ST. FRANCIS EPISCOPAL CHURCH
  • Home
    • FAQ
  • Who We Are
    • Clergy and Staff
  • What We Do
    • Worship
    • Service
    • Sermons
    • Children and Families
    • Discipleship
    • Music & the Arts
    • Pastoral Care
    • Weddings
    • Baptism
    • Funerals
  • Experience For Yourself
    • Sundays
    • Programs
    • Membership
    • New To St. Francis?
    • Participate in Worship
  • Calendar
  • Give
  • Mailing List
  • Parish News

Thursday Announcements for April 30th, 2020

4/30/2020

 
FATHER MARK’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
  1. Soup Kitchen -- tonight is our night to provide Soup Kitchen, but during this time we are doing so with a skeleton crew who are making and handing out individually sacked meals. Rick and Vicky have done all the purchasing and preparing, and they will do the distributing also. Rick says they deeply appreciate all those who have helped in the past and continue to offer their time and energy to this important ministry, but during this time of extra precaution and social distancing, keeping it all super simple and confined to just a few hands is really best. 

    2) What's up with worship? Honestly I wish I had better news, but as of today we are still not able to gather in church at least through May 10, and I fully expect that date to get pushed back when the Bishop updates his guidance soon. My best guess is that we will be out for a while longer -- at least until our state and our local communities are on the downslope of cases and deaths and our hospitals are adequately staffed and supplied. Only then will we begin to put pen to paper and figure out what worship will look like going forward. Until that time, we are putting together a plan to make our live-streamed video worship as good as we can make it, with strong consideration toward keeping video as a permanent option even after we are able to gather in the sanctuary again. The Bishop is committed to working with every parish on a solution that makes sense to each local context but within an overall framework of doing church safely during a pandemic. I promise we will be back together as soon as it is possible to do so safely. In the meantime, we watch out for those closest to us and take care of our nearest neighbors, and do what the church knows how to do -- pray to and praise God, while comforting and loving each other.

    All really will be well. 

    Love,
    Fr. Mark+
Gina's Announcements

Prayer Requests: We will start including Prayers for healing in the Sunday Bulletin again, so until we are meeting in person, please email your prayer requests to Gina at stfrancis@allophone.com. The requests must emailed by Tuesday for them to be included in the Sunday Bulletin for that week. If receive after Tuesday, they will be added to the next Sunday Bulletin.

This Week’s Schedule     May 3rd – May 9th 
ALL IN-PERSON SERVICES SUSPENDED FOR NOW
SUNDAY’S 10 A.M. SERVICES WILL BE LIVE STREAMED ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE – Saint Francis Episcopal Church 
(Saint must be spelled out, do not abbreviate)
If you do not have Facebook, you can go to our website www.saintf.org

The Forward Day by Day Meditation for April 30th, 2020 

John 8:7 Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.

From the Archives: December 30, 1996
“What is original sin?” the twelve-year-old asked her grandfather. He replied, “It is something we all have in common. It is one of the things that hold us together.” 

Grandfather’s definition of original sin was a way of saying what Jesus had in mind when he said, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Jesus understood the destructive consequences of adultery just as much as the scribes and Pharisees. But when Jesus zeroed in on sin, it was not just the obvious sins that caught his attention. 

Hard-heartedness is also a sin, because in its rush to condemn, it does not hear the message of mercy and forgiveness from the Savior. Jesus’ parting words to the woman—“neither do I condemn you”—are a reminder of just how forgiving is the God whom we meet in the Bible. 

MOVING FORWARD: Do you have a Judas place in your heart? How does Jesus come and meet you in that place.

Read the contemporary reflection here. 

PRAY for the Diocese of Kondoa (Tanzania)

Ps 37:1-18 * 37:19-42 | Exodus 20:1-21 | Colossians 1:24—2:7| Matthew 4:1-11

Gina’s Office Hours
Tuesday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (work from home)
Wednesday  9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (work from home)
Thursday  9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (work from home)

Thursday Announcements for April 23rd, 2020

4/30/2020

 
FATHER MARK’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
SCAM ALERT -- Gina received a scam email earlier that looked like it was coming from me and/or the parish asking her to buy some Ebay gift cards and send them electronically. Obviously this was not me or the parish, but a scammer disguising their address. Please know that I will never send you an email asking you to buy and send me anything. This is a popular one right now and it looks legit, but it's not, and if you can click on the email address of the sender it usually is a tip-off, but just know this will never be something I request.
THE GOOD NEWS -- Well, the obvious best good news is that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, but the other good news is that our community has thus far escaped the worst of this pandemic, the effects of which we are helping to minimize by our social distancing and other precautions. I know this is hard and even feels horrible, especially the longer it goes on. But it won't go on forever, and there is a day coming when life will be more like it was. In the meantime, we (you) are doing an amazing job of holding together as a community of faith, bound in love and committed to the teachings and ministry of Christ. Alleluia! Someday soon we will say it together in person. We can keep the faith even as we keep ourselves and others safe. 
 
FORWARD DAY-BY-DAY -- We still have some copies left in the office. If you would like one sent to you just give Gina a call and leave a message or send an email and she'll get it out. If you prefer an online version, you can find the daily reflection and reading here: https://prayer.forwardmovement.org

WORSHIP UPDATE -- No news yet from the Bishop's office on next steps and gathering for worship. We are still out for sure through May 10th, and likely longer, but until we know more, please plan to continue joining us for live-streamed worship using the link on our website. 

VIDEO COFFEE HOUR -- this week we'll do something new -- at 11:30 we will host a "Zoom Online Video Coffee Hour." To join, just click on the link below and you should be directed to the meeting. See if you can make it work. It will be a bit of a free-for-all, as only one person can really talk at a time, but at the very least, you will see some familiar faces! 

Mark Selvey is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Zoom Coffee Hour
Time: Apr 26, 2020 11:30 AM Mountain Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86565050349?pwd=QnYrUk9CdlRGSUx4UXhuVllrejRNUT09

Meeting ID: 865 6505 0349
Password: 764745

GINA’S ANNOUNCEMENTS

Prayer Requests: We will start including Prayers for healing in the Sunday Bulletin again, so until we are meeting in person, please email your prayer requests to Gina at stfrancis@allophone.com. The requests must emailed by Tuesday for them to be included in the Sunday Bulletin for that week. If receive after Tuesday, they will be added to the next Sunday Bulletin.

​This Week’s Schedule     April 26th – May 2ndALL IN-PERSON SERVICES SUSPENDED FOR NOW
SUNDAY’S 10 A.M. SERVICES WILL BE LIVE STREAMED ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE – Saint Francis Episcopal Church 
(Saint must be spelled out, do not abbreviate)
If you do not have Facebook, you can go to our website www.saintf.org
 
The Forward Day by Day Meditation for April 16th, 2020
Romans 12:3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
From the Archives: February 12, 2014
I’m not much, but I’m all I think about.
So many decisions each day and most, if not all, of them are centered on self. Each of us has a set of scales constantly weighing the pros and cons of every behavior.
However, the instinct to protect self can run amok. Suddenly, protection of self becomes promotion of self. Erroneously, we fear no one else is going to speak up for us, so if we want to be heard or recognized, we better blow our own horn. Either that, or deep down, the way we see ourselves is so distorted that we seek to bolster our perception with self-service.
Seeing ourselves as right-sized can be a lifetime process for some. Finally settling in, we find it fits like nothing else.
MOVING FORWARD: If you were making a color wheel, what colors would love be? Happiness? Peace?
PRAY for the Diocese of Kiteto (Tanzania)
Ps 18:1-20 * 18:21-50 | Exodus 16:10-22 | 1 Peter 2:11-25 | John 15:12-27
 
Gina’s Office Hours
Tuesday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (work from home)
Wednesday  9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (work from home)
Thursday  9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (work from home)

Thursday Announcements for April 16th, 2020

4/16/2020

 
FATHER MARK’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
 
1) Happy Easter to you and your families!! We had a glorious time celebrating here in the church with Barb and Alyssa providing some spectacular music! I do hope some of that joy came through and matched your own. It was a very different Holy Week and Easter morning, but we made it through and hopefully will not have to do Easter that way again anytime soon. Thanks to all who helped make it possible and special!

2) Our worship services will continue to be offered live-streamed only at least through May 10. I am expecting more guidance from the Bishop fairly soon, but in the meantime, keep logging on and joining us in real-time. The links and bulletins are on our website www.saintf.org.

3) We have both large print and regular versions of Forward Day-By-Day available. Typically we would set them out to be picked up, but this quarter we will mail them out if you request a copy. Just email Gina at stfrancis@allo.com and she will get one in the mail to you. I think we have 10 copies of the large print and 40 of the regular-sized.
4) Thanks to you, our parish community outreach continues even during social distancing! On April 4th one of our members joined with one from our ministry partner First Presbyterian, and together they found a way to safely provide quarters and supplies for our Laundry Love ministry. If you get a chance, be sure to thank Cricket Simmons and Becky Sorenson for their continued commitment to this ministry!  

And now we have a new opportunity -- again in partnership with 1st Pres. -- and that is donating non-perishable food items to the Potter's Wheel Food Bank. Here's how it will work: 
  • You can purchase and bag or box non-perishable food items, and either;
    • Deliver them to the warehouse address 118 East Overland in Scottsbluff.
    • Or call Becky Sorenson at 308-631-4003 and we will arrange to pick them up from your porch on set days, the first pick-up day will be next Monday, April 20th
OK -- stay safe and warm today! This snow, too, will pass. I think. Unless we are in a new ice age. In which case, does anybody need some good used golf clubs?

Fr. Mark+

GINA’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
  
This Week’s Schedule     April 19th – April 25th
 
ALL IN-PERSON SERVICES SUSPENDED FOR NOW
SUNDAY’S 10 A.M. SERVICES WILL BE LIVE STREAMED ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE – Saint Francis Episcopal Church 
(Saint must be spelled out, do not abbreviate)
If you do not have Facebook, you can go to our website www.saintf.org

 
 
The Forward Day by Day Meditation for April 16th, 2020
 
Mark 14:3 While [Jesus] was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment of nard, and she broke open the jar and poured the ointment on his head.
 
From the Archives: November 4, 1941
When our Lord came bringing redemption, he did not stop to count the cost. When this woman wanted to show her gratitude, nothing but the best would do. Onlookers called it extravagance, complained at the waste. Jesus said she was right.
Many people are afraid of doing too much for God. They measure their gifts by what others are giving. “I have done my share. Let somebody else carry on.” What is my share? My service to God is between God and me. It is not a matter of comparison with my neighbors. Comparisons are odious. Suppose Christ had waited in Gethsemane for others to do their share? There would have been no Good Friday and no Easter. He was not afraid of doing too much for us.
MOVING FORWARD: What does it mean to you to pray for fellow Anglicans around the world?
PRAY for the Diocese of Kimberley & Kuruman (Southern Africa)
Ps 116:1,10-17 | Exodus 12:1-4,(5-10), 11-14 | 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 | John 13:1-17, 31b-35
 
Gina’s Office Hours
Tuesday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (work from home)
Wednesday  9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (work from home)
Thursday  9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (work from home)

Thursday Announcements for April 9th, 2020

4/9/2020

 
​FATHER MARK’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
 
Greetings friends from my basement office in week [whatever] of this crazy pandemic/social distancing/handwashing/facemask-wearing season of our lives!

I honestly don't know how long we've been at this, but it seems like forever already. I was saying to some people online that this is the week when it feels to me like the novelty has worn off and the reality has set in. Is it that way for you? Someone else said that the way this social distancing affects us has a bit to do with where we start from -- like, if we are a little depressed generally, this is going to make us more depressed; anxious, more anxious; lonely, more lonely; isolated, definitely more isolated. I think that sounds right. 
 
Two things about that:, 
First, if there is anything I can do to assist, let me know and I will do my best to do it or find someone who can help, and;
Second, you can truly help by calling/texting/ emailing and just checking in with each other. Those of us who have immediate family nearby or a strong friend group for support forget that there are whole big swaths of our community and our congregation who live alone with no family around. This is a great week to touch base. Pick a name or a picture you recognize from the directory I sent last week, and give them a shout. I just got off the phone with a parishioner who I haven't spoken to in a while and that conversation totally made my day. One thing I know for absolute certain -- God can use you in this time and God will bless every effort you make to spread love and care.

This week is, of course, Holy Week. Today is Maundy Thursday, the word "maundy" derived from the Latin "mandatum" or "commandment." Tonight we read in Paul's letter to the Corinthians that Jesus gave us the commandments to love one another as he loved us, demonstrating that love in service to one another, and also to remember him every time we gather for a communal meal, which of course we recognize as our sacrament of Holy Communion. Join us for worship tonight at 6:00 P.M. for the Maundy Thursday service (go to www.saintf.org to download the bulletin and find link to the service streamed live.) 

And here is what I would hope or tonight -- that in the same way you are participating in sharing the wine and bread in your home as we share it online, that you would also get a cloth and some soapy water and wash the feet of those your are with. That may  sound dumb, but it is not. Amd it may sound scary, but it is not. I promise you -- this has the potential to be the most powerful and most moving Maundy Thursday service we have ever experienced. I know you think I am crazy, but I am not kidding!  
Well -- enough for today. May God bless and keep us all! We are getting through this the way Christians have always gotten through things -- together. 
 
In Spirit, we will be together tonight.

Love,
Fr. Mark+
GINA’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
 
This Week’s Schedule     April 13th – April 18th 
ALL IN-PERSON SERVICES SUSPENDED FOR NOW
SUNDAY’S 10 A.M. SERVICES WILL BE LIVE STREAMED ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE – Saint Francis Episcopal Church  
(Saint must be spelled out, do not abbreviate)
If you do not have Facebook, you can go to our website www.saintf.org
 
59. For Quiet Confidence
 
O God of peace, who hast taught us that in returning and
rest we shall be saved, in quietness and confidence shall be
our strength: By the might of thy Spirit lift us, we pray thee,
to thy presence, where we may be still and know that thou
art God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
 
Gina’s Office Hours
Tuesday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (work from home)
Wednesday  9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (work from home)
Thursday  9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (work from home)

Thursday Announcements for April 2nd, 2020

4/2/2020

 
Father Mark's Announcements
 
Happy Thursday, April 2nd! I hope you survived April Fool’s Day without some evil person pranking you. Here’s one I heard about though that speaks to our lives today. My daughter works for a large law firm in L.A., and of course they are all quarantined-in-place and have been for some time, so she and thousands of other employees have had to learn how to adapt by using Zoom, Gotomeeting, and all the other distance working online tools, most of which require video as well as audio presence. Yesterday the CEO sent a company-wide email outlining a new policy requiring all employees to dress in work attire every day, even though they were working from home. My daughter said people were NOT HAPPY!!! Finally somebody let the cat out of the bag that this was a prank by the CEO. The funniest part is that people are STILL hacked about it! Pranks are a tricky thing…

Anyway — here we are a few days out from Palm Sunday and Holy Week. Here’s the schedule again in case you missed it. I will also post it on our website today. Please remember that ALL SERVICES ARE VIDEO STREAMED LIVE ON FACEBOOK —  NOT IN PERSON.


Palm Sunday (Apr 5)               10:00 A.M.
Maundy Thursday (Apr 9)         6:00 P.M.
Good Friday (Apr 10)                6:00 P.M.
Great Vigil (Apr 11)                   8:00 P.M.
Easter Morning (Apr 12)         10:00 A.M.

​Yesterday I sent some ideas about little extra things to do during Holy Week, and said if you can’t wash somebody’s feet on Maundy Thursday, maybe wash their laundry. The more I thought about that the better I liked it. You could wash the dishes. Wash the windows. Clean the bathroom. You get the idea. Cleaning and washing for other people is an act of grace and service. Exactly the kind of idea Jesus was trying to get across...

This Saturday, April 4th, we continue our outreach ministry in partnership with our friends at 1st Presbyterian as one of our members and one of theirs will again be present for Laundry Love at a the 27th St coin-op laundromat. After a great deal of thought, the two volunteer members involved decided they wanted to go ahead with this ministry even in the middle of our distancing guidelines, and have a plan to keep themselves and others safe while still providing free laundry to anyone who shows up. 

Finally a sincere thank you to all who have send kind and encouraging notes these past couple of weeks. It means more than you know that you would take the time and are so thoughtful. It is my privilege and great blessing to serve as your priest.
GINA’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
 
  • This Week’s Schedule     April 6th – April 11th
 
ALL IN-PERSON SERVICES SUSPENDED FOR NOW
SUNDAY’S 10 A.M. SERVICES WILL BE LIVE STREAMED ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE – Saint Francis Episcopal Church  
(Saint must be spelled out, do not abbreviate)
If you do not have Facebook, you can go to our website www.saintf.org
 

  • WE WILL NOT HAVE THE PALM CROSS WORKSHOP - THERE AREN’T ANY PALMS AVAILABLE.
 
                                                    HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!      
                                                           April Birthdays
 
April 1 ------ Dan Dickinson                            April 18 ----- Laney Bohl, Ren Mackrill,
                                                                                             Gretchen Deter
April 3 ------ Dante Anderson-Saenz              April 19 ----- Andrew Lehr, Jeanne Matthews,
                                                                                             Elsie Harvey
April 4 ------ Scott Harvey
April 8 ------ Ann Peterson, Brett Parrish,       April 23 ----- Cristian Moreno, Lorrie Joplin
                   Justin Cawiezel
April 12 ---- Amanda Hilyard                           April 24 ----- Erik Peterson
April 14 ---- Barbara Manasek
April 15 ---- Jared Mackrill                               April 28 ----- Suzie Calder, Christie Shaver

                                                    Happy Anniversary!!
                                                      April Wedding Anniversaries
 
                                                April 3    Len and Kathy Tabor
                                                April 9    Craig and Jeanne Matthews
                                                April 19  Larry and Tracey Jackson
 
 
Gina’s Office Hours
Tuesday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (work from home)
Wednesday  9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (work from home)
Thursday  9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (work from home)

    Rev. Erin Rath

    Check in here for weekly announcements.

    Picture

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    October 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2018
    November 2017
    August 2017
    May 2017

Contact Us

St. Francis Episcopal Church
14 E 20th Street

Scottsbluff, NE 69361
​P.O. Box 1201


stfrancis@allophone.com

​(308) 632-4626

Service Times

Sundays 9 AM
Wednesdays 6 PM


Quick Links

Children and Families
Sundays
Clergy & Staff
Programs
Give
Parish Profile
Website by DBO Digital Marketing
  • Home
    • FAQ
  • Who We Are
    • Clergy and Staff
  • What We Do
    • Worship
    • Service
    • Sermons
    • Children and Families
    • Discipleship
    • Music & the Arts
    • Pastoral Care
    • Weddings
    • Baptism
    • Funerals
  • Experience For Yourself
    • Sundays
    • Programs
    • Membership
    • New To St. Francis?
    • Participate in Worship
  • Calendar
  • Give
  • Mailing List
  • Parish News