A Single Death That Stood Out this Week
A Message from Fr. Wilfredo Benitez
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In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, with over 100,000 deaths registered in these United States of America, one single death stood out this week. Most of you, I suspect, have seen the televised reports of the murder of yet another Black man, George Floyd, at the hands of the Minneapolis police. The words “I can’t breathe” have acquired a new meaning. Tragically, these words are now associated with images of Black men being killed by White cops, as their pleas for some measure of compassion go ignored.
Living in this time of pandemic fear and uncertainty, has already taken its toll on us, especially those who have lost loved ones, and the death toll continues to rise. We have lost more lives to Covid19 than lives lost in the wars of Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan combined. Throw into the mix the murder of yet another Black man, by the very police entrusted to protect lives, and we’re left in a place of bewilderment. I must admit that I find myself feeling somewhat numb these days, as if going through the motions only half awake. I’m sure many of us can relate to this, we’re only human, and we can’t escape our current reality.
This morning I found myself journaling, it’s a great outlet for stuff brewing in our heads, and when I was done, I checked my FB page, and something I had posted back in 2013 with the title: “TODAY WILL BE ONE OF THOSE DAYS” popped up. When I read what I had posted this is what I found:
Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
I was stunned! Was this a coincidence? Or was God reading what I was journaling, and picking up on my numbness? Saint Patrick’s Breastplate is one of my favorite prayers, and I clung to it as if my life depended on it. How else do we navigate the ongoing barrage of tragic news if not by the grace of God, while engulfed in the spirit of the Christ? This prayer brought great comfort to me, and took me to a place of stillness. How did God know to put that prayer before me at the very moment that I needed it? This is called by some a “God-incidence.”
I invite us all to hold this prayer in our hearts, as we approach Pentecost, desperately seeking the coming of the Holy Spirit to our lives. As we do this, pray for courage and wisdom, that we may continue to find our way through pandemic darkness, and seek healing for the sins of racism that continue to afflict this nation. God’s peace be upon George Floyd, and may peace with Justice come to the City of Minneapolis.
In closing, we have a distance to travel before any sense of normalcy returns to our lives, in the meantime we remain a community of prayer, even if we do this from a distance. Saint John’s Church remains bound in the love of Christ. May God’s peace, grace, and protection be with us all, as we continue our journey in unchartered waters.
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All group activities at St. John's remain canceled until further notice, including outside groups and ministries using our facilities.
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Here are some tips for viewing the service live online
this coming Sunday morning:
Non-Facebook Users
- Go to
stjohns-stamford.org
on Sunday morning just after 10:30 am. The livestream will be on the home page. If you do not see it in process, wait a minute then refresh your page. You will see the screen with the play button. Press the button to watch the service live.
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St. John's Seventh Sunday of Easter Service
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St. John's continues to stream the services live via Facebook and on the home page of the website.
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Contemplative Practices and Centering Prayer
with Fr. Wilfredo
Friday, May 29 at 10:00 AM
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Join us Friday mornings for Centering Prayer/Meditation, video presentations, and discussions on contemplative practices. Learn how to move beyond dualistic thinking into the greater mystery of God. This series will run through the month of June, every Friday at 10:00AM.
Be still and know that I am God.
Psalm 46:10
Topic: Contemplative Prayer Practice
Time: May 29, 2020 10:00 AM
Every week on Friday, until Jul 10, 2020
Meeting ID: 832 1570 3776
Password: 235245
Dial by your location: +1 646 558 8656
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Click on the image above to enlarge
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Children & Teen Video Chat
Sundays at 10 AM!
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This Sunday at 10:00 AM
Join Zoom Meeting:
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Further Resources for our Children and Youth
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Resources for kids - Yoga at home!
Rev. Gena Davis is the priest who led the yoga mass at St. John’s. She’s been offering online classes, including a new yoga nidra for kids age 2-12 for $5/family! For all class details, please e-mail her at
Thank you for sharing these Mattie!
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We Cannot Be Silent:
Statement from the Bishops
of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut
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Thursday, May 28, 2020
God, who can turn our worries into wings of joys and our sorrows into songs of thanks, let not our hearts be so troubled by the tragedies of this life‘s moment that we lose sight of the eternal life in your kingdom. Give comfort and solace to our companions who suffer almost unbearable losses every second, minute, and hour in our nation and world. Strengthen our resolve to replace hatred with love, tension with trust, and selfishness with caring and community. Heal, O God, all our children so that those who hate and those who are hated, those who hurt and those who are hurt, may grow up in an America and in a world of peace, opportunity, and justice. Amen.
Marian Wright Edelman, Guide My Feet, Prayers and Meditations for Our Children,
p. 142 (modified)
Dear Companions in Christ,
As we continue to live into all of the challenges that the global COVID-19 pandemic has added to our lives, we find our emotions are heightened and our resilience is being tested. The Church Pension Fund in their presentation on The Emotional Life-Cycle of a Disaster highlights that we are in the stage when feelings of sadness, grief, despair, and disillusionment consume our lives. In this difficult time, we are also witnessing that those who are marginalized and oppressed in our society are being further pushed to the margins as social, economic, political, and racial divisions become exacerbated.
Racism and the resulting violence against people of color perpetrated by those who have power in our nation and state has led recently to the tragic and inexcusable deaths of George Floyd in Minnesota, Jose Soto in Connecticut, Breonna Taylor in Kentucky, and Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia. Such violence is unacceptable and contrary to the will of God and the promise of justice and freedom central to our country’s ideals. We must not let the realities of COVID-19 distract us from speaking out against, and working to dismantle, the forces of racism and white supremacy that continue to infect our lives and our nation. It is that very inaction and silence that feed into the legacy of white supremacy. Silence is complicity and we must not participate in the forces of evil that divide us.
The Episcopal Church in Connecticut is committed to the work of Racial Healing, Justice, and Reconciliation. For us to be the Beloved Community in Jesus that we are committed to becoming, we must act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8). To be the Beloved Community, we must believe and act in a way that recognizes that every person is created in the image of God. It also means that we will speak out when we see the dignity of another person being disrespected. And it means that we will do our personal work to address our own places of both privilege and prejudice. ECCT is in the beginning stages of planning an offering related to this work and will have more information to share in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, we encourage you to explore important opportunities for us to become the Beloved Community God calls us to be in our neighborhoods and our nation, such as those provided by the
Racial Healing, Justice, and Reconciliation Ministry Network
in the Episcopal Church in Connecticut. As we live into this time of heightened emotions, we invite you to pray and reflect on who God is calling us to be and then recommit to dismantling the racism manifested in our midst.
The injustice against people of color we have seen in recent weeks is not tolerable. It is contrary to the will of God and our Christian witness. We must speak up. We must work for change. And we must repent for the ways we are complicit in the ongoing violence in our society. We do this work together. We do this work for God. And we do this work so that all God’s people may know safety, hope, and love.
In Christ,
The Rt. Rev. Ian T. Douglas The Rt. Rev. Laura J. Ahrens Bishop Diocesan Bishop Suffragan
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Medicaid Coverage for Uninsured During COVID-19
Public Health Emergency
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NEW! Department of Social Services preparing Medicaid coverage for uninsured during COVID-19 public health emergency
The Connecticut Department of Social Services will provide
COVID-19 testing coverage for uninsured children and adults in the HUSKY Health program
as part of the state's response to the COVID-19 public health emergency.
This will include:
- Medicaid for the Uninsured/COVID-19: Uninsured state residents of any income level may be eligible for free Medicaid coverage of COVID-19 testing and testing-related provider visits. This new federally-funded Medicaid coverage group will cover both citizens and qualifying non-citizens for testing and testing-related provider visits incurred between March 18, 2020 and the end of the public health emergency. HUSKY Health providers are advised to retain records regarding COVID-19 testing and testing-related provider visits for eligible individuals, starting March 18 and through the duration of the public health emergency, for purposes of Medicaid reimbursement. The Department of Social Services expects to issue more detailed guidance on this new coverage group, including processes for enrollment and claiming, by mid-May. At that point, individuals who received care on or after March 18 and were eligible for coverage at the time services were provided will be able to receive retroactive coverage.
- Emergency Medicaid for Non-Citizens/COVID-19: Connecticut residents who meet financial eligibility requirements but do not qualify for full Medicaid due to their immigration status, including undocumented individuals, are eligible to receive Medicaid to treat an emergency medical condition. COVID-19 testing and testing-related provider visits are emergency visits that will be covered by Emergency Medicaid. Emergency Medicaid is not a factor in federal immigration 'public charge' determinations. The Department of Social Services expects to issue more detailed guidance, including processes for enrollment and claiming for testing and testing-related services, by mid-May. At that point, individuals who received care within the prior three months and were eligible for coverage at the time services were provided will be able to receive retroactive coverage. HUSKY Health providers are advised that coverage for hospitalization will be handled through existing processes for Emergency Medicaid coverage.
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A Prayer in a Time of Coronavirus
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Click on the banner below to read the prayer
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Prayers for our parishioners
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Dear Parish Family:
Faced with the unfortunate circumstances of having to keep our church closed, in order to help curb the spread of Covid-19, it is imperative that your pledge be either mailed to the church, or better yet, that you
make your donations electronically
. Please see the instructions below on how to do this.
Our expenses won’t go away even if we’re not having live worship, so I ask that we all be mindful of this. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Ms. Kathy McBride, our Parish Administrator. Our vestry, and parish family, will be much appreciative for your efforts.
God’s Grace and Peace,
Fr. Wilfredo+
NOTE:
You can simply mail in your check to the church office if you would rather not use the online giving tool. Our Parish Administrator, Kathy McBride, is receiving the mail and doing the banking as usual.
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Tuesday Bible Study: Gospel of Matthew
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Join Fr. Sandy on Tuesdays at 2pm online via Zoom for a Bible Study on the Gospel of Matthew. Below is the info:
Meeting ID: 243 991 8700
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Comforting Music For Challenging Times
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Have You Seen These Services?
Click on any of the images below to watch and listen
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Seventh Sunday of Easter
- May 24
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Sixth Sunday of Easter
-May 17
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NOTE: The Community Thrift Shop is closed to the public until further notice due to COVID 19.
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All group activity at St. John's is cancelled until further notice including outside groups and ministries using our facilities.
Stay updated with meditations, readings, music and sermons by visiting our
Facebook page
or our
website
.
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St. John's Office Hours
The Church office is currently closed to public access.
However you may leave a message at 203-348-2619 x10 -
our Parish Administrator, Kathy McBride is checking the messages
many times a day and will respond right away!
Prayer List
FORWARD DAY BY DAY
This is the Episcopal Church's own discipleship publication! As disciples, followers of Christ, daily prayer and reflection grounds us in God's love and gives us strength and clarity to confront our weaknesses, put our trust in God and listen to where God is calling us to serve.
Available online
for-free!
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