The latest St. Martin's news for you

E-Messenger April 9, 2020

A WORD about HOLY WEEK from MITCH

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I bid you Easter Blessings. It's not quite Easter yet, so I technically can't say the "A" word, but I feel it in my heart. I have been blessed by so many. I need to start this brief Thursday bulletin by saying, "Thank you." Thank you to the St. Martin's staff who have adapted, worked incredibly hard, and done amazing ministry amidst this pandemic. They are to thank for the services and meditations you have received. Thank you to the doctors, nurses, teachers, technicians, and so many others in our parish who have worked throughout these weeks to care for our community and its needs. Thank you!

Tonight at 6 p.m., our first Holy Week service, Maundy Thursday, will be available for viewing. Please tune in to our YouTube channel and share it. Tomorrow, our Good Friday service will be posted at noon . O ur Easter vigil will show on the channel at 6 p.m. Saturday. On Sunday, our Easter Service will be broadcast through Facebook Live at 10 a.m. Please, watch, share, like, and comment! (Links for all are listed further down in this newsletter.) Please also consider the advice we set out for how you can celebrate these days and vigils at home with one caveat: following Richland County's burn ban, please, no fires during the vigil.

This year truly has been different! Holy Week for many of us has been stressful, scary, and sad. I have experienced the scariness of friends who have been diagnosed, and mourned friends who have died as have many of you. I have also experienced joy, peace, and love. I pray that you have as well. In these last few weeks, we have collectively experienced the full gamut of human emotions. The weeks ahead promise to bring the same. I encourage you, my friends, to look for blessings. Look for God. Look for God's love, and when the time comes, I ask you to let the "Alleluias" ring. The hope of Christ's resurrection binds us in these times. Love is the reason for our physical separation as we seek to protect others. When the time comes love will also bring us physically together again.

Happy Easter.

In Christ,

Mitch+

MAUNDY THURSDAY, April 9

Be sure to share with us via social media how you are observing Maundy Thursday at home. Tag St. Martin's and use #holyweekathome

Service is at 6 p.m. Thursday.

Click HERE .

Click HERE for Order of service.

GOOD FRIDAY, April 10

PLEASE NOTE, the time of this service was incorrect in Monday's email. Be sure to share with us via social media how you are observing Good Friday at home. Tag St. Martin's and use #holyweekathome

Service at NOON Friday.

Click HERE .

Click HERE for Order of service .

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THE GREAT VIGIL, SATURDAY, April 11

Be sure to share with us via social media how you are observing the Great Vigil of Easter at home. Tag St. Martin's and use #holyweekathome

Service at 6 p.m. Saturday.

Click HERE for the Holy Week Playlist.

Click HERE for Order of service.

EASTER, April 12

Join us for church this Sunday, Easter,

via Facebook Live

Join our Facebook Live service

at 10 a.m . this Sunday (April 12) . Plan to add your prayer requests and share the service with others.

Click HERE for the readings.

Click HERE for the Order of Service.

And don't forget to share with us via social media how you are celebrating Easter at home. Tag St. Martin's and use #holyweekathome.

3 EASTER OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES

Watch this video invitation from Caitlyn

Our friends in detention at the Stewart Detention Center are discouraged, fearful, and anxious during this pandemic. Take a moment this week to write a note of encouragement in Spanish, French or English to someone in immigration detention. Pictures drawn by children are also encouraged! Instructions for how and what to write, and how to properly envelope, are found here.

Please drop your notes in the mail slot at the church office by Sunday, April 19. Caitlyn will (safely) collect them and mail them all together to our friends at El Refugio.

Support Harvest Hope

Harvest Hope has asked St. Martin's to support them during this time by participating in an electronic food drive. Go to this link to buy and send food directly to Harvest Hope through Amazon. They maintain this list with their most current needs, and the requested food is delivered safely to them.

Volunteer to deliver meals to school children

The United Way of South Carolina and the S.C. Department of Education are asking for volunteers to help school food authorities prepare and distribute meals to children across the state.

If you are over the age of 21, would like to volunteer in a school district, and have NOT experienced any symptoms of illness in the past 14 days, please register at www.VolunteerSC.org under the ongoing need entitled "Statewide - School Meal Preparation and Distribution.”

After registering, a confirmation email will be sent, and, if needed, a representative will contact you regarding scheduling.

BIRTHDAYS

April 12

Margie Hicks

April 13

Lynn Carpenter

Warren Darby

Diane Friend

Kelly Gibbons

Virginia Glazebrook

April 14

Jackson D'Anna

Blake Herring

Joellen Coleman Koester

April 15

Eliza Allen-Daniel

Jenny Isgett

Tim Thames III

Jim Thrasher

Linda Zanders

April 16

Linda Maass

April 17

Marjorie Cleary

Patrick D'Anna

Alex Ferencik

Leslie Vang

April 18

Julie Bellon

Wayne Kirby

Kristl Tomlin

Ooops! We're sorry.

We listed Gracie Adams' birthday on the wrong date last week. Her birthday is April 6.

ST. MARTIN'S ON FACEBOOK

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 .