The Third Sunday in Lent
March 15, 2020
Holy Eucharist at 8 am & 10 am
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"Give Me This Water,
So That I May Never
Be Thirsty"
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Jesus is on the road to Jerusalem, and this Sunday he heads a bit off course to Sychar where he encounters a woman from Samaria. It is a humorous encounter between a Jewish man and a Samaritan woman. She talks about the water well that had been in her family for generations and Jesus talks about living water from heaven. Sir, give me some of that so that I will not have to keep coming to this well every day. Jesus asks about her husband where the woman has no husband and he tells her that she has had five husbands. “Sir, I see that you are a prophet.” Then she uses that opportunity to change the subject and she asks Jesus a question about religion. She says that her ancestors have worshiped on a local mountain while Jesus’ worship would be centered at the Temple in Jerusalem. Jesus speaks of worshiping in “spirit and truth,” not tied to any geographical location.
By the end of their encounter, the woman is motivated to tell everyone she knows about this prophet who seemed to know everything about her. Many in her village come to believe. Jesus ends the conversation talking about the harvest that is ripe for harvesting, not a harvest of food, but and emergence of the kingdom of God. Those who harvest have not labored, but someone else had provided the seed, and even more have helped that seed mature. It mirrors our job that we are to do as Christians. We are to keep planting seeds, hoping that God’s kingdom will flourish. If you are trying to help move a friend or loved one to Christ, it may seem like all you do is keep planting seeds and still you see no growth. We may help plant the seeds, but it is God who gives the growth. We can water and nourish, but it is not up to us whether those seed grow into a mature faith, no that is the work of God.
As we have heard Jesus say in many different ways, we should never tire of sowing seeds, even when we think that we can see no change. It can be quite frustration when others just don’t reciprocate with that appreciation that we would expect. It can be hard to not give up. But Jesus reminds us that God is always at work in our world. God is working his purpose out, and sometimes hopefully, we are God’s helping hands and voice. The Samaritan woman finally sees that Jesus is the Savior of world. We must not tire doing what is right and just in this world. There can never be too much love or compassion that we might share with those who we meet. We keep planting the seeds of grace, and God will give the growth. Looking forward to seeing you this Sunday!
Blessings
Michael+
Please follow the link listed below for the readings for the week.
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Geoffrey Lutz Offering
This Sunday’s undesignated loose offering, and checks with memo of “Lutz”, will be given directly to the aid of his widow and full time care taker of their son Karl, who suffers from brain cancer. Geof was a valued leader of music at St Francis for many years. He was also a wonderful tenor! Please be generous! If you are unable to attend Sunday, but would like to contribute, please visit
https://www.gofundme.com/f/lutzfamilyfund
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Chalice:
8 - Andre Padilla
10 - Bob Hubers
Prayer:
8 - Brett Michael Hauser
10 -
Faith Much
Lectors:
8 - Peter Jordan;
Kelly Carr
10 -
Jennifer Wheelock;
Roselyn Krause
Ushers:
10 - The Mathews
Altar:
Marie Belcher;
Eva Rosa
Coffee Host:
Stephanie Mathews
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Saint Francis Vestry
& Staff
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2023
Roselyn Krause
Faith Much
Stevens Turner
2022
Tom Paul Burch, Clerk
Bob Hubers
Larry Luther, Jr. Warden
2021
Steven A. Much, Senior Warden
Eva Rosa, Assistant Treasurer
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Treasurer: Charles Mathews
Organist and Choirmaster:
Brett
Michael Hauser
Priest: The Rev. Michael Carr
(760) 936-3114
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Bible Study With Tom Paul Burch is Back!!
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Bible class will resume next Thursday, 10:30-11:30 am and will meet at Martha Norman's house at 15815 Pauma Valley Dr. in the Pauma Valley Country Club.
The subject of the class is
"The History of Christianity in America from The Beginning To The Present". Phone Tom Paul if you have any questions:
760-390-1872
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We Have a New Prayer List This Week.
If you haven't checked the prayer list lately please do so. We all thank you for your continued prayers for our
St. Francis family in their time of need, and for those who's departed spirits we continue to remember.
Follow this link to the
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Doxology Hand Washing Timer
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In order to protect against flu and coronavirus, it's recommended to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds—the length of time it takes to sing "Happy birthday" twice.
If you get tired of singing that, you can also sing the Doxology!
Thanks go out to Kelly Carr for sharing this charming video from St. George's Episcopal Church in Maplewood, NJ.
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Updated Instructions
for Coronavirus Preparation
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This week we have had a few updates from Bishop Susan Brown Snook on recommended procedures to help keep our congregation safe from the spread of COVID-19, and each directive is becoming more cautionary. These are not easy times for our Diocese leaders as many of the restrictions as to how we conduct our services run contrary to the teachings and the Christian spirit of our Church. But we all must err on the side of caution and strive to keep our parishioners as safe as possible.
For now we will be continuing our regular services with a few modifications:
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Based on the latest directives, gatherings of less than 250 people are asked to maintain social distancing – that is, people should stay at least 6 feet apart. This Sunday we do intend to delay implementing this suggestion and will have regular communion and coffee fellowship.
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Officials have also recommended that people older than 65 and people with underlying health conditions should stay home and not take part in group gatherings at all. If you feel in anyway that participating in worship at this time may not be in your best interest, or if you are uneasy in gathering in groups of any size, know that we will completely respect your decision not to participate.
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If you are scheduled to serve as a worship leader or usher and you have any hesitation about coming to church please don’t feel bad staying home. Ushers duties will be restricted. The offering plates will not be passed and bulletins will also be picked up off the table.
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We will have the chalice at our communion service this Sunday but know that a person who chooses to receive communion in only one kind (bread or wine) is considered to have received the full benefits of communion.
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We will wipe down surfaces before and in between services with stringent cleaners.
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We will provide Purell and encourage its use before the peace and communion. It is also suggested that you bring your own hand sanitizer as well and use it as needed.
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Please don't be offended if Michael does not shake hands with you after the service. We are all learning new and creative ways of extending ourselves to greet each other without actual physical contact.
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This week we are still planning to have coffee service but will ask the servers to wear gloves.
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Fr. Michael is seriously considering making this the last time we will gather for communion until the threat has passed. We will discuss some alternative services like Morning Prayer which could be done enforcing a 6 foot separation.
Thank you all for your patience and cooperation as we navigate our way through this uncharted territory together. We will continue to update you as the situation changes.
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Update on Our Friend Eddie
-Submitted by Allegra Much-
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As most people in our church probably know, we have been supporting a young man from Guatemala for the last several years. Since we haven’t seen him in quite a while, my family and I thought it might be valuable to give the church an update on how he is doing so that we all can see what our support has done in the lives of at least one person in our community.
Eddie Alexander Pedro Mateo arrived in the United States with his father, around 5 years ago. When he arrived, he knew very little English and was very shy. Through the help and support of people at the Middle School, and our family, he quickly learned English and began excelling in classes. My Dad soon invited him to join us at church and he quickly decided it was something that he wanted to do every week. Eddie had a business of catching gophers that he used to make a little bit of income. He took his skills to church with him, and in no time, he had rid the church of gophers.
After two years in the United States, his father had to go back to Guatemala and Eddie knew that he had to go back with him. The education system in Guatemala is not like the education system here, and so the only way that Eddie would be able to go to school, was if he paid money to go to a private school. That is were the church stepped in and in no time, we were sending money to a school in Guatemala, to ensure that Eddie was able to continue his education.
When he came back to the United States, he started going back to church with us and had found some work helping people with outdoor household tasks. Currently, Eddie is working, taking classes, and preparing on Sunday’s for his first Communion at St. Stephens Catholic Church in Valley Center. He is doing well in school, received the rotary student of the month award for the second time, and is planning to graduate in June of 2020 from Valley Center High School. He is currently participating in the Fire Explorer program which provides students with a first-hand experience of the physical and mental strength that it takes to be a firefighter. When thinking about the future Eddie is considering whether joining the military might be something that he wants to pursue and is considering the navy to be his branch of choice. His immigration case is progressing well, and his family is also doing well. We are sure Eddie is grateful for all the help he has received.
With that, I would like to leave you with a thought. Sometimes one small, seemingly insignificant act can make a huge difference in the lives of those around us. Let’s remember to always treat others with kindness and do everything in our power to make the world just a little bit better of a place. Typically, the best evangelism is done, not necessarily by words, but by works. This makes sense as it is written in James Chapter 2 that
“
faith without works is dead”
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Thank you for all that you do and will continue to do in the lives of the people of our community.
-- Allegra
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-Saint of the Week-
Saint Patrick
Feast Day March 17
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St. Patrick of Ireland is one of the world's most popular saints. He was born in Roman Britain and when he was fourteen or so, he was captured by Irish pirates during a raiding party and taken to Ireland as a slave to herd and tend sheep. At the time, Ireland was a land of Druids and pagans but Patrick turned to God and wrote his memoir,
The Confession
. In
The Confession
, he wrote:
"The love of God and his fear grew in me more and more, as did the faith, and my soul was rosed, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundred prayers and in the night, nearly the same. I prayed in the woods and on the mountain, even before dawn. I felt no hurt from the snow or ice or rain."
Patrick's captivity lasted until he was twenty, when he escaped after having a dream from God in which he was told to leave Ireland by going to the coast. There he found some sailors who took him back to Britain and was reunited with his family.
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A few years after returning home, Patrick saw a vision he described in his memoir:
"I saw a man coming, as it were from Ireland. His name was Victoricus, and he carried many letters, and he gave me one of them. I read the heading: 'The Voice of the Irish.' As I began the letter, I imagined in that moment that I heard the voice of those very people who were near the wood of Foclut, which is beside the western sea-and they cried out, as with one voice: 'We appeal to you, holy servant boy, to come and walk among us.'"
The vision prompted his studies for the priesthood. He was ordained by
St. Germanus, the Bishop of Auxerre, whom he had studied under for years, and was later ordained a bishop and sent to take the Gospel to Ireland.
Patrick arrived in Slane, Ireland on March 25, 433. There are several legends about what happened next, with the most prominent claiming he met the chieftan of one of the druid tribes, who tried to kill him. After an intervention from God, Patrick was able to convert the chieftain and preach the Gospel throughout Ireland. There, he converted many people -eventually thousands - and he began building churches across the country.
He often used shamrocks to explain the Holy Trinity and entire kingdoms were eventually converted to Christianity after hearing Patrick's message.
Patrick preached and converted all of Ireland for 40 years. He worked many miracles and wrote of his love for God in Confessions. After years of living in poverty, traveling and enduring much suffering he died March 17, 461.
He died at Saul, where he had built the first Irish church. He is believed to be buried in Down Cathedral, Downpatrick. His grave was marked in 1990 with a granite stone.
Patrick was a humble, pious, gentle man, whose love and total devotion to and trust in God should be a shining example to each of us. So complete was his trust in God, and of the importance of his mission, he feared nothing -not even death.
"The Breastplate," Patrick's poem of faith and trust in God:
"Christ be within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ inquired, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger."
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Help us feed the hungry!
Please bring what you can.
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Our food collection basket is located in front of St. Clare Hall on Sunday mornings. Each of the six bags we provide each week for distribution by the Pauma Valley Community Center includes:
- Box of cereal
- Can of tuna or chicken
- 16 oz. peanut butter
- Cans of green beans, corn, and fruit
- Can of beans or one pound bags of dried beans
- 1 pound of rice
- 16 oz. pasta sauce
- 1 pound of pasta any type
- Box of macaroni and cheese
- Kleenex and personal hygiene items.
NO glass containers, please
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A Beginner’s Guide to the Episcopal Church
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For information on The Episcopal Church general information page, please
For more information on the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego check out:
https://edsd.org
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The Rev. Michael Carr, Priest In Charge
Brett Michael Hauser, Organist & Choirmaster
16608 Highway 76, Pauma Valley
Next to the Pauma Valley Community Center
Mailing Address: PO Box 1220, Pauma Valley, CA 92061
Church Office: (760) 742-1738
Fr. Michael Carr Direct Line: 760-936-3114
Do you have an item for
the update? Please send it to
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