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Thursday, October 1, 2020
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A Prayer for our Pets
In Your infinite wisdom, Lord God,
when You created the Universe You blessed us with all living creatures.
We especially thank You for giving us our pets who are our friends
and who bring us so much joy in life.
Their presence very often helps us get through trying times.
Kindly bless our pets.
May our pets continue to give us joy and remind us of Your power.
May we realize that as our pets trust us to take care of them,
so we should trust You to take care of us,
and in taking care of them we share in Your love for all Your creatures. Enlighten our minds to preserve all endangered species so that we may continue to appreciate all of Your creations.
Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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A Liturgy in Thanksgiving for Creation
and in Honor of St. Francis, with the Blessing of Animals
Sunday, October 4, 2020
During our 9:00am Worship Service
St. John's Courtyard
You are invited to bring your pets to church on Sunday for our annual Blessing of the Animal in honor of St. Francis and his affinity for all animals. Please make sure that all animal friends are on a leash, in a crate, or otherwise secure. You are responsible for taking care of your beloved pet.
All are welcome, please invite a friend!
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Reflection: Walking with St. Francis in Troubled Times
by Gabriel Scarfia, OFM | October 3, 2018
Can St. Francis solve the severe problems  that overwhelm us today in our Church, our country, and our world? Not directly. We created these problems, and we are responsible for resolving them. No easy task. But as we celebrate St. Francis and his way this week, we can receive inspiration, courage, and insight for the journey ahead.
What does it mean to walk with Francis today? Led by the Holy Spirit, Francis started a youth movement, fired by the imaginative adventure of living the Gospel of Jesus literally in his day. Like so many youthful ventures, it was bound to fall apart, especially when the members began to appear at the doorstep of their relatives and neighbors, begging for food.
Embracing the Leper in Ourselves
Walking with Francis calls us to embrace the leper in ourselves and in our society, the leper as symbol of brokenness, the pushed-aside, the misfit, what ought not to be, yes and even the sinful. In his greeting and kissing of the leper at the beginning of his conversion and in his work among them with his early brothers, he learned to experience not only radical limitation and sin-ruptured situations, but also the uplifting power of graced compassion and service. So, when he encountered sin in himself, in Assisi, in the clergy, and in the brothers, he was able to do this without anger or judgmental attitudes and always with the firm hope of gradual reconciliation in God's love. Who are the lepers in our midst to be embraced? What structures of sin must we address, starting always with ourselves?
To walk with Francis asks all of us to live in surrender to the Spirit of Jesus. Such openness to the Spirit impelled him to embark upon a life of penance according to the form of the holy Gospel. His incessant prayer, fasting, and other ascetical practices sealed him in contemplative union with Christ and the Father. Francis the mystic emerged from constantly waiting upon and serving the Spirit that no pastoral or intellectual priority should overshadow. In his surrender to the Spirit, Francis lost all sense of personal power or importance. He and the brothers were to be humble and submissive to all; in this they attained true Christian freedom. Is living radically in the Spirit's lead our priority as we address the problems of Church reform and credibility, political polarization and dysfunction, racism, poverty and unequal distribution of wealth? Francis walked in this path.
Celebrating God's Creative Goodness
In his final years, Francis could not walk nor could he see, but he exhibited an insightful and joyful appreciation of all creation along with a vital communion with it, expressed in an abiding thankfulness and praise. During this time of physical pain and darkness but also of graced enlightenment, he composed a hymn to celebrate God's creative goodness; he and the brothers would sing it often, especially in sad or difficult circumstances.
Walking with Francis, it seems to me, would mean resisting any temptation to dominate, exploit, and disfigure creation, particularly its nonhuman dimension, in such a manner that the divine presence is totally lost sight of. With Francis, however, we are invited to the care of creation in constant gratitude, wonder, wise use, and preservation (from recycling, composting, moving away from plastics to strenuous efforts to mitigate global warming). Reverence for the created order helps us to savor the rich fruits of the indwelling Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), especially love, joy, and peace.
Our times are troubled, deeply troubled. No quick fix will suffice. But walking with Francis in following after Jesus urges us - all Christians, and men and women of good will - to bring healing to the suffering, brokenness, and sinfulness of our day.
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Scripture Readings For the Week
Readings for Sunday, October 4, 2020
Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20
Canticle 12
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In-Person Worship Services
 The parish of St. John's had been given permission by Bishop Susan to gather outdoors for our in-person worship. In accordance with the health guidelines established by the governor and bishop, we will follow our Re-gathering Action Plan.
As we gather:
- we will perform temperature checks and symptom assessment,
- we will all wear a face mask
- we will use hand sanitizer
- we will maintain 6 feet social distance
- we will greet one another verbally, regretfully no physical touch.
- our music will be done as solos, (except for those of you at home who can sing as loud as you would like).
- we will distribute Holy Communion, the Body of Christ under the form of bread.
For those of you who are not able to attend because of the guidelines or do not feel comfortable, both of the above worship services will be streamed live on our website at www.saint-johns.org and our Facebook page: Saint John's Episcopal Church
We will try to make shaded seating available, but it is recommended to wear a hat and sunscreen. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we must manage the size of the gathering to ensure the health and safety of all who gather.
If you plan to attend on Sunday, please contact Maria Love at the the Parish Office (619-422-4141) or by email ([email protected]) with your name and the number of people in your party that will be attending.
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Missing Candlestick
We are missing the mate to this candlestick. 
If you have any knowledge of its whereabouts,
please contact Maria in the office at 619-422-4141
or [email protected]
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Wednesday Morning Prayer
Join us for Wednesday Morning Prayer and Bible Study 
on Wednesdays at 9:30 am as a Zoom meeting.
Please contact Rev. Cathey ([email protected])
to be included in the Zoom meeting, or to update your info, if she does not have your current email.
The Morning Prayer guide can be found here:
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Prayers
Birthday and Anniversary Prayers
We would like to acknowledge and pray for anyone celebrating a birthday and/or anniversary in the coming week. Please let us know by Thursday of the prior week so that we can get it in the Sunday liturgy. If you have a picture of you that we could post for your birthday and/or a wedding photo or current photo for those celebrating an anniversary, please email it to us - it would be great to allow everyone to see you.
We Are Available in Your Time of Need If you have a pastoral emergency when the parish offices are closed,
Prayer List
Today and every day include some time for prayer, for yourself,
for your church family, and for those in need.
For our Military
Matt, Drew, Cody, Cameron, Chariti,
Mark, Sean, Jonathan, TK, Christopher,
Timothy, Jeremy, David, Jonathan, Nick,
Jamal, Matt, Daniel, Jocelyn, Devon, Taylor,
Jorge, Katherine, Sebastian, Richie and Roberto.
For Strength in Time of Need
Scott, Betty, Barbara, Dean, Norma, Paul, Laura,
Ed and Sonja, Andrew, Barb, Steve, Sarah, and Tom,
and for all first responders, medical professionals,
essential workers and their families.
For the repose of the soul of Mark Higginbotham. May light perpetual shine on him.
For Churches in Transition in our Diocese
Christ Church, Coronado
St. Paul, Palm Springs
All Saints', Vista
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Altar Flowers
As we have resumed in-person worship, you may have 
noticed the beautiful floral arrangements provided by the Flower Guild. If you would like to have the flowers be in honor of your loved ones or special occasion, we still have a few available weeks in October and November. You may sign up on the Flower Chart, now located inside the Main Office, or you may contact Maria (619-422-4141/ [email protected]) for assistance. The suggested donation for flowers is $50.00.
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 Stewardship
Stewardship is about the offering of our time, talent and treasure. Thank you to those who make the work and ministry of St. John's continue.
We have made it even more convenient to give online. You can find a "Give Now" button on our St. John's website: www.saint-johns.org
There are 5 other ways to stay current on your pledge:
1) The offering plate at our in-person worship services
2) US mail
3) the secured mail slot next to the parish office door on Wednesdays and Thursdays between 9:00am and 3:00pm
4) Sally can add an automatic credit or debit payment by providing to her in writing the necessary information (bank name, account number, expiration date and amount to be withdrawn,
5) you can go to your bank (physically or on line) to set up an automatic payment to St. John's by bank check once a month.
If you need help with any of these options, please contact Sally via email ( [email protected]) or phone call to the office on Thursdays for assistance.
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Announcing an Online Auction for Camp Stevens
How it Works:
Beginning on October 1, we will release new auction items
weekly on Thursdays. The item will stay up for bidding until October 31
unless a bidder chooses the "Buy Now" Options.
Camp Stevens will post on social media on Thursday when each week's items are ready for bidding.
Future items include:
Original art and photography
Handmade textiles and jewelry
Private classes led by camp staff
Day trips and overnight stays
Homemade goodies
Exclusive Camp Stevens gear
Name a camp chicken!
How to Make a Bid:
Each item has a starting bid and increments as well as a "buy now" option.
The system will notify you if one of your items receives new bids.
Bidding closes on October 31 and winners will be notified right away.
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Current office hours are 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
If you need assistance, please email Maria Love:
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Rev. Roger's Office Hours
Rev. Roger will be in the office Monday, Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, and all day Wednesday and Friday. He will be available by appointment. Please call the office (619-422-4141) to schedule an appointment.
In case of a pastoral emergency, Rev. Roger may be reached on his cell phone at 619-301-0724.
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EDSD Statement of Commitment
As part of the Jesus Movement and the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, we pledge to love our neighbors and protect the most vulnerable among us, remembering our baptismal vows to "strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being." We live these pledges out by actively engaging in dismantling racism. For many of us, this will mean learning more about our racial identity, listening to those who have experienced racial prejudice, speaking out against racism, and showing up alongside those in our community working to change unjust systems in our society. We also live out this pledge at worship during this pandemic, by wearing face-coverings, respecting distancing guidelines, foregoing the common cup and refraining from congregational singing.
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The Vestry
David Dennehy, Senior Warden
Terry Farrelly, Treasurer
Diane Gustafson, Clerk
Pamela Brittain
Ray Contreras
Muriel Kulikowski
Jim McDevitt
Judy McKay
Lynn Young
Approved Minutes for the July 22nd Vestry meeting can be found here:
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To our Saint John's Family:
Here is your weekly newsletter highlighting important events at St. John's Episcopal Church. You can also find news about St. John's at www.saint-johns.org.
We welcome your feedback, photos, and news items. Contact Maria Love at 619-422-4141 or [email protected].
Please submit your announcements by Tuesday of each week for inclusion in the Enews and Sunday bulletin.
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Reporting Misconduct
As part of our ongoing commitment to creating a safe haven for everyone, our diocese trains people in the prevention of misconduct and encourages all to report misconduct. All reported incidences are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly and confidentially. If you believe you have experienced misconduct of any kind, please contact Mr. John Seitman, ([email protected]), 858-793-4555 or Ms. Equilla Luke, ([email protected]), 760-583-0485.
Safeguarding God's People
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May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May God's face shine upon you and be gracious unto you.
May God give you the grace never to sell yourself short;
Grace to risk something big for something good;
Grace to remember that the world is too dangerous for anything but truth
And too small for anything but love.
So, may God take your minds and think through them;
May God take your lips and speak through them;
May God take your hearts and set them on fire.
-William Sloane Coffin
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Contact Information
phone: 619/422-4141
pastoral care: 619/301-0724 |
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