March 22, Fourth Sunday in Lent

No public services in the church at 8 a.m. or 10 a.m.
Holy Eucharist live-streamed from Facebook at 10 a.m
Fr. Ben Hankinson officiating

Morning prayer audio at 9 a.m.
Evening prayer audio at 7 p.m.
The Collect:
Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

This week’s lessons: 1 Samuel 16:1-13 ; Psalm 23; Ephesians 5:8-14 ; John 9:1-41

Psalm 23
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters.
3 He revives my soul and guides me along right pathways for his Name's sake.
4 Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I shall fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me;
you have anointed my head with oil, and my cup is running over.
6 Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
The Gospel | John 9:1-41
Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

As Jesus walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” Some were saying, “It is he.” Others were saying, “No, but it is someone like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” But they kept asking him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ Then I went and washed and received my sight.” They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”

They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see.” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” And they were divided. So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” He said, “He is a prophet.”

Click here to continue reading the Gospel.
Schedule for the week of March 22

St. Andrew's is closed to public worship and parish meetings until further notice.

Online parish calendar: standrews-edwardsville.com/events/
Coronavirus | Online Worship and Other Resources

St. Andrew's will offer these online options for prayer and worship:
  • Morning prayer at 9 am daily, including weekends.
  • Evening prayer at 7 pm daily, including weekends.
  • Stations of the Cross on Fridays at 12 noon.
  • Holy Eucharist on Sundays at 10 a.m. (See note below.)
Parish website Link for the above: standrews-edwardsville.com/sermons/

Per Bishop Martins' recent letter -- an example of spiritual communion supplication to become one with Christ when communion is not served:
  • In union, O Dear Lord, with the faithful at every Altar of Thy Church, where Thy blessed Body and Blood are being offered to the Father, I desire to offer Thee praise and thanksgiving. I present to Thee my soul and body, with the earnest wish that I may ever be united to Thee. And since I cannot now receive Thee sacramentally, I beseech Thee to come spiritually into my heart. I unite myself to Thee, and embrace Thee with all the affections of my soul. O let nothing ever separate me from Thee. Let me live and die in Thy love. Amen.
  • Grant, O Lord Jesus Christ, that as the hem of Thy garment, touched in faith, healed the woman who could not touch Thy Body, so the soul of Thy servant may be healed by like faith in Thee, Whom I cannot now sacramentally receive; through Thy tender mercy, Who livest and reignest with the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost ever one God. Amen.

Parish website : Ongoing coronavirus resource page


Other Websites :


  • Various service webcasts from Washington National Cathedral at cathedral.org
Highlights of March 19 Vestry Meeting

  • Per Bishop Martins:
  1. No public worship but daily prayers, Sunday service, feast days online.
  2. Holy Eucharist weekly (not public) with up to four present.
  • Junior Warden, Walter Bohn, indicated the leak in the chapel roof is still a problem; the undercroft bathrooms need attention, and the insurance inspection indicates we need coverage for the parking lots and the columbarium.
  • Guidelines for a parish alcohol policy were discussed and Marian Smithson agreed to draft a brief policy document for review at the next vestry meeting.
  •  Brian Pezza indicated Township Park has been reserved for a June 7 parish picnic.
  • Treasurer Riley Atwood indicated he could not provide a detailed report but that parish finances were solid, including parish investments.
  • Minutes for the February meeting were reviewed and approved. (Final minutes for the January and February meeting are attached.)
St. Andrew’s Has Survived Worse

St. Andrew’s, as is true of our broader society, is struggling to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. This is not a new experience. The “Spanish Flu” pandemic of a century ago struck Edwardsville in the fall of 1918. By early November, the city had recorded 600 cases of the disease and 19 deaths out of a population of little more than 5,000. By that time, Mayor Henry Hotz had already closed Edwardsville schools, and church services had been suspended.

Although we have no records pertaining to the impact of that pandemic on St. Andrew’s, it no doubt suffered but obviously survived the ordeal. An earlier pandemic, however, almost destroyed or at least contributed to the near destruction of the infant church.

The world suffered multiple pandemics of cholera in the course of the 19 th century. One of them struck Edwardsville in 1848-49, and St. Andrew’s, less than a decade old, seems to have been grievously affected. Episcopal Bishop of Illinois Henry John Whitehouse noted after a visit in 1853 that “At one time there were many Episcopalians and the services were supplied by the Rev. J.L. Darrow…. Now, they are all removed or dead, except one.” Fr. Joseph Darrow, our founding priest as well as a medical doctor, was actively involved in treating victims of the disease but succumbed to it in 1855 at the age of 46.

St. Andrew’s descended into what was described in the diocesan journal as a state of “beggared orphanage,” only to be revived in 1869 by 22 Episcopalians, who were "duly sensible of the Truth of the Christian Religion and earnestly desirous of promoting its holy influences in our hearts and in those of our families and neighbors….” It would not be the last time that St. Andrew’s would find itself down, but not out. We’re survivors!

-Jim Weingartner
Thanks from the Quilt Guild
Thanks to all that helped with this year’s Quilt Show. Three veterans were honored with Quilts of Valor. Pictures will be shared in a separate email to the parish.

St. Andrew’s Parishioners Return from Europe
Ken and Christa Kelley arrived home from Germany at Midnight on Friday, March 13. They have no flu symptoms, but are self-quarantining for 14 days. Frank and Kathy Sauermann have been great support throughout this challenging time. Also, Riley and Lynley Atwood returned from Greece on Sunday, March 15, and are also self-quarantining.
We are so grateful to have the Kelleys and the Atwoods safely home!

Coming soon
In Touch , a snapshot of our individual experiences in the current COVID-19 atmosphere, will come to your email inbox soon. Look for the first issue on Tuesday.
 The St. Andrew's Week-End Update , a weekly emailed newsletter, is designed to update parishioners on church activities. Please send news items to Jane Weingartner
by 11 a.m. on Tuesday to have them appear in the following Friday's newsletter.
Newsletter Editor Jane Weingartner
Newsletter & Bulletin Editor Marianne Cavanaugh
Newsletter Design Editor, Marian Smithson
Important links:
St. Andrew's website:  standrews-edwardsville.com
Diocese of Springfield:  episcopalspringfield.org
The Episcopal Church:  episcopalchurch.org
Living Church:  livingchurch.org
Episcopal News Service:  episcopalnewsservice.org