Torrence's Message

The return of the weekly E-pistle!!!

Beginning with this edition the weekly EPISTLE will include our SCHEDULE OF SERVICES, ZOOM LINKS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, ETC.

“Springing Forward”

And we’re back!

In our beloved sanctuaries. And maskless, no less. Singing and worshiping in the glorious old mind, heart and spirit way. January and February winter weather and more snowy moments than we’ve had in a long time just made us ever so ready for March to blow in and clear the way for the next season to emerge. March has teased us with a strange mix of up and down warm then chill days, repeating its cycle just to keep us yearning even more for spring to refresh and renew life as the Creator of all nature is calling everything to bloom again. High sixties days, a few in a row, then chilling again with some freezing nights sending caution among the gardening folks is teasing us into desperately yearning for April rains and May sunshine to nourish us, warm us and stir us to new life. The daffodils pushing out of winter ground trumpet that spring is on the horizon. They call us to new life as our hearts bow to their presence.

Check out nature all around you. It’s coming alive again. Ospreys are refreshing the nests they left last year. The songbirds are practicing their spring choral routines. Trees are sprouting tiny buds that herald the greening to come. It is as if everything is waking up again after a long sleep.

And so are we after a long, long pandemic time. This spring is reminding us, too, in very powerful ways to “Wake Up!” After what seems to have been a long, long hibernation occasioned by the pandemic as we come alive again we are reminded that our Creator’s special recreation is making all things new again.  

This morning I find myself humming one of my favorite hymns, “Morning has broken.” Won’t you join me? It’s time to travel, yet again, the Lenten road beyond death into new life.

Thanks be to God!



Torrence

Morning has broken like the first morning,

Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird.

Praise for the singing! Praise for the morning!

Praise for them springing fresh from the Word!

Sweet the rain’s new fall, sunlit from heaven,

Like the first dew fall on the first grass.

Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden,

Sprung in completeness where his feet pass.

Mine is the sun light! Mine is the morning,

Born of the first light Eden saw play!

Praise with elation, praise every morning,

God’s recreation of the new day!

DONATIONS FOR UKRAINIAN RELIEF EFFORTS - continuing

   After some research we are recommending Episcopal Relief and Development, a well-known and respected effort by the national Episcopal Church to receive funds from those of us wishing to contribute to the Ukrainian Relief Effort. If you wish to contribute please make checks payable to Episcopal Relief and Development with "Ukraine" in notation space. Checks may be placed in the Sunday Service plate offering, mailed to St. John's/N. Farnham P. O. Box 1093, Warsaw, Va 22572 or dropped through the church office mail slot. Along with a check from the Priest's Discretionary Fund, I will send all donations forward to Episcopal Relief and Development.

Torrence

The "Unholy Trinity"

as Torrence, Lucy Baker and Anne Neuman have referred to themselves, the office trio, since Torrence's arrival. The above was taken at Lucy's retirement luncheon on March 31^st. The new parish administrator is Frances King, who many of you already know.

From the Diocese: The search for the 14^th Bishop of Virginia

The Parish Prayer List

for those in need of God's comfort and healing:

Courtenay Altaffer

Bernadette Barber

Junius Berger

Martha Berger

Allison Boever

Sue Bowie

Junior Brown

Robert Brown

Sallie Cox

Julie Crews

Constance Edwards

Lynn Elliott

Bob File

DeShields Fisher

Carlton George

Dorothy Grove

the Rev. Howard Hanchey

Kelsey Heidenreich

Billy Hooper

Rebecca Hubert

Marcia Jenkins

Mark Jenkins

Susan Lewis

Becky Marks

Tommy Neuman

Judi Newman

Matthew Porter

Melissa Porter

James Rynd

Debbie Belfield Stacks

John Sterett

Scott Strickler

Waldy Sulik

Billy Tennyson

Roclyn Tennyson

Elizabeth Valentine

Tyler Walker

John Welch II

Nancy Wilson

Rose Mary Zellner

for those affected by COVID

& for the people of the Ukraine

and for those serving in our armed forces:

Royce Baker

David Berger

Ryan Berger

Allen Crocker

Randy Crocker

Court Garretson

Cameron Heidenreich

Dan Heidenreich

Charles Jones

Daniel Kirk

Mark Lawton

Scott Longar

Luis Loya

Gavin Wade McClung

Christopher Strickler

We also pray for those who have died, especially Dianne Thorn.

Upcoming Birthdays & Anniversaries

April 5^th – Barbara Grander

April 9^th - Kim Calvert

The Episcopal Church

Welcomes You!

This Sunday at 10 a.m. we are having an in-person service of Holy Eucharist at St. John's followed by a 4:00p.m. Zoom service. A link to on-line service may be found here.

Background photo of a Northern Neck lawn (aka chickweed) is a parting gift from Lucy Baker, who will miss doing this tremendously.