Pentecost Breaks Through the Pandemic
by The Rev. Cameron Randle, Rector
This Sunday is the Feast Day of Pentecost. It signals the conclusion of our 7-week liturgical season of Easter and points us in a new direction. Jesus has resurrected and ascended to Glory. The Holy Spirit, our divine GPS, is now dispatched to lead us into an era of empowerment, growth and mission. We often refer to Pentecost as the birthday of the church universal. It is the historical launching point of a perpetually forward movement.
But this year’s celebration of Pentecost represents yet another in a recent series of departures from the norm. For the sake of the greater good, we are unable to worship together physically. We cannot see for ourselves the wave of red outfits emboldening our pews. We will not sing together favorite hymns like
Come Down, O Love Divine
or
Breathe on Me, Breath of God.
At Eastern Shore Chapel, a baptism had been scheduled months in advance. That rite of spiritual passage is now postponed indefinitely. Those and similar deprivations will mark this observance of Pentecost as separate and apart from all others.
Yet, the central truth of Pentecost remains unchanged. We are an eternal people living in a very temporary time. The mission to which God calls us, and for which the Holy Spirit equips us, transcends temporal impediments. This, too, shall pass. Along the way, we’ll find ourselves improved by the process, notwithstanding the obvious and very real negatives.
The Rev. Steven Paulikas is an Episcopal priest and doctoral candidate at Oxford University in England. He has written an op-ed for
The New York Times
in which he said about the COVID-19 quarantine experience, “Having tasted a simpler life, perhaps we will shift our values and patterns. Having seen the importance of community, maybe we will invest more in the well-being of the collective and not just the individual. Having seen the suffering of others anew, we may find it impossible to ignore it in the future.”
At Eastern Shore Chapel, we continue to be the church in the world. Your generosity has paid for a month’s mortgage, enabling an Asian immigrant family to stay afloat during these difficult times. Your generosity has paid for the scheduled installation of a split system HVAC in a Latino immigrant family’s home, previously without heating or cooling, on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Your generosity has paid for a pre-owned automobile enabling an African immigrant family’s member to earn a living as a Lyft driver. Your generosity has paid for gift cards to Wal-Mart and Food Lion for multiple families in need. Your generosity has paid for dozens of bilingual books for underserved schoolchildren from low income homes. Your generosity has enabled our Chapel Pantry to feed
1,636 families in the past seven Saturdays
. These are just a handful of examples of God’s work being done by this parish, complemented by countless hours of volunteered time, energy, prayer and action.
All this, and many more undisclosed instances of compassion and relief, in the midst of a pandemic. When we hear this Sunday’s gospel lesson from John, chapter 20, we are well advised to fully, slowly and intentionally absorb the power of those words, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Again, and always. Amen.
Image above: Pentecost window, Duke Divinity School
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A message from the Senior Warden
People are the church. Buildings are not the church. Buildings are a place of worship, but we . . . we
are the church.
As Christians, we are commanded and commissioned to love our neighbors and to share the good news of Jesus Christ. In this time of turmoil and unanswered questions, we long for the routine that we have known. This pandemic has flung us out of our comfort zones, pushing us past the fear and into growth. Instead of worrying: “when we will be able to be in our buildings again,” I am rejoicing that we have been forced to get out of our own way. That we are out of the buildings and into the world spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ.
I am ever more convinced that the Holy Spirit walked among us as we discerned our mission, ”To love all as Christ loves us and to share the light of God through worship, service, and ministry,” and our vision, “Recognizing brokenness in ourselves and the world around us, we seek to be conduits of God’s healing and restoration.”
Now is the time to share the light of God and to be conduits of God’s healing and restoration. I am so very excited to be taking this journey together.
Your Faithful Servant,
Sally
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Field of Flags returns to honor military lives lost
ESC's annual Field of Flags has returned to honor the lives of service members whose lives were lost in Iraq and Afghanistan
. Thanks to Bill Hunter, Marty Thumel and Marty LaGiglia for initiating work on this year's field. Volunteers worked for two days to install the flags, which will remain in place through Independence Day. "Our Field of Flags is a ministry that touches our entire community," said Senior Warden Sally Cox.
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Honoring graduating high school seniors this Sunday
This Sunday we will honor our graduating High School Seniors. Please watch for an email with the service link and use it to hear them share about their experience at ESC and their next steps.
If you are interested in writing a note to one or all of the seniors,
you may do so here. If you would prefer to send them hand written notes, you may send them directly to the senior or to Lynn Lear at 2429 Plantation Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23454. I will compile them and include them in their ESC senior gift.
Please mail all notes or fill out the Google Form by June 5.
Thank you,
Lynn Lear
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Saints and Themes: Animals
Join Rev. Julia for this week's Saints & Themes tomorrow (Thursday, May 28) at 11 AM when we take a look at the patron saints of animals.
We will record the session and post it to YouTube and Facebook later. Join us live so you can ask questions and share your thoughts.
Saints and Themes with Rev. Julia - Every Thursday at 10 AM on ZOOM
Meeting ID: 825 7638 8681
Password: ESC
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Music for Pentecost
The African American Spiritual, "
Ev'ry Time I feel the Spirit," arranged by Moses Hogan, celebrates with rhythmic drive and emotional energy, what we experience when infused with the Holy Spirit.
From a different perspective and time period, the Hymn #504,
Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire, utilizes the plainsong melody
Veni Creator Spiritus. Normally, our choir will sing this hymn on the Day of Pentecost during the offering of Communion.
Please enjoy listening to the organ chorale prelude, “
Komm, Gott Schöpfer, heiliger Geist” by J. S. Bach, BWV 667. The chorale melody is based on the plainsong melody
Veni Creator Spiritus, noted above
. At the end of most Day of Pentecost Sundays, I conclude the service with this exciting composition.
Image:
Holy Spirit Dove stained glass window in St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican, Rome
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First Friday Men’s Breakfast
Time flies when you’re having fun and it’s time for our First Friday Men’s breakfast again on June 5. This will be our THIRD virtual breakfast – imagine that! Make your beverage of choice, get comfortable and simply go to
ZOOM.us
in your browser. Meeting number: 812 7053 3522 Password: ESC-rocks Or,
click here
. We begin at 7:30 sharp.
We will start with Morning Prayer then discuss goings on at our parish. Following that we will look at the lectionary readings for the following Sunday June 7, the First Sunday after Pentecost, Trinity Sunday.
Click here
to see all of the readings.
Please plan to join us. We miss seeing our church family, this is a good way to stay connected!
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Join us on ZOOM for daily Morning Prayer
Need more steps? Join us for Daily Morning Prayer, the first of the daily offices each day. Everything you need is provided, simply join us on ZOOM each morning (except Sunday) at 7:30 AM. It takes about thirty minutes and offers a way to get together for spiritual exercise. A very good way indeed to start the day.
Meeting ID:
562 715 368
Password:
John1513
Join us won't you? We will all be made richer by your presence. You are not expected but welcomed indeed! Email Lee Davis
[email protected]
if you have questions.
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Help the Parish Book Store provide books for the Latino children on the Eastern Shore
The Parish Book Store is conducting a Spring & Summer Book Drive for Latino children and youth on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. The campaign will extend through June 15. Many selections will be bilingual. We are seeking sponsorship of individual books, ranging in cost from $4.00-$15.00, for young readers of all ages up through 12
th
grade. With monies collected from our sponsors, the Shore-based nonprofit Dos Santos will distribute books to families in need via the organization’s three food pantry distribution sites in Eastville, Pungoteague and Parksley, VA.
Donors are asked to contribute financially by making checks payable to Parish Book Store with Dos Santos on the memo line. Please send financial donations to: Parish Book Store, 2020 Laskin Rd, Virginia Beach, VA 23451. Due to limitations imposed by COVID-19 precautions, the Book Store staff will select all titles to be purchased for distribution to the children of migrant workers, agricultural workers, poultry workers and other members of the ESVA Latino immigrant community.
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Sunday school comes to a close; EYC will continue to meet
Godly Play ended with a fun party for the feast! Thank you to all the Sunday School teachers for their time and effort in teaching our kids!
EYC enjoyed hanging out and playing games! We will continue to meet each Sunday at 1:00 pm. Send Molly an email for the zoom invite -
[email protected]
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Parish Day School: Virtual Camp Turtle Trap!
Last week
Parish Day School
wrapped up our 2019-2020 Preschool Year. We celebrated our Fours with a
virtual Evening Prayer Service
and parade. It was so nice to wave to our families and see our students smiling faces from their cars. It uplifted our hearts to let them know how much we care about them. We invited everyone to come back and visit us (once we reopen). We can’t wait to hear about their new Kindergarten adventures! We also created
a video from our PDS Team
to end the school year.
This past Friday, we let our
Camp Turtle Trap
families know we are making history and providing a
virtual Camp Turtle Trap experience
for our campers. Students can sign up starting this week for our summer camp themed
Travel the World: Stay At Home
. Camp begins June 15 and runs through August 14. Our summer staff have been working hard on creating story time videos, Zoom meet-ups, Rally Singing, Movement Classes and Arts/Crafts Activities. Campers will receive craft supplies weekly to complete their activities. We hope this is a blessing to our families as they stay safe at home this summer. For more information about our summer fun, go to
www.parishdayschool.org/camp-turtle-trap
or email
[email protected]
.
Sending everyone our love and prayers to stay healthy and safe!
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Thank you from the American Red Cross: You make a difference!
The American Red Cross is so grateful to all our partners that continue to stand with us through the evolution of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Hundreds of thousands of donors and blood drive hosts have responded to the call to support the lifesaving mission and we can't thank you enough!
Your commitment to host a blood drive with the Red Cross truly made a difference! Your team registered 25 total donors, collected 26 pints of blood and recruited 2 first-time donors. Your efforts have helped boost the community blood supply and ensure hospital patients have the lifesaving blood they need. Thank you!
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Pray for our military
From the
Cru Military Ministry
--
PRAISE
the Lord for opening new doors of ministry to uniformed (military, police, customs, etc.) members for one-on-one discipleship in Mongolia; extensive video conferencing prayer times among Latin American leaders; live prayer text sessions in Africa; and Combat Recovery small groups through virtual platforms in Ukraine. In addition, we praise God for creative and innovative ways God has allowed our teams to continue ministry to the U.S. military during this unique time in history! The Lord has given us the opportunity to have an extensive reach to military members through online Bible studies and mentoring!
Prayers & Prayer Cards for deployed military
If you would like a prayer card sent to your deployed service member please contact Bill Hunter at
[email protected] or 757-402-6384. I would also be happy to place the service member on the prayer list at church for inclusion in the weekly Prayers of the People.
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The Chapel Chimes is distributed every Wednesday.
If you would like to submit an article to the Chapel Chimes email
with "CHIMES SUBMISSION" in the subject line.
Deadline is every Tuesday at 5 pm.
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