ST. ANDREW'S
eNews

worship. serve. learn. connect.

Dear ones,
 
Today we write you today on the cusp of Holy Week. Starting this Sunday we will join in the great tradition of the Church and participate with Christians across the world in setting aside a week of devotion and worship as we prepare for that glorious Easter celebration.

And we already know that this will be a Holy Week unlike any other we have experienced. Our gathering, worship and observance will take on a different shape as we are unable to physically gather together. And I have a hunch that although this Holy Week will be drastically different, we will find it to also be holy. Perhaps we may encounter that marvelous Paschal Mystery afresh in light of our new context.

On Tuesday, April 7th, we will be sending out a special edition of our eNews that will include a booklet to guide you through the Triduum - Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and the Easter Vigil - at home. We will have a limited number of printed copies available, so please email general@standrews-madison.org if you would like a copy mailed to you. On each of those days we will also release an audio recording of the at-home liturgies on our website and Facebook page.

This Sunday, prior to the Diocesan worship service at 10:00am, we will gather at 9:15am for the Liturgy of the Palms over Zoom. This is an opportunity to get creative! Trim some green branches from outside, print and color your own palm by clicking here or here, find an artificial plant - the possibilities abound. Come ready with your palm at 9:15am, and then consider displaying it on your front door or in a window throughout the day.

As you prepare to walk through Holy Week, we invite you to take time this weekend to create a sacred space in your home. In this time when we are unable to gather at St. Andrew's, setting aside a space in our homes for worship and prayer can help us recognize God's presence in these familiar spaces. Below you will find resources for creating a sacred space at home. Be sure to share a picture of your sacred space, on our Facebook page!

We are grateful to journey through this Holy Week with you. Below you will find our email addresses, cell phone numbers and an electronic parish directory. Continue to reach out to us and each other in season.

grace and peace,

Andy+ and Melesa+

WORSHIP

Sunday Schedule
9:15am | Liturgy of the Palms

10:00am | Diocesan Worship
Join on Facebook Live or Youtube by clicking either link

St. Andrew's Coffee Hour
Join us on Zoom immediately after the 10am service!
Call in: 1 -312-626-6799
Meeting ID:536443810#

5:00pm | Announcements &
Gospel Reflection
Posted on 1833 Online and our Facebook Page
Sunday Worship
This Sunday we will be gathering on Zoom at 9:15am for a St. Andrew's Liturgy of the Palms. Bring your palms in whatever form they may be and meet us here !

On Sunday mornings we will be joining with others from across Southern Wisconsin in a diocesan worship service at 10am. The service will be live-streamed on Facebook Live and Youtube and will feature officiants, preachers, readers, and musicians from throughout the diocese. A bulletin for the service can be found here .

Immediately following the diocesan service, we invite you to a virtual St. Andrew's coffee hour ! There we will have space for fellowship and community announcements.

Then at 5pm we will post announcements and a St. Andrew's Gospel reflection on our website and on our Facebook page .
Sacred Space at Home
With Holy Week beginning this Sunday, we invite you to create a sacred space in your home for prayer and worship. Take time this weekend to identify and gather items that draw you into God's presence. Get creative or keep it simple!

You can find a video tutorial from Mtr. Melesa here on our website . There you will also find additional resources and suggestions for creating a sacred space in your home.

Once you've created your space, be sure to share it with us on our Facebook page under the sacred spaces thread or email Mtr. Melesa a picture to share!
Midweek Worship
Each week we will be offering two online midweek services from the Book of Common Prayer. We will gather on Zoom, which will allow us to see and hear one another across the digital space. Information on how to join these meetings is provided below.

Morning Prayer | Tuesday, April 7 at 7:00am

Compline | Thursday, April 9 at 8:00pm
Phone in: 1-312-626-6799
Meeting ID: 293776774
Don't know how to use Zoom?

Introducing ZOOMIES!
Need help figuring out how to use Zoom? We have people to help! Email Fr. Andy to get connected to a ZOOMIE.

A quick tutorial can be found here . You can join a Zoom conversation with a computer, mobile device or phone! If that is not a possibility, you can always call in and listen on the phone.
PASTORAL CARE
During this period of increasing isolation it is valuable that we find new ways to connect with one another. Starting next week Mtr. Melesa and Fr. Andy will be holding virtual office hours. What this means is that you can link on one of the links below during the times listed, and be connected to us and others in the community in a virtual Zoom meeting room. If you do not have access to the technology to make use of this way of gathering, know the we will be taking good old fashion phone calls too (see our cell phone numbers listed above).
Fr. Andy's Virtual Office Hours
Mondays | 9:00am - 10:00am

Mondays | 7:00pm - 8:00pm

Wednesdays| 12:00pm - 1:00pm

Mtr. Melesa's Virtual Office Hours
Tuesdays | 11:30pm - 1:00pm

Thursdays | 12:30pm - 2:30pm
RESOURCES
A Book Group
Interested in breaking the isolation with a book group? Join us for a lunch break discussion on Henri Nouwen's Life of the Beloved starting at noon on Wednesday, April 8th. Sign up by providing your information here.

Easter Coloring Pages

More resource available here on our website! If you are not on the St. Andrew's family email list, please email Ruth Kearley to get signed up.
ANNOUNCEMENTS

APRIL INGATHERING: CLERGY DISCRESIONARY FUND
Each month the St. Andrew's Outreach Committee identifies a need or organization in the community we designate our offering to on the third Sunday of each month. In April our InGathering will go towards the Clergy Discretionary Fund, which enables Fr. Andy and Mtr. Melesa to respond to the needs of our community and neighbors with financial support. Past use of these funds have included helping families in need with food, providing rent assistance and shelter, assistance with medical bills. You can give online to the Clery Discretionary Fund or mail a check to the church office.

20's & 30's Weekly Check In
Join us on Zoom each week for a 30 minute time to check in with each other at noon on Sundays:   https://zoom.us/j/509124787

REQUESTING PRAYER
We will continue to update the St. Andrew's Prayer List each week and share it with you in the Friday eNews. If you would like to request prayer, please email Dorie .

JULIAN GATHERINGS POSTPONED
The Madison-area Julian Gathering will take a break April - June, and re-convene when it's safe to do so. In the meantime, take to heart Julian's most well-known and well-loved words: "All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well."  Lest you think Julian was a pollyanna, here are a few of the events that occurred during her lifetime: At least half the population of Norwich died from the Plague. Disease killed the cattle, and harvests failed. People became so desperate they rose up in revolt, looting the churches and monasteries. Lollards (heretics) were burned alive in a pit less than a mile from Julian’s cell. The Hundred Years War between England and France continued throughout her lifetime. The Great Schism split the Church, with one pope in France, the other in Rome. And in the midst of all this, Julian came to believe unshakably that “all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.”

WEEKLY WORDS OF WELLNESS
Each week the Living Compass Wellness Initiative publishes  a short reflection that can be found here .
ST. ANDREW'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
608.233.3249