June 3, 2020
Regathering & Racial Unrest: Activating Our Resources
by The Rev. Cameron Randle, Rector

In the halcyon days of early March, 2020 our pre-pandemic priorities took the form of Lenten studies devoted to promoting spiritual, mental, and physical health. How ironic and, at the same time, prescient were some of our pathways! We had no idea how closely our parish book study, Gifts of the Dark Wood, was destined to mirror an unwelcome new reality of national quarantine and shelter-in-place policies. We could not have imagined how the healthy living manual Christ Walk: A 40-Day Spiritual Fitness Program would be eclipsed by a global medical crisis. The very intentional purpose of our Bible study comparing St. Paul’s letter from prison to the church in Colossia with MLK, Jr’s Letter From Birmingham Jail was to begin a formal, long-term commitment at Eastern Shore Chapel to the study of racial justice and reconciliation. As this is written, we are subject to an 8 PM curfew in Virginia Beach, implemented to quell civic unrest in response to the horrific death of George Floyd and the complicated, nerve-wracking series of events in its wake.

And now, we find ourselves at a precarious juncture. Episcopal clergy in the Diocese of Southern Virginia have just received our guidelines in preparation for returning to in-person worship services. Rest assured that we are several weeks away from returning to group worship at Eastern Shore Chapel. Nonetheless, the planning and preparation begins. All parishes must first present to our bishop a written proposal detailing how we intend to meet the 11-pages of mandatory criteria. That proposal will be the result of collaboration between the clergy, vestry and other advisory sources. No proposal in our diocese will be approved until 14 consecutive days of declining (statewide) COVID-19 cases have been realized. Please resolve to be prayerful and patient as we develop our path forward to physical worship together at ESC.

At the same time, we have entered into uncharted territory in the realm of 21 st Century racial unrest. This signals for us as Christians and Anglicans and Episcopalians a decidedly uncomfortable, but absolutely critical, call to arms in opposition to systemic racism in all its manifestations. As painful and unsettling as current circumstances may be, they herald an opportunity for the church to take a stand against injustice, inequality and inequity in favor of equity, justice, inclusion and reconciliation premised upon listening, learning, soul-searing honesty and more than a modicum of openness to repentance. None of this, of course, is easy or appetizing. But it is essential, inescapable and painfully overdue. We have been training for this assignment longer than we may realize.

Together, we will weather the storms that lie ahead. During these first few days following the Feast of Pentecost, we are especially mindful of the enlightening and transformative work of the Holy Spirit in uniting the deeply divided hearts and minds of human beings. We understand a bit of the complexity involved in working through the issues presently assaulting our national senses. We are in it to overcome those obstacles and to emerge strengthened and sanctified over the long haul.  

There are no short, easy answers to what ails us. But there is an Answer.
 
If anyone is in Christ they are a new creation; the old has passed away, behold the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” (II Corinthians 5: 17-18).
Pastoral letter from Bishop Haynes

I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies... Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever flowing stream. (Amos 5:21-24)
 
We cannot continue to be silent. Too long we have refused to receive the breath of the Holy Spirit. Martin Luther King, Jr. said "There comes a time when silence is betrayal." In our silence we have dismissed the the indiscriminate killing and violence levied on people of color, and especially African-Americans. Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd are just the latest of a long list of people of color, known and unknown who have died because of our silence.
 
In that great hymn of the church, "Breathe on me, Breath of God" we ask God to Fill us with life anew that we may love as God loves and do what God would do. And yet our Black brothers and sisters cannot breathe. The breath of life is being choked out of them. The knees which bear down on their necks are our knees of White privilege, institutional and systemic racism. "I can't breathe!" is something they have been trying to tell us for a long time. Our brothers and sisters can't breathe. But we CAN breathe! And because we can breathe, it is time for us to stand up, give voice to their lament and outrage and voice to our lament and outrage. They can't breathe, but we can; and we must breathe and speak so that our breath can send out the word that what we have seen and heard IS UNACCEPTABLE.
 
If we remain silent, we will have betrayed our community. This is not a call to polarization. This is not about pitting the police as villains and the people they are trying to arrest as the good guys. We are all beloved children of the God in whose image we all are created. But we are all pre-disposed toward actions of evil; and it is toward those actions that we can no longer be silent. The cry for justice must be sounded out by all to whom the breath of life has been given.
 
Many will say that words are not enough; and indeed they are not. They must be coupled with action that is constructive and supportive of all life. The words that go out on our breath must be matched with actions that support our Baptismal promises to persevere and resist evil, to repent of sin, to proclaim the Good News of God in Christ, to seek and serve all persons loving our neighbors as ourselves, and to strive for justice and peace among all people, respecting the dignity of every human being. If we abandon these promises, we have walked away from God.
 
But what can we do? We can begin to look at ourselves and to root out every trace of our own racism. And it exists within all of us. This idea distresses us, because we want to be good people, and the idea of racism is abhorrent to us. But it exists. And the sooner we begin to shine the light on it, the sooner we will be freed from its oppression; and then, maybe then, our brothers and sisters of color will also be freed. The Episcopal Church, in its efforts towards "Becoming Beloved Community," has developed a curriculum called Sacred Ground. Many churches are beginning to offer opportunities to participate in this curriculum. If your church is one of them, please let the Diocesan office know. If you would like to find a group, please contact us, and we can help connect you. Our group on racial reconciliation, Repairers of the Breach, is working to update resources and action steps. Stay tuned through the Diocesan website, diosova.org.
 
I invite you to recall the Parable of the Good Samaritan. That wounded person is currently on the side of the road. That person cannot breathe. Are we going to stop and take action, or are we going to keep walking? What will we do so that one day everyone will be able to breathe.
 
Yours faithfully in Christ,
+Susan
Chapel Pantry Update
 
Greetings!

The Chapel Pantry served 260 families this past Saturday, bringing our total to 1,896 households served. Each week we continue to see 40-60 new families seeking help for the first time.

Ordering from the Foodbank has continued to improve, so our list of needs from parishioners is shrinking somewhat, however we will happily take all donations to reduce our food costs.

Our greatest needs at this time are:
  • Fresh or Frozen Meat of any kind
  • Fresh Eggs (any size package – we will repack into dozens)
  • Cereal or other breakfast foods
  • Canned Vegetables
  • Soup, Chili, Ravioli, etc.

For shopping, you can shop for us and donate the food, you can shop and be immediately reimbursed, or you can use a grocery pickup or delivery service if you’re not comfortable going to the market. Donations are accepted at the Barton House/Pantry from 10 to 2 Monday through Friday. For questions, call Kay O’Reilly at 757-323-7495.

Thank you for your continued help and support!
Saints and Themes: Coffee

Join Rev. Julia for this week's Saints & Themes tomorrow (Thursday, June 4) at 10 AM when we take a look at saints and coffee.

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.

Click here to join us OR go to www.zoom.us and enter Meeting ID: 861 3408 8380 and password: ESC
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!
WESC meeting via Zoom on June 7

The Women of Eastern Shore Chapel will have a Zoom meeting Sunday, June 7 at 2 PM to hear from Kay O'Reilly about the Chapel Pantry. Please join us by emailing the Rev. Julia Messer ( jmesser@easternshorechapel.org) or Susan Buchanan ( msbuchanan@verizon.net) for the Zoom link. So put on a bit of lipstick, fluff up your hair, and plan to join us. Spouses, children home from college are all welcome too.
Music for Trinity Sunday

The Heavens are Telling,” from The Creation by Franz Joseph Haydn, reflects the creation text in today’s opening scripture reading, Genesis 1/1 – 2.4a. This anthem is one of ESC’s choir favorites. It is glorious to see high school youth of America, 2014 All-State Iowa Chorus, sing this monumental composition with excitement and precision.

Trinity Sunday at ESC always opens with hymn #362, Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! Listen to this hymn concertato arranged by Jeremy Bankson for brass ensemble, organ, choir, and congregation.

Prelude and Fugue in E flat major by J. S. Bach, is not necessarily a composition celebrating the Trinity, but it is heroic in nature, and it’s fugue, (second half of the composition), is based on the tune St. Anne. When we sing this hymn tune, it is sung to the words, “O God our help in ages past.”
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 (except Sunday). 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.

Go to  www.zoom.us
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  cleedavis3@gmail.com  if you have questions.
Cemetery Expansion Update

Premier Earth Shaping continues with tree removal in the cemetery’s expansion area. The contractor had pulled off of the job site in order to complete a project at another location. Rain and wet weather had also slowed progress last week, however, they are back on schedule with a few dry days! 
 
The contractor has been hauling timber off the job site. They are hauling the timber up to a paper mill in West Point, Virginia. I anticipate the fence along the north border of the job site being removed sometime this week in order to remove the trees closest to the South Section of our cemetery. I am pleased to report that there has been no injuries thus far and will pray that continues to be the case during this project.
 
If you have any questions, please reach out to me at esccemetery@verizon.net
Parish Day School: Virtual Camp Turtle Trap registration open!

Parish Day School has opened registration for our virtual Camp Turtle Trap: Travel the World: Stay Safe at Home . This program is open to all children 2-9 years old. Campers will receive a camp packet with supplies to complete our virtual camp crafts and activities. Packets will be mailed (out of town) or picked up (local) the week before camp. Camp is modeled after our traditional camp plans with Storytime, Zoom Meet ups, Singing at Rally, Movement Classes and Arts/Craft activities that can all be done at the campers own pace at home. Camp begins on Monday, June 15 and runs through Friday, August 14, 2020 (2 week sessions for each theme) with four camp sessions being offered; Session 2: Amazing States of America, Session 3: Jambo, Sawbuno! Welcome to Africa, Session 4: Asian Adventures Await and Session 5: Go for Gold!  We hope you are able to register for the fun! Email Camp Director, Chris Crocker at ctt@easternshorechapel.org for more information or go to
 
Teachers are busy getting ready for Camp Turtle Trap by recording sessions for camp, creating the packets for families, and planning the virtual curriculum. While we would rather meet in person, we excited to make history with this virtual format for our campers. We will continue to think outside of the box to connect and serve our preschool and camp families. We are hopeful that they know that these activities are being created in love and support for those staying at home. We are so proud of our team as they are learning new ways to reach our littlest learners.
 
We continue to lift up our Parish Day School and Eastern Shore Chapel communities in prayer to stay healthy and safe during these challenging times.
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.
 
Questions? Contact Susan Buchanan or Marty LaGiglia at msbuchanan@verizon.net or martylag@hotmail.com .
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