September 10, 2020 Dear Friends in Christ: This past Sunday, parishioners were permitted to receive the bread at Holy Communion for the first time since mid-March. That is a long time of fasting, especially when we've shared Communion together nearly every Sunday for years. I know there are some who do not yet feel comfortable receiving at this time, and there are those who are wisely staying home on Sunday mornings because of risk factors. Each of us must be vigilant and consistent in keeping ourselves, our neighbors, and our loved ones safe. With the Bishop's steady hand on the brake, I feel we have been gradually reopening as safely as possible, and I thank you all for following the rules in our building, so that we can continue to meet in person. On to the updates . . .

THANK YOU! To all who were able to help out with the Great Grooming of the Grounds: Summer Edition, thank you so much! With the help of all 17 of us, the place looks even more lovely than before. And it was a joy to see so many of your friendly faces. 

WORSHIP This week, we are taking a respite from our midweek services so that the Rector can take the Rector's Wife away for their 30th anniversary. Starting two weeks from now (Sept. 23rd) we will return to our mid-week in-person Wednesday Communion service at 12:30. Also that week, we're hoping to switch our Thursday Compline services into a form of Taize' worship. More on that next week. You can find this week's bulletin insert HERE. Sunday: 8:00am Holy Eucharist Rite I, including distribution of bread, for those who wish to partake. Please remember: everyone  must  wear a mask, so please bring your own, if possible. All must enter through the parking lot doors, and provide contact information (if we don't already have it). The Diocese has put together a helpful video on receiving the Sacrament. PLEASE WATCH IT HERE, if you're planning to partake. 10:00 am, we will stream Morning Prayer, Rite II. The service outline is HERE, and hymns are HERE  . This service will only be available online, due to restrictions against singing together in person. Yesterday (Sept. 9th) we had our final Weekly Wednesday Window, which can be found HERE. We've been at those for 24 weeks now, and I'm grateful to Jay Spencer for playing in the early weeks, and to our Choirmaster Andrew Bolden for providing music and voice for the final 20 or so of those Wednesdays. More information on all our services can be found at the Calendar page of our website, and all streamed services are then uploaded to our youtube  page.

DIOCESAN CONVENTION The annual Diocesan Convention on Nov. 13-14 will be entirely online this year. St. Timothy's can "send" up to three delegates, and we have two so far. You can find more information HERE . Deadline to register us all is mid-October. If interested, please let me know, by calling the office (330)833-3183 or by e-mail . Also, as Dean of the Mission Area, it falls to me to find two people willing to serve a three-year term serving on Diocesan Council, which mainly involves monthly meetings (currently on zoom). More information can be found HERE .

WEEKLY PUZZLE We continue with our closeup puzzles this week, focusing on the transom above the Gothic Cross Window (aka: Margy's Window). The colors in this window change dramatically over the course of a given day, which is just one of the benefits of being Rector around these parts.  You will find the puzzle by clicking  HERE. You can choose your background color, number of puzzle pieces, and even set it to display just the edge pieces. Plus, you get a very affirming crowd reaction once you have completed it!

BIRTHDAYS and ANNIVERSARIES Celebrating birthdays this week are Donna Bower (9/14), Sylvia Van Dam (9/18), Ann Higgins (9/19), and Vicki Kula (9/19). Pam & Evan Smith, and Cristin & George Baum celebrate their anniversaries on September 15th. Be sure to send happy thoughts and good wishes to all who celebrate this week!

PRAYERS REQUESTED Please keep these friends and parishioners in your prayers. David Wigginton, Keith Rowland, Joyce Vitale, Brian Dorosch, Don Zimmerman, Rachel Sanchez, Anne Smith, Carrie Morrison, Bob Meyer, Chris Lane, Chelsey Levin, Judy Wigginton, Fr. Jerome Lukachinsky, Ray Depew, Bea Martin, Ann Farmer, and Mary Jane Mauger. And do call the office if there's anyone you'd like to have added. Tomorrow morning, we will lay to rest our parishioner, PerLee Hartman in a private service for immediate family. Please continue to keep Janine in your prayers.

KEEPING ON It seems like every week I return to complaining about the relentlessness of all this, and perhaps that's the thing that gets to you as well. Even though things are slowly opening back up, other things are closing back down; one state has slowed transmission rates, while others are seeing huge spikes. Like I said: the relentlessness. On the other hand, there are still joys in life (like babies and flowers), and we can turn to one another for support and encouragement. And I hope you know you can call, text, or e-mail me any time if you'd like to talk, or need help with groceries or whatever. And sometimes, we get a little gift of humor in the midst of it all, as I did when I saw the cartoon below. Faithfully, Fr. George