Weekly e-News from Epiphany Parish
November 3, 2020

FROM REV CHRISTEN'S DESK
Dear Epiphany Parish,
Today is Election Day. This week also marks four years that I came to Epiphany Parish, first as your Priest-in-Charge and now as your Rector. I’ll never forget that the very first sermon that I preached at Epiphany was on the Sunday after the 2016 election. I didn’t know you and you didn’t know me but together we were heading into what we all knew would be some pretty uncertain times. 
Just four years later, November 2020 is an even more uncertain time in the life of our country. Now, not only are we dealing with an election, we are navigating this election in the midst of an historic pandemic. This is new territory for all of us. This morning, I revisited the first sermon that I preached at Epiphany after Election Day and the words still hold true:
“In uncertain times, or times of anxiety, we are called to endure not by ourselves, but in community, by remembering our baptismal vows, the same vows that we renewed just last week to love our neighbor as ourselves and respect the dignity of every human being.
Barbara Brown Taylor is a well-known Episcopal preacher and author. She writes that, “The hardest spiritual work in the world is to love the neighbor as the self—to encounter another human being not as someone you can use, change, fix, help, save, enroll, convince, or control, but simply as someone who can spring you from the prison of yourself, if you will allow it....This can be as frightening as it is liberating. It may be the only real spiritual discipline there is”.*
God’s transforming love calls us to love one another across all divisions be they divisions in politics, in age, in races or cultures, in sexual orientation or in gender. God’s love calls us to reach out in love to those who are too afraid right now to reach out. God’s love calls us to respect the dignity of every human being.
If you find yourself afraid today, know that you are not alone. This community is here to support you. If you find yourself hopeful and excited for the future, this is the time to strengthen your commitment to the fight to ensure liberty and justice for all people.
And if you find yourself anxious and uncertain, remember we can rely on God’s unfailing Grace and Love for each one of us. A love that is deeper and more sure than any political power on the earth. We don’t know what may happen, but as was true of our biblical ancestors, God’s love is always present. My prayer for this community as we begin our new relationship together, is that we can be open to God’s transforming love---to see what wonders it can do here at Epiphany Parish and to see how that love will transform each of us to better love and support each other, and to share that love with others”. (Sermon preached by Rev. Christen H. Mills at Epiphany Parish on 11/13/16).
  Make sure you vote. Make sure you pray. We may be living in uncertain times, but you can trust in the love of God and the love of this community.
Peace in Christ,
Rev. Christen
*Barbara Brown Taylor quotation is taken from An Altar in the World by Barbara Brown Taylor (2010).
Save the Date, Sunday November 22, 2020
On Sunday, November 22nd at 6pm, there will be another Zoom Agape Meal on the theme of Gratitude. 
This year, Thanksgiving will look very different for a lot of people. Come and join fellow parishioners that week to reflect on gratitude and share some time in prayer and fellowship. 
More information will be coming in the next couple of weeks.  

Walpole Multi-Church Youth Group 
The next meeting of the Walpole Multi-Church Youth Group will be this Sunday at Union Congregational Church at Bird Park. All 6th-12th graders are welcome. 
common cathedral
Sign up to donate fruit and granola bars!
We are again seeking donations of fruit and granola bars to be dropped off at Epiphany on Tuesday, November 17th to be brought into common cathedral the next day. There will be a bin at the side entrance of the church from 10am-6pm for you to drop off your contributions.
 Thank you to all who have been donating food regularly - if you did not have an opportunity to do so, this is your chance!
 We have signed up for 50 pieces of fruit and 50 granola bars! We are looking for 5 people to sign up to each donate 10 pieces of bananas and/or oranges and 5 people to sign up to each donate one box of 8-12 granola bars. 
And although we appreciate anonymous drop-offs/donations it really does help if you sign up by e-mailing the office (office.epiphany@verizon.net) to let us know what you plan to bring. Please do not drop off your fruit early--we want to make sure it is fresh when it arrives! 
common cathedral provides food, community, worship, and so much more to folks in Boston who are experiencing homelessness. Epiphany Parish has supported common cathedral in many ways throughout the years. In December, half of the money we raised at our celebration of New Ministry service went to common cathedral and more recently, we collected socks, underwear, and toiletries to be handed out at their City Reach overnight. common cathedral has been adapting their programs over the past few weeks in order to continue to safely support the members of their community. And now they are asking for help. They need partners to donate homemade sandwiches, fruit and granola bars. If you can help sign up HERE. Any food that is prepared in your home needs to follow strict ServSafe guidelines. All donations need to be dropped off at Emmanuel Church, 15 Newbury Street by 9am on the day that you sign up for. 
They are also asking that you please also consider a monetary gift to support this meaningful and very needed ministry: https://commoncathedral.org/donations

As Part of our Worship Procedure
Please RSVP for Sunday, November 8, 2020
In-Person Outdoor Worship- HERE

Link for full COVID - Regathering Information available - HERE.

For Worship on November 8 will include a baptism ~ The Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost
In-Person & Virtual
Click here for this week's lectionary readings 
(We are using the Track 2 readings)

You can also enjoy worshiping with us on Sunday mornings via Facebook Live. Although you do not need a Facebook account to view our services, some have found the experience a bit of a challenge. In response, we have created a YouTube channel and we will be posting a video of the 10:15am service each Sunday by 11:45am.

Click here to watch us on Facebook Live at 10:15am (the video is also available anytime on Facebook by following the same link). OR you can view the video on YouTube by clicking here. OR view us on Walpole Media on Wednesdays at 11:30. Verizon Channel 31 or Comcast Channel 8.
Becoming Beloved Community
Becoming Beloved Community is the vision and commitment of the Episcopal Church that, “frames a path for Episcopalians to address racial injustice and grow as a community of reconcilers, justice-makers, and healers who share a passion for the dream of God”. The path has 4 distinct and yet overlapping areas:
1.      Telling the Truth about our Churches and Race
2.      Proclaiming the Dream of Beloved Community
3.      Practicing the Way of Love in the Pattern of Jesus
4.      Repairing the Breach in Society and Institutions
Epiphany Parish will be creating a ‘Becoming Beloved Community Leadership Team’ to help us begin to think through ways that our parish can live more deeply into the work of racial justice and this dream of God. If you are interested in learning more about serving in this way, please email Rev. Christen at Christen.Epiphany@gmail.com. To learn more about the Becoming Beloved Community vision, please click HERE: https://episcopalchurch.org/beloved-community
Need help?  Please CLICK HERE for a list of resources and support for mental health, domestic violence, and substance abuse disorders.
Food insecurity: Contact the Project Bread FoodSource Hotline: 1-800-645-8333; available in 160 languages, open 8 a.m.-7 p.m., Monday-Friday, and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturdays throughout the crisis (TTY line: 1-800-377-1292).
Financial Assistance: There are also some funds available at Epiphany Parish to help members of our community in a financial emergency. Please reach out confidentially to Rev. Christen (978-758-7270) if you have any questions or need financial support. If you are struggling to buy food or medicine, pay bills, buy gas, or struggling in any other way, please do not suffer in silence. We are all in this together and Epiphany Parish is here to support you in whatever ways we can.
Outreach Opportunities - Walpole & Beyond
Diocesan COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund ~ The Diocese of Massachusetts has established a COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund to help meet emerging, urgent needs in congregations and affiliated organizations, and in support of collaborations with ecumenical, multi-faith and community partners. The fund will address critical community needs and congregational sustainability during the time of the pandemic. The fund is now open to receive online gifts at www.diomass.org/give-now.
Give blood ~The American Red Cross is experiencing a severe shortage of blood because many blood drives have been cancelled around the country in recent weeks. If you are eligible to give blood and wish to do so, you can make an appointment online here: https://www.redcross.org/give-blood.html
From the Office
Weekly Calendar ~ Outdoor Worship are held on Sundays, weather permitting.
Please Note: All in-person parish gatherings should still meet virtually unless permission has been granted.
Multi-Church Youth Group ~meets every Sunday, alternating between Zoom and live meetings in Bird Park!
Hospital Visitation ~ At this time Rev. Christen is only visiting the hospital or other care facilities in times of extreme emergency or for end-of-life needs. If you or a loved one is in need of a hospital visit please contact Rev. Christen at christen.epiphany@gmail.com.
Feeling a call (or a tug, or a pull) ~ to get involved in the life of our Parish, but don't know where to start? Please contact Rev. Christen at christen.epiphany@gmail.com to learn about the many opportunities to serve.
Office Hours
The office is open 10-2:00 Tuesday through Thursday. Please follow our Covid - Regathering regulations, including wearing a mask and social distancing. Announcements and notices for the Weekly e-News e-mails should be received in the office by noon each Tuesday - call or e-mail the office.
Epiphany Email Policy:  As fraudulent emails are becoming more common and more sophisticated, please note that Rev. Christen, Epiphany Parish staff, and/or the members of our Vestry will never solicit money, gift cards, or personal information via email. If you have any questions or concerns about an email request you receive from a leader or staff person in our parish, please do not hesitate to contact the parish office at 508-668-2353.