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Lent 2020
We continue our Lenten journey.
We are invited, in the name of the Church, to an observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and acts of charity; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word.
For disciple of our God, this way of observing Lent becomes a way of life. After all that is what Jesus asked his disciple to do.
Our "Lenten" life will lead us once again to the Easter feast, whereby, we will renew our Baptismal commitment which promise new and everlasting life.
We do not strive for holiness because the world exp
ects it, but rather because a closer relationship with God will be our reward.
Lenten Practices
Acts of Charity:
Volunteer with St. Mark's and ECS on Maundy Thursday!
Thursday, April 9, 2020, 8-11am or 11:15am-2:15pm
St. Mark's Episcopal Church and Episcopal Community Services (ECS) are hosting a joint Maundy Thursday event for St. Mark's homeless neighbors and ECS clients.
The day will include meals, showers, new shoes for guests, foot washing, and more. Volunteers are needed to help with greeting and registering guests, serving meals, distributing shoes and other items, washing feet, and other tasks which help the event run smoothly.
If you are interested in volunteering, please find a flyer and sign up sheet in the Narthex.
If you have any question, please speak with Norma Dunn
Fasting:
You are invited to consider the words of Pope Francis how they may become part of your daily life.
Prayer:
The Way of the Cross - prayer and reflections for the 14 Stations of the Cross
As we make our way through Lent, the weekly newsletter will include two or three Stations with questions of reflection for you to use in your prayer and meditation. By the end of Lent, you will have "walked" all 14 Stations. This week we continue with the next three stations:
Lent: Week 3
Fifth Station
The Cross is laid on Simon of Cyrene
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
As they led Jesus away, they came upon a man of Cyrene,
Simon by name, who was coming in from the country,
and laid on him the cross to carry it behind Jesus.
"If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross
and follow me.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me;
for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
V.
Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me:
R.
Cannot be my disciple.
Let us pray. (Silence)
Heavenly Father, whose blessed Son came not to be served
but to serve:
Bless all who, following in his steps, give themselves to the service of others;
that with wisdom, patience, and courage,
they may minister in his Name to the suffering, the friendless, and the needy;
for the love of him who laid down his life for us,
your Son our Savior Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.
Reflection:
Have you found yourself unexpectedly helping another person and treating them with kindness?
Have you experienced the unexpected kindness of another person; possibly someone you do not know?
Sixth Station
A woman wipes the face of Jesus
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We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
We have seen him without beauty or majesty, with no looks to attract our eyes.
He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised,
and we esteemed him not. His appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance,
and his form beyond that of the children of men.
But he was wounded for our transgressions,
he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole,
and with his stripes we are healed.
V.
Restore us, O Lord God of hosts:
R.
Show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
Let us pray. (Silence)
O God, who before the passion of your only-begotten Son
revealed his glory upon the holy mountain:
Grant to us that we, beholding by faith the light of his countenance,
may be strengthened to bear our cross,
and be changed into his likeness from glory to glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.
Reflection:
Have you been brave enough to stand up for someone who is being attacked, abused or persecuted?
How have you shown comfort and care to someone who is hurting?
Seventh Station
Jesus falls a second time
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned every one to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth.
For the transgression of my people was he stricken.
V. But as for me, I am a worm and no man:
R.
Scorned by all and despised by the people.
Let us pray. (Silence)
Almighty and everliving God,
in your tender love for the human race you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ
to take upon him our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross,
giving us the example of his great humility:
Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his suffering,
and also share in his resurrection;
who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Amen.
Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.
Reflection:
What burdens on this life's journey is burdening you?
Do you have the support of friend, partner or family member who can lift you up in times of difficulty?
Artwork by students from St. John's Episcopal School
For the complete Way of the Cross, please click here.
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Did You Know?
Passion and Palm Sunday used to be celebrated on two different Sundays. Those of you who grew up under the rubrics of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer may recall that the Fifth Sunday of Lent used to be celebrated as "Passion Sunday", with the Sixth Sunday of Lent "Palm Sunday" alone.
The Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday took on its dual nature with the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. It begins with the pomp and glory of the triumphal entry into Jerusalem with shouts of "Hosanna" to our King. These hosannas soon change to "Crucify him, crucify him," as the Passion is narrated and dramatically proclaimed.
Regrettably, for some Christians, Holy Week consists solely of Palm Sunday and Easter Day. The rites of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Great Vigil of Easter are not observed or not attended. It is important therefore, that the impact of the Passion and death of our Lord be communicated on this day, so that the glory of the Resurrection may indeed be celebrated the following Sunday.
Through this "combined" service, we are given full opportunity to sing our praises during the procession and to cry our condemnation during the Passion. We are all part of this great drama, for it is the mystery of God's redemption of the world through his only-begotten Son. The strength of this day is in its "schizophrenic" nature. The truth of this day is that we all are responsible, through our sins, for the Passion and death of our Lord. The glory of this day is that we know by faith the truth of the Resurrection and the promise of everlasting life "with him who suffered and died for us, and rose again."
However, this combined service is no substitute for the rich experience of participation in the Triduum: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Great Vigil of Easter. We look forward to seeing you at all these services.
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Holy Week and Easter
The Heart of the Christian Year
Holy Week begins on the Sunday of the Passion - Palm Sunday, as Jesus enters Jerusalem and is welcomed as king. The week progresses to the Paschal Triduum (sacred three days): starting the evening of
Maundy Thursday, through the evenings of Good Friday and Holy Saturday (
with the Great Vigil of Easter,)
and ending the evening of Easter
; all celebrating the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
"Stay with me, keep watch with me. Watch and pray."
Sunday of the Passion - Palm Sunday
:
April 5
th
8:00 and 10:00AM
The service will begin with the Liturgy of the Palms in Nale Hall and a Procession into the church commemorating Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
The liturgy changes in tone with reading of the Passion and Holy Eucharist
Maundy Thurday:
April 9
th
8:00AM and 11:00AM
Footwashing, clothes distribution and meal service to our neighbors in need at St. Mark's Episcopal Church
7:00PM
Holy Eucharist with a remembrance of our Foot Washing and service to our neighbors in need, procession of the Blessed Sacrament to the Altar of Repose for prayer and then the silent Stripping of the Altar
Good Friday:
April 10
th
12:00PM
Noonday Prayer with the Great Litany and time for individual prayer at the foot of the Cross
7:00PM
Liturgy of the Word including hearing the Passion of Christ, solemn prayers and the veneration of the cross with time for individual prayer at the cross of Christ
Holy Saturday - The Great Vigil of Easter:
April 11
th
7:00PM
Gather in prayer as we light the new fire and Paschal Candle and we hear again the stories of salvation. Then we renew our faith with the reaffirmation of our Baptismal Vows, followed by the Celebration of Holy Eucharist and the receiving of Easter Communion.
Sunday of the Resurrection - Easter Day
:
April 12
th
9:00AM
Festive celebration of Holy Eucharist
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Pastoral Response to the Coronovirus
If you would like to read Rev. Roger and Bishop Susan's updates on the response to Coronavirus in our faith community, please click on the following links:
If you are planning to stay home on Sunday, but would like to read the worship bulletin, you may find it here:
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Maundy Thursday Footwashing 2020
What is Foot Washing #8? We gather to celebrate Holy Week by serving our neighbor. We provide new shoes, boots or sandals, foot washing, socks, personal care kits, hot meals, bag lunches, music, health and well-being services such as haircuts, veterinary services, medical clinic, dental care, podiatrist and VA and AA information. All this occurs in an atmosphere of prayer and healing. It will take place on the morning of April 9th at 2 locations, the Episcopal Church Center (ECC) in Pacific Beach and St. Mark's in City Heights. Episcopal Community Services will distribute shoes and provide other service during the morning of April 9th at St. Mark's. Over 300 homeless clients will be registered by the 2 centers and ECS before the event.
St. John's has supported this worthwhile outreach to our neighbors since its inception. To join in that support, you may donate cash in any amount to enable the organizers to buy shoes in bulk. You may also shop for travel size hygiene products (List below), or purchase
white or black cotton tube or low athletic unisex socks.
Containers are ready in Nale Hall to accept your donations. This collection will only last for the next 2 Sundays, March 8th and March 15th. Of course, you can drop off your purchases or checks made payable to EDSD anytime you come to Church during the week too! I will deliver our contributions to ECC on March 16th.
To volunteer in Foot Washing #8, at St. Mark's during the festivities, enroll at www.signupgenius.com/go/904094aa9a72ea5fb6-maundy. To help with the lunch at St. Mark's, see Mark Higgingbottom or Norma Dunn. It is very rewarding to be involved in such a large outpouring of community service.
Travel size Hygiene Items:
Shampoo, Conditioner, Wipes, Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Lotion,
Mouthwash, Razors, Lip balm, Tampons
Thanks for your continued support of the less fortunate in our community.
Norma
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Year of Discipleship
The Episcopal Diocese of San Diego invites you to
Turn
as part of
The Year of Discipleship 2020
in this holy season of Lent.
The season of Lent is the perfect opportunity to turn and reorient yourself toward Jesus.
On the Way of Love, we don't only practice turning away from destructive things, but also turning ourselves toward God - like a flower setting its face toward the sun. In our daily lives, we are called to reorient ourselves to Jesus and his loving, liberating, life-giving Way.
Find a video message from Bishop Susan here and other resources for the Turn area of The Way of Love, as well as rules of life in this season of Lent here.
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Scripture Readings For This Sunday
Readings for Lent 3, Sunday, March 15, 2020
Psalm 95
Romans 5:1-11
John 4:5-42
Because of our current health concerns, our weekly Tuesday Night Bible Study and Wednesday Morning Prayer & Bible Study
will be on hiatus until further notice.
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St. Patrick's Day Fundraiser
(Cancelled)
Our St. Patrick's Day Dinner has been rescheduled to Saturday, April 18th.
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Calendar of Events:
Office hours are 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, Monday-Thursday.
The office is closed on Fridays.
Due to health concerns, many events may not occur at their regularly scheduled time. Please call the office (619-422-4141) to learn of any cancellations before attending any event.
Parish Council Meeting (cancelled)
Saturday, March 14, 9:00 am
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Daughters of the King Meeting
Thursday, March 19, 10:00 am
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SOBARS Meeting
Monday, March 23, 6:00-9:00 pm
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Vestry Meeting
Wednesday, March 25, 6:00 pm
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Prayers
We Are Available in Your Time of Need
If you have a pastoral emergency when the parish offices are closed,
Prayer List
Today and every day include some time for prayer, for yourself,
for your church family, and for those in need.
For our Military
Matt, Drew, Cody,
Cameron,
Chariti,
Mark,
Sean, Jonathan,
TK,
Christopher,
Timothy,
Jeremy,
David,
Jonathan,
Nick,
Jamal,
Matt, Daniel,
Jocelyn, Devon,
Taylor, Jorge, Katherine, Sebastian and Richie.
For Strength in Time of Need
Scott, Betty, Rob,
Marion, Bill, Brian, Marcia,
Malia, Norma, Allison, Bernie and Donna.
Those unable to come to services, but thankful
for their continuing connection with St. John's,
especially Lois,
Juanita and Paul.
For Churches in Transition in our Diocese
Christ Church, Coronado
St. Paul, Palm Springs
St. Margaret's, Palm Desert
All Saints', Vista
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Opportunities For Service
Pill Bottle Ministry
Did you know that in developing countries, the pill bottle and cap is often more expensive than the medication inside. You can donate your empty prescription bottles! Just drop off your empty prescription bottles in our collection bucket located in the foyer- no need to peel the information off. Our volunteers will take care of that for you! We will wash them and ship them to Matthew 25: Ministries. Matthew 25: Ministries accepts donations of empty plastic pill bottles for inclusion in shipments of medical supplies and for shredding and recycling. Our pill bottle program fulfills the dual needs of improving medical care in developing countries and caring for our environment.
Please note that we can currently only collect the clear orange prescription bottles. We have found that the others do not benefit the program.
Thank you for your support!
Emergency Food Pantry:
Jesus said, "Feed my sheep." John 21:17
The South Bay Community Services
"Emergency Food Pantry" needs donations every month. It's easy to donate! We will focus on a different food category each month. Pick up a flyer from the narthex, carry in your car until your next trip to the market, purchase the food, and place it on the table in Nale Hall before the end of the month.
During the month of March, our featured items will be peanut butter and jelly.
Thank you for your support!
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From the Prayer Journal of Fr. Jack Tolley
Many years ago, I was a hospital chaplain at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital in San Francisco.
There was a street preacher often outside of the hospital. He would call me a sinner and tell me
loudly to repent. He was a very harsh and judgmental man.
To repent means literally, "to come to your senses, and turn in a new direction."
The word "sin" as used in the 15th chapter of Luke, comes from a Greek term meaning, "to miss the mark and not share in the prize." The prize is union with God, and one another, which we do not need to earn. God's love is freely offered. So when you read your Bible or run into people like my preacher friend, keep these definitions in mind, and be kind and gentle to yourself and others -
just like Jesus is to you and me, loving and kind.
Blessings, love, and hugs,
Fr. Jack.
Source of this information: The Rev. J. Paris Coffee
of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago.
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The Vestry
David Dennehy,
Senior Warden
Mark Higginbotham,
Junior Warden
619-861-5510
Terry Farrelly,
Treasurer
Pamela Brittain
Ray Contreras
Diane Gustafson
Mark Higginbotham
Muriel Kulikowski
Jim McDevitt
Judy McKay
Lynn Young
Approved Minutes for the January 22nd Vestry meeting can be found here:
Approved Minutes for the February 19th Vestry Meeting can be found here:
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Rev. Roger's Office Hours
Rev. Roger will be available in the office Monday and Tuesday depending on his school schedule and all day Wednesday and Thursday. He will be available by appointment. Please call the office (619-422-4141) to schedule an appointment.
In case of a pastoral emergency, Rev. Roger may be reached on his cell phone at 619-301-0724.
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To our Saint John's Family:
Here is your weekly newsletter highlighting important events at St. John's Episcopal Church. You can also find news about St. John's at
www.saint-johns.org.
We welcome your feedback, photos, and news items. Contact Maria Love at 619-422-4141 or
maria@saint-johns.org
.
Please submit your announcements by Tuesday of each week for inclusion in the Enews and Sunday bulletin.
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Emergency Contact Information
If you had a medical emergency at church on Sunday morning, would the Wardens or church
staff know who to contact? If you would like to add someone to St. John's emergency contact
list in case of such an emergency, please contact Maria, our parish secretary (619-422-4141 or
maria@saint-johns.org). A sign-up sheet will also be available in the church lobby to collect this information. Please provide your name, the name of your emergency contact, their relationship to you, their phone number and/or their email address. This is one more way we can show how we love one another.
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Reporting Misconduct
As part of our ongoing commitment to creating a safe haven for everyone, our diocese trains people in the prevention of misconduct and encourages all to report misconduct. All reported incidences are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly and confidentially. If you believe you have experienced misconduct of any kind, please contact Mr. John Seitman, (jseitman@pacbell.net), 858-793-4555 or Ms. Equilla Luke, (aequilla@icloud.com), 760-583-0485.
Safeguarding God's People
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May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May God's face shine upon you and be gracious unto you.
May God give you the grace never to sell yourself short;
Grace to risk something big for something good;
Grace to remember that the world is too dangerous for anything but truth
And too small for anything but love.
So, may God take your minds and think through them;
May God take your lips and speak through them;
May God take your hearts and set them on fire.
-William Sloane Coffin
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Contact Information
phone: 619/422-4141
pastoral care: 619/301-0724 |
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