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St. Mary's in- the- Valley
Episcopal Church
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Multiplication of Loaves. For Five Sundays we are Reading from the Bread of Heaven Discourse in John's Gospel
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On Sundays we meet at 9:30 a.m. with some restrictions. We now must wear masks again during worship, due to the unvaccinated and the threat of the Delta variant.
The Youtube liturgy is posted on Saturday evening.
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Calendar for the Week
Youtube Service will be available on Saturday evening
Friday, July 30, 2021
Office Closed
Saturday, July 32, 2021
Office Closed
Sunday, August 1, 2021
9:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist
Monday, August 2, 2021
Office closed
4:30 p.m. Centering Prayer at the Church
Tuesday, August 3, 2021
Office hours: 10 a.m.-Noon
Wednesday,August 4, 2021
Office Hours: 10 a.m -Noon
7:30 p.m. Sacred Ground on Zoom
Thursday, August 5, 2021
Office hours: 10 a.m.-Noon
Friday, August 6, 2021
Office closed
8:30 a.m. Centering Prayer on Zoom, half hour session
The Office Hours are listed above, but you can contact Fr. Phil, to arrange a meeting at other convenient times during the week. He can meet you at the church office.
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Weekly Greetings
St. Mary’s in the Valley
Friday, July 30, 2021
Hello Everyone –
I hope this finds everyone in a cool spot and enjoying these dog days of summer. August will be here on Sunday, and before you know it, school will be starting and summer will definitely be winding down. I can’t believe how quickly June and July have gone by. Although I must admit some real Fall weather would be lovely.
I believe we’re back to masks for Sunday worship. I guess it was a matter of time before the hammer dropped, and with the rising number of COVID cases, it doesn’t surprise me that we are going backward rather than forward. I read today that 70% of the population in San Diego has been vaccinated. The last statistic that I read had me worried as it talked about the high numbers of people who had received the first dose, and then for whatever reason, failed to follow up with the second. That’s living on the edge as far as I’m concerned. My prayers are with all our friends and neighbors, whether they are healthy or ill, vaccinated or not vaccinated, or are struggling with the decisions we all have to make regarding our health and well-being.
Ladies, be sure and mark your calendars for August 14th at 4:30 pm when once again Debbie Benson will provide a delightful setting for an afternoon tea. Delicious sweet and savory treats will be available, and of course, the opportunity for wonderful conversation and fellowship.
Hope to see you all there.
Here’s my thought for the week to come. This was posted by my original college roommate. –
I won’t say how many years ago that was, but I’m sure you all have a pretty good idea that it had to be more than fifty years ago when we first met and then roomed together for our first two years at Bradley University in Peoria, IL. This comes from Mindfulness Ireland –
You look in the mirror
and sometimes see a mess of a
human being. But you don’t
see the lives you’ve
touched, or the people
you’ve saved. You don’t see
all the love you’ve given
freely, or the extraordinary
memories you’ve made. You
are a book of beautiful
moments and feelings.
Have a safe and healthy week my friends –
Blessings and peace,
Connie
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Upcoming Dates
August 2nd at 4:30 p.m. Centering Prayer at the Church
August 4th at 7:30 p.m. Sacred Ground
August 14th, 4:30 p.m. Garden Tea, at the Bensons'
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Video for the Good News Festival on December 3-4 with Presiding Bishop Michael Curry at the Town and Country Resort in San Diego. Think about friends you would like to invite.
Prayer for the Festival
Loving God, Author of life, in You we live and move and have our being. We ask that you revive us again in your mighty Spirit as we prepare our hearts for The Good News Festival. Inspire us to reach out to those who do not know you, and welcome them with open arms, without judgment, so that all may embrace your Good News, answer your call, and dance together with joy. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen
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A Letter from Bishop Susan about the new Covid-19 Restrictions
Dear Clergy,
Jesus commands us to love our neighbors, which includes doing what we can to keep them and ourselves safe in a public health crisis. With regret, due to the spike in Covid cases in our area, I am asking you to reinstate mask-wearing for all (except while reading or preaching) for indoor worship in our diocese.
I have so enjoyed our brief respite from most restrictions in worship. Like all of you, I hoped and prayed that the drop in Covid cases we saw earlier in the summer would prove to be the end of the pandemic. Sadly, the choice of many people in our area to remain unvaccinated is allowing the pandemic to continue. Given the fact that children and some people with health conditions cannot yet be vaccinated, and that even vaccinated adults can catch breakthrough cases (albeit with far better outcomes than unvaccinated people), it seems that the responsible thing to do is keep ourselves safe with masking during indoor worship. I am saddened by the need to tighten restrictions once more, but this message comes after review of the concerning news of a Covid spike, and after discussion with members of our Public Health Task Force.
I ask you to join me in prayer that the current growth in cases is short-lived, and I ask you to urge your members to be vaccinated, for the sake of public health in our community. I hope we can remove the masking requirement soon. But for now, I believe that Jesus’ command to love our neighbor compels us to do what we can to protect our neighbors and our community from this disease. I am grateful to all of you for your leadership in this trying time.
In Christ,
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Susan Brown Snook
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Sacred Ground gathers via Zoom on August 4th at 7:30 p.m. The work of racial justice is on-going and it is a continual work in our hearts so that we are unlearning bad habits of bias and learning how to be truly open to the appreciative regard for all people. Coming up will be a movie premiere in October, a documentary on The Rev. Pauli Murray, the first African American woman Episcopal priest, a civil rights movement architect, women's rights activists and LGBTQ rights visionary, and one who influenced the lives of Justices Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Thurgood Marshall.
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Is God calling you to Centering Prayer? Two Opportunities to Explore
Centering Prayer will meet on August 1st, at 4:15 p.m.(prayer starts at 4:30 prompt) in person at the church. The Friday morning Centering Prayer on Zoom continues at 8:30 a.m. for a short, half hour session of meditation only. If you want to know more and are interested in joining, please contact either Deb Lewallen ([email protected]) or Cindy Dodson ([email protected]).
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Dear Parish family and friends,
We are saddened that while most of world is crying out for availability of the Covid-19 vaccine, that our country which is vaccine rich, has a significant number of the populace who do not accept the actuarial wisdom of taking the vaccine, and so the new Delta variant spread is requiring us to restrict in our gathering rules, even as we have been becoming optimistic after the vaccination push.
See Bishop Susan's letter above. We will be wearing masks in our worship again, except speakers and or song leaders when they are leading and speaking.
Nothing is perfect including the vaccine, just as people can die while wearing seat belts in their cars; but we urge people to go with the actuarial statistically approximate data for the common good.
Our work of prayer goes on; Centering prayer meets not as passive and individual prayer life, but to gain strength to be active in our pursuit of justice in our society, a justice which is really the hard love in application for everyone in our world. From our prayer comes the Sacred Ground program as we are informing ourselves about how injustices has been systemic toward groups of people and how we want to prepare ourselves to do the active work of justice. We also want to find a way to contact with neighbors who could benefit from our place of hospitality as a place for meeting, for convivio, or "get-together" to share important cultural ties.
This week we continue in the Bread of Heaven Discourse that is coupled with the story of the Manna. Manna is a manifestation of Hebrew humor in a "pun." When the children of Israel saw the white flakes on the ground and Moses told them that this was divine gourmet bread, the people said, "What is it?" Something which people often say or think about my experimental cooking. And Manna means, "What is it?" Whatchamacallit food.
There is a mystery about that little bread from the altar that you receive on Sunday? What is it? Manna? The bread of heaven and body of Christ as affirmation of the Presence of the Risen Christ within us.
On Sunday we will see how the words of Jesus resolve the Reformation quandary of salvation by grace through faith or salvation by works. Is there a work which is salvatory? Come and see and hear.
Blessings and much love,
Father Phil
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HEALING & RECOVERY
Betty C., Keith, Jerry J., Nikki M., Bob W., Richard R., Janet S,Dottie H., Ralph D.,Doug S.,Jennifer D., Jerry P., Sarah S., Guillermo, Ward B., Stanley S., Antonio M., Penny W. (Cathy J.'s sister)
CONTINUING CARE
Dave C.
Faithful Departed
Jack Flynn, Richard B.
SUPPORT & COMFORT
Cindy D., and Family of Esther Parker, Chila
MILITARY
Brooke S., Barron S., Chris R., Ricky S.,
Joseph F.
Please submit the names of persons for our Prayer Lists so that we can keep them current and up to date
Vicar's Office Hours 10 a.m.-Noon
Tuesday - Thursday
760-789-0890
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Blessings to you and your family and friends!
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St. Mary's-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church
1010 Twelfth Street, Ramona, CA 92065
Mail: P.O. Box 491
(760) 789-0890
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