Parish Notices for April 2, 2020
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Creating Sacred Space at Home for Holy Week
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We have said from the beginning of this unusual time of being apart that the church is not the building. The church is the people. While we miss being together in the same space, we have found creative ways to stay connected as a community and we will continue that throughout Holy Week. As we participate in online worship during Holy Week, we invite you to create some sacred space in your home to leave up throughout the week. If you have children at home, invite them to help. They have been well taught in Godly Play how to create sacred space.
To create sacred space at home, find a table, space on a shelf, or even an upside-down box somewhere close to where you participate in our online Morning Prayer services. Cover that space with a cloth and place a cross (you might even make one from small tree branches), a candle, and perhaps a Bible or Book of Common Prayer. Different services for Holy Week may suggest different things on your home altar. I’ve made some suggestions about that below, along with the times for each service.
For more about how to set aside this space in your home, Sharon Ely Pearson, a Christian formation specialist for the Episcopal Church, has some great tips
right here.
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Palm Sunday - April 5 @ 10:00 a.m.
Collect some greenery from your yard or from a walk outside and place it on your home altar to wave as we sing
All Glory, Laud and Honor.
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Monday of Holy Week: Morning Prayer - April 6 @ 9:00 a.m.
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Tuesday of Holy Week: Morning Prayer - April 7 @ 9:00 a.m.
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Wednesday of Holy Week: Tenebrae - April 8 @ 7:00 p.m.
Place a candle on your home altar to extinguish at the end of the service.
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Thursday of Holy Week: Maundy Thursday - April 9 @ 6:30 p.m.
Have an agape supper in your home. Post a picture of it on the Epiphany Community Facebook page before we gather online for the liturgy at 6:30.
Place a cross and some candles on your home altar which will be removed at the end of the service.
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Friday of Holy Week: Good Friday - April 10 @ 3:00 p.m.
Place a cross on your home altar for veneration of the cross.
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Easter Vigil - April 12 @ 6:00 a.m.
Have a candle on your home altar ready to light when we light the paschal candle. If you have your baptismal candle, that would be a great candle to have on your table.
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Easter - April 12 @ 10:00 a.m.
Place flowers and greenery next to a cross on your home altar. Have some bells (or something that you can make a joyful noise with) ready for the moment when we say our Alleluias. You might want to get dressed up to make the day feel more special and prepare a special meal for after the service. After the service, you might call someone in the parish and say
“Alleluia, Christ is Risen!”
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I know this new way of honoring Holy Week and Easter is disorienting but remember that the first Easter was disorienting as well. We are in good company as we find our way through these uncertain times – in the company of those throughout the centuries who have leaned into their faith and hope in the God who is always surprising us with new life. I look forward to walking through Holy Week with all of you.
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An Update on our Financial Situation
The finance committee wants to remind you of the importance of
continuing to support the church financially so we can continue our ministry during this time when we are unable to gather physically. Our giving is down for last month, as you can imagine.
Our budgeted revenue for March is $89,941
Our actual revenue for March is $54,189
You can see that we are far short of where we should be on income for this month. We are monitoring and cutting our expenses as much as possible but we have certain fixed costs that cannot be reduced. Please consider giving online
through our website here
, or mailing your check to the church.
Thank you to all of you who continue to be the church, even in these challenging times. Thank you for your financial support, thank you for looking out for each other, thank you for continuing to model God’s love and grace in these times when we all need to experience that the most. I’m grateful for all of you.
Grace and peace,
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The Rev. Amy Dills-Moore
Priest in Charge
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News from our Bishop & the Diocese
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Bishop Wright notified the clergy last week that given the rapidly increasing amount of cases of Covid-19 in the state of Georgia, it’s clear we should continue to worship and meet online for some time, which - for now - means through May 24.
Here's a link
to
Connecting
- the online news source of the Diocese of Atlanta. This link takes you directly to the most recent postings from our bishop. It includes prayers, inspirational readings, and a link to their digital library. You can subscribe to
Connecting
directly by
clicking here.
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While the office is closed, we are working from home and checking our email and voicemail messages regularly. If you have a pastoral emergency, please call 404.373.8338 and press extension 14 for Amy and leave a message. She receives a notice at home and will call you back.
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Virtual Children's Chapel at 9:00 a.m.
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Join us Sunday's at 9 a.m. for Virtual Children's Chapel. A special time for children toddler age to 2nd grade. Share some online time with your kids and their church buddies.
Email Laraine Fraijo-Paul
, Director of Children's Information to receive login information and/or to be added to the children's ministries enews list.
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Join us for Morning Prayer via Zoom
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We are using Zoom for online worship. You don't have to sign up to participate. Just click the Zoom login link in this email
or on our homepage
to join the service.
SUNDAYS:
Log in around 9:50 a.m. to get oriented and we will begin Morning Prayer at 10 a.m.
WEEKDAYS:
Login at 8:45 a.m. for a virtual coffee hour before we begin Morning Prayer at 9 a.m. You are welcome to stay for twenty-minutes of silence for centering prayer or meditation following the service.
Click here
to see INSTRUCTIONS for using Zoom.
Tips for using the service have been added.
Click here
for the DIRECT LINK to the Morning Prayer via Zoom login.
Click here
for pdf of Daily Morning Prayer to follow along if you are on your phone.
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Pray the Stations of the Cross
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Since we can't be there in person to walk the Stations, Ann Fowler has created a beautiful video of the stations with the readings and prayers led by your fellow Epiphany members.
You can take the walk anytime by clicking on the
Stations button on our homepag
e, or
click right here
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EPIPHANY GATHERINGS VIA ZOOM
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Everyone is invited to log in a little early for Weekday Morning Prayer to enjoy your coffee (or tea) together and chat before beginning the morning service. Join us starting at 8:45 a.m.
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For those who would like to do Centering Prayer or meditation together, Amy is offering 20 minutes of shared silence after Morning Prayer on Zoom each weekday morning. If you wish to participate, just remain online following the service.
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Epiphany Book Group - April 6
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The Epiphany Book Group will continue to meet 1st Mondays at 7:30 p.m.
Meeting ID: 393 152 583
Dial In: 1-646-558-8656
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*SMA stands for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! These three friends faced a fiery furnace to stand up for their beliefs!
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SMA* Group - Wednesday @ 7:00 p.m.
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The SMA Group (for children 3rd-6th grade) meets Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom. We are taking time to connect, check in, play some games, and share prayer requests.
Email Laraine Fraijo-Paul
, Director of Children's Information to receive login information and/or to be added to the children's ministries enews list.
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Grief Pastoral Care Group Resumes
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The Grief Pastoral Care Group will continue to meet 1st Thursdays at noon via Zoom for a healing and faith based conversation around grief and loss. Led by parishioners
Megan Fraijo-Paul
and
Nancy Thompson
, both trained psychotherapists. Anyone who has not previously met with the group, may contact either Megan or Nancy.
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Flex & Stretch and Chair Yoga Weekly
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The Flex & Stretch class - which is the basic Silversneakers class - now meets on Zoom on Fridays and the Chair Yoga program is being offered online on Tuesdays and Thursdays. All at 11 a.m. Questions?
Email Ellen Mintzmeyer
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Friday Flex & Stretch
Meeting ID: 809 302 993
Dial in: 1-929-205-6099
Tuesday Chair Yoga
Meeting ID: 277 401 969
Dial In: 1-929-205-6099
Thursday Chair Yoga
Meeting ID: 201 978 730
Dial In: 1-929-205-6099
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Prayers for Healthcare Workers
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If you are a healthcare professional or public health professional, we are grateful for the work you do and want to offer our prayers on behalf of all our members who work to keep us safe and well. We will only add you to that list at your request, so please
email the church
office if you would like to be added.
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Easter Memorials and Dedications
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Easter Flowers & Music Dedications are being accepted now. Monies help support the Flower Guild and the Music Department. If you would like to make a donation in memory or honor of a loved one, please
email your intention
to the church and
pay online
or mail a check to the church.
Deadline is Wednesday April 6.
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The United Thank Offering contributions support Episcopal missions and ministries. Make checks out to The Episcopal Church Women, noting UTO in the memo and mail them to the church (address is below). Ingathering will be April 19.
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For the layers of comfort and convenience that surrounded our lives and that we never considered a blessing but always just took for granted,
forgive us.
For we who must grieve in isolation and not in community,
comfort us.
For we who care for the sick,
protect us.
For the ability to turn off the fear-mongering and unhelpful commentary and worst-case scenario click bait,
strengthen us.
For the times when we are all out of creative ideas for how to get through this with cooped up kids,
inspire us.
For we who are now cutting our own bangs at home,
guide us.
For the grace to allow ourselves and others to just be less productive,
shower us.
For the generosity needed from those of us who have more resources,
empower us.
From our own selfish inclinations,
deliver us.
For just being your children, none of whom have done
a global pandemic before,
love us.
For the days ahead,
accompany us.
God unbound by time, help us to know that you are already present
in the future we are fearing.
AMEN.
Prayer by
Nadia Bolz-Weber
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