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The Bridge
March 31, 2023
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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Holy Week 2023 – The Triduum
The season of Lent is coming to a close and Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday on April 2. I invite you to participate in one of the Church’s oldest traditions - The Triduum. The Triduum begins with Maundy Thursday, April 6 and ends with the Easter Vigil on Saturday evening, April 8. This year St. John’s will include the ceremonial foot washing on Maundy Thursday. There will be two Good Friday services, English at noon and Spanish with the Stations of the Cross at 7pm. There will also be a Woman’s Stations of the Cross on Good Friday at 5pm, the Stations from the perspective of the women. The Easter Vigil will begin on Saturday evening at 8pm.
Participating in these three days allows one to experience the last days of Jesus' life on earth and his resurrection. It is an opportunity to more fully experience Holy Week and prepare for the Easter Season. I look forward to sharing this experience with you.
Mother Minerva
Click here for a full description of the services.
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THE SUNDAY OF THE
PASSION: PALM SUNDAY
The Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter. It marks the end of Lent and the beginning of Holy Week. We begin the service with a Gospel reading of Jesus entrance into Jerusalem where his disciples welcome Jesus by waving palms along the way. Palms are blessed and distributed, and we all process into the church singing the traditional Palm Sunday hymn “All Glory, Laud and Honor.”
Once inside the liturgy turns its focus to recalling Jesus' Passion. Each year we read one of the Passion Gospels. The tone of euphoria and triumph of Jesus’ entry changes dramatically. We who moments earlier shouted “Hosanna”, now cry “Crucify him! Crucify him!” The stage is set for the rest of the week. A week that calls for fasting, reflection, and prayer.
Sunday, April 2, 2023
- 8:30 a.m. - The Holy Eucharist Rite I (English)
- 9:45 a.m. - Adult Christian Formation Class
- 11:00 a.m. - The Holy Eucharist Rite II (English, online)
- 1:00 p.m. - La Santa Eucaristía Rito Dos (Spanish)
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MAUNDY THURSDAY
This service takes its name from the Latin word Mandatum, meaning “commandment.” At the Last Supper, Jesus gives the new commandment, “Love one another as I have loved you.” Jesus demonstrated this love by washing the disciples’ feet. Jesus also commanded his followers to remember him when we eat the bread and drink the wine of the Holy Eucharist. We remember the events of the Last Supper through the readings and the ceremonial foot washing.
This day commemorates the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper in the Upper Room as Jesus tells his followers to “do this in remembrance of me.” After the Eucharist is celebrated, the congregation pauses to remember the betrayal and arrest of Jesus. As the lights are dimmed and all the adornments of the altar are removed, we are reminded of the grief that the disciples experienced when Jesus was betrayed and taken away.
Thursday, April 6, 2023
- Maundy Thursday - 7:00 p.m. Service in English - available online
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GOOD FRIDAY
This day is both a day of mourning and triumph. Good Friday is a commemoration of the crucifixion. The prayers and anthems remind us that the crucifixion is not separated from the resurrection. While it is a day of mourning, Good Friday is an observance of Christ’s victory over death.
Friday, April 7, 2023
- Good Friday NOON —Service in English - available online
- Good Friday 5:00 PM — Stations of the Cross in English, with a focus on the women in the Passion Story
- Good Friday 7:00 PM — Via Crucis y Viernes Santo Misa en Español
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HOLY SATURDAY
The holy Sabbath recalls Christ’s body lying in the tomb and how Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus prepared his body according to the burial custom of the Jews. Holy Saturday ends at sundown with the Easter Vigil.
Saturday, April 8, 2023
- Holy Saturday service 11:00 AM -- in-person only
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THE GREAT VIGIL
OF EASTER
This service is the most ancient of the Church’s liturgies. It is by far the most dramatic and moving service of the year as the movement from death and darkness to resurrection and light is powerfully told in word and action. The Great Vigil consists of four parts:
The Service of Light.
The Service of Lessons.
The Renewal of Baptismal Vows.
The Holy Eucharist.
We begin outside at sunset to light and bless the Paschal Candle. The Paschal Candle, a symbol of the light of Christ through his resurrection, is lit. The Paschal Candle leads everyone into the church. The Exsultet, the great hymn that calls on all of creation to rejoice, is sung and readings from the Old Testament follow. After the readings the service continues with a Renewal of Baptismal Vows. Then the central moment of the church year occurs: the announcement of the resurrection by the Celebrant with the words “Alleluia, Christ is Risen.” The people respond, “The Lord is risen indeed, Alleluia”, the Gloria is sung. Then the first Eucharist of Easter is celebrated with great joy.
Saturday, April 8, 2023
- Great Vigil service in English -- 8:00 PM
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Easter Day
Easter has been celebrated since that first Sunday that the disciples found the empty tomb where Jesus had been buried. The news of Jesus’ resurrection spread to the disciples and the Good News continues to be shared to this day. According to the Episcopal Dictionary of the Church, “Easter is the day of Jesus' resurrection. Jesus is understood to have been raised on the Sunday following the Friday of his crucifixion. The resurrection is to be distinguished both from resuscitation (restoration to the prior mode of human existence) and the immortality of the soul. Jesus' resurrection began the transformation and glorification of the whole cosmos, including the redeemed Christian community.” Jesus’ conquering of death allows all of us to have eternal life. This is why for Christians Easter is one of the holiest of days. We celebrate Jesus' resurrection especially on Easter Day, during the Easter Season, and every Sunday.
Sunday, April 9, 2023
- Easter Service in English (Rite I) 8:30 AM
- Easter Service in English (Rite II) 11:00 AM - available online
- Misa del Pascua en Español 1:00 PM
- Easter Egg Hunt after the 1:00 PM service
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EASTER COOKIES
As is the custom at St. John’s, we will be having a grand assortment of cookies on Easter Day. Please bring cookies to share.
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EASTER DAY HATS
Years ago, it was a tradition in the church to wear a hat on Easter. To celebrate Easter this year, we would like to continue that tradition of wearing a festive hat on Easter. Any hat will do. So, join in the fun this Easter and wear a hat!
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FLOWERS FOR THE CROSS AT EASTER
We will be flowering the cross during the Easter morning services. If you would like to donate flowers, please bring them on Saturday, April 8th to give to the altar guild between 10am and noon. You may also bring them to the Easter Vigil and put them in the Sacristy in water. Or you may come a little early on Easter Sunday and bring them then.
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LENTEN BOOKS
We have Lenten books in the Narthex that you can take home to read on your own or with your family. These books are available in English and Spanish. Share with your family, friends, and neighbors.
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Monthly Family Afternoon
2nd Sunday of every month. The goal is to have family friendly events once a month which will range from educational activities to fun activities. This event will allow us to get to know each other better and for our kids to have a good time. Our next event will be Easter Sunday, April 9th.
We will be hosting our annual Easter Egg Hunt on Easter Sunday after the 1 PM service — approximately 2:15 PM. There will also be food!
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CALL TO ACTION
CALL YOUR STATE REP AND SENATOR TO OPPOSE BRINGING BACK CHAPTER 313 “VAMPIRE FUND” OR ANY SCHOOL-BASED TAX GIVEAWAYS
Central Texas Interfaith and allies stopped the reauthorization of the failed Chapter 313 program in the 2021 Legislative Session. Chapter 313 is Texas’ largest corporate welfare program, which drained over $1Billion/year in potential school funding and gave it to major oil, gas, and manufacturing corporations. Now industry lobbyists want to bring Chapter 313 back from the grave, like Dracula, in the form of House Bill 5 (HB5) and Senate Bill 1926 (SB1926). We urge you to call your representatives’ offices today and ask them to vote AGAINST HB5 and SB1926 and any legislation that takes money from schoolchildren to line the pockets of wealthy corporations.
Use the link to find your Senator or Representative, then contact them TODAY!
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Apply Now for Episcopal Church 2023-2024 Educational Scholarships
Applications are being accepted for a wide variety of educational scholarships from the Episcopal Church for the 2023-2024 academic year. The deadline to apply is April 12. All applicants must be Episcopalian. Click for more.
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Farmshare Austin
Sunday, from
11 a.m.-1 p.m.
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 Narthex 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.
Let's also be good stewards of our land and recycle! There will be signs in the Narthex with items that are recyclable.
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Online Worship at St. John's | |
To participate in our online services, you do not need to have a Zoom account or download Zoom. Simply click the link to join. Holy Week links are listed with the individual services above. | |
You may also join the service by telephone - dial (346) 248-7799 and enter the meeting ID when prompted. Meeting ID: 879 9502 6837
The video recording of the 11:00 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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Sunday Morning Christian Formation
Class will resume this week at 9:45 a.m. - Sunday, April 2nd in person in the church (nave).
We will study the lectionary for this week.
Please contact Mother Minerva for more information.
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Cornerstone Literary Circle -
Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
Cornerstone Literary Circle has just finished reading "Solito" by Javier Zamora.
The next book will be "Caste: The Origin of Our Discontent" by Isabel Wilkerson. A reviewer for the NYTimes wrote: "Wilkerson’s book is about how brutal misperceptions about race have disfigured the American experiment. This is a topic that major historians and novelists have examined from many angles, with care, anger, deep feeling and sometimes simmering wit."
We are taking off for two weeks, giving folks 2 weeks to get the book and giving the host time to get ready to begin leading book discussion.
Our next Cornerstone meeting will be April 12th, 5:30pm-6:30pm.
Contact Laurie Williams if you would like more information about the book or the book club.
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Meeting ID: 865 2855 1870
Passcode 446185
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Wednesday Night Bible Study
The Wednesday Evening Bible Study in English will resume on April 19th. There will be no class on April 5th or April 12th.
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Thursday Morning Bible Study
10:00 a.m. - Thursday
Thursday Bible Study will take a day off on Maundy Thursday, April 6th and return April 13th.
Thursday Morning Bible Study continues in our hybrid format at 10:00 a.m., via Zoom and in the narthex. We begin meeting the women of the New Testament and will hear what these women have to say to us. We will find many of them more familiar than the Old Testament women were, and look for both similar and very different themes.
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
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 the Parish Office.
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Card Ministry
St. John’s Episcopal Church is starting a new card ministry that will involve sending handwritten cards to our members who are suffering illness and/or bereavement.
Please let Henry Welles, Sandra Ward or Christi Crow know if you have a need or if you know of someone who does. Thank you.
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For Prayer and Pastoral Care
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 email Mother Minerva.
We are a church family; when a family member needs assistance we want to try and help that member.
Click on the link below for Prayer for Ukraine.
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Please visit our website (austinstjohns.org) for other ways to make a donation.
Please send mail to the Church post office box:
St. John’s Episcopal Church
P. O. Box 81493
Austin, TX 78708-1493
If you are having problems with the online donation system, please contact the treasurer at Treasurer@austinstjohns.org and someone will help you resolve the problem.
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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.
Austin-Travis County's COVID-19 Community Level is currently low.
For more information: Austin Public Health
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Submit to the Bridge
You are invited to send pictures and articles to the Bridge! Please note the deadline: Noon, Wednesday preceding the Friday of publication.
Send to lshirah@hotmail.com with "For the Bridge" in the subject line. Be sure to note the date of the issue in which you want to publish the information or article.
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Class of 2024
Ms. Maria Caballero
Ms. Mary Anne O'Brien
Ms. Sandra Ward
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Class of 2025
Mr. Kevin Flegal
Ms. Patricia Mata
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Class of 2026
Mr. Henry Welles
Mr. Carlos Lugo
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St. John's Episcopal Church
11201 Parkfield Drive
P. O. Box 81493, Austin, TX 78708-1493
Church Office: 512-580-0200
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Regular Sunday Services
8:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite I
9:45 a.m. Adult Christian Formation (in-person & Zoom)
11:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite II hybrid (in-person & Zoom)
1:00 p.m. Santa Eucaristía, Rito II
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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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