St. Peter's
Episcopal Church
Milford, Connecticut
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September 19, 2021
The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost
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"Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."
Friends, it has been a robust week here at St. Peter's, with incredible moments of wonder and grace.
We had a lovely Sunday celebrating the return of our in-Person Sunday school for children, a parish picnic, the return of our choir (for the first time in in-person worship since March, 2020) and the commissioning of our new seminarian, Emily Carter. On Wednesday, we baptized a new member of our community, Julissa Calderon, and preparations are ongoing for a number of baptisms to come in the weeks ahead.
I count these moments as "mustard seed moments"-sacramental and heavenly experiences that help us tap into the reality of God's grace and mercy. Moments like these bloom and grow beyond their deceptively simple packaging, and shelter us. It's amazing how God can work with simple things like bread and wine. water and oil, food and fellowship.
As I review how full this week has been, I give thanks for the heavenly reality that these moments point toward...starting there, they help me navigate our anxiety-riddled world...I pray that the Peace of God which passes all understanding fill you with the knowledge and love of God. We've only just begun the program year, and I look forward to what is to come. May we focus on the heavenly truths, packaged as small, good things. And may God bless and keep us in the journey.
Yours in Christ,
Matt +
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This week at St. Peter's
8:00 a.m. Holy Communion in the church and online via livestream.
10:00 a.m. "Mass on the Grass"
10:00 a.m. Sunday School will be held in the outdoor chapel behind the church. Please bring your droppable-1631735064954children directly to the chapel. They will rejoin us for Communion.
5:00 p.m. Youth Group will be gathering on our Campus to kick-off the new year. To attend, RSVP to Maureen Lucas, our youth minister.
Wednesday 12:00 noon Eucharist with healing service in the church.
Please keep in mind that with the current warning about the Delta Variant of the Covid virus, masks are to be worn for all services to protect the most vulnerable among us. Thanks for your patience, and for wearing your mask.
NOTE: We are now livestreaming our 8:00 am Service. This will help us avoid some audio quality challenges we've experienced in our livestream of the 10:00 am service.
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The Readings for Sunday,
September 19, 2021
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Happy Birthday to Lacey Hebert and all who celebrate birthdays this week.
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Save the date on your calendar!
St. Peter's Commemorates
the Feast of St. Francis
at 5 pm on Sunday, October 3 .
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Welcome to our new Seminarian,
Emily Carter!
Emily is in her second year at Yale Divinity School and is in the ordination process in the Episcopal Church in Connecticut. She grew up on the beautiful Olympic Peninsula in Washington State and came to New England for college, where she studied government, classics, and biology. She was raised conservative evangelical but found the Episcopal Church in college following a skeptical phase. Emily moved to New Haven in 2019 to join the Episcopal Service Corps at Christ Church, where she worked for a nonprofit serving individuals with developmental disabilities and found a home community at the Episcopal Church at Yale. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, running, climbing, and caring for the chickens at a local park. She looks forward to meeting you soon!
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Your prayers are requested this week for
Maria and her family, Emma, Ronald, Warner, Bennett, Rick, David, Ray, Paul, Gail, John, Susan, Nancy, Gabriel, Gretchen, Nicole, Ashley, Pat, Haleigh and Mark, Judy, Dorothy, Bob W., Doug and Corliss, Claire and her family, Kate, Carolyn, Martin, Richard, Patricia and Jim, Mike, Helene, Jan, Ruth, Carol, Mark, Ginny, Peggie, Roger, Jason, Peter, Tina, Henry, Paul and Violet, Bob and Connie, and Alice.
+ Pray for those who have died, and for all those who are bereaved.
+ Pray for those who are frightened, anxious, or lonely, especially the sick.
+ Pray for continued wisdom and discernment in our leaders in government and the church alike.
+Pray for the unemployed and underemployed; for all who suffer from addictions; for all who suffer chronic illness, and for all caregivers;
+ Pray for support and strength for health care workers, first responders, hospice chaplains, palliative care teams, funeral directors, and all who attend to end-of-life care.
+ Pray for all communities impacted by climate change and severe weather events.
+ Pray for all who will be persecuted for their faith.
+ Pray for renewal in our church, that the Holy Spirit might bless us with the endurance to run the race before us, and to do so with joy.
+In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, we pray for The Church of the Province of Uganda, and in the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, we pray for The 237th Annual Convention of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut.
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Here are a few simple Ways
to Help through eGiving.
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ECCT eNews and Bishop's Transition Listening Sessions.
The Episcopal Church in Connecticut has much going on, and we at St. Peter's are a part of it! We are in the midst of preparing for a search for a new diocesan bishop, in anticipation of the retirement of The Rt. Rev. Ian T. Douglas, PhD. Your voice is needed as the transition committee does its work. Check out what they're up to,
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