This Week at St. John’s
All Ages Worship, Sunday at 10 am
All Ages Worship is designed to engage the minds and hearts of everyone. It’s the same worship we normally have but we use some different words that work well for younger ears and Rev. Michelle tells a story in place of a sermon. Come and join us for a loving and joyful feast. Our story this month will be about how God’s Love is connected to our own resilience.
Inquirer’s Class, Sunday 1:00-3:30 pm, St. John’s Rectory
We continue our two-part primer on reading scripture as a part of the Inquirer’s Class Series from 1:00-3:30 pm on May 7: How We Read Scripture in the Episcopal Church. We begin with the Hebrew Scriptures or as they are often called, the Old Testament. In the second session, we delve into the Greek Scriptures, or the New Testament. Why spend 2 sessions talking about scripture? To put it into perspective, we claim that Holy Scripture contains all things necessary for salvation. And “perspective” is one of the important things to discuss as we take a look at scripture. So, what lens are we using? Where did all these writings come from? What are some helpful resources/guides? We will discuss these questions and more, and also spend time reading scripture together.
_______________________________
Bible Study Survey
As Episcopalians, scripture has a central place in our worship and is foundational to our Christian faith. As such, we are called to take the reading of scripture seriously, to open it up and explore its meaning. A Weekly Bible Study is an opportunity to interrogate scripture alongside others while developing relationships and community. What can we learn from scripture for our lives today?
If you are interested, please take this survey to let Rev. Michelle know when you are able to attend. Fill out this electronic form OR use the paper form found in your Sunday worship bulletin. Make sure they are turned in by Sunday, May 21.
____________________________________
The Consecration of Matthew Foster Heyd
Our Next Bishop Diocesan
Saturday, May 20 at 11:00 am, St. John the Divine, NYC
Reserve your seat on the bus ASAP by contacting Rev. Michelle!
It’s not often in the life of a Diocese that we consecrate a new bishop. On Saturday, May 20 we will consecrate Matthew Foster Heyd to be our Bishop Coadjutor, which means he will serve alongside our current Bishop Diocesan Andy Dietsche until he retires next year.
Matt was voted into office last December by representatives from every congregation in the Diocese of New York which contains the following counties: Staten Island, Manhattan, the Bronx, Rockland, Orange, Sullivan, Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, and Ulster. This represents approximately 180 congregations and thousands of Episcopalians who live along the Hudson River. The consecration will be a rather spectacular event and it will be held in the largest Gothic cathedral in the world – St. John the Divine in NYC.
Most importantly, we will be worshipping together as a diocese – praying together, singing together, celebrating Eucharist together. Our Presiding Bishop Michael Curry will be present, as will many other bishops from other dioceses across the church.
There are several ways for you to participate!
- All congregations are invited to be in the opening procession with our parish banner.
- Or… don’t process, just come and worship.
- You can help out by bring an usher or a greeter, with some assistance from cathedral volunteers.
- You can bake cookies or another individually wrapped dessert for the reception.
- If you’re unable to make the trip, you can view the consecration on the Diocese of New York youtube channel.
The St. John’s Memorials Account
Did you know we have a Memorials Account? And what does that even mean? For many years St. John’s has had a way for people to make memorial or thanksgiving gifts into an account to be used for undesignated special needs of the parish, often related to our worship services. Examples are new altar linens, vestments, and our recent purchase of a new Gospel Book cover. George Mine has managed this account for many years, and Wes Dangler is on the committee.In recent years, this account has been spent down and is now in need of replenishment. This came to light because we need to replace our green chasuble, the one we use most which is more than 25 years old see below). A new one, which will match our altar set, will cost about $750.
We invite you to help with this purchase by making a gift in memory or in honor of someone. You can speak to me, George, Wes, or Rev. Michelle for more information. Thanks! Lynn Dennison
In the Rectory Garden
Dear Ones,Ana and I were married nearly 5 years ago and ever since then, I have been deepening my love for gardening and becoming, dare I say it, an avid gardener. This is not something I was prepared for because, when I was younger, I never found it very interesting. But something clicked that first winter we were married, I just wanted to grow things.
We started small. We bought a bed, a bunch of soil, and a bunch of common and really odd herbs to plant in that soil. Easy enough. Then, we started clearing out all the beds around the Rectory that I had let overgrow. And that felt good. Again, easy enough. Until I got to the poison ivy. I spent the entire month of June sitting in colloidal oatmeal baths, covering myself in calamine lotion, and taking steroids. I now know what poison ivy looks like and how to get rid of it properly.
The next year, we expanded our garden, planting seeds indoors and transplanting them outdoors in mid-May. We learned a lot about letting tomato plants get out of hand, what cabbage worms are, the vertical leaping abilities of rabbits, and why squash should be grown vertically.
I suppose the larger story in all of this isn’t one of great insight, it’s just the simple truth that this is how life goes. You can never predict exactly how the whole endeavor will end up and, after all of the failures and injuries and misadventures, there are so many beautiful moments. Ana and I still dance around the room (literally) when a new sprout arises from the soil. I still can’t wait to share the first pod of peas with Ana in the middle of the garden. I still savor the first tomato sandwich made from the tomatoes in the garden. And Ana still loves to find things to do with everything we harvest.
I try to post as many things as possible on Instagram and Facebook as we move through the spring and summer months. And I invite you to join us in our misadventures and our joy this year.
In God’s love and mine,
Rev. Michelle
________________________________________
Announcements for May 7
The Fifth Sunday of Easter
St. John’s Office Hours
Mondays from 12:00-4:00 pm and Wednesdays from 10:00-12:00 noon
Phone: 845-331-2252 Email: stjohnskingston@aol.com
Join the thousands of Episcopalians who are committing themselves and their households to sustainable living. Go to: sustainislandhome.org
THIS SUNDAY! Inquirer’s Class meets from 1:00-3:30 in the St. John’s Rectory. We continue our discussion, “How We Read Scripture in the Episcopal Church.” All are welcome!
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 next month: May 4 – If on A Winter’s Night A Traveler by Italo Calvino. 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.
Interested in Baptism? In the Episcopal Church, we offer the Sacrament of Baptism on the Feast of Pentecost (this year, on May 28). If you are interested in Baptism or interested in having your child baptized, talk to Rev. Michelle as soon as possible to set up a time to talk more about it. The next time set aside for Baptism will be All Saints Sunday on November 5.
Have an announcement for the bulletin?
Please send by Wednesday at noon to stjohnskingston@aol.com
.
St. John’s Upcoming Schedule
May 20: Consecration of Matthew Heyd as Bishop Coadjutor of the Diocese of New York, Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in NYC.
May 21: Godly Play for kids, Healing Sunday and Inquirer’s Class – What We Do: Ministry and the Baptismal Covenant, from 1:00-3:30 pm in the Rectory.
May 28: Feast of Pentecost and Renewal of Baptismal Vows
June 4: All Ages Worship – The Creation Story
June 11: Guest Preacher – The Rev. Richard Witt of Rural and Migrant Ministries and Special Forum after worship about Rural and Migrant Ministries
June 18: Godly Play for kids, Healing Sunday and Pastoral Care meeting after worship
June 25: Rector’s Forum: Celtic Christianity, after worship
July 2: Summer Worship begins in the Parish Hall