WEEKLY UPDATE
Deans' Note
April 18, 2021
"Jesus himself stood among (the disciples)... He said to them...Look at my hands and my feet and see that it is I myself; touch me and see" 
(Luke 24: 36b, 39a).

The Gospel reading appointed for this week tells us of the physical presence of Jesus coming among his gathered Apostles on the evening of the resurrection. The physical connection between the disciples and our risen Lord is a crucial element of the Gospel story. We have an incarnational faith, being physically with one another is integral to what it means to be the "Body of Christ." And we not only meet the presence of God in the spoken word, but also in the real presence of Jesus in the bread and wine of communion, in signs and symbols, smells, taste, touch, and in the presence of one another. We Christians have been through a lot in this pandemic, but physical separation is among the greatest losses.

We were blessed to make the first move toward physical presence in worship a few weeks ago when we returned to the 8:00 mass outdoors. Now we are making plans for the next step -- indoor worship in the church beginning in May. Now it still won't be exactly as it was when we left the church over a year ago. We still will maintain the protocols to protect public health outlined by civil authorities and by our diocese. But we will have a single service that will also be live-streamed so that everyone in our congregation will have the opportunity to worship at the same time -- physically or digitally present. Additionally, we will continue Christian Education, and begin in-person Compline once a month, also in a hybrid form.

Recorded services have allowed us to explore the visual richness available through that medium, and to edit in musical and artistic elements. Our live-streamed services will not allow us quite the same flexibility, but we will have the benefit of worshiping together in the hybrid physical/digital format. Details about the service will be forthcoming after our Vestry meeting this coming week. We encourage as many of you as feel comfortable to join us in person. We will require reservations due to limited capacity. The plan we are setting forth will guide us through the summer.

We are moving forward by steps, and hopefully, we will be able to move toward fuller expressions of our worship in the fall. It is helpful for us not to think of these as moves "back to normal." There will be things we will have learned and will do differently that will never be the same as before March 2020. We can't help but trust that the Holy Spirit will lead us to new places we never imagined. So we aren't going back; we are moving forward with our Risen Lord who invites us to see him present with us pointing toward the future. Alleluia! Christ is risen!


Cathedral Life
Courses and Services
Mass In The Garden
Sundays at 8am
Join us this Sunday morning for mass in the garden. Please make your reservation to churchoffice@stjohnsla.org
Christian Education
w/ Bishop Brookhart
Sundays at 9:30am on FB Live
April 18 & April 25
Bishop Brookhart will be with us this Sunday. He will be working with his new book, Washed and Well-Fed.
Compline
Sunday, April 18, 2021 at 8pm
on FacebiB Live
Join us for Compline with Andrea and Christopher Gravis. Stream it live on Sunday at 8pm on Facebook.
Lectio Divina
with Mother Lyn Crow
Tuesdays at 7 pm on Facebook Live
April 27, May 4 & May 11
The African Bible study method was introduced at Lambeth Conference by the African delegation in 1998. A form of Lectio Divina has proved to be a wonderful way of studying scripture while, at the same time, building a wonderful sense of community among the participants. It has been widely used in the Episcopal church ever since. Join Mother Lyn as we explore this refreshing method of study. Bring your Bible in whatever translation you choose. We will meet Tuesdays at 7 pm, on April 27, May 4, and May 11.
Community & Events
COVID-19 VACCINE
Starting on April 1, anyone over 50 and over is eligible to receive the vaccine. April 15, anyone over 16.

The Covid-19 vaccine clinic at Kedren Hospital does not require appointments for anyone who is eligible but there is a special senior line.

Also, Kaiser Permanente allows persons 75 and over, outside their plan to get vaccinated by calling 1-833-KP4CARE (1-833-574-2273).

Seniors who need to access other options can receive internet support, please contact Fr. Dan for more information.

Meet the Doctor Who Turned His LA Clinic
Into a COVID Vaccine Hub
Let's Connect
We might be social distancing, but that doesn't mean we can't connect with our community. Follow us on social media for announcements, services, special content, live discussions and prayers.

Like us, tag us, share us with friends & family.

#StJohnsLA #StJohnsLACares

Online Services

Services will continue to be streamed on our Facebook page here. Sunday morning mass is at 11:00 a.m. and Sunday night compline is at 8:00 p.m. on the 1st and 3rd Sunday. Tuesday and Thursday evening prayer are at 6:30 p.m., also on the Facebook page. The Sunday services are also uploaded to YouTube.
Online Giving

Giving is still important to the operation of the church in these interesting times. You can give online through our website donation platform here, or by the mobile version Give Plus on Android or iPhone. Checks made out to "St. John's Church" may be mailed to Clergy House; reply to this email for the address. You can also text STJOHNSLA to 44321 for a text-to-give option!