I find the prayer of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane a hard act to follow. "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet not my will but yours be done." (Matt. 26:42; Mk. 14:36; Lk. 22:42)

When I am earnestly praying, like the time I prayed for my son's recovery after an auto accident, I really want God to honor my request; for surely, I believed at the time, God wanted my fifteen-year-old son to live. But Gale didn't live. He died after 18 days in a coma in an Albuquerque hospital. I had to give him up to God even though I didn't want to.

How does one learn to accept God's will when it goes against one's deepest wishes? Not easily, I learned. While the pandemic is not God's will, yet multitudes of innocent people have died, and millions more live in caution and fear of catching the virus. How does one pray for protection from the coronavirus?

What helps me is the explanation that Albert Outler once gave in a sermon I heard him preach. The eminent theologian said that when praying, one should give God the intention, the reason for your prayer.

Then to illustrate he told the story of Monica, the mother of Augustine, who fervently prayed that her profligate son would not go to Rome where she feared he would sink deeper into sin and immoral behavior. But he sailed to Rome anyway. There he fell under the preaching of Ambrose, was converted, and later became one of Christendom's greatest thinkers who has influenced the life and thought of Christians for the last 1,600 years.

Mother Monica didn't want her son to go to Rome, but God had other plans. God answered the mother's anguished plea by granting not her request but her intention that God care for and guide St. Augustine.

Perhaps the humanity of Jesus did not want to face the suffering that he saw coming. But when he yielded to God's will and not his own, God crowned him savior of the world.

I know that I did not want to give up my son, but I prayed that God would care for him; and so the Lord took the teenager into his loving arms and blessed him far more than his parents ever could.

That's the grace in the garden. We don't know what this pandemic will result in, yet we know who loves and cares for us in all situations. And as we pray for what we need and want, and give the genuine reason underlying our petition to the Lord, that intention will be answered.

PRAYER:

May it be, dear Lord, that I give you always my heartfelt intentions behind my prayers for my needs and wants.

-- Rev. Clyde Chesnutt

Join us for a new series of concerts live-streamed from the St. John's sanctuary! Concerts are a benefit for Albuquerque Healthcare for the Homeless. musicatstjohns.org

Olga Perez Flora, mezzo-soprano

James Flora, tenor

Kristin Ditlow, pianist

FogoNuevo Duo

Gabriela Fogo, violinist

Luiz Barrionuevo, violinist and violist

Gustavo Pimentel, guitarist

A huge thank you to everyone that voted and donated during our Virtual Pie Cafe. The favorite pie among voter is... PECAN! Check out the video to the left of the drawing and congratulations to the five winners: Katie, Leia, Laura, Glenelle, and John & Dolly. They will each receive a pie of their choice. More information will be coming about the amount of money raised.

United Methodist Women will meet, by Zoom, on Thursday, October 1, at 10:00 am Our speaker will be Kristi Rhinehart, Program Director and Training Specialist for Four Winds Behavioral Health Center in Rio Rancho. Kristi will explain the program, as well as provide an update on the newly completed residential drug treatment center in Espanola. This meeting is open to anyone and everyone, so if you're interested in receiving a Zoom invitation, please contact Regina Hampton at: hamptonmason1@msn.com. You may arrive as early as 9:45 am, if you'd like to chit chat a few minutes prior to the meeting. We hope to see your smiling face!

It seems like a very long time since we have been able to be together as a church family. Our staff has worked hard to keep us connected through virtual worship services, drive-in or small in-person services, and some Sunday School classes and other groups have been able to continue via Zoom, meeting safely at the church, in homes or even in parks. The Leadership Team wants to make sure everyone in our church family is being contacted in some way, especially those of our members and friends who might not have regular contact with people. We are looking for volunteers to help us call a small number of members to find out how they are, to let them know we are thinking of them and to find out how the church can help them. If that sounds like something you would enjoy doing and sending information back to the church about these members, please contact Barbara Stanfield, barbarastanfield@comcast.net. Thank you for considering helping in this important ministry of reaching out to our St. John’s family.

Would you be interested in submitting a daily devotional for the Newsletter? If so, send an email to Pastor Pam at prowley@stjohns-abq.org!

Please include the following items when writing a devotion:

A Focus Word or Phrase

A Scripture (it can simply be referenced)

The Body of the Devotion (one page is a good guideline)

A Prayer or a Spiritual Practice

St. John’s will live-stream a worship service on Sunday morning at 9:30 am (Contemporary) on the Abide Facebook page and 11:00 am (Traditional) on the homepage of the website. We hope you’ll worship with us! (Pastors Pam and Kelly will lead, along with Shea Perry, Jim Ahrend, and Matt Greer). We hope that you’ll participate by singing and praying at home! Any questions? Email Matt at mgreer@stjohns-abq.org.

Missing getting together with your St John’s family after church? Join us in the virtual Sonshine Coffee Zoom immediately following the 11:00 am Worship. Church Leadership Team members starting with Jim Hickman will be hosting with the Pastors Pam and Kelly joining if they are available. Zoom registration is HERE.

Come join us for St John’s Blessing of the Animals. All God’s creatures are welcome! Chef Tim will have treats for us all and we will celebrate our relation to all creatures, as we worship with all creatures great and small, and witness to God’s goodness in creation. Masks required. We will meet in the east parking lot!

The class always welcomes new faces, whether they wish to become permanent members, are interested in a particular study, or need a Sunday School family while on temporary assignment in Albuquerque. We typically alternate between modern books and books of the Bible. We are currently nearing the end of I’d Like You More If You Were More Like Me, by John Ortberg. Contact Regina Hunter, drhunter@nmia.com, to be added to the invitation list on Sundays and to learn of the next book.

Family Spirit Class meets by zoom on Sunday mornings, 9:30 to 10:30. They are studying John Ortberg’s book The Life You've Always Wanted. Brian Eagen and Doug Sweet lead this study. Please contact Anita Hallstrom at anitah1@comcast.net if you would like to join this zoom class.

Christian Classics Sunday School Class is meeting by Zoom at 3:30 PM on Sundays. We are studying The Wisdom Jesus by Cynthia Bourgeault. Contact Jack Nuzum at jcnuzum@juno.com to join in.

The Ladies Book Club will meet Monday, October 5, at 1:00 pm in the Prayer Garden. We will be discussing “Love and Ruin” by Paula McLain, an interesting read about Ernest Hemingway, his life and his loves. Please bring your lawn chair and your mask, that’s a must! See you there, mapalook@comcast.net

To better streamline all the ways we communicate, the Youth Group has adopted the Slack app to merge and integrate the our direct messaging, digital calendar, Zoom account, and all our online documents. It is easy to join the threads that apply just to you. Join in here: bit.ly/joinumyfslack1

Summer is past, and as we get back to school? Our Solid Ground youth group will resume meeting every Sunday at 4:00-5:15PM with new games, discussions, and faith-building activities plus new features of the student led Soap Box and Top 5s. Log-in. at: bit.ly/Fall2020UMYF (case sensitive).

While we are not yet allowed to sing together, stay informed about the activities of the Sonrise Youth Choir, including weekly Zooms on Thursdays at 4:00 pm (Jackbox games!!), and musical workshops in the Fall! Email Shea at sonrisechoir@gmail.com!

Come receive communion in your car on Wednesday, October 7 and gather in safe community to worship and praise God. We encourage you to bring your own elements (bread & juice). If you do not have your own elements, we will provide individually-packaged elements. We will gather in the east parking lot of St. John's (2626 Arizona Street NE).

We will be offering all our classes via ZOOM so you can attend from the convenience of your own home - perhaps even in your pjs if you want!

Broken and Blessed, How God Used One Imperfect Family to Change the World by Jessica LaGrone, led by Barbara Stanfield

Deadline for registration: October 8

Maximum number for class is 11

Get Your Life Back, Everyday Practices for a World Gone Mad by John Eldredge, led by Karen Tidler

October 20 - November 24 (6 weeks), Tuesdays, 9:15 - 11:15 am

Deadline for registration: October 8

Maximum number for class is 11

Calling all Cars. Many children will not be able to trick-or-treat door to door this year because of Covid-19. Let's create a fun, safe, socially distant, costume-filled, and candy-laden option for children in our community on Oct 31st 2:30-4:30PM. To keep everyone safe, masks are required, gloves are needed, and individually wrapped candies are a must. We are looking for 25 people/families to participate. Can you join us? Please register to volunteer: https://conta.cc/3bPziEM

Photos from the 2019 Trunk or Treat:

St John’s Food Ministry continues to serve the people of Albuquerque--approximately 500 people per month!--with hot meals prepared in our kitchen,  Do you have a surplus of fresh produce from your garden that you would like to donate to St. John's to feed the hungry? If so, please contact Chef Tim at tnuzum@stjohns-abq.org.

The announcements below include using the program "Zoom" to group-video chat. You can find a tutorial on how to use Zoom HERE!

Join St. John’s Music Director Matthew Greer for a new weekly session in which he talks about the music ministry, explores hymns and choral music, and chats with the occasional guest about music they love. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

Log in and have coffee (or tea) and chat with Pastors Pam and Kelly! Zoom link HERE.

Meet by zoom with Pastor Pam for a 30 minute spiritual practice every Thursday afternoon. We will explore different ways to pray, to commune with God, to nurture our spiritual lives with Christ through the Indwelling Holy Spirit. Space is limited, join the class HERE.

Remember to get started on your family-history manuscript with Terri Link and Regina Hunter, Saturdays from 10:00 to 12:00. If you have trouble connecting before 10:00, all Regina at 294-2877.

Reading Our Bible Together in 2020 will begin a new study, “Sermon Series,” on Monday, Sept. 27. Preachers love sermon series, partly because in a good sermon series, one idea will last for weeks. This episode of Reading our Bible Together will look at some of the sermons preached long ago by Moses, Jesus, Peter, Paul, and others, and we’ll see that these sermons still have important messages for us today. Download a study guide here. To receive daily study tips by email, write or call Regina Hunter at drhunter@nmia.com or 294-2877.

Anyone is welcome--no experience is necessary. (And, yes! It's okay for Christians to meditate.) If you want to learn more prior to starting, the sessions will be similar to ones she leads and records on YouTube. Each session will be hosted on Zoom. HERE is the zoom link. Please contact Susan Brumbaugh, counselor@stjohns-abq.org, or 505-506-6716, if you have questions.

Jane Faber is the recipient for the prayer quilt on display for September 28 - October 12.

In lieu of tying knots, please pray this prayer (or your own prayer): “Father, we pray for Jane as she embarks on this new phase of her life. We pray these words: "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace." Amen

With the Church currently closed, the prayer shawls have taken up residence with Hunt and Ann. They are actually quite comfortable in the coolness of their new home but they would love to be of comfort to someone in need of God’s love. Please contact Ann at mapalook@comcast.net or 768-7013 if you would like a shawl. If you call, the basket will await your visit in their courtyard. Blessings -

How we support you and your family in prayer during this difficult time? Prayers for health, employment, peace? Please send your prayer requests to the Prayer Team: mapalook@comcast.net or submit them on our website HERE.

It is hard to get out and many people shouldn’t. Is there something you need delivered from the store? If we are able to help, we have a few volunteers who would like to serve as Go-fers for people who need something but cannot get it on their own. Please pass any requests on to Jarrod at c.care@stjohns-abq.org

The St. John's staff includes a licensed mental health counselor who is available to meet virtually (using a smartphone or computer) in a secure online platform during these anxious times. If you or someone you know is struggling emotionally, counseling is available. Click here or contact Susan Brumbaugh at 505-506-6717 or counselor@stjohns-abq.org for more details about session and cost information. Susan also has a Youtube Channel with mindfulness tips HERE.

   As summer winds up this year, let's pause and remember the church camp experiences of our lives, wherever they may be.

You may remember youth camps, women's or men's conferences, marriage retreats, lay speaker schools and many more events Some people made their first commitment to Christ in a camp setting. Most remember growing closer to God.

   Sadly, this year most events at Sacramento and other camps were canceled by Covid resulting in not only lots of disappointment, but also serious financial hardship. We at St. John's have the opportunity this month to support our beautiful camp in the Sacramento mountains south of Cloudcroft and ensure future opportunities with other Christians to pray, worship, play and study in God's beautiful creation. Please give generously.

In accordance with the New Mexico Department of Health order, our facility will be closed until further notice. We will keep you apprised as things develop.

Your St. John's pastors and staff are still very much on the job, and are available to you during this time. Please reach out to us if we can help you in any way!

www.stjohns-abq.org

(505) 883-9717

2626 Arizona St NE | Albuquerque, NM 87110

Office Hours (call only): Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 2:00 pm