no." So I proceeded to explain the similarities and differences. She said, "Oh, so they're like the mother ship." It's probably not the way I would have put it, but you know something? It fits. A tour through England's many cathedrals will take on a quality of vacation, and in one sense it will be a holiday. Yet in another way this will be much more than a vacation, you will return from this pilgrimage with a keen knowledge of our history, and I hope, a stronger sense of your faith in Jesus Christ. Please prayerfully consider joining this journey designed to foster a deeper relationship with God by visiting and praying at holy places, connecting with old friends, and making new ones, and discovering for the first time (or once again) the depths of the English church's spirituality and history. I will serve as our chaplain, and local guides will accompany us at the various sites. We will be blessed to pray as a pilgrimage community along the way, and to be a learning community, too. All in all, we shall gain great insight as we love the Lord and the Church.   Download the pilgrimage brochure for the full itinerary. The brochure contains the booking form that you'll need if you wish to reserve a space on the tour. Brochures are also available at the back of St. John's Church. Deposits and forms should be mailed to: LightLine Pilgrimages, 1829 N Cleveland Ave., Unit B, Chicago, IL 60614. Faithfully in Christ, The Right Reverend Thomas J. Brown Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Maine     MDI+ Episcopal Churches: Prayer and Supper around the Island An opportunity to gather with brothers and sisters from all our island churches for a quiet evening prayer service followed by a simple soup and bread supper, 5:30 p.m. on the following Wednesdays in Lent.   March 18 — St. Mary & St. Jude, Northeast Harbor March 25 — St. Saviour's, Bar Harbor (Evensong) April 1 — Church of Our Father, Hulls Cove 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.           Community: The Alcyon Center is a place of contemplation and peace, offering a variety of programs including quiet days, a gathering of women to discuss various topics through poetry, personal experiences (Soul Friends), a monthly quiet day and a weekly study of the Gospel for the coming Sunday. The center is located in Seal Cove on MDI.  For more information please visit their website at alcyoncenter.org.       Services at the Partnership Parishes: St. Andrew & St. John First and Second Sundays, 10:00 a.m.—Eucharist Third Sundays, 10:00 a.m.— Morning Prayer Tuesdays, 4:00 pm — Meditation Thursday, 11:00 a.m. — Saint of the day & Healing Prayer Eucharist   Church of our Father Second and Third Sundays, 10:00 a.m.—Eucharist First Sunday, 10:00 a.m. — Morning Prayer Wednesdays, 8:00 am—Eucharist   St. Saviour's First and Third Sundays, 10:00 a.m. — Eucharist Second Sundays, 10:00 a.m. — Morning Prayer Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:30am — Moring Prayer Tuesdays, 12:00 noon—Saint of the day & Healing Prayer Eucharist   St. Mary and St. Jude Sundays — 10:00 a.m. — Eucharist   All four Churches Fourth Sundays, 10:00 a.m. — Combined Worship Service on a rotating basis       Keep in your prayers this week: Stephen Lane, Jeremy Harkins, Michael Shook, Keith Storm, Joyce and Jim Risser, Loretta Schmidt, Susannah Jones, Theresa Mitchell, David Douglass, George Harorack, Lee Pike, Fred Sprague, Sara Winchenbach, Dorothea Mead, Ray McDonald, Richard Ramsdell, Cassandra Crabtree, Beth Pfeiffer, Dorothy & Jim Clunan, Bill and Barbara Loveland, Wanda and Rick Wright.  .              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, Tuesday 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