Dear Friends of St. Andrew's,

The next St. Andrew's blood drive is September 16 and 17 from 10 am to 4 pm in the hall.  Please contact Charlie Day if you can help and/or donate.  The email is chezday81atgmail.com (replace at with the symbol) or 410-428-7309.  Thanks so much.  The Red Cross really needs our help as so many drives have been canceled due to the pandemic.

Thanks

The text for Fr. Jason's Sermon for this past Sunday is attached for those of you that like to read along with the audio of his sermons.

Attachments:

1. SERMON_TEXT0809

I look forward to worshiping with you this Sunday. Let me remind you of a few practices we all need to maintain in order to stay safe:

• Please do not attend services if you have any symptoms of COVID-19 or have been in contact in the last 14 days with anyone who has been diagnosed with the disease.
• We all need to remain at least 6 feet apart from people not in our households at all times, including when coming forward for Communion. The green worship guides mark the places where you can sit and maintain that distance from others.
• Masks must be worn at all times unless you are serving as a Cantor, Lector, Intercessor or Celebrant. If you leave your mask in the car, just grab one from the basket (and don't put it back).
• Only the Cantor will sing the hymns and the service music. The rest of us may hum along, but wearing a mask doesn't begin to offset the increased risk of infection that singing presents versus normal breathing.
• In order to avoid passing diseases along with the offering plate we ask you to leave your offering in the basin by the font as you come into church.
• At the conclusion of the service please exit the building immediately so that we can minimize everyone's exposure. Some of us have been staying after the service for an outdoor coffee hour; feel free to sit at a picnic table or bring a chair, and be sure to keep 6 feet apart from people who aren't in your household.
• In the event you test positive for COVID-19, please advise me (or Fr. Ron, if I am away) immediately so that we may advise everyone else who was in church with you. We will not identify the person who has reported being infected, only that there was someone at church that day who has tested positive. The Ushers are keeping track of who is present at each service; these records are destroyed after 2 weeks.

Even as we are able to gather in person, we continue to live stream our Sunday service at 10:00 am via our Facebook page, our YouTube channel and our website. We continue to stream the 8:00 service via Zoom. You may use Zoom by visiting https://zoom.us/j/7858850465, and you may access the audio stream by telephoning 301-715-8592 and using meeting ID 785-885-0465.

On the third Sunday of each month we take up a special offering to address the needs of hungry people in our community. We collected well in excess of $600 for our July Healing Sunday offering, which will be given to Arundel House of Hope. You may make a special gift to the Healing Sunday offering by making a note on the memo line of your check or your electronic gift.

The Rector's Discretionary Fund is a means of enabling me to work on the church's behalf to care for those in need in our community. I am always glad to receive gifts to this fund (either electronically or by checks made out to St. Andrew's with Rector's Discretionary Fund on the memo line), especially at this time when need is increasing significantly. If you are facing job loss or a reduction in your income please don't hesitate to reach out to me personally.

--Fr. Jason

Transfiguration

by Malcolm Guite

For that one moment, in and out of time,

on that one mountain where all moments meet,

The daily veil that covers the sublime

In darkling glass fell dazzled at his feet.

There were no angels full of eyes and wings,

Just living glory full of truth and grace.

The love that dances at the heart of things

Shone out upon us from a human face.

And to that light the light in us leaped up,

We felt it quicken somewhere deep within,

A sudden blaze of long-extinguished hope

Trembled and tingled through the tender skin.

Nor can this blackened sky, this darkened scar,

Eclipse that glimpse of how things really are.

Attachments:

1. Bulletin08092020
2. Prayersofpeople

Thanks to everyone who made our blood drive last week such a success, and thanks especially to Charlie Day, who is taking over as our Blood Program Leader. You'll be hearing from him about future opportunities to donate and to help out as a volunteer when we host these drives. With so many of the schools and workplaces where the Red Cross usually does drives unavailable, it's all the more important for venues like ours to make space for this vital service to our community.

Dear Brothers and Sisters of St. Andrew's,

There is an Anglican church in Beirut, and the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem are helping that congregation and its neighbors to recover from yesterday's explosion. I have made a personal gift as well as one from my discretionary fund, and I encourage your contributions through AFEDJ here: https://afedj.org/give/give-online/. The first option in the "please direct my donation to" drop down is "Archbishop's Beirut Emergency Fund." Give there and 100 percent will go to the Archbishop's appeal.

Please also feel free to share this link with any friends, neighbors or coworkers who may be interested in helping. Thanks.

--Fr. Jason

PDFs of Fr. Jason's Sermons for the last two Sundays are below. 

Audio versions of all sermons at St. Andrew's are are on our website if you would like to listen, and read along.

Attachments:

1. SERMON07262020
2. SERMON07192020

Along with our friends at Memorial Episcopal Church in Baltimore, St. Andrew's is going on a virtual pilgrimage to the Holy Land later this month.  My colleague Grey Maggiano and I had the privilege of learning with several of the presenters a few years ago when we studied at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem.  We're eager to share the experience with our congregations.

Below you will find a link to the itinerary that was also attached to the Fisherman's Net; you may be especially interested to see that we will be hearing from the Rt. Rev. Hosam Naoum, consecrated last month as Bishop Coadjutor for the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem.

For more information and to register please visit this link.

--Jason

Attachments:

1. Virtual Itinerary

St. Andrew's will continue its weekly Bible study on July 12th via Zoom (https://zoom.us/j/7858850465 or by phone 301-715-8592, meeting ID 785-885-0465).  This study takes place from 9:00-9:30 on Sundays.  This Bible study is taking us through the Bible in a year. Any and all are welcome to join in.

The Diocese of Maryland maintains a webpage concerning the COVID-19 Pandemic and guidelines for regathering.

This link is directly to the Covenant for Regathering.

UPDATE ON CORONAVIRUS; CHURCHES TO CLOSE, ACTIVITIES POSTPONED

Mar 12, 2020 | Diocesan Center, Diocesan News, Featured post

COVID-19 RESOURCES

From Bishop Sutton:

March 12, 2020

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage;

Wait for the Lord. (Psalm 27:1,14)

Dear People of the Diocese of Maryland,

That which we sadly anticipated has happened:  I am directing that all churches in the Diocese of Maryland must shut down public worship services beginning this Sunday, March 15.

Just yesterday I directed our congregations to remain open for services until further notice. At that same time, I stressed that we would follow the direction of government officials in these matters.  This afternoon Governor Larry Hogan issued an executive order that all public schools will closed until March 27. Given this news, worship services in our churches also will cease until March 27.

This coming Sunday, March 15, at 11:00 AM, I urge everyone to tune in to our National Cathedral for a virtual worship service with our presiding bishop, the Most Rev. Michael Bruce Curry, preaching. On Sunday, March 22, I will livestream worship for our diocese. We will publicize the link for that in the coming days.

In accordance with our message yesterday, we will cancel, postpone or offer in webinar form diocesan activities scheduled through March 27. These include:

• Open Doors: Conversations About Church Safety, March 19
• Union of Black Episcopalians Absalom Jones celebration, March 21
• Reparations workshop at St. Mary’s, Emmorton, March 22
• Compline workshop at Emmanuel, Baltimore, March 22

We will be in touch later about rescheduling and webinar opportunities.

However, smaller groups, such as Twelve Step groups and other outreach ministries, should continue to meet. We do not plan to close diocesan offices at this time, and you may reach me and our staff through the usual contact information.

We will continue to follow the recommendations of government officials regarding public spaces and gatherings. Remember that when we return to our worship spaces, all of the best practices I’ve recommended for “no-touch/low-touch” Eucharists and other best practices will still stand.

Please let us know how you’re doing. I encourage all congregations to let our communications team (communications@episcopalmaryland.org) know if you are hosting livestreamed prayers, formation or other activities that we may share with others around our diocese. In addition, let them know if you need help with technology in order to share to share the love of Christ, check in on each other and more. We are a community of love.

My friends, we are all in this together. We are not alone; the Holy Spirit will get us through this time of the coronavirus pandemic. Our prayer continues to be that of the old hymn, O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come, our shelter from the stormy blast, and our eternal home. (The Hymnal, 680)

Faithfully yours,

+Eugene

The Right Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton
Bishop of Maryland

O God of compassion, giver of life and health, we pray your healing mercies upon all who are in any way affected by the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Comfort and sustain those who have been stricken; relieve their pain, and restore to them your gifts of gladness and strength. Grant to all in authority the courage to make wise decisions that are essential for the common good, and strengthen them to lead institutions that care for those whom they serve. Watch over all first responders and those in the medical professions whose duty it is to care for the sick; guard them from all danger, and keep them safe in the knowledge that is through their sacrifice and service that the health of the whole community is promoted. Mercifully accept these our prayers, O God of all comfort, and our only help in time of need. Amen.

A Message from Bishop Sutton on Liturgical Practices and the Coronavirus Outbreak Episcopal Diocese of Maryland

As we are facing a potential global pandemic of the coronavirus (COVID-19), I direct all of our congregations to revisit their current liturgical practices in order to maximize the safety of all worshipers. In an effort to encourage confidence during this time, we issue these guidelines for human interaction during worship, especially around the Holy Eucharist. 

Follow this link to read the Bishop's Message:

St. Andrew's Welcomes You!

OFFICE HOURS

Details
Monday thru Thursday 9:00am til 1:00PM
or by Appointment
Friday - Closed