April 30, 2020

SEE PHOTO GALLERY BELOW FOR MORE
ON "BREATHING OUTSIDE"

FROM THE RECTOR


The presiding bishop has shared a message about how the Way of Love can guide us through the COVID-19 pandemic with grace. 


In the midst of this COVID-19 pandemic, we are now at another one of those threshold moments when important and significant decisions must be made on all levels of our global community for the good and the well-being of the entire human family. In this moment, I would ask you to allow me to share with you a Word to the Church: What Would Love Do? To read the full text or watch the video, go to:

Meet with our Bishop
The Lakes Region Convocation will meet on Tuesday, May 5, 7:00 – 8:30 pm, and Bishop Rob will be the guest. All are welcome to attend. I’ll send out the Zoom meeting info over the weekend. Bishop Rob meets with us once a year, and usually speaks on what’s going on in the Diocese and then takes questions.

A Question for Coffee Hour on Sunday: I’m interested in hearing how you feel about coming together again at St. Andrew’s. Are you in an “I can’t wait to come back” mode, or are you finding our online worship sufficient for now? I’m not asking this because I expect us to gather soon, but because I’d like to get a sense of where we are as a parish. So, following our online worship on Sunday I’ll offer a poll question on this topic, and we can discuss it in our coffee hour break out rooms. I look forward to hearing from you on this topic.


A big shout out to Bob Seston, our Treasurer, for making application for a loan through the Payroll Protection Plan of the CARES Act! We were approved yesterday for a $24,000 loan and are now waiting to learn more about the guidelines for loan forgiveness. Bob not only completed the application process but has spent a great deal of time reading about the program and making sense out of all the guidelines – no easy task! Many thanks, Bob, for all you do as our Treasurer!!!

Caroline         
  
SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP 

JOIN US FOR WORSHIP AT 10:00 AM 
via Zoom (see email for Zoom information) 
or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/standrewsinthevalleytamworth/


AND...
JOIN US FOLLOWING THE SERVICE FOR 
A VIRTUAL 
on ZOOM


READINGS FOR SUNDAY
Sunday, May 3rd
The Fourth Sunday 
of Easter
Year A

COLLECT
O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people: Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.


READINGS
Acts 2:42-47
Psalm 23
1 Peter 2:19-25
John 10:1-10

"I am the Gate for the Sheep"

Click below to see the readings: 

PLEDGE PAYMENT REMINDER

Thank you for continuing to honor your pledges during this time. While we cannot gather in the church, our usual practices for counting, recording and depositing your pledge payments continue. You may mail your checks to the office or set up a direct payment through the bill pay feature of your bank. Our expenses continue as usual, even though we are not able to gather in person.





BOOK GROUP

Join our Book Group 

on Wednesdays at 12:30 during the Easter Season


The Gospel Of Matthew 

We will join the Good Book Club for a study of the Gospel of Matthew. 
Daily readings began on Easter Sunday 
and continue through the Day of Pentecost, May 31.  
For the daily reading schedule go to 
https://www.goodbookclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Readings_Matthew.pdf  

For more information and to sign up for weekly emails go to https://www.goodbookclub.org/

Contact Caroline at rectorSAITV@gmail.com for the Zoom link for our weekly meetings.

MIDWEEK WORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Each of these weekday services will be live streamed on Facebook and available on Zoom.
Please email Caroline for the Zoom link
rectorsaitv@gmail.com

COMPLINE
Monday-Thursday at 8:30 p.m.

MORNING PRAYER
Wednesdays at 9:00 a.m.


WE HOPE YOU WILL Continue to JOIN US FOR WORSHIP and FELLOWSHIP in our online presence.


OUTSIDE CHURCH - Walking the Labyrinth

In 2003, when Gretchen Behr-Svendsen and I placed many blocks of New Hampshire granite into a labyrinth, we did not know that seventeen years later it would become a way of prayer during a Corona virus pandemic. Yet here we are, unable to gather inside for worship, but with a labyrinth waiting for us to come, to walk toward its center, rest there, and return to our lives consoled, enlivened, and at peace.
Our labyrinth is a five-circuit path modeled after the ancient path set into the nave at Chartres Cathedral in France. If you trace the path pictured here, you will see that you cannot get lost (unlike a maze which is deliberately made to confuse). There is one path to reach the center, and the same path to lead us out. Four quadrants move us toward and away from the center, much as our lives ebb and flow toward God.  

Once at the center we can rest, absorbing those thoughts and prayers we brought with us. Fear. Sadness. Anger. Gratitude. Blessings. When we feel ready, we retrace our steps into the world.
Every labyrinth walk is different because we always bring different prayers from our life to God. Or many versions of the same prayer, if that is where we find ourselves. There is no “right” way to walk with God, to journey with Jesus. There is simply “ourselves, our souls and bodies” open, walking, and offered to God in the present, in this moment, now.
Come outside. Walk. Pray. Rest in God.
(Next Week: People have been building and walking labyrinths since ancient times. And as with all powerful symbols, it has been adapted across the centuries to become for us a prayerful pathway to God.)

Lisa Thompson  

OFFICE HOURS AND HOW TO REACH US

The Office is closed, but Deb continues to respond to email, phone messages and fulfill her other responsibilities.
If you need access to the building, please call the office first to see if the building will be open.
Please contact Caroline during regular "office" hours.  I am available 9:00 – 5:00 Sunday – Thursday via email (RectorSAITV@gmail.com) or cell phone (603-553-9254). Please limit your calls to me to these times, except in the case of a true emergency. Of course you may also email me at any time, but I will answer email during my regular hours. Many thanks! 

If you are sick PLEASE let Caroline know!

PRAYERS FOR EACH OTHER

One thing we can always do while we stay at home is to pray for each other! We would like to keep our prayer list up to date and publish it each week in the Thursday Memo. Please email Deb at office@standrewsinthevalley.org with any updates.



This Week We Pray for

Health and Wholeness for: Dave Appleton, Hettie Buck, Courtney and her baby, Christian, Tiffany, Kyren, Dorothy O'Donnell, Lisa Lemire, Donn Carty, Bob & Sue Huckman, Kenneth LaForge, Jennifer M, David Manley, Robin Martelle, John McGowan, Gabriele Wallace, Carolyn Jarvis, Tamara, Milan McNall, Jerry Williams, Marilyn Cloran, Joan Marshall, Rick, John, Carolyn Boldt, the Huckman family, as they grieve the death of Tom's uncle, Norm.


For those who are homebound: Joyce Gendron, Marge Hagerup, Elizabeth Pease, Susannah Keith, Alida, Dylan, Brian & Sara Kelley, Bob Wallace, Carl Mamigonian, Elizabeth Wiesner, Judy Grace, Audrey Berry.

For our First Nation people and those in this country who are living in impoverished areas of the Ninth Ward of New Orleans and the inner city areas populated by some of our poorest citizens.

For all those who are on the front lines serving communities during these difficult times.

TIPS FOR AVOIDING THE FLU OR CORONAVIRUS

Wash your hands frequently, especially before and after contact with others. 



Wear a mask when around others in public places.

It’s not too late to get your flu shot. While our primary concern is the spread of COVID-19, this is also a bad flu season. If people have not gotten a flu vaccine, there’s still time before the expected second wave of seasonal flu infections.

Additional information and links may be found at the Episcopal Church of NH website at https://www.nhepiscopal.org/covid19 and on the Episcopal Relief & Development web page, “Faith-Based Response to Epidemics.”

DINNER BELL

No DINNER BELL until further notice.


Thank you for your volunteer
work in this special Outreach program!

SAFE CHURCH

If you are up for Safe Church Renewal
you must do your renewal modules on Armatus
then sign up for meetings online.

The next Safe Church Zoom calls are scheduled for

May 18, 2020: 10:00 am
June 10, 2020 - 5:00 - 6:00 pm
Click on one of the dates to register.

If you have questions, please contact Safe Church Minister, Marty Cloran.

PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY

We cannot meet at this time, but KNIT ON!

If you have any questions, please call Lin Frank at 323-0402.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Thank you, Christi Humphrey, for sharing this prayer:

A Prayer for Living
                       
Great Love,
We are so lost guarding our bodies,
we’re at risk of forgetting the vastness.
Help us to hold the day’s sorrow,
and yet still wonder at its joys.

Please widen our awareness
of Grace and the sublime goodness,
as evidenced in the hearts
of all the helpers & healers.

Help us each understand our place
in this incomprehensible shifting—
how we might be within it,
and what we ourselves have to give.

Let us love, as we are meant to love.
Please flow that river inside us,
of kindness, trust, co-creation,
tenderness, vision, hope & praise.

                        Ingrid Goff Maidoff, April 5, 2020
                        tendingjoy.com



COMMUNITY FOOD CENTER
FOOD CENTER
The Food Pantry thanks you for your contributions throughout the year.

Food pantry continues to serve the communities needs
New Hours
Alternating Wednesdays
3-7 pm
May 13, 27
Any questions call 603-960-4067

FROM Deb IN THE OFFICE


MAY  BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES

If you do not see your birthday or anniversary listed, please make sure Deb in the office has an information sheet on file for you.

Birthdays                       
1   John Marshall
7   Elaine South
15  Kitty Lou Booty
15  Betty Faella
17  Kit Morgan
18  Tim Huckman
20  Tom Forbes
28  Bob Luz
28  David Gatrell

Anniversaries                       
13  Tom & Jen Huckman
20  Jonathan & Lois Brady
26  Grete & George Plender
28  Bruce & Denise Foreman
30  Bob & Gabriele Wallace

PHOTO GALLERY- Breathing "Outside"

Now that the weather is getting better and we are finding time outside
please share your pictures of what you are doing...
Getting your gardens ready? Going for a hike?
Planting flowers? Taking in a picnic?

Share your "BREATHING OUTSIDE" 
photos and I will post each week!



send to office@standrewsinthevalley.org

LINKS