Staying Connected: July 17,2020

Sunday Service

8:00 am and 10:00 am

via ZOOM

https://zoom.us/j/259359235

CALL: 1-646-558-8656 then enter meeting id: 259 359 235 #

MAKE YOUR PLEDGE DONATION HERE

Rector's Corner

Dear Family in Christ,

In Scotland in the 1930s, a minister named George MacLeod founded the Iona Community, a group of committed ministers and church members. Ever since, the Iona Community has called the Church of Scotland back to peace and justice — and serving presence — in the world. In a famous sermon, George MacLeod spoke of the need to return the cross to the center of the town: that “the Cross be raised again at the center of the market–place as well as on the steeple of the church."

He said:

"I am recovering the claim that Jesus was not crucified in a cathedral between two candles, but on a cross between two thieves; on the town garbage heap; at a crossroad so cosmopolitan they had to write his title in Hebrew and in Latin and in Greek (or shall we say in English, in Bantu and in Afrikaans?); at the kind of place where cynics talk smut, and thieves curse, and soldiers gamble. Because that is where he died. And that is what he died about. And that is where church people should be and what church membership should be all about."

This story and these words continue to stoke the fire in me that asks and ponders the questions, "How can we be the church in the world during a time of pandemic? How do we invite people in to our life and the life of Christ from a safe social distance? Even when we open the doors to our buildings, the number of people will be limited, yet our little church still longs to grow.

To date we've had more than 166 services during this time of Covid response. We have reached out via Social media, Zoom, telephone, email and USPS. We have built websites, filmed videos and connected with other churches. We had two book studies and continue to dive into our lectionary. This Saturday we will broadcast live to Facebook, a Musical Lectio Divina.

It has been busy, productive and filled with spiritual growth. Yet I wonder is it enough. What else can we do? How can we engage more deeply into community, with each other and with our hometown and surrounding? Are there people in need we can reach and if so, how?

I hope you'll pray with me for the continued Spirit of God's Wisdom and Guidance.

My heart longs to be with you all.

I pray that you remain healthy and well.

Stay very safe!

Blessings in Christ,

Mo. Allison+

Musical Lectio Divina

Tune into FaceBook Live

every Saturday at 5:30 pm

for a this week's reading of the Gospel and hymns.

Lay Leadership

The Rt. Rev. Bishop Stokes, Dr. Phil Lewis and the Reentering Reopening Reimaging Task Force provides updates on Guidelines in the Lay Town Hall meeting on July 9 2020

This meeting takes place every Thursday evening at 7:00 pm.

All are Welcome!

Lay Leaders Townhall

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Want to be notified when St. Mary's goes live for Prayer and Worship?Click on the Youtube picture, then like and subscribe by clicking on the bell icon.

Mark your Calendar

November 14, 2020—Online

Mark your calendar for our "Virtual" Convention

Because of the unprecedented pandemic, the Annual Diocesan Convention scheduled for March 7, 2020 was postponed until November 14, 2020. This convention in November will be a virtual convention and will cover only the business portions of the meeting along with voting for the various offices.

All deputies and alternates that were elected for the March 7 convention are expected to serve at the November 14 virtual convention. Clear, concise instructions for your participation will be provided. We hope that you will arrange to join us at this virtual convention.

Registration and login information for November 14 will be available soon. Please watch for all communications coming from the Diocesan Office.

The Diocesan Office will issue refunds to those who have registered for the March 7, 2020 convention. If you do not receive your refund by July 10, please email [email protected] or [email protected] .

Call for Nominations for Diocesan Convention.

Since the annual Diocesan Convention was postponed from March 7 to November 14, this reopens the ability to submit nominations for persons to be elected at the Convention. Diocesan Canon 5, Section 4 provides that the Nominating Committee can accept nominations up to January 1, but following that date additional nominations may be submitted to the Secretary of Convention "no later than 45 days before the meeting of the Convention."

The rescheduling thus extends the nominations window to September 30, 2020.

Virtual Convention Page

Music with David

Dear Friends,

Last week I discussed the concept of counterpoint, and some of the ways it was commonly used in the Baroque Period. You might remember that counterpoint is, broadly speaking, the layering (and interchange) of melodic lines.

This type of interaction can take many forms, such as a fugue or canon, but not all uses of counterpoint are so rigid. Counterpoint is part of the very fabric of music - it shows us how music interacts with itself.

This Sunday I will play a selection from Mendelssohn’s Sonata in C which demonstrates this point. The piece is defined by an ongoing (and overlapping) dialogue between the pedal and the hands. This process, driven by counterpoint, allows the music to expand and contract, propelling it relentlessly forward.

Enjoy the music - and until we meet again, take care and stay well!

David