The E-postle March 22, 2020

The E-postle March 22, 2020
March 21, 2020

Fourth Sunday in Lent

E-postle

March 22, 2020

 

“The Parish of St. John the Apostle is called to be

*             A Spirited Community at the heart of Port Moody

*             transformed through the experience of the presence of Christ

*             and sent out to share God’s Love”

 

Upcoming Dates

Note: All gatherings below take place online via Zoom unless otherwise indicated.

Sunday, March 22                   8:30am & 10am – Morning Prayer

Sunday, March 22                   following 8:30 and 10am worship – Dive Deeper: Loving Neighbour – Week 4: “The Courage to Let Go”

Tuesday, March 24                 10:15am–12noon – Dive Deeper: Loving God – Prayer Workshop #4 (AM)

Tuesday, March 24                7 – 8:30pm – Dive Deeper: Loving God – Prayer Workshop #4 (PM)

Tuesday, March 31                7 – 9pm – Parish Council meeting

 

Rector’s Note

It’s been quite the week, no? I have been so heartened by how our St. John’s family has held together and met the challenges that the Covid-19 situation has entailed! I hope that everyone has been slowly adjusting to our new reality of social distancing. It is a sobering and sacred reminder of our ongoing connections and responsibility to all around us – “no man is an island” has always been true for us as the Body of Christ.

This issue of the E-postle is full of information on ways that we are creatively experimenting with nurturing our connections to each other in this time. I hope that you will join us especially for Sunday worship on Zoom (note that there is a telephone call-in option too now) and consider taking part in many of the other offerings. Let me know if you have ideas for other things we can try!

Please remember to take good care of yourselves this week, and continue to look out intentionally and carefully for one another in this time. I encourage you to reach out to each other via phone, text, email, or whatever other way you can come up with. And as always, if there are any pastoral needs that you know of among our parish members, please let me know via rector@stja.ca or 604-936-7762 (church voicemail) or 604-723-5029 (cell).

I will leave you this week with a poem that invites us to reflect on how we might seek and find deeper relationship with God and neighbour in this unique sabbath that we are called to in this time…

 

PANDEMIC

What if you thought of it

as the Jews consider the Sabbath—

the most sacred of times?

Cease from travel.

Cease from buying and selling.

Give up, just for now,

on trying to make the world

different than it is.

Sing. Pray. Touch only those

to whom you commit your life.

Center down.

 

And when your body has become still,

reach out with your heart.

Know that we are connected

in ways that are terrifying and beautiful.

(You could hardly deny it now.)

Know that our lives

are in one another’s hands.

(Surely, that has come clear.)

Do not reach out your hands.

Reach out your heart.

Reach out your words.

Reach out all the tendrils

of compassion that move, invisibly,

where we cannot touch.

 

Promise this world your love–

for better or for worse,

in sickness and in health,

so long as we all shall live.

 

–by Lynn Ungar (3/11/20)

http://www.lynnungar.com/poems/pandemic/

 

I feel so blessed in this challenging time to be part of this wonderful community of St. John’s. I pray that this week we will each find a bit more of that sabbath and rest in God, together.

 

Peace,

Vivian

 

Ongoing Updates Pages

There are 2 important pages on our parish website which will be updated regularly as we have new information (links to both pages can also be found at the top of our homepage www.stja.ca):

 

  1. Program Updates – https://www.stja.ca/2020/program-updates/ – current information on programs, including Zoom meeting information and program cancellations.

 

  1. Updates on Covid-19 Precautions at St. John’s – https://www.stja.ca/2020/updates-re-coronavirus/ – a collection of all special correspondence from Archbishop Melissa and from our parish re: precautions that St. John’s and our greater diocese is taking with the Covid-19 virus.

 

Online Worship and Prayer

There are currently 2 ways to join in corporate prayer:

1/ Sunday Morning Prayer on Zoom – 8:30am and 10am – To join us for Sunday worship, please download Zoom into your device and then at the gathering time, click on:

https://zoom.us/j/542312325?pwd=R3FKTnZ4WUU1YUFveCtzOUljM2FLZz09

Meeting ID: 542 312 325

Password: 010729

NOTE: You may also join us via telephone at 778-907-2071 (please have the above Meeting ID ready). You won’t be able to see everyone via video, but we will be able to at least hear each other’s voices.

A service leaflet and scripture readings will be available by Friday evenings at https://www.stja.ca/2020/program-updates/

 

2/ (NEW) Noonday Psalms & Prayer on Facebook – 12noon Mon-Sat – Beginning next week, every day (but Sunday) at noon on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/StJohnAnglican, a brief video will be made available, featuring a reading of a psalm and some time for prayer for those in our lives and in the wider world.

We encourage you to stop for a few minutes of your day to view the video at noon (or view it later if you can’t make it at that time).  As with most things we’re trying out, this will be an experiment and feedback and ideas are welcome! If you’re interested in being involved, please contact Vivian at rector@stja.ca.

 

Getting Familiar with Zoom

Some of us have not used Zoom before – never fear, we are all learning together! Vivian will be around in our Sunday worship meeting room this Saturday, Mar. 21 from 2-4pm if anyone wishes to come try out and practice with Zoom before Sunday.

https://zoom.us/j/542312325?pwd=R3FKTnZ4WUU1YUFveCtzOUljM2FLZz09

Meeting ID: 542 312 325 / Password: 010729

Please email her at rector@stja.ca or call her at 604-723-5029 if you run into any issues. She is also ready to help at other times during the week!

 

FYI the 2 main steps are:

  • Download the Zoom app onto your device. You can use your smartphone, ipad, laptop, desktop computer, etc. If you have an older machine (and especially with desktop computers) you may also need to attach a microphone or earphones/headset to fully participate. Visit your device’s app store or download the app via https://zoom.us/
  • At the time of the gathering, click on the unique link for that gathering. Each event (e.g. worship, prayer workshop, etc.) has a different Meeting ID/password. See https://www.stja.ca/2020/program-updates/ for the Zoom links.

 

Pastoral Note

We had announced last week the sad news of the death of our Office Administrator Jennifer Green. Due to all the precautions for Covid-19, the family has decided to postpone her memorial service to a later time – we will keep everyone updated. Please continue to pray for Jennifer’s family in this difficult time.

 

Stewardship Reflection

From Sunday by Sunday: Reflections on Stewardship, prepared by the Ven. Dr. Michael Pollesel:

Fourth Sunday in Lent. John 9: 1-41

The Pharisees (those in the know) seem to think they’ve got all the right answers. The blind beggar (who has been “on the sidelines”) seems to recognize who Jesus really is, and what he’s about. What kinds of implications are there in this story for those of us who consider ourselves to be faithful disciples and stewards?

 

Maintaining Parish Social Connections

Humans beings are social.  We interact with each other many times a day not only through work, social clubs and family gatherings, but also in the line at the bank, checking out our groceries, riding the elevator or waiting at the bus stop.  As we band together to flatten the curve, your stewardship team would like to hear from anyone interested in helping connect people or whoever needs a phone call, text or video chat.

If you would like help or would like to help, please contact Natasha (freefromfear101@gmail.com or 604-961-6630) or Kristin (bobandkristinkuhn@gmail.com or 778-957-8987).

 

Volunteering in the Wider Community

For anyone who is interested, there are several community programs outside of our church that are looking for volunteers to help people in our communities.

  • If anyone is interested in joining a Facebook group, “CareMongering-GVRD- Greater Vancouver Community Response to COVID19” is a group trying to organize people in their areas to help others. Here is a link to the group if anyone is interested in joining: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2516483731925883/
  • Keep an eye/ear out where you live. For instance, we have a notice board in our building that people can use to sign up to ask for help… be it picking something up if someone is going out for supplies or prescriptions… making a phone call to someone who is feeling lonely… or anything people choose to share.

With virtual hugs, warm thoughts, and many prayers for you all…

  • Kristin Kuhn, on behalf of your Stewardship Team –

 

Lenten Learning Opportunities

You are invited into “Dive Deeper: Loving God and Loving Neighbour”, a 2-part journey of learning this Lent at St. John’s. Please connect with Vivian in person or at rector@stja.ca with any questions.

 

PART 1 – Dive Deeper: Loving God – Deepen your prayer life for 2 more Tuesdays in Lent (March 24 & 31). Parishioner Christine Kesans has been leading us in exploring different prayer practices that help deepen the ways we connect with God through readings, discussion, and practicing prayer techniques together.

 

2 opportunities to take part in these prayer workshops (via the Zoom app – see instructions below):

  1. Online on Tuesday mornings, 10:15am-12noon
  2. Online on Tuesday evenings, 7:00-8:30pm.

 

Join Zoom Meeting: https://zoom.us/j/3237870539?pwd=bHZrZUxjMmxRbFIrZFBDTDYxTTRKdz09

Meeting ID: 323 787 0539

Password: prayer

 

PART 2: Dive Deeper: Loving Neighbour – Explore how God calls us to faithful courage in our interactions with self and others, in all areas of our lives.

 

Take part in any or all of these 3 ways:

  • Devotional booklet with daily meditations (available in electronic or printed format). Take a few minutes each day to read these and ponder what God might be saying to you about growing in courage.
  • Zoom Sunday Gatherings – Join us for the remaining 2 Sundays (March 22 & 29) – we will gather after each worship service to share our insights and learn together. Sermons each Sunday will also connect to the week’s theme.
  • Lenten Calendar – Visit facebook.com/StJohnAnglican where a new reflection by a member of our St. John’s community will be featured each day throughout Lent.

 

Parish Office Closed

Please note that due to Covid-19 precautions, the Parish Office is currently closed until further notice. However, voicemails and emails will be regularly checked from Tuesday through Friday during business hours. You may leave a message at (604) 936-7762 or administrator@stja.ca.

Vivian will be working from home during this time and can also be reached via email at rector@stja.ca or cell phone at 604-723-5029.

 

Church Cleaning Thank Yous

A Big Thank you to Brenda, Doris, Tony L, Geri and Ruby for sanitizing all surfaces and tables and chairs in the church hall and kitchen, on Saturday 14 March, before we suspended all services due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Once we are clearer on when to resume services, we will ask for volunteers to give the church building a wipe-over before we do. Watch this space!

 

Grounds Coordinator’s Patch

A big Thank-You to Darwin Hayward (Terry’s SIL) and Terry Walton for assisting in trimming the hedge at the front of the church.

Request for a hedge trimmer. If you have one that you no longer need, please donate it to the church. Should you wish to donate a brand-new trimmer, please speak to Ruby or Geri. Thank you.

 

Prayer Cycle

The Anglican Church of Canada – the Most Rev. Linda Nicholls, Primate, and the Most Rev. Mark MacDonald, National Indigenous Anglican Archbishop.

The Diocese of New Westminster – the Most Rev. Melissa Skelton, Archbishop, and Metropolitan of the Ecclesiastical Province of BC and Yukon.

And this week:

*        The Archdeacons of the Diocese: The Venerable Kevin Hunt (Burrard), the Ven. Stephen Muir (Capilano), the Ven. Louie Engnan (Fraser), the Ven. Allan Carson (Lougheed), the Ven. Stephanie Shepard (Granville), the Ven. Richard Leggett (Westminster), the Ven. Douglas Fenton (Executive Archdeacon/Vancouver), the Ven. Bruce Morris (Archdeacon for Deacons)

*       Our partner Diocese of Northern Philippines, Bishop Brent Alawas, and especially the people of our twin church at St. John the Evangelist Mission, Balugan;

*        The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada – National Bishop Susan Johnson, BC Synod Bishop Greg Mohr;

*        The brothers and sisters who share our worship space: The Port Moody Korean Presbyterian Church

 

Readings for March 22, 2020 – Fourth Sunday in Lent

1 Samuel 16:1-13; Psalm 23; Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41

 

Readings for March 29, 2020 – Fifth Sunday in Lent

Ezekiel 37:1-14; Psalm 130; Romans 8:6-11; John 11:1-45

 

Important Contact Information

Rector – The Rev. Vivian Lam – rector@stja.ca or 604-936-7762 (church voicemail) or 604-723-5029 (cell)

Deacon – The Rev. Anne Anchor – deacon@stja.ca

Parish Office – administrator@stja.ca or 604-936-7762

(Office is closed at this time, but email and voice messages will be checked Tuesday – Friday)

Rector’s Warden- Geri Grigg – rectorswarden@stja.ca

People’s Warden – Ruby Ng – peopleswarden@stja.ca

Treasurer – Amalia McGlashan – treasurer@stja.ca

Envelope Secretary – Sheila de Vaal – envelopesecretary@stja.ca

Parish Council – Kristin Kuhn, Secretary – parishcouncilsecretary@stja.ca

Altar Guild – Brenda Binns – altarguild@stja.ca

Prayer Circle – Sue Elliott – prayer@stja.ca

Pastoral Visiting Ministry – Joanne Walton/Alma Oldenburg – pastoralvisits@stja.ca

Anglican Church Women (ACW) – Alma Oldenburg – 604-788-2562 or ACW@stja.ca

Children’s Ministry /Godly Play – Christina Anchor – children@stja.ca

Prayer Shawls – Rosa Weisensel – administrator@stja.ca

Bible Study – Lynne Milner – biblestudy@stja.ca

Food Bank – Lynne Milner – foodbank@stja.ca

Building Repairs/Maintenance – Brian McGlashan, Building Coordinator – property@stja.ca

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