This Week at St. John’s
Rector’s Forum After Worship
Rev. Michelle announced a few weeks ago that we would begin to include Morning Prayer as a part of our Sunday worship. This Sunday, stay after worship for an educational forum on both Eucharist and Morning Prayer and learn more about the beauty and meaning of both liturgies as well as the similarities and differences. Be sure to join us!
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Bible Study Continues
Sundays at 8:30 am in person and Wednesdays at 12:00 noon via Zoom.
NOTE: There is no Wednesday session on June 28 as Rev. Michelle will be away. We resume on July 5.
To learn more, click here
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NEXT WEEK: Summer Worship Begins
Every summer during the months of July and August we move worship to the Parish Hall, for 2 reasons: First, it’s a blessing to have a smaller space in which to worship so that we can see and hear one another better than we can in the sanctuary. During the summer months, so many people are traveling so attendance drops a bit. Second, the Parish Hall is air conditioned. So, when the heat gets to be too oppressive outside, we are already set up to feel relieved. We return to worship in the Sanctuary on September 10, after Labor Day.
A few things to note:
- We will still have 8:30 Bible Study in the Parish Hall. After we finish at 9:30, we will set up for worship. It’s not hard to do, especially if there are several of us working together.
- The choir does not meet. Instead, the entire congregation sings together during worship.
- We will have our Family area ready to go at all worship services. As always, all are welcome!
See you this week in the Sanctuary and next week in the Parish Hall!
The Brain and the Soul
Dear Ones,By now you’ve seen the recent invitation to join a book study group this summer on the book, No Act of Love Is Ever Wasted by Jane Marie Thibault and Richard Morgan. We’ll be doing this study via Zoom so that those who travel over the summer can participate as much as possible.
I’ve only just started to crack this book but I can already tell that it’s a powerful read, especially as Ana and I care for my mother who is struggling with vascular dementia. The authors are writing about the spirituality of caring for people with dementia and, therefore, what it means to the person who has dementia. I find that reading about dementia is usually overly biological or overly sentimentalized, but this is already a good middle ground.
The question that comes up right in the first chapter is one that acknowledges the difference between the brain and the soul. I realize that most of us know, at least theoretically, that the brain and the soul are 2 distinct parts of ourselves. But, in an experiential way, it’s harder to understand this. I think this is because memory is such a big influence on our identity that, if dementia removes this, it’s as if we start to see less of our loved one. And we no longer feel seen by them. And that is painfully difficult.
This disease is so painful and stigmatized that we usually hush away dementia, trying to cover it up either because it can be embarrassing when someone makes a faux-pas in public or because we just don’t feel equipped to handle the situation. And, if we are a caretaker, we soon learn that our day to day routines change dramatically.
Whether you care for a loved one with dementia or you are interested in learning more about how to help with the growing number of people in our society who are facing various forms of the disease, please be sure to email me directly by the end of the month so that you can join us in this summer Zoom discussion. The book is easy to purchase and, if you need a copy, don’t hesitate to reach out to me.
In God’s love and mine,
Rev. Michelle
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Announcements for June 25
The Fourth Sunday After Pentecost
St. John’s Office Hours
Wednesdays 10:00-12:00 noon,
Thursdays 1:00-4:00 pm
Phone: 845-331-2252
Email: stjohnskingston@aol.com
Have an announcement for the bulletin?
Please send by Wednesday at noon to stjohnskingston@aol.com
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THIS SUNDAY! Rector’s Forum on Liturgy As we look towards integrating another form of worship into our Sunday worship life, Rev. Michelle will lead us through a discussion about Eucharist and Morning Prayer – the differences and the similarities of these two forms. After worship.
NEXT WEEK! We begin our Summer Worship in the Parish Hall.
Summer Book Read: Join us for the St. John’s Summer Book Read. We will meet over Zoom so you don’t have to worry about missing a meeting due to travel! The book is No Act of Love Is Ever Wasted by Thibault and Morgan. It’s a non-fiction read that focuses on caring for people with dementia but is also a good reflection for all who provide pastoral care or are caretakers of friends or family. Please contact Rev. Michelle before June 30 if you intend on participating. We will announce discussion dates soon after.
Bible Study: Come and join in Bible Study with Rev. Michelle on Sundays at 8:30 am (in person) or Wednesdays at 12:00 noon (via Zoom). We are studying the Gospel of Matthew and you can join the conversation any Sunday! Everyone is welcome to pick up a one-page overview of this Gospel on the bulletin board in the Vestibule. Email Rev. Michelle if you’d like to join the Wednesday Bible Study on Zoom.
Page Turners Book Club Meetings are on the first Thursday of the month at 2 p.m., in the parish hall. Here’s what we selected for June 1, These Precious Days by Anne Patchett. Our next meeting after that will be September 7 when we will discuss Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. No meetings in July or August. All are welcome! Interested? Talk with Lynn Dennison.
St. John’s Outreach Project – People’s Place: When you go to the store, pick up a few extra non-perishable food items for People’s Place food pantry (tuna, soup, pasta, sauce, etc.). We are also taking donations of birthday napkins/plates, candles, and gift bags in various sizes. Bring them to church and place them in the appropriate baskets near the Font.
The Spiritual Practice of Singing: Join Holy Cross Brother Josep Martinez-Cubero for a daylong workshop on the fundamentals of singing – posture, breath, tone, and diction. All are welcome. No registration necessary. Saturday, July 8 from 9am-3pm at Ascension/Holy Trinity in West Park. $20 donation requested.
Save the Date! On July 29, the Episcopal parishes of the Mid-Hudson will gather for a special Eucharist to continue the celebration of our newly consecrated Bishop, Matt Heyd. Bp. Matt will preach that day and there will be other activities. Saturday, July 29 at 11:00 am at Christ Church, Poughkeepsie.
St. John’s Upcoming Schedule
June 25: St. John’s Forum on Eucharist and Morning Prayer
July 2: Summer Worship begins in the Parish Hall
July 9: Spiritual Practice of Singing at Ascension/Holy Trinity, 9-3
July 29: Mid-Hudson Regional Gathering at Christ Church in Poughkeepsie