St. Stephen's in-the-Field Episcopal Church
FRIDAY JOURNAL June 19th, 2020
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We the people of Saint Stephen's in-the Field
Seek to know Christ, to share Christ, and to serve Christ,
recognizing his presence in all people, and reaching out in love
to each other and to the world around us.
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Sunday Services: June 21st, 2020
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The 10:00 service will be via video on our website Sunday morning at 10:00
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Sunday Worship
Our service this Sunday is Holy Eucharist at 10:00am. The service is posted on the website at 10:00am but is available any time after that.
We have new readers this week and new music. Come, let us worship together!
I encourage you to set aside a special place, light a candle, download the bulletin, and join us in worship by going to our St. Stephen’s website (
www.ssitf.org
) to view the video and download the bulletin.
I will also send a separate email with links to the bulletin and our virtual coffee hour in an email Saturday evening.
Special prayer requests to be added to our Sunday worship service can be sent to Rev. Karen or Dcn. Robin.
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WEDNESDAY PRAYER SERVICE
Weekly Wednesday prayer group at 11:00am.
This is an opportunity to offer our prayers of thanksgivings, for healing for ourselves and others, and anything else on our hearts. Even if you don’t have a computer, you can join the Zoom meeting with your phone. The link will be on our website and in a reminder email Tuesday evening.
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Keeping the conversations going. . .
Pastoral Conversation About Race Thursdays @ 4:30pm
The Revs Karen Cuffie and Jani Wild will lead pastoral conversations on racism. There will be a brief introduction to the focus of the session followed by discussion and prayers. Please join us, there is no better way to learn, process and share together than in a faith community. Next week there will be more breakout rooms to give more people a chance to talk.
Meeting ID: 835 7594 8022
Password: 748467
One tap mobile
+16699006833,,83575948022#,,1#,748467# US (San Jose
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Re-entry Task Force
We have a new Re-entry Task Force that is doing the hard work of writing a plan, including protocols for the time when we can begin having some worship services at church again. The Re-entry Task force is chaired by Jessica Dickinson Goodman (Jr. Warden) and includes Margo Westfall, Dot Remson, Rob van der Molen, and Eric Samson.
Every church in the Santa Clara Deanery must have a plan that has been approved by the Bishop before moving forward. Look for updates from the team in future Friday Journals!
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What’s a LOQUAT? Try them – they’re fresh and free!
Loquats
are a delicious fruit that taste like a combination of
mangos
and
peaches
. Their
sour
and
sweet
taste makes them perfect for using in
fruit salsa
.
We have an abundance that Jessica has harvested from our Community Garden and are very ready to eat Jessica is doing no-contact deliveries of shoe-boxed sized bunches this Sunday afternoon, so text her your address at 650-804-9044 after the service. Please keep social distance and wear a mask if others are present.
Click on the picture for a delicious salsa recipe to try with your favorite chips or crackers!
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Thanks to our readers last week!
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Please don’t forget . . .
We rely on you to keep us current in paying our bills. If you haven’t yet, please mail your pledge checks or any other donations to the church office, or you can use the ‘Donate’ button on our website and pay with a credit card. We certainly understand if you are experiencing financial hardship at this time. If you are able, we appreciate any small offering you might consider making. Your financial stewardship is greatly appreciated.
Thank you
very much!
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Virtual Coffee Hour!
A few more people joined in our virtual coffee hour and it was great to see familiar faces. It would be so nice to see many more of you! There is no limit to the number of people. The link for Coffee Hour will be in a separate mailing with the bulletin! You are welcome to call me (Rev. Karen) before the meeting if you’re having trouble with the link.
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Poem from the Garden
As I drive to the garden I pass the place where, in September,
a few dozen of our neighbors will be in tiny homes, the first indoor safety
that many have had in years. I spoke at the Hayes Mansion meeting
in August 2017 when 500 of my neighbors stood up and screamed
against this planned community of hope. I joined this church in an act of faith,
not knowing if any of the people I would sing -- speak -- garden -- pray -- walk --
beside were in the audience that day. I hope no one from this parish was there,
but living in communities means living with conflict. On Monday, I offered
on a city-run community call to donate potted welcome plants to our neighbors
in those tiny homes, and shared that our church hosts a community garden
1.8 miles away and we would welcome new gardeners. I hope that was alright.
I hope that, if you meet a new gardener, kneeling beside her bed, planting
her first corn or cornflowers, lifting the red silk tree blossoms from the spiky
back of her first cactus, you would welcome her as warmly as you've welcomed me.
Jessica and Arike have been planting and watering the garden so it is full of
flowers. The grapes and blackberries are growing green on the vines and the
roses blooming. Everyone is wearing masks and the elder gardeners are looking
for ideas for how to get the birds to stop eating the leaves of their beans.
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Today we celebrate Juneteenth!
DeNeen L. Brown, award winning staff writer, for the Washington Post wrote:
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A COLLECT:
O God, Source of our Life, the One who calls us past race and nation, clan and creed, to be one people in Christ; who has gifted us with the power of love that we might fulfill the law; we have ignored your gift, turned from the way, and deferred the dream; awaken us to the evil we are doing to our brothers and sisters, and embolden us for the great good we have yet to do together; in the power of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
-Philip S. Krug,
“Race and Prayer”
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Kudos to:
-Re-entry Task Force
-Maria and Dan, our check signers
-Janet for coordinating carpet cleaning
-Sherrie for making extra masks
-Dcn Robin managing the prayer team
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A COVD-19 update from Bishop Lucinda:
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Dear people of the Diocese of El Camino Real,
I write to express to you my amazement at your leadership during COVID-19. As
“Easter People,”
you are walking with faith during uncertain times, seeking new opportunities, and “being church” in your homes and through use of technology. Thank you for sitting in this uncomfortable place and finding Easter joy.
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While we are all still on shelter-in-place, there is a palpable push, really a rush, to return to a sense of “normal life.” Really it is a desire to go back to the way things were before March, yet we know that is not going to happen. COVID-19, while a biological virus, has impacted many parts of our lives—economically, socially, spiritually—and going back isn’t an option. Instead, like Jesus’ followers, we face forward to a new way of being, open to possibility and discovery. But the culture around us has a different view; the almost desperate push to physically re-engage, and soon, drives some risky behaviors.
The Episcopal Diocese of El Camino Real will remain shelter-in-place, practicing non-risky behaviors and tending to our worship and pastoral care virtually. As your Bishop, I am committed to our well-being and the well-being of those we serve. Heeding the guidance and mandates of our State Government, and our respective County Health Departments, we will not alter our policies until such time as health and science tell us that is safe to do so—and then we will proceed with caution.
I have appointed a Phase III Task Force to evaluate documents and information that will serve to guide us into re-gathering, when the time comes. This document will be available to you in mid-May. Until then, the following will help you to begin to plan ahead:
Phase I: Shelter-in-Place.
This is where we are now:
- Hold only Virtual Worship Services
- Allow for no more than 3 persons to film and produce Virtual Worship services
- Maintain physical distance, at least 6 feet between persons
- Wear masks as guided by the County Health Department
Phase II: Preparation.
Following Diocesan, County Health, and Statewide orders and guidelines, we plan to:
- Clean the entire facility
- Organize a team to clean before and after each worship service
- Coordinate with those who share the plant to follow mandates and guidelines
- Establish guidelines for church staff, rotating presence on-site
- Discuss what-if scenarios, including how to roll-back when needed
Phase III: Gradual Re-entry.
This is the next part of the plan once we have met the requirements of the State and Local officials for religious organizations. For the Diocese of El Camino Real, this will include:
- A completed re-entry plan, with approval from the Bishop
- Gather in groups of 10, 25, 50, 100 in a gradual roll-out, with 14 days of no new cases in-between each incremental step; we will roll out by deanery
- Use only the Daily Office or Liturgy of the Word for in-person worship
- Wear masks (required), maintain physical distancing protocols
- Maintain virtual worship and education for those unable to attend
- Be prepared to roll-back, when cases increase
Phase IV: Being New Church.
In this phase, we would have successfully navigated the requirements of Phase III and show that we can all safely gather and resume activities.
- Establish and maintain safe practices for in-person Eucharist
- Maintain virtual worship opportunities for those unable to attend
- Resume in-person education programs
- Resume weddings, baptisms, funerals
- Resume and increase outreach programs
- Explore new learnings, new opportunities for ministry and mission
- We will walk through these phases together, with care for each other and for our communities.
In his
Pastoral Letter to the Episcopal Church
, this is what our Presiding Bishop refers to as “sacrificial love”—putting common good before individual desire. I would add that the word “sacrifice” means a holy offering. Your adherence to these policies and procedures in the months ahead is your holy offering to our diocese, our towns and cities, and all of God’s people.
With a grateful heart for your leadership, sacrificial love, and patience,
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The Right Rev. Lucinda Ashby
Bishop of the Diocese of El Camino Real
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COVID-19 Fund established
In response to questions of how to give to the diocese following the Virtual Easter Service, a special Easter Offering has been established to support people in our diocese whose livelihoods have been impacted by shelter-at-home requirements. Donations can be made to the “Donate” web page at realepiscopal.org (
click here
). Choose "Bishop’s COVID-19 Fund" when making your online gift.
Or, mail checks to the diocesan offices at the address below. Please state “Bishop’s COVID-19 Fund” in the memo area of checks
Episcopal Diocese of El Camino Real
PO Box 689
Salinas, CA 93902
Thank you for your support of those in need!
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NEEDING PRAYER SUPPORT?
Prayer is one of those things we often think about, might feel inadequate about, believe in but might be unsure how to proceed. How we pray is sometimes unique to each of us. The Church provides help in many ways. If you find yourself in need, of any kind (emotional, physical, spiritual, guidance, etc) consider how St. Stephen's can support you:
* there is a prayer chain of committed pray-ers (who maintain confidentiality). Contact Robin, our Deacon, who will initiate that for you
* tell people about your answers to prayer! and the miracles you witness, or how prayer changes YOU.
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Contact information for Rev. Karen:
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Personal phone for emergencies or urgent matters: 408-781-1826
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Contact information for Deacon Robin:
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Editor's Note
Please send any announcements or articles you want to have included, to:
evan.bryan1@gmail.com
, by Thursday, 10am each week.
Evan Bryan
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St. Stephen's in-the-Field Episcopal Church
7269 Santa Teresa Blvd; San Jose, CA 95139
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