Sunday, November 7, Twenty-fourth Sunday After Pentecost
O God, whose blessed Son came into the world that he might destroy the works of the devil and make us children of God and heirs of eternal life: Grant that, having this hope, we may purify ourselves as he is pure; that, when he comes again with power and great glory, we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Sunday, November 7 is the twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost. Find the readings here. Worship booklet here: Holy Eucharist, Autumn 2021
Please join us at St. John's Church for one of two in-person services at 8:00 am and 10:30 am. We will try to stream the service live on our Facebook page. If you follow us on Facebook and are logged in around 9am, you should be able to see it. Also, the service will be posted on our Youtube channel by the early afternoon.
You can watch last week's service here.
If you want to join the Zoom coffee hour at 12:30, please email the Parish Administrator for the information.
Mark your calendar now! ST JOHNS VILLAGE FAIR Saturday November 20 from 9 am to 3 pm – 6 big hours! Look for clever crafts, treats from the Saintly Sweets Bake Shop, irresistible jewelry, cookies by the pound, delightful Christmas decorations, and then enjoy a delectable lunch and dessert! It will be an event too good to miss…be there!
Cove Gallery hosts exhibit of paintings by Mary McCarl: through November, come see this exhibit, organized by Mary McCarl’s niece, Gloucester artist Mary Rhinelander, at the Cove Art Gallery, 6 Wonson Street in Gloucester. The show displays McCarl’s colorful artwork, from watercolor/gouache to the collages made from her vibrant hand-painted papers. Proceeds from sales of still lives and landscapes will be shared with the Rocky Neck Art Colony and the Children’s Programming Fund at the Sawyer Free Library. For more information about the gallery, click here.
Stewardship/Pledge Drive—"Taking Stock: The Abundance of God’s Grace!” Last week we asked, “What are the riches of St. John’s? What (at St. John’s and in your own life) kept you going during the upheavals of the last 20 months?” This week we’re asking, “What losses or changes did St. John’s (and you) experience? In them, where did you find consolation/creativity/grace/learning?” If you missed last week’s and want to add your voice, please email your answers to lise@stjohnsgloucester.org.
Stewardship moment
It's a hard time to be Church. In all the 35 years I've been ordained, the Church has been in decline, especially here in New England. Generations have grown up without church, and have found other ways to fill their lives. They aren't going to come in through the doors. Nope.
It's a great time to be Church! The triple “pandemics” of Covid, racial/economic injustice, and climate change send me straight to seek out hope, strength, and community through my Christian faith. I also see rising mental health issues, despair, longing for meaning and hope across the board, and know that so many people ache for the spiritual riches that St. John’s embodies--music, healing, compassion, art, acceptance, struggle, forgiveness, and purpose.
It's a confusing time to be Church. We don't know what we're doing. None of us. We don't know how to bridge the gap between "us here" and "those not here." It requires us to sit with discomfort. It requires us to get "out" and build relationships with those not here. And to listen and learn from them. It requires us to change (but we CAN!) and maybe together create some new version of Church . . .
I hope and pray that we can start/continue this journey together. With faith, humility, humor, patience, courage, creativity. Please continue to pray for St. John's, to show up, and to give financially, so that we discover what God has next for this wonderful place! - Pastor Lise
Diocesan Convention Special Event, Friday, Nov. 12:
Special virtual events on the theme of “Mutuality,” Friday, Nov. 12, Talk, 1pm, breakout sessions, 2, 3 pm, Euharist, 5 pm, Keynote address, 7 pm. ANYONE is allowed to attend. https://www.diomass.org/diocesan-convention-2021
Forum Time: Let’s Chat! Today (Sunday) between services (9:15 to 10:15), come to have a conversation with Pastor Lise. Who are you? What is your spiritual hunger? How has Covid changed you/the church? All are welcome!
Contacting Pastor Lise: Pastor Lise (aka Lise) can be reached at lise@stjohnsgloucester.org. She has a church cell phone of 351-217-9209. Please use these to contact her.
Updated Covid Instructions: Masks are required for all indoor activities, and we are to keep distanced (>=6 ft) from other households. Please wear your mask over both mouth and nose.
Music Notes: The Parish Choir sings an anthem “I Will Arise and Go to Jesus,” a folksong arrangement by Robert Shaw and Alice Parker. Alice is an important figure in American choral music. She founded MelodiousAccord.org who hosts seminars with the composer still. One can see the lovely way she teaches music in numerous YouTube videos. I’ve experienced her twice in my life and it is an important part of my musicianship. We will be singing a favo(u)rite hymn for All Saints: “I Sing a Song of the Saints of God” by English hymn writer Lesbia Lesley Scott (1898-1986). Scott wrote hymns for her own children for special days and published them (with her own illustrations) in 1929. This hymn has been wildly popular in the US owing to being published in the Hymnal 1940 and other hymnals. In a 2003 survey of 'desert island' hymns run by the website AnglicansOnline.org the hymn was voted 14th