News from the Congregation March 29, 2020
Making Digital Connections through Podcasts and Zoom; A Church is its People; Sunday Digital Programming (10 am Bible Study, 11 am Worship, 12:00 Coffee Half-Hour, 12:30 Adult Formation Class) Digital Weekly Programming (Compline, Grace Will Lead Us Home Reading Group, EfM with Donna Devlin)
Canon Lee
In these increasingly stressful days, the Congregation is increasing the ways we are connecting to one another. None of these new digital means of connection are as good as the real "in person" meeting. We can anticipate our joy when we finally gather together again in our beautiful Cathedral.
Until then, we use these imperfect means in these very imperfect days.
Many of you know Hubert Watson, our long-time usher, and if you don't know him, you would recognize his face. Hubert has contributed an audio update of how he is doing, and I commend it to you:
http://www.saintsaviour.org/podcast-feed/hubert
Let this also be a gentle nudge that if Hubert has jumped into the world of digital connection, then surely you might consider doing so as well? Your fellow Congregation members are eager to hear how you are doing in these difficult days. Details on how to participate are below.
This Sunday, we will have Cathedral worship online (with Kent Tritle on organ!) as well as a full complement of digital Congregation programs. I look forward to seeing you.
The Rev. Canon Steven Lee
Canon Pastor and Vicar
THIS SUNDAY, MARCH 29
NEW! For Congregation Zoom meetings, we now have one simple meeting ID. You can click this link at the appropriate time for Bible Study, Coffee Hour, EfM or any Congregation program:
https://zoom.us/j/2123167483
10:00 AM - Online Sunday Morning Bible Study by Zoom
This week's Bible Study is led by Warden Tim Dwyer and will be online by Zoom.
10:00 AM - Digital Sunday School Packet Emailed
Contact Jennifer Allen if you would like to receive the packet.
11:00 AM - Online Cathedral Worship Service
Visit the Cathedral website: http://www.stjohndivine.org or the Cathedral Facebook Page: http://facebook.com/StJohnDivineNYC to view the livestream of this Sunday's worship service.
12:00 PM - Digital Congregation Coffee "Half-Hour" by Zoom
This week the digital coffee "half-hour" is hosted by the Divine Fellowship.
12:30 PM - Online Adult Formation Class by Zoom
Join Sub Dean Malloy for a new class on the history, theology, and practice of the Daily Office.
To use the Zoom video-conferencing system: Click the Zoom link above, and you will be prompted to download and install the Zoom application. After the Zoom application is installed on your computer, wait until the program is scheduled to begin. At that time, click the link again to open up a video-conferencing screen.
WEEK OF MARCH 29
Tuesday, March 31 | 7:30 PM - Grace Will Lead Us Home Reading Group by Zoom led by Elizabeth Howard
Wednesday, April 1 | 8:30 PM - Congregation Compline by Zoom with the Vicar
Thursday, April 2 | 6:30 PM - Education for Ministry by Zoom led by Donna Devlin
ONGOING PROGRAMS
Slack: Click this link to join us on Slack, which is a chat room for the Congregation, and a great way to stay connected in this time of physical distancing.
Community Notes: If you would like to contribute an audio update about how are you doing, please email: yess@saintsaviour.org.
Radical Love Live: Visit www.radicallove.live for more information about this innovative podcast and live event series, developed in partnership with the Congregation, which is designed to create spaces for people to talk about spirituality in all its forms.
Marsha and Tim
After about two and a half weeks of physical distancing I was having my first attack of Angst. I decided that the best thing to do was to call someone that I was concerned about and see how they were doing. I called a cousin and her husband who are well into their 80’s. My cousin has been living with MS for decades and is getting frail. It was a good move to call them. As soon as I heard their voices I started to bubble with joy, and found I was treating the current situation as something exciting and wonderful. We laughed together and I felt much better.
The secret of surviving this plague psychologically is reaching out. No, the current situation is not exciting and wonderful, but there are some happy surprises. The Congregation and the Cathedral have been doing a lot of virtual outreach. We are connecting more and more through ZOOM and enjoying each other’s company. Several small groups of people began doing the daily office together. We did a Bible study on Sunday (that turned into a virtual check-in) with 26 people in attendance. We had a conversation about how to handle prayer virtually with Canon Malloy on Sunday. On Wednesday about 50 people joined in Compline led by the Vicar. We even had a hymn thanks to Chris Clowdus and Kristin Bergfeld. This coming Sunday we will have Bible study followed by the Liturgy of the Word, followed by a digital coffee hour. If all goes as planned, Canon Malloy will also present a class on the daily office.
We have been told over and over again that the church is the people, and aren’t we learning that lesson now? Through social media we are learning more about each other. People are stepping up and offering all sorts of wonderful things. Chris Clowdus has been posting hymns on the congregation’s SLACK account and recording and streaming the piano part so that anyone can sing accompanied hymns at home. Interviews with members new and old are being done by the YESS (Young Episcopalian of Saint Saviour) and posted on the congregation website. I hope you will go to www.saintsaviour.org and listen to some of the interviews. New ones are being posted every few days.
So the church goes on without the building. I am concerned about members of the community who do not use the internet. We will be starting to make calls shortly to check in on everyone and see what is most needed. I am also concerned for our members who are having sudden financial difficulties, or are in fear of losing income as well as for those who are sick. While I’m confident that we will be all right in the end, there will be plenty of pain too. Yet we must keep the faith, connect with each other and continue to pray together.
Marsha & Tim