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St. Stephen's in-the-Fi
eld Episcopal Church
FRIDAY JOURNAL
May 4, 2018
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We the people of Saint Stephen's in-the Field
Seek to know Christ, to share Christ, and to serve Christ,
recognizing his presence in all people, and reaching out in love
to each other and to the world around us.
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"As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love....This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."
John 15:9 & 12
I will be gone for two weeks. My wife Sondra and I are leaving today to visit family. I have always envied those of you who have family living close by - and by "close" I mean west of the Rockies. In our case, "visiting family" means flying to Providence Rhode Island to see Sondra's father and sister, then driving north by way of Boston to pick up my son Gabriel and his wife and on to New Hampshire to see my mother, sister and my sister's family. Next we'll drive to Vermont to see my son Nathan. We'll flying home by way of Albany New York.
It's a long way, but it's worth it to see those we love.
It just reinforces how central love is to life: it's why we are alive. It's why we are here.
I'm convinced that God put us on this earth to learn how to do this, to learn how to love. We need to learn this in order to appreciate the extraordinary love that is meant to be ours throughout eternity. The thing is, learning how to love is not easy. On the one hand, we crave it desperately. On the other hand, we pull away from it, jealously working to enshrine our own ego. It can be difficult to reach out, to let go, to open ourselves in a way that truly welcomes another into our heart. And yet this is our task. It is our life's work, our life's journey. It is a journey towards love - and it is a trip far longer than the one that Sondra and I are taking.
Each of us has her or his own path to follow in this, of course, but this is a journey that we are making collectively too. One of the things that it means to be part of a church is to commit to make this pilgrimage towards love with others, to resolve, that is, to learn how to "love one another as I have loved you" together. I believe that God intended that we do this as part of a community because it is so much harder to do it alone: it is so much easier to learn how to love when surrounded by loving people - especially when supported by a Gospel of love.
St. Stephen's is especially good at nurturing love, at growing love. It has been so moving for me to be part of St. Stephen's journey, for it has truly been a journey. This week I begin my ninth month at St. Stephen's, and it has been a marvel to watch how everyone cares for each other as we puzzle out and discern together how to navigate the path ahead, collectively deepening our understanding of what it means both to abide in God's love and to generate love anew. I've been deeply touched. I love you all.
Peace and grace,
Ernie
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Sunday Services: May 6, Sixth
Sunday of Easter
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8 am Holy Eucharist
10
am Holy Eucharist: Joyful Noise Band
Nursery Care
Sunday School
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May is vacation time for our clergy!
Just so you know:
Ernie is on vacation from May 4 - May 18 so we will have The
Rev. Karen Cuffie in for supply on May 6
and we will have
Morning Prayer on May 13
(you can get out a little early for your Mother's Day Brunch!)
Robin will be on vacation and not in church with us on May 13 and May 20.
Have fun and gets lots of rest!! We will miss you.
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Bell Choir Director Opportunity
St. Stephen's in-the-Field is looking for a director for the Bell Choir. The Bell Choir practices every Wednesday night from 8 - 9 PM and plays on the third Sunday of the month, from September thru May. The Bell Choir also plays on Christmas Eve and Easter Sunday. This is a fun ministry, and we hope someone will step forward to continue this tradition.
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Santa Maria Urban
Ministry
The next trip will be May 5th. Please plan to join us then.
Also, please remember to bring socks to donate to Santa Maria. Homeless folks badly need socks!
-- Janet Thorsrud
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Big Thank You!
Thank you so much to the folks that came with me to see Jim Glancey. It was so much fun for everyone, especially Jim. Thanks again to Patrice, Nia, Julie, Margaret, Dot, and Wanda. We sang a hymn (something I would never do on my own) and delivered a donut! St. Stephen's will be taking communion to Jim 3 Sunday's a month. Plan to join me this month on May 13, May 20, or May 27.
Also consider going with Genie when she visits Ken Redder.
-- Edy Unthank
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Museum Field Trip
The museum trip on April 20
th
has been changed. It's now going to be on Friday May 25
th
. We are going to Carmel to see an exhibit of Eyvind Earle's works. Take a look at the website.
www.gallery21.com
We will leave the church at 10 and will try to be back around 3pm.
-- Janet Thorsrud
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This is the day of the send off brunch for Julie and Logan before they head off to Arizona. It will be a drop in when you can.
Stay as long as you like between the hours of 10 till 2. The brunch will be at Janet Thorsrud's house. The
address is 198 Giddings Ct.
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Continued Pastoral Care Need
Our good friend and St. Stephen's family member Jim Glancey could use your support. He has gangrene and is in a lot of pain. He is at home and would welcome a phone call, visit, or card. We have offered to provide a few meals and Jim will let Dottie Chin know what meals would be best. If you are interested in providing a meal, please contact Dottie Chin.
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Bible Study at St. Stephen's
by Edy Unthank
Ou
r next bible study session will be "Meet the Disciples." Why did Jesus choose the 12? What did he see in them specifically? He did not invite 2 or 3. He did not invite 150 - he invited these specific 12 men.
Join us for our next meeting on Tuesday May 8 at 10:00 AM at the church.
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What can you teach?
There is an effort to reach out to the St. Stephen's community by offering a summer camp this year. The plan is to offer enrichment sessions to children from the ages of 5 to 12. Please tell us if you have a passion to teach any art or crafts, sing, music, sports, building, or helping kinders to improve their reading, cooking, stand on your head and rub your tummy.....ok maybe not that one, but you get the idea.
We are looking for teachers and helpers. Let Ann Little, Monica Moniz or Janet Thorsrud know if you are interested. We are in the plansning stage now and need to wrap it up soon. Reach out to us and let us know.
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St. Stephen's in-the-Field Episcopal Church
7269 Santa Teresa Blvd; San Jose, CA 95139
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