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Sunday, October 20 is the Twenty-second Sunday

after Pentecost.

Service at 10:00 AM, Holy Eucharist

Find this week's readings in the bulletin.

This week, St. John's donated $170 to Cape Ann Animal Aid, which was raised at last week's Blessing of the Animals. This organization  is a non-profit, no kill organization dedicated to facilitating appropriate placement of adoptable animals. To learn more about their work, check out their web site. Pictured, left to right: John Churchwell, the Rev. Marya DeCarlen, Jane Young, Cape Ann Animal Aid Director of Development, Elizbeth de Veer and Marge Bishop.

Many, many thanks! Last Sunday, our liturgy celebrated Indigenous Peoples' Sunday, and there were many responses from parishioners that it was a moving and thoughtful program. There were so many people who helped to make this event possible. Many, many thanks to John Churchwell who chose such beautiful music selections, the voices of the choir, the prayers and sermon offered by Marya, the flowers and meaningful decorations by Rose Mary Sullivan, Gwen Kopka, and Kipp Ellis, the video programming provided by Norm Barr, and the organization by Marge Bishop. We appreciate everyone's efforts, and look forward to future events.

Connie DeSimone Claudette Chmura

Quick Reminder Daylight Saving Time ends on Sunday, November 3 at 2:00 am. Don't forget to set your clocks back an hour!

COMMON THREADS You are welcome to join us for Common Threads on Saturday, October 19 from 11-1 in the Thompson Room. Common Threads is a time to gather for fellowship and knitting or crocheting. Feel free to invite friends. Please email Kim at kdprentice@hotmail.com with any questions.

Evensong: A Choral Service with Musicians from Four Local Churches On Sunday, October 27 at 4:00 pm, please join us at St. John's Church for a choral Evensong with musicians from St. John's Episcopal Church, Annisquam Village Church, First Congregational Church-Rockport, and Trinity Congregational Church.

100% of donations will benefit Cape Ann Arts Alive.

Download the flyer.

Support for Asheville

Last week, Marya met a woman visiting our thrift shop who was looking for supplies for the Asheville community where her daughter, Katie Simonetti, lives. The town of Asheville, NC was devastated by Hurricane Helene. Marya reached out to Katie to find out the best way to help. Here is Katie's response:

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Here are links to two of the charities in Asheville that are doing amazing things to help the community: BeLoved Asheville and Manna Foodbank.

Currently it seems that immediate supply needs have been met, so a lot of places are asking for monetary donations now as the cleanup phase gets going and needs shift. It is going to be a very long and hard process to rebuild our city, so any help is greatly appreciated.  

Thank you for taking the time to share this with your congregation, please keep Asheville in your thoughts as time passes. Please let people know what a unique, beautiful, creative and thriving community Asheville is; we hope once we rebuild people come back to visit.

Notes from the Thrift Shop

Sue Wright stopped in this week to show us some of the clothing she has made for the Africa Dresses program. Using children's fabrics that we donate, Sue and her friends from the former Methodist Church in Gloucester have supported this ministry for many years. And we at St. John's Thrift Shop are happy to help them with fabric and sewing notions. We're all in this together....

Stewardship Continues!

If you need a pledge card or other stewardship materials, email Elizabeth or download from the web site. And mark your calendars for Ingathering Sunday, November 17. Thanks!

Make a Shrine for Lynn

On Sunday, October 20, after coffee hour, we will gather to make a shrine in Lynn's honor (making shrines was a gift she gave to this congregation). Please bring a bag lunch so that your tummy does not give out before your creativity and care for Lynn!

On All Saints Day, November 3, we will display her shrine along with other shrines and photos you bring to honor the saints in your life.

Speaking of Shrines...

When making shrines, including contributing items to the shrine for Lynn Runnells, consider a few things: the objects will go into a shoe box, so they should not be very big, no more than about 10 inches tall. Do not bring valuables, or any object you would be sad to lose. Very good choices include: items from nature, photos, poems or phrases printed on paper or written on an object of interest. For inspiration, see pictured here the photo of a shrine Rick Britton made for his mother.

The Feast of All Saints and All Souls Join St. John’s on Sunday, November 3 for this special service that includes the reading of the names of those who have gone before us. Please share names you would like to have read by Wednesday, October 30. Email names to the church office at marge@stjohnsgloucester.org or call Marge at 978-283-1708, or mail or drop off names in the church office. Additionally, we will feature an "Altar of Remembrance."

Please bring photos or shrines of loved ones by Saturday morning, November 2, and we will place them on the altars!

Village Fair Progress Report The pine cones are waxed and the dog biscuits baked. Hooray! Our thanks to all who have helped. What do we need now? Your empty wine bottles, holiday decorations, including artificial trees and wreaths, gift boxes, wrapping paper and ribbon. Sue Lupo also needs your old wooden cutting boards, condition irrelevant, which she will make into delightfully shaped new cutting boards. We'll let you know about upcoming group projects later this month.

Snack Time The kids are back in school, and everyone knows how hungry young folks can get between meals. Proper nutrition keeps the kids' engines going throughout the day, so anything that will boost their energy (especially before doing homework) is helpful. This week, the Open Door would appreciate: granola bars, crackers, breakfast bars, and other healthy snacks. Many thanks.

Music Notes

Isaac Watts (1674-1748) wrote the famous metrical paraphrase of Psalm 90, “O God, our help in ages past.”

Watts is often called the “Father of English hymnody”—that is, hymns on a wider range of topics rather than metrical versions of the psalms in the English language. Before him, congregational singing focused on singing strict metrical versions of the psalms. Metrical psalms, a product of the Reformed tradition, generally could neither add to nor delete anything from the psalm as found in the Bible. The result was that some awkward phrasings were tolerated in order to meet the strict demands of poetic meter. Watts took a more liberal approach to the psalter and provided us with hymns on topics and Scriptures beyond the confines of the Book of Psalms.

Watts composed three metrical paraphrases of portions of Psalm 90 which appeared in his famous Psalms of David, Imitated (1719). The version that we use is the second paraphrase, originally in nine stanzas, appearing under the title “Man Frail and God Eternal.”

The Wesley brothers made extensive use of Isaac Watts hymns. John Wesley altered Watts’ hymns for many reasons when they were published in his collections. The first stanza of this hymn contains one of John Wesley’s most significant alterations:



“O God, our help...” rather than “Our God, our help...” in the original. From John Wesley’s perspective, the use of “our” as an adjective to God implied a narrower Calvinistic God who was the province only of the “elect.” For the Wesleys, the grace of God was open to all, not just the elect.

When Psalm 90:1-5 is read and compared to Watts’ paraphrase of these verses in stanzas 1-5 of our hymn. There are striking similarities, on the one hand, but some beautiful poetic variations on the other that put Watts’ version in the realm of lyrical poetry rather than methodical rhymed metrical verse. 

Looking Ahead!

The Rev. Julia E. Whitworth Consecration Saturday, October 19 at 11:00am, Trinity Church Boston (more info about this below)

Shrine/Diorama Workshop for in honor of Lynn Runnells for All Saints Sunday Sunday, October 20 during Coffee Hour

Evensong with Seating of the Bishop

Sunday, October 20, 2024,5:00pm, Cathedral Church of Saint Paul

The Rev. Ali Lutz Preaches at St. John's Sunday, 10/27 at 10:00am

Evensong (St. John’s, Annisquam Village Church, First Congregational Rockport, Trinity Congregational Gloucester)

Sunday, October 27, 2024, 4:00pm at St. John’s Episcopal Church

All Saints Sunday and baptism Sunday, November 3 at 10:00am

The Rev. Ali Lutz Preaches at St. John's Sunday, 11/10 at 10:00am

Generosity Sunday Sunday, November 17 at 10:00am

Village Fair November 23

Advent Calming Service Sunday, December 1 at 10:00am

A Service of Lessons and Carols Sunday, December 15 at 10:00am

Christmas Eve Service Tuesday, December 24 at 8:00pm

A Service of Christmas Carols Sunday, December 29 at 10:00am

October is Domestic Abuse Awareness & Prevention Month On Monday, October 21, 12:30 to 1:30, come to Gloucester City Hall for a community flag raising and Proclamation addressing Domestic Abuse and review legislative advances from this year.

First Friday Coffeehouse Friday, November 1, doors open at 7:00 at the First Universalist Church of Essex. Come hear the Walker Creek Sax Quartet.

For more information and to buy tickets ahead of time, click here.

A Night of Silent Movies: Saturday, November 2 at 7:30pm, the Gloucester Meeting House, at the corner of Church Street and Middle Street in Gloucester, will host a night of Silent Movies. Peter Krasinski, sonic artist and pipe organ maestro, accompanies two silent movie classics: Alice in Wonderland (1915) and Toll of the Sea (1922). For more information, download the flyer.

Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. at Trinity Church in Boston. God willing and the people consenting, The Rev. Julia E. Whitworth will be ordained and consecrated a Bishop in the one holy catholic and apostolic Church and 17th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts. Details here.

Join a Watch Party near you! As our diocesan community prepares for the joyous celebration of the ordination and consecration of our new bishop on Oct. 19, you can join the celebration at a distance with others. The service will be livestreamed, and for those who would like to watch the service together with others, regional Watch Parties are being hosted by these church sites around the diocese:

·   Christ Church (33 Central Street) in Andover

·   St. Paul's Church (127 Summer Street) in Lynnfield

Doors at Watch Party locations open at 10:00 a.m. The liturgical procession begins at 10:30 a.m. and the service at 11:00 a.m. 

RSVP here as soon as possible to help our host sites plan for seating and hospitality. They look forward to welcoming you!

Evensong with Seating of Our New Bishop Our new bishop will be seated at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, 138 Tremont Street, Boston on Sunday, Oct. 20 at 5:00 p.m. 

BREAKING NEWS: John Churchwell and Kip Ellis will be singing in the joint choir during this Evensong with the Cathedral and Old North Church choirs.

SUPPORT HURRICANE RECOVERY EFFORTS:

Episcopal Relief & Development is working closely with partners to support people affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The Hurricane Relief Fund is an important tool for responding to immediate needs and supporting long-term recovery. Please contribute to Episcopal Relief & Development’s Hurricane Relief Fund to support long-term recovery efforts.

October 20, 2024

The Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost.

10:00 AM

Download the bulletin to see who is participating in the liturgy.

SIGN-UP IN THE PARISH HALL! We always need people to contribute funds for the weekly burning of our sanctuary lamp and for altar flowers. Pick a date that has special meaning for you (anniversaries, birthdays, etc.)! We also always need donations of any kind for the Open Door food bank (no expired items or glass containers please). And don't forget about helping provide lunches for the Action Shelter so people can have something to eat on Sundays!

Sign up in the parish hall for future dates for flower and lamp, Action Sandwiches and coffee hour.



CONTACT MARYA (Priest-in-Collaboration) at mdecarlen@comcast.net or 978-590-1642

Join us for Zoom Coffee Hour, aka Reliable Joy! 

Reliable Joy meets Sundays at 12:30. 

Use this Zoom link to join in. Meeting ID: 873 3272 1412

Passcode: 01930 Dial by location: 1 646 558 8656

WEEKLY CALENDAR

Sundays               

• 8:30 - 9:15 am Choir rehearsal (Sept. through June)
• 10:00 am Sung Eucharist

Mondays             

• 9-noon Church open for prayer and meditation
• 9-noon Ms. Fixits Women gathering to tend to the fabric of the church

Tuesdays

• 9-noon Church open for prayer and meditation
• 4:30 pm Women's Cursillo Reunion Group (1st and 3rd Tuesdays)

Wednesdays

• 7 am Men's Bible Reflection, (Bible study) 
• 9-noon Church open for prayer and meditation
• 10 am to 2 pm Thrift Shop and Regal Rummage Open
• 7 pm Fish City AA

Thursdays    

• 9-noon Church open for prayer and meditation
• 7 - 8:30 pm Parish Choir rehearsal (Sept. through June)
• 7:00 pm AA

Fridays

• 10 am to 2 pm Thrift Shop and Regal Rummage Open

Saturdays             

• Action Shelter Lunch-Making, Carolyn Stewart
• 10 am to 2 pm Thrift Shop and Regal Rummage Open
• 7 pm Big Book AA 

St. John's Intercession List: Abby Baxter, CoCo Baxter, Isaiah Woods, Nancy Neschis, Francisco Lococo, Clayton Dyett, The People of the Middle East, Jim LaBelle, Eric Leibowitz, Ruth and Gabriel Leibowitz, Anna and Isabelle, Ondine, Don Baker, Mandy, Nina Ziv, Marjorie Frontiero, Hope, Brie-Anne Martel, Patty Reed, Marjorie Fergusson, Laurie Menard, Jeremy, Lucy,  Gaëlle K., Sean G., Josh R., Sean, Alexis Morris, Charlie Bishop, Lyn Brakeman, Sarah Clifford, Ace Torrence and Family, Jacoby, Jay Featherstone, Isabelle Higgins, Christopher Antonuk, Miranda Featherstone and Family, Marsha White, Claire Stahler, Carole Secrest, Chris Klosterman, Sereda Feener, Alex Furth, Simeon Teitelbaum, Miriam Teitelbaum,  Len Berry, Ellen, Wayne Martin, Ernie Runnells, Jack Ketchopulos, Michael Rocha, Liana and Joe Webb, Anne Sullivan, Linda, Malcolm Henderson, Emelia Currier, Danny, John Fleming.

Contact prayer list manager: Joan Gorga 978-283-5926 or jmgorga@yahoo.com

Please notify Joan Gorga if there is any change with the people on this list. Thank you.