St. Stephen's in-the-Field Episcopal Church
FRIDAY JOURNAL March 25th, 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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10:00 AM Holy Eucharist
at St. Stephen's
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Dear friends,
I’ve experienced not one, but two miracles this week!
Miracle #1: I went to my bank to reset my 4-digit pin number (I couldn’t remember the old one) and they wouldn’t do it because my Driver’s License had expired. For a second, I didn’t believe them. Surely it wasn’t that long ago that I’d renewed it - but of course they were right. I guess time flies whether you’re having fun or not! I went directly to the DMV to renew it and that’s where the miracle happened. Without an appointment, I was prepared for a loooong wait – not exactly what I’d planned on my day off. But, I was in and out in just over 30 minutes! I skipped back to my car, looking over my shoulder to make sure I wasn’t on Candid Camera. It might seem silly but, I was overjoyed and even thanked God!
Miracle #2: Last Sunday at 11:33am ET was the Vernal Equinox, which I would not have remembered except that Jane D. from St. John’s told me. Also called the Spring Equinox, it marks the first day of Spring. It is one of only two days a year when the sun crosses the celestial equator – when day and night are approximately equal length. The Vernal Equinox is described in The Farmer’s Market as, “the turning point when daylight begins to win over darkness.” Many dictionaries define a miracle as something that is “caused by God because it does not follow the usual laws of nature.” Sorry Cambridge Dictionary, but I disagree. I think the Spring Equinox is nothing short of a miracle that is caused by God AND can be explained by science.
Two miracles – one that caught me by surprise and the other so ordinary that I almost didn’t notice. I wonder how many other miracles I’ve missed in the things I take for granted. Miracles bring me joy and remind me of God’s presence, so I’m going to try to notice them more. I hope you will too . .
Blessings and peace,
Karen+
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Sunday, March 27th, 10:00am, at St. Stephen’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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April 10 - 10:00am at St Stephen's: Blessing of the Palms and Holy Eucharist
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Maundy Thursday April 14th
7:00pm at St John's Holy Eucharist, and Stripping of the Altar.
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April 15th - 12 noon at St John's:
Service and Communion from Reserved Sacrament
7:00pm: Sations of the Cross
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Saturday, April 16th
www.realepiscopal.org
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Easter Sunday April 17th
10:00am at St John's Holy Eucharist
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From The Episcopal News Service
Please take a moment to read this pastoral letter from the House of Bishops on Ukraine
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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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March is Women’s History Month
Each week one person is highlighted in our Friday newsletter.
This week our noteable woman is
Madeleine Albright
(May 15, 1937-Mar 23)
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Madeleine Korbel Albright was the first female Secretary of State in the United States. She served as Secretary of State from Jan 22, 1997 to Jan 20, 2001. She was the child of Czech refugees who fled from Nazi invaders and Communist oppressors and then landed in the United States, where she flourished as a diplomat.*
Quoting from an article in “The Living Church”, “She was known for her sense of humor and her concise, evocative statements. Her Twitter account included a tweet, retweeted 31,000 times, reading ’I was raised Catholic, became Episcopalian & found out later my family was Jewish. I stand ready to register as Muslim in #solidarity’.”
Read more about her in the links below.
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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 30th.
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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photo credit to Katy Dickinson
Last Friday, 23
women from over
a dozen countries
came to our campus
to volunteer in
the community
garden. They're part of
the U.S. State Dept's
TechWomen program,
giving back to the
community which
hosted them. See them
smile and shine in our
shared world's sunshine.
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Food for thought:
“I think that we all know what evil is. We have a sense of what's evil, and certainly killing innocent people is evil. We're less sure about what is good. There's sort of good, good enough, could be better - but absolute good is a little harder to define.”
— Madeleine Albright
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Kudos to:
-Trig for working on building a frame for our services banner.
-Andy, our next Treasurer.
-Our awesome vestry.
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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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