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Tuesday, April 28 2020
...Maybe some of them are still unfamiliar. Who would have thought we would be living through this pandemic? Our world has certainly be impacted in a dramatic fashion because of this devastating health crisis. Loved ones have been lost. Unemployment has soared. Lives have been forever changed. Despite all the challenges and uncertainty we are facing, Fr. R.C. and your Vestry continue to try to meet the demands of keeping our St. John's family connected by providing opportunities to worship via Virtual Church technologies. While this effort has not gone as smoothly as we would have liked, it was another step in trying to keep our family engaged in this manner, and we are working on improving the delivery of services. We appreciate your patience as technological issues are being resolved and encourage you to keep checking the website for information and current updates. This past Sunday's service (April 26) ran quite smoothly. Please check it out, if you haven't already done so. I know you'll appreciate the service. A big Thank You! to all involved in the production of this. We welcomed Fr. Michael Beaton Oakley to our St. John's Vestry family last night. We are blessed to have Fr. Michael join us in a part time capacity as he joins us a Curate. While at St. John’s, Fr. Michael will be learning the craft of ministry. Along with Fr. R.C., Fr. Michael is sharing the responsibility for both English and Spanish language services. Along with those responsibilities he will be working to build his knowledge of and familiarity with Episcopal Church polity, worship, leadership and customs. If you haven't had the opportunity to read the message from Vestry Clerk Sarah Clifthorne entitled "Being the Church During the Crisis," I would encourage you to do so. Sarah addresses financial Stewardship during this particularly trying time. I think you will find her words informative. To read her message, please click here. As I mentioned at the beginning of these thoughts, I included the term the "New Normal." We are all being forced to do things differently for an unknown amount of time. This "New Normal" has begun. You stay at least six feet away from friends. You visit with them through closed doors and windows or from the opposite side of the street while wearing a mask. Visits to the grocery store may cease or you go wearing that mask. You begin marking your calendar with times indicating when a food delivery will take place or you take advantage of curbside pickup or the next Zoom meeting. Travel has to be cancelled or postponed. You can't physically go to church. You can't . . . But what you can do is take the time to offer thanks for all you have, and use this opportunity to help those who need it most, if you can. If you find yourself needing any kind of support, please do not hesitate to contact me at linmark_ku@hotmail.com. I close with the same scripture from Isaiah 41:10 that I referenced in my last letter. Do not fear, for I am with you, Stay healthy, |
