Our mission is to be a community of Christian
worship, well-being and service
January 22 - January 28
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From the Rector
Dear Friends,
This morning our pastoral musician, Michael and I spent some time planning Lent. This will be our third Lent of the pandemic! That's right, we are headed into our third year of being the church, the body of Christ, in new and unpredictable ways. I am thankful to be in this wilderness time with Michael, the choir, and so many of our members as we contribute to the well being of St. Mary's and those whom we serve.
By the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit we continue to thrive as the Body of Christ. Our energy may be a bit depleted, but it is amazing how so many members show up and offer exactly what needs to be done when it is most needed, often without being asked.
If you are a member or a friend of this special church and you have not yet found a way to participate, even from a distance, I encourage you to think about your God given gifts and offer them. For example, yesterday I got a phone call from one of our members who is not able to join us in person at this time. She called to let me know that she was praying for me. She thought it wise to offer a bit of pastoral care to the pastor. This gift did wonders for lifting my own spirit and energizing me for the afternoon of caring for other people and ministry.
This weekend we get the chance to reflect on St. Paul's words about the body which is one and has many members, just as it is with Christ. He says, "Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it." Each one of us, from our toddlers to our elders and everyone in between, is an important part of this body. Each one of us matters here. What part are you? What has God given you to offer? I invite you to think of one gift God has given you to share. Perhaps you will offer it, remembering that this body is not complete without you.
Faithfully, Jennifer+
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Sun 2/6 10:15 am St. Mary's Annual Meeting of the Corporation
Wed 2/16 6 - 8 pm Community Outreach Book Group meeting, see below
Fri Sat 2/18-19 Vestry Retreat
Sun2/30 9 am Holy Baptism of Riley Elizabeth Verrastro
Wed 3/2 Ash Wednesday, Lent begins
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Third Sunday after the Epiphany |
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Collect For The Week
Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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He read from Isaiah's Scroll
". . . bring good news to the poor, release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, let the oppressed go free". Lk. 4
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Holy Eucharist at 9 am Sundays
St. George's Chapel and online
If you are joining us online, please use the comment section to say hello. We are trying to make better connections between those who are in person and those who are at home.
Worship Links:
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Liturgical Ministers
Altar Guild
Ann Gizzi, Ruth Siebens
Celebrant
The Rev. Jennifer Pedrick +
Musicians
Michael Templeton, Julie Zecher
& St. Mary’s Choir
Greeters
Lee Ferreira, Elise LaParle Garcia
Lector/Intercessor
Murry Edwards
Lay Eucharistic Minister
Steve Downing
Audio
Jerry Culver
Videographer
Ellyn Eaves-Hileman
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Daily Evening Prayer on Facebook live
Lay leaders are praying the evening office at 5:30 p.m. daily online via Facebook Live. You do not need to have Facebook in order to participate in these daily prayers. If you can not make it at 5:30, the service will be recorded and remain on the St. Mary's Facebook page.
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If you would like to add someone to the prayers of the people, to be included in the Sunday morning prayers and in the daily evening prayers, please contact Parish
Administrator, Karen Laroche. We
typically keep people in the prayers
for one month.
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Community Outreach Book Group |
The Community Outreach Team will offer a book discussion, focusing on Indigenous people, February 16, 6 - 8 p.m. on Zoom. We hope you will join us for a lively conversation.
You may have seen seen the film or read the book, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown, a non-indigenous author. It tells the story of U.S. Government betrayals, forced relocation and massacres of Native peoples and suggests that the end result was that the culture and civilization of the American Indian was destroyed during the late 1800's. We suggest that you consider watching this film as a starting point.
For a different perspective, however, the book group will read The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee by David Treuer, a member of the Ojibwe Tribe. He suggests that, while Native Americans have endured many dark years, they have maintained their culture and, in some places, they are actually thriving.
This award winning book is available through Amazon and from your local library. Let us know of your interest by contacting:
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Bible Study
Sundays 10:15
St. George's Chapel and livestreamed on FacebookHere
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Join us to explore Jesus and the Sermon on the Mount. All are welcome. BYOB - bring your own Bible.
Our Scriptures for this Sunday: Matthew 5:17-20, 22:34-40
Exodus 20:1-17
Deuteronomy 6:4-5, 26:5-10
Leviticus 19:17-18
These Scriptures will help us to better understand the great controversy between Jesus and the Scribal law of his day.
You may also connect to Bible Study from home using facebook live. Please offer feedback as we begin this new hybrid (in person and online) approach to ministry.
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Wild Worship for Kids at Spruce Acres in Middletown
Give children the chance to praise God for the beauty of Creation, while they learn ways our animal neighbors make it through the winter.
Led by the Creation Care Ministry of the Diocese, their first Wild Worship will take place at 2 p.m., Saturday, February 12, at Spruce Acres, an Aquidneck Land Trust property in Middletown. Lauren Parmelee, Senior Director of Education at the Audubon Society of Rhode Island, will lead four to eight year-old children, parents, siblings and friends, on a walk through the woods looking for clues and using their powers of observation to learn about the winter world of our local animals. The Rev. Norman MacLeod, co-chair of the Creation Care Ministry will frame the time in the wild with songs, prayer and brief reflections. Registration is required and limited. For more information and to register click here.
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As Jesus read from Isaiah, "Let the oppressed go free", American singer-songwriter Richie Havens here sings "FREEDOM" with his inimitable voice and his acoustic guitar.
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TREES OF LIGHT YIELD REPORT
The St. Mary's Advent season "Trees of Light" yielded 943 pounds of nourishing food, personal care, and household items. That makes 3006 pounds of total donations in 2021 from St. Mary's to the MLK Community Center Food Pantry (serving all of Newport County). Thank you to all who brought donations and placed them in the baskets in the entrance to the Parish House, and to those who delivered them to the Food Pantry. Let's make 2022 an even bigger year!
Jon Edwards
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Communication & Other Announcements
If you lead a ministry and wish to share information, please send the content (which should include relevant information, time, date, place, and contact person with email) to:
The Rector if you'd like it verbally announced at worship,
the weekly worship bulletin, and
Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for? (Audience) Why should they care? (Benefit) What do I want them to do here? (Call-to-Action) If you have a photo or image that is always welcome.
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Watercolor: Richard Grosvenor. |
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