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March 17, 2021
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Volume 11, No. 28
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CDC Vaccine Guidance
As we have hoped, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued guidance for those who have been fully vaccinated. This refers to those who are two weeks past their second shot for Pfizer and Moderna vaccines and two weeks past receiving the single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
You can read the complete information here.
"Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others."
-Philippians 2:4
What does this mean for our worship?
For now, it means no changes to worship. We always hope our worship will not be limited to those who are currently eligible to receive the vaccine. Limiting worship only to those who have been vaccinated is not in keeping with our understanding of the Body of Christ being made up of people of every age and stage in life. Furthermore, our guidance permits 50 persons indoors and 75 persons outdoors. And even under the new CDC guidance, all worship services would still qualify as gatherings that require everyone in worship to wear a mask, and stay at least 6 feet apart from those who are not in your household.
This will have an impact on other small groups, including choirs and those recording worship. For more information, see the diocesan website here. Most important for all of the above We would never want to shame or exclude anyone who can not yet receive the vaccine, including many of our deacons and priests. We anticipate that eligibility and opportunity to receive the vaccine will expand in the coming weeks, but in the meantime continuing patience is essential.
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The Rev. Nancy Pickering Acree (1935-2021)
 The people of the Diocese of Georgia mourn the loss of the Rev. Nancy Pickering Acree who died Saturday, March 13, 2021, in Knoxville, Tennessee. "In the Reverend Nancy Acree, the Diocese of Georgia received a real gift as she was not only a wonderful priest, but a gifted spiritual director who assisted many to see more clearly the ways the Holy Spirit was at work in their lives," said Bishop Frank Logue.
She was born in Laurel, Mississippi. Bishop Robert Gould Tharp of the Diocese of East Tennessee ordained Acree to the diaconate in 1994. She graduated from Eckerd College in 1997 and later studied at The University of the South. Bishop Charles VonRosenberg of the Diocese of East Tennessee ordained her to the priesthood on February 19, 2001. She worked as the hospital chaplain at Fort Sanders Hospital and at the Church of the Ascension, both in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Bishop Henry Louttit licensed Acree to officiate in 2001 and made her a resident priest in the Diocese of Georgia in 2003. She served in Georgia at Christ Church Frederica on St. Simons Island and as a supply priest. She was a graduate of the Shalem Institute in Washington, D.C., a program for training persons in spiritual direction. She was proud of her almost 50 years as a friend of Bill W.
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Easter Virtual Choir Deadline on MONDAY
Most of our in-person singing is still restricted this Lent. So instead, I invite you to join your Diocesan community in singing the Easter hymn "Jesus Christ is Risen Today" together virtually! Don't worry that this recording will have you singing "alleluia," a word the Church traditionally abstains from during the season of Lent. One of the challenges for musicians in ordinary years is that during Lent they rehearse music for Easter! This year, you can live into the Mystery of Easter by singing in joy and hope, trusting that your music will come together with others' offerings, and through the grace of the Holy Spirit, will create new life!
 In order to sing this hymn, all you need is a pair of earbuds, a computer, and a smartphone that can record video. You will download the appropriate guide track and then sing along with the guide track in your earbuds while you video yourself using your phone.
We need your submission no later than Monday, March 22, in order to incorporate it into the final choir.
In order to participate, you need the full instructions, which can be found here: https://bit.ly/JesusChristisRisenTodayVirtualChoir. The instructions include links to written music, guide tracks for melody, various harmony parts, and descant (if desired), and instructions on how to submit your video once you're done. Many thanks to Kathleen Turner, Organist and Choirmaster at Christ Church, Frederica, for creating these tracks.
Please read the instructions carefully before you record anything! Contact Canon Varner at [email protected] with your questions.
Please note that while singers sometimes feel like they are singing a solo during this process, and therefore choose not to participate, your offering will be mixed with others, creating the sound of many voices singing together through the miracle of technology. So go ahead and sing and submit your music. Your song will join with everyone else's offerings to create something glorious!
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Registration is open
for Honey Creek Family Summer Camp!
"How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!"
- Psalm 133:1
 A few weeks ago we invited you to let us know about your interest in a different kind of summer camp this year, one that is geared toward allowing families of all types to experience Honey Creek this summer. Thanks to the interest expressed, we are happy to announce that registration is now open for three summer Family Camp sessions! These sessions will take place June 4-6, June 18-20, and July 16-18. Cost varies depending on the number of people attending and the number of lodge rooms occupied.
This camp will be supported by Canon Joshua Varner, along with other Diocesan staff and experienced youth and children's ministers from across the Diocese. Families will have activities they can do together, during each weekend, as well as some activities that youth and older children can participate in to give everyone some space. All activities will be structured so as to minimize the potential spread of Covid-19, while still allowing as much of a camp experience as possible! This type of offering allows us to expand our traditional age range. All families, whether individuals, couples, or families with children are welcome to sign up!
Please contact Canon Varner at [email protected] with your questions! We are looking forward to a different kind of summer camp, including the whole family!
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Resources for Lent and Eastertide
 The Diocese's daily reflections during Lent, written by both clergy and laity throughout the Diocese is well underway online and a print copy of the devotions is now available as well. The reflections began on Ash Wednesday and carry through to Easter Sunday. These reflections continue with the theme for this past November's Diocesan Convention: "Thriving in the Vine." Jesus gave this image of himself as the vine and us as the branches to his followers on the night before he died, as he knew they would face tremendous hardships and he wanted them to see how life-giving connection to him is for each of us. The Diocese of Georgia's social media pages ( Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) will post a piece of each day's reflection, along with a link to the PDF with the full reflection.
Lent devotions available as a book A few people have said that they would like to have these devotions as a book, and we now offer that option for $3.60 each plus shipping. You can order copies from the print on demand website Lulu.com by following this link: Purchase a book.
 Beginning Monday in Easter week, the Diocese of Georgia will offer a 1Book1Diocese read of Presiding BishopMichael Curry's Love Is the Way: Holding on to Hope in Troubling Times. While you may enjoy reading the book yourself, the audio book version is read by Bishop Curry is an enjoyable way to hear experiences from his life to challenging us to make the ethic of love a guiding principle for our lives. Book Discussion Guide Now Available A book discussion guide for the Diocese of Georgia's 1Book1Diocese read of Love is the Way is now online here: Discussion Guide PDFBishop Curry to meet with us online We will offer a discussion guide for groups that want to meet online for a discussion at the congregation level. Individuals may also read the book and then join us for online meeting with Bishop Curry to discuss the book. Look for more news on this study in upcoming issues of From the Field and at the Diocese of Georgia's Facebook page.
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Livestream Calendar Update
 We are collecting updates for our newly organized Live Stream calendar. Please list your updated live stream services including any services throughout Lent and Holy Week. For any future updates to the Live Stream calendar, you can send them to [email protected].
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Across the Diocese
 The vestry from St. Anne's, Tifton held a socially distanced vestry retreat at Honey Creek. If you're looking for how to have a safe, small group at Honey Creek, contact Executive Director Dade Brantley.
Trinity, Statesboro held their first outdoor Sunday worship.
The Rev. Nick Roosevelt of St. Patrick's Albany stands with St. Patrick's Director of Music Ben Gessner in celebration of Gessner's graduate recital in organ to complete his degree requirements for his Master's in Church Music from
Mercer University.
The children and youth of St. John's joined forces with members of St. John's Church Outreach Committee at P.A.C.K. to fill bags, make cards, and restock their pantry. P.A.C.K. is a Savannah nonprofit committed to packing and delivering over 10,000 bags a month to children in Chatham county and the surrounding areas.
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Worship with the Diocese of Georgia in Brunswick on Sunday
 On Sunday we will stream Morning Prayer at 10 a.m. from St. Athanasius in Brunswick with Bishop Logue as officiant and preacher, assisted by the Rev. G. DeWayne Cope.
Find Livestream Worship
There are a lot of options each day for Episcopalians in the Diocese of Georgia to worship online and now they are listed in one place. The Livestream Services calendar tells the time, location, and which liturgy the congregation offers for the whole Diocese. Click the image above or this link: Livestream Services Calendar.
Have you adjusted your livestream schedule? Let us know! We have a running calendar that you can find here. Check to see if your schedule is correct, and if there are any changes, email Administrator Assistant Daniel Garrick at [email protected]. |
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Prayers for Weekly Liturgies
Our one-year prayer cycle combines prayers for every congregation in the Diocese of Georgia with prayers for our ecumenical partners and for our Companion Diocese of The Dominican Republic.
March 21 - 27
In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregation in Dawson, the Church of the Holy Spirit. We pray for our ecumenical partners, especially St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Camilla, and St. Christopher Catholic Church in Claxton. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for St. Michael's (San Miguel) in Doña Ana and The Grand Commission (La Gran Comisión) in Doña Lila.
March 28 - April 3
In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregations in Darien, St. Andrew's and St. Cyprian's. We also pray for our ecumenical partners in Darien, especially Nativity of Our Lady Catholic Church. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for St. Anthony of Padua (San Antonio de Padua) in El Carreton.
Additional Prayer Cycles
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Diocesan Office Update and News
This Sunday, Bishop Logue will officiate and preach Morning Prayer online at 10 a.m from St. Athanasius in Brunswick. To view the service, visit the Diocese of Georgia Facebook Page or the Diocese of Georgia YouTube page. In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Diocesan staff are not all in the office at the same time with some working remotely. Email will be the quickest way to get in touch with the staff, although you are still welcome to call us on the phone! If we miss your call, please leave a voicemail with a detailed message. Staff e-mails can be found here.
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Let Us Know!
What are you doing to keep community right now? Are you gathering for virtual coffee hours, delivering groceries to your neighbors - let us know! Send any updates or photos to our Communications Manager Liz Williams at [email protected]. We want to hear from you!
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Community Comes Together
At Good Shepherd in Thomasville, 75 neighbors were administered the COVID vaccine. This was in partnership with community and church leaders and the local hospital, Archbold.
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