E-Messenger April 2, 2020
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Join us for church this Sunday, Palm Sunday,
via Facebook Live
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at 10 a.m
.
this Sunday (March 29)
. Plan to add your prayer requests and share the service with others.
Click
HERE
for the readings.
Click
HERE
for the Book of Common Prayer.
*Photo is from our 2019 Palm Sunday Service.
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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
On Tuesday, as many of you know, I cooked BBQ for Sher Baechtold (to the right) and her team working in the ICU at the Dorn VA Medical Center. (See her story down below.) Since then I have received numerous emails and text messages asking, "How can I help?" or "What can I do for others"? While the rest of this E-messenger will lay out our plans for Holy Week, I feel the need to answer these questions with a few simple thoughts.
First. Pray.
God listens! I truly believe it. Also, prayer helps ease personal anxiety and helps clear your head. Pray. Take some time alone or with another person and pray. Susan will soon have a video about making a "Holy Space" in your home. Consider her words, they are wise.
Second. Do the easy things.
Pick the low hanging fruit. Do you know kids are traveling the neighborhoods on walks with their parents, and thousands of people have hidden stuffed animals in their windows so that little children can go on "bear hunts"? It's easy. It is helpful. It takes almost no time, and it cheers up a child's day. Do you know of other easy ideas that follow all of the rules of physical distancing? Do them and then share them with others.
Third. Play to your strengths.
COVID-19 is a scary thing. The problem is fear causes us to lose focus on what we are good at because it forces our focus onto that one thing that we fear. Can I barbecue? Can I can I cook for a nursing team that is working double shifts? Absolutely! Can I deliver it safely? Sure, I can be as safe as any restaurant can. Passion meeting the service of God is the definition of Christian mission. What are your passions? How can they be of service? Do you knit? Have you considered knitting preemie hats or blankets for the hospitals? While hospitals may not be able to take your donations now, they soon will be again and stockpiles will be low. Can you sing? Consider singing for your neighborhood or your street. What are the things you have always done for others? Is there a new way you can do it while following CDC guidelines and being safe? I encourage you to think about it and pray about it. Play to your strengths, your God-given talents. The gifts of God for the people of God are still with us. We just need to think of ways to use them creatively.
In Christ,
Mitch+
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SUSAN SHARES HOW TO SET AN ALTAR
AT HOME
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Friends,
This promises to be a Holy Week unlike any we've ever experienced. We, your clergy, pray that it will be a rich and meaningful time, even with all the shifts and changes required.
To that purpose, a few thoughts about worshiping from home during this holiest of times. If you do not already have a space set aside at home, here are a few recommendations:
- Find a comfortable place. Whether you are alone or part of a family, be in a place where all can gather around your computer, ipad or iphones comfortably. It could be at your dining table, on your deck, in your den.
- Set your altar with a candle, a cross, perhaps items collected by family members that have some significance to them. Encourage contributors to share the meaning behind their "offerings." These could be a beloved stuffed animal, something from nature, a special book, something to be offered for the glory of God in love. Of course, your Book of Common Prayer and your Bible are good resources.
- Know that anytime we gather with the intention of seeking God is holy time. Let this knowledge allow you to be flexible with children who might wander off, or distractions that may occur. Return to worship as you can, when you can.
- And most of all, as you gather for worship, remember that you will not be alone. You, your family at St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, and thousands, if not millions, of others will be gathering with you. And God will be there.
Faithfully,
Susan+
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CAITLYN REMINDS US THAT HOLY WEEK WILL BE DIFFERENT, BUT STILL HOLY
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Holy Week is going to be full of feelings this year. I’ve never spent a Holy Week that wasn’t in the church. I have, like you, returned again and again to the sanctuary to mark the most precious, holy, and spectacular days of our year.
It will feel different marking these most holy days in our homes, physically distant from our siblings in Christ. But it will also feel familiar and comfortable. The stories are the same. The words of the liturgies are the same. The sacredness of this time is the same.
To celebrate and mark these times together at St. Martin’s:
- We will be “premiering” videos on our YouTube channel at the same time as when our physical services would have been held. These services will feel like the Facebook Live worship we have been doing, but, we hope, easier to find and use.
- We’ll be sending a Holy Week email to you Monday with those times and details.
- Alongside each of these videos, we’ll also be giving you ideas for how to mark these days in your own homes.
While we may be physically distant, may this time draw us spiritually close to each other, and to our Risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Caitlyn+
*Photo is of our chapel during last year's Maundy Thursday/Good Friday Prayer Vigil.
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A story about a priest, an ICU social worker and BBQ wings . . .
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A little about how this all happened. Someone posted on Facebook the crazy things people were doing to keep busy at home, and there was this whole list of things people were accomplishing around the house. Mitch posted about having smoked a turkey.
Honey-do list
I replied that some of us were still hauling into work, and I was going to post my address along with a “honey-do” list. Mitch replied saying he was going to make me a turkey, and I said I would take it to work to share with my co-workers.
The next thing I knew, Mitch had 25 pounds of wings he had barbecued ready for delivery, and Jeffry Caswell was also ready with large pans of mac & cheese and green beans – we had a feast!
Breaking bread together at the VA
I have to tell you that when I rolled that cart into the unit, and my co-workers smelled those wings, they spontaneously broke out in song, "When we break bread together." We prayed over the food and everyone’s spirit was lifted. We had had a terrible morning filled with patient challenges and having difficult discussions with families.
This experience is hitting us on a number of different levels. Everyone is having to learn how to do our jobs differently to protect our patients and ourselves, and to assist the families that can’t be here. I’m glad to say that we are doing it, but it's moments like the delivery of those wings and sides from St. Martin's when we can see and feel concrete examples of God's love among us. Sometimes we feel like all we have is each other, so it’s wonderful to see that the outside world sees us!
Thanks, St. Martin's! Thanks for the delicious food, and your prayers.
Sher
*
St. Martin's member Sher Baechtold
(far left in photo) is a clinical social worker serving on the ICU unit at the Dorn VA Medical Center, where they are now facing a challenge unlike any they have ever seen. Even as a social worker, Sher now wears srubs, masks, gowns and gloves while at work.
A
big part of her job has always been supporting families and veterans at the time of death,
making this time an even more difficult experience
because of the challenges that COVID is presenting.
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Zoom into our
Senior High breakfast
Friday morning (April 3).
All 9th-12th graders are invited to join us for
breakfast at home
at 8:15 a.m. Pour a bowl of cereal or toast a bagel and join the online breakfast.
Click here:
https://zoom.us
to log in via computer. The Zoom application will automatically start downloading even if you have previously used Zoom. You will need to install it to join the call.
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Be on the lookout via our
YouTube Channel
for some special stories we will be sharing (click on
Children & Youth
window):
- This Sunday's bedtime story will be the story of the Easter rock as told by Judy Carter and Libby Nicholson.
- And keep preparing for Easter with our "Faces of Easter" Godly Play story. Perhaps have your child draw his or her own faces and place treasured items from your home on the faces as done in the story in the Godly Play room.
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Holy Week activities:
- Click HERE for instructions on creating Holy Week in a Box.
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And click
HERE for instructions on making Easter flags. Do not worry about having the exact supplies. Use whatever you have at home. They will be beautiful!
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Here's how to follow services on Facebook:
If you want to watch on your phone, and have the Facebook app,
go to the church's Facebook page at 10 a.m. and navigate to the video section.
If you are watching on your personal computer, click
HERE to go to the church's Facebook video feed.
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ST. MARTIN'S YouTube CHANNEL
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The link to the
St. Martin's YouTube Channel is now easily accessible on the homepage of our website (see circled space on photo to left).
Or click
HERE and catch up on the great videos that have been posted thus far,
including daily Stations of the Cross videos.
If you've missed something, no worries. It will be here waiting for you.
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April 5
Karen Strickland
Gracie Adams
April 6
April 7
Suzie Anderson
Anna James
Branda Morganelli
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April 8
Jim Epley Jr.
Anne Grace Gaddy
Sherri Henderson
April 9
Everett Brazell
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Follow St. Martin's on
Facebook
(St. Martin's-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church) throughout the week for parish news!
LIKE
the page for us, and
SHARE
posts with friends and family! This Sunday's service will be
LIVESTREAMED
.
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Follow St. Martin's on Instagram at
@smifsc, where we post:
- The 3-Word Gospel on Tuesdays
- Compline from Home each evening, Monday through Friday
Encourage friends and family to follow us, too!
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Thank you for your gifts . . .
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To make
your pledge via online giving
, click
HERE.
To make
a financial gift to St. Martin's online
, click
HERE
.
To make your
Capital Campaign pledge online
, click
HERE
.
To make
a gift to the Capital Campaign
, click
HERE
.
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We have TWO easy ways to get a church directory: one is an app for your phone and the other is by creating an account on our website (go to login button on homepage and follow prompts).
Log in info:
Site # 90036
Username and password are same as your church website log in. You will only have to input this info once. If you haven't created a login, follow the steps with the Member Login button on the
homepage of the church
.
Here's how to get the app, depending on the type of phone you have (iphone or Android):
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5220 Clemson Avenue
Columbia, SC 29206
803.787.0392 | www.stmartinsinthefields.com
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