The Bridge
November 4, 2020
The Mission of St. John’s is to be a community of God’s people who heal brokenness, build bridges, and exemplify borderless kindness.
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Drive Thru Flu Shot Event
“This year it is more important than ever to get your flu shot,” said Austin Public Health Director Stephanie Hayden. “Getting a flu shot is the best way to protect yourself, your family, and our community.”
During a drive-thru event on Nov. 7, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Travis County Expo Center, Austin Public Health will distribute approximately 600 flu shots. This event is serving as practice for distributing a future COVID-19 vaccine.
Please click the button to get more information about this flu shot event:
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From Our Interim Rector
“Well, that sounds easy. Believe you’re beloved. Let yourself be loved. If it were so easy, it wouldn’t have taken the Son of God forty days (Bible-speak for A Significant Time) of wrestling in a desert to get it. Like Jesus, we each suffer a desert on the way to believing the Eternal Voice that names us Beloved. Sometimes a daily desert. Surely Mary had regular spells of self-doubt and anxiety after the angel’s radiance had faded, especially once the village gossip engines got going. Jesus too and not only on the cross. Notice how often he prays through the night. Though scripture tells us in a thousand ways we are, all of us, God’s beloved, all of us have hardened ourselves against that ultimate good news. We’ve built—and reinforced—the walls that keep the Divine image locked in a dark cell with us. Maybe it’s the most perplexing paradox of human life. We long to be loved without reservation.” (Weavings, The Self as Beloved, pp. 5, 6.)
Becoming Beloved Community is a lot of work, especially when we are still working on “The Self as Beloved”! We, the community of one, must be a work in progress. One-by-one, we can, and we do become beloved. God gave us the DNA for this love; and this is a love to be shared unceasingly.
Time to take our work, our efforts out into the world. The world needs our love. The world needs that bit of Jesus in each of us that is the seed for us to share the love of God as given to us. Let us use these anxious times to be beloved. In being God in one another, maybe we can be a bit more loving to one another. God has graced us all; it is not that some are more loved than others, it is that some of us re-purpose the love and put it into action a bit sooner than others.
As I suggested in my sermon on Sunday, we have no idea who are the saints in our world, and who are the sick ones; and maybe they are one and the same? May our saintly self be the strength when the self is sick and in need of help. For we can only “be beloved” with the help of God.
Faithfully,
Ann+
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Building Bridges and Healing Brokenness
Hold Onto Hope, Keep the Faith, and Breathe
by Fay Jones
As I write these words on Election Day +1, the presidential election has not yet been decided. House and Senate, governors, some of these have not yet been decided. The political direction of our country has not yet been decided.
I have avoided news outlet and social media reports on the election, at least until today when I have checked on the results a couple of times. Staying engaged just causes too much anxiety about something I have no control over. I voted. One voice, perhaps in the wilderness. I am reminding myself to breathe.
Our Presiding Bishop, Michael Curry, said in his All Saints' Day sermon, "So whatever your politics, however you have or will cast your vote, however this election unfolds, wherever the course of racial reckoning and pandemic take us, whether we are in the valley or the mountaintop, hold on to the hope of America. Hold on to hope grounded in our shared values and ideals. Hold on to God’s dream. Hold on and struggle and walk and pray for our nation ..."
I humbly pray that each of us will also hold on to the hope of God's reign in the here and now. In August, we came together to reaffirm our Baptismal Promises. It is up to each of us, individually and corporately, to live into those values which we believe in. We must hold on to the faith that we, each of us, can make a difference by respecting our neighbor, by being concerned about our environment as God's creation, by seeing the Christ in everyone we meet. It is up to us, individually and corporately, to bring back civility in our time. It is up to us, individually and corporately, to teach the world by our actions as well as our words that love overcomes hate, that respect overcomes putting down the Other, that integrity overcomes a lack of moral values.
These Promises have no color, no gender, no wealth or lack thereof. These Promises apply to every relationship, however casual, fleeting, or long term. These Promises are the cornerstone of who we are as the people of God.
As you read through the Promises, breathe deeply - inhale on the Promise, and exhale on the response. And remember that it is the Breath of God which inspires us to be who God calls us to be.
Will you continue in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of the bread, and in the prayers?
I will, with God's help.
Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?
I will, with God's help.
Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?
I will, with God's help.
Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?
I will, with God's help.
Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?
I will, with God's help.
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DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS
Ofrenda Photos
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Labyrinth Community Garden Fundraiser
The Labyrinth Community Garden is participating again this year in the SeedMoney Challenge, a 30-day fundraising challenge running from November 15th to December 15th. In addition to keeping the funds we raise from individuals like you, SeedMoney is offering 315 garden grants this year worth $55,000. As an extra incentive, SeedMoney is offering thirty-five $100 bonus grants to the 35 garden projects that have raised the most after the first week.
We will have more information and a link for making donations in the November 18 Bridge!
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St. John's is turning 60! |
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Here is the answer to this week's trivia question:
This week’s question asked about our Spanish language services. Weekly Spanish language services on Sunday afternoon began in November, 2007. Before then, we had occasional “experimental” Spanish language or bilingual services. Our first bilingual service was held on Friday, December 13, 2002, followed by a Texas chili and Mexican dish dinner. Regularly scheduled Spanish language services were introduced as a monthly event in May 2007, and in November 2007, they became a regular weekly service.
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Check the St. John's Facebook page on Monday for next week's question! |
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And remember to write a short (500 words or less) story about your time - an event or special memory - at St. John's. Please send text and photos to fay@austinstjohns.org for publication in our 2020 Memory Book. |
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Sunday Services at St. John's
We are finding different ways to worship.
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Our Sunday services are being live streamed from our Chapel:
- 10:00 a.m. Morning Prayer in English
- 12:00 noon Morning Prayer in Spanish
There are two ways for you to participate in our Sunday services:
- Go to Facebook Live. No login is required to attend the service, but you must log into your Facebook account to comment or to view other comments. Click this button to attend the service using Facebook:
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- Call 1-888-958-7272 and, when prompted, enter an access code to listen to the service on your telephone. For the English language service, the access code is 750725274#.
In both cases, the live stream for each service will begin approximately 5 minutes before the start of the service.
Recorded video from both services will be posted on the
St. John's YouTube channel later in the day so that you can replay a service at your convenience. Links to the YouTube recordings will be posted on our website (www.austinstjohns.org).
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Holy Eucharist on the Deck
Limited in-person worship will continue this Sunday, with an outdoor Holy Communion Service at 1:15 PM. This week's service will be in Spanish.
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Pre-registration is required; please click the button to register. Please register for only one Sunday service at a time so others will have an opportunity to attend.
If you need to cancel your reservation, please return to the registration site or text Fay Jones at 512-626-1771.
In case of inclement weather, this service will be cancelled.
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Sunday Morning Prayer services at 10:00 AM in English and noon in Spanish will continue to be live streamed on Facebook. No login is required to attend the service. |
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Virtual Coffee and Fellowship:
Provide your own beverage and treat of choice
Join us for our Virtual Coffee and Fellowship on Sunday beginning at 11 am! This 30 minute opportunity to visit with friends you haven't seen in a while will be a separate Zoom meeting so you will need to use this link to join:
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To protect the meeting participants from any possible "trolls" who might try to interrupt our fellowship, the Waiting Room is enabled for this event. The meeting facilitator will admit you to the meeting as quickly as possible. |
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There are several ways you can continue to give towards the mission and ministry of St. John's:
Mail your check to the Church: St. John's Episcopal Church,
P. O. Box 81493, Austin, TX 78708-1493
Go to your bank's website and set up direct payment - the bank will send a check directly to St. John's using this address:
St. John's Episcopal Church, P. O. Box 81493, Austin, TX 78708-1493
Use this link to learn more about online giving: Click here
Use this button to go directly to our online giving portal:
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To those who have returned your giving intention for 2021 -
Thank You!
If you have not already done so, please return your giving intention (pledge) card for 2021 to the church as soon as possible.
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El Buen Samaritano Hands for Hope
"El Buen Samaritano is once again gearing up for its annual Hands for Hope meal distribution event—this year aiming to provide holiday meals to 1,750 families."
"Through Hands for Hope this year, El Buen will provide families who have been hit hardest by COVID with all they need to make a holiday meal together at home. Our goal is to provide 1,750 Austin families with meal kits including a frozen turkey or ham, stuffing, rolls, fresh vegetables, and of course, pie. Recipients will also receive information about other services through El Buen and nonprofit partners that can provide COVID-19 relief. This year, to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and ensure the health and safety of clients, staff, and volunteers, meal kits will be distributed at the El Buen campus via a drive-through process over three days in November and December."
"To take part in this initiative, please consider making a contribution to the Hands for Hope campaign or volunteering at our November 21 distribution day." (Use these links to access the Hands for Hope website.)
Thank you for thinking of your neighbors during the holidays!
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Caring for Each Other
If you, or someone you know, need prayer or would like to be contacted by the church, please contact the Reverend Ann McLemore at 769-257-2377 or RevAnn@austinstjohns.org to add names to the Prayer List.
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Need Help?
If you find that your situation is causing financial, spiritual, or emotional difficulties, or if you are in need of food, do not hesitate to call Deacon Victoria (512-297-5953) or Rev. Ann (769-257-2377).
We are a church family; when a family member needs assistance we want to try and help that member.
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Only Rev. Ann and essential support staff will be in the Chapel for the streaming of services and outside for the in-person Holy Communion services as we continue to follow the direction of government officials and the guidance of our Bishop.
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All meetings and activities at St. John's are temporarily suspended.
Ministry continues. All St. John's meetings will be held virtually (via Zoom).
We will post a notification here, on Facebook, and on our website when this restriction has been lifted.
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Fay Jones, Editor (fay@austinstjohns.org) |
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St. John's Episcopal Church
P. O. Box 81493, Austin, TX 78708-1493
Virtual Sunday Services
10:00 am in English (Facebook and website)
Mediodía en español (Facebook y sitio web)
In-Person Holy Communion
1:15 pm Sundays
Outdoors on the Deck
Alternating weeks: English and Spanish
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