May 25, 2022 Highlights Newsletter

May 25, 2022

In Our Prayers: Robb Elementary School & Buffalo

A prayer in response to mass shootings:

Loving God: yet again we are forced to confront our brokenness as we face more mass shootings. We remember your beloved children murdered in Buffalo and Uvalde, trusting that they are made whole in your eternal love. We ask a greater awareness of your presence for their families and friends in this life as they begin to learn how to live each day with the irrevocable outcome of these horrific acts. We pray that they find a way to some semblance of peace of heart and mind with lives forever changed.

Forgiving God: hold us accountable to the fact that we have so far lacked the will to do what needs to be done to prevent future tragedies such as these. Inspire and motivate us to do better, to move beyond the easily said offerings of thoughts and prayers into actions that help us to overcome our tolerance for violence and deaths like these.

Help us to remember, too, those who have perpetrated this violence and their families because they, too, are your beloved, whose brokenness you can heal.

Heal and transform our broken hearts so that we are a part of realizing your vision of beloved community. Amen.

A prayer for racial justice and reconciliation:

Healing and Reconciling God: You breathed life into a beautifully and wonderfully diverse humanity, a glimpse into the fullness of you and your creation. Over time we have failed to honor you as we have repeatedly ignored the fullness of your image in people who do not look like us. We have denied the impact of our ignorance on the shape of this country and its people over time and today. Help us to see the ways in which we are shaped by history and culture, as well as the path forward to healing and reconciliation. Give us courage to be vulnerable, strength to be humble, and grace to forgive and be forgiven as we walk the sacred ground of listening to the truth of racial injustice in this country. Amen.

(Prayers written by Rev. Paula)

Asian American and Pacific Islander Awareness Month

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Awareness Month and Bishop Hughes has asked all congregations in the Diocese of Newark to observe this month in some way. To understand why this is important, please read or listen to the Bishop's explanation in The Voice, found here.

We will be using the prayer for racial justice and reconciliation that Rev. Paula wrote this Sunday, continuing through the month of June (PRIDE month). Though we were late getting to this, we trust that our prayers will be heard.

As she did in February for Black History Month, Rev. Paula has done some research and compiled a list of movies that honor the experiences, stories, and gifts of our Asian American and Pacific Islander siblings. Though she probably won't be posting discussion prompts for each of these films, she invites you to comment or question as you feel moved if you are familiar with any of these movies. If you go to our Facebook page and click on "More" beneath the picture of the church, you'll see "Groups" as an option.

The movies:

The Farewell (2019)
Moana (2016)
Turning Red (2022)
The Namesake (2007)
Saving Face (2005) - this will also be relevant in June
Minari (2021)
Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
Nomadland (2020 - Chloe Zhao, director)
Gook (2017)
Life of Pi (2012)

Covid Protocols for Common Worship - UPDATED

CovidActNow, the website we use to determine our Covid practices, has been updated to reflect the current CDC guidelines. As long as Essex County has a low/green level of community risk and children under age five cannot be vaccinated, these guidelines will remain in effect.

Congregational singing is approved with reasonable precautions.

We have suspended the Common Cup because of the change in our Community Risk Level to medium. We will bring it back when the risk level returns to "low."

The 8:00 service is back! This is a masks optional, spoken service. Rev. Paula will be masked during the Eucharistic Prayer and distribution of Communion.

The 10:00am service, which is our principal service will remain masks required for the time being. We will sing, which continues to be a high-risk activity indoors and unmasked. Rev. Paula will be masked except when preaching. The Vestry will review this decision periodically.

For small groups, masks will be optional if everyone at the table agrees.

We no longer take temperatures, but we continue to ask for contact tracing information.

Happening at St. Stephen's This Week...

Welcome!

It's wonderful to be with each other in church and celebrate the Holy Eucharist with congregational singing.

Live-streamed to YouTube, Facebook, and via Zoom. Bulletins are available on the St. Stephen's website. All links can be found at the bottom of the newsletter.

Zoom passcode is SSM119.

The Sunday service will also be broadcast on HTTV (Comcast TV 36 and Verizon TV 33) on Tuesday at 6am and 3pm.

Please join us for our Seventh Sunday of Easter Service

on Sunday, May 29th at 8:00am and 10:00am.

ALL are welcome!

A PRAYER FOR MEMORIAL DAY

Looking Ahead

PLEASE CHECK WEEKLY BECAUSE EVENTS MAY BE ADDED OR CHANGED.

MAY

MAY 29

8am - Sunday Worship

10am - Sunday Worship

11:30am - Vestry Meeting

1pm - AA Meeting

MAY 30

Memorial Day

7:30pm - MA Meeting

MAY 31

5pm - Women's Lectionary Study

Did you lose a necklace in our parking lot during the month of May?

Please reach out to Maria.

JUNE

JUN 3

9am - Interfaith Bible Hour

JUN 4

8:30am-4:30pm

Gardening Day at

St. Stephen's

JUN 5

Day of Pentecost

Watts Baptism

8am - Sunday Worship

10am - Sunday Worship

11am - Coffee Hour

1pm - AA Meeting

JUN 6

7:30pm - MA Meeting

JUN 7

5pm - Women's Lectionary Study

JUN 12

8am - Sunday Worship

10am - Sunday Worship

11pm - North Jersey PRIDE Festival

1pm - AA Meeting

JUN 13

7pm - Small Group Summit

7:30pm - MA Meeting

JUN 14

5pm - Women's Lectionary Study

JUN 15

7:30pm - Finance Committee Meeting

JUN 16

7pm - Preschool Committee Meeting

JUN 19

Communion for All

8am - Sunday Worship

10am - Sunday Worship

11:30am - Vestry Meeting

1pm - AA Meeting

JUN 20

Juneteenth observed

7:30pm - MA Meeting

JUN 21

5pm - Women's Lectionary Study

JUN 26

8am - Sunday Worship

10am - Sunday Worship

11:30am - Reading with the Rector

1pm - AA Meeting

JUN 27

7:30pm - MA Meeting

JUN 28

5pm - Women's Lectionary Study

JULY

JUL 1

9am - Interfaith Bible Hour

JUL 3

8am - Sunday Worship

10am - Sunday Worship

1pm - AA Meeting

JUL 4

Independence Day

7:30pm - MA Meeting

JUL 5

5pm - Women's Lectionary Study

JUL 10

8am - Sunday Worship

10am - Sunday Worship

1pm - AA Meeting

JUL 11

7:30pm - MA Meeting

JUL 12

5pm - Women's Lectionary Study

JUL 17

Communion for All

8am - Sunday Worship

10am - Sunday Worship

11:30am - Vestry Meeting

1pm - AA Meeting

JUL 18

7:30pm - MA Meeting

JUL 19

5pm - Women's Lectionary Study

JUL 20

7:30pm - Finance Committee Meeting

JUL 21

7pm - Preschool Committee Meeting

JUL 24

8am - Sunday Worship

10am - Sunday Worship

1pm - AA Meeting

JUL 25

7:30pm - MA Meeting

JUL 26

5pm - Women's Lectionary Study

JUL 31

8am - Sunday Worship

10am - Sunday Worship

1pm - AA Meeting

Other Happenings...

ASCENSION DAY

NOONDAY PRAYERS

Thursday, May 26th

12:00 to 1:00pm

All are invited to join our friends at

Christ Church via Zoom for Ascension Day Noonday Prayers.

Zoom Link

Passcode: CCSH

Looking for an excuse to golf?

Look no further than here. Not only will you have lots of fun, you'll be helping a wonderful ministry. And who knows? You may even have a sighting of a certain non-golfing priest who will be doing her best (though what that is has yet to be decided) to ensure that you and the other golfers have a great day.

INTERFAITH BIBLE HOUR

On Friday, June 3rd at 9:00am, we will meet with our friends from Christ Church in Short Hills and Temple B'nai Jeshurun to talk about the Book of Genesis.

Join us via Zoom here.

The password is SSM119.

The meeting ID is 865 4375 6895.

Please feel free to join us even if you haven't before.

Join us in showing our love for this little piece of God's creation. Bring a shovel, a rake, or both, and a pair of gardening gloves. Come for the whole day or just an hour or two. We'll be spreading 12 yards of mulch to replace what Hurricane Ida washed away, and, while we're at it, beautifying our garden beds.

There may or may not be some weeding to do, too. That depends on how much we get done before then.

We will be working on the Good News Garden! There's lots to be done to build the beds and get them ready for planting. There's also a fence to be built and a sign to be hung. Perhaps too much to do in a single day but we can get a good start. And once we are ready, we'll bless the garden and all those who will eat a bit healthier because of our labors.

Oh, yeah! We'll provide a light lunch for those who are here at that time, as well as snacks and drinks all day.

HARMONIUM CHORAL SOCIETY

OPEN HEARTS WEEKEND

June 3rd - 5th

A weekend of music, love, and acceptance.

Harmonium Choral Society invites you to join us for an extraordinary weekend to enjoy an uplifting musical celebration and help raise funds to support our nonprofit mission to inspire and transform our community through music.

You can be a part of this exciting event by becoming a sponsor, donor or volunteer.

To learn more, click here.

NORTH JERSEY PRIDE FESTIVAL

Sunday, June 12

12:00 to 6:00pm

Memorial Park Amphitheatre

580 Valley Street

Maplewood

Join us at the festival, stop by our booth, take a giveaway or two, and help represent St. Stephen's,

The Church on Main Street where LOVE begets LOVE!

For more info, click here.

READING WITH THE RECTOR

Sunday, June 26

11:30am - 1:00pm

We will meet in the Common Room,

or you may join via Zoom.

Next month we will be discussing:

The Book of Essie, Meghan Maclean Weir

Esther Ann Hicks--Essie--is the youngest child on Six for Hicks, a reality television phenomenon. She's grown up in the spotlight, both idolized and despised for her family's fire-and-brimstone brand of faith. When Essie's mother, Celia, discovers that Essie is pregnant, she arranges an emergency meeting with the show's producers: Do they sneak Essie out of the country for an abortion? Do they pass the child off as Celia's? Or do they try to arrange a marriage--and a ratings-blockbuster wedding? Meanwhile, Essie is quietly pairing herself up with Roarke Richards, a senior at her school with a secret of his own to protect. As the newly formed couple attempt to sell their fabricated love story to the media--through exclusive interviews with an infamously conservative reporter named Liberty Bell--Essie finds she has questions of her own: What was the real reason for her older sister leaving home? Who can she trust with the truth about her family? And how much is she willing to sacrifice to win her own freedom?

AA/MA MEETINGS

Weekly AA meetings:

Sunday at 1:00pm

Contact: Rob H. (516) 860-9062

For more information about

Alcohol Anonymous, click here.

Weekly MA meeting:

Monday at 7:30pm

Contact: Max T. (212) 203-2542

Contact: Deana L. (908) 499-8997

MA meetings are presented in a rotating format -- Step, Speaker, Story from Life with Hope, Topic.

For more information about

Marijuana Anonymous, click here.

From Bishop Hughes & The Episcopal Church

Special Recognition & Gratitude

St. Stephen's 2022 Honoree:

Nancy Sieffert

THE BISHOP'S VLOG - 5/25/22

NEW: May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Awareness Month.

Why do we celebrate awareness months?

When we honor people through these awareness months, says Bishop Hughes, it is to help us see that we're all actually part of one another. We are all more of who we are because of all of us being part of the same family, that is the people of God.

NEW: The VOICE Online Link - 5/25/22

DIOCESAN E-NEWSLETTERS

Sign up to get e-newsletters and important announcements directly from diocesan headquarters. Find out more and subscribe here.

SENIOR MINISTRIES' 2022

HEGG AWARDS

June 12 at 3:00pm

You are invited to join Bishop Hughes and the Senior Ministries of the Diocese of Newark for the 25th annual David P. Hegg II Lifetime Achievement Awards.

The Hegg Awards are given annually to members of our diocese who are:

Age 60+.
A long-standing, active member of your congregation.
Made or makes contributions to the congregation and/or the diocese.

The service will be pre-recorded and broadcast on the diocesan YouTube channel, youtube.com/c/dionewark.

TRINITY RETREAT CENTER

Trinity Retreat Center is an Episcopal mission of Trinity Church Wall Street. The Retreat Center offers in-person and online retreats and is open to everyone, regardless of denomination or faith.

Memorial Day Weekend Rest & Renewal In-Person Retreat

May 27–30, 2022

“Come away and rest awhile,” Jesus said to his disciples when they were exhausted and overwhelmed by the pace of work and ministry. This weekend offers a lightly structured time to retreat from daily obligations and engage a deepening awareness of our relationships—with ourselves, those around us, the divine, and all of creation. Finding peace and joy at the center is what this weekend is all about, through silence, nature, shared meals, common worship, guided meditation, and lots of time to be.

To learn more & register, click here.

Resources During Covid

NEW: Journey Forward Guidelines

There are many, many resources available to parishes and individuals to help sustain our faith practices during this unprecedented time.

In this time of Crisis, there are resources that can help if you or someone you know needs assistance. Please contact NJ Mental Health Cares for free helpline telephone counseling or assistance. Call 866-202-4357.

TTY: 1-877-294-4356.

E-mail: help@njmentalhealthcares.org

Other resources are:

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

1-800-273-8255

Crisis Text Line, 741741

NJ Hope Line (suicide prevention)

855-654-6735

Prayer List

Please keep the following St. Stephen's family

members and friends in your prayers...

Peggy Thompson

Donna Riggi

The Blanchard Family

The McManus Family

Bernard & Nathan

Lucille B.

Jack Moreno

Joseph G.

Jane Rossiter

Ningyu Liu & Family

Mike Losito

Evan D. & Family

Donna Stadler Hostetler

Liliane Khouri

Drew

Shirley

Theresa Scharff

Virginia Whatley

Lance Hochmuth

Nicole Salvetti

Marianne Jacobs & Family

Ed Roman

Emma Simonich

Scott Landers

Inge Bass Mills

Agi Lowe

Joan Shuss

Shane Tate

If you would like to add someone to our prayer list, please email us at church@ststephensmillburn.org, or call (973) 376-0688 Ext. 32.

Anyone for whom we are praying will be on our prayer list for six weeks. If prayers are still needed beyond that time period, please let us know. Thank you.

Sunday Lectionary

May 29, 2022

Seventh Sunday of Easter

Acts 16:16-34

Revelation 22:12-14,16-17,20-21

John 17:20-26

Psalm 97

If you'd like to read the full lectionary for the week, you may do so here.

Giving with Tithe.ly

TITHE.LY

Giving with Tithe.ly is easy with options for recurring donations or one-time use for when you are away or not able to be in church (like all of us now due to COVID restrictions).

You can access Tithe.ly via their website or their app on your smart phone. Be sure to search for the correct account - "St. Stephen's Church Millburn." Once you have accessed the account page with our address, you will be instructed to follow the prompts.

Office Notes

Due to COVID restrictions, only teachers and staff are allowed to be in the building during school hours. If you need to visit the parish office/building for any reason, please contact us for an appointment. Thank you.