The Monthly Newsletter of 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

 

It recently occurred to me that we are approximately 2/3 months of our way through the sabbatical time! More precisely, I think we are closer to 11/15 weeks! I continue to pray that God will grant each of us and all of us an enriching period of “refreshment, rest, and refocus” during these summer months.

 

One of the most famous lines of St. Augustine (354-430) is “You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless, until they find rest in you.” That phrase can be found in his autobiography, The Confessions, which took him about five years to write, and was started ten years after his conversion and baptism as a young adult. His autobiography begins: “Great are you, O Lord, and greatly to be praised; great is your power, and your wisdom is infinite.” What a wonderful phrase of worship! By the way, we will celebrate the feast day of St. Augustine on August 28.

A few weeks ago, we heard once again what has been called “The Great Invitation” from Jesus to His followers then and now: “Come unto me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28). Those words have been used in many musical settings throughout church history and here is one example. The text has been matched with at least three different tunes by famous English composers (note the time difference of when they lived). You might enjoy listening to each of the musical settings as you meditate on these wonderful words!

 

Hymn #692: I HEARD THE VOICE OF JESUS SAY.  Text: Horatio Bonar (1808-1889) in 1846.

Tune: John Dykes (1823-1876); Ralph V. Williams (1872-1958); Thomas Tallis (1505-1585)

I heard the voice of Jesus say, “Come unto me and rest;

And in your weariness lay down your head upon my breast.”

I came to Jesus as I was, so weary, worn, and sad;

I found in him a resting place, and he has made me glad.

 

I heard the voice of Jesus say, “Behold I freely give

The living water; thirsty one, stoop down and drink, and live.”

I came to Jesus, and I drank of that life-giving stream;

My thirst was quenched, my soul revived, and now I live in him.

 

I heard the voice of Jesus say, “I am this dark world’s light

Look unto me, your morn shall rise, and all your day be bright.”

I looked to Jesus, and I found in him, my Star, my Sun,

And in that light of life I’ll walk till pilgrim days are done.

 

Nina and I are looking forward very much to “the mini-retreat” on Saturday, Aug. 26 (9-noon). We hope many of you can join us in this time of rest and refreshment.

 

Grace and Peace,

Fr. John

 

PS Please remember to pray for the Vacation Bible School August 14-17, and spread the word!

St. Francis-in-the-Fields Calendar 

The next Men’s Fellowship Breakfast will be held on Saturday, August 5, at 9:00am, at the West Chester Diner (1147 West Chester Pike). This is BYOB (“Bring Your Own Bucks”).

All men of St. Francis are welcome to attend.

We are excited to announce that St. Francis is offering Vacation Bible School this summer! It will be held Monday, August 14th thru Thursday, August 17th from 9:00 am to 11:30am. Our curriculum is from Grow Kids and the theme is On the Case. The children will act as detectives to solve the mystery of how to grow with God through some of Jesus' Parables.

  

Here are two examples of invitations He issued. "Come away with me for a while to a quiet place and get some rest." (Mark 6:31). "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest”. (Matthew 11:28). 

The plan is to have a combination of Scripture readings, prayer, meditation, singing some songs, and reading poetry. As someone wisely stated, "We need to slow down to catch up with God”. 

This "mini" retreat will be a time to do just that, and come away refreshed, revived, and renewed. 

Volunteers are needed for 8/27 to supply lemonade and/or iced tea and snacks after the 10 a.m. service during the summer months. 

We welcome Christine Zaccarelli, Esquire, CEO, from The Crime Victims' Center of Chester County, Inc to the Brown Bag Lunch on Tuesday, September 12^th Noon-1PM

Since 1973, The Crime Victims' Center of Chester County, Inc has been providing victim advocacy and prevention education programing to the residents of Chester County. They are a private non-profit organization. Their mission is to provide free, immediate, and confidential crisis response and compassionate support to children and adults victimized by sexual violence and all other crimes. CVC provides aid through counseling, advocacy, resources and education. The Center fosters community awareness and understanding through their comprehensive outreach and prevention programs. All their services are free and confidential. https://www.cvcofcc.org

Our selection for September is The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd.  Ana, the heroine of this historical novel is a brilliant woman with a daring spirit.  She meets, falls in love with Jesus, and they marry.  

Mondays at 5 pm weather permitting.

Please sign up HERE

Please join us at East Goshen Park (Paoli Pike entrance at traffic light) at 9 am during August. We’ll be in the first parking area.  This may be the perfect Monday morning activity to start your week. 

Circle of Friends is a pastoral care ministry of note writing (birthday, get well, thank you, encouragement, etc.)

The Circle of Friends will meet in person, in the library, on Wednesday, August 23 at 5:30 pm. If you are unable to join us in person but would still like to participate, please contact Sue Lenkaitis at suelenk@verizon.net. or 610-570-1112. Packets can be prepared for pickup or delivery as needed.

In the meantime, anyone who would like to support this effort can visit nscphila.org for details about ways to help refugees by volunteering or making a donation.

The Very Rev. Kevin Dellaria, Rector (On Sabbatical)

The Rev. John Whitnah, Sabbatical Supply Clergy

 Diane Faison, Parish Administrator & Deacon

Joe Perry, Music Director

St. Francis-in-the-Fields is an active parish, even during COVID-19. For more information about our worship, outreach, and other ministries, visit our parish website, www.stfrancisfields.org. Our monthly parish newsletter, Fieldnotes, may be found by clicking HERE. Stay current on events by following our parish on Facebook.

St. Francis-in-the-Fields is a parish in the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, a member of The Episcopal Church, and part of the worldwide Anglican Communion.