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September 25, 2020
Dear Family in Christ,
All of our religious life is peppered with yeses to God in one form or another. We speak them in hymn and creed and prayer. We spout our God directed yeses in the direction of commandments and the gospel message proclaimed from Bethlehem to the garden of the
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resurrection. We proclaim belief in the pronouncements of parables and the messages of the miracles. But lest we allow our many yeses, sung, spoken or thought, lull us into spiritual smugness, Jesus tells a story this Sunday.
This is a story of a yes–man and who failed to follow through, and it is a story of another man who turned his life around. The story gives us all pause to look at how we might fit the picture of the yes man, at how we may often out of habit proclaim our yes only to go off in an opposite direction.
I write today with a heavy heart and disturbed soul. While I awake here in this beautiful place in my priveliged skin embracing God's gifts in the comfort of my surroundings, I am hurting for and with my friends of color. I will never know the true depth of their pain, but I too am feeling angry, hurt, frustrated, sad and grieve over the lack of Justice for Breonna Taylor and the many injustices our black friends encounter. I will never know what it is to have "the talk" with my sons, about the dangers of being Black in America. Many of my friends are having those conversations across the dinner table with their sons and daughters not only today, but everyday. Every time my Navy son leaves home, I hold him extra tight before he goes. Black Parent's have that sense, that feeling every day. They are terrified every time their children leve home, or as in this case, even when they are home. I can't imagine the constant trauma and anxiety.
I can't speak to Blackness, my skin is white and I own every privelege that my whiteness has advanced and protected me. I recognize that. I can however speak to Justice. I know what it is to be a victim, to be the one with lesser of the power and authority, to be caught in a system which seeks to protect its own. I understand the trauma, the hurt, the anger and fear. I understand the need and desire to be heard, to be seen. Justice invites healing to begin. It's so much harder when justice is denied. When you are a victim within a system of power and own a story, when seen and spoken it appears to threaten the "status quo" and in turn frightens those who have only trusted in the system alone. Quickly the victim becomes the enemy, the assumed threat. I will never know the true depth of pain Breonna's family and my friends are feeling, but I am pained with them, I weep with them. I love and pray for them and us, and continue to do my best to listen and act according to God's command, I pray you will as well. Pray for our Nation and radical reconcilation founded in Love. Racism is a horrendous sin. We are called to be actively anti-racist.
Jesus's story this weekend invites us to make good on our words, our promises, our Baptismal covenant --- yesterday’s yeses and turn around the times we may have uttered a no or turned away. It is a parable of both challenge and invitation to act.
May God's Peace be with You+
Blessings,
Mo. Allison+
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Our Sanctuary has re-opened with one service on Saturdays at 5:30 pm and one on Sundays at 9 am. This schedule allows adequate time for cleaning and sanitization. Automatic hand sanitizers are at the entrance and center of the church. We are observing social distancing and contact tracing. Masks are required. Entry is through the 95th Street doors. Because of the size of our church, we are limited to 25% capacity, approximately 25 people. Therefore, we ask that you Reserve a Pew by calling the church office 609-368-5922 or through our website.
You do not need to join Facebook to view the Service. To better participate online, our service bulletin may be downloaded for print or viewing here.
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Things to remember during this time
If you do not feel well, have a cough or fever, we ask that you kindly participate from home and refrain from in-person worship.
Masks must be worn inside the building.
Some things to expect:
o You must check in with the Usher at the 95th Street door.
o Some pews will be closed for seating
o The doors will be left open
o The aisle is marked with tape at 6-foot distances
o Hand Sanitizer will be visible at the doorway and at the center of the church
o Masks are required of everyone who enters the building and must remain on throughout the service.
Some things to note about our liturgy:
o We ask that you refrain from kneeling
o We ask that you refrain from singing
o We ask that you keep six-foot distances and refrain from shaking hands
o Our reader will sit and read from the Altar
o The Eucharist will be the final act during the service, offered with the blessing on p. 399 of the BCP
o Eucharist will be consecrated in both kinds, but only one kind (the body of Christ) will be offered and distributed by the Priest alone
o Eucharist will be distributed from the center of the church (please take your belongings)
o After receiving the Eucharist, you will leave via the 3rd Avenue Doors. (An exception will be made for those in need of the 95th Street Ramp.
Note: Coffee hour is not yet permitted, and the Hall is unavailable at this time. Should you need to use the bathroom facilities, cleaning products will be available, and we kindly ask that you wipe down any surface after use.
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Blessing of the Animals, October 4th |
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Holy Eucharist with the Blessing of the Animals will be held on Sunday, October 4th in honor of the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi on the front lawn at 9:00 AM. If your pet walks, slithers, crawls, flies, or swims, it is welcome! You may also bring pictures in lieu of a pet who is unable to join us.
VOLUNTEERS are NEEDED for Set-up and Clean-up.
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Drs. Richard and Sandra Harmon-Weiss |
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Fred Maiden, Jr. on September 27th, Mary Vavrek on September 28th, Janice Barna on September 30th, and
Happy Sweet 16 to Jennette Ziemba on September 28th!
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We are so very grateful for all of the much needed donations we received this past week. A very special thank you to Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Stone Harbor, for all of the school supplies, Patty Stump at Our Saviour for providing needed supplies, and Rosemary & Ed from St. Brendan the Navigator who came by with a car full of donations.
Supplies we are always in need of are: peanut butter and jelly, cereal, Chef Boyardee, spaghetti sauce, hot dogs and hot dog rolls, tuna and mayo. Tables are in front of The Branches for drop off on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Donations may also be brought to St. Mary's. Thank you!
We are so blessed at Branches! Sandra and Terri
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A Reverse Advent Calendar |
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Here's an idea for a different kind of Advent Calendar which will help our food bank at The Branches. Check it out here. (Please note: Donations would need to be received the week prior to Christmas Eve for delivery to our guests.)
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Dear Friends,
For this weekend’s prelude, I will play Voluntary in G major by English organist and composer Charles John Stanley (1712 - 1786).
Born in London, Stanley suffered a critical accident at the age of two which left him effectively blind. Despite his handicap, Stanley began studying music at the age of seven and demonstrated exceptional ability. He studied with Maurice Green, organist of Saint Paul’s Cathedral, and went on to become the youngest person ever to earn the Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Oxford, graduating at the age of seventeen.
In 1734, Stanley was appointed organist to the Society of the Inner Temple. His playing there garnered the attention of many prominent musicians, perhaps most notably George Frederic Handel. The two became good friends, and would work together many times in the years to come.
Stanley became a great advocate of Handel’s music, and conducted many performances of Messiah. When confronted with a new score to learn, such as Messiah, he would ask his sister-in-law to play it for him just once. In that single hearing, Stanley would commit the entire score to memory.
A noted composer in his own right, Stanley published numerous operas, a wealth of ceremonial music, and three volumes of voluntaries for organ.
Enjoy the music - and until we meet again, take care and stay well!
David
Wednesday afternoon concerts
with David continue Live on Facebook at 3 pm. Please join us for some of your favorite hymns.
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Please Help the Altar Guild |
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If you are feeling called to this important ministry, please contact Janice Haines, jbhaines1@verizon.net
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Lectionary Text this Week |
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Saturday 5:30 PM in the Sanctuary
Sunday 9:00 AM in the Sanctuary
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