What’s Happening at
St. John’s Episcopal Church
11201 Parkfield Drive, Austin, Texas
Wednesday, May 13, 2020
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From Our Interim Rector
In thinking about my mother and this being the first Mother’s Day without her, I could not help but also think about my father.
You all did not have the honor of knowing him. A visionary city planner, beautiful artist, and a very fine tennis player. In 1988, when he was 74, he was diagnosed with MS. Doctors said he had probably had it for 30 or more years, his daily swim had helped hold it at bay. The diagnosis drove him home. My dad spent the next 10 years basically “at home”, only going out for doctor’s appointments. Even his barber came to the house. My mom, with love and devotion, cared for my dad as his physical abilities waned.
The reason for sharing this family story is: I watched as my father’s world became smaller and smaller. We need to be very intentional in these days and weeks about our own personal “world” and the world that we live in. Today, in the Daily Office, the New Testament reading is from the Letter of Paul to the Romans, 12:1-21. “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that you may prove what is the will of God…”
The last nine Sundays we have offered virtual worship. Worship which has brought us back to the pre-1979 Episcopal traditional Sunday worship of Morning Prayer as we all await the time when our world takes us back into the church, for in-person worship and Holy Eucharist. Until that time, be thoughtful about your world, about our world.
Though we are still weighing carefully our decisions about going out of our “home world” and out into “this world” remind yourself about Paul’s letter. Do not be conformed, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind… Use your time, use your space, to transform your mind! Read that book that is sitting on the table, take a walk, finish a project, paint your garage, call an old friend, call a church member and say hi, make masks, donate financially to social services in the area, and above all pray. Pray incessantly. The whole world needs your prayers right now.
God, the author of creation, the great visionary, already has a plan and we are part of that plan. Don’t let your world close in on you…instead use your creativity to enrich the world in some small, but, for God, significant way.
Ann+
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Giving at St. John's
People have asked how to continue their giving
as the
ministry of the Church continues.
There are several ways you can continue to give:
Mail your check to the Church: St. John's Episcopal Church,
P. O. Box 81493, Austin, TX 78708-1493
Go to your bank's website and set up direct payment - the bank will send a check directly to St. John's using this address:
St. John's Episcopal Church, P. O. Box 81493, Austin, TX 78708-1493
Use this button to go directly to our online giving site:
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Sunday Services at St. John's
We are finding different ways to worship.
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All Sunday services are being live streamed from our Chapel:
10:00 a.m. Morning Prayer in English
12:00 noon Morning Prayer in Spanish
You can participate in our live stream videos by clicking this button to go to the St. John's Facebook page:
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This will take you to the "videos" tab on the left side of the Facebook page. When the red box like the one below appears next to "videos", click on it.
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If this doesn't take you to the live video, try using the "refresh" button at the top of your screen.
The live stream for each service will be available approximately 5 minutes before the start of the service.
Recorded video from all services will be posted on YouTube later in the day. Links to the YouTube videos will be posted on Facebook and on our website
(
www.austinstjohns.org)
.
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Behind the Camera ...
Fun with Facebook Live—
Mother’s Day 2020 Edition
Those of you who watched the 10:00 a.m. Morning Prayer Live Stream on Facebook probably noticed that the video was just a bit rough around the edges. Here’s the story:
At 9:55 AM, just as Philip was about to start the Prelude music, everything was set up and Bill clicked “GO LIVE” on the console. Nothing happened. Tried again. And again. If we wanted a live stream of the service, we needed to try something else.
Grab Bill’s iPhone. Open the Facebook App. Go to the St. John’s management page. Create a live video. Easy, right? Sure… Just a few little details… The phone didn’t fit the camera tripod, so it was going to be really tough to hold it steady. Scotch tape and clips didn’t help. Fortunately, Rev. Ann had a phone mount in her car that we were able to balance on the tripod and keep the phone steady. (Meanwhile, Fay is running around fetching things, while also trying to enter comments on the video to explain what was happening.) Then we hear that the picture is sideways. Surely there’s a setting for that? It was easier to just turn the phone on its side. Some of you commented that the sound was better than usual, others said there was a lot of noise. Both were true—the iPhone has better response for music, but the microphone was pointing away from the altar and lectern. Sigh.
Bottom line: The Show Must Go On! And it did! And we think the computer is fixed and ready to go for next week. We shall see. It is okay to pray for the people behind the camera ... and also for the camera, the internet, and the programs we use for production!
Bill and Fay, your loyal videographers
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Missing your Book of Common Prayer?
All Daily Office services are in the Book of Common Prayer.
Here is a link to the Lectionary Page website which will give you the readings for each Sunday:
Lectionary Page
You can find the Daily Office Lectionary in the Prayer Book on page 934 (or eCP if you have that app).
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Caring for Each Other
If you, or someone you know, need prayer or would like to be contacted by the church, please contact the Reverend Ann McLemore at 769-257-2377 or RevAnn@austinstjohns.org to add names to the Prayer List.
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Need Help?
Please, if you find that you need help financially, with food, spiritually, emotionally, do not hesitate to call Deacon Victoria (512-297-5953) or Rev. Ann (769-257-2377).
We are a church family; when a family member needs assistance we want to try and help that member.
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Lectionary Based Bible Study
Continuing on Wednesday, May 13, at 7:00 p.m., we will look forward to worship by focusing on the lectionary readings for the following Sunday.
Note that the Waiting Room is enabled for this meeting, so somebody logged into the St. John’s account must be present to admit people into the meeting. This is to protect the meeting participants from any possible "trolls" who might try to interrupt our Bible study. The meeting facilitator will admit you to the meeting as quickly as possible.
Each week, the lectionary page link for the specific week is posted on the web site with links via Facebook, for both English and Spanish lectionaries. These are posted under the “Resources for Online Worship” (English) or “Recursos para el culto en línea” (Spanish) header on the web site homepage.
Use this button to join the Zoom meeting via computer, tablet, or smartphone:
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Or join the meeting by phone. Dial +1 346 248 7799 and enter the following information when prompted.
Meeting ID: 816 9335 1099
Password: 023321
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The Genealogy of Jesus
On Thursday, May 14, at 10:00 a.m., we will continue a four week series on women in the Bible who are in Jesus' genealogy. These include Tamar, Rahab and Bathsheba, Ruth, and Mary Theotokos. These promise to be informative a
nd interesting presentations, so please join us.
Note that the Waiting Room is enabled for this meeting, so somebody logged into the St. John’s account must be present to admit people into the meeting. This is to protect the meeting participants from any possible "trolls" who might try to interrupt our study. The meeting facilitator will admit you to the meeting as quickly as possible.
Use this button to join the Zoom meeting via computer, tablet, or smartphone:
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Or join the meeting by phone. Dial +1 346 248 7799 and enter the following information when prompted.
Meeting ID: 890 7855 1053
Password: 594942
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Travis County Assistance Programs
Numerous financial assistance programs are available in the Austin area. Low income families as well as struggling households can get everything from rent to mortgage help to free food, medical or dental care, money for security deposits, and free debt reduction assistance. Find how churches as well as charities in Travis County (and even the government) can help struggling households, whether they are senior citizens, immigrants, Spanish speakers, or the disabled.
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Food Banks in the Austin Area
Get information on Austin and Travis County food banks and pantries. The food banks and pantries in the Austin area have various criteria that need to be met in order to receive food, however very few people are turned away from help. Even if a pantry does not have resources available, the staff will try to offer referrals or other solutions. Each center will operate under different conditions and the food banks, pantries, and churches are located throughout Travis County. You may need to call to make an appointment for some centers, and others operate under limited hours.
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Farmshare's New Home Delivery Program
1. Wednesday Deliveries: Serving North/Central/East Austin
Order form closes at 9pm on Sunday for Wednesday delivery.
2. Friday Deliveries: Serving South Austin and Del Valle
Order form closes at 9pm on Tuesday for Friday delivery.
Please check both order forms to find the delivery day that serves your zip code. Order forms are updated every Friday. We accept cash, credit, debit, SNAP, and Double Up Food Bucks as payment. Payment is processed in person upon delivery.
If you do not see your zip code, you may select on-farm pickup for either of our regular delivery days. Just fill out the order form for the day you'd like to come pick up your order.
Please visit Farmshare Austin's website to access order forms for the following week's delivery:
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HEB Grocery Delivery for Seniors
Limited to 25 items; same day delivery; $10 tip added to bill
Call the Support line (833-397-0080) 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
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Census 2020
“One of our goals in the Episcopal Diocese of Texas is to meet our neighbors and support our communities.
Helping with the 2020 Census is one way we can do this. … We are serving our neighborhoods so they can better be served. Our neighbors count. I hope you will join us in the 2020 Census project.”
The Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle, IX Bishop of Texas
A big way our community gets money for child and family programs is by participating in the U.S. Census. - - - - When children are part of the census count, the community receives its fair share of money for important programs. The state and federal government uses census information to fund programs like childcare, free and low-cost school lunches, CHIP and Medicaid.
Children under age 5 is the largest age group of undercounted people in the United States. Parents and caregivers often don’t include children ages 0-5 that are living with them on their Census forms. In 2020, it’s crucial to ensure a complete count of all children and babies to secure adequate federal funding to support them and their families.
Click the button below for more information.
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Only Rev. Ann
and essential support staff
will be in the Chapel for the streaming of services as w
e continue to follow the direction of government officials and the guidance of our Bishop.
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All meetings and activities at St. John's are temporarily suspended.
Ministry continues. All St. John's meetings will be held virtually (via Zoom).
We will post a notification here, on Facebook, and on our website when this restriction has been lifted.
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Virtual Sunday Services
10:00 am in English (Facebook)
Mediodía
en español (Facebook)
For more information about events at St. John’s,
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