January 21, 2021
Dear Friends of St. Timothy's:
To paraphrase Ronald Reagan, St. Timothy's Annual Meeting is both momentous and commonplace. Commonplace, because it happens every year. Momentous, because it happens every year.
It really is an amazing thing that these Annual Meetings take place no matter what. During wartime or peace, whether in good health or during a pandemic, this parish comes together every January to do some of the work God has given us to do. Which is exactly what we did this past Sunday. We welcome our new Vestry members, Ellen Elder-Joseph, Rita Haines, and Margy Vogt. Thanks to all who were able to navigate the technology and who partook in what was surely the shortest Annual Meeting in our 185 year history!
On to the updates . . .
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WORSHIP
You can find this week's bulletin insert HERE.
Sunday 1/24, Epiphany 3, Rite I
10:00 am we will stream a Rite I service of Holy Eucharist, at our website and on our Facebook page, using Choirmaster Andrew Bolden's Third Street Mass, which can be found HERE.
This week's service outline is HERE, and hymns are HERE.
Note: We will be using Rite I on Sundays up until Ash Wednesday.
Tuesday 1/26 7pm
Our weekly evening service, based on the Taize' model. You can tune in at 7pm, on Facebook and at our website. You can find an outline of the service HERE.
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FROM THE BISHOP'S OFFICE
The virtual Winter Convocation will take place February 7-14. This is, of course, held entirely online. But bonus: It's entirely free! You can pick and choose any events you'd like to attend. More information can be found at THIS link.
Also, the Diocese is putting together virtual choirs, to offer hymns during Lent and Holy Week. If you're interested in adding your voice, you can find instructions HERE. I participated in one of these this month for some Ordinations, and the process is pretty easy. So I encourage you to lift up your voice and sing!
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BIRTHDAYS and ANNIVERSARIES
Celebrating birthdays this week: Marilyn Croasdaile (1/27), Christine Lane (1/29), and Jon Silvis (1/30)
Dave and Ann Renkert will celebrate their anniversary on January 25th.
Be sure to send happy thoughts and good wishes to all who celebrate this week!
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PRAYERS REQUESTED
Please continue to pray for all those affected by COVID-19, and please keep these friends and parishioners in your prayers:
✥David & Judy Wigginton ✥Anne Smith ✥Bob Meyer ✥Chris Lane
✥Priya Kurian ✥Chuck Tilley ✥Michael Flamm ✥Bob Long ✥Jeff Frank
✥Bobbie Muhlbach ✥Isaac Leggett ✥Patty ✥Mike Requa ✥Toni Contini
✥Anita Bowers ✥Brian Dorosch ✥James and Michael.
Please also pray for the doctors, nurses, and other frontline workers who risk their own lives to keep us safe and healthy.
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MACCA LENTEN SERVICES
This week, I conferred with the other clergy with whom we usually do our MACCA Lenten Services. We all agreed that it is not safe to gather our congregations together. And so, we have come up with a Plan B, hoping we might congregate online Wednesday evenings during Lent (starting Feb. 24). We are still hammering out details, but the first step is to get everyone together in a "Group" on Facebook.
You can join that group at this LINK. More information will follow.
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WEEKLY PUZZLE
This week, I've been thinking a lot about our Baptismal font. When I see it--like really see it--I wonder, how many people have been baptized in that font? How many families have gathered around it, celebrating a new bond between a redeemed child of God and the Creator of all that is? And, this week, I was especially taken by the symbol of unity that it is. Though we come from many different backgrounds, and have such different opinions on so many things, we are united in One Faith, through One Baptism. The same Baptism that Jesus experienced with John in the River Jordan. And that is what holds us together, not unlike all these puzzle pieces being joined into one beautiful whole.
You will find the puzzle by clicking HERE. You can choose your background color, number of puzzle pieces, and even set it to display just the edge pieces. Plus, you get a very affirming crowd reaction once you have completed it!
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PLANNING AHEAD
This week, the Bishop sent out an email to clergy and Sr. Wardens regarding Ash Wednesday (Feb. 17) and some other matters. I want to give you plenty of advance warning: we will not be gathering in person on Ash Wednesday. The Bishop has ruled out "drive by" ashes, and has forbidden the mailing of ashes to parishioners.
However, what is permissible is the mailing of palm fronds from last Palm Sunday for you to make ashes at home. (We make the ashes by burning last year's palms.) So, if you have a palm frond at your house from a previous year, that's great. If you'd like us to mail you one, let me or Candy know, and we'll send one out to you. There are many other options for creating your own ashes, including simply touching a candle wick and marking your forehead with that.
I will be sending more information about possible options and Ash Wednesday, but I wanted to give us a jump on mailing out palms, in case that's something you're interested in.
I want to leave you with this Collect "For the Nation" from page 258 of our Book of Common Prayer:
Lord God Almighty, you have made all the peoples of the
earth for your glory, to serve you in freedom and in peace:
Give to the people of our country a zeal for justice and the
strength of forbearance, that we may use our liberty in
accordance with your gracious will; through Jesus Christ our
Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one
God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Faithfully,
Fr. George
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