THE CLOAK
St. Martin's Weekly E-Newsletter
June 11, 2020
To seek God, and be Christ’s body in the world
Greetings!
Preparing for Sunday

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit"
Matthew 28:19

What does God want you to do as a follower of Jesus? It’s actually remarkably simple: there’s only 3 things he has asked of us. The first is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. The second is to love our neighbor as ourselves. The third is to go and make disciples.
“Go and make disciples”… often known as the Great Commission-These are the final words of Jesus to his disciples before he ascended to heaven. [There are] three quick points… that can help us understand our role before God in making disciples.
1. All authority is given to Jesus, not to us
This is a crucial point. In this passage, Jesus says, “I have been given all authority in heaven and earth”. Jesus has the authority – we don’t.
  • This is not our church – this is Jesus’ church.
  • This is not our mission – this is Jesus’ mission.
  • The work of the Kingdom is not ours – it belongs to Jesus.
  • And we are merely invited to participate in that as partners with God.
2. We are to make disciples, not converts
Only God converts people: he may use us in that process as we tell other people about his love. We can only play our part if we constantly and consistently choose the way of love, the way of encouragement, the way of positivity.
3. We are disciples ourselves, not dominators
As we seek to disciple other people, we do so from a position of weakness, not authority. We do so from humility and vulnerability, not strength. We are on this journey together – and we are all amateurs in God, stumbling forward two steps and then back one.

“Go and make disciples”-The Great Commission, not the Great Suggestion. This is our responsibility under God: to love him, to love others and to make disciples.
 
A TRINITY PRAYER
Love of Jesus Fill us.
Holy Spirit Guide us.
Will of the Father be done.
Calendar
This Week's Schedule

Thursday, June 11
2:00pm Bible Discussion- Zoom
7:00pm Vestry Meeting-Zoom

Sunday, June 14
8:00am* Holy Eucharist- YouTube
Rev. David Laquintano, Celebrant @ SMC
10:00am Summer Sunday School-ZOOM ( email Deb Parker for details)

Tuesday, June 16
6:30pm Yoga Class- ZOOM

Wednesday, June 17
12:00pm Noonday Prayer- ZOOM

Thursday, June 18
2:00pm Bible Study- ZOOM

Friday, June 19
8:30am Bible Study-ZOOM ( email Deb Parker for details)
 
Sunday, June 21
8:00am* Holy Eucharist- YouTube
Rev. Dr. Karl Krueger, Celebrant @ CCI
10:00am Summer Sunday School-ZOOM ( email Deb Parker for details)

*After 8:00am, the YouTube service is available for "anytime" viewing.
A Litany to to Our Graduates!
Sunday School
Summer Sundays-Bridge Building

In the past St. Martin's had Vacation Bible School every Sunday morning over the Summer. This was a time to appreciate the outdoors, explore God's gifts in new ways, and enjoy each other's company. We will switch to our Summer Sundays this Sunday, June 14 and continue to use ZOOM for the rest of June, July, and August.

We are going to have fun, conduct a few science experiments (just what does make a good bridge?), and look for bridges in the world around us. We continue to connect to Jesus and explore ways we can build bridges between ourselves, those who are children of God but are not people we know, and also explore ways we bridge the distance to reach God. The Zoom link is the same as past weeks and we will continue to begin at 10 AM, but the format will move to a relaxed summertime schedule. For this coming Sunday at 10, your family should collect the following items and have them sitting nearby on the floor or on a table.
•   2 books about 1.5 to 3 inches thick (Bibles are just about the right thickness)
•   1 piece of 8.5 x 11 paper
•   tape
•   a dozen pennies
Adults and children are all invited. Let the Summer Sunday Zooming begin!!

Here are the Zoom details:
or Call: 646-558-8656
Meeting ID: 919 360 689
Noonday Prayer
Midweek Spiritual Connection

June 17th is the third Wednesday of the month and Fr. David will lead us in noonday prayer using Zoom at 12 pm. Join us for the Zoom call then. If you have any questions or would like to test using your phone, tablet, or computer to call into a Zoom meeting, please contact Deb Parker. We can set up a convenient day and time to try out Zoom using whatever device you like the most.

Here are the Zoom details for 12:00 PM on the 1st & 3rd Wednesdays
or Call: 1-646-558-8656
Meeting ID: 928 7196 7908
NEW! Bible Study
Thursday's Bible Discussion

We are moved by the Spirit, and each Thursday invite adults to join members of St. Martin's and Christ Church as we talk about Bible passages, what they mean to us, and their connect to the world. Some weeks we will begin with a brief video to get the conversation started. This is a Zoom meeting and if anyone would like to test the Zoom connection or talk more about this discussion group, please contact Deb Parker.

Here are the Zoom details:
or Call: 646-558-8656
Meeting ID: 938 4282 6315
COVID-19 Outreach
Cleaning and Hygiene Supplies

For people in need with limited resources, one of the things which is often overlooked by others is the need for personal hygiene and cleaning supplies. To help with this, we will begin collecting bags containing these items. Bags should include: body soap (3 bars), shampoo (1 bottle), toothpaste (1 tube), sponges (2), paper towels (1 roll), all purpose cleaner (1 bottle), dish soap (1 bottle) and windex/glass cleaner (1 bottle). Other "extras" could include laundry detergent, toothbrushes, handiwipes/cleaning cloths, hand sanitizer and wipes. Bags can be delivered to church on Monday, Wednesday or Friday mornings or arrangements can be made for pickup by contacting Pam Faber. All items will be delivered to the residents at Highland Homes. Thank you in advance for your support and generosity.
Coffee Hour Corner
Socialize Virtually in The Cloak

I'm sure many of you lost power during last week's storms, and I hope that everyone remained safe and didn't experience too much damage. After the 4th day of no power, I was going a little crazy! Trees in my back yard were actually snapped in two which seemed unbelievable. Well, turns out this wasn't an ordinary storm. It was what is called a "Derecho" which is defined as "a widespread, long-lived, straight-line wind storm that is associated with a fast-moving group of severe thunderstorms which can cause hurricane force winds, tornadoes, heavy rains and flash floods." Who knew?!
(Submitted by: Pam Faber)
Please share your "coffee hour news" about your family, home, friends, neighborhood, etc. to Maggie O'Malley at admin@stmartinsradnor.org .
Episcopal Church News
A Message from Our Presiding Bishop

"Opening and changing hearts does not happen overnight. The Christian race is not a sprint; it is a marathon. Our prayers and our work for justice, healing and truth-telling must be unceasing. Let us recommit ourselves to following in the footsteps of Jesus, the way that leads to healing, justice and love." Read more...
COVID-19
The New Norm

From social distancing, sanitizing, hand-washing, and staying-at-home, new "norms" are in full effect. Here is a St. Martin's summary:

Helping Others-
  • Making masks: to sew, purchase materials, or financially support this effort, please contact Janice Martin (of CCI) at jm@janicemartin.net or 610-645-4540.

Weekly Giving-
  • Mail: 400 King of Prussia Rd, Radnor, PA 19087
  • Online: Donate button on St. Martin's Home page
  • Drop-off: during office hours

Office Hours:
  • Mondays and Fridays: 9am-3:30pm
  • Wednesdays: 9am-12:30pm

Sundays' Activities:
  • Summer Sunday School: 10am-Zoom
  • Worship Service via YouTube

Weekday Activities:
  • Yoga via Zoom: 6:30pm Tuesdays
  • Midweek Prayer Service via Zoom: 12pm, 1st & 3rd Wednesdays
  • Bible Discussion: 2:00pm-Zoom
  • Bible Study via Zoom: 8:30am Fridays (email Deb for details)
The Lectionary
Sunday's Readings can be found on the Worship page at St. Martin's website .

Genesis 18:1-15, 21:1-7
Psalm 116:1, 10-17
Romans 5:1-8
Matthew 9:35-10:23