Dear Friends,
We are still in the throes of work so again this email will be brief. We hope you will read and consider this Sunday's lessons, which you can find at http://lectionarypage.net/YearA_RCL/Pentecost/AProp17_RCL.html where you will see there are two "tracks" offered. A quick search tells us that "Track 1" adheres to the principle of giving the Biblical writer his own voice, thus following week by week from a portion of a book, or, in the case of some books, the whole. "Track 2", on the other hand, designated the "Related Track", is intended to relate in some way to the Gospel for the day. Because context seems important to understand the shorter passages in a church service, we tend to at least always read Track 1, even while we do try to relate the lessons, and at times we have directly referred to Track 2. Curiously though, in this week's Track 1 lessons the remarkable calling of Moses, which includes Moses worrying about the task God asks of him, and what to say when the Jews ask who sent him, seem directly related to the Gospel, wherein Jesus faces the challenge of leading his disciples even unto his own death. While God's haunting reply to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.”, is hard to forget, it seems to me that the important lesson is that when you are facing a tough leadership job, it is faith that will carry you thru. It is this faith that enables Jesus to lead the disciples, with all the doubts and fears and even disappointments in his friends (it seems like this may be why he was cross with Peter when Peter said "God forbid it, Lord" and so replied "Get behind me, Satan!"). (Note that none of this means "blind faith" - it is our duty to test our leaders, constantly considering the paths they want us to follow. I hope you all will remember my "mantra" that doubt is an essential part of faith.) Let us pray for all our leaders, political, community, church, and family that they may have faith and be led by the great "I AM", the spirit of God. But most of all let us pray that we lead ourselves in right paths. As well we ask all to pray for the world in the face of pandemic, and for our state as it is besieged by wildfires (see the Bishop's letter below, and note her family faced evacuation orders as well). Our love to all, Bart (and Tony!) and for all of us at St Matts! Events As mentioned this email will again be brief. We are hoping you all will consult the Deanery's websites at www.sloepiscopalians.org along with those of your local parishes (all Deanery parishes can be found at that website under the Churches tab). Note that St Peters Church in Morro Bay, whose online events are not yet listed at that page, will be having a "service of prayer, scripture and song with love" at www.facebook.com/StPetersMorrobay Also at St Peters our friend Nancy Castle tells us that she and others at St Peters are doing a good job of staying connected thru regular calling. They are also considering a parking lot service - stay tuned for more. And best of all, Nancy is suggesting she might begin on online (zoom?) Bible study. As mentioned last week (and continuing to future Sundays), St Barnabas Church in Arroyo Grande is having TWO in person outdoor services tomorrow, along with the online service at 10am (for this and most other regular Facebook services go to the Deanery website). Because of the need to plan out the in person services, you would have to made a reservation by the prior Tuesday. Thus the next available in person services there will be on Sun Sep 6 at 8am or 11am - but the parish is keen to welcome all so please call or email for reservations at ottesen2@icloud.com or 805-474-4365. The parish reminds all who are interested to specify the following: * Name and preferred method of contact (email or phone) * Number of people in the reservation (include people who ride to church with you) * Preferred service (8 or 11:30 am) Reservation requests will be chosen by a modified lottery, and you will then be notified whether your reservation request can be filled or not. Please do not come to the in-person outdoor worship without a confirmed reservation. Remember to bring your own chair. We have to praise this parish for moving ahead with in person worship in a way that is thoughtful for the health of all! In the same vein, while St Stephens Church in San Luis Obispo is not having group in person worship, they are opening their gorgeous landmark chapel building for individual meditation, as a test on Sep 1, with a four people at a time limit. In their excellent publication, "The Witness", St Stephens tells us of the following: "Four people, wearing face coverings, will be allowed into the sanctuary, with assigned seating that is 20 feet apart, for a half-hour at a time. You can sign up by emailing or calling the office. We will start with a one-day trial on September 1 from 10am to noon, which will enable 16 people to enter (4 at a time). Depending upon how that goes, we will add more days and an extra hour. The schedule for September 1 will be 10:00, 10:30, 11:00 and 11:30. Up to 4 persons (individuals only) can sign up during each timeslot. When you sign up, you will be informed of the measures to be taken to ensure that you and others remain safe." St Stephens office email is office@ststephensslo.org and they can also be reached at 805-543-7212. Once again we appreciate this health-considerate response! Also this week we want to recommend the video meditations of our friend and Eco-chaplain Rev Roger Wharton. These can be seen, along with other Care of Creation offerings, at https://youtu.be/lwqAFuRXX2k [youtu.be] Note as well that Roger will in cooperation with St Benedicts Church in Los Osos be having An Interactive Prayer Service for the Care of Creation at noon on Sep 1, and Evening Worhsip at 6pm described as “The Lucernarium” - a Celebration of God’s Creation pre-recorded by Trinity Cathedral as a tribute to the collective “Creation Care” work of the Diocese of El Camino Real. This service commemorates the Season of Creation which begins September 1st . The Lucernarium or, “The lighting of the evening lamps”, is meant to be contemplative and peaceful; punctuated with imagery, music & the spoken word. All are welcome. Trinity YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVRBmcCr3Md6I4prdGeEc0w [www.youtube.com] Especially at a time when all of us in California are impacted by devastating wildfires which may have been worsened by climate change (and especially human caused climate change), Care of Creation is a key consideration. From the Diocese - the Bishop's Letter Dear People of El Camino Real, In this time of wildfire atop COVID, it may feel as though we are in the middle of the perfect chaotic storm—a place of upheaval, where we may cling to the side of our boat, wondering what will toss us about next … or what wind will blow that may send us into the depths. Fire rages and people are evacuated from their homes, their businesses, their parishes—many of us literally waiting for the wind to change. Scripture reminds us that in the middle of the perfect storm, Jesus walked on water toward his disciples who were in that vulnerable boat; not only that, he called Peter out from the boat to walk with him. In our diocese, I have witnessed with wonder as people have walked through these stormy times towards those in need. It is amazing to behold God’s beloved as they reach beyond their own fear, to stretch out a hand and offer solace, care, and a warm bed to another. This is amazing kindness and generosity. Thank you for your continuing kindness, for your faithfulness, and for your resilience. Jesus continues to reach out his hand amidst the storm. And we continue to take that step forward into the place of faith. Gratefully,
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As mentioned as week, we cannot do a complete St Matthews News this week due to travel for our work. We encourage all to keep up with the various online services - for those in the SLO Deanery go to
https://74061144.view-events.com/calendar/74061144/ which is a subpage of www.sloepiscopalians.org as well as with the lessons, which can be seem at http://lectionarypage.net/YearA_RCL/Pentecost/AProp16_RCL.html We ask all to pray along with us for those who suffered from Covid19, including those who died, and the many who have lost so much in the fires across the State. Sadly, those masks are doing double duty. Until next week our love to all, Bart (and Tony!) And for all of us at St Matts! Folks,
The lessons this Sunday include the continuation of the story of Joseph and his brothers and their reconciliation, along with a remarkably short and succinct (for Paul) part of his letter to the Romans, and a passage from Matthew's gospel wherein Jesus heals a woman's daughter who was "tormented by a demon". All these lessons have a common thread of reconciliation of disparate groups, with Joseph seemingly estranged to his family (mostly half brothers whose progeny became the tribes of Israel), while Jesus in the gospel at first denies the mother's request since he was "sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel". With the woman persisting, saying "“Lord, help me.” (Jesus) answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” (The mother) said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly. The passage makes clear in its analogies that the woman was not a Jew, yet Jesus makes clear that faith does not respect the bounds of such tribal groupings. So how does this relate to Paul's curiously succinct writing? At first and very directly Paul says "I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew." making clear that though a now a Christian he was still of the tribes of Israel. But he goes on to say "For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all." What a wonderful gift is faith, a calling that Paul tells is irrevocable. But he goes on to make clear that all were in "disobedience" - without the faith they are imprisoned, and yet God is merciful to All. It is this faith that frees the heart and soul of all - may we rejoice in such faith and glorify the Giver. Our love to all, Bart (and Tony!) and for all of us at St Matt's! Special Note: due to travel for work, we may not be able to put out an issue of St Matthews News next weekend, but we (and the others at St Matts in San Ardo) will likely be attending some of the below online events. Events Along with the other events we want to mention that many church groups will be celebrating this week the 100th anniversary of "women's suffrage" - the right to vote here in the United States. One such celebration will take place at Grace Cathedral. For more info go to www.gracecathedral.org This event reminds us of Tony's Aunt Patricia Parson, for whom we bid your prayers last week. Pat was a deeply loving yet very capable woman and would have been in the forefront of such a movement. Other Events For events in the SLO Deanery please go to www.sloepiscopalians.org and its calendar pages, especially at http://sloepiscopalians.org/our-churches.html Sun Aug 16 at 8am and 11:30am St Barnabas Church in Arroyo Grance will continue having two worship services in their courtyard. They will also have an online Eucharist at 10:00am for those who aren’t able to join in-person. To ensure safety and hygiene the in-person worship services will require: the wearing of masks, physical distancing, no singing or chanting, and no Eucharist. We will limit attendance at each outdoor service to twenty-five people which means we will use a reservation system. If you are interested in attending the in-person outdoor worship on Sunday, August 23rd then you must request a reservation by Tuesday, August 18th at 5 pm. Your reservation request must be sent to David Ottesen directly at ottesen2@icloud.com or 805-474-4365 with the following information: * Name and preferred method of contact (email or phone) * Number of people in the reservation (include people who ride to church with you) * Preferred service (8 or 11:30 am) Reservation requests will be chosen by a modified lottery, and you will then be notified whether your reservation request can be filled or not. Please do not come to the in-person outdoor worship without a confirmed reservation. Remember to bring your own chair. We all long for the day such complex arrangements will not be needed for in-person worship! St Barnabas Church also tells us that their series of sixty-minute Zoom session continues Thursday, August 20. Each session will include two short videos, brief “live” teaching about the topics introduced in the videos, and small group discussion. Please join us from the comfort of your own home to learn about “Wisdom in Times of Crisis.” To join the Zoom Meeting with your computer or device paste this link into your web browser: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81760728814?pwd=UnhGQmMvNGRGUG1oMTNtUzFUeXZjU T09 [saintbarnabas-ag.us8.list-manage.com] To join the Zoom call from your phone or landline call 1-669-900-6833. When prompted put in the meeting ID of 817 6072 8814# and when prompted for a password put in 908868#, and then hit # a second time. All meetings at St Benedicts Church in Los Osos will be via Zoom. For a full schedule of their events, go to their calendar page at their web pages at https://www.stbenslososos.org/ where you can also see info about their online worship services including this Sunday at 10:30am. Note that St Bens will have a Zoom book study group on the book Eternal Echoes by philosopher and poet John O'Donohue, who explores the desire to belong and the “eternal echo of longing that lives deep within us and never lets us settle for what we have or where we are.” It has been described as “A demanding, high-wire existentialist adventure that will inspire readers to re-evaluate their goals and ways of being in the world. O’Donahue ends each chapter with a lyrical blessing or prayer, and his book itself is a profound, healing prayer.” Please consider joining in this conversation which starts on Tuesday August 18 at 10:15 on Zoom: https://zoom.us/s/7977776046 [zoom.us] This conversation will be led by Roz Malone. * August 18 Awakening in the world: the threshold of belonging * August 25 Presence: the flame of longing * September 1 Prisons we choose to live in * September 8 Suffering as the dark valley of broken belonging * September 15 Prayer: a bridge between longing and belonging * September 22 Absence: where longing still lingers Everyone is welcome to participate. All sessions will be held on Zoom: https://zoom.us/s/7977776046 [zoom.us] For more information, contact Roz Malone at rozichurchslo@gmail.com Dont forget that St Lukes Church in Atascadero, St James Church in Paso Robles, St Pauls Church in Cambria and St Peters Church in Morro Bay have worship and small group events online - for their schedules in particular go to calendar pages at https://stlukesatascadero.com/ https://www.stjamespasorobles.org/ https://www.stpaulscambria.org/index.html https://www.stpetersmorrobay.org/ respectively and kudos to our friend Merritt Greenwood of St Lukes for reminding us of these events on a regular email basis shortly before they occur. Besides regular worhsip events at their calendar including a special study group working on the book "White Fragility" by Robin Diangelo. Our Friend and EcoChaplain Rev Roger Wharton offered his latest video talk on Biblical and Christian Nature Wisdom Tradition. The event was under the auspices of Church of the Good Shepherd in Salinas and can be viewsd at https://realepiscopal.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=99ebbaf4cee8d012c9edafe60&id=0ce6cae165&e=f136cc0442 Also at Good Shepherd, there will be 11 A.M. Sermon Discussion on Sundays. This is a half hour to discuss the sermon, the music, the scriptures. to attend via Zoom, go to https://goodshepherdcorral.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7cbc9cee2ea785c71ef0cbb3c&id=f26c77de8c&e=cc1155f723 and for Good Shepherd's full schedule go to www.goodshepherdcorral.org and their calendar at https://www.goodshepherdcorral.org/events Also in the Monterey Deanery, our friends at St Marks Church in King City along with folks at St Lukes Church in Jolon tell us they will Morning Prayer via Zoom Sun Aug 16 via Zoom. Join the Zoom Meeting at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4777200535 [us02web.zoom.us] Meeting ID: 477 720 0535 One tap mobile +16699009128, From the Diocese WEEKLY DIOCESAN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT RACE The Revs. Karen Cuffie and Jani Wild are leading weekly pastoral conversations on racism every Thursday at 4:30 pm. There will be a brief introduction to the focus of the session followed by discussion and prayers. Please join us; there is no better way to learn, process, and share together than in a faith community. Join the Zoom Meeting here [realepiscopal.us3.list-manage.com] Meeting ID: 835 7594 8022; Password: 748467 One tap mobile: +16699006833,,83575948022#,,1#,748467# US (San Jose) “RAPID-RESPONSE” GRANTS AVAILABLE The Presiding Officers’ Advisory Group on Beloved Community Implementation has announced the availability of grants to address the racial disparities laid bare by the coronavirus pandemic and for groups responding to racist violence and policing reform. Applications are now being accepted; they will be reviewed and granted regularly leading up to the deadline of August 15. Requests may total up to $10,000, and may cover programmatic and direct service activities. Read the full announcement in English and Spanish at https://realepiscopal.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=99ebbaf4cee8d012c9edafe60&id=f8ba7ebf1f&e=f136cc0442 Folks,
The lessons for this Sunday seem to naturally fall into two categories - the early part of the amazing story of Joseph (he of the dreams and coat of many colours) and his family in Genesis and the story from the gospel of Matthew of Jesus walking on the water along with Peter's attempt to do the same, followed by an expository lesson from Paul writing to the Romans. Both threads are wonderfully useful to us, with the Genesis story relating realistically a series of family events, replete with treachery and yet loving reconciliation, and the gospel story an almost unbelievable paean to faith - can we really "walk on water" if we have enough faith? Thankfully, we are also told by the Book that the stories of the Bible are meant to be useful. And both of these stories are that - indeed they are inspiring. This Joseph was not Jesus male parent, but instead one who lived between 300 and 700 years before Jesus was born, and in the rabbinic tradition had another messianic descendant. In any case, consider that Joseph of the Genesis story goes thru a very difficult series of family events yet comes out on top and then famously reconciles with his family. Then in the other story, Peter's faith has him willing to at least TRY the impossible, and when starts failing, he is rescued by Jesus. You might be thinking I am about to say that the two stories are related by faith - and you would be partly right. But even more than that it seems to me there is an aspect of faith which is sometimes overlooked - a quality that the in Yiddish is called chutzpah, ie audacity. Without a bit of chutzpah nothing good can come to pass. It takes this bit of faith to venture forth, wherever you find yourself. Joseph had enough of it to became vizier (chief minister) of Pharoah's government, while Peter was willing to try to walk on the water, thereby becoming the poster-boy of faith. Note that both men went on to lives of graceful leadership. May we all find just enough chutzpah in our lives to step out in faith, even while we may still be "sheltering in place', thar our lives may be an example to all around us. Our love to all, Bart (and Tony!) and for all of us at St Matts! Special Prayers A few days ago Tony's wonderful Aunt Pat (we all knew her as Aunt Pat) passed away from Covid19 at age 89. This brought home the loss caused we all are suffering. We ask your prayers for all we have lost and especially Patricia Parson and the many other wonderful "saints" we have known (we think of Althea Bernard, Leona Fowler and Mts Lacoume of San Ardo) who showed strength with grace and common sense. Events Past By the Zooming with telephone this past week we were able to do Evening Prayer with the congregation of St James Church in Paso Robles (though we were able to more fully partake of St Lukes Church in Atascadero's Morning Prayer last Sunday with video Zoom), and hear the homily by Gordon Fuglie (about which more in a future emailing). In the same way, we were able to partake of Aunt Pat's funeral in San Francisco. We give thanks for such good use of modern technology! Upcoming Events Please be sure to check the events pages at the Deanery website at www.sloepiscopalians.org and the calendar at https://74061144.view-events.com/calendar/74061144/ and note that at least two parishes are starting "in-person worship services under strict rules set by BP Lucinda and the Diocese. St Barnabas Church in Arroyo Grande will be meetings outdoors on their beautiful campus at 8am and 11:30am, with their online service at 10am for those unable to join at the outdoor events (only the 10am is on the calendar). And St Benedicts Church in Los Osos will have their regular Thursday Silent Meditation in person outdoors on their veranda, another beautiful location. NOT on the calendar (yet) is the news that St Peters Church in Morro Bay welcomes one and all back to regular worship TOMORROW at anytime after 11am at their facebook page - go to www.facebook.com/stpetersmorrobay In addition, you'll note that the webmaster has inserted a link to a hilarious YouTube "send-up" called You'll Be Back, set to the music of the song of the same name from the Broadway Musical, Hamilton - enjoy! We also want to mention that our friends at Good Shepherd Church, Salinas, in the Monterey Deanery are observing the Feast of the Transfiguration this Sunday, and Pastor Linda there reminds us that this feast day (moved to Aug 9 this year but actually Aug 6) is also the anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, and that "These two displays of light and power and tradition are ultimately opposed to one another. The display of Jesus' transfiguration revealed God's love and reconciliation. It's light promised life. The atomic bomb revealed man's inhumanity to others, and promised death; survival only through mutual distrust. The yearly celebration of the Feast of the Transfiguration invites us to turn away from the kind of darkness that follows the light of Hiroshima and to put our trust in the God of light who sent Jesus unarmed to bring peace and reconciliation." Good Shepherd's services tomorrow will be at 9:30am (coffee hour) and 11am (worship service) with the Zoom links respectively at https://goodshepherdcorral.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7cbc9cee2ea785c71ef0cbb3c&id=8a5e69575c&e=cc1155f723 and https://goodshepherdcorral.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7cbc9cee2ea785c71ef0cbb3c&id=6526c28f1c&e=cc1155f723 Note also that Good Shepherd's annual fundraiser, "Art in the Pastures of Heaven", is set for Sep 11-13 as an online event - visit www.goodshepherdcorral.org/artshow Special Events St Barnabas is continuing with their special series "Wisdom in Times of Crisis" (see last week) - a series of sixty minute Zoom sessions created by the faculty at Richard Rohr’s Center for Action and Contemplation - which continues Thursdays Aug 13 and 20. Each session will include two short videos, brief “live” teaching about the topics introduced in the videos, and small group discussion. To join the Zoom Meeting with your computer or device click on this link or paste it into your web browser https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81760728814?pwd=UnhGQmMvNGRGUG1oMTNtUzFUeXZjU T09 [saintbarnabas-ag.us8.list-manage.com] To join the Zoom call from your phone or landline call 1-669-900-6833. When prompted put in the meeting ID of 817 6072 8814# and when prompted for a password put in 908868#, and then hit # a second time. Also friends at St Benedicts Church in Los Osos tell us of the following event from their Hollister Institute series (quoted from their email news sources): During this difficult time, we find our sense of connection and dis-connection being challenged. When we cannot connect without observing safe distances and wearing protective clothing, how does that affect our sense of identity and community? In his book Eternal Echoes, philosopher and poet John O’Donahue explores the desire to belong and the “eternal echo of longing that lives deep within us and never lets us settle for what we have or where we are.” It has been described as “A demanding, high-wire existentialist adventure that will inspire readers to re-evaluate their goals and ways of being in the world. O’Donohue ends each chapter with a lyrical blessing or prayer, and his book itself is a profound, healing prayer.” From the book: Belonging: The Wisdom of Rhythm To be human is to belong. Belonging is a circle that embraces everything; if we reject it, we damage our nature. The word “belonging” holds together the two fundamental aspects o life: Being and Longing, the longing of our Being and the being of our Longing. Belonging is deep; only in a superficial sense does it refer to our external attachment to people, places, and things. It is the living and passionate presence o the soul. Belonging is the heart and warmth of intimacy when we deny it, we grow cold and empty. Our life’s journey is the task of refining our belonging so that it may become more true, loving, good, and free. We do not have to force belonging. The longing within us always draws u towards belonging and again towards new forms of belonging when we have outgrown the old ones. Postmodern culture tends to define identity in terms of ownership: possessions, status, and qualities. Yet the crucial essence of who you are is not owned by you. The most intimate belonging is Self-Belonging. Yet your self is not something you could ever own; it is rather the total gift that every moment of your life endeavors to receive with honor. True belonging is gracious receptivity. This is the appropriate art of belonging in friendship: friends do not belong to each other, but rather with each other. This with reaches to the very depths of their twinned souls. This conversation will be led by Roz Malone. Session start at 10:15am * August 18 Awakening in the world: the threshold of belonging * August 25 Presence: the flame of longing * September 1 Prisons we choose to live in * September 8 Suffering as the dark valley of broken belonging * September 15 Prayer: a bridge between longing and belonging * September 22 Absence: where longing still lingers Everyone is welcome to participate. All sessions will be held on Zoom: https://zoom.us/s/7977776046 From the Diocese Our diocesan offices tell us of the following: EPISCOPAL TASK FORCE OFFERS RENEWAL OPPORTUNITY FOR CONGREGATIONS In our new and rapidly evolving contexts, many congregations need new life and fresh perspectives more than ever. The Task Force on Church Planting and Congregational Redevelopment invites your congregation into active redevelopment for the sake of new ministry, through three-way partnership between your congregations, you, and our church-wide resources for congregational redevelopment. The task force seeks to come alongside them, encourage them, offer them accountability and provide resources and training for their journey into deeper engagement with their neighbors. Opportunities for congregations include: Tuesdays at 11 (PST) - a weekly ZOOM conversation to help lay and ordained leaders to articulate their calling and to connect with resources to help get them moving. The conversations will help discern next steps, one of which might be joining a Coached Small Group or Practicing Community. Coached Small Groups: Core teams of 4-5 lay leaders from five congregations will come together twice-monthly on Zoom for 90-minute sessions under the leadership of a coach trained in group coaching and experienced in church leadership. The commitment is six months. Cost per congregation is subsidized with the funds set aside by GC2018. In these groups, leaders will be invited to articulate their mission, map their assets, partner with their neighbors, risk new ventures, evaluate their progress, hone their practices, and continue this cycle as they move into the Way of Love. * Practicing Community: Up to 12 congregations looking for deeper, longer-term engagement and commitment within their churches and in neighborhoods will meet twice-monthly on Zoom on Sunday afternoons from September 14 to November 30, 2021, from 1:00-2:30 pm PST. Each participating congregation will have a team of five lay leaders dedicated to this process of redevelopment. They will make this theirprimary focus of ministry for the next eighteen months, dedicating up to four hours weekly per person. Details about each of these opportunities is here. Space is very limited; if interested, contact Canon Brian Nordwick at brian@realepiscopal.org or Canon Jesus Reyes at jesusreyes@realepiscopal.org ASAP. Each year many congregations in different churches, including those from the Anglican Communion, celebrate beginning September 1 (the Global Day of Prayer for Creation Care) through St. Francis Day in October as a special Season of Creation. It’s a time to pray and celebrate with creation, focus on the story of Earth, and commit to a ministry of healing our planet. It is also an opportunity for different liturgical responses, educational programs and programs of direct action. The diocesan Partnership Commission encourages you to consider how your congregation may participate this year. Many resources are available online, including the Anglican Communion's Season of Creation page; and the Episcopal Church's resource list. Please contact Bill Shreve (wrshreve@gmail.com) or Caro Hall+ (caro@stbenslososos.org) if we can help you to join in this important season of care for creation. 2021 GENERAL CONVENTION UPDATE )General Convention is the primary legislative assembly of The Episcopal Church, a huge triennial gathering known to be one of the largest legislative bodies in the world) "When we wrote to you in early June about the need to consider alternative plans for the 80th General Convention, we hoped that the summer months would bring us more clarity about the course of the pandemic and how we might reasonably plan for 2021 and beyond,” read a letter last week from Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and the Rev. Gay Clark, president of the House of Deputies. “But as summer stretches on, infection and death totals in the United States are climbing ever higher." "In the event that we cannot convene safely in person from June 30 to July 9, 2021, we will postpone the 80th General Convention to 2022, working with our partners in Baltimore as we determine appropriate dates. During the summer of 2021, we will hold an online convocation of worship and prayer to help us hear what the Spirit is saying to the church as we prepare to gather at General Convention.” READ PRESIDING BISHOP CURRY'S SERMON AT HOUSE OF BISHOPS "There is a God who sits on high, the old folk said, and looks down low," preached Presiding Bishop Michael Curry in his July 28 sermon at the House of Bishops' virtual meeting. "There is a God who is the creator of all that is, and of all God's children. There is a God who will not rest, and we must not rest until justice rolls down like a mighty stream, until every man, woman, and child, no matter who they are, every human being is treated as a child of God, and is seen in the eyes of the law, in the eyes of the state, and in our eyes, as someone made in the image and likeness of God." Read his full sermon here in English and Spanish. CARING FOR CREATION VIDEO: JESUS GOES TO NATURE TO PRAY EcoChaplain Roger Wharton is offering a series of Christian Nature Wisdom videos for personal reflection or for use in church worship services, emails and social media. He believes it is our Christian vocation to Care for Creation. View his latest video, “Jesus Goes to Nature to Pray." For more resources check out www.ecospirit.org "OUR FRAGILE ISLAND HOME: PROTECTING GOD’S CREATION" CONFERENCE Join this upcoming conference for deacons and other friends of God’s creation, taking place August 20-21 and using Zoom. Visit the conference link for information and registration. NEW WEBINAR SERIES: MENTAL HEALTH IN THE COLLISION OF PANDEMIC The Diocese of Northern California’s Diocesan Partners for Health invite you to a free noon-time, 50 minute, brown bag Zoom webinar series beginning August 5 and continuing August 19, September 2 and 16. Join us for one or all to explore how global events are impacting mental health and learn strategies and resources for supporting faith communities, families, local communities and yourself. For registration information, contact Bev Bennett at 408-857-1949 or bevbennett3@gmail.com. ECR CLERGY HOST CONVERSATIONS ABOUT RACE The Revs. Karen Cuffie and Jani Wild are leading weekly pastoral conversations on racism every Thursday at 4:30 pm. There will be a brief introduction to the focus of the session followed by discussion and prayers. Please join us; there is no better way to learn, process, and share together than in a faith community. Join the Zoom Meeting here Meeting ID: 835 7594 8022; Password: 748467 One tap mobile: +16699006833,,83575948022#,,1#,748467# US (San Jose) BISHOP'S COVID-19 FUND As cases of COVID-19 rise within California, the “Bishop’s COVID-19 Fund” is responding to the alarming need of people in our parishes for the basics of food and shelter. The fund provides for those whose livelihoods have been impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic. To make a gift online, visit the “Donate” page at the diocesan website (click here). Or mail a check to: Episcopal Diocese of El Camino Real, PO Box689, Salinas, CA 93902. Please state “Bishop’s COVID-19 Fund” in the memo area of checks. Thank you! |
WILLIAM BARTOSH
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