Worship at the Lighthouse to Resume on August 9th
Weather permitting, we will offer a service of worship at the Lighthouse at
8 am on Sunday, August 9
th
. Our plan is to gather there on the following three Sunday mornings, unless state and/or local COVID-19 mitigation efforts restrict us from doing so. Meanwhile, our weekly virtual worship services will continue to be produced and posted on our YouTube channel (Old North Church, Marblehead.)
Facial covering and social distancing (6 feet minimum) will be observed throughout the service, and contact information for those attending will be collected. The number of worshipers we can accommodate will be limited by the space available at the Lighthouse. Shade will be in short supply, so we encourage you to wear a hat and sunscreen in addition to your Sunday-best face mask. And bring water to drink!
Since we will continue to make our video service available, we strongly advise those at high risk due to age or underlying medical conditions NOT to attend. Our first priority is to safeguard the health and well-being of every friend and member of Old North Church.
Watch this space for more details
.
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Ninth Sunday After Pentecost
Readings: Matthew 14:13-21
“Loaves and Fishes” from The House of Belonging: poems by David Whyte
(Many Rivers Press). Copyright © 1996 by David Whyte.
All rights reserved. Posted with kind permission of the poet at:
https://gratefulness.org/resource/loaves-and-fishes-a-poem/
Rev. Dr. Dennis Calhoun's sermon: " More Than Enough"
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 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 - 9:30am
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 - A Bed For Every Child
The Outreach Ministry Board recently sent a gift of $300 on behalf of Old North Church to A Bed for Every Child . Below is their note of thanks:
On behalf of A Bed for Every Child I want to thank Old North Church for its donation of three hundred dollars which makes it possible for more children growing up in poverty to have a good night sleep.
Sleep is not a luxury it's a necessity for optimal functioning, but to get that good night sleep it begins with having a bed.
Seven years ago, advocates from the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless were offering homeless prevention resources for families at a public school when a teacher approached an advocate and requested help in getting beds for some of her students. During further discussion, the teacher shared that many of the students come to school tired simply because they do not have a bed of their own. Knowing that many of the students' parents simply could not afford to purchase one, she wanted help in getting new beds free of cost for the kids who needed them.
That one request launched A Bed for Every Child which set out with the goal of working with public school teachers, social workers and guidance counselors throughout Massachusetts to give students access to new twin beds free of cost. We know that one does not think of a bed when thinking of childhood poverty, yet it can be one of the tools needed to ensure a child comes to school refreshed, allowing them the opportunity to receive an education that will allow them to raise them up out of poverty as an adult.
It is children like Lucas who are now sleeping tight. Lucas is a 5
th
grader and moved in with his grandmother after she became his legal guardian. It had been a while since his grandmother needed a twin bed and sadly, she did not have the financial means to purchase one. Lucas said he did not mind sleeping on the floor, plus he did not want to make his grandmother feel bad. During that time, Lucas' teacher saw a decline in his ability to concentrate so she reached out to his grandmother to see how she could help. It was then that Lucas' teacher found out that he needed a bed.
Today, due to the generosity of many like yourself A Bed for Every Child is working with over 100 school districts throughout Massachusetts helping children like Lucas to receive a new bed for their own. In the past 12 months alone A Bed for Every Child was able to deliver 2,229 beds to children in need. We never could accomplish that without you. I again want to thank you for your generous gift which allows A Bed for Every Child to continue its mission of giving a child growing up in poverty the gift of a good night's sleep.
Thank you and may you sleep tight tonight! Robyn Frost
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Anti-Racism Accountability Group
A group of Old North Church folks are committing to get together regularly to hold ourselves accountable to doing anti-racism work in our own lives. This 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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Welcome the Stranger Update
Although we have been isolated for most of year, Welcome the Stranger provided many healing and positive actions to “heal the world.”
We helped re-settle 9 families in the past 9 months.
Working with Catholic Charities, we resettled 8 families in the Boston area from:
El Salvador
Moldova
The Congo
Burma
Bangladesh
Iraq
Pakistan
Honduras
And, working with the Lynn Shelter, we outfitted an apartment in Lynn for a woman and her children who were transitioning out of homelessness.
Here are kind words from Catholic Charities staff regarding WTS furnishing an apartment for a family of 5 from El Salvador just last week. Furnishings included furniture, kitchen and houseware items, bedding and a week’s supply of food.
It was my pleasure meeting you just in time at the middle of the back stairway as you were leaving the masterpiece you both created. I wish I could convey in 4D the priceless expression the family had stepping into their beautifully arranged new home – prepared with love as my wife would say. Marjean and I want to acknowledge and thank you for your dedication and loving handiwork to help heal and brighten someone else’s life. May God bless you and your loved ones abundantly!
With love and gratitude to all who help support this partnership.
Welcome The Stranger Steering Committee
Marcy Bernstein Temple Emanu-El
Lynda Hare Old North Church
Steve Hahn St. Andrews Episcopal Church
Deahn Leblang Temple Emanu-El
Richard Thibedeau Old North Church
Deb Seiberg Temple Emanu-El
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ONC Reading Group
Wednesday, August 12
th
at 8:30 am
Old North Reading and Discussion Group on Preserving our Democracy and Environment - Wednesday, August 12
th
from 8:30 to 10:00 am via Zoom. This is the latest of a series of meetings on preservation of our democracy and environment that have been hosted by the ONC Men’s Group. The discussions are supported by background reading assignments. You are invited to participate regardless of the amount of reading you have done. At this meeting we will complete discussion of the book, How to Be an Antiracist, by Ibram X. Kendi. We may also begin discussion of the book, Not Born Yesterday: the Science of Who We Trust and What We Believe, by Hugo Mercier, which is a candidate for reading during the following month. Undoubtedly, there will be much discussion of current world and local affairs. To join the Zoom meeting, please click on the following link
:
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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) The group will resume on Tuesday August 4.
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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