Join us this Sunday at 10:15AM in person or online
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Dear friends in Christ,
Today, the church remembers St. Dunstan, who was archbishop of Canterbury from 959 until 988.
At the time, the majority of English clergy were also members of religious orders, which were at the very center of early Medieval culture, and Dunstan was no exception. Together with the contemporary bishops of Winchester and Worcester – both former pupils – Dunstan was a “contemplative in action,” working to bring the fruits of the monastic prayer-life to the immediate concerns of both church and state. They sought better education and discipline among the clergy, the end of landed family interests in the church, the restoration of former monasteries and establishment of new ones, and a more carefully ordered liturgical worship.
One of the many saintly qualities for which Dunstan was admired was his skill at “making a picture and forming letters,” as his biographer wrote. To all of us, who do most of our writing on a computer keyboard and who live more generally in an almost universally literate society, “making a picture and forming letters” is a fairly low bar for saintliness. But in the 10th century, writing was rare, available only to kings, some nobles, and the monks who kept the storehouse of Christian theology and Western learning. Writing, therefore, and the making of beautiful pictures to illuminate the manuscripts which held and transmitted all of that knowledge, were highly prized skills indeed.
As St. Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in every one. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” (1 Cor 12:4-7)
Each Christian is given a manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. That gift may not be glamorous; in fact, it probably won’t be. It might be a gift for fairness, or generosity, or judgment, or wisdom. Whatever the gift, you will know it is of the Spirit by its contribution to the common good; in families, in business, in relations with neighbors, strangers, and friends, in the church and in the world. “Making a picture and forming letters” might seem a simple thing, but in Christ, even the simplest gifts can be put to work for God’s good purposes and his glory.
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Yours faithfully in Christ, |
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Congratulations to St. John’s Graduates |
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Please remember Carolyn David, Nicholas Ibanez Christopher Medeus, Krantz Medeus, and Nathaniel Smit in your prayers, graduates from St. John’s Parish. Our high-school graduates will be presented a scholarship from the parish and prayers will be offered for all during the liturgy on Sunday, May 22.
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If you have taken a UTO Blue Box or giving envelope, we hope that you are embracing and deepening a personal daily spiritual discipline of gratitude, giving thanks to God for daily blessings and making an offering of spare change or cash each day. We will plan to collect all Blue Boxes by the Sunday after Ascension Day, May 29. 100% of what is collected supports innovative mission and ministry throughout the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. |
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Pentecost Picnic: Sunday, June 5 |
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Mark your calendars! Following the 10:15 am service on the Day of Pentecost, we will gather for an all-parish picnic in the garden. The parish will provide hamburgers, hotdogs, and buns; sides and desserts will be pot-luck. If you would contribute a dish to the picnic, see or contact Olive Grant to confirm.
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Save the date: A Garden Party, Saturday, July 23 ~ 3-6 pm |
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The St. John’s Women’s Group will be hosting a Garden Party on the great lawn this year, in lieu of their annual High Tea. Please mark your calendars, and don’t miss this fantastic event. Tickets are $30 general admission and $20 for seniors. Please see Olive Grant on Sunday morning, or contact the Parish Office during the week to purchase. |
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Prayers and Financial Support for Ukraine |
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The crisis in Ukraine continues, and our prayers are with not only those on the front lines and in the peace talks, but also if not especially with the millions who have been displaced. Episcopal Relief & Development will provide cash, blankets, hygiene supplies, and other needed assistance to Ukrainian refugees. If you feel moved to contribute to these humanitarian relief efforts, please do give via ERD’s website: https://support.episcopalrelief.org/ukraineresponse.
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A funeral liturgy for the late Dianne Bedingfield Saunders will take place Friday, June 17, at 11:00 a.m., in the church. Your prayers and presence are requested. |
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Tuesday Afternoon Bible Study |
SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER: On Tuesday, May 31, at 2:00 pm on Zoom, our very own Dr. Chris Shepard will be giving a presentation, with music, on the libretti of Johann Sebastian Bach’s cantatas. Bach was the subject of Chris’ PhD thesis, and he is both a scholar and expert performer of Bach’s music. Please mark your calendars and join the Bible Study group as we wander from Scripture to sacred music. Click here to join the Zoom meeting.
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Open Thursdays and Saturdays: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
The Community Thrift Shop welcomes new, almost new, and gently used clothing, home goods, and jewelry donations. All proceeds from the Thrift Shop are donated to nonprofit charities serving those in need. Please note: Starting in June, the Thrift Shop will be open every Thursday 10:00-3:00 and the first and third Saturday of each month from 10:00-3:00.
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Recent Prayer Requests for Healing of Body, Mind and Spirit. |
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Please keep these persons in your daily prayers:
Ben, Carol, Daniel, Ed, Kedley, Lloyd, Marc, Terrence, Jon, Ann, Henri, Sharon, Erin, Dante, Anthony, Marie-Anne, Martha, Nessa, Angela, Gweneth, Toni, Jordan, Gabriella, Cindi, Barbara, Andrew, Jeffrey, Theadeen, Latoya, Christine, Murdena, Aidee, Anthony, Mitch, Jacob, Roslyn, Collin, McKenna, Andy, Errol, Emman, Bill and Verna. Please send all prayer list requests for the bulletin to the Parish Administrator, Kathy McBride, at kmcbride@stjohns-stamford.org.
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To give to St. John's Episcopal Church, you can make your donations electronically or you can simply mail in your check to the church office if you would rather not use the online giving tool. Our Parish Administrator, Kathy McBride, is receiving the mail and doing the banking as usual.
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Forward Day By Day is the Episcopal Church's own discipleship publication! As disciples, followers of Christ, daily prayer and reflection grounds us in God's love and gives us strength and clarity to confront our weaknesses, put our trust in God and listen to where God is calling us to serve. Available online for-free!
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