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FATHER MARK’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
https://www.roguecu.org/community/donate?utm_campaign=later-linkinbio-roguecreditunion&utm_content=later-10024205&utm_medium=social&utm_source=instagram GINA’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
Happy Birthday!! Rebecca Brenner September 27 Allie Cawiezel October 4 Pati McLellan October 1 Shawn Hergenreder October 5 James Nielsen October 1 Chris Kelley October 5 Alena Kennedy October 2 Dennis Mitchell October 5 Johnny Selzer October 2 Lucretia Green October 6 Bible Study: John and Peggy Wymore will be leading a bible study on the book of Hebrews beginning Thursday, October 1st from 6:00-7:30 P.M. in the parish hall (10 or fewer, masks required). For more information contact John and Peggy at jpwymore@charter.net. Prayer Requests: The prayer request sheet is still just outside the office in the church and is updated weekly. Anyone may still email your prayer requests to me at stfrancis@allophone.com. If you do not have email, just call the church and leave a message. Since, I am back in the office, the requests must be received on by Wednesday at the latest, for them to be included in the Sunday Bulletin for that week. If the request is received after Wednesday, they will be added to the next Sunday Bulletin. We will follow the same process and keep the names on for two weeks. Once the prayer request is received, it is added to the prayer list and then I email the names to have them added to the Prayer Chain and to the Daughters of the King. **Daily Devotion for Thursday September 24, 2020** Humility and Authority The 5 Steps – Pause * Listen * Think * Pray * Go Pause Approach God with quiet, gentle movements. Refuse to be “loud” and eager to do the talking. Come ready to bow down . . . and listen . . . and find purpose, as one who remembers what it is to be less than holy. Listen Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort in love, any sharing in the Spirit, any sympathy, complete my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, being united, and agreeing with each other. Don’t do anything for selfish purposes, but with humility think of others as better than yourselves. Instead of each person watching out for their own good, watch out for what is better for others. Philippians 2:1-4 Think Do we have any milk left? Is there any leftover pizza? Maybe you’ve asked a question like this in the past. Sometimes, any amount will do. We just need a little bit, just a piece. Keep this mindset as you think about today’s passage. The Apostle Paul encourages the church in the city of Philippi to rally around some areas of overlap or commonality within their congregation. He guides them to imitate Christ. Paul asks them to consider if any encouragement, any comfort, any sharing, or any sympathy characterizes their fellowship. Any at all? Just a little bit? Identifying such an overlap within a youth group or church family creates a powerful sense of unity. Learning how to “watch out” for others evolves to including neighbors, strangers, and even enemies. Jesus made a space for the needs of others without worrying about himself. Paul believed in the ability of the Philippians to follow the example of Christ. Now it’s our turn. Any chance you want to “watch out,” too? Brian Abel Pray God, any moment when I pause to pray, you are ready to spend time with me. Any time I see a need while driving around, watching TV, or checking social media, you can guide my response. Increase my willingness to “watch out” for others. In Jesus’ name, amen. Go Rise from a kneeling place. Embrace God’s call to put others first today. Resist the urge to find a spotlight. Allow the light of God’s love to shine brightly, even boldly, through you. Gina’s Office Hours Tuesday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Wednesday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. FATHER MARK’S ANNOUNCEMENTS 1) Oregon Fire Assistance – many of us are watching with sadness and grief over what is happening on the west coast, with fires destroying so much and threatening so many. Parishioners Dan and Cindy Dickinson’s daughter and her family are very near the Almeda fire in Jackson Co., and while their family is safe, many in that region will be devastated. If you would like to help, here is a link to a local effort that will match any cash donations, thereby doubling your gift. https://www.roguecu.org/community/donate?utm_campaign=later-linkinbio-roguecreditunion&utm_content=later-10024205&utm_medium=social&utm_source=instagram 2) COVID-19 Parish Update – We’re holding pretty steady with a slight uptick since last week in the number of local cases (see chart below.) While statewide things are opening up more, there is still good reason to be cautious as individuals and as parishes, and we continue to follow the guidance and direction of the Bishop. As of today, our plan is to remain “online only” for the next two Sundays and if things improve to re-open for public worship on Sunday, October 4th. Keep watching these announcements and our website for the latest information.  3) Church life continues, however, with bible studies (online and in-person), hospital visitations, funerals, charitable assistance, outreach, pastoral counseling, and even a wedding scheduled for October! Gina and I are back to regular hours in the office, and I am in as usual, and Don holds everything together from his bunker downstairs. We’re not together as much as we would like, but we are still church, and we are still in mission and ministry in our community. There are lots of creative-types doing lots of creative things to stay in contact (see one parish’s amazing work here https://www.trinitytoledo.org). Sadly, I am not so gifted, but maybe you have ideas about how we might better reach and serve you in these COVID times. I would welcome your suggestions and also you help getting them implemented! GINA’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
Happy Birthday!! Chris Webb September 17 Bill Mann September 19 Margaret Pepper September 20 Jeane Anderson September 21 Amy Wisniewski September 23 Bible Study: John and Peggy Wymore will be leading a bible study on the book of Hebrews beginning Thursday, October 1st from 6:00-7:30 P.M. in the parish hall (10 or fewer, masks required). For more information contact John and Peggy at jpwymore@charter.net. Prayer Requests: The prayer request sheet is still just outside the office in the church and is updated weekly. Anyone may still email your prayer requests to me at stfrancis@allophone.com. If you do not have email, just call the church and leave a message. Since, I am back in the office, the requests must be received on by Wednesday at the latest, for them to be included in the Sunday Bulletin for that week. If the request is received after Wednesday, they will be added to the next Sunday Bulletin. We will follow the same process and keep the names on for two weeks. Once the prayer request is received, it is added to the prayer list and then I email the names to have them added to the Prayer Chain and to the Daughters of the King. **Daily Devotion for Thursday September 17, 2020** Rules for Relationships The 5 Steps – Pause * Listen * Think * Pray * Go Pause The Lord is my shepherd. I lack nothing. He lets me rest in grassy meadows; he leads me to restful waters; he keeps me alive. He guides me in proper paths for the sake of his good name. Psalm 23:1-3 Listen The whole Israelite community complained against Moses and Aaron in the desert. The Israelites said to them, “Oh, how we wish that the Lord had just put us to death while we were still in the land of Egypt. There we could sit by the pots cooking meat and eat our fill of bread. Instead, you’ve brought us out into this desert to starve this whole assembly to death.” Then the Lord said to Moses, “I’m going to make bread rain down from the sky for you. The people will go out each day and gather just enough for that day. In this way, I’ll test them to see whether or not they follow my Instruction.” Exodus 16:2-4 Think When we follow God, unexpected things happen. God leads people into freedom because God is a liberating God, but it might not be what we expect. In today’s passage, the Israelites who were slaves have been freed but they are also still suffering because they haven’t yet made it to the end of their journey into God’s fulfilled promises. Freedom doesn’t come instantly. Even when old oppressive systems are broken down, it takes time to build new liberating ones. Following God means leaving behind what we know to be harmful and then sticking with the difficult journey toward building something better, even if it takes a long time. Following a liberating God is also signing up to be patient and continuing to trust God in the journey as it unfolds. Thankfully, that journey is marked by God’s unswerving presence and provision, like when God provided for these Israelites in the desert on their journey. What does God provide you for your journey? How does God show you God is present? Emily Peck-McClain Pray Liberating God, I know you call us to be free and to work to free others from oppression. I know you are with me on the journey from freedom to promise. Teach me patience, provide for me, and keep me near to others who can journey with me. In your holy name I pray, amen. Go Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no danger because you are with me. Your rod and your staff— they protect me. You set a table for me right in front of my enemies. You bathe my head in oil; my cup is so full it spills over! Yes, goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the Lord’s house as long as I live. Psalm 23:4-6 Gina’s Office Hours Tuesday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Wednesday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. FATHER MARK’S ANNOUNCEMENTS As many of you know Father Mark is out of town this week. He will update you with his announcements when he returns. Thank you all for your patience!! GINA’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
Did you know???? The Thursday Announcements are posted every week on our website, too? Just go to www.saintf.org , then click on “PARISH NEWS”. So, if you misplace your email or lose the mailed copy, you can still access the information. Happy Birthday!! Christy Anderson September 10 Noah Moreno September 11 Ralph Anderson September 12 Greg Peterson September 12 Wanda Mueller September 13 Father Gary Young September 13 Emma Hergenreder September 15 Hannah Schillereff September 16 Prayer Requests: The prayer request sheet is still just outside the office in the church and is updated weekly. Anyone may still email your prayer requests to me at stfrancis@allophone.com. If you do not have email, just call the church and leave a message. Since, I am back in the office, the requests must be received on by Wednesday at the latest, for them to be included in the Sunday Bulletin for that week. If the request is received after Wednesday, they will be added to the next Sunday Bulletin. We will follow the same process and keep the names on for two weeks. Once the prayer request is received, it is added to the prayer list and then I email the names to have them added to the Prayer Chain and to the Daughters of the King. Daily Devotion for Thursday September 10, 2020 Rules for Relationships The 5 Steps – Pause * Listen * Think * Pray * Go Pause Be still breathe in, breathe out God’s first language is silence Be still breathe in, breathe out listen closely for the voice of God Listen When Joseph’s brothers realized that their father was now dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge against us, and wants to pay us back seriously for all of the terrible things we did to him?” So they approached Joseph and said, “Your father gave orders before he died, telling us, ‘This is what you should say to Joseph. “Please, forgive your brothers’ sins and misdeeds, for they did terrible things to you. Now, please forgive the sins of the servants of your father’s God.”’” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. Genesis 50:15-17 Think What would you do if you had the chance to get payback on someone who did something so hurtful you could not forget it? Forgiveness is one of the most difficult Christian acts to understand and do. When someone has embarrassed or bullied us, our culture tells us we should get even or at least “clap back.” If the offender is bigger, more powerful, or more popular we may hold our anger in our hearts and wish or even pray that they somehow get what we think they have coming to them. Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery in Egypt when he was a young boy. His life was extremely hard, but God’s love and care never left him. He rose to become the second most powerful person in the country. Now, without their father to protect them, his brothers fear that Joseph will seek revenge for what they did. It is time for a life lesson. What do you think it will be? Kamal Hassan Pray God, let me know what to do about those who have injured me and are trying to get away with it. I need the wisdom to make a choice that upholds my dignity and my rights. Let me be neither complicit by my silence nor vengeful in my actions. Amen. Go I don’t feel no ways tired, I come too far from where I started from. Nobody told me that the road would be easy, I don’t believe He brought me this far to leave me. from “I Don’t Feel No Ways Tired” by Curtis Burrell (1978) Gina’s Office Hours Tuesday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Wednesday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. FATHER MARK’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
I miss you all terribly and it has been so great to see some of you in-person, even masked! It has started to feel more and more like “church” lately. We've had a setback for sure, but we are making it, and we will be back in the sanctuary and praying and singing and (gasp!) maybe even shaking hands someday! GINA’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
Did you know???? The Thursday Announcements are posted every week on our website, too? Just go to www.saintf.org , then click on “PARISH NEWS”. So, if you misplace your email or lose the mailed copy, you can still access the information. Happy Birthday!! Happy Anniversary!! Elsi Nielsen September 6 Clark & Amy Wisniewski September 4 John & Peggy Wymore September 5 Prayer Requests: The prayer request sheet is still just outside the office in the church and is updated weekly. Anyone may still email your prayer requests to me at stfrancis@allophone.com. If you do not have email, just call the church and leave a message. Since, I am back in the office, the requests must be received on by Wednesday at the latest, for them to be included in the Sunday Bulletin for that week. If the request is received after Wednesday, they will be added to the next Sunday Bulletin. We will follow the same process and keep the names on for two weeks. Once the prayer request is received, it is added to the prayer list and then I email the names to have them added to the Prayer Chain and to the Daughters of the King. Daily Devotion for Thursday September 3, 2020 Rules for Relationships The 5 Steps – Pause * Listen * Think * Pray * Go Pause Some pride themselves on being rule-followers. Others see rules as made to be broken. Think of these “Rules for Relationships” like a ruler – helping us get things straight, connecting two points, allowing us to be level and aligned. When it comes to loving one another, God knows we need every tool we can get! Listen The commandments, Don’t commit adultery, don’t murder, don’t steal, don’t desire what others have, and other commandments, are all summed up in one word: You must love your neighbor as yourself. Romans 13:9 Think Do you remember when you first learned the Ten Commandments? One Sunday School teacher I know calls them “The Ten Best Ways to Live.” In today’s text, Paul says that those last five commandments God gave to Moses can be summed up in how we care for our neighbor. Don’t cheat, don’t kill, don’t steal, don’t try to get what’s not yours. These laws are both literal and figurative. We may pride ourselves on not being murderers, but Jesus says that even hating your brother in your heart is the essence of killing. Even looking at someone lustfully is the essence of adultery. Without God’s grace, these can be hard commandments to follow! But Paul says it really comes down to loving our neighbor as ourselves. You wouldn’t want someone to cheat off your test at school, so you choose to keep your eyes on your own work. You wouldn’t want someone to break the rules during a soccer game, so you play fairly too. It’s important to see that loving your neighbor as yourself only works when you actually do love yourself. Cari Pattison Pray “God, help me believe the truth about myself, no matter how beautiful it is.” Amen Marcrina Wiederkehr Go Being human together can be hard. Be gentle with yourself. Be generous to others. Love might require effort. It might mean saying “no”. It might include “I’m Sorry,” Or “I don’t know”. And when it comes to down to it, loving your neighbor as yourself simply means paying attention to what you feel and need and offering the same to another person. Go in love, and God be with you. Gina’s Office Hours Tuesday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Wednesday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1) Prayer Gathering this Saturday at 12:00 P.M. in Centennial Park. Saturday at noon there there will be a short prayer service for racial justice and unity. Folks will be there from lots of churches (Presbyterians, Methodists, Espicopalians, etc.) and anyone who wishes to can bring and say a prayer. Masks and social distancing required. This is an apolitical event hosted by local faith communities. I'll be there. Come and join us! 2) Last Sunday we had about 35-40 in the sanctuary, and it was so great to see so many of you in person! It felt like a crowd! We even had one in the overflow seating in the parish hall, who reported that the picture and sound were really clear. I know cases are rising in the northern panhandle, but we are still within our guidelines here and continuing to worship in-person. If you are not in a high-risk group, and are missing the space and the people, come and worship together. I do recommend coming a little early not just to make sure you get your favorite side (har!) but also just to enjoy some quiet in the space. I know folks are missing that as much as anything. We're a ways from being back to normal, but we are moving in the right direction. 3) This afternoon local artist Doug Hovett will be installing the cross we commissioned above our north entrance doors. Halleluia! This has been a long time in the works and I am so excited to see the result! Thank you to our Foundation and other generous donors who covered the cost of this project. 4) Speaking of generosity, I want to personally thank each and every one of you for your continued and faithful financial support of this parish during this crazy time. I know you haven't been able to come to church for many months, and I know that most folks just drop their gifts in the plate on Sundays. But even though that pattern has not been available, so many of you have mailed your pledge or donated online that we're a little behind, but not dramatically or dangerously so. We'll be fine and we will get through this together. Honestly, thank you for sticking with us and helping us figure this out. You are pretty incredible. GINA’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
Happy Birthday!! Happy Anniversary!! Alan Johnson August 30 Thomas Jones & Carolyn Pevey September 2 Karen Anderson September 1 Kathy Tabor September 2 Prayer Requests: The prayer request sheet is still just outside the office in the church and is updated weekly. Anyone may still email your prayer requests to me at stfrancis@allophone.com. If you do not have email, just call the church and leave a message. Since, I am back in the office, the requests must be received on by Wednesday at the latest, for them to be included in the Sunday Bulletin for that week. If the request is received after Wednesday, they will be added to the next Sunday Bulletin. We will follow the same process and keep the names on for two weeks. Once the prayer request is received, it is added to the prayer list and then I email the names to have them added to the Prayer Chain and to the Daughters of the King. Daily Devotion for Thursday August 27, 2020 The 5 Steps – Pause * Listen * Think * Pray * Go Pause Consider. God is offering you rest and joy. What’s keeping you from grasping hold of these gifts? Listen “Come to me, all you who are struggling hard and carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Put on my yoke, and learn from me. I am gentle and humble. And you will find rest for yourselves. My yoke is easy to bear, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 Think I’ve struggled with this text. After many years of being told all of the things I need to do to be a good Christian, how can I accept that following Jesus is easy or light? Where is the rest if I am supposed to be “taking up my cross” every day? That sounds hard, painful even. And, it is… especially if my heart is torn between all sorts of different motivations. I want to impress my friends, be popular at school, look good, make the best grades, and be happy all the time. I can hear Jesus saying, “Wow, you have a lot of bosses in your life. How can you please them all?” Maybe the secret is in simplicity. Maybe the calling is to set aside all of these conflicting motives. Perhaps the rest that is being offered comes when we set aside everything else but one thing, pleasing God. When God is all that matters, discipleship becomes joy, the joy of simply being who God created us to be. What are your true motives? Are they confused and conflicting? Maybe it’s time you found rest in God. Wade Griffith Pray God, why do I make everything so confusing and messy? Come into my life with your big eraser, and erase all that is not of you. Erase those things that muddle my thinking and keep me chasing after false happiness. Help me find my rest in you. Amen. Go Don’t think, “Yes, in the future, I ought to…” Instead, do it. Do it now. Gina’s Office Hours Tuesday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Wednesday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. FATHER MARK’S ANNOUNCEMENTS 1) Last week’s initial re-gathering for worship was super meaningful for me, and I hope for the 35 or so present. It was so wonderful to see the faces of those I love and to worship, pray, and receive communion together. We will continue to worship in-person as long as our local cases remain low, which is true as of this writing. If you are able and low-risk, come back and worship in the sanctuary. If you are high-risk or unsure, online will always be an option, and one we hope to continually improve. Either way, your presence is important and your prayer and support are critical to our mission and ministry, and more so during this time of disruption. Hang in there! We are finding our way through, and God has never left our side. One last note — if you have been longing to sit in the sanctuary and just rest in the peace of the sacred space, think about arriving early. Things really start to buzz about 10 min ’til and if you just want to take a minute in quiet, 9:40 is the sweet spot! 2) We have about 8 folks signed up for our Wednesday Sack Lunch ministry. If you would like to get involved, just shoot me an email or text and I’ll send you a sign-up schedule, There are three jobs — shopping for the food, packing the lunches, and distributing them in front of the church. No single job takes more than an hour. The two weeks we have offered this, we gave away 35 lunches each time. The first week we ran out in 15 minutes, the second week we had 12 lunches left after an hour and I took them to the Capri where the office hands them out to the needy folks who are staying there. I do believe this ministry, which we are doing in partnership with the Methodist Church, is needed, and as the one who handed out the lunches both weeks, I can testify that it is both easy and fun. 3) Speaking of ministry, last Sunday we again offered Laundry Love, a shared ministry with our friends at First Presbyterian, this time at East Overland. This is growing into a much anticipated and much appreciated gift to the community, which people are now calling and inquiring about. I am so thankful for the idea generated by our Thursday Discipleship Group, and especially to the many dedicated volunteers who joyfully commit their time to make this work! GINA’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
Happy Birthday!! Happy Anniversary!! Ann Selzer August 20 Greg & Collette Suhr August 21 Kamden Leonard August 21 Jean Hilyard August 23 Mandi Sauer August 24 Robin Biltjinitis August 26 Sean McKeehan August 26 John Wymore August 26 (Update) Prayer Requests: The prayer request sheet is still just outside the office in the church and is updated weekly. Anyone may still email your prayer requests to me at stfrancis@allophone.com. If you do not have email, just call the church and leave a message. Since, I am back in the office, the requests must be received on by Wednesday at the latest, for them to be included in the Sunday Bulletin for that week. If the request is received after Wednesday, they will be added to the next Sunday Bulletin. We will follow the same process and keep the names on for two weeks. Once the prayer request is received, it is added to the prayer list and then I email the names to have them added to the Prayer Chain and to the Daughters of the King. Daily Devotion for Thursday August 20, 2020 The 5 Steps – Pause * Listen * Think * Pray * Go Pause God, give me courage to take on this day. Jesus, give me words when I don’t know what to say. Spirit, give me breath so I can work and play. Listen Therefore, as God’s choice, holy and loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Colossians 3:12 Think How are we supposed to “put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience” when the world seems to be falling apart around us? Especially when the adults around us can’t seem to treat one another with dignity and respect? Sometimes society needs the young people to remind us of our collective values. At school, whether online or in person, we are expected to be kind, be patient, treat other with respect, and take responsibility for our own actions. Today God is reminding us how to be decent humans to one another. And if we are made in God’s image, then we can do this! Even when it’s hard to be humble, we can demonstrate humility. We can choose to be kind rather than cranky. In the attempt, we will feel better about ourselves, and others are likely to respond in kind. Can you help set an example today? Pray Holy One, bless me with the patience to be a gentle human today. Help me to hold back criticism and offer encouragement to my friends. Thank you for reminding me what it means to be made in your image with the capacity for kindness and creativity. Amen. Go Let me be a friend to those who have few friends, Let me find a friend when I feel lonely, Let me walk away from danger to safety, Help me to walk in the light and love of Jesus. Gina’s Office Hours Tuesday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Wednesday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. FATHER MARK’S ANNOUNCEMENTS So…we are doing it!! After what seems like forever, we are re-opening for worship this Sunday, August 16th at 10:00 A.M.! The data chart below shows that our local cases are below 4/day, which is the benchmark we have set for safely gathering in-person. If that number should go back up, we may need to close again, but for now, we are cleared to go by the Bishop! Here are a few things to remember as we come together again in this new way:
Here is a link to a youtube video showing how communion will work: https://youtu.be/Oq5EZ8F394g This is the next safest step in our return to some kind of new normal. It won’t always be this way, I promise. There will be some challenges and we may find ourselves back to online only if the number of local cases rises for any period of time. BUT – your safety is the number one concern. We have found a way to keep the traditions going and hold our little community together even as we isolate. Someday soon there will be a medical solution that allows us more flexibility. Until then, just know your Bishop, your clergy, your vestry, and all your parish leadership love you and pray for you regularly. Fr. Mark+  GINA’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
Happy Birthday!! Happy Anniversary!! Joe Leach August 14 Jack & Chris Webb August 14 Cory Foster August 16 Jim & Donetta Petitt August 18 Tracy Jackson August 19 (Update) Prayer Requests: The prayer request sheet is still just outside the office in the church and is updated weekly. Anyone may still email your prayer requests to me at stfrancis@allophone.com. If you do not have email, just call the church and leave a message. Since, I am back in the office, the requests must be received on by Wednesday at the latest, for them to be included in the Sunday Bulletin for that week. If the request is received after Wednesday, they will be added to the next Sunday Bulletin. We will follow the same process and keep the names on for two weeks. Once the prayer request is received, it is added to the prayer list and then I email the names to have them added to the Prayer Chain and to the Daughters of the King. Gina’s Office Hours Tuesday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (at the church) Wednesday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (at the church) Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (at the church)  RE-OPENING SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT HALLELUAH! This week we received the go-ahead from the Bishop to resume in-person worship on August 16th at 10:00 A.M., using masks, social distancing, safe communion practices, and cleaning before and after services. Our local new cases have been steady around 3/day (see graph) and we committed to continue to watch the numbers, closing again if the trendline rises above 4/day and then re-opening again when it declines. This will undoubtedly be a time of peaks and valleys in terms of new cases, and our goal is to have worship in person in the church when it is safe, but be ready to pull back when it is not. That seems the likely pattern until this thing is under control.  So -- now that you can come to church, the question is; "Should you?"
The answer is entirely dependent on two things:
Q: Will there be two services at this time? A: No, we are only planning a 10:00 A.M. service for now, but are open to changing if there is a need. Q: Will communion be available every week? A: Yes. Last week we sent an outline of safe procedures for receiving communion, and a video is coming out today or tomorrow demonstrating what that looks like. Q: Do I need to wear a mask the whole service? A: Yes, masks will be required during the entire service, except when you are actually consuming the host. Q: What if someone doesn't have a mask? A: No one will be allowed to worship in-person at this time without a mask. If you forget or don't have one, we have them available in the narthex and an usher will happily provide one for you. Q: Is hand sanitizer available? (An aside -- Lia calls this "hanitizer," which I think is actually a better name for it) A: Yes, there are three hands-free sanitizers in the church, one at the back door, one on the way into the sanctuary, and one at the steps to the parish hall. Q: How will we know where to sit and how to go to communion? A: Ushers will be on-hand to direct you to open seating and indicate when to come forward. Q: How many can worship in the sanctuary and what if too many people show up? A: We anticipate we can safely seat around 40 in the sanctuary, keeping six-foot distances between individuals and family groups sitting together. If more than 40 arrive, we have set up the parish hall with the livestream feed and can seat another 40 or so there. Honestly, if more than 80 people show up for service, we will have to cancel anyway because I will have died of shock :) Other churches in the area report small numbers in attendance, on the order of 20-30. If we exceed that, we will make a plan, I promise you. Q: Can I sit with my friends and/or family? A: Family groups can share a pew. Couples can sit together, and perhaps an individual can sit at the other end, space permitting. Individuals can share a pew, one on either end. Q: Will we use bulletins or prayerbooks? A: Bulletins as usual, placed in the pews where seating is allowed, to be left there for collection following the service. Q: Will there be music? A: Barb will play the piano, and on most Sundays Alyssa will sing the hymns as a soloist from a safe distance or behind the sneeze guard on the lectern. There will be no congregational singing at this time. Q: What if I forget what to do? A: Don't worry, there will be plenty of us present who have been working on this for months and we will assist you every step of the way. Q: Why are we going to all this trouble and when will we get "back to normal?" A: We are making all these (hopefully temporary) changes in order to have worship together and receive communion during this time of uncertainty. My commitment, and that of our Bishop and our Vestry, is that you will be safe in church. These steps represent the best guidance available to us at this time to lower or mitigate risk to your health and the health of those you love. So -- this is the plan. I am so looking forward to worshipping with folks in-person again, and I know many of you are feeling the same. Please be safe, stay home if it is safer for you or others, and keep the faith. This is progress! Love, Fr. Mark+ FATHER MARK’S ANNOUNCEMENTS 1) Watch your inbox for a "Back to Church Special" announcement coming later today. It was too long to include here, so I am sending it as an "Extra." 2) The Bishop has announced that the 2020 Annual Diocesan Council will be held virtually this year on a single day, Saturday October 17th. Our parish is allowed to have 3 voting members plus clergy. If you would like to participate, which would mean giving up most of the day on Oct 17th to sit and watch and vote online, please let me know. I think we have one voting spot spoken for, leaving two available. 3) Don't forget to contact The Rev. Judi Yeates at this email address motherjudi@earthlink.net this week if you are interested in joining the EFM group now forming across the state. For more information on EFM see this link. https://efm.sewanee.edu 4) Yesterday we prepared and gave away 30 sack lunches at noon in front of the church. We ran out in 15 minutes, which indicates there is some interest in the ministry. The United Methodist Church started this a few weeks ago and they have experienced the same kind of demand. We committed to try tow weeks and see if this is something we want to do regularly, thinking perhaps every other Wednesday. However, before I commit us, we will need more than the 5 volunteers we currently have. The tasks are: shopping on Monday for enough food for 30 sack lunches, preparing the lunches Wednesday morning, and sitting at a table and distributing them Wednesday 12-1. If we get 10 volunteers, that is 5 more than we currently have, I will give Pastor Collins the go-ahead that we are in. If not, it was worth a try. Volunteer by emailing or calling the office. Blessings, and watch your inbox for news about re-opening! Fr. Mark+ GINA’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
Happy Birthday!! Happy Anniversary!! Leticia Schnell August 8 Justin & Jenny Bohl August 10 Collette Suhr August 9 Ryan Hergenreder August 10 Jersey Joplin August 10 Shirley Mead August 10 *** If all goes as planned, I will be back in the church office again on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9:00am to 1:00pm starting on August 11th. Prayer Requests: Please email your prayer requests to Gina at stfrancis@allophone.com. If you do not have email, just call the church and leave a message. The requests must be received on Tuesday’s before 12:00pm for them to be included in the Sunday Bulletin for that week. If the request is received after 12:00pm on Tuesday, they will be added to the next Sunday Bulletin. We will follow the same process and keep the names on for two weeks. Once the request is received it is added to the prayer list and then I email the names to have them added to the Prayer Chain and to the Daughters of the King. The Forward Day by Day Meditation for August 6, 2020THURSDAY August 6 Feast of the TransfigurationJohn 21:4 Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. From the Archives: April 27, 1950 Life will come and with it will come our Lord. We shall likely not recognize him. But he finds us at our work and, not obstinate but ready to take a hint, he will give us success. We Christians are out to catch people. Lately we have not caught many. We work hard at it, desperately hard, but the net comes back empty. Don’t give up. Night is passing. Dawn is breaking. Who is that on the shore? He is the expert. He knows the ways of men. He is calling out directions—“the right side of the ship.” Let us start afresh in his way. There will be a heavy catch. What if the net breaks? We’ll mend it—a truer, more captivating Church! MOVING FORWARD: Do a little research on the history of veils. How does this help you understand them as a metaphor? PRAY for the Dioceses of Mbaise and Warri (both in Nigeria) Ps 99 or 99:5-9 | Exodus 34:29-35 | 2 Peter 1:13-21 | Luke 9:28-36 Gina’s Office Hours Tuesday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (at the church) Wednesday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (at the church) Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (at the church) FATHER MARK’S ANNOUNCEMENTS 1) After last week's announcements, several people expressed interest in working with our friends at the Methodist Church to provide a simple bag lunch on Wednesdays, and so I committed us to try it next week. If you want to help, email me at frmarks@me.com. Here's what we will need:
2) Many of you already make your donations via online giving, which is a great and easy and safe way to keep your pledge up-to-date during this time of disruption. There is a new, even easier way to give electronically that probably lots of you already use for other things -- text giving. You can now text your donations to the church, using the same platform as we use for online giving, which is about the safest way there is. If you would like to try text giving, the number to use to donate is 308-252-3911. Here is link to a short tutorial starring an old person who is not that tech-savvy -- namely me! https://youtu.be/rxi3sDkvWBI 3) As of this morning, we are still hoping to re-open the church for public worship in two weeks -- Sunday, August 16th at 10:00 A.M. It will look and feel both familiar and awkward the first few times -- masks will be required, there will be no singing, and communion will be handled differently (see box below) -- but it will be the same liturgy and it will be the same sacred space and it will be so nice to be together. While we strongly encourage those who are at-risk to continue to participate online and not in-person just yet, we do welcome those who are low-risk and ready to get back. There will be no nursery or Godly Play, but families will be able to sit and worship together, so parents don't worry about kids -- believe me, any noise will be a welcome change from what we have had around here lately :) Here is this week's graph of new cases in our counties:  Celebrating Communion Among many changes in our worship services while we must respect wearing masks and social distancing, Holy Communion may be the biggest collection of changes. This is simply an outline of how communion will happen. It may raise questions that you want to ask before our first service. You may also want to watch our livestream on Facebook to see communion in process before you decide to attend a service yourself. Picture yourself sitting in a pew, and the service has proceeded to the point where it is usually time for serving the communion:
GINA’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
Happy Birthday!! Happy Anniversary!! Mardell Schnell July 31 Jim & Suzi Calder August 1 Judith Widmaier July 31 Ralph & Melissa Moreno August 1 Justin Bohl August 2 Phillip & Colleen Kelly August 5 Jim Calder August 4 Prayer Requests: Please email your prayer requests to Gina at stfrancis@allophone.com. If you do not have email, just call the church and leave a message. The requests must be received on Tuesday’s before 12:00pm for them to be included in the Sunday Bulletin for that week. If the request is received after 12:00pm on Tuesday, they will be added to the next Sunday Bulletin. We will follow the same process and keep the names on for two weeks. Once the request is received it is added to the prayer list and then I email the names to have them added to the Prayer Chain and to the Daughters of the King. The Forward Day by Day Meditation for July 30, 2020 THURSDAY, July 30 William Wilberforce Luke 5:30 The Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to [Jesus’] disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” From the Archives: April 4, 1968 The concern Jesus displayed for obvious and spectacular sinners weighed heavily against his claim to represent God. Some suspected that Jesus did not know enough about righteousness to be able to recognize sin even when he saw it, while others supposed that he mingled with prostitutes and traitors because they were all of a kind. That he did this with saving purpose seems to have occurred to none of them. His eloquent parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son were formed to justify his concerns about lost people, but eloquence is wasted on those who will not hear. Violating the popular standards of righteousness is never acceptable. His association with tax collectors was especially unacceptable. To eat with such was to establish an unbreakable bond. Could their lostness justify such an action? MOVING FORWARD: When has your faith in Jesus prompted you to give up privilege or prestige? PRAY for the Dioceses of Massachusetts and Victoria Nyanza (Tanzania) Ps [70], 71 * 74 | Judges 4:4-23 | Acts 1:15-26 | Matthew 27:55-66 Gina’s Office Hours Tuesday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (at the church) Wednesday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (work from home) Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (work from home) |
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