St. Stephen's in-the-Field Episcopal Church
FRIDAY JOURNAL November 13th, 2020
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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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Sunday Service: November 15th, 2020 |
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Holy Eucharist, Rite II at 10:00am online |
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From the Rector
Dear friends,
Happy Friday the 13th!
I’ve taken a bit of a respite this week and refrained from doing much church work. Answering some email now and then gave me time to rest. We all need it, and many of us have a hard time taking the time to do it. You have helped and for that I am grateful!
Enjoy this week’s message about the rich benefits of generosity on our lives!
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Risking our lives to find them
By The Rev. Chris Harris
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How do I find greater meaning and purpose in my life? Why is happiness so fleeting and a lasting joy so elusive? Who am I and what am I supposed to do with the rest of my life?
These are some of the big questions of life, and many of us begin to wrestle with them as we reach middle age and beyond. The best-selling book The Second Mountain, by David Brooks, suggests that we come to these questions most urgently when the “first mountain” of our life fails us either because we discover it to be ultimately unfulfilling (such as a life focused on financial success or career goals) or when it crumbles beneath our feet (as the result of a divorce or a life-changing health crisis).
According to Brooks, most of us don’t come looking for the “second mountain” of our lives until we’ve been thrown off the first somehow. Until then, when life is still going our way, we don’t have the eyes to see or the ears to hear. But when we finally are forced off our perches,
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we have the chance to discover for ourselves what Jesus has tried to tell us all along — that meaning and purpose come not from our accomplishments, our perfect families, or even perfect health, but by risking all that we are and all that we have for the sake of others.
If you are someone looking for the second mountain of your life, the question at the heart of our Gospel this week offers all the directions we need:
How will I risk the gifts I’ve been given, to do the work God is calling me to do?
Notice that the story turns on risk. Playing it safe, worrying about ourselves and what others will say about us, is the first mountain all over again. And a life of tepid generosity, one that is constrained by fear and our need for control, leaves us languishing in the valley.
Unless we are willing to risk it all for the sake of others – to take a leap into a Faith-Filled Generosity – we never reach the summit of a truly abundant life.
|Chris Harris is Associate Rector of Christ Church Cranbrook in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. He |serves on the board of The Episcopal Network for Stewardship and the steering team for Invite-|Welcome-Connect, a national evangelism ministry, and is creator of Living Wi$ley, a faith and |personal finance ministry.
Blessings and peace to you,
Karen+
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Sunday Worship
***Note: We welcome our guest preacher, The Rev. Julie Nelson!.***
(The links will be in your Friday journal and on the front page of our website: www.ssitf.org)
This week Rev. Karen will preside the Holy Eucharist at St. Stephen’s and shared with St. John’s. The service will be posted on both our websites (www.ssitf.org and www.stjohndivinemorganhill.org) at 10:00am but is available any time after that.
I encourage you to set aside a special place, light a candle, and download the bulletin here as you prepare to worship.
Please send any special prayer requests and/or anniversaries and birthdays to Rev. Karen.
Join us for Coffee Hour at 11:00am on Zoom with this link.
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WEDNESDAY MORNING PRAYER GROUP
Weekly Wednesday prayer group at 11:00am.
This is an opportunity to offer our prayers of thanksgivings, for healing for ourselves and others, and anything else on our hearts. Even if you don’t have a computer, you can join the Zoom meeting with your phone.
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WEDNESDAY EVENING COMPLINE
Compline, the last Office of the day. End your day with a beautiful and short liturgy. All are welcome and please feel free to share the link with friends!
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Keeping the conversations going. . .and going. . .and going!
The Rev. Jani Wild and I are facilitating Pastoral Conversations on Racism and yesterday was our 23rd week of gathering to learn and talk about a broad spectrum of subjects concerning race in our country.
We follow the same format (a brief introduction followed by a short video, discussion, and prayers ) every week with a different focus. Last week we discussed reparations.
Please come join us next Thursday at 4:30. Whether it’s the 1st time or the 18th time you’ve attended, please come to learn, process, and share together in a safe space with a faith community.
Bring a friend or family member – all are welcome – by clicking the Zoom link below.
Meeting ID: 835 7594 8022
Password: 748467
One tap mobile
+16699006833,,83575948022#,,1#,748467# US (San Jose
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Thanks to last week’s liturgy assistants! |
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Your faithful giving. . .
We rely on you to keep us current in paying our bills. If you haven’t yet, please mail your pledge checks or any other donations to the church office, or you can use the ‘Donate’ button on our website and pay with a credit card. We certainly understand if you are experiencing financial hardship at this time. If you are able, we appreciate any small offering you might consider making. Your financial stewardship is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much!
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Blankets
Hello my friends,
It's that time of year when we start
thinking about people without a place
to call their own, might need a blanket.
This year we can't meet together so I
will leave some blankets, a guide for
cutting the strips to knot and the St.
Stephen's labels to be sewn on each
blanket.
I'm hoping each family can put together
4 blankets. If not, do what you can.
Email me to let me know you are coming
by to make sure you have some choices on
the blankets you want to put together.
See you soon.
Janet
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2020 STEWARDSHIP Campaign
They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life. 1Timothy 6:18-19 NRSVA
“Faith Filled Generosity” – that’s our theme for this year’s stewardship. Though we’ve had many setbacks this year, we are very stable financially. Part of that is because your dedicated vestry has been watchful of our resources. The other part is that YOU have been faithful and generous in your giving. Thank you! As we look ahead to a new year, please keep in mind that your gifts are essential to St. Stephen’s. With deep faith, please consider pledging again this year.
This has been a difficult year in many ways and for some of you, the difficulty includes financial hardship. We fully understand that!
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Poem from the Garden
We won a grant for
five thousand dollars
to plant trees around
our church. Native trees
will sip water and
let birds and bees and
climbing children grow
and flourish on the
land. Would you like to
see oaks or laurels,
red shanks or madrone?
If you’d like to help
choose the trees or plant
them, email me soon!
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"Patience is not simply the ability to wait – it’s how we behave while we’re waiting."
-Joyce Meyer
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Kudos to:
-Janet for beginning to putting furniture back in place in the sanctuary
-Andoni and all musicians who give of their gifts in our worship services.
-Kent and Katie for assisting in the service this week.
-Hal and Dan for their stories
-All who have turned in their pledge cards
-The Communications Guild
-all who have given generously of their time, talent, and treasure – that’s YOU!
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Great News about our Community Garden!
We are so grateful to Jessica for writing and submitting a grant application to St. Andrew’ Opportunity Fund! We were blessed to be the recipients of a large sum of money to help build our community garden! Here is the announcement from the Committee:
“At yesterday night's meeting, the St. Andrew's Episcopal Church Vestry approved the Opportunity Fund Committee's recommendation to fund St. Stephen's in the Field's grant application for $5,000. We are glad that the money will be useful to purchase 27 trees in five gallon pots for the community garden, as specified in your grant application. . . You should be receiving a check from the Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church office soon.
Thank you for your dedicated service to our community. We welcome your questions.
Best wishes for your health and peace,
Katy Dickinson and Barbara Merrill
Opportunity Fund Committee Co-Chairs
Please join me in giving thanks to Jessica for her dedication to this ministry and for doing the extra work to submit the grant application!!
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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: 408-781-1826
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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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