Thursday Update
May 28, 2020
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Faith@Home - Pentecost Cactus?
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The Torah of the Heart
The Jewish festival of Shavuot begins today (May 28
th
). It occurs 50 days after the second day of Passover and commemorates the revelation of the Torah (Law) to the Jewish people. That pattern should sound familiar to Christians, who celebrate Pentecost fifty days after Easter.
Jesus was a faithful Jewish man, and we Christians have our roots in Judaism. Understanding something about Jewish tradition helps us understand Christian tradition more deeply. One way to think about Pentecost is that it commemorates the revelation of the Torah of the Heart, revealed not on Mount Sanai, but in the person of Jesus Christ.
In our Collect for Pentecost on Sunday, we will pray: “O God, who on this day taught the hearts of your faithful people by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit: Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things.”
In prayer, in the study of Scripture, and in holy conversation with wise people in our lives, we can discern the movement of the Holy Spirit from the movement of our own egoic desires. Our Presiding Bishop, Michael Curry, reminds us that “If it ain’t about love, it ain’t about God.”
Shavuot for the Jewish people is not about “law” in the way we often think of law. Our contemporary understanding of law is often rooted in the language of contract. “If you do this for me, then I’ll do that for you.” The Jewish understanding of law is rooted in Covenant. Covenant is relationship. In a contract, if one party fails to live up to the agreement, then the other party is released from the contract. But in a Covenant, if one party fails to live up to the agreement, the other party remains in the agreement and tries to woo the other back into right relationship. When we stray from our Covenant, God doubles down on trying to woo us back into right relationship with God, with each other, and with all of Creation.
The Torah of the Heart is both a tremendous gift and a tremendous responsibility. External laws may allow us to do all sorts of things. But what about the Torah of the Heart? We cannot stop our discernment at what is permissible. We need to dig deeper. What is the right thing to do? What is the loving thing to do? How are we being moved to speak or act to advance right relationship among all people?
Reverend Sonya
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E-News Moving to Saturdays
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E-News is moving to Saturdays, beginning in June. Thanks to our new Zoom to Facebook Live worship tool, the music and slides have been added to our livestream service and we no longer need to email a worship guide to you! To streamline our communications and reduce the number of emails you received from Faith, our E-News is moving to Saturday mornings. Please submit E-news items to Faithec@faithec.org by Wednesday of each week.
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Priest-in-Charge Search Update
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The Applicant Review Committee (ARC) has been hard at work for the entire month of May completing their review of the 2 Priest-in-Charge candidates. Through numerous meetings, reference calls and Zoom interviews, the team is now ready to hand off their report to the vestry. Their job was made even more challenging because of shelter-in-place restrictions, but they persevered. The vestry and I are grateful for their commitment, determination and grace in accomplishing this key task in the transition process. We wish to thank Steve Katzakian for his leadership, dedication and focus. We also thank each of the committee members – Connie Weatherholt, Steve Long, Kitty Stewart, Sara Eldridge, Jeffry Cannon, Bob Gilmore, Ray Sarlatte, Tess Champarino, Carolyn Flood and our chaplain, Sharon Morrison. They each brought discerning hearts, eyes and ears to the candidate review process. You all ROCK!!!
So what’s next? The ARC team and Canon Andrea are meeting with the vestry this week to share their report and all the candidate information. The vestry will begin our discernment process using the next month or so to meet with the candidates for in-person interviews. The vestry will discern if we will accept the appointment of one of the two candidates to become Priest-in-Charge at Faith church. The vestry is deeply committed to listening for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we move forward in our process of calling our Priest-in-Charge.
Thank you for your patience and prayers as we continue to move forward in our transition process. Both are very much appreciated.
Cathy Daust, Senior Warden
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Mark Your Calendar
Coffee Hour & Town Hall
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Mark your calendars for the first and third Sundays of the month. We will have Zoom Coffee Hour or Town Hall Meetings on these Sundays.
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Pentecost Chalk Art & Faith@Home
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Bishop Megan has laid down a challenge to the whole diocese: create a piece of sidewalk art for Pentecost. What will you draw: maybe a heart, some flowers, perhaps the flame or a dove to symbolize the Holy Spirit? If you don't feel particularly artsy, why not use your chalk to put your favorite quote on the sidewalk? Take a picture and share it with us and on social media. Make sure you post it with the following he
hashtags:
#PentecostChalkChallenge
and
#NorCalEpiscopal
.
Email your submission to
monica@faithec.org so that we can include your art on our Faith@Home page.
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Mission Update - Honduras
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The Faith Church Mission Team received an additional request for funds to support our friends in Honduras. Padre Francisco leads several congregations in Honduras and works tilrelessly to meet the needs of impoverished people in his community. A grant of $2000 has been awarded to support his continued work. Padre Francisco wrote the following letter to our congregation.
"My dear friend, I hope and pray to God that all of you are well, that the Lord our Father will put a circle of protection around you, your family, and all the families of Faith Church I pray that God will put a halt to this pandemic. We have continued working bringing food to the poor. I wish I could give more to help more people. Each day that passes is a difficult day for Hondurans who in most, have many difficulties not only economic but also of health and in their minds. The cry of the majority of Hondurans is: WE HAVE HUNGER, and in my area a low number of cases of COVID-19 have started, and we are extremely concerned about what is to come. I always pray to God for you and that all is well with your families.
God bless you, Father Francisco"
To make a donation to support the work of Padre Francisco, please see the Giving information below and indicate Honduras on your check or when you give online.
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Mailing Address for Donations:
Faith Episcopal Church
PO Box 966
Shingle Springs, CA 95682
Our new online giving system, Realm, is up and running so when you give online it will look different than in the past.
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"As the weeks go on, the weather is nicer, and our solitude continues, there is pressure to get out, be among people and gather. Churches are a place where we feel that pressure intensely, for we are a people that is embodied and communal, and we often refer to ourselves as “family.
Over the past few weeks, we have carefully considered how and when we will re-gather in person. We recognize that our plans are not as simple as unlocking a door and walking in. All of our congregations are actively making plans centered spiritually on our love for others, and scientifically on the realities of disease. The reminders from the CDC, and state government tug us into the reality that we still do not know enough about COVID-19 to gather safely in the same ways as before; we need to find new ways to keep our people safe."
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Online resources for people in recovery
Isolation is perilous for people in recovery. We learn that our sobriety depends upon keeping connected to sober people, being accountable to others, being of service to others.
The Rev. Anne McKeever, Diocesan Recovery Facilitator has compiled resources that are still available during the "shut-down".
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OFFICE HOURS
There are no established office hours during this time when the church is closed due to COVID-19 precautions. If you have any questions, please email the church at
faithec@faithec.org.
PRAYER REQUESTS
If you or someone you know is in need of prayer, please email prayer requests to
Faithec@faithec.org
.
PASTORAL SUPPORT
Pastor Liz Armstrong and Rev. Sonya are both available by email and phone to support you, but cannot make in-person visits at this time.
Liz Armstrong
(916) 201-3319
Sonya Reichel
CONTACT INFORMATION CHANGES
SHARE FOOD CLOSET
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