7th Easter: Uvalde/Buffalo Vigil; Pompey; Ekklesia

7th Sunday of Easter, May 29:
 
 In the Wake of Uvalde and Buffalo ...
... the Shoreline Interfaith Clergy invite the community to Come Together in Peace to open a space of lament, prayer, song, and action at 2p.m. Sunday, May 29 on the front steps of the First Congregational Church of Madison, 26 Meeting House Lane.  In case of rain, the gathering will move inside the church.
 
A Witness Stone for Pompey, the "last known slave in Guilford," will be installed in a ceremony led by students from Elizabeth Adams Middle School on Friday, June 3, beginning at 9a.m. on the Green.  Pompey was a carpenter who quite literally helped build Guilford.  YFNR will offer an invocation.

Ekklesia Ballet's Body & Land will culminate in an "Exhibition for Eco-Justice" with events June 4-12 at Christ Church Cathedral in Hartford.  More information and registration are available here.

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and other church leaders offered prayerful and practical responses to the May 24, 2022, mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas which you can find here.  Our Bishops Ian Douglas and Laura Ahrens in their message note the painful similarities between the shootings in Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012 and in Robb Elementary School almost ten years later.  They remind us that prayer prepares us for action.

A Message from Will Parker:  "After much prayer and discernment, I've realized I will need the time and flexibility next year to pursue my music career full-time. It's been a true joy working with the youth of Christ Church this year, and I know I will miss [being Youth Mentor] next year, but I know I need to honor where God is calling me to put my time and energy."
     I'm very grateful to Will for his ministry with our young people during the 2021-22 academic year.  As sorry as I was to receive his decision, it is hard to argue with someone seeking to honor God's call in his life.  Faith Formation will be advising on next steps.                                                               Harrison+

Our "Journey Through the Bible" continues on Thursdays.  Participants decided to return to an earlier pattern of reading passages together and then discussing them.  We've started Chapter 23, "Be Doers of the Word." Feel free to join the conversation about the Letters of James and to the Hebrews, Thursday at 9:30a.m.  Click here for the Zoom.

Although Cecelia Parker's Internship with us has concluded, and we said our official farewells on Sunday, May 22, it's not too late to participate in a "purse" for Cecelia.  Donations may be included with Sunday offerings or delivered to the Parish Office.  Please make checks payable to Christ Church, with "Cecelia" on the memo line.

An ECCT Network is organizing for participation in the Poor People's Campaign: Moral March on Washington, on June 21st.  Buses have been reserved, including departure and return to New Haven. 
Details and registration are available here.
     
Special Requests from the Guilford Food Bank
The Food Bank requests help with the items below. Please leave your donations in the bin by the the north (Town Hall-side) door to the Narthex. Thanks for helping our neighbors in need.
Baked beans, Canned tomatoes, Pasta Sauce, Cooking oil, Household cleaner, Laundry detergent, Paper towels, Ketchup, Mayonnaise, Muffin mix, White rice  

Communion in "Both Kinds" Has Returned
During Eastertide we have returned to offering the option to receive the consecrated wine at communion.  Worshipers may take a sip from the shared chalice, or from an individual communion glass.  To avoid crowding, the administration of communion continues at the foot of the chancel steps.
      Our Bishops strongly urge us to continue refraining from intinction as we have practiced it -- note the 7th paragraph here.  They also underscore that receiving in "one kind" is full communion. 

Need an Antigen Test?
The Town provided Christ Church with a case of COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Tests.  These tests are available on a first-come, first-served basis on the Ushers' Table and in the rectory entry hall.

Mask Protocols ...
... in Worship:  Mask-wearing is optional during inside gatherings of Christ Church. 
... in Sunday School:  Following the practice in the Guilford Public Schools, mask-wearing is optional -- always exercising special concern for any who are vulnerable.
 
Intercessory Prayer:  Please help shape the Prayers of the People, by replying to this message with the people, birthdays, anniversaries, and concerns you would like included in the Prayers of the People.