January 8, 2021 See our current Zoom Bulletin: Epiphany Bulletin 2021 Join Zoom Worship by Clicking Here - AWS
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January 8, 2021
See our current Zoom Bulletin: Epiphany Bulletin 2021
Join Zoom Worship by Clicking Here
Dear Siblings in Christ
I wrote this letter on January 6th, the Epiphany, but made adjustments because of
the events in the Capitol.
I had found myself unusually focused on the hope that the epiphany brought to
the world even in a time of great darkness. That hope comes to us today from our
recognition that God loves us and is with us no matter what condition this world is
in. We need that hope now more than ever.
Prayer is important to me as I am sure it is to you. As we start off this new year
and try to come to grasp what is happening at the Capitol, perhaps the following
prayers will provide hope and comfort. I have adapted them from
ChristiansTT.com, a website of prayers and devotionals to help inspire our daily
lives. The first prayer, however, was added the evening of the Epiphany.
Isaiah 40:31 But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will
soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not
be faint.
A Prayer for America's Future
Make us a great nation, yes. But more than that make us good, Lord, with a
heartbeat that wants every person of every creed and color and political leaning
to know your love, goodness, and worth. Make us wise as serpents, but gentle as
doves. Turn our fears to faith, as we look to you and you alone for the future of
our country. Give us God-confidence that no matter what happens, we will believe
you are not only in control, but that you know exactly what is needed to
accomplish your purpose. Help us not to second-guess your moves, but to move
at your command, always without hesitation.
Forgive us for wanting our own way and making our own paths—often the ones
paved with least resistance. Forgive us for fence-walking, or for ignoring
completely the truths that can so easily set us free. Deliver us from mindless
quarrels and destinations that lead us nowhere, but away from you. Free us from
divisiveness, and melt our hardened hearts to love, not hate, and to heal, not
debate. - Rebecca Barlow Jordan
Prayer for Us as Individuals
Lord Christ, we pray that we become more responsible in our pursuits, our faith,
and our prayer life. We pray to keep our eyes, ears, and hearts from clinging to
the things of this world. May we keep our whole being fixed on you and may our
love for you grow more and more every day.
We pray to be true to all in our thoughts, words, and deeds. May we be humble
and respectful towards others and honor God throughout our lives.
Ephesians 4:2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one
another in love.
Prayer for Our Family Life
Lord, we pray for our family members to be blessed with your love, grace, and
mercy so that we may be part of a family of unity, peace, and well-being.
May there be love and compassion which overlooks our shortcomings and allows
us to see one another in mercy. And may there be forgiveness and acceptance in
times of failure and disappointments.
Matthew 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they
may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Prayer for the World around Us
Lord Christ, we earnestly pray for world peace and unity. May war and
persecutions in the name of religion cease. May we all have respect and
tolerance for each other’s beliefs.
We pray for the sick, the terminally ill, the abandoned, the homeless, the hungry,
the rejected, the lost and those affected by natural disasters. May our hearts
extend to them with love, and our hands extend to them to share our blessings
and gifts, always for the glory of God, in your name Lord Christ, Amen.
May God’s love and blessings save us.
Deacon Karen
Epiphany 2021:
A Call to Prayer for our Nation
from Presiding Bishop Michael Curry
On this day of the Feast of the Epiphany, Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop
Michael Curry invites Episcopalians and people of faith to turn and pray on behalf
of our nation.
Watch the video of the Presiding Bishop’s statementhere. A transcript of the
statement follows:
Today is January the 6th, 2021. It is the Feast of the Epiphany. And on this
particular day at this particular moment, even as our nation’s capital is being
endangered and assaulted, we pray that the Lord Jesus Christ, we pray that God,
in his Way of Love, might prevail in all of our hearts.
The events at our Capitol today are deeply disturbing. We believe the actions of
armed protesters represent a coup attempt. We are a democracy, with long-
standing institutional norms that must be honored, foremost among them,
following the processes laid out in the Constitution and Federal statute to facilitate
the peaceful and orderly transition of power.
Today’s protesters pushed through police barricades and forced their way into
Congressional chambers, and the Capitol building are now threatened, and
threatening the safety of lawmakers, their staff, and others who work in the
Capitol complex. This threatens the integrity of our democracy. The national
security of our nation, the continuity of government, and the lives and safety of
our legislators, their staffs, law enforcement, and all who work in the Capitol.
I therefore ask you now to join me in prayer for our nation, praying first from the
prayers that accompany Morning Prayer:
Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance;
Govern and uphold us now and always.
Day by day we bless you;
We praise your name forever.
Lord, keep us from sin today;
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
Lord, show us your love and mercy;
For we put our trust in you.
In you, Lord, is our hope;
And we shall never hope in vain.
- Morning Prayer II, Book of Common Prayer, p. 98
Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of
righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love: So mightily spread
abroad your Spirit, that all peoples may be gathered together under the banner of
the Prince of Peace, as children of one God and Creator of us all; to whom be
dominion and glory, now and forever.
- For Peace, Book of Common Prayer, p. 815
Oh God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your
son. Look now with compassion on the entire human family; and particularly this
part of the family, in the United States, and those in our nation’s capital; take
away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that
separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and
confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all
nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
- For the Human Family, Book of Common Prayer, p. 815
On this day and at this moment, we pray for our nation. We ask God to heal us, to
show us the way to healing, to show us the way to be one nation under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power and the glory,
forever and ever.
Amen.
And now, may the peace of God which passeth all understanding keep your
hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God and of his Son, Jesus Christ
our Lord.
The blessing of God Almighty the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit be on you
and on this nation and on the entire human family and all of creation this moment
and forevermore. Amen.
Weekly Worship Schedule
10:00 AM on Zoom –
Worship for the Season after the Epiphany
January 10 through February 14, 2021
Follow the service with our Epiphany Seasonal Bulletin 2021. Readings may
be found at the Lectionary Page
Join Zoom worship from a computer or tablet: Launch Zoom 10am
Join Zoom worship by phone: Call: (646) 558-8656; Meeting ID: 683 337
6542#; Participant ID: #; Password: 521795#
Sundays at 11:15am - Family Gathering with Story and Prayers via Zoom
Designed for parents and children to attend together, with an emphasis on
preschoolers through elementary aged children. Launch Zoom 11:15am
Give Online!
Give Online Anytime at:
https://my.simplegive.com/App/
Giving/STMARYSConv
Thank you so much for your
generosity and commitment to
this parish community.
Homilies Online
Did you miss a service? Or just
want to hear a homily again? Or
want to share a homily with a
friend or neighbor? Please
subscribe to our YouTube page
and check back frequently for
new homilies.
Sign up to write for our Lenten Reflection Booklet!
Yes, we've just begun Epiphany, but in order to have our Lenten Reflection Booklet ready in time for Ash Wednesday (February 17th), we need all writers to have signed up by Monday, January 25th. You can sign up to write a reflection (or two) by clicking here, and the lectionary readings assigned to each day of Lent can be found at www.lectionarypage.net. Reflections should be in the range of 200-400 words and will ideally end with a brief prayer. You can reflect on one or more of the scripture readings assigned for your day. Please indicate which reading you're reflecting on at the beginning of your reflection. Once sign-ups are complete, we'll share more information about how to submit your reflection(s). Thank you so much for participating in this annual gift to one another! We need more photos for our website! Rev. Sean, Renee Barrick, and Ian Richmond have been working to update and simplify our website. We aim to make it friendlier for newcomers, who are the main audience for our site. And now, we need pictures to help make it more beautiful and to offer a window into our community life. Do you have pictures to share? Any and all pictures of our parish community in action are most welcome. We won't be able to use every photo submitted, and we're grateful for your understanding. You can upload your photos by clicking here.
Adult Education & Formation Adult Education led by Rev. Sean will resume in February, for the season of Lent. In the meantime, please consider the following offerings through our Diocese. Diocesan Bible Study: The Gospel of John Thursdays, January 7 to February 11 from 6:30-8:00 PM Awaken from winter hibernation with a 6-week Bible-study of the Gospel of John led by Bishop Gutiérrez and members of the diocesan staff. Come and dive deeper into an understanding of Jesus as the Son of God. Contact Celeste Fisher at cfisher@diopa.org to register and to receive the Zoom link. An Introduction to Systemic Racism Saturday, January 30, 2021 from 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM This webinar is an introduction to the four-part series from the Anti-Racism Commission of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, exploring the multi- layered manifestations of systemic racism in the United States. We will develop a sociological understanding of the concepts race, racism, prejudice, discrimination, ethnicity, minority, power, privilege, stratification, as well as other relevant terminology. Click on link below for tickets and to sign up: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/introduction-to-systemic-racism-tickets- 131100684677?aff=erellivmlt Men's Film Night The next meeting of St. Mary's Men's Film Night will be on Tuesday, January 19th from 7:35-8:35pm (please note the revised starting time). From John Krick: The Ice Storm was included on a recent list in The New York Times of good movies of a wintry nature that are a change-up from the traditional Christmas fare. So, if you are looking to watch something along the lines of It's A Wonderful Life, you'll be disappointed. More like the opposite. Released in 1997, director Ang Lee takes us back to 1973, the Watergate era. Set in the Connecticut suburbs, The Ice Storm is a tale of two families who on the surface seem to have it pretty good, but soon the fault lines emerge, fueled by alcohol, drugs and sex. Perhaps it is inevitable that their comfortable lives will soon be forever changed. The Ice Storm is notable for a stellar ensemble cast that includes Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Sigourney Weaver (who received multiple Supporting Actress awards), Christina Ricci and Tobey Maguire. It also received the Cannes Film Award for Best Screenplay. Interestingly, despite these positives, the film was a commercial failure, costing twice as much to make as it took in. Back in 1997, most of us spent our money to see Men in Black and Titanic instead. So it goes. This is how our group works. We watch a movie and then we get together and talk
about it (and other stuff). Then we choose another film to watch and do it
again. We always learn something new. And it is a lot of fun.
You can watch The Ice Storm on Prime Video, Apple TV and other streaming
services.
Join the Zoom meeting.
Reach out to John Krick, Michael D'Antonio or John Cleary if you have any
questions.
Centering Prayer Group
New day: The Centering Prayer Group will meet at7:00-7:30pm on Tuesdays
through Feb 9th. Click here for the Zoom link.
This weekly session is for people who would like to practice Centering Prayer
technique along with others from time to time. Anyone who would like to know
more about this system of prayer can e-mail the parish office at
stmarysardmore@verizon.net or call (610) 649-1486.
Spiritual Reflection Group
Spiritual Reflection Group will meet Monday, February 1, 7:00 PM via Zoom. For
our discussion we will use a selection from Pope Francis' encyclical Fratelli
tutti ("All brothers"). All are welcome. For more information, contact Dianne
Williams.
Youth Group
The St. Mary’s Youth Group offers a fun and inclusive space for the youth of St.
Mary’s to connect, learn, and explore their faith. We gladly welcome new group
members, in grades 6 and up, to join us as we grow in our relationship to God and
each other! Youth Group meets on most Sundays from 11:30-12:30 on Zoom.
Please contact Annamarie Given to learn more and get the Zoom information.Ardmore Food Pantry
We served 84 guests on Monday, January 4th.
Food Donations
Due to the generosity of St. Mary's members and many in the community our
shelves are more than full at the moment. Thank you! We are sharing some of
the wealth of items with other houses of worship and food pantries. So, for the
next couple of weeks, we will not be asking for donations. If you would still like to
donate, that is certainly fine, but if you could please hold onto those donations
until the week of January 18th we’d appreciate it. That will give us a chance to put
a dent in our inventory before adding new items. Thanks very much.
AFP Volunteer Opportunities
If you are interested in volunteering at the pantry:
Mondays, please click on Sign-up Genius and find a date and time that
works for you.
Thursdays, we start at 1:00. No sign-up genius. Just stop by the Food
Pantry.
Saturdays we have alternating teams of volunteers. One team can use a
couple of members and meets at 11:00am. No sign-up genius necessary.
Sunday afternoons, please come by the Food Pantry around noon. No
sign-up genius necessary.
Since we limit the number of volunteers at any session to between 8 and 10, it is
a good idea to check with Deacon Karen beforehand.
Throughout this time, plastic bags, and paper bags (especially sturdy and doubled
bags with handles) are always welcomed.
Please no more egg cartons! Your diligence has us covered for months to come!
Many thanks, prayers, and blessings,
The AFP Advisory Board, AFP Volunteers, our Guests and Deacon KarenPrayer List Should there be someone you would like to have added to the published Prayer List, please contact the Parish office at stmarysardmore@verizon.net or by phone at (610) 649-1486. Thank you for continuing to keep our St. Mary's community aware of those needing our prayers and support. Give us strength, O God, to love and help one another in this fragile life: Phillipa Edmonia-Marguerite Ashby Benin, Charles Bowne, Jillian Kotmair Bright, Lu Brown, Mary Grace Brown, Janet Chenery and Conway Family, Martha Chovanes, Amy Cleary, Jack Cloran, Leo Coleman and the Coleman Family, Frank and Ramesh Conley, Weecha Crawford, Joseph Culver, Judith Dix and Family, Wendy Dyer-Avis, Joan Emmett, Bill FitzGerald, Frank, Susan and David Furst and Family, Chad Given, Joanne Grecia, Kitty Grecia, Stephen Hall, David Hall, Patricia Harvey, Christopher and Jake, Rosemary Herrick, the Garcia Family, Michael Holmes and Extended Family, Hannah Hurwitz, Peyton Jaffe, Joanne Jost, Evelyn Kabulis, the Keller Family, Roy Lewis, Eriberto Lozada, Candace Margolin, Jamie McDowell, Sylvia Meredith, Jim Moore, Cynthia Munroe, Claire Powers, Rakeisha Reid, Deacon Robin Robb, Sarah Robinson, Jane Smith, David Snyder, Harold Thompson, Lily Walker, and the Family and Friends of Carter Wilson; the Ardmore Food Pantry guests and volunteers, especially Abby, Doris Ama, Anne, Barbara, Marlene Benelli and Family, Juanita Brown, Tim Brown, Shirley Burrell, Carolyn, Karen Carr, Ann Cross, Denise Dickerson, Dolores, Donna Dundon, Hank Finkel, Franz, Garry, Ellen Green, Julie, Lois, Joseph, Barbara Michener, Evelyn Mayo, Joseph P., Abby Parker, the Parker Family, Margaret and Sherri Pendleton, Roslyn, Gladys Saldana, the Santorina Family, Florence Schick, Charlene Taylor, Thea, Todd and son, Vic, Mark Wilmer, and Annie Woo; and all the families in Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN).
We pray and give thanks for our ministries in the broader community:Interfaith
Hospitality Network, enabling homeless families to achieve lasting
independence; our Anti-Gun Violence work, helping to end the health crisis of
gun violence across our country; Episcopal Community Services serving youth
and children at risk, homeless families and homebound seniors; our Immigration
Action Group, working to meet the basic needs of immigrants and asylum
seekers; our companion Diocese of Guatemala and our liaison Fr. Ramon
Ovalle, inspiring, encouraging and learning from one another; the St. James
School and their dedication to educating and nurturing under-resourced students;
the Ardmore Food Pantry and the strong sense of community and caring that is
shared with guests, volunteers and donors.
Parish Office (610) 649-1486
Ardmore Food Pantry Hours
Monday 11:00am - 12:00pm; 6:00pm - 7:00pm
foodpantry@stmarysardmore.org
Rector
Rev. Sean Lanigan
Associate in Ministry
Deacon Karen Kaminskas
Parish Administrator
Renee Barrick
Director of Music
John Grecia
Church Sexton
Jim Umhofer
Announcements
stmarysardmore@verizon.net
St. Mary's Episcopal Church
36 Ardmore Avenue
Ardmore, PA 19003
www.stmarysardmore.org
(610) 649-1486You can also read
