~ the eSPIRE Newsletter ~
March 7, 2021
The Third Sunday in Lent
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This year's Annual Parish Meeting will take place virtually on Zoom at 1:00 p.m. on March 7. Members of the congregation are invited to register for the meeting and learn more at the link below. Registration is required to ensure those in attendance are eligible to vote as Members in Good Standing.
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New Walk for Water Goal Announced:
100 Walkers!
Walk for Water: March 20 at Riverfront Park OR location of your choice
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Team St. Philip's captain Jill Settle has announced a new goal: 100 walkers! We've got 44 on our team so far, which is a great start. We've got less than three weeks to go, but we know we can reach our goal! Join the team today––and ask your friends and family to join, too! Remember that you can walk with the team at Riverfront Park at 10:00 a.m. (limited space available, so reserve today!), or you can walk in your own neighborhood (or wherever you'd like––and whenever on March 20 you'd like). Register at the link below!
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If you're unavailable to walk, you can still support the team by donating, praying, and recruiting. Learn more about the Walk for Water and the global water crisis at the registration/donation/information link above. Thank you, Water Mission, for providing this opportunity for us to walk so that others don't have to!
Feel free to call or email Jill Settle if you have any questions: (843) 697-0818 or jillasettle@gmail.com.
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"Walk for Water" Stickers Available in Church Office
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Virtual (neighborhood) walkers, please see the resources at this link to help prepare you for a successful walk! And if you're looking for something to jazz up your bucket (or your car, notebook, kitchen wall ...) stop by the church office and pick up a "Walk for Water" sticker!
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A Lenten Discipline for a Shuttered Season
A Meditation from the Rt. Rev. Mark J. Lawrence
published on adosc.org on Ash Wednesday (February 17)
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The liturgy of the church teaches us that a holy Lent is observed “…by self-examination and repentance, by prayer, fasting, and alms-giving; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word.” (BCP 2019 p. 544) All of which can be done even during a pandemic. One practice particularly helpful for seeing and listening to Jesus in a shuttered and masked season of life is the last mentioned in the invitation from the Prayer book—reading and meditating on God’s holy Word.
In the middle years of the 1550s, Princess Elizabeth was held under guard on Queen Mary’s orders. She had been moved from her confinement in the Tower in London to Woodstock, a dilapidated hunting lodge of her late illustrious father, Henry VIII. It was a cold and wet estate even in the summer, and as the season gave way to autumn, grew unbearable even for those servants the suspicious Queen had charged to watch her half-sister. Elizabeth, who seemed to have much time on her hands for rumination, removed as she was from the intellectual, cultural, and social pursuits she found so alluring, did have at least one book to console her. Carolly Erickson, in The First Elizabeth, tells us “an English translation of St. Paul’s Epistles that belonged [at the lodge] has been preserved.” In it, on a blank space she wrote a passage that gives us a glimpse of her meditative life.
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Young Adult Small Groups Are Starting Up!
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We are launching several different groups for those in their twenties and thirties! Some groups will simply discuss the most recent sermon together and apply it practically to our lives; others will follow a certain book. In each, however, there is an emphasis on building spiritual friendships: getting to know one another better, bearing one another’s burdens, and growing in our faith, all in a place of welcome and hospitality. No matter your season of life––whether you're new to the faith or the church or you've been coming to church for a while, whether you're in a hard or time-consuming season with kids or you're single with a bit more time on your hands––we’d love to have you join us!
Get all the details and join a group at the link below!
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Check Out Zoom56!
Lenten Bible Study for 5th- and 6th-Graders
Sundays 9:15-10:00 a.m. on Zoom
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Zoom56 is up and running! Led by John Kerrison and Dan Russler, the group is meeting virtually on Sunday mornings during Lent at 9:15 a.m. Don't miss this opportunity to gather again with your friends to read and discuss the Bible! Click the link below to register for the group.
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Support a St. Philip's Home Missions Partner:
Lowcountry Pregnancy Center's Annual Banquet
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20s-30s Book Study: Choose Your Day!
Making Space for God:
Repositioning Your Life for Kingdom Living
Section 1: Wednesdays at 4:00 p.m. in the Parlor (in the church office building)
Section 2: Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. in the Parlor (in the church office building)
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All 20- and 30-somethings are invited to meet in the Parlor for a book study led by St. Cecilia Choir parent Leah Simmons! The groups will be studying Joanne Ellison's Making Space for God: Repositioning Your Life for Kingdom Living. The times are especially convenient for parents of choristers, but all young adults are welcome!
A note about childcare: Children ages three through high school are encouraged to sing in choir, but childcare for ages 3-3rd grade is available Wednesdays for children not in choir. Children of all ages are welcome to remain under parental care during either session.
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Preschool Summer Camp Registration Open Now!
Session 1: June 7-11 ~ Session 2: July 12-16
Open to St. Philip's Preschool students, members of St. Philip's, and the surrounding community
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We are pleased to offer Preschool Camp for babies through age three! Two sessions are available (campers must have been born after September 1, 2017), and at each session, the children enjoy socializing while engaging in age-appropriate activities.
The fee per child is $250, and campers do not have to be St. Philip's Preschool students to attend. Space is limited, with preference given for church members and for full-week camp attendance.
A note about safety: Cleaning is something we have always taken very seriously at St. Philip’s Preschool. We will clean and sanitize daily during camp, and we will also be using air purifiers. We would be happy to share our cleaning protocol with you upon request.
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This Week's Livestream Link
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"On Christ the solid rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand." In his February 28 sermon, the Rev. Jeffrey S. Miller pointed out that while there is so much anxiety in our society right now, there is true security in Jesus Christ.
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Reservations for In-Person Worship
Reservations for this Sunday's services of Holy Communion at 8:15 and 10:30 a.m. open today at 9:00 a.m.
Childcare during the 10:30 service is available for infants and young people through age five, with limited capacities within each age group. You may register at the link below after first registering to attend the 10:30 service, or you may call the church office at (843) 722-7734 to reserve space.
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"Mere Christianity" with the Rev. Brian McGreevy
Tonight at 7:15 p.m. on Zoom
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Mere Christianity began as a series of radio talks during the darkest days of World War II in England. Lewis was asked by the BBC to do the talks because so many people were living in fear and anxiety and were feeling that the world was crumbling around them, that "the wheels had come off the bus." Our culture today is beset with many of those same anxieties, albeit for different reasons. Lewis's broadcast talks were then edited by Lewis and published in book form as Mere Christianity. The book is still remarkably fresh today and serves as an encouragement to the believer, a winsome challenge to the doubter, and an effective apologetic for the unbeliever.
Do you receive Fr. Brian's updates and weekly wrap-up emails? Click here to read his last wrap-up email, and if you'd like to join his email list, let him know!
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The Rector's Bible Study
Thursdays at noon on Zoom
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Join the Rev. Jeffrey S. Miller tomorrow at noon, and find out for yourself why the best place to spend your Thursday lunch hour is on Zoom! Make yourself a sandwich, grab your Bible and a comfortable seat, and click the link below a little before noon tomorrow, and get ready to dive into St. Paul's letter to the Philippians!
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Subscribe to the podcast!
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Walchesky's Sexton Training Continues
Do you follow @st.philips.church?
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Sexton-in-training Cecilia Walchesky, who began assisting sexton Ben Singleton on Ash Wednesday, continued her training last week. Walchesky and Singleton were spotted practicing hallway surveillance on the first floor of the Ministries Hall (the church office building), and Walchesky's aptitude for the task was evident in her presentation: feet shoulder-width apart, eyes forward, and brow furrowed in concentration. Ellie the elephant was on hand for moral support, but she unfortunately will not be allowed to accompany Walchesky once she's officially on the clock; our insurance will not allow it.
This training session is old news if you follow St. Philip's on social media. If you'd like to be among the first to know about part-time staff updates, schedule changes, furry office visitors, and other important news, take a minute to click the buttons below to like or follow St. Philip's now!
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Would You Like Someone to Pray With You?
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To pray WITH someone:
Call Juanita Orvin, who will connect you with a prayer minister who will pray for your concerns over the phone.
To ask for prayer FOR someone:
Call Suzanne McCord, head of the prayer chain, and she will pass your request on to members of the chain.
Both options are always confidential.
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Save the Date
March 7 ~ Annual Parish Meeting (1:00 p.m. on Zoom)
March 28 ~ Palm Sunday
March 29-31 ~ Daily Holy Week services (8:00 a.m. in Chapel)
April 1 ~ Maundy Thursday (service at 6:00 p.m.)
April 2 ~ Good Friday (service at noon)
April 4 ~ Easter Day (services at 6:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m., and 11:15 a.m.)
April 18 ~ 20s-30s Lowcountry Boil
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Never miss a sermon!
Click below to subscribe to our Sermons podcast.
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Membership Directory
Are you looking for a fellow parishioner's contact information? Our directory is online! Click the "My St. Philip's" button on our homepage, stphilipschurchsc.org, to log in or sign up for an account. And for easy access on your phone, download the Church Life app!
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We pray for the sick: Katie Burris, Harry Carr, Glenn Corley, Elizabeth Flowers, Mary Forbes, Edward Good, Robert Gould, Jonathan Hanger, Clark Johnson, Joe Livesay, Connor Lowndes, Beverly Melvin, Leon Patat III, Deborah Pollak, Edward Pritchard, Jr., Mike Walsh, Carolyn Warlick, Lindsey Wing, and Charlie Yoho.
We grieve with and pray for the family of Washington Reid Patrick, Jr., who died on February 25.
We grieve with and pray for Cathy Gregorie and family on the death of her mother, Joyce Cooper Toomey, on February 26.
We pray for protection for Becca Baird, Chris and Julia Beasley, Graham Blunt, Henry Clayton, Ben Colyer, David Daughtridge, Hayes Fair, George Hoefer, Andrew Kane, Horry Kerrison, Charles Kirkman, Frazier Kulze, John Mason, Philip Middleton III, Jackson Miller, Ned Montgomery, Edward Pritchard, and David Scott serving in our Armed Forces.
We pray for our home missions: Star Gospel Mission, Tricounty Family Ministries, Lowcountry Pregnancy Center, St. John's Chapel, and the Open Door Ministry.
We pray for our world missions: For Suzy McCall and LAMB, for the medical missions to Honduras, for ministry to victims of genocide and AIDS in Rwanda, for Water Mission and the Global Water Center, and for St. Jean Baptiste, our sister church, and the schools in Haiti.
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Collect for Sunday:
Almighty God, who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Readings for Sunday:
- Romans 7:12-25
- Psalm 19:7-14
- John 2:13-22
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ST. PHILIP'S CHURCH
142 Church Street | Charleston, SC 29401
Church Office Hours
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday
8:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Friday
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Click HERE if you would like to opt out of receiving the printed mailing of the newsletter when we resume our mailings.
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