Thursday, July 23, 2020

 

A Prayer for the Power of the Spirit 
among the People of God

God of all power and love, we give thanks for your unfailing presence
and the hope you provide in times of uncertainty and loss. Send your Holy Spirit to enkindle in us your holy fire. Revive us to live as Christ's body in the world: a people who pray, worship, learn, break bread, share life, heal neighbors, bear good news, seek justice, rest and grow in the Spirit. Wherever and however we gather, unite us in common prayer and send us in common mission, that we and the whole creation might be restored and renewed, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.  

Rev. Dr. Al Stott
 
It is with great sadness that we mourn the loss of our beloved Rev. Al Stott.   As you know, Rev. Al had been in serious condition in the hospital suffering from complications of pneumonia.

Rev. Al has been a blessing to the parish of St. John's.  He was a faithful pastor, a patient teacher and wise counselor.  
We are grateful for the love and care that he provided to members of our parish.

Anne and Al's son were present with Al when he passed away.  During this difficult time, please keep Al, his family, Kimberly, Bill and Karen, grandson Austin, and Anne and her daughter, Amy, in your prayers.




Into your hands, O merciful Savior, we commend your servant Al.
Acknowledge, we humbly beseech you, 
a sheep of your own fold, a lamb of your own flock, 
a sinner of your own redeeming.  
Receive him into the arms of your mercy, 
into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, 
and into the glorious company of the saints in light.  Amen.

Rest eternal grant to him, O Lord;
And let light perpetual shine upon him.

May his should, and the souls of all the depart,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.  Amen.


Notes of care and sympathy may be sent to:
Anne Grignon
1418 Seacoast Dr.
Imperial Beach, CA  91932

The Family of Al Stott
1321 East J St.
Chula Vista, CA 91910

 
Reflection on Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

The Gospel reading for the Eight Sunday after Pentecost 
uses a variety of metaphors and examples for "the Kingdom of Heaven."  Jesus says to His disciples: "The kingdom of heaven is like:
  • a small mustard seed that grows to the largest of all plants
  • yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened
  • a treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field
  • a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it
  • a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad   
In these parables, Jesus is telling us how he, God and the Spirit work within us.
 
Jesus is speaking to us; he is inviting us to look for "the treasure" in our lives.  
Whom do you treasure?  
How do you demonstrate love and care for those people? 
 
Do you long for the Kingdom of Heaven in your daily life?    
Do we notice how God is present to us, strengthening us, blessing us, and loving us?  
The Kingdom of Heaven is among us!  I wonder how many times a day that we are oblivious to this great gift?
 
Jesus' presence in our lives is dynamic. However, we have to be open to his word and his action in our lives.  May we be attentive to many gifts you receive...and thank the Giver!

Scripture Readings For the Week

Readings for Sunday, July 26, 2020

1 Kings 3:5-12
Psalm 119:129-136
Romans 8:26-39
Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52
 
Bulletin for Sunday, July 26
 
Facebook Link for Sunday Service: St. John's Facebook Page
St. John's website:  saint-johns.org

Coffee Hour

This is a time to reconnect, socialize, see friends, 
and support one another during this time.
Following the Dismissal and Postlude, we will gather as family and friends of St. John's for a virtual time to be together - "Coffee Hour".  So bring your coffee, tea, juice and whatever pastry you want to eat and join us for our Zoom Coffee Hour.
 
You will be sent the Zoom link prior to Sunday.  Click on the link (or enter the identification number if you already have Zoom).  If you have never been on a Zoom session you may be asked to download a small program or application.

For security purpose, you will be put into a "waiting room", where the host (me) will let you in.

In Zoom, "Gallery View" view will allow you to see the most amount of people.

I look forward to seeing you on Sunday!

   
Wednesday Morning Prayer
 
Join us for Wednesday Morning Prayer and Bible Study
on Wednesdays at 9:30 am as a Zoom meeting. 

Please contact Rev. Cathey (revcat@gmail.com)
to be included in the Zoom meeting, or to update your info, if she does not have your current email.

The Morning Prayer guide can be found here:
 
Prayers

Birthday and Anniversary Prayers

We would like to acknowledge and pray for anyone celebrating a birthday and/or anniversary in the coming week.  Please let us know by Thursday of the prior week so that we can get it in the Sunday liturgy.  If you have a picture of you that we could post for your birthday and/or a wedding photo or current photo for those celebrating an anniversary, please email it to us - it would be great to allow everyone to see you.

We Are Available in Your Time of Need

If you have a pastoral emergency when the parish offices are closed, 
please call 619-301-0724 or email  revroger@saint-johns.org

Prayer List
 
Today and every day include some time for prayer, for yourself,
for your church family, and for those in need.  

For our Military
 
Matt, Drew, Cody, Cameron,  Chariti, 
Mark,  Sean, Jonathan,  TK,   Christopher, 
Timothy,  Jeremy,  David,  Jonathan, Nick,  
Jamal, Matt, Daniel, Jocelyn, Devon, 
Taylor, Jorge, Katherine, Sebastian and Richie.

For Strength in Time of Need

Scott, Betty, Rob, Bill, Barbara,  Dean,
Fr. Jack and Sarah, Jan, Sarah, Rob,
and for all first responders, medical professionals, 
essential workers and their families.

For the repose of the soul of Fr. Al Stott.
May light perpetual shine on him.

For Churches in Transition in our Diocese

Christ Church, Coronado
St. Paul, Palm Springs
All Saints', Vista

Stewardship
 
Stewardship is about the offering of our time, talent and treasureThank you to those who make the work and ministry of St. John's continue.

We have made it even more convenient to give online.  You can find a "Give Now" button on our St. John's website:  www.saint-johns.org

There are 4 other ways to stay current on your pledge: 
1)  US mail
2)  the secured mail slot next to the parish office door on Wednesdays and Thursdays between 9:00am and 3:00pm
3)  Sally can add an automatic credit or debit payment by providing to her in writing the necessary information (bank name, account number, expiration date and amount to be withdrawn, 
4)  you can go to your bank (physically or on line) to set up an automatic payment to St. John's by bank check once a month.

If you need help with any of these options, please contact Sally via email ( sally@saint-johns.org) or phone call to the office on Thursdays for assistance.

From the Prayer Journal of Fr. Jack Tolley
 
Friends. "Be part of healing the world." That's what Maria Skobtsova did. This reflection by Shannon MacVean-Brown, the eleventh bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont, appeared in the July 21, 2020 issue of Forward Day by Day. It calls all of us to follow Maria's example by becoming involved in the issues of your community and the world. 
Blessings, love, and hugs from a safe distance,
Fr. Jack.
 
Romans 14: 7-8. We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves.
If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.
 
Maria Skobtsova lived a full life in her fifty-three years. Part of the cultural elite in Saint Petersburg, Russia, she was a poet, theology student, mayor, social activist, immigrant, register of Nazis, and finally a nun who would only submit to a religious rule if she could live her life with an open door to the world. Mother Maria ministered to the poor and eventually to Jews seeking safety in Nazi-occupied France. She and a priest -one of her partners in ministry - were arrested for forging baptismal certificates for Jewish victims of the Nazis. She was sent to Ravensbruck concentration camp where she died in a gas chamber. Mother Maria, saint of the open door,
insisted on being completely involved with the issues of  her day. Her faith in Jesus arose from her fervent desire to be part of healing the world.
   
Scam Alert
 
St. John's parishioners have recently been targeted with scam emails pretending to be Rev. Roger and asking for a favor.  Rev. Roger and the office staff would never communicate to our parishioners in this way.  If you receive any email that is not from a "saint-johns.org" email address, please do not respond to it.  Delete it immediately.

Food Assistance
 
Three great resources for those who need food assistance:

St. Marks in City Heights  has a food pantry that is available to anyone who may need a little extra food to make it through the month. Along with shelf-stable foods, they typically also offer fresh vegetables & fruits.
Open every Wednesday and Thursday from 12-2 PM.

 
JFSSD, Jewish Family Services of San Diego distributes/delivers hot or frozen meals to seniors in need, in SD county. 


South Bay Community Services... free, drive-thru food distribution  They provide produce and some good nutritious staples to anyone in need (Adults). They have other locations on other days, too.


 
 
Opportunities for Service

Donate Snacks to Uptown Safe Haven - The ECS Uptown Safe Haven clients love snacks and treats as they shelter in place together. You can send treats via Amazon or drop them by the house and leave them on the doorstep. 
Address for mailing or dropping off snacks: 
Uptown Safe Haven, Attn: Christina Zeman/UTSH Staff
2822 5th  Ave.
San Diego, CA 92103.

Volunteer with Head Start Food Distribution Program - 
ECS Head Start preschool programs are closed, but we are distributing food to families Tuesday through Friday, 9:15am to 12:30pm, each week and are looking for volunteers to help! This is taking place outside in South Bay, families drive by to get bags of food, and safety precautions are in place. Volunteer roles include helping with set up, break down, directing traffic, and handing bags to families through car windows.

For more info about any of these ECS activities, please contact Deann Rios at 619-694-9892 or  drios@ecscalifornia.org.

* Pill Bottle and Monthly SBCS grocery list collections are currently suspended at St. John's.   
 

Current office hours are 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, Wednesday and Thursday.
If you need assistance, please email Maria Love: 


EDSD Statement of Commitment
 
As part of the Jesus Movement and the Episcopal  Diocese of San Diego, we pledge to love our neighbors and protect the most vulnerable among us, remembering our baptismal vows to "strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being." We live these pledges out by actively engaging in dismantling racism. For many of us, this will mean learning more about our racial identity, listening to those who have experienced racial prejudice, speaking out against racism, and showing up alongside those in our community working to change unjust systems in our society. We also live out this pledge at worship during this pandemic, by wearing face-coverings, respecting distancing guidelines, foregoing the common cup and refraining from congregational singing.
 
Year of Discipleship

In the Diocese of San Diego, Bishop Susan Brown Snook has called us to spend the year 2020 focusing on discipleship: How we grow in faith as followers of Jesus Christ.  Discipleship grows as we adopt spiritual practices for daily living.  Our diocese offers these resources to help you develop spiritual practices as individuals, families, small groups, and full congregations.

The Episcopal Diocese of San Diego invites you to  Learn  as part of
The Year of Discipleship 2020. By reading and reflecting on Scripture, especially the life and teachings of Jesus, we draw near to God and God's word dwells in us. When we open our minds and hearts to Scripture, we learn to see God's story and God's activity in everyday life.

Find resources for the Learn area of The Way of Love here:  Learn- Discipleship EDSD




Free Entertainment
 
Here is a list of some things to do while you are quarantined at home:

Streaming of operas from the Metropolitan Opera, which are occurring daily.  Go to https://www.metopera.org/ to enjoy the daily streaming available.

The Seattle Symphony is also offering live streaming at this site: https://seattlesymphony.org/

Museums worldwide are offering their exhibits online: https://artsandculture.google.com/partner?hl=en&tab=pop

One of the pianists who frequently visits our communities has made a free video performance, which you can enjoy by following this link:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MI_FTFZNGm8

A free class to take at YALE University: https://www.businessinsider.com/coursera-yale-science-of-wellbeing-free-course-review-overview

More Museums offering free virtual tours: https://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/g31815495/museums-you-can-virtually-tour-right-now/

Free coloring books for adults from 113 museums: http://www.openculture.com/2019/02/download-free-coloring-books-from-113-museums.html

An article with links to a variety of things that are now free: https://www.npr.org/2020/03/20/818670715/getting-bored-heres-a-list-of-free-things-that-werent-free-before-coronavirus
 
The Vestry

David Dennehy,  Senior Warden
619-840-9994 
masterfrog@att.net
Mark Higginbotham,  Junior Warden
619-861-5510
Terry Farrelly,  Treasurer
Diane Gustafson, Clerk
Pamela Brittain
Ray Contreras
Mark Higginbotham
Muriel Kulikowski
Jim McDevitt
Judy McKay
Lynn Young

Approved Minutes for the June 17th Vestry meeting can be found here:

Rev. Roger's Office Hours
 
Rev. Roger will be available, but working from home on Mondays and Tuesdays  and in the office all day on Wednesdays and Thursdays.  He will be available by appointment.  Please call the office (619-422-4141) to schedule an appointment.

In case of a pastoral emergency, Rev. Roger may be reached on his cell phone at 619-301-0724.


To our Saint John's Family:
Here is your weekly newsletter highlighting important events at St. John's Episcopal Church.  You can also find news about St. John's at  www.saint-johns.org.

We welcome your feedback, photos, and news items. Contact Maria Love at 619-422-4141 or  maria@saint-johns.org .

Please submit your announcements by Tuesday of each week for inclusion in the Enews and Sunday bulletin.

Emergency Contact Information

If you had a medical emergency at church on Sunday morning, would the Wardens or church  staff know who to contact? If you would like to add someone to St. John's emergency contact  list in case of such an emergency, please contact Maria, our parish secretary (619-422-4141 or
maria@saint-johns.org). A sign-up sheet will also be available in the church lobby to collect this information. Please provide your name, the name of your emergency contact, their relationship to you, their phone number and/or their email address. This is one more way we can show how we love one another.
 
Reporting Misconduct
 
As part of our ongoing commitment to creating a safe haven for everyone, our diocese trains people in the prevention of misconduct and encourages all to report misconduct. All reported incidences are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly and confidentially. If you believe you have experienced misconduct of any kind, please contact Mr. John Seitman, (jseitman@pacbell.net), 858-793-4555 or Ms. Equilla Luke, (aequilla@icloud.com), 760-583-0485.

Safeguarding God's People
 
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May God's face shine upon you and be gracious unto you.
May God give you the grace never to sell yourself short;
Grace to risk something big for something good;
Grace to remember that the world is too dangerous for anything but truth 
And too small for anything but love.
So, may God take your minds and think through them;
May God take your lips and speak through them;
May God take your hearts and set them on fire.
-William Sloane Coffin

In this issue
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Contact Information
phone: 619/422-4141
pastoral care: 619/301-0724
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