Saint John's
The Episcopal Church in Pine Meadow, CT
The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost - June 27th
WEEKLY UPDATE AND WEBSITE INFORMATION
In this Edition:
· A Message from Our Leaders – Melanie Kirkpatrick David, Vestry
· Happenings at Saint John’s - Book Fundraiser Information
· Special Liturgies & Events
· Information About Our Life Together
· Contact and Update Information - Please be aware that there is an email floating out there somewhere from Indonesia coming from our office@reddoors.com email, we did not send it so be very careful Do not open and delete it. Thank you!!
A Message from Our Leaders: Melanie Kirkpatrick David
Dear St. John's;
When I was researching my book, Escape from North Korea, I learned a great deal about the plight of Christians in that sad country, where Christianity and all other religions are banned. If caught practicing their faith, Christians are arrested, sent to prison camps, and, in some cases, executed for their “crime.”
During the recent pandemic lockdown, when St. John’s was closed for in-person worship, one of the stories I had heard about the oppression of North Korean Christians kept coming to mind. It’s the story of two North Korean Christians who forged a daring plan to flout the law and worship together. On an agreed-upon date at an agreed-upon time, each would arrive separately at a designated park bench. They would sit apart, careful not to speak to each other or even to acknowledge the other’s presence. Sitting there silently on the bench, the two Christians were indistinguishable from anyone else who was taking a break in the park. Unbeknownst to passers-by, however, both Christians were silently at prayer. In sharing a secret prayer on that park bench, these Christians were able to experience the joy of communal worship. Their quiet joint worship provided healing, hope and strength for both.
Here in Pine Meadow, Connecticut, when in-person worship wasn’t possible during the pandemic, we often found ourselves alone in the practice of our faith. Under the leadership of Mother Cosman, we found creative ways to come together. Facebook Live made it possible to share Sunday worship and spiritual Communion; Zoom brought prayer services and Bible study into our homes; monthly food drives for the Little Free Pantry provided the opportunity for community outreach.
A few weeks ago, as we began to return to in-person gatherings at St. John’s, I thought again of the two North Korean Christians who came together in secret prayer. I remembered Jesus’s words, as recounted in the Gospel of Matthew:
For where two or three are gathered in my name,
there I am among them.
Jesus was there with the two worshippers on the park bench in North Korea, as he is with the people of St. John’s whether we are at worship in the sanctuary, the church garden, or in front of our computer screens.
--Melanie Kirkpatrick David
GATHERED IN HIS NAME
How One Church Came Together
in a Year of Being Apart
After more than a year apart, it feels wonderful to be back at Saint John’s for Sunday morning worship. It is satisfying finally to be able to worship together again in person, and we give thanks for that blessing.
At the same time, it is important not to forget the trials of the pandemic period and how our congregation found new ways to come together to meet extraordinary challenges. Toward that end, a subset of the fund-raising committee is compiling a collection of readings drawn from church communications during the pandemic period. It will include Mother Cosman’s encouraging words, prayers, biblical passages, and contemplations contributed by members of the parish. Most are drawn from the Portal in the Time of Pandemic and Monday Meditations.
We are seeking patrons to help defray the book’s production costs, which are estimated at about $2,000. If you’d like to make a contribution, please send it to Michelle Piekos in the church office. Checks should be made out to St. John’s.
We’ll be providing progress reports as this project proceeds over the next several months.
Nancy Linton
Susie Horn
Michelle Piekos
Melanie Kirkpatrick David
HAPPENINGS AT ST. JOHN’S
Sunday, June 27, 2021
· Holy Eucharist in Person and on FBLive – 9am
· Preparation for Holy Baptism – 10:30am in the Garden
· Drive Up Communion – 10am to 1:15am in the churchyard
· Midday Worship in the Garden – 12pm Prayer in the Garden; bring your
chairs and pray together - This will be our last Garden Worship for this summer.
The office will be closed the week of June 28th through July 2nd, please contact Mother Cosman with any pastoral concerns at (860) 227-6991.
Sunday, July 4, 2021
· Holy Eucharist in Person and on FBLive – 9am
· Independence Day commemoration with readings and music – 9am
· Drive Up Communion – 10am to 1:15am in the churchyard
Sunday, July 11, 2021
· Holy Baptism with the Holy Eucharist in Person and on FBLive – 9am
· Drive Up Communion – 10am to 1:15am in the churchyard
Sunday, July 18, 2021
· Holy Eucharist in Person and on FBLive – 9am
· Blessing of Prayer Shawls – Pray over and bless prayers shawls and those
who make them
· Drive Up Communion – 10am to 1:15am in the churchyard
Sunday, July 25, 2021
· Holy Eucharist in Person and on FBLive – 9am
· Little Free Pantry Commemoration and Blessing – Pray for and bless our
LFP and those who steward this ministry to our community
· Drive Up Communion – 10am to 1:15am in the churchyard
SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP – The Holy Eucharist – The sacrament of Christ's body and blood and our principal act of worship
· 9am in the church and on FBLive: www.facebook.com/stjohnspinemeadow
· BCP Link: https://www.bcponline.org/HE/he2.html
· Lectionary Readings Link: https://www.lectionarypage.net/
· Service Bulletin Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/bi2stmjqhgmj6i4/20210627%20Fifth%20Sunday%20after%20Pentecost.pdf?dl=0
Participants in our 9am Eucharistic liturgy include:
Officiant - Mother Cosman
Preacher - Mother Cosman
Liturgical Assistant - Guy Hayes
Lector - Jeff Linton
Intercessor - Jeff Linton
Greeters - Betty Castonguay & Dick Bartram
Director of Music - Halyna Petronchak
Altar Guild - Barbara Henri & Laura Frey
Camera - Beth Coates
Vestry Host: Larry Espinet
THURSDAY EVENING WORSHIP –An Order for Compline - a contemplative office that emphasizes spiritual peace at the end of the day
· 6:30pm on FBLive; www.facebook.com/stjohnspinemeadow
· BCP Link: https://www.bcponline.org/DailyOffice/compline.html
DWELLING IN THE WORD – a weekly time of reflection on the Gospel reading for the coming Sunday.
· Dwelling will resume meeting on Thursday mornings in September
· Lectionary Readings Link: https://www.lectionarypage.net/
BAPTISM AT ST. JOHN’S AND IN THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH – full initiation by water and the Holy Spirit into Christ’s Body, the church. God establishes an indissoluble bond with each person in baptism. God adopts us, making us members of the church and inheritors of the Kingdom of God.
· Next Baptism at St. John’s: Sunday, July 11th at 9am.
· Next Baptismal Preparation at St. John’s: Sunday, June 27th at 10:30am
· Contact Mother Cosman to arrange baptism for yourself or someone you love
LITTLE FREE PANTRY – COMMUNITY FOOD DRIVES – a drive up offering and collection of non-perishable foodstuffs and other personal care products for our neighbors in need
· 10am to 1pm at the church
· July 17th, and August 21st
Click to set custom HTML