Saturday
August 22, 2020
THE HEM OF HIS ROBE

Why do we do this therapy dog thing? Why do we spend the time, money, and effort to go through training, keep our dogs clean and groomed, and haul them around to hospitals and classrooms and rehab centers? 

The easy answer is there’s nothing more melodious to a dog-partner’s ear than people saying, “He’s beautiful!” “She’s adorable!” “What a well-behaved dog!” “Thank you so much for coming!” If that were all there was to pet therapy, it would probably be enough. 
But there are those transcendent, numinous moments when my dog touches something much deeper in a patient or a visitor, those moments when I feel as though I had been brushed by the hem of God’s robe. 

There was the hospice patient whose daughter begged me to put my little dog on the bed by her sedated, motionless, dying mother. “She always had Corgis,” she told me. With Cookie lying beside her and her hand on his back, the mother’s immobility was broken as her hand moved to stroke his fur and rub his head. The daughter was almost in tears. “Can you stay the night?” she asked. 

There was the Alzheimer’s patient they called “Stoneface,” because she never changed expression or spoke. When I first offered Radar for petting, she just looked at him, unmoving. During subsequent visits, her hand rose to stroke him before dropping back into her lap. Then one day, when I asked if she would like to hold him, she spoke. “Yes!” she said and reached to pull him into her lap before becoming immobile again. The last time I saw her she laughed in delight when he spontaneously jumped into her lap. It only lasted a moment before she reverted to stone, but he touched the person who lived inside that crippled mind in a way no human can.

There was the 9-year-old girl dying of cancer. Her parents held a celebration of her life at their church a few weeks before her 10th birthday, knowing she wouldn’t live to see that birthday. Cookie spent only a few moments sitting on her lap among the pillows in her little red wagon, sharing a bite of ice cream. Then he made way for another dog. A couple of weeks later the therapy dogs were invited to her funeral, where her mother told me her daughter had talked of nothing but Cookie until she could no longer talk. “She went to her grave talking about Cookie,” she said. It brought tears to my eyes. 

Every one of us who has been visiting any time at all has had moments like this, each one different, each one compelling. Those moments pull us back, over and over again, telling us our dogs were meant to be in this place with this person at this moment. 

Pascal said each human heart has a hole that only God can fill. I believe the key to some of those holes is shaped like a dog; it’s the dog that opens the door and allows the Spirit to rush in and fill that heart. Me? I just drive the car and hold the leash, but I am sometimes brushed by the hem of His robe. And that’s why I do pet therapy.

-- Patricia Newman
The passing of Phyllis Burnham
St John’s heard this week that one of our endearing members, Phyllis Burnham, passed on to glory on August 19th. Phyllis and Earnie joined St. John’s back in January of 2012. She was 74. Please pray for the family in the wake of the passing.
PRESCHOOL MINISTRY MOMENT FROM THERESE MACALI:
A CALL FOR DAILY DEVOTIONALS
Would you be interested in submitting a daily devotional for the Newsletter? If so, send an email to Pastor Pam at prowley@stjohns-abq.org!

Please include the following items when writing a devotion:
A Focus Word or Phrase
A Scripture (it can simply be referenced)
The Body of the Devotion (one page is a good guideline)
A Prayer or a Spiritual Practice
#photosfromhome
Life in the backyard: Linn and I converted an overgrown section of old sidewalk in back of the goldfish pond into a shuffleboard court. Meanwhile, the pond population has exploded. There is much of beauty there, including flora and fauna.
-- Mike Furnish
#PHOTOSFROMHOME
A CALL FOR SELFIES AND AT-HOME PICTURES
Hi there! I love showing you photos of what we are doing at the church, but what I think would be an even more amazing thing to share is a picture of you! Send me pictures and/or videos of you/your family/your pets/your garden/your cooking/etc with a short description. communicate@stjohns-abq.org
FAMILY PROMISE
Family Promise had a family graduate from the program. The family is in need of furnishings for their apartment. If there are items around your home that are not in use, please contact Kaleen at frontdesk@familypromiseabq.org to coordinate pick up, drop off, and delivery times. Thank you for your generous spirit.
Sundays | 9:30 & 11:00 am
St. John’s will live-stream a worship service on Sunday morning at 9:30 am (Contemporary) on the Abide Facebook page and 11:00 am (Traditional) on the homepage of the website. We hope you’ll worship with us! (Pastors Pam and Kelly will lead, along with Shea Perry, Jim Ahrend, and Matt Greer). We hope that you’ll participate by singing and praying at home! Any questions? Email Matt at mgreer@stjohns-abq.org.
WEDNESDAY PRAYER SERVICE
Wednesdays | 8:00 am & 7:00 pm
Please join us on Wednesday mornings & evenings for a worship service of praise and prayer. This service will take place in the Memorial Garden of St. John’s on the west side of the building. This services is designed to be thirty minutes and will be led by Certified Lay Ministers Larry Luna & Joe Marshall. Please bring your own lawn chairs and sit six feet from your neighbor. In an effort to keep all of us safe and healthy, masks are required.
DRIVE-IN, DROP-OFF
Saturday, August 29 | 5:00 - 7:00 pm

Let’s rally together for the need of others! On Saturday, August 29, 5:00 – 7:00 pm in the east parking lot of St. John’s United Methodist Church (2626 Arizona NE), the Missions’ Team will be collecting any of the following items for Silver Horizons and the Four Corners Ministry:

·     Any non-perishable food
·     Toilet paper
·     Paper towels
·     Facial tissues
·     Hygiene products (shampoo, conditioner, men’s and women’s deodorants, toothpaste)
·     Bottled water

So, every time you go shopping this month or have products delivered to you, think about these two organizations and pick up some extra items. We’ll collect all these items on Saturday, August 29th!

If you’d rather give $$ instead of buying the products yourself, you can bring it that night, mail it to the church, or go to the St. John’s online giving. If you want the $$ split between the two organizations, write “Drive-in, Drop-off” in the memo field. If you’d rather it would go to an individual organization write either “Silver Horizons” or “Four Corners Ministry.”

The Missions’ Team thanks you so much for your generosity!!!
Online Groups
ZOOM TUTORIAL
The announcements below include using the program "Zoom" to group-video chat. You can find a tutorial on how to use Zoom HERE!
NEW YOUTH ZOOM FOR THE FALL
Summer is past, and as we get back to school? Our Solid Ground youth group will resume meeting every Sunday at 4:00-5:15PM with new games, discussions, and faith-building activities plus new features of the student led Soap Box and Top 5s. Log-in. at: bit.ly/Fall2020UMYF (case sensitive).

JOIN YOUTH GROUP SLACK
To better streamline all the ways we communicate, the Youth Group has adopted the Slack app to merge and integrate the our direct messenging, digital calendar, Zoom account, and all our online documents. It is easy to join the threads that apply just to you. Join in here: bit.ly/joinumyfslack1

SONRISE YOUTH CHOIR ZOOMS
While we are not yet allowed to sing together, stay informed about the activities of the Sonrise Youth Choir, including weekly Zooms on Thursdays at 4:00 pm (Jackbox games!!), and musical workshops in the Fall! Email Shea at sonrisechoir@gmail.com!
PARENT'S CLUB
Tuesdays | 7:30 pm
"COFFEE BREAK" WITH PASTORS PAM & KELLY
Wednesdays | 1:30 pm
Log in and have coffee (or tea) and chat with Pastors Pam and Kelly! Zoom link HERE.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT KIDS' BIBLE CLUB
Wednesdays | 6:00 pm
Wednesday Night Bible Club is still on! Grade school friends join us on Zoom to get your weekly Bible lesson, watch the So & So Show, and pray with your friends. This summer we are taking a Focus on Faith! Don’t miss it! Email tmacali@stjohns-abq.org for more information!
NEW SPIRITUAL MOVEMENT CLASS 101
Thursdays | 1:30 pm -- Starting August 6th
Meet by zoom with Pastor Pam for a 30 minute spiritual practice every Thursday afternoon. We will explore different ways to pray, to commune with God, to nurture our spiritual lives with Christ through the Indwelling Holy Spirit. Space is limited, join the class HERE.
"GETTING STARTED ON YOUR FAMILY HISTORY MANUSCRIPT" GENEALOGY CLASS
This Zoom genealogy class is for people who have amassed a lot of family information and are wondering what to do next. It will not teach introductory genealogy or memoir writing. Some of the types of manuscripts to be considered include ancestral reports, descendancy reports, biographies, and edited letters or diaries. Each class will be one to two hours long, depending on the topic. Weekly assignments will be given, and in six weeks, students will have all of the major parts of a family-history manuscript and an abbreviated version of the content. The cost will be $10 per person, which will go to the UMW. A minimum of 6 people will be required for the class; a maximum of 12 Zoom connections will be accepted. A preliminary Zoom tutorial will be offered if needed. Check out the complete syllabus for topics and dates. Enroll by emailing Regina Hunter at drhunter@nmia.com or Terri Link at terrilink@comcast.net.
THE PRACTICE OF PRESENCE
Fridays | 9:30 - 10:00 am

NO PRACTICE OF PRESENCE 8/21
NEXT SESSION 8/28

Susan Brumbaugh, staff mental health counselor at St. John's, is offering a FREE weekly gathering on FRIDAYS at 9:30 am to practice mindfulness meditation. Each 30-minute session begins with a brief welcome, a description of the focus (e.g., breath, body, senses, emotions, thoughts), a 15-20 minute guided practice, and an opportunity to debrief and share experiences.
Anyone is welcome--no experience is necessary. (And, yes! It's okay for Christians to meditate.) If you want to learn more prior to starting, the sessions will be similar to ones she leads and records on YouTube. Each session will be hosted on Zoom. HERE is the zoom link. Please contact Susan Brumbaugh, counselor@stjohns-abq.org, or 505-506-6716, if you have questions.
Congregational Care Corner
PRAYER SHAWLS
With the Church currently closed, the prayer shawls have taken up residence with Hunt and Ann. They are actually quite comfortable in the coolness of their new home but they would love to be of comfort to someone in need of God’s love. Please contact Ann at mapalook@comcast.net or 768-7013 if you would like a shawl. If you call, the basket will await your visit in their courtyard. Blessings -
VIRTUAL PRAYER QUILT
Ruth Vermillion is the recipient for the prayer quilt on display for August 17th through August 30th.

In lieu of tying knots, please pray this prayer (or your own prayer): “Father, please hold Ruth tight in your embrace sustaining her by your grace and giving her strength and courage for whatever challenges she may face.”

PRAYER SUPPORT
How we support you and your family in prayer during this difficult time? Prayers for health, employment, peace? Please send your prayer requests to the Prayer Team: mapalook@comcast.net or submit them on our website HERE.

GO-FER TEAM
It is hard to get out and many people shouldn’t. Is there something you need delivered from the store? If we are able to help, we have a few volunteers who would like to serve as Go-fers for people who need something but cannot get it on their own. Please pass any requests on to Jarrod at c.care@stjohns-abq.org

ONLINE COUNSELING SERVICE AVAILABLE
The St. John's staff includes a licensed mental health counselor who is available to meet virtually (using a smartphone or computer) in a secure online platform during these anxious times. If you or someone you know is struggling emotionally, counseling is available. Click here or contact Susan Brumbaugh at 505-506-6717 or counselor@stjohns-abq.org for more details about session and cost information. Susan also has a Youtube Channel with mindfulness tips HERE.

VIRTUAL TAI CHI WITH KATHY
STEPHEN MINISTRY
Stephen Ministers are members of St. John’s who have gone through 50 hours of training to provide high quality, confidential Christian care to individuals experiencing a crisis or life challenge such as divorce, grief, job loss, hospitalization, relocation, or loneliness.

How does someone get a Stephen Minister?
If you or someone you know could benefit from the care of a Stephen Minister, please call the office 505-883-9717 or email stephenministry@stjohns-abq.org
AUGUST SPECIAL OFFERING: WESLEY FOUNDATION
  School at UNM will be starting soon in some form this year. It will be an stressful time for all students, so our opportunity to financially support Wesley House, for both the students who live there and those who participate in other Wesley Foundation programs is more important than ever.

 Please pray for the students and their leaders as they reach out to other students on campus as well. Please pray that Wesley House may be a place where all may find God's love and peace in these difficult times. Please give generously.
ST. JOHN'S FACILITY IS CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
In accordance with the New Mexico Department of Health order, our facility will be closed until further notice. We will keep you apprised as things develop.

Your St. John's pastors and staff are still very much on the job, and are available to you during this time. Please reach out to us if we can help you in any way!
CONTACT US
Office Administrator, Debbie Brown, will be answering the phone at St. John’s every weekday from 9:00 am-2:00 pm. Please call the office if you have any concerns or pastoral care needs. Debbie will get messages to Pastor Pam and Pastor Kelly. The office number is 505-883-9717.
Contact Us
www.stjohns-abq.org
(505) 883-9717
2626 Arizona St NE | Albuquerque, NM 87110
Office Hours (call only): Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Questions? Contact Shea Perry at communicate@stjohns-abq.org