May 25th, Remembering George Floyd: Episcopal Church's Online Liturgy of Prayerful Commemoration

May 25th, Remembering George Floyd: 

Episcopal Church's Online Liturgy of Prayerful Commemoration 

May 25 marks the one-year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd, which ignited a worldwide racial reckoning. You are invited to join Episcopalians in an online liturgy of prayerful commemoration at 8:00 pm EST.   Bishops from six dioceses will lead the liturgy, including a reflection by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, a Prayer of Lament from George Floyd Square in Minneapolis, an “Act of Remembrance” from Ferguson, Missouri, and prayers from Washington, DC. You are invited to participate virtually with prayers and postings on social media in conjunction with the service. Watch the Liturgies Online Post One Thing You Can Do   In addition to joining the service online, you are invited to a 3-part engagement for racial healing. 1. Record a 10-second video of yourself lighting a candle and post that video to your social media during or after the May 25 service. 2. In the same post, share a link to the service, which you can watch on any of the participating dioceses’ Facebook pages. 3. In the same post, describe ONE thing you commit to do for racial healing and justice in the memory of George Floyd and all victims of racial injustice. The service will appear on the Facebook pages of: The Diocese of Colorado The Diocese of Michigan The Episcopal Church in Minnesota The Diocese of Missouri The Diocese of Washington Beloved Community: Racial Justice & Reconciliation in the Episcopal Church

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O Comforting Fire of Spirit

O Comforting Fire of Spirit

O comforting fire of Spirit,

Life, within the very Life of all Creation.

Holy you are in giving life to All.

Holy you are in anointing

those who are not whole;

Holy you are in cleansing

a festering wound.

O sacred breath,

O fire of love,

O sweetest taste in my breast

which fills my heart

with a fine aroma of virtues.

O most pure fountain

through whom it is known

that God has united strangers

and inquired after the lost.

O breastplate of life

and hope of uniting

all members as One,

O sword-belt of honor,

enfold those who offer blessing.

Care for those

who are imprisoned by the enemy

and dissolve the bonds of those

whom Divinity wishes to save.

O mightiest path which penetrates All,

from the height to every Earthly abyss,

you compose All, you unite All.

Through you clouds stream, ether flies,

stones gain moisture,

waters become streams,

and the earth exudes Life.

You always draw out knowledge,

bringing joy through Wisdom's inspiration.

Therefore, praise be to you

who are the sound of praise

and the greatest prize of Life,

who are hope and richest honor

bequeathing the reward of Light.

Hildegard of Bingen (1098–1179)

16 May 2021 ~ 7th Sunday of Easter at St. Mary's Episcopal Church

 

16 May 2021 ~ Worship with us virtually or in person

O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

 

9am - In Person Outdoor Holy Eucharist

We will again meet this week outdoors at 9am for Holy Eucharist.  

 

10am - In Person Indoor Holy Eucharist & Zoom Coffee Hour

We will also have an indoor in-person service of Holy Eucharist in our nave at 10am, with Jonathan providing music on our organ.  We will of course still abide CDC guidelines and remain safe. Posted on YouTube on Sunday afternoon. 

 

Zoom and In-Person Outdoor Coffee Hour 10:40-11:30

After the service we will welcome one another for a "Coffee Hour" between 10:40 and 11:30 outdoors.  We also will bring out a laptop so that friends can join us via Zoom. We will have coffee and we are looking for volunteers to bring individually wrapped goodies. Inclement weather will cancel the coffee hour.

 

Bishop Gutierrez's "Virtual Visitation" with St. Mary's ~ May 19th ~ 6pm

Please set aside an hour from 6pm - 7pm, when Bishop Daniel Gutierrez will "visit" with us over Zoom on Wednesday evening, May 19th. 

 

MARK YOUR CALENDARS ~ Luncheon after church on June 6th

Please make plans to join us on June 6th when we will have a luncheon after our 10am service.  Plans are still in the works for this event, but I wanted to let you know that you should make plans to join us, even if you have not come back to church in person yet.  We will abide all CDC, City and Diocesan protocols and we will make sure that this luncheon is both safe and social, and welcoming to all.  

Wednesdays in Eastertide ~ Holy Eucharist at noon

On Wednesdays in the Season of Easter, from now through May, we will have Holy Eucharist at noon outdoors (weather permitting) at St. Mary's. Please join us for these services, and bring your lunch and we can eat together and visit after the short service.  Join us!

New Parish Directory!

The "first edition" of these photo directories is "hot off the presses" and they are available at church.  If you would like us to send you one, please let us know. 

From the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem

 

Ahli Arab Hospital Needs You

Gaza City, May 12, 2021 | Photo by Abed Rahim Khatib/Shutterstock.com

Dear Friends, The disaster happening in Palestine and Israel is heartbreaking and tragic. Violence between Jews and Arabs is spreading throughout the region and rockets and bombs have hit hundreds of targets in Gaza and southern Israel. Israeli troops are shelling Gaza from the ground near the border and the threat of a ground war is very real this morning. Please pray for the people of Israel and Palestine. I spoke with Suhaila Tarazi, the director of Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City, yesterday. I’d called her earlier and left a message. She called back in the early evening – the middle of the night in Gaza. I told Suhaila we could talk another time and she told me, “there’s no sleeping in Gaza.” Throughout our call I heard explosions in the background. Suhaila said to me, “I’ve lived through three wars in Gaza and I’ve seen nothing like this. The destruction is everywhere. I can’t describe the horror and fear we feel. For the first time I am depressed and terrified.” Suhaila went on, “The innocent in Gaza and Israel are dying. Men, women and children who have done nothing wrong. We ask God to inspire the war decision makers of Hamas and Israel to stop this new tragedy as there will be no winner in this war. We all are losers.” The bombings in both Israel and Gaza are in civilian areas. As I write this 119 have been killed in Gaza and eight in Israel. Twenty-seven of the dead are children. Hundreds, soon to be thousands, have been injured. The healthcare system in Gaza has been overwhelmed by the pandemic. Many clinics and hospitals closed during the pandemic and never reopened. Hospitals already are at full occupancy with COVID patients. There are severe shortages of medical supplies, medicine and blood. This escalating conflict pushes Gaza’s healthcare system way past the breaking point. Suhaila told me that bombs fell near Ahli Hospital and blew out some windows. But the hospital is open, trying desperately to serve its usual patients and cope with the arrival of casualties of bombings. Ahli opened a new surgery ward on Wednesday to treat the wounded and maimed. There is no electricity in Gaza now, so the hospital must operate its generators around the clock. Ahli needs medical supplies, medicines and fuel to power its generators. Ahli Hospital and its courageous leader need your help. They desperately need financial support to keep operating during this crisis. Please give all that you can. Please give now. Yesterday there were moments of joy in Jerusalem at the installation of the Most Rev. Hosam Naoum as the archbishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem. In his sermon at St. George’s Cathedral, Archbishop Hosam spoke about Christians living an abundant life. “As people of God we are called to be prophetic by being God’s hands and feet, to bring about life with abundance. Together in fellowship we must engage the troubled world around us, standing up for these virtues as Christ’s disciples. We must not do it alone, but rather collectively. “The Diocese of Jerusalem and the entire world face great challenges - social, geopolitical, financial - and those most recently associated with the pandemic, ethnic violence in the streets, and deadly air strikes against Gaza and Israel. The church as a whole must work for a just and lasting peace here in this land that is holy for us all.” In the midst of this most recent tragedy in the Holy Land, Archbishop Hosam’s words remind us of our Christian duty to stand up to prejudice, discrimination and hatred and to dedicate ourselves to helping those who suffer. The brutality and horror of this conflict are hard for most of us to imagine. You and I are fortunate that we have a direct way to help the people of Gaza by helping the remarkable Christian witness of Ahli Arab Hospital. Our beloved friend Suhaila and her hospital team know you as their American friend. They pray for you. And they are deeply grateful for your financial support. Every dollar you give goes directly to Ahli Hospital. We get the funds there immediately. The gift you make today will buy supplies and medicines and support the brave nurses, doctors and staff at Ahli tomorrow. Please give generously. Please let the people of Gaza know they are not forgotten. Faithfully,

‌

John Lent Executive Director, AFEDJ

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