Wednesday, March 31, 2021

 

St. John's Mission Statement

St. John's is a Christian community that intentionally gathers 
to experience God's love through Episcopal worship, education, fellowship, and ministry to the wider community.


WORSHIP

Holy Week and Easter
The Paschal Triduum
 
We continue Holy Week with our celebration of the Great Three Days, also known as The Paschal Triduum: starting the evening of Maundy Thursday, through the evenings of Good Friday and Easter Eve on Saturday (with the Great Vigil of Easter,) and ending the evening of Easter; all celebrating the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. These days are the heart of our Christian faith and the holiest time of the church year. Each day's observance is an integral part of one service that stretches out over three days; commemorating the Last Supper, Passion and Resurrection of Christ. Our liturgy will engage all our senses - sight, smell, hearing, touch, movement and taste - and will invite us to experience the climatic moments of God's story of love. Those who make a commitment to attend the entire Triduum will find their Easter joy enhanced and their faith deepened.
 
What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul.
What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss to lay aside
his crown for my soul.
 
 
Maundy Thursday: April 1st
7:00PM   (Please join us for our liturgy in Nale Hall or livestreamed on St. John's Facebook or the recorded service on our website)
 
"Maundy" is from the Latin term "mandatum", meaning commandment. Jesus gave his disciple a new commandment on the night before he died: to love one another as he loved them. This is the commandment which we particularly focus on when we celebrate Maundy Thursday.
 
Our evening service is primarily a celebration of the Eucharist, commemorating the first Eucharist (the Last Supper) when Jesus broke the bread, shared the wine, and said, "Do this in remembrance of me". On this holy night, we also observe the Passover of God's people from slavery to freedom, as we hear the Exodus account, hearing it through the lens of our Christian understanding of Jesus as the Passover Lamb of God; and we remember the loving gift Jesus offered his friends when he washed their feet, as we offer the same humble service to one another.
 
Our Maundy Thursday liturgy will include elements from the Jewish Seder; description of the Seder Plate and the Four Questions asked that night. We will continue with the Liturgy of the Word, a symbolic remembrance of Foot Washing at the Last Supper with the command to serve our neighbors in need, and the celebration of the institution of Holy Eucharist with the blessing of bread and wine. Since this begins the "one liturgy" of the Paschal Triduum, our liturgy of this day has no formal dismissal.

 
A meditation on Maundy Thursday by Monika Hellwig
 
Because the Eucharist is first and foremost the celebration of the divine hospitality made present to us in the person of Jesus, it is an action which addresses every form of inhospitality in our world, confronting it with the image of what might be and what ought to be. Jesus, as the outreach of divine hospitality, is not only the primary hospitality of creation but also the redemptive hospitality of healing grace.
 
At its simplest level of sharing food, the Eucharist signals that in God's world there is room for all. We are therefore challenged to solve the problems of the world by sharing - not by excluding people, not by eliminating people, not by killing. At its other level of symbolism, pointing to the paschal mystery as signaled by the Exodus event, the Eucharist bids us share in promoting and celebrating the liberation of the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalized or excluded because these are in a special way the people of God.
Monika Hellwig, The Eucharist and the Hunger of the World, New York: Sheed and Ward, 1992
 
 
Good Friday: April 2nd
 
The heart of the Good Friday observance is from noon to 3 PM, the hours when Jesus hung upon the Cross. The liturgy for Good Friday is solemn yet simple; dramatic yet understated.
 
12:00PM   (Please join us for our liturgy in the courtyard or livestreamed on St. John's Facebook or the recorded service on our website)
 
The noon service will consists of a sequence of psalms, prayers, and The Stations of the Cross.

 
7:00PM  (Please join us for our liturgy in the courtyard or livestreamed on St. John's Facebook or the recorded service on our website)
 
We will gather in reflective prayer, with no formal introduction. The evening liturgy begins with the Collect of the Day and the appointed somber readings from Isaiah, the Psalms and Hebrews, culminating in hearing of the Passion according to St. John. The account of the death of Jesus is followed by several minutes of silent reflection and a sermon. We then pray the Solemn Collects, remembering the Church and the world for which Christ died. A cross is brought into the church as a focal point for our meditation, and this year we will virtually venerate and pray before the Cross. We end with the Lord's Prayer and Collect; there is no blessing or dismissal.
You may stay and pray, spending individual time at the cross of Christ.

 
A meditation for Good Friday by Walter Brueggemann
 
The last word Jesus speaks on the cross in John's Gospel is, "It is finished." This is not a statement of defeat or resignation. It is rather God's victory. Already on that Friday before Easter Sunday, Jesus declared his victory. His work is done. He has done that for which his life was destined.
 
The phrase, "It is finished," is a deliberate allusion to God's "finish" three times in the Old Testament. In Genesis 2, after six days of creation when the earth was made fruitful and blessed, "God finished." God overcame chaos and so God rested as the new ruler of creation. In Exodus 40, after Moses has been designing and building the tabernacle for divine presence, Moses could say, "It is finished." He had provided a resting place for God, the new monarch. In Joshua 19, when the land of promise had been carefully distributed among the twelve tribes, Joshua could report that the land settlement was finished. All of these "finishes" report on God's great work.
 
And now a finish of one more victory on Friday: One more gift to the world. What is now finished is the victory of God's way in the world enacted by Jesus. Jesus has practiced the way of suffering love, of compassion, mercy, forgiveness, and generosity. On that Friday, the power of death had done its best yet it could not overcome the power of God in Jesus.
 
The Friday victory is the defeat of the power of death. The power of death shows up in all the ways that seek to talk us out of our God-given life of well-being. That power shows up in hostility and violence, in pettiness and selfishness, in greed and debilitating anxiety. But it is now robbed of this power because Jesus has prevailed.
 
The Friday victory is the defeat of the Roman Empire and all empires (including ours) that depend on muscle and militarism. Rome had executed Jesus as an enemy of the state; but it has no power to destroy his love for the world.
 
The Friday victory is the defeat of all those who thought and think they can compromise and manipulate their way to well-being. The power of death will continue to compete for a while. But, it has lost. It is finished.
 
For us this means the sting of death is gone. We need not fear being diminished.
It means the power of guilt has evaporated: we need not carry the wound of shame.
It means that we need no longer operate out of fear or loss or defeat.
It means that in God's strange new world coming to us, our fundamental dignity is not in jeopardy: we do not need to crawl to the top of anything.
It means that we are free to get our minds off ourselves and notice that Jesus calls us to care for the neighbor.
Walter Brueggemann, Into Your Hand: Confronting Good Friday, Eugene: Cascade Books, 2014
 
 
Holy Saturday - The Great Vigil of Easter: April 3rd
7:00PM (Please join us for our liturgy which will begin in the courtyard and move into the church or livestreamed on St. John's Facebook or the recorded service on our website)
 
On the night of Holy Saturday, Easter Eve, we will again gather in reflective prayer (vigil) as we light the new fire and Paschal Candle and we hear again the stories of salvation; proclaim Alleluia, hear the New Testament scripture, reaffirm our faith with the Renewal of Baptismal Vows, followed by the Celebration of Holy Eucharist and the receiving of Easter Communion.
 
There is no service in our tradition more powerful than the Great Vigil of Easter. In our current Book of Common Prayer, the Great Vigil has been recreated and reclaimed from the ancient church where it began in the early centuries when the Easter Vigil was the only time permitted for baptism. This celebration will be a profound experience that will draw you more deeply than ever into the faith of our resurrected Lord.
  

Sunday of the Resurrection - Easter Day: April 4th
9:00AM  
(Please join us for our liturgy in the church or livestreamed on St. John's Facebook or the recorded service on our website)
 
Please join us in the church for our Easter celebration of God's word, reaffirm our faith with the Renewal of Baptismal Vows, Holy Baptism and Celebration of Eucharist with the receiving of Easter Communion.
 
A meditation for Easter Sunday by Martin Luther King, Jr.
 
Whatever you believe about how the Resurrection happened isn't all that important. Some people felt that it was a physical resurrection; that the physical body was raised up. Then Paul came on the scene. He had been trained in Greek philosophy and had read a little of Plato and others who believed in the immortality of the soul, and so he tried to synthesize the Greek doctrine of the immortality of the soul with the Hebrew doctrine of resurrection. And he talked about a spiritual body.
 
Yet whatever view you hold isn't important right now. The important thing is that that Resurrection did occur. The important thing is that the grave was empty. The important thing is the fact that Jesus had given himself to certain eternal truths and eternal principles that nobody could crucify. So all the nails in the world could never pierce his truth. All the crosses of the world could never block this love. All the graves in the world could never bury his goodness.
 
And so today the Jesus and the God that we worship are inescapable. We can talk this morning about the inescapable Christ. Why? He lives today in society; he lives today in our lives; he lives today in the world. And this is our hope. This is what keeps us going. So you can go out this morning with new hope, new hope for the future. No matter how dark it gets, realize that God ultimately transforms your Good Friday into your Easter, our Easter.
 
And so this morning, let us not be disillusioned. Let us not lose faith. So often we've been crucified. We've been buried in numerous graves-the grave of economic insecurity, the grave of exploitation, the grave of oppression. We've watched justice trampled over and truth crucified.
 
But I'm here to tell you this morning: Easter proclaims that it won't be like that all the way. It reminds us that God has a light that can shine amid all of the darkness. And he can bring all the light of day out of the darkness of midnight.
 
So often we come to those points when it gets dark. It seems that the light of life is out. The sunlight of day moves out of our being and out the rest of our faith. We get disillusioned and confused and give up in despair. But if we will only look around we will discover that God has another light. And when we discover that, we need never walk in darkness. I've seen this so often in my own personal experience. For when it was dark and tragedy around, when it seemed that the light of day had gone out, I got enough strength in my being to turn around only to discover that God had another light.
 
This would be a tragic universe if God had only the light of day. But I came to see in a way that I'd never seen it before, that God has another light, a light that can guide you and me through the darkness of any midnight. Are you disillusioned on this Easter morning? Are you confused about life? Have you been disappointed? Have your highest dreams and hopes been buried? I say to you: "Don't give up, because God has another light, a resurrection light, and it is the light of Christ that can shine amid the darkness of a thousand midnights."
Martin Luther King, Jr., "Easter Sunday Sermon,"
courtesy of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University
 
To assure adequate seating, if you plan to attend any of our liturgical services please call the parish office (619) 422-4141

Health Guidelines for In-Person Worship
 
In addition to encouraging vaccination - we will strictly adhere to our action plan and the following guidelines (until the restrictions are lifted):
  • Temperature/symptom assessment
  • Contact tracing (name and phone number of all in attendance)
  • Hand hygiene
  • Single masks outdoors; double masks indoors
  • 6 feet social distancing: entering the space, seating, one communion line (inside the church)
  • Communion will be bread only - No cup
  • No Touch: at sign of peace, no passing collection plate
  • Disposable worship booklets
  • No congregational singing (one or two vocalists 12 feet apart)
  • Shorten worship service (indoor - 45 minutes)
  • Attendance in the church allows for 25% of church capacity which is 65 people - we will implement a reservation list - Please call the parish office if you plan to attend any of our worship services
  • Services will be live-streamed for those who do not feel comfortable gathering
MINISTRY OF PRAYER
Irish Blessing
 
May there always be work for your hands to do.
May your purse always hold a coin or two. 
May the sun always shine upon your window pane.
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain. 
May the hand of a friend always be with you.
And, may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you. 
     author unknown
 
Wednesday Morning Prayer and Bible Study
 
Join us for Wednesday Morning Prayer and Bible Study
on Wednesdays at 9:30 am as a Zoom meeting. 

Please contact Rev. Cathey (revcat@gmail.com)
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:
 
Parish Prayer Lists

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.

Our Parish Prayer Intentions
 
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, Steve, Gary and Shirley, Ann and Jim, 
Kevin, Muriel, Kirby, Florence, Colby, Reshmie and Kiran Oliver,
and for all first responders, medical professionals, 
essential workers and their families.

Cycle of Prayers for the Church

In the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, we pray for the clergy and people of 
Church of the Good Shepherd in Hemet.

In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, we pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

In the Military Cycle of Prayer, we pray for all sailors serving aboard submarines, USS Alexandria (SSN-757), USS Scranton (SSN-756)
and USS Annapolis (SSN-760).

Prayer Quilts
 
The leaders of the Prayer Quilt Ministry would like to remind 
you that there are many quilts available for anyone in need of prayer and support.  This important ministry brings comfort and healing to many people who are suffering with illness. Please contact Diane Gustafson directly (diangus15@aol.com) or through the office (maria@saint-johns.org). 

 
OUTREACH & EVANGELIZATION 
Outreach

St. John's Outreach Committee meets monthly to discuss 
our parish Outreach activities.
We will continue our ongoing collections for:
  • Blankets - Coordinated by Denise Czer and Sarah Tolley
    There is a great need for blankets
  • Pill Bottles - Coordinated by Sally Elliot
  • Eyeglasses - Norma Dunn
  • Magazines - Bob Dunn
  • Greeting Cards - Norma Dunn
  • Emergency Food Pantry - Coordinated by Maria and Joe Love
Items may be brought to Nale Hall on Sundays when we gather for worship.
If you do not feel comfortable driving, we will find a volunteer to pick up the items from your home.

Please click on the following link or visit the St. John's website (www.saint-johns.org) for more information on our Outreach Ministries:

 
Veteran/Military Friendly Congregation
 
St. John's has registered with the Military Chaplains Association as a Veteran/Military Friendly Congregation. With this designation, military chaplains can direct military members and veterans to us for their spiritual needs.

Ministry to active military members, veterans, and their
families is an important outreach ministry.  This outreach ministry offers us a way to tell the Good News to our many neighbors in the military and to give the opportunities for us to use their spiritual gifts while they are with us.

Rachel and Roberto Johnson, with the support of our Outreach Committee, are helping to lead this ministry opportunity.
 
PASTORAL CARE
 
We Are Available in Your Time of Need

If you have a pastoral emergency when the parish offices are closed, 
please call 619-301-0724 or email revroger@saint-johns.org

Need to Receive Your Vaccination?

CV Fire Department: Operation Immunity
 
The Chula Vista Fire Department initiated Operation Immunity  
on February 10, 2021, to reach out to our senior population who may have a difficult time accessing the COVID-19 vaccine. The goal is to help them overcome barriers like scheduling difficulties or lack of transportation that may hinder them from getting to a vaccination center. During the first week, CVFD provided vaccines to five Senior Citizens' communities and administered approximately 250 vaccinations. Additionally, they have visited 25 homebound Chula Vistans to administer their first COVID-19 vaccine.

Homebound Chula Vista residents can call (619) 476-2397 to be placed on a waiting list for the vaccine.

 
St. Paul's PACE

St. Paul's Senior Service - PACE Center
invites members of St. John's who qualify for the COVID vaccine to schedule an appointment - call Maribel at:

St. Paul's PACE Akaloa Center
630 L Street,  Chula Vista, CA  91911
619-271-7100

 
Vaccination Superstation in Chula Vista
 
The Vaccination Superstation located at the former Sears building, 565 Broadway, is open seven days a week, Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., for eligible residents; however, appointments are necessary. Plans are to provide 5,000 COVID-19 vaccinations daily at the site. More than 20 Firefighter/Paramedics from the Chula Vista Fire Department have received training and are helping Sharp Healthcare staff administer the vaccinations at the County site.
NOTE: entrance to the vaccine site is from the I Street side while testing is located on the H Street side of the building.

Do you need help to schedule a COVID-19 test or vaccination at the South Bay Superstation? City staff are available to assist in English and Spanish! Call (619) 476-2397 Monday through Friday, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. for help in scheduling your test or vaccination. This service is for Chula Vista residents only and is for testing or vaccines given only at the former Sears building. 

 
IN GRATITUDE
New Outdoor Altar
 
Our thanks to Mike Gollihur for refinishing our new
outdoor altar.  It is a beautiful addition to our outdoor worship services.
 




STEWARDSHIP AND ADMINISTRATION
The Vestry

David Dennehy, 
Senior Warden
619-840-9994 
Lynn Young, Junior Warden
208-695-7735
Bill Cheney, Treasurer
Terry Farrelly, Assistant Treasurer
Diane Gustafson, Clerk
Pamela Brittain
Tom Brzeczek
Ray Contreras
Jane Ferguson
Muriel Kulikowski
Alejandra Valdez-Beer


Beware of Scam Emails & Phishing Attempts
 
If you receive a suspicious email from an address that seems to be Rev. Roger or another parishioner asking for a favor, it may be a phishing attempt. Scam emails mimic addresses we are familiar with and are very often full of grammatical errors.

Rev. Roger will never email you asking for funds or financial support by way of gift cards. If you receive an email that seems suspicious, do not open it or respond to it.  Delete it immediately. 
 
Phishing is a cyber attack that uses disguised email as a weapon. The goal is to trick the email recipient into believing that the message is something they want or need - a request from their bank, for instance, or a note from someone in their company - and to click a link or download an attachment.
 
Parish Office Hours 

The Parish Office will be open 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, Monday through Thursday.  Please call before coming into the office, as our hours of availability may change.

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.


Your weekly newsletter highlights 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 maria@saint-johns.org.

Please submit your announcements by Tuesday of each week for inclusion in the Enews.

AROUND THE DIOCESE
A Service of Shadows  

With the traditional feel of a Tenebrae service, the Service of Shadows has a simpler format and opportunities for worshipers to sing along at home. With readings from Psalms and Lamentations from readers around the diocese and with a diocesan band to lead us in Taize chants, you can look forward to a spiritually filled time of worship.

Download the Service of Shadows here

ECS 2021 Making Miracles Gala
 
We are excited to invite you to the first 
Making Miracles HYBRID Gala!
Things will look a little different this year as we take specific precautions for the well-being of those interested in attending our Gala. Guests who do not feel comfortable being at a physical location or those too far to attend will have the option of choosing an
in-person event ticket or virtual event ticket!
Immerse yourself in the mission and vision of ECS. Ever-growing, ever-changing lives through programs that inspire children, empower adults, and transform our community.
We promise to create a night you will always remember!

Saturday, April 10, 2021
Join us in-person at
- Coasterra -
880 Harbor Island Dr
San Diego, CA 92101
5:30 pm

ATTIRE:
Old Hollywood Glamour
(Themed attire encouraged)
And livestreaming across YouTube and Facebook Live!
Livestreaming start time to be announced


All proceeds will benefit ECS: a nonprofit, charitable organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
For more information, call Timothy Whipple, Annual Giving Manager,
at 619-609-1182
 
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.
 
In this issue
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Contact Information
phone: 619/422-4141
pastoral care: 619/301-0724
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