Called to Worship. Sent to Witness. Led to Welcome.
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Dr. Tommy Watson's Reflection on Good Shepherd Sunday
As many of you know, our Aspirant for Holy Orders, Dr. Tommy Watson, has been participating in a discernment internship at Grace Episcopal Church in Anderson throughout the first half of this year. Recently, on Good Shepherd Sunday (May 3, the Fourth Sunday of Easter), Tommy officiated at their Sunday service of Morning Prayer and offered a reflection on Christ's role as Good Shepherd. The recording of Tommy leading worship is available on Grace's Facebook page and can be viewed by clicking on the image below. (Tommy leads the entire service, which lasts just over twenty minutes, and his reflection can be found at the 7 minute mark.)
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I encourage you to click on the image above and hope that you will find inspiration in Tommy's words. We look forward to having Tommy back at Saint Andrew's later this summer whenever his internship ends -- as we continue to support him along his journey of discernment.
Planning for the Next Steps in Our Common Worship Life
Back in the second week of March, when I decided that we needed to suspend in-person gathering for worship, I had no idea how long it would be before we could all gather again for worship in the manner to which we were then accustomed. And, of course, at this point, I still am not sure how long it will be until that day when we can fill the church with people again.
With that said, as we continue to monitor the situation in the world around us, we are planning for how we can begin to open up our worship -- in small, deliberate, and incremental ways -- while at the same time continuing to make worship available via livestream. That plan is still being developed, but, for the time being, I want to note two hopeful developments.
First, on this coming Sunday, which is the Day of Pentecost, we will celebrate that major feast day with a Service of Holy Baptism as we baptize James Courtney, through water and the Holy Spirit, into Christ's Body the Church.
As many of you may recall, James started attending Saint Andrew's at the beginning of this calendar year--and, soon thereafter, let me know that he wanted to be baptized. On the First Sunday in Lent, we enrolled James as an adult catechumen in hopes of baptizing him at the Easter Vigil. However, given the circumstances, we decided to delay his baptism until the Day of Pentecost -- another one of the four major baptismal feast days in our church calendar. Even though we still are not able to all gather together, we believe that one of our most fundamental tasks as God's Church is to make new disciples by "baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." And so, as prepare to baptize James on Sunday, we are making every effort to do so in a manner that is safe for all involved and, most importantly, faithful to our deeper calling.
I hope that you will make sure to join us via livestream on Sunday for James' baptism, which will take place outside in the courtyard by the columbarium (after which we will proceed into the church for James' first eucharist as a newly baptized Christian). In particular, please make sure that you are prepared to answer confidently, "
We will!
" when, in the midst of the baptismal liturgy, I ask each of you, "
Will you who witness these vows do all in your power to support this person in his life in Christ?"
Second,
as I outlined briefly in the worship preparation e-mail to the parish this past Saturday,
I have been working with our wardens and with other ministry leaders to plan for a very gradual and measured return to limited in-person worship,
taking into account the four phase approach found in the
Guidelines for Reopening In-Person Worship
that Bishop Waldo recently provided to the clergy.
Over the course of the month of June, and possibly as soon as June 7th, we are hoping to return to having two masses on Sundays (8:30 AM & 10:30 AM). With that return, we will begin to open up the worship to a very limited number of participants with face masks required and with protocols for movement and seating such that participants remain socially distanced (6 feet apart) unless they are in the same household (which dramatically limits the number of people who can be in the church during a mass).
As I have said to others, this next phase in our common worship life will likely be the most challenging -- because it is much easier to open the doors completely -- or to shut them completely -- than it is to open them up just a little. But, of course, our job is not to find the easiest path--but rather to find the most faithful path. And that is what we intend to do in the weeks ahead -- as we continue to take into account what is going on in the wider world.
I look forward to sharing more details about all of this with each of you in the days ahead. In the meantime, I ask for your prayers for all who are seeking to discern the most faithful path forward for God's Church.
Grace & Peace,
Fr. Gary+
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A Prayer of Spiritual Communion
from the Armed Forces Prayer Book (1951)
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In union, O Lord with the faithful at every altar of Thy Church, where the Holy Eucharist is now being celebrated, I desire to offer Thee praise and thanksgiving. I present to Thee my soul and body with the earnest wish that may always be united to Thee. And since I can not now receive Thee sacramentally, I beseech Thee to come spiritually into my heart. I unite myself to Thee, and embrace Thee with all the affections of my soul. Let nothing ever separate Thee from me. May I live and die in Thy love. Amen.
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Livestream Worship Schedule
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Did you know?
Our Facebook livestreamed videos have
captions in real time. To view the captions on your computer click on the setting gear on the video and turn the captions on. To view the captions on your phone or iPad, view the video in full screen, then click on .... in the top right corner and toggle the captions on.
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Wednesday, May 27, 2020 - Feast of Augustine, Archbishop of Canterbury
(observed)
6:30 PM Low Mass with Healing Prayers followed by Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament (
via Facebook Live
)
Sunday, May 31, 2020 -
The Day of Pentecost
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Wednesday, June 3, 2020 - Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
(observed)
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The following people have been commended
to the prayers of the parish:
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Barbara, Betty, Bill, Bobbie, Buddy, Chuck, Corinne, David, Dick, Doug, Eddie, Edward, Ena, Ginger, Hamilton, Hannah, Ian, James, Jane, Janice, Jodi, John-Frank, Judy, Ken, Leigh Ann, Margaret Lee, Mary, Nancy, Nell, Sandy, Tracey, Wade, Weesie, Winnie
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To add someone to the Daughters of the King prayer list, please e-mail
daughters1913@gmail.com
.
There is also wooden box in the Narthex where you can fill out prayer cards. The Daughters will add your names to their prayers.
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Baptismal Feast | Day of Pentecost | Sunday, May 31
This Sunday, May 31, we will celebrate the Day of Pentecost, when we recall how the gift of the Holy Spirit descended upon those early disciples gathered in Jerusalem after Jesus’ Ascension, as recorded in the second chapter of Acts. Pentecost, which means “the fiftieth day,” is always celebrated on the fiftieth day of the Easter Season—marking the end of the Easter Season and the beginning of the long Season after Pentecost. Pentecost is also a day on which the church traditionally provides the opportunity for Holy Baptism, and, as set forth in the Rector's Note above, we are looking forward to baptizing James Courtney this Sunday.
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Morning Prayer Via Zoom
Wednesday, June 3, 7:30 AM - Open to All Parishioners
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Please join us via Zoom for Morning Prayer next Wednesday! If you are willing to read scripture, please contact
Tommy Watson. For the past couple of months, we have been doing weekly morning prayer via Zoom on Wednesdays. After June 3rd, we plan to return to Morning Prayer being a monthly Men's Group ministry offered on the first Wednesday of each month -- so that next offering after June 3rd will be on Wednesday, July 1. You can participate in Morning Prayer next Wednesday via the following link -
https://zoom.us/j/593435801 - or by clicking on the button below (at 7:30 AM on Wednesdays).
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Sunday Altar Flower and Presence Candle Dedications
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On Sundays, we have the opportunity to offer a special dedication of the altar flowers or presence candle in honor, memory, or celebration of loved ones. The cost to the church for altar flowers is now $100 per Sunday, so we are suggesting that donations for dedicating altar flowers be in the range of $50 to $100 to help us cover those costs. The suggested donation for a presence candle dedication is $10.
If you would like to sign up for a Sunday, please see the sign up sheet on the bulletin in the Parish Hall or click on the button below. You may place a check in the offering plate with "Altar Flowers" or "Presence Candle" noted in the memo.
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, FTN continues to serve a hot breakfast to those who are the most vulnerable in our community every Saturday of the month. Saint Andrew's parishioners handle the third Saturday of each month, and Christ Church, Saint James, and Saint Peter's handle the other Saturdays--with volunteers from the Roe Cassidy Law Firm serving whenever there is a fifth Saturday in a month. Though it's not the usual hot breakfast under current circumstances, our guests continue to be very appreciative.
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United Ministries in Need of Food Donations
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United Ministries'
Emergency Assistance program is fully operational and focused on helping families keep their homes and putting food on the table. At this moment, they need
canned meats, pop-top cans (meats/fruit etc.) and 1 lb. bags of rice
.
The pantry is open daily (Monday thru Friday) 8:00 AM until 11:00 AM. If individual church members would like to donate food, it can be dropped off behind the United Ministries administration building at the loading area, located at
606 Pendleton Street, Greenville, SC 29601
. The pantry door will be open and someone will retrieve the food.
For more ways to help United Ministries in responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic, please click button below.
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