2nd Sunday of Easter: Check out Tyler's Message! Sunday Soloists; Outreach Needs

April 18, 2020
 
Dear Hearts,
Our season of celebrating Jesus' Resurrection -- and our own participation in his Risen Life -- continues.  In fact, the Season of Easter, aka "Eastertide", lasts for seven weeks -- a week of weeks.  Our worship this Sunday revolves around an appearance of the Risen Lord to all of his disciples, and Peter's witness to Jesus' Resurrection.  As a way to prepare for Sunday's worship, please check out ...

Digital Sunday School:
I highly recommend that you watch Tyler Jarvis' video introduction to this week's Digital Sunday School.  In it, Tyler, our Director for Children's & Youth Ministry, shares some "unbelievable-but-true facts,"  and asks our children (and those of us who "overhear" his message to them) some excellent questions.  You can find the video by clicking here

If you didn't find Tyler's Digital Sunday School in your inbox, then check out your system's "Bulk Mail" or "spam folder".  That's where I have found it the last two weeks!  Both weeks I have moved the letter into my inbox and added the address to my mailbox.  In any case, Tyler's offerings are always worth pursuing!  Llinks to the Digital Sunday School offerings for previous Sunday's are also available on our homepage here.
 
Sunday Soloists for Eastertide:
Our worship on Easter Sunday was greatly enriched by Rachel Postovoit singing "My Redeemer Liveth" from Messiah.  (And yes, Rachel is Katie Postovoit Jones' sister.)  To help us celebrate Eastertide, our Music Director Mark Sullivan is arranging with other soloists -- actually professional singers -- to participate in our worship for this season.  This week Mark Rehnstrom-- who usually sings on Sundays in NYC's Middle Collegiate Church -- will sing an original anthem for Easter.
Outreach with Masks, and to the Homeless:
Rose Robinson reports 333 masks have been made and distributed by Christ Church folks and friends!  This group is now working on masks for Gaylord Hospital and for Guilford folks.  Our bishops are encouraging us all to heed Governor Lamont's request that we wear masks when in proximity with people outside of our own households.  If you need one and/or would like to participate in this ministry, please be in touch with Rose
Help for those without Shelter:  Camping supplies, especially tents, sleeping bags, warm blankets and tarps are being collected for the Amistad Catholic Worker House in New Haven's Hill neighborhood and their work the city's unhoused population.  If you can donate any of these or other items, please contact, Lynne Charles: [email protected], 203-421-1094 (landline)

Sunday Intercessions:
Please help shape Sunday's Prayers of the People by sending me the people and concerns you would like included.  This is the online version of the clipboard where you would note people, concerns and thanksgivings for inclusion in our Sunday prayers.  Please reply to this message by 5p.m. on Saturdays.
Our intercessions, remembrances and thanksgivings will be sent out on Monday (that's still my goal!) with any particulars you'd like to share; so, please be specific about what you're sharing just with me, and what you'd like to share with the rest of the parish.

Wednesday Evening Prayers:
Our livestream mid-week evening service of prayer and music has made the shift to its Eastertide format.  For the time, we're using a Litany for this season of the coronavirus written by Anne & Jeffrey Rowthorn.  Yes, those Rowthorns!  Ann and retired Bishop Rowthorn, are currently in residence at the Ecumenical Institute in Collegeville, MN.    An online bulletin will be available Wednesday morning.

Thursday Morning Bible Study meets 9:30-10:30a.m. via Zoom.   We're moving into Chapter 9 of Paul's letter to the Romans; this section has been called "God on Trial" --  Why are the peoples of God so divided, if in fact, salvation is available to all?  Here's the link to our online conversation: click here:   Participation by telephone is also possible; I'll send the connection number on request.

Youth Confirmation Group will Zoom together on Monday, April 20, 7-8p.m.  Be on the lookout for an invitation to the meeting.

Thanks to all who are mailing in your offerings!  God bless you, and may your numbers increase!  Although we are not meeting together in-person, the life of the Church continues online, in prayer, worship, education and service -- and in all the ways that support and maintain our common life.  So, as you are able, in your current financial situation, please continue your financial support of the parish by sending your offerings to Christ Church, PO Box 574, Guilford, CT 06437.  Your offering will be presented at the altar; it will be physically present, even while you remain safely at home.

A Message from our Senior Warden:
My son asked me, “Do you go to church for the spiritual aspect or the social?” He knows me well. As someone fairly new to the Episcopal Church but a church-goer since childhood, religious services are part of what keeps me balanced in a highly secular world. But I am also a very social person. It would be hard to believe that we would not soon be able to greet one another with hugs, eye contact, the Peace handshake, coffee hour. Many of us have enjoyed Disciples Dinners, Men’s Group, and Travelers Together. Christ Church values Inreach (toward the Parish) and Outreach (toward the greater community, our neighbors as ourselves) as well as our weekly communion service, Bible study, Forum, and Faith Formation. So, I hopewedon’t have to choose between spiritual and social aspects of our church. Both are important. At this time of social isolation, I am glad to worship online and to find plenty (too much?) of quiet time to meditate and pray, but also deeply sorry not to spend time in your physical presence. Let’s all use this interruption of our normal lives to consider what is most important to us as individuals and a church community, then vow to commit time, money, and energy to participating as we can now, as we look forward to being together again.  Susan Leonard, Senior Warden
 
I'll let Susan have the last word, except to stipulate, if you are sheltering-in-place and need assistance with picking up groceries or prescriptions, please be in touch with the Parish Office.  Fellow parishioners would gladly do the go-fer-ing for you.
.In the faith, hope and love of Christ,,
Harrison+
YFNR
p.s. Reminders for Christ Church's online worship:

• You can access the livestream directly at facebook.com/cecguilford. or the parish website christchurchguilford.org
• You may find that using an external speaker or headphones may improve the quality of audio from your device.
• Please remember to adjust both volume settings on your device: 

1. There is the device's volume control, usually accessed via the speaker icon on the lower right corner of your screen;  Be sure that the volume is turned up here.
2. There is another volume control on the Facebook Live image, as well. It's in the control panel at the bottom of the Live image.  The default setting on that control is often mute, indicated by an "x" over the speaker icon.  Be sure to click on the speaker icon to "unmute" the sound, and to turn up the volume here as well.