The Peace & Justice Committee invites you to participate in the Episcopal Church’s Sacred Ground series, a film-based dialogue series on race and faith. This year, our newly formed committee is focused on educating ourselves and interested others in our congregation in peace and justice issues in our community. This series is one way in which we will do that. We also plan to invite guest speakers from different organizations starting in the fall.

• It holds as a guiding star the vision of beloved community – where all people are honored and protected and nurtured as beloved children of God, where we weep at one another’s pain and seek one another’s flourishing. 

Everyone is welcome to participate. We ask you to watch the video and read the recommended documents prior to the discussion sessions, but if you can’t finish the pre-work, please feel free to join us anyway. Please click on this link to sign up for the Zoom discussion sessions and we will send out the invitation a day or two before we meet.

Here is the link to the materials we’ll be discussing. https://www.episcopalchurch.org/sacred-ground/welcome

In his recent letter to the Diocese, Bishop Taylor has asked us to pray that vaccination rates will pick up. If you have not been vaccinated and are looking for a vaccine site near you, you may use this link and simply type in your zip code: https://www.vaccines.gov.

Orange County has the third largest Asian population in the country and Irvine has the largest number in the county. The rise in hate crimes against those of Asian heritage is alarming and unacceptable and we can do our part to stop such acts. California Penal Code 422.55 defines a hate crime as a criminal act committed, in whole or in part, because of one or more of the following actual or perceived characteristics of the victim. This includes:

The City of Irvine has created a portal to report hate crimes. If you become aware of a possible hate crime, you can call the Irvine Police Department to report it or complete the report on the portal: https://records.cityofirvine.org/OnBaseWebClientStdUF/UnityForm.aspx?key=UFKey

Upcoming Food Bank dates are July 12 and 26, August 9 and 23, September 8 (Wednesday) and 15.

The book group will be on hiatus during July and August. We will resume on Wednesday, September 1 at 11:00 am. At that time we will begin discussing of our next book, The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels by Jon Meacham. The book is widely available.If you would like to be part of this group, please contact the office and we will add you to the group. Newcomers are welcome.

Please remember those who need your daily prayers. Prayer requests may be sent to [email protected].

The Prayer List can be accessed here.

Virtual Centering Prayer: In a time of uncertainty, it can be challenging to find time for quiet and reflection. All are welcome to join Stillpoint in a half hour of Centering Prayer any weeknight from 5:30-6. A link and more information on the practice is available at stillpointca.org/still-points.  

If you know of someone in our church family who is sick, in the hospital or in need of pastoral care please notify the office or clergy.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the office via phone 949-559-4699 or by email [email protected].

The Rev. Peter Browning, Vicar

Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church