When Can Old North Church Meet Again?
Last week, Governor Charlie Baker, a member of Old North Church, announced Phase Three re-openings in Massachusetts beginning Monday, July 6
th
. This welcome development is due, in large part, to the willingness of residents of the Commonwealth to observe the recommendations of our public health officials regarding social distancing and wearing face masks. We are awaiting more details on what regulations and recommendations will be in place once Phase Three begins before we announce plans. While we do not anticipate a safe re-opening of the meetinghouse on Washington Street during this new phase, we will be assessing the possibility of regathering for Sunday worship at the Lighthouse, if it is safe, practical and feasible. Watch this space for details. Meanwhile, stay safe and stay well. And have a happy Fourth of July!
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Sunday, July 12, 2020
Sixth Sunday After Pentecost
Readings:
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
and
“Good Ground” by Matthew Guite
(Used with permission of the poet. https://malcolmguite.wordpress.com)
Rev. Dr. Dennis Calhoun will be preaching.
This week's worship video will be posted by 8am this Sunday.
Please click
here
on Sunday morning to view the service.
Please note that the zoom Coffee Hour is now be held at 9:30am!
Please click
here
for a copy of Sunday's bulletin.
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Our Latest News and Activities
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Worship Service and Coffee Hour Links
The early church met in houses, instead of in sanctuaries; in this pandemic time, we'll be bringing you worship from our houses, for you to participate in from yours. This Sunday's worship will be on YouTube, and can be found by clicking
here
or by entering this link in your browser:
It will be posted by 8am.
Coffee Hour Time Change!
After worship, at 9:30am we'll gather for coffee hour via Zoom, an online meeting platform. You can call in with your phone, or join with video and audio from a smartphone or computer. It'll be a little weird, and a little clunky, but it will be so nice to see your faces. (You'll have to make your own coffee). Here's the Zoom information:
Or call this number:
+1 312 626 6799 (Meeting ID: 566 308 766)
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Visio/Video Divina
My Summer Prayer Practice
Karen Kilty, Director of Children's Ministries
Last summer I shared my prayer practice of Visio Divina in the Old North Church Newsletter. Each week I offered a scripture or quote and a photo that inspired me by the words. This summer I will be sharing a short 3-4 minute video and a reading from Psalms for Praying, An Invitation to Wholeness by Nan C. Merrill. I hope you might consider using this reflection for your own prayer practice to draw closer to the words and photos in the video. May it be a time for a pause, a breath or perhaps you will create your own video or take still photos. I hope you will, and I hope you might share them too. I have been given permission to use share from this book by the publisher and look forward to sharing it with you.
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Outreach Ministry Update
Our Outreach Ministry Board met via ZOOM on June 30
th
. On behalf of Old North Church we agreed to give donations to several organizations. Those which are overseas are the Pholela congregation in Kwa Zulu-Natal, South Africa, Hush Little Babies day care in Durban, South Africa, Mary’s Meals, and Midwives for Haiti. The domestic organizations we supported are The Haven Project, Marblehead Counseling Center, Marblehead Council on Ageing, Lynn Community Health Center, A Bed for Every Child, and REAL (Reading Educational Assistance Learning) in Lynn.
We thank all those at Old North who make these donations possible.
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Anti-Racism Group at ONC
In the past few months, momentum has been building among white people to join in on anti-racism work that has been led by Black people in this country for centuries. This is necessary, soulful, and uncomfortable work, and we hope that you have been finding ways to read Black writers, listen to Black thinkers, donate to Black causes, and work on the racism that is present in yourself (as it is in all of us!). A group of Old North Church folks are committing to get together regularly to hold ourselves accountable to doing this work. We *won't* be a book discussion group (there's a fabulous one already at Old North, led by Duncan Cox!) and we'll all be doing different work in our own lives; this group will not primarily be a teaching space, but will be a time for sharing and accountability about how we are participating in the work Jesus calls us to do in unraveling white supremacy--whether that's confronting racist language in our families and friends, supporting Black organizers in the local area, immersing ourselves in learning from people of color, or many other things. We're still figuring this out, and we'd love for you to be on the journey with us.
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Ways to Connect With Us During the Week
So that we might stay connected, we've set up several times throughout the week to gather on Zoom. You can join from a computer, iphone, or ipad using the links below, or you can call +1 929 205 6099 and enter the meeting ID (listed with each event).
Lectio Divina (Tuesdays 9am)
A time of contemplative prayer, with scripture and poetry, led by Dennis.
Breakfast Group (Fridays 8am)
A time to gather with one another, with your breakfast and coffee.
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Church Building Access and Office Hours
We are limiting access to the church and office buildings to critical business needs only. Our office is closed for normal business but some of our staff are in periodically to ensure that critical operations are maintained. Please reach out to us via email at
office@onchurch.org
if you have any questions. Thank you for staying home and staying safe!
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Do You Need Assistance? Here are some Resources.
We are sharing a list of resources which Gordon Lothrop thoughtfully shared with us from the Marblehead Masonic Lodge.
List of Resources
- Swampscott Council on Aging: click here
- Marblehead Council on Aging: click here
- Marblehead Community Support Forum: click here
- Nahant Council on Aging: click here
- Anchor Food Pantry Swampscott: click here
- The Nahant Veteran’s Food Bank operates the first Wednesday of the month for veterans living in Nahant.
- Marblehead Food Pantry, 80 Atlantic Ave. (781)631-5335: click here
- Town of Marblehead: click here
- Town of Swampscott: click here
- Churches
- Synagogues
- Schools
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Contact Us: 781-631-1244
Church Address: 35 Washington St., Marblehead, MA 01945
Mailing Address: 8 Stacey St. Marblehead, MA 01945
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