The Bridge
June 3, 2022
The Mission of St. John’s is to be a community of God’s people who heal brokenness, build bridges, and exemplify borderless kindness.
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Let us welcome the newly baptized!
Britany Ximena Carcamo Carbajal
Addison Fabiola Ochoa Carbajal
Maddison Ariel Ochoa Carbajal
Emily Hernandez Sandoval
Angel Hernandez Sandoval
We receive you into the household of God.
Confess the faith of Christ crucified,
proclaim his resurrection,
and share with us in his eternal priesthood.
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Mother Minerva’s Musings
I am excited to celebrate Pentecost with you. The Feast of Pentecost is one of my favorite feasts because we celebrate the birth of the Church. We celebrate the day in which Jesus' disciples receive the Holy Spirit and accept the invitation to continue the ministry that Jesus began. Jesus promised his disciples that they would not be alone after he left them. He promised them that the Holy Spirit would fill them with God’s power and God’s wisdom and She would be with the disciples to the end of time. It is this promise that gives us hope to continue Jesus’s ministry today despite or maybe because of the challenges facing our world.
The story we retell year after year reminds us all of how the Church began with a group of people who were from different backgrounds, ethnicities, and cultures. They were gathered together for the Jewish Feast of Pentecost where they made offerings and remembered that God had freed them from Egyptian bondage. The first thing that happened to them after receiving the Holy Spirit was the capacity for them to be in conversation with each other despite their differences. This capacity makes it possible for them to become one people, the Body of Christ.
The story reminds of the powerful force of the Holy Spirit. This power of Spirit goes beyond the capacity to speak in different tongues. We know that the Spirit empowered Peter to stand before the doubters and proclaim the Good News. This same Spirit is now with us to guide and give us the courage to stand today and proclaim the Good News in a broken world.
I know that these last few weeks have been challenging for all of us. Mass killings bring to light the many ills of our society: the lack of sensible gun laws; the lack of quality, affordable, and accessible mental healthcare; and the lack of healthy relationships in our communities.
The Feast of Pentecost gives us the opportunity not only to remember the birth of the Church, but to recommit ourselves to Christ’s mission - to love God with all our hearts and with all our souls and to love our neighbor as ourselves. We can see the world as it is with all of its ills, and we can imagine the world as it should be. We as the body of Christ with the power of the Holy Spirit can work towards building God’s kingdom here on earth.
I am grateful to be part of this community to celebrate, to remember, and to encourage one another to continue the work that we are called to do as the Body of Christ.
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Pentecost Parishwide Potluck
Sunday, June 5
12 Noon
You are invited to join your St. John's faith family on Sunday, June 5, for a potluck luncheon! St. John's will provide hamburgers, so please bring your favorite side dishes.
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Who is missing from this pict*re?
Is it you?
Have you returned to services at St. John's? Have you participated in any of the activities at St. John's? If not, perhaps this celebration of our worship and fellowship is the right time for you! Attend the service at 11:00 AM in the church, or just come to the picnic. We will have outside seating if you are not ready to be indoors in a crowd. The important thing is to rejoin the St. John's community.
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Pentecost Sunday - June 5, 2022
Wear Red as we Celebrate the Coming of
the Holy Spirit!
Holy Eucharist Rite I with Music
11:00 am
Parishwide Potluck
12:00 Noon
La Santa Eucaristía Rito Dos con Bautismo
1:00 pm
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Volunteer to carry a ribbon banner
in the processional!
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Sunday Services - June 5
The Day of Pentecost
11:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite I with music
(In-Person and Zoom)
1:00 pm Santa Eucaristía Rito II con bautismo
(en persona)
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To participate in our virtual Sunday services, you do not need to have a Zoom account or download Zoom. Simply click the link to join. |
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Meeting ID: 879 9502 6837
No passcode is required
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You may also join the service by telephone -
dial (346) 248-7799 and enter the meeting ID when prompted.
Meeting ID: 879 9502 6837
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The video recording of the 10:30 a.m. service will be posted on the St. John's Facebook page, YouTube, and the St. John's website later in the day. Additionally, recordings of the English and Spanish sermons will be available. Links to the recordings will be posted on our website (www.austinstjohns.org).
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A quote from Antony Beevor's The Second World War. This is an excellent one-volume treatment of World War II. The ISBN is
978-0316-02375-7. It seems relevant after Uvalde:
"Mass violence, as the Polish poet Czeslaw Milosz pointed out, destroyed both the idea of a common humanity and any sense of natural justice." pp. 768-769.
Jesus restores our idea of a common humanity, if we let him.
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St. John's Notices and Activities |
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Christian Formation Classes return to Sunday Morning -- starting June 12
Christian Formation classes are returning to our Sunday experience! Our initial offering will be a study of the lectionary readings for the day, led by our clergy.
Our new Sunday morning worship and education schedule, effective starting June 12, is:
- 8:30am - The Holy Eucharist Rite I (English)
- 9:45am - Adult Christian Formation Class
- 11:00am - The Holy Eucharist Rite II (English)
- 1:00pm - La Santa Eucaristía Rito Dos (Spanish)
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BUILDING SECURITY UPDATE
The new system is "LIVE"!
Thank you to those of you who have registered your keys and received your new security code. If you have not registered your key, please contact Kevin Flegal (512-924-7838 or jrwarden@austinstjohns.org) to make an appointment.
If you have been entrusted with a “key to the kingdom”, you have taken on the responsibility to protect our space. Please keep your key and security code secure.
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JUNETEENTH CELEBRATIONS!
We’re honoring and celebrating the contributions of African Americans in our history! The Racial Justice Team invites you to participate in the activities that are planned for June.
- A guided tour at the Washington Carver Museum on Friday, June 10 (see below for more details)
- Juneteenth Park Festival on Saturday, June 18
- Wednesday evening classes focus on African Americans commemorated by The Episcopal Church (June 1, 8, and 15)
- Movie and Popcorn Night on Wednesday, June 22 – “My Name is Pauli Murray”
- Pauli Murray Feast Day celebration and Scholarship donations on Sunday, June 26
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SEE-LEARN-EXPERIENCE
Celebrate FREEDOM with us as we step through the “African-American Presence in 19th Century Texas” exhibit at the George Washington Carver Museum
When: Friday June 10
Time: 10 a.m.
meet at St. John’s Parish Hall
caravan over to the museum together
MORE INFORMATION TO COME!
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DAUGHTERS OF THE KING
THE JOURNEY BEGINS
GREETINGS St. John’s!
I AM SO EXCITED RIGHT NOW! I want to share some good news with you all.
Our DOK Sunday Tea went very well. All attendees had a great time chatting and getting to know one another. I personally feel that the presence of the Lord was evident. During a few conversations, HIS presence was almost palpable.
As the Tea quickly raced to an end, a new beginning was already being created by The Creator. Wow! It was so obvious…this Tea was meant to happen, in the right month, on that exact day, and at the right time.
On Sunday, June 5, 2022, six women from our congregation will begin their training to become members of the “Daughters Of The King”. As they begin their spiritual journey, we ask that you keep them in your prayers.
“Lord, almighty God, please watch over our sisters, as they study your word. Give them the courage to open their minds and hearts. Wipe away any fear that often comes when we do a deep dive into discovering our true selves. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen"
If you are interested in hearing more about the Daughters of the King and the Junior Daughters, please contact Sandra Ward.
Sandra E. Ward
President
Daughters of the King
“Woman at the Well” Chapter
916-501-4719
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PEW CHOIR UNITE!
The St. John’s Choir invites the congregation to join them for a potluck supper on Thursday, June 23, at 6:00 PM, in the Narthex.
After we eat, the fun will continue with our Annual Hymn Sing. Philip will play favorite hymns, old and new, and will maybe even take requests! It is a time for the pew choir to really sing out! All are welcome!
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FARMSHARE AUSTIN
Sunday, from 11am-1pm.
Come shop for fresh, delicious, and affordable fruits and vegetables, local eggs and honey, and a variety of pantry staples!
The market accepts cash, credit, debit, SNAP, and
Double Up Food Bucks.
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COFFEE AND FELLOWSHIP
The Parish Hall is open for coffee and fellowship after each Sunday service!
Thanks to our volunteers who make the coffee, set it up, and clean up after. And always, thanks to Sheri Rasmussen who keeps us in iced tea!
If you would like to bring snacks, you are invited to do so. We have several "new" dishes remaining in the kitchen. Please take your dishes home with you to prevent the possibility of their being broken or misplaced.
Another note: Please mark any food left in the refrigerators. If you have placed food in the refrigerators, please remove any remains the following week. We in the office appreciate your kindness; however, we can't always consume everything, especially if we don't know what it is or whether it is being "saved" for some future event.
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Wednesday Special Series - Zoom
7:00 p.m.
On Wednesdays June 8 and 15, we will gather on Zoom to continue our focus on African Americans commemorated by The Episcopal Church in preparation for our celebration of Juneteenth and the Feast of Pauli Murray. We will conclude our special offerings on June 22 with a movie night and watch My Name is Pauli Murray.
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The Sunday readings will be found in each week's Christian Formation email sent out on Tuesday.
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Meeting ID: 886 3246 7047
Passcode: 980365
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Please Note:
this is a new Zoom link, meeting ID, and passcode
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Cornerstone Literary Circle - Zoom
5:30 p.m.
We are reading The Kindness of Color by Janice Munemitsu. Mary Hutka will host this book recommended by Kim Evert.
The reading assignments will be found in each week's Christian Formation email sent out on Tuesday.
The link to join the class is here:
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Meeting ID: 865 2855 1870
Passcode 446185
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Thursday Morning Bible Study - Hybrid
We will continue meeting in person and via Zoom on Thursday, at 10:00am.
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The link to join the class is here: |
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Meeting ID: 821 5253 7149
No passcode is required
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(please refer to our website www.austinstjohns.org or to the Christian Formation email sent every Tuesday for more information and links)
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WEDNESDAY MORNING GROUNDS CREW
For more information about this ministry, please contact Kevin Flegal.
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LABYRINTH COMMUNITY GARDEN |
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To learn about how our Labyrinth Community Garden serves the community, or for information about obtaining a bed in the Garden for you and your family, please contact Patty Arnold.
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TEXAS IAF CALLS FOR REAL ACTION IN WAKE OF UVALDE SHOOTING
Words, thoughts and prayers are not enough to address the gruesome murder scene at yet another school shooting. Uvalde, Buffalo, El Paso, Santa Fe, Fort Hood, Sandy Hook, plus 26 other schools and 200 other mass shootings just this year. Our state leaders’ ongoing catering to the gun lobby, with periodic “heartfelt” platitudes of sadness, is leading our state into a death spiral. This is idolatry of the semi-automatic weapon.
We must resist becoming numb to the slaughter of our children and families. Action is the only appropriate response.
In the words of Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller of San Antonio, “People are dying! We have made guns our idols, they are sacred to the point that we don’t take measures to help avoid these situations. It’s horrible. It’s a systemic problem. So, when we say that we are respecting life, how are we going to do it in this field?”
There are measures we can take to help prevent this carnage. But after the shootings in El Paso, Texas legislators passed six state laws that expanded access to guns.
Rabbi David Lyon of Congregation Beth Israel reminds us of the scriptural mandate: “Do not stand idly by while your neighbor bleeds. It is our higher calling to be responsible for one another.”
We must become a state where mass shootings are a relic of the past.
The Texas Industrial Areas Foundation, a network of churches, non-profits, unions, foundations, and neighborhoods, publicly commits to build the power we need to make this world a reality. Our commitment is to engage communities, leaders, and elected officials around policy changes for safer communities. Texas IAF calls on the legislature to pass concrete legislation that will prevent further carnage at our schools, churches and communities.
We cannot afford another tragedy.
The time to act is now.
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Christi Crow will be unavailable for providing transportation for several weeks. Please contact Sandra Ward, Anne Faithful and or Cap Metro for assistance. |
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FOR PRAYER AND PASTORAL CARE |
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If you find that your situation is causing financial, spiritual, or emotional difficulties, or if you are in need of food, do not hesitate to call Deacon Victoria (512-297-5953) or email Mthr. Minerva (RevMinerva@austinstjohns.org).
We are a church family; when a family member needs assistance we want to try and help that member.
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A Prayer for Uvalde
O God our Father, whose beloved Son took children into his arms and blessed them: Give us grace to entrust your beloved children of Uvalde to your everlasting care and love, and bring them fully into your heavenly kingdom. Pour out your grace and loving-kindness on all who grieve; surround them with your love; and restore their trust in your goodness. We lift up to you our weary, wounded souls and ask you to send your Holy Spirit to take away the anger and violence that infects our hearts, and make us instruments of your peace and children of the light. In the Name of Christ who is our hope, we pray. Amen.
The Rt. Rev. David M. Reed, Bishop of West Texas
A Prayer for Those Who Grieve in Uvalde
May the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, the great shepherd of the sheep, empower us through your Holy Spirit to be witnesses of your love, compassion and forgiveness in the aftermath of the Uvalde school shooting. We pray that your Holy Spirit will lead those who minister to the grieving and suffering families of the nineteen children and two teachers who died.
Give us, O Lord, the courage to walk through the valley of the shadow of death as we mourn this horrific tragedy. Guide us to to respond according to your will, even as to be Christ’s light to this broken and sinful world. All this we plead through Jesus Christ our Lord who died to set this world free. Amen.
The Rt. Rev. Rayford B. High, Jr., Assistant Bishop of West Texas
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A Prayer for Ukraine
God of Peace and Justice, we pray for the people of Ukraine today.
We pray for peace and the laying down of weapons.
We pray for all those who fear for tomorrow. that your Spirit of comfort would draw near to them.
We pray for those with power over war and peace, for wisdom, discernment, and compassion to guide their decisions.
Above all, we pray for all your precious children, at risk and in fear, that you would hold and protect them.
We pray in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace.
Amen.
Archbishop Justin Welby
Archbishop Stephen Cottrell
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Masks are optional on the St. John's campus. The CDC guidelines highly recommend that all persons who are not fully vaccinated wear masks while indoors. Thank you for your cooperation in these efforts to keep our St. John’s community safe and healthy. |
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Please send mail to the church post office box:
St. John’s Episcopal Church
P. O. Box 81493
Austin, TX 78708-1493
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All First Class Mail, Priority Mail and Priority Express Mail will be forwarded through Dec. 7, 2022.
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Mr. Steve Kriechbaum, Senior Warden
Mr. Kevin Flegal, Junior Warden
Ms. Maria Caballero, Clerk
Ms. Sandra Welles, Treasurer
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Class of 2023
Mr. Steve Kriechbaum
Ms. Sandra Welles
Sr. Carlos Lugo
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Class of 2024
Ms. Maria Caballero
Sra. Maria Angie Hernandez
Ms. Sandra Ward
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Class of 2025
Dr. Carolyn Cline
Mr. Kevin Flegal
Sra. Patricia Mata
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The Rev. Minerva Camarena Skeith, Rector
The Rev. Victoria Mason, Deacon
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Ms. Fay Jones, Director of Communications
Mr. Philip Riley, Choirmaster and Organist
Sr. Alfonso Hernandez, Spanish Music
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St. John's Episcopal Church
11201 Parkfield Drive
P. O. Box 81493, Austin, TX 78708-1493
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Regular Sunday Services
beginning June 12, 2022
8:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite I
9:45 a.m. Adult Christian Formation
11:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite II hybrid
(in-person & Zoom)
1:00 p.m. Santa Eucaristía, Rito II
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The Parish Office is open Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday
from 10am - 12Noon.
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For more information about St. John’s Episcopal Church, please visit our website at www.austinstjohns.org
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