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Offering Meaningful Worship
Teaching the Gospel
Caring for God’s People
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KEVIN’S KERYGMA
by Fr. Kevin Warner
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By the time you read this I will have returned from vacation and my opportunity to smother my two grandsons as only a grandfather can. Grandchildren are God’s gift to you for not killing your children when they were teenagers. As with everything during the pandemic, the degree of difficulty was raised, but it was worth it for obvious reasons, and it was good to do something different from sheltering.
A few items for your perusal this month:
· The Holy Land trip has been pushed back to next year. The new date is November 8, 2021. We will have new brochures shortly and hope this new date – which gets us back in time for Thanksgiving – works for you.
· You have taken the time to watch our (me, Fr. David, and Pastor Zelvis) podcast on racial reconciliation. If not, they are available on the website or by clicking these links:
· Our cantor and musician par excellence, Lisa Velasco, has stepped down. We give thanks for her ministry in this role for over two years and wish her well as she takes a much-deserved break.
Finally, please contact me or Fathers David and Lee if you have any needs. We can meet in the office, at a lunch venue or just talk on the phone. Please do not let Covid isolate you – we are here for you!
Blessings!
Fr. Kevin+
II Timothy 1:11
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Jesus was never dishonest; He promised us a cross. |
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Unfortunately, that word has become one of the most misunderstood in the vocabulary of Christianity. Is the acceptance of privations, frustrations, and calamity to be considered cross bearing? How about the unmerited agony even the bravest and best seem compelled to endure? Does this Jesus, who knew His cross on the blackest of all days in the history of mankind, have anything to say to the multitudes for whom life seems forever in eclipse?
Indeed, He does! Life will bring its crosses – pain, cruelty, violation of human rights, coronavirus – burdens which are clearly not the intention of God. They may simply be the products of time, bad judgment, or the evil and ignorance of life. However, they are crosses and although God has not willed any of this, He does will that we should bear them. Picking up our cross for Christ also means accepting a difficult and dangerous task for His kingdom, making a deliberate choice of something that could be avoided. Christianity doesn’t try to explain all of the bestial aspects of the world’s crosses. Nor does it spell out our daily commitments for the Kingdom. It simply plants s cross and sets before us the figure of a fellow sufferer.
Blessings,
Fr. Lee +
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Rumblings of an Over-Caffeinated, Sleep Deprived Millennial |
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Hello! I wish to readdress some issues we have been having. Due to the timing of both new mics and video equipment being installed simultaneously, and the rush to re-open for services we have been trailing behind the issues we are dealing with. We know and have heard that the new mics keep dropping out, and only feel like we are getting a handle of the issue now. During July we worked on many possible fixes that included: repositioning the antenna, reorganizing the whole booth, interfacing with the mics’ maker, and more. Howard Roshaven and Jim Smith have tirelessly worked on this issue with whatever support I can give. Thank you for your patience, we will keep striving to perfect the Live Stream and in person Services.
I hope this article finds you well,
Tristan M. Warner
Media & Tech Specialist
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Sent from your Health Ministries Team.
Remind us that we can turn off the TV and Facebook and turn on fresh air, good books, long walks, pool floats, Bird feeders, (aka squirrel feeders), and laughter. Grant us eyes that see the wonderful world around us…. sunshine, rain, salt water, graduations, scholarships, puppies. As we struggle for connection behind our masks, remind us that we need connection most of all. Show us our friends, our families, our co-workers – Help us to be intentional about loving others and be honest about needing to be loved. Thank you for a life of purpose. Thank you for the good news all around us. May we never take these things for granted. Amen.
God bless you all! Stay safe, and stay healthy.
Jackie Winder
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"The Good News"
I’m going to be honest with everyone, I have had a tough time coming up with something
to write this month. My creative juices seem to have dried up like fresh lime left in the
refrigerator for a few days. I’m not upset about anything; I’m not depressed or anxious about anything. I’m just kind of blah! I think a lot of us feel like that right now. I hear it in conversations at Church and with friends. There seems, to me, to be a societal malaise that has infected many, if not all, of us. I don’t think it’s very difficult to put your finger on what is probably causing this either, COVID fatigue (I wish I could tell you I coined that phrase, but I didn’t). I’m sure everyone has their own unique definition for COVID fatigue so, here’s mine. We are tired of being cooped up, tired of being careful, tired of being scared. We are tired of arguing on social media with people we think are wrong or crazy. We are tired of worrying about what the kids will do about school this month. We are tired of having to remember, when we leave the house, do I have my keys, my wallet, my mask, my gloves, and my hand sanitizer? We are just plain tired!
Social scientists, for years, have researched the effects of disasters on communities. This research has defined several stages that communities go through as a result of trauma. Early, or right after a disaster, or in this case a pandemic, communities tend to pull together. People support each other and there is a strong sense of togetherness. Think of the days and months after 9/11. We were kinder with each other; we shared a common sense of being attacked. I argue we shared that same sense of togetherness against a common “attacker” back in March, when stay at home orders were first issued by many municipalities. Remember “safer at home?”
Eventually, that sense of togetherness fades. As people begin to experience the economic, mental, and physical impact of isolation stress begins to build. Researchers call this the “disillusionment phase.” People start to lose their optimism, we miss holidays, birthdays, even funerals of loved ones, some even postpone weddings and other meaningful events. We begin to ask “how long can this possibly last? What are we doing to fix it?” This is where we are now and unfortunately, we will probably be here a while.
So, you may be thinking to yourself “Gee Father, you’re a bundle of good news today!” Well, while I can’t do anything about the pandemic, I can tell you that researchers recommend some things to help people cope with COVID fatigue.
- Exercise: Any exercise will do. Walk to your mailbox or around your building. You will be amazed how much better you will feel after some physical exertion.
- Talk to folks: I have found over the past several months; I am ministering over the phone more than I ever thought I would. Call your friends, family, and acquaintances. Check in on them, you will be surprised how long you will talk!
- Mindfulness and gratitude: One researcher writes: “The more you practice this the easier it gets.” she said. “Try being in the moment. You’re right here, in this chair, breathing and looking around. We put ourselves through a lot of unnecessary misery projecting into the future or ruminating about the past. For now, just take life day by day.”
Now that you’ve got some advice from researchers, here’s some advice from one of your priests.
- Be gentle with yourself and with others. The reason dealing with COVID fatigue is so hard, is because…well… it is hard! Be reminded of the words from the Letter to the Colossians; “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience (3:12).”
- Embrace a new spiritual practice. If you have never prayed the morning office, or even if you have, join us in the sanctuary or on Facebook Live Monday through Friday at 9am for morning prayer. If you like to write, make a journal and write down your daily prayers. Learn to pray the Holy Rosary (I often pray the Rosary and can help you get started). Remember the words of the 1st Letter to the Thessalonians; “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances (5:16-18a).”
- Continue watching livestreamed Sunday services. SJD offers two livestreamed services every Sunday morning at 8:30 and 10:00am. They can be watched live or anytime on our website www.stjohndivine.com. Check out other services online too! You can catch some great sermons posted online, from around the world.
- If you are not comfortable attending worship in person and would like to receive the Holy Eucharist contact the office or the clergy directly, we are always happy to distribute the Blessed Sacrament. “Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf (1 Corinthians 10:17).”
Sisters and Brothers, as always, if you are suffering from COVID fatigue and need someone to listen I am here!
Blessings,
Fr. David+
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August Anniversaries
8/2 Wendy & Jim Smith
8/5 Gini & Jim Freund
8/8 Frances & Gene Doyle
8/9 Susan & Kevin Warner
8/10 Barbara & Richard Gingrich
8/14 Merry & Elmer Joerg
8/15 Diane & George Wiggins
8/19 Jarrath & Joe Bradley
8/23 CJ & Bob Cox, Jr.
8/24 Mary & Lew Merrill
8/28 Isabel & John DeTringo
8/29 Linda & Jim Barnum
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St John Divine Episcopal
Church 1015 E. Del Webb Blvd.
Sun City Center, FL 33573
Vestry
Curt Arp
Aubrey Thompson
Linda Floyd
Liz Hood
Jim Smith
Annie Hunter
Allie Maiocchi
Linda Cardillo
Howard Roshaven
Vestry Officers
Don Fisher Sr. Warden
Greg Diehl Jr. Warden
Valerie Bryant Clerk
Susan Arp Treasurer
Clergy and Staff
The Rt. Rev. Dabney T. Smith
Bishop of the Diocese of Southwest Florida
The Rev. Kevin Warner, Rector
The Rev. Lee Miller, Associate Rector
The Rev. David Wyly, Assistant Rector
Scott Gardner, Praise Leader
Joan Frankel, Organist & Choir Director
Tristan Warner, Media and Tech Specialist
Connie Minnoe, Accounting Administrator
Candy Allman, Office Manager
Sharon Bakay, Kitchen Manager
813-633-3970 office@stjohndivine.com www.stjohndivine.com
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