The Bridge
September 23, 2020
The Mission of St. John’s is to be a community of God’s people who heal brokenness, build bridges, and exemplify borderless kindness.
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From Our Interim Rector
September is steaming by like a narrow-gauge train! We are in the midst of our Stewardship focus, the vestry has just announced a successful call to a new rector, we just launched our Sacred Ground series with two dialogue circles as part of Becoming Beloved Community, and last Sunday was our first “in-person” service held outside on the deck. And…is God calling you to run for vestry?
Not enough? Summer has rolled into Fall and projections for COVID-19 do not look good as over 200,000 Americans have died, over 2 million cases in our country, the largest number in the world. Looks like we could be on our way to another wave, along with the flu season. Plus, just under six weeks will be a national election, including a run for the Presidency. All this at a time when the United States of America is not very united.
I offer some suggestions. Pick up a couple more masks, you will need them. If you haven’t already done this, go get a flu shot. If you haven’t registered to vote—do that by the end of the month! Open the envelope from the church; pray, and fill out the pledge card and send it back in the stamped, addressed envelope.
Pray. I offer a prayer to all from A Prayer Book for the Armed Forces, 1988, from The Episcopal Church. May this prayer be a source of comfort, particularly on Sundays.
“A Prayer for Communion with Christ”
In union, O Lord, with your faithful people at every altar of your Church where the Holy Eucharist is now being celebrated, I desire to offer to you praise and thanksgiving. I remember your death, Lord Christ; I proclaim your resurrection; I await your coming in glory. And since I cannot receive you today in the Sacrament of your Body and Blood, I beseech you to come spiritually into my heart. Cleanse and strengthen me with your grace, Lord Jesus, and let me never be separated from you. May I live in you, and you in me, in this life and in the life to come. Amen.
Once you have done all of the above; how about checking out a couple of vintage movies offered in The Living Church, September 20. Satan Never Slept (1962); Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell (1951); It Started with Eve (1941); and The Space Children (1958). This list is compliments of The Rev. Dr. Paul F. M. Zahl.
Faithfully,
Ann+
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The Rev. Ellen Williams is the pastor of St John-San Juan Lutheran Church (ELCA) in South Austin. Pastor Ellen is a passionate advocate for justice, mercy and kindness toward ourselves and our neighbors, especially those who have no voice because of systemic injustice that exists in our country. |
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At the invitation of our Interim Rector, Rev. Ann, and the Stewardship Team, Pastor Ellen will be the preacher at all services on Sunday, September 27, 2020. |
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Please prayerfully consider your gift and
mail your 2021 giving card back to St. John's
before October 4, 2020.
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Building Bridges and Healing Brokenness
Be Like Moses
by Deacon Victoria Mason
For the last few Sundays, we have been reading the story of the Exodus. The story of the Israelites’ experience in the wilderness reminds me of the last 192 days. On March 13th we were ordered to take necessary precautions against contracting or spreading the dreaded Corona Virus. Since then some have followed the orders as they were given and others have argued against them. Like the Israelites, we keep trudging along the way, wondering when this journey will ever end.
There are so many comparisons and metaphors that apply to our experiences of this pandemic. When will it end? We don’t know. But I think we need to be like Moses. He was a reluctant leader of these argumentative people, but he didn’t give up. He followed the directions given to him from God. And he shared those directions with the people. At the very beginning, in their meeting at the burning bush, God said to him, ““I will be with you…” God stayed with the Israelites and they experienced his presence in many forms. They moaned and groaned about the difficulties they had. God provided meat at night, bread in the morning, and water from a rock where there were no other sources of water. God said “I will be with you,” and he stayed with the people and provided for them.
As people of faith, we can remember this story as a metaphor for how God is with us. Some of us will suffer greatly because of the impact this pandemic has on our health, our economic survival, our resources for food and rent, and many other aspects of our lives. Thanks be to God, there are community resources to help and that we as a church have been able to help some families. Thanks be to God for his presence in our lives. Thanks be to God for his steadfast love for us.
Deacon Victoria
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Prayers and Pandemic
St. John’s Daughters of the King will meet via Zoom on Saturday, October 3, at 10 am for prayers and sharing on our pandemic experiences. Zoom and phone links will be sent out just before the meeting, so if you need assistance before the meeting call Elaine Jackson at 512-832-5663 or Sheri Rasmussen at 512-923-1271 on Thursday or Friday.
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You've Got Talent!
Zoom Talent Show!
Sunday, October 11, 5:00 PM
As a wrap up celebration for our stewardship campaign, we will gather virtually for our annual Talent Show! We hope many of you will present something. Every year the variety of presentations increases, with all sorts of music, poetry, storytelling, political speeches, drumming, dancing, you name it. Think outside the Zoom box for something you have not shared before. Presentations should be about five minutes long.
If you would like some help with sharing something you have recorded or would like to share the Zoom screen, contact Bill Cox at wcox2@austin.rr.com.
We would love to see great participation from performers and spectators as well! We do need a bunch of friends to show up and cheer everyone on!
The Zoom link will be sent out in a future edition of The Bridge.
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Sunday Services at St. John's
We are finding different ways to worship.
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Our Sunday services are being live streamed from our Chapel:
- 10:00 a.m. Morning Prayer in English
- 12:00 noon Morning Prayer in Spanish
There are two ways for you to participate in our Sunday services:
- Go to Facebook Live. No login is required to attend the service, but you must log into your Facebook account to comment or to view other comments. Click this button to attend the service using Facebook:
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Call 1-888-958-7272 and, when prompted, enter an access code to listen to the service on your telephone. For the English language service, the access code is 244488032#.
In both cases, the live stream for each service will begin approximately 5 minutes before the start of the service.
Recorded video from both services will be posted on the
St. John's YouTube channel later in the day so that you can replay a service at your convenience. Links to the YouTube recordings will be posted on our website (www.austinstjohns.org).
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Holy Eucharist on the Deck
Limited in-person worship will continue on Sunday, September 27 with an outdoor Holy Communion Service at 1:15 PM. This week's service will be in Spanish.
Pre-registration is required; please click the button to register. Please register for only one Sunday service at a time so others will have an opportunity to attend. In case of inclement weather, this service will be cancelled.
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Sunday Morning Prayer services at 10:00 AM in English and noon in Spanish will continue to be live streamed on Facebook. No login is required to attend the service.
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Virtual Coffee and Fellowship:
Provide your own beverage and treat of choice
Join us for our Virtual Coffee and Fellowship on Sunday beginning at 11 am! This 30 minute opportunity to visit with friends you haven't seen in a while will be a separate Zoom meeting so you will need to use this link to join:
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Note that the Waiting Room is enabled for this meeting, so somebody logged into the St. John’s account must be present to admit people into the meeting. This is to protect the meeting participants from any possible "trolls" who might try to interrupt our fellowship. The meeting facilitator will admit you to the meeting as quickly as possible. |
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Stepping Onto Sacred Ground
Becoming Beloved Community
This follow up series to our Baptismal Covenant classes of August is a deeper study of the Episcopal Church’s Long Term Commitment to Racial Healing, Reconciliation, and Justice. The Stepping Onto Sacred Ground series creates a safe, respectful, and holy space in which we can explore the historical roots of racism and the current realities that continue the injustices of systemic racism. The series began on Tuesday, September 22. Registration is now closed. If you would like to be added to a waiting list, please contact Victoria Mason (DeaconVic@austinstjohns.org, 512-297-5953).
The Mission of St. John's Episcopal Church is to be a community of God's people who heal brokenness, build bridges, and exemplify borderless kindness.
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Giving at St. John's
There are several ways you can continue to give:
Mail your check to the Church: St. John's Episcopal Church,
P. O. Box 81493, Austin, TX 78708-1493
Go to your bank's website and set up direct payment - the bank will send a check directly to St. John's using this address:
St. John's Episcopal Church, P. O. Box 81493, Austin, TX 78708-1493
Use this link to learn more about online giving: Click here
Use this button to go directly to our online giving portal:
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A Message from Farmshare Austin
The Farmshare Austin's Curbside Delivery Program reminds you that online ordering for this free delivery service will begin again on September 25, and deliveries will resume on September 30. This program offers the same healthy, fresh, and affordable produce and grocery items as the Mobile Markets but delivers customers' orders right to their homes. We still accept SNAP, Double Up Food Bucks, credit, debit, and cash. This program may be especially helpful to individuals who are home-bound, lack transportation, or are relying on SNAP/Pandemic EBT for their groceries right now."
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Compassionate Words from a Neighbor
Pandemic
by Lynn Ungar 3/11/20
What if you thought of it as the Jews consider the Sabbath -
the most sacred of times?
Cease from travel. Cease from buying and selling.
Give up, just for now, on trying to make the world different from what it is.
Sing. Pray. Touch only those to whom you commit your life.
Center down.
And when your body has become still, reach out with your heart.
Know that we are connected in ways that are terrifying and beautiful. (You could hardly deny it now.)
Know that our lives are in one another's hands. (Surely that has come clear.)
Do not reach out your hands. Reach out your heart. Reach out your words.
Reach out all the tendrils of compassion that move, invisibly, where we cannot touch.
Promise this world your love -
for better or worse,
in sickness and in health,
so long as we all shall live.
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Caring for Each Other
If you, or someone you know, need prayer or would like to be contacted by the church, please contact the Reverend Ann McLemore at 769-257-2377 or RevAnn@austinstjohns.org to add names to the Prayer List.
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Need Help?
If you find that your situation is causing financial, spiritual, or emotional difficulties, or if you are in need of food, do not hesitate to call Deacon Victoria (512-297-5953) or Rev. Ann (769-257-2377).
We are a church family; when a family member needs assistance we want to try and help that member.
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Only Rev. Ann and essential support staff will be in the Chapel for the streaming of services as we continue to follow the direction of government officials and the guidance of our Bishop.
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All meetings and activities at St. John's are temporarily suspended.
Ministry continues. All St. John's meetings will be held virtually (via Zoom).
We will post a notification here, on Facebook, and on our website when this restriction has been lifted.
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Fay Jones, Editor (fay@austinstjohns.org) |
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St. John's Episcopal Church
P. O. Box 81493, Austin, TX 78708-1493
Virtual Sunday Services
10:00 am in English (Facebook and website)
Mediodía en español (Facebook y sitio web)
In-Person Holy Communion
1:15 pm Sundays
Outdoors on the Deck
Alternating weeks: English and Spanish
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