From the Rector
Next Steps For Worship
Following up on my Shell article from last week, here are some more details about the next steps for our worship.
As I shared previously, in addition to Governor Hogan’s stages for re-opening for our state, we also must work within the guidelines of our diocese. Last weekend a draft of those guidelines was sent out to all clergy in the diocese. The Vestry and I discussed them at our meeting Tuesday night. Yesterday clergy and senior wardens from around the diocese met for two hours on Zoom with the Bishop and diocesan staff discussing these plans, which include parameters for resuming in-person worship and covenants for returning to our buildings. We will share these with you when they are finalized for public distribution.
The take away is that we will have to create a detailed plan for how we will safely begin to worship again within the parameters given, and that plan must be submitted to the diocese for approval.
To accomplish this task I am pulling together a Regathering Team to work with me to create our plan for both outdoor and indoor worship. Additionally, we want to hear from you. Next week we will be sending out the Diocesan Guidelines & Parameters and the Regathering Covenant, along with a brief survey about our worship. Your feedback will help us create a timeline for when we will begin in-person services.
In the meantime, we will continue to stay church together online – though this will be changing a bit too.
Throughout Eastertide we have been praying Morning Prayer from the Daily Office. Beginning on Pentecost (5/31) we will be shifting to the Liturgy of the Word, also known as ante communion. This is the first half of our usual Sunday service, ending at The Peace, just prior to communion. There are a few reasons for this. First, it is our pattern to change our liturgy seasonally and this will continue that rhythm. Additionally, I think returning to this well-known worship service will be a comfort for many of us. Finally, when the time comes that we can resume communion, it will be a simple jump to add the missing part of the service.
One final note is that we learned something when Zoom crashed last Sunday! We punted by doing Morning Prayer on Facebook Live and discovered that more people found us on Facebook than do on YouTube. This makes sense as we have a fairly robust presence on Facebook. We originally started livestreaming to YouTube because there were repeated issues with Facebook crashing when churches first began moving worship online back in March. Those problems have been resolved, and so also beginning on Pentecost (5/31) we will begin live-streaming our Zoom worship to Facebook Live instead of YouTube. A recording of the service will still be uploaded to YouTube afterward so that people can access it there for later viewing. If you normally join us via Zoom on Sundays nothing will change for you.
I hope that you will take the time next week to fill out the survey we’ll be sending. In the meantime if you have questions or concerns please send me an email or give me a call.
Yours in God’s peace,
Kristin+
At Home Worship/Formation
Online Worship
Before Morning Prayer take time to update your Zoom app to the latest version.
- Join us for Zoom Morning Prayer at 9:30 am followed by Coffee Hour this Sunday, or watch the livestream on YouTube. A printable bulletin is available here. Click here to download a children’s worship bulletin.
- Virtual Compline services on Facebook are Monday through Friday at 8:30 pm. You do not need to have a Facebook account to “attend” – just click here to participate. While your at our Facebook page be sure to “follow” and turn on notifications so you will be alerted when we go live or post updated information. Compline order of service
Resources:
For a complete listing of resources visit our At Home Worship/Formation page.
- Lectionary Readings for the Seventh Sunday of Easter: Acts 1:6-14; Psalm 68:1-10, 33-36; 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11; John 17:1-11
- Next Week’s Commemorations:
Thrift Shop
Join Our Quest for the Holy Grail…
…of cleaning products that is! As we prepare to re-open the Thrift Shop and create a plan for beginning to re-gather for worship we are in search of cans of Lysol, which is currently the rarest of cleaning projects. Please keep an eye out for it when you’re out shopping and if you can pick up a can please contact Rev. Kristin for reimbursement.
Diocesan News
| Campus Ministries, ESCMD Alumni, Friends:
Please share this widely with any young adults whose plans may have changed, who may be looking for a year to figure things out, who may have a heart for service. If you have anyone with specific questions about our program in Baltimore, I’m happy to have a conversation with them before or after this Open House. My email address is escmaryland@gmail.com. Peace to you, Virtual Open House, May 19 |
WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Parish Administrator Hours for the week of May 24, as needed from home.
Would You Like to Lead Compline on Facebook?
After three months of leading us in Compline on Facebook every weeknight Jeannie Pellicer is stepping back to take break at the end of this month. I would personally like to thank Jeannie for her leadership and prayerful presence that has grounded so many of us during the upheaval we’ve experienced. We would like to continue to offer Compline using Facebook Live a few nights a week for June and July. If this is something you would be interested in doing please drop me an email or give me a call. ~Rev. Kristin
Virtual College for Congregational Development Workshops
Will you join a team from St. James’ to help equip our community to navigate the changes ahead of us? Please contact Rev. Kristin if you’re interested!
Come get a taste of what The College has to offer in four one hour sessions over Zoom. Each session will teach one of the core models or principals of Congregational Development with a specific eye toward how this particular model or tool is useful during this unprecedented time for the church. How can this crisis be part of the healthy development of our congregations? Come find out.
The workshops will be offered June 10 & 11 from Noon – 4:00 PM each day. Zoom presentations will be from Noon – 1:00 PM and 3:00 – 4:00 PM, with time in between to work on assignments and/or set up virtual meetings with your congregational team for reflection.
Mt. Airy NET Accepting Donations Again Mt. Airy Net is now starting to collect food as long as food is coming 
straight from the grocery store. The items most needed are oatmeal, pancake mix/syrup, muffin and cake mix and canned corn.
Book Discussion Group Gather to discuss Ann Lamott’s Almost Everything – Notes on Hope. Our meeting will be TODAY on Zoom at 7:00 pm.
Prayer Rotation Please join the Daughters of the King in praying for each parishioner in rotation during 2020 by taking this notice home and by posting it where it will remind you pray to on a daily basis for the needs and blessing of:
Michael and Denise Warren (Gabrielle, Abby)
Timothy and Melissa Washabaugh (Isabella, Grant)
Thomas and Beverly Williams
A member of the Daughters of the King will be contacting you this week for special prayer requests.