Sunday, November 15, Twenty-fourth Sunday After Pentecost
Sunday, November 15 is the twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost. Find the readings here.
Dear Friends in Christ,
This week’s worship video is now available:
Morning Prayer, Rite II
Morning Prayer, Rite I
Please support our ministries, if you aren't already doing so.
How are you all holding up? Last week, most of my work was meetings, but they were worthwhile, so I'm not feeling any "Zoom fatigue." I was saddened, though, to learn of the death of Jim Mills, and more sadly, I didn't know he was near death, and haven't been able to reach his wife. St. John's was not mentioned in his obituary, though he was very faithful, and he and I had a great rapport.
But perhaps one good thing will come of this loss: this is a solemn reminder to keep me in the loop when you or a loved one is ill, and to make sure your family knows that you want the church to be notified after you can no longer speak for yourself. And, if you haven't already done so, make sure all your final wishes are written down and easy for your family to find. It's easy, and you'll have peace of mind.
On a much cheerier subject, this afternoon is supposed to be breezy, but there's no rain until tonight. If you want to go for a Sunday Stroll, meet me in Stage Fort Park at 2 pm, by the bandstand.
Please join us for coffee hour at noon:
• To join on a computer, tablet, or smartphone with the Zoom app installed, click here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86398096400?pwd=dk5oTjNkYzNIOVl4TEExcCtiZEw2dz09
• To call in on a smartphone, tap here: +16465588656,,86398096400#,,,,,,0#,,296917#
• To join on a conventional phone, enter the Meeting ID: 863 9809 6400 and the Passcode: 296917
Here are Mark's music notes:
I’m so pleased that we have 3 singers making their debut in today’s hymn singing. Sarah Larson, Gwen Kopka, and Chuck Everett! And Rick Britton makes his second hymn! Brava/Bravo!
Voluntaries are by J. S. Bach found in the “Neumeister Collection” found in the Yale library and published during the BachJahr in 1985. This is a collection of early works. The closing voluntary is particularly robust setting recalling the dramatic stylus fantasticus improvisational setting of earlier composers.
Here are reflections on Diocesan Convention from Rick Britton and Gwen Kopka:
Rick’s Reflections:
I always look forward to attending our Diocesan Conventions. This is my
first as a visitor (non-voting) so I had less preparation to do. The church gathered,
even in a virtual atmosphere, has a unique energy and purpose and reminds me that
there is much life to be part of beyond the red doors of our parish home.
Delegates will comment on the actual business of the Convention. I was much
moved by Bishop Gates’ convention address. It is available to hear and see at
www.diomass.org. The phrase that sat in my gut and stirred my own journey
was: “Be the Body of Christ that you know you are.” In this one phrase the Bishop
called each of us into greater commitment and service to the Risen One. Perhaps
we should write it down and carry it with us as we go about our lives remembering
our Baptismal Vows and living deeper into them.
Blessings,
Rick Britton
This was my first participation in our Diocesan Convention in over 30 years, and at first I was very disappointed that it would have to be by Zoom. Add to that my difficulty using technology. I would have been up-a-creek, so to speak, had it not been for Bret setting up my phone with all the necessary connections. That said, I was impressed with how personal and intimate the Convention felt. There I was at home, in my comfy Saturday clothes, watching a video montage of every parish, including Bret’s greeting from our own St. John’s pulpit. The use of video presentations by each committee brought their voices and faces and sense of commitment powerfully near. I was moved by the work the Diocese has done to support parishes during this pandemic, and their commitment to aggressively work on the history of Racism in our own diocese and our own selves. And I was touched with laughter as Bishop Harris’s elderly dog snored softly in the background as she spoke. We are a church family at St. John’s, and I felt part of a larger church family at the convention, with all the joy and challenge that being a family means. —Gwen Kopka
Comments