St. Stephen's in-the-Field Episcopal Church
FRIDAY JOURNAL July 16th, 2021
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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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Dear Friends,
It all started with the mention of the sunflower in the picture which is from our community garden. It’s beautiful isn’t it? There’s only one and it’s growing in a bed that is full of corn.
Those of us who were gathered under the oak tree eating lunch on Thursday wondered if that sunflower was intentionally planted there. Then someone shared a story about a single sunflower that grew in her garden once. When she purchased the newly sprouted basil plant in her herb garden, she noticed that the basil was looking less like basil every day. As it turned out, it was a sunflower. Rather than taking it out and replacing, she left it there and enjoyed the bloom for its duration. Her expectation was clearly not met. Her response made a difference in how she enjoyed the fruits of her labor later.
But there are times when expectations are not met and the result isn’t in our control. I’ve been thinking about all the vacations that folks are taking this summer. If you’re flying, there are lots of things that can happen that crush our expectations – lost luggage, delays, crying babies, missed flights that weren’t because you were late, missed events because of those delayed flights, etc. . . If you’re in a car, there are flat tires, engine troubles, or accidents that might stall traffic – maybe for hours. . .You get the idea. How people respond makes a big difference. It never helps to get irate. Taking your anger out on the person behind the counter at the gate who has no control over the situation is mean.
What do you do when your expectations are not met because of things that you can’t control?
Maybe hoping for an outcome is better. Hope and expectation are different. When we hope for an outcome, we already know that we don’t know how things will turn out, but we hope for the best. We know that obstacles might pop-up. We are aware that things might not go the way we hoped - things that are out of our control, but that our response is within our control and makes a difference in how we move on. And when things turn out better than we’d ever hoped, we are not only delighted, but thankful.
I suppose this applies to how we think about God too. What do you expect from God? What do you hope for from God? Do you expect God to give you the outcome you want, or do you hope that things will work out as you you’d like them too? The difference is that whether you expect or hope, and whether you respond with anger or trust, God is there.
If you are taking a vacation, flying out to meeting a grandchild for the first time, or taking a few days off at home to relax and spend time with family, I hope you will turn your expectations into hopes, I hope that you have a wonderful time, and I hope that you will remember that God is with you, no matter what.
Blessings and peace,
Karen+
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9:30am at St. John’s
Our service will be indoors, with masks. We will continue to alternate Sunday services between St. John’s and St. Stephen’s. All are welcome! They will also be live streamed so that if you are not physically at church, you can participate from home with the rest of the congregation gathered at the church.
Click below for links to the service and bulletin.
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COFFEE HOUR
On zoom at 11:00am.
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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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THE LABYRINTH IS COMING!
The stencil is being layed out – it’s more complicated that you might imagine!
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EVENSONG
WASHINGTON NATIONAL CATHEDRAL
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Enjoy this beautiful service live-streamed this Sunday, July 18th, at 1:00
Click on the link below:
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Health and Well-being
We all want to stay healthy and know that exercise is important. The good news is that you don’t have to buy an expensive gym membership to enjoy exercise that fits you and your needs!
From raking leaves to sweeping sidewalks, there are many things you can do right here at St.Stephen’s to keep moving! If physical exercise isn’t an option for you right now, come have lunch on the lawn next Thursday (7/15). Bring a friend and enjoy a little fellowship!
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Poem from the Garden
“Imagine that the world is made out of love. Now imagine that it isn’t. Imagine a story where everything goes wrong, where everyone has their back against the wall, where everyone is in pain and acting selfishly because if they don’t, they’ll die. Imagine a story, not of good against evil, but of need against need against need, where everyone is at cross-purposes and everyone is to blame.” — Richard Siken (https://sporkpress.com/5_1/pieces/Siken.html)
There are bees in the
garden and I am
thinking about this
Richard Siken line:
“need against need against
need,” because some
folks need a bee-less
garden to be safe
and some people need
the bees and there is
no way to design
perfectly for both.
So this imperfect garden buzzes,
but less if you stay away from flowers.
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Food for thought:
“We can learn to see each other and see ourselves in each other and recognize that human beings are more alike than we are unalike.”
Maya Angelou
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Kudos to:
-Dot and Sherrie and Wanda for bringing treats for coffee hour last Sunday
-Gregg, Janet, and Wanda for assisting in our worship service last Sunday
-Susan, Janet, Robin, Jill, and Jane for working on the labyrinth
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New 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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