Volume 3, Issue 27
July 8, 2020

A note to our readers : We are moving the release of the Eagle Notes to Wednesdays so that those who receive a hard-copy regular mail version get it in plenty of time for the weekend worship activity.

Thanks for reading our weekly email newsletter! We hope that it gives you useful and relevant updates for all the events and activities here at St. John's. Feel free to forward this email to your family and friends so they can be included in the "wider circle" that we're drawing here in College Park.

A Message from the Priest in charge...

Dear Members and Friends of St. John's:

By now, you're probably all settling in for the mid-summer days - hot temperatures, high humidity and frequent afternoon showers. And since many of our favorite places to go are closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, we are mostly sticking close to home. Sigh...

I have been reading some great books, trying to whittle down that stack on my nightstand, enjoying Sue Monk Kidd's "The Book of Longings" and John Grisham's "Camino Winds" most recently. (Honestly, I am awaiting the next Tom Clancy and David Baldacci releases, my favorite escape writers.)

But at the top of the stack now is "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander. A clergy colleague recently shared that this book, more than anything he had ever read, changed the way he viewed and understood the issues surrounding racial equality. There are so very many resources out there for us to explore, but I am going to start with this one, based on his trusted recommendation. It will not be "escape" reading...

In this time of sitting around, we watch and absorb the deeply troubling news each day about more violence and another shooting. We listen to the demands to "defund" the police (for me, a clear cry for reform rather than total abolishing). And now, in this election season, we are beginning to see some deeply troubling, fear-mongering political ads. God help us!

While I cannot - by myself - change the world or redirect the wicked currents that are swirling all around us, I can do my part by educating myself on the issues which I hope, in turn, will help me to expand my understanding of what is needed to change the direction of the oppressive systems in which we live, move and have our being. Once I even have enough grasp on the language so I can even begin to ask the right questions, I can start to do my part. I invite you to join me... in reading a book or a newspaper article from a trusted source. Then I invite you to ask me to set up a Zoom call for a general discussion. I invite you to ask friends or neighbors to join us. I invite each of you, in your own way, to share this "yoke" or "burden" (from last week's gospel lesson) so that, together, we can change things in this part of God's kingdom. And, with God's help, that will be an honest start toward where we need to be.

As always, if you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call, email or text me. As always, my door is open - especially if you're wearing a mask!

Peace and blessings,
Rev. Terri +
This Week's Services:
Compline
Night Prayer
Join us via Zoom
Thursday 7:00pm

For the Compline Service :
You may be prompted to enter the following:
Meeting ID: 843 7684 4017
Password: 848486
(see Zoom instructions below)
Sunday Worship
The Second Sunday after Pentecost
Join us via Zoom
July 12, 10:00am

For the Sunday Worship Service :
You may be prompted to enter the following:
Meeting ID: 890 4465 2335
Password: 704817
(see Zoom instructions below)
Morning Prayer
Every Tuesday and Thursday Morning
Join us via Zoom
10:00am

For Morning Prayer :
You may be prompted to enter the following:
Meeting ID: 291 729 9738
Password: 30337
(see Zoom instructions below)
Bible Study
Every Wednesday
Join us via Zoom
6:45pm

For Bible Study :
You may be prompted to enter the following:
Meeting ID: 291 729 9738
Password: 30337
(see Zoom instructions below)
Notes from Rev. Terri

BIBLE STUDY: We have moved our study to Zoom each Wednesday evening at 6:45pm. Please check the above links for access to the study notes for this week and also for the link to the Zoom session itself. We are studying the Gospel of Matthew and this evening look at Chapters 8-10, which cover Jesus' calling of his first disciples and other events in the territory of Galilee. Over the course of the next six weeks or so, we will be doing a close reading of the text and discussing the implications of how the evangelist presented his picture of Jesus as an "agent of God" sent to teach people about the Kingdom of God and their role in it.

This gospel text is a valuable tool for anyone who wishes to be a faithful disciple. My perspective, and therefore my approach to our studies together, is that in order to effectively "translate" the lessons of the Bible for our lives in this day and time, we need to more fully understand how the texts were created, by and for which audience they were written and intended and in what social/political context they were composed. We hope you will join us - please invite family, friends and neighbors to participate as well.

* * * * * * * * *

COMPLINE: We meet on Zoom each Thursday evening at 7:00pm to say together the "goodnight prayers" of the church, using the beautiful texts from the New Zealand Prayer Book . The service itself is brief - about 15 minutes or so - and a bulletin has already been prepared. Join us this week and check it out.

Food Donations for our Friends in Need

The word is getting out! Our doorbell is rung regularly each day here at the office by those friends in the community that are having a rough time. We are noticing an increase of ‘new’ faces each week. The most frequent requests are for food, water, and socks.

We have decided to give out our "To Go" bags (along with our "Blessing Bags" on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 11:30am and 2:00pm. Each "To Go" bag contains easy to eat foods that require no cooking, refrigeration, or special preparation, as many of our friends do not have access to kitchens. We also hand out a bottle of water to any who ask.

Beginning next week, we are asking for volunteers to come to the church at 11:00am and work alone (or with one partner) in Bott Hall, assembling the bags and handing them out until the 2 o'clock hour as the doorbell rings. We have masks and hand sanitizer for you! Between the doorbell rings, it's a quiet time to catch up on reading or Facebook! Please contact either Jorge Darr or Rev. Terri in the church office if you would like to volunteer one of these two days in the weeks going forward.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask us

Thank You!
Safeguarding God's Children / People Training

This required training for all staff, Vestry and ministry leaders is now being offered online, via Zoom. During this time when we are mostly in front of our PCs or similar devices, it's a great opportunity to take this training (two sessions) and become more familiar with the issues surrounding the sexual abuse of children and adults, what we can do to prevent it and what the Diocesan polices are related to this. See the chart above for dates/times.

I urge you to sign up! The training certification is good for three years. Having a large number of our parish members trained in this area is one way to prevent any instance of something like this happening at St. John's. As I always say when I lead a training session, it helps us to "grow antennae" that detect trouble before it even has a chance to start.

Rev. Terri +

NEW TRAINING DATES IN JULY!

Saturday, July 11 | ZOOM
10:am to noon

Friday, July 17 | ZOOM
10:am to noon
Put This on Your Calendar
Parish Calendar Notes... at least for now

The Bargain Shop in East Point is open for business with reduced hours of 10am - 2pm Monday through Friday. We will limit the number of shoppers to three at a time, requiring them to wear masks in the store and sanitize their hands as they enter. Modifications of these precautions will be made as we learn more about virus conditions in the community and surrounding area.
Ministers of Worship for this coming Sunday, July 12:

First Lesson - Susan Schubert**
Psalmists - Richard Pfleger** & Michael Proscia**
Second Lesson - Jane Graham**
Prayers of the People - Sherran Davis**
Musicians - Tom Elston (Music Director) with Lisa Norton-Rotella & Val Valverde,
Betsy Daniell, & David Gibbs
Communications Director - Jorge Darr

** if you have a 'speaking' role in this Sunday's service, please log-in to Zoom by 9:45 for a microphone check and any updated instructions. Thank you!
A few notes about our Zoom worship:

As we continue to use this technology to conduct our worship experience here at St. John’s, we would like to clarify a few of the protocols that are in place for the service.

Due to privacy concerns, Zoom has changed the host’s ability to ‘un-mute’ participants during the service. This has been done in the past during the Prayers of the People, and the Lord’s Prayer. Although this has added a richness to the worship experience in hearing all of your wonderful voices, privacy concerns in the world have prevented this from happening automatically. To continue our newly found ‘tradition’ of on-line communal response, please note the following:

  • If you would like to add a petition or prayer at the appropriate time in the service, please ‘un-mute’ yourself when asked during the Prayers of the People. Please ‘mute’ yourself when finished.

  • Likewise, if you would like to add your voice to the ‘Lord’s Prayer’, please ‘un-mute’ yourself when prompted with “And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say”

  • At the end of the service, when the ‘peace’ is exchanged, please feel free to ‘un-mute’ yourself, exchanging the peace and greeting one another. We will keep the Zoom channel open as people meet and greet one another. The Facebook Live streaming will stop at the peace, so that any conversations and dialog amongst yourselves and other participants WILL NOT be broadcast to the general public.

During ‘in-person’ worship, we all find ourselves facing the front of the church, seeing the backs of the heads in front of us. However, with Zoom we see a ‘sea of faces’ looking back at us, and often we tend to forget we are on camera. Please be aware of your surroundings, actions, and things that might distract. In the lower left corner of your Zoom screen, there is an icon with a video camera. By ‘stopping video’ you replace your camera’s view with either an image you supply, or simply your name. Please feel free to use it as you see fit!


To join any of our worship services via Zoom, here's what you need to do:

(1) If you have not already downloaded the Zoom application and if you have a laptop, tablet or cellphone that has a camera, then you can download the Zoom app at no charge. Just go to www.zoom.com to do this, following the prompts to set up your own 'account.' I would suggest doing this in advance of Sunday's service since the app can take a while to download to your device.

(2) Download a copy of the bulletin for the service by clicking the appropriate button above. You can then print and follow along with the service.

(3) Then, at the specified meeting time (or a few minutes before), click on the appropriate button to access the link to enter the Zoom service.

You will then be connected into the video meeting. All participants will be 'muted' upon entry so that we can begin the service in quiet; however, everyone participating via video can see the faces of other participants and will be able to hear the readers/speakers. At various times during and at the end of the service, everyone will be 'unmuted' and all the channels will be left open for a 'virtual' exchange of the Peace (most likely a noisy time!).

If you do not have a 'camera-enabled' device and/or would prefer to join the meeting by simply calling in with your phone, use 1-929-205-6099 as the toll-free number to do so, using the same meeting ID and password as listed above. You will be connected for audio only.