St. Stephen's in-the-Field Episcopal Church
FRIDAY JOURNAL March 18th, 2022
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We the people of Saint Stephen's in-the Field
Seek to know Christ, to share Christ, and to serve Christ,
recognizing his presence in all people, and reaching out in love
to each other and to the world around us.
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9:30 AM Holy Eucharist
at St. John’s
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Dear friends,
With warmer weather slowly creeping in, I’m amazed on my walks at how much the trees change in just one day! They are budding and blossoming right before my eyes.
Flying creatures are making lots of noise. Someone at our Wednesday morning Bible study mentioned how she loved hearing the hum of the buzzing bees coming from the wisteria in her yard. I haven’t seen any dragonflies yet, but here’s a wonderful prayer from Brian Doyle about them:
Prayer in Thanks for the little Flying Dinosaurs We Call Dragonflies
Because they are unbelievably cool, that’s why,, and we casually glance at them when they whiz past, and rarely if ever sit down in a daze and contemplate the fact that they are astonishing miracles, the saber-toothed tigers of the insect world, and they are the most amazing aero-nautical engineers and fighter pilots, and they come in all colors, and sometimes on a hot day there are dozens of them in the air all at once, stitching patterns and conducting maneuvers . . . changing directions in a split second, wow! But then my mind suddenly is filled with dragonflies in basketball shorts and soccer jerseys, so we had better close up shop with this prayer, and yet again, for what must be the millionth time in fifty years, thank the Engineer for absolutely first-rate design and construction. What an artist, what craft, what imaginative leaps! And so: amen.
Blessings and peace,
Karen+
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Sunday, March 20th, 9:30am, indoors at St. John’s
Holy Eucharist
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Since we’re indoors, don’t forget your mask!
(Next week’s service will be at St. John’s)
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Episcopal Relief & Development supports families in Ukraine.
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You can also make a donation to help families in Ukraine through Episcopal Relief and Development here or the picture above.
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God of peace and justice,
we pray for the people of Ukraine today.
We pray for peace and the laying down of weapons.
We pray for all those who fear for tomorrow,
that your Spirit of comfort would draw near to them.
We pray for those with power over war or peace,
for wisdom, discernment and compassion
to guide their decisions.
Above all, we pray for all your precious children, at risk and in fear,
that you would hold and protect them.
We pray in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace.
Amen.
– Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury and Archbishop Stephen Cottrell of York, Church of England
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March is Women’s History Month
Each week one person has been highlighted in our Friday newsletter.
Today’s notable woman is
Dr. Sally K. Ride: First American Woman in Space
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“Sally K. Ride (May 26, 1951–July 23, 2012) became the first American woman in space in 1983. She was one of six women selected to enter the astronaut corps in 1978. While all six women flew on space shuttle missions, Ride was the first selected to go into space. As a mission specialist on the seventh space shuttle mission, she operated a variety of orbiter systems and experiment payloads. She participated in the launch of two commercial communications satellites and also operated the remote manipulator system arm to maneuver, release and retrieve a free-flying satellite.
Ride presented her in-flight suit to the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in a ceremony shortly after the STS-7 mission. It can be seen on display in the National Air and Space Museum's Moving Beyond Earth exhibition.
Ride felt responsible for paving the way for women in space. Her performance and skill, alongside her four male crewmates, made her a symbol of equality.”*
*https://www.si.edu/spotlight/sally-ride
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Santa Maria needs pantry volunteers to box groceries between 9:00am and 11:30am on weekdays. It’s a gratifying way to make a big difference in the lives of others. Call Santa Maria Urban Ministry at 408-292-3314. You must be at least twelve years old to volunteer. |
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Bible Study
The Path; A Journey Through the Bible
Our next session will meet
Wednesday, Mar 23rd.
11:00am - in person at St. John’s.
7:00pm - via Zoom using the following link:
We will be discussing Chapter 18. Please join us!
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Spring Renewal 2022
Friday evening, April 29 & Saturday, April 30
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Spring Renewal is our new annual gathering for the Diocese of El Camino Real!
Spring Renewal is for worship, thanksgiving and celebration!
Spring Renewal is for shared learning and growth!
Spring Renewal is for everyone in our Diocese!
This year we'll gather on Zoom Friday evening (April 29) for a diocesan wide celebration to honor Canon Brian Nordwick's ministry. Then we'll reconvene on Saturday (April 30), again on Zoom, for an exploration of what the "new church" looks like and how our parishes find faithful ways and fresh vistas as we grow into its opportunities. The day's inspiring keynote speaker is the Rt. Rev. Sean Rowe, Bishop of the Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania.
Register NOW at:
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Support Community Garden Tool Fundraiser |
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For the next 4 days, donations of $1 to $50 are matched dollar for dollar. So $50 is $100 toward this fundraiser when the donor puts the code LIFTOFF in the giving page.
Of course, if you happen to have any of these tools gathering dust in your garage, used tools are welcome too!
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Cardboard needed!
Please bring in all that cardboard you know you’ve been wanting to get rid of! The landscapers (Jessica & Co.) need it for weed control on the embankment.
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Poem from the Garden
Last year, some swoop-tailed
cliff swallows built their
nest above the front
door to the parish.
Their babies learned to
fly in our parking
lot, buzzing the
gardeners with sheer
delight. But they were
messy, so once they
were gone, I removed
their nest, hoping they'd
pick someplace new the
next Spring. They did, but
now a family of
Black phoebes are trying
to move in. I'll try
to convince them to
nest elsewhere, since there's
no eggs in play yet,
and they still have time
to make a new nest
in time, literally
anywhere else. I'll
try some bird netting
but nature finds a
way, so we may have
another messy Easter.
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Food for thought:
“War itself is, of course, a form of madness. It’s hardly a civilized pursuit. It’s amazing how we spend so much time inventing devices to kill each other and so little time working on how to achieve peace.”
-Walter Cronkite
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Kudos to:
-Janet for making arrangements for lunch for the vestry retreat this Sunday afternoon.
-Janet for ordering gift cards.
-Jessica for introducing new people to our garden.
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Contact Information for Rev. Karen.
Please use this new number to contact Rev. Karen for calls or texts:
(669)270-7479
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NEEDING PRAYER SUPPORT?
Prayer is one of those things we often think about, might feel inadequate about, believe in but might be unsure how to proceed. How we pray is sometimes unique to each of us. The Church provides help in many ways. If you find yourself in need, of any kind (emotional, physical, spiritual, guidance, etc) consider how St. Stephen's can support you:
* there is a prayer chain of committed pray-ers (who maintain confidentiality).
* tell people about your answers to prayer! and the miracles you witness, or how prayer changes YOU.
Please submit prayer requests to Rev. Karen.
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Contact information for Rev. Karen: |
Personal phone for emergencies or urgent matters: (669)270-7479
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Editor's Note
Please send any announcements or articles you want to have included, to: evan.bryan1@gmail.com, by Thursday, 10am each week.
Evan Bryan
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St. Stephen's in-the-Field Episcopal Church
7269 Santa Teresa Blvd; San Jose, CA 95139
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