March 7, 2021 Newsletter

March 7, 2021

A Message from Rev. Paula

Beloved Community,

It's hard to believe but Easter is in three weeks, which means Palm Sunday is in two! We will be walking with Jesus from his entry into Jerusalem through to the Resurrection. Because of the uncertainties surrounding COVID, we are planning to observe Holy Week and celebrate Easter as we have been worshipping on Sundays: we will live stream to Facebook and YouTube, with Zoom for those who prefer to join us that way or are a lector or intercessor from home. The one exception is the Agape Supper on Maundy Thursday, which will be via Zoom only.

Details about the services are in the next two sections. To make things simple, we will use the regular Sunday worship link, found in the "Important Links" section of this newsletter. The one exception to this is the Easter Vigil, which will be available through a link from Christ Church, which is included with the details.

I invite you to put these services on your calendar now. I encourage you to join with us for at least some, if not all, of these offerings. After more than a year of pandemic, we need Easter perhaps more than ever before.

Peace & Blessings,

Paula+

Palm Sunday and Holy Week

Palm Sunday Liturgy of the Word with Virtual Procession

Though we cannot gather to process the palms, we can have a procession - with your help! We will be compiling short 10-15 second videos of your neighborhood or a favorite place to walk for use as a virtual procession at the beginning of our Palm Sunday service. The video can include you and your family or not, your choice. Help us to remember that the journey we are on is part of a larger story than that which we can see in this time of COVID-related restrictions. Send your video to Rev. Paula by Thursday, March 25. If you cannot take a video, a still photo will work, too.

Monday in Holy Week Evening Prayer, 7 PM

Tuesday in Holy Week Evening Prayer, 7 PM

Wednesday in Holy Week Tenebrae, 7 PM

A contemplative service of shadows and light, with readings and Taize chant. Our friends at Christ Church in Short Hills will join us for this service.

Maundy Thursday Agape Supper via Zoom, 7 PM

The Agape meal or "love feast" is one of the most ancient of Christian traditions, often centered around a celebration of the Eucharist. It is an opportunity to celebrate the love: God's love for us, our love for God, and our love for one another. On Maundy Thursday it is customary to share a meatless meal and to keep things simple. Soup, cheese, bread, olives, dried fruit, and wine (perhaps grape juice for a non-alcoholic option) are traditional foods.

This year, we invite you and your family to join us for a simple meal of your choosing (thus the slightly earlier time so that we can welcome those who are ending their workday, as well as the younger among us who might be accustomed to an earlier meal in anticipation of an earlier bedtime). We will bless the food and drink, hear a bit of Scripture, all the while enjoying each other's company from the comfort of our own homes. If you and your family need to have dinner earlier than 7:00, we invite you to join us with a light snack.

Good Friday Stations of the Cross, noon and 7 PM

This year we will "walk" the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday. This service will include beautiful art and contemplative music.

Holy Saturday Liturgy of the Word, 10 AM

A simple spoken service of prayer and Scripture.

Easter

Easter Eve The Great Vigil of Easter, 7 PM

The Great Vigil is the first service of Easter Day, celebrated between sunset on Holy Saturday and sunrise on Easter morning. We will be joining our friends at Christ Church in Short Hills. Rev. Paula will be preaching.

The Christ Church Zoom information is here. Click on "Join the Zoom Services from Your Computer" to launch Zoom, where you will be prompted to enter the Meeting ID and Password.

Easter Day, An Easter Celebration in Word and Music, 10 AM

As we did last year, we will have a festival liturgy on Easter Day. This year we will have a combination of live music (think organ, trumpet, and voice) and a pre-recorded virtual choir and handbells!

Giving with Tithe.ly

TITHE.LY

Giving with Tithe.ly is easy with options for recurring donations or one-time use for when you are away or not able to be in church (like all of us now due to COVID restrictions).

You can access Tithe.ly via their website or their app on your smart phone. Be sure to search for the correct account - "St. Stephen's Church Millburn." Once you have accessed the account page with our address, you will be instructed to follow the prompts.

Office Notes

Office Hours

Until we are through this public health emergency, there are NO office hours. Please call Rev. Paula to arrange for pastoral care.

Due to COVID restrictions, only teachers and staff are allowed to be in the building during school hours. If you need to visit the parish office/building for any reason, please contact us for an appointment. Thank you.