 November 24, 2020
Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Collect for Thanksgiving Day, BCP, p. 246 Dear Hearts, We'll offer this Collect at our 10a.m. Thanksgiving Day livestream service. In addition, we'll sing the great hymns of the day and celebrate the Great Thanksgiving spiritually. One of the things I will miss this Thanksgiving is hosting the congregation at a reception in the Rectory. It was my excuse to make favorite appetizers that I shouldn't eat, and share hot spiced cider and various sherries at a time of day when I usually don't drink either. This year, our worship together will set the stage for an afternoon of online visits with friends whom I can't safely visit in person, and a take-out turkey dinner. God willing, one day we'll tell stories about this era, and give thanks for all who helped us through it. Our prayers are asked for all who are commended to the parish's prayers: All who are ill, including Daniel E, Andrew E, Sheward, Dale, and Bob C; for Brad T and all who are contending with Covid-19 disease; for the medical caregivers who minister of God's healing gifts; and for all facing financial hardship because of the pandemic. May they all know the healing power of Christ's presence and love. For the repose Kenneth Strickland -- Harriet's son-in-law; and the over 258,000 of our fellow citizens who have died of the coronavirus. Rest eternal grant to them, O Lord; may light perpetual shine upon them. We give thanks for the birthdays of Kenneth P and Jean C, Grant that they may grow in wisdom and grace as they begin another year. Please continue to hold in prayer: Carol U, Sue S, George H, Alex & John H, Jeremy H, Shelly, Philippe, Margaret S, Kate, Frank, Jack, Judy & Ed S, Michael M, Richard D, Dave K, Brian A, Jim & Annie, John, Joan G., Lois C., Winnie Z, Bernie and family, Susie & Paul, Pam McG, Julie H, Murray E., Brooke & family, Kate S., Tracy M., Carl, Michael S, Joanne N-R, Madeline H, and Kelly G, Also: Paul D, Susan S, Linda B, June C, Charlie K, Anne C, Mark S, Angela G, Maria, Bob, Olivia, Lois T, and Jo B. Please also remember: St. Luke’s School & Church in Martel (Haiti) To add names and concerns for Wednesday's and Sunday's intercessions, and this "Let Us Pray" letter, please send them to YFNR at [email protected] with any details you care to share. Names will move to the "continuing" list, and the longer term list upon request. Thanksgiving Food Drive Gift Cards: Thanks to all who donated grocery gift cards for the Guilford Food Bank's Thanksgiving Program. By my back-of-the-envelope calculations, Christ Church folks provided $950 for our neighbors' Thanksgiving Feasts! Blessings! Wednesday Evening Prayers, tomorrow, November 25 will give thanks for the life and witness of a 20th century saint, James Huntington, monk and priest. You'll find the bulletin here. You can join the 7p.m. livestream via www.facebook.com/cecguilford Thursday Bible Study will observe the Thanksgiving holiday this week and return next Thursday, December 3 at 9:30a.m. ChristKindl Market cancelled. Our Tag Sale Team leadership has decided, with regret, that this is not the year to initiate this offering, writing: "We take this opportunity to thank you all for the donations we received, and the words of encouragement. If you donated an item, we will be able to use it for a future sale to benefit the church. Of course, if you'd like it returned we can do that too. We look forward to 2021 and the many opportunities it will offer (watch out for our Facebook page!). Questions? Contact the team at [email protected]" As the number of infections mount, and the map turns increasingly red, let us continue to pray for endurance to persevere through the coming dark winter. Key to our perseverance is maintaining the three "W's": Wear you mask, Wash your hands & Watch your distance Here again is an adapted prayer from A Prayer Book for New Zealand: God of the present moment, God who in Jesus stills the storm and soothes the frantic heart; bring hope and courage to all who wait or work in uncertainty. Bring hope that you will make us the equal of whatever lies ahead. Bring us courage to endure what cannot be avoided, for your will is health and wholeness; you are God, and we need you. All this we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Prayer for People ... Facing Great Uncertainty, p.747 In the faith, hope and love of Christ, Harrison+ Your Friendly Neighborhood Rector
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 Christ the King Sunday, November 22, 2020:
In most of the Prayer Book, this Sunday is called the Last Sunday after Pentecost. However, with the adoption of the Revised Common Lectionary in 2006, the Episcopal Church added "Christ the King" to Sunday's title -- the name used by our Roman Catholic and Lutheran friends. The vestments turn to white as we mark the end of one year in the Church's calendar, and celebrate our belief in Jesus as "King of kings, and Lord of lords." Garden Service Moves to 1PM this Sunday! Given Sunday's forecasted temperature of 40 degrees at 9a.m. this Sunday, our Vestry recommended that we move the Garden Service to 1p.m. Given the reality that the surge in the rate of infections has reached Guilford, moving the Garden Service of Morning Prayer into the Parish Hall no longer seems prudent. You can find the Daily Data Tracker for Connecticut towns here, and the State's recommended responses here. ECW "New Scholarship Project" Christ Church parishioners have long supported our ECW's annual home-baked cookie sale during the Tree-Lighting "Chili Supper." Sadly, these events cannot be safely offered this year. Nonetheless, ECW still hopes to honor our 2021 high school graduates by offering a scholarship to all qualified applicants. The ECW will again need parishioner support to do this; so they are asking us to send a " Free Will" donation to allow them to continue this program. They are calling it the "Cookieless Cookie Box" project, because every donor will be thanked with an empty Cookie Box decorated with ribbon, detachable bow and gift card. Donations will be received through November 29, 2020. The "Cookieless Boxes" will be available in the Guild Room for pickup on Saturday, December 5, 2020. Each box will be labeled with a donor's name. Those who live out of the area will be sent a Christmas-design gift card holder. Donations can be sent to: Rhoda Whitman, 21 Aberdeen Way, Durham, CT 06422 Please make checks payable to: Christ Episcopal Church ECW, and note "Cookieless Box Project" on the memo line. Thank you in advance for your support. Thanks for your Thanksgiving Gifts to the Guilford Food Bank: YFNR was honored to deliver the 34 gift cards parishioners contributed for the Food Bank's pandemic Thanksgiving Meal program. Remember your gifts to this program when you hear "the king" say in this Sunday's Gospel, "just as you did this to one of the least of these ... you did it to me." In the same vein, thanks to all who provided Personal Care Bags, or personal care items, for Chapel on the Green! As it happens, it's not too late to drop those off: the distribution has been postponed because of infections among New Haven staff members. Sunday Worship Our livestreamed celebration of the Holy Eucharist with hymns, vocal solos, and spiritual communion will be our first service this Sunday at 10a.m. As usual the service bulletin will be available here. Judging by the forecast, you will want to dress warmly this Sunday for Noon-Day Prayer in the Garden, even at 1p.m. Enter via the gate off the Town Hall parking lot, and please remember to bring a mask and a lawn chair, and to maintain appropriate physical distances. The parish received the long-awaited report of the ventilation engineer last week; a Vestry sub-group will discuss the suggested options with the engineer as soon as a meeting can be arranged. Reports to the Vestry and parish will follow. Digital Sunday School was sent out just before noon on Friday, November 20. Don't miss Tyler's pun-filled introduction to Sunday's readings! How many sheep-puns can you count? You can watch it here. In his message, Tyler announces plans for Advent and invites participation in this year's Virtual Nativity Pageant. Please let Tyler know that your child or grandchild or neighbor-child plans to participate here. Virtual Coffee Hour... is a great opportunity to see one another. The link to YNFR's Personal Zoom Room seems to work well. So, join the conversation via Zoom this Sunday, November 22 at 11:30a.m. by clicking this link. If asked, the Meeting ID: 540 197 1077, and Passcode: 1744AD Intercessory Prayer: Please send the people and concerns you would like included in the Prayers of the People. by replying to these announcements or the "Let us pray" message. Please consider this the digital version of the clip board on which names and concerns were written when we gathered for worship in the nave. Book Discussion Group: A Zoom discussion of Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent, by Isabel Wilkerson. Hardback copies are available in the Rectory Entry Hall for $25 each. The author argues that our notions regarding race are fluid, but we internalize the fixed and rigid categories of caste unconsciously. Discussion is led by the Rev. Mary Anne Osborn; contact her at [email protected] Order for the Evening on Wednesday: On Wednesday, we'll commemorate the life and witness of James Otis Sargent Huntington, founder of the Order of the Holy Cross. The Order's monastery in West Park, New York holds a special place for some in the parish. Thursday Bible Study will not meet this week in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. Estimate of Giving Cards: Thanks so much to the 69 households who have already responded with their Estimate of Giving for our operating budget in 2021! If you need a card, please respond to this message, and one will be in the mail posthaste! Thanks to all who are mailing in your offerings! Although our in-person connections remain limited, the routine of the parish continues amidst all the ways that support and maintain our common life. Thanks so much, for your faithfulness in fulfilling your giving estimate for 2020. Please continue your financial support of our common life by bringing your offering to the service in the Garden, or 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, as you remain safely at home. In the faith, hope and love of Christ, Harrison+ YFNR  For 24th Sunday after Pentecost, November 15, 2020
Today is November 14. On this day in 1784, the Rev. Samuel Seabury was ordained a Bishop in the Church of God for the Episcopal Church in Connecticut by the Bishops of Aberdeen, Ross and Caithness in Scotland. He had been elected and authorized to seek consecration by ten priests then serving in Connecticut on March 25, 1783. Thus began a new era in the life of the Church: A bishop had been elected by his peers (as in the Early Church) to serve a Church independent of the English Crown while remaining in communion with the Church in Great Britain. From Connecticut, Bishop Seabury would be instrumental in the organization of an Episcopal Church for the United States and its spread throughout New England. Outreach for Thanksgiving: The Guilford Food Bank's Thanksgiving Meal program is adapting to the pandemic, and so will our support. Instead of sharing foodstuffs, the Food Bank requests that we provide grocery gift cards valued at no more than $25. Your generous response will help our neighbors-in-need to set tables with fresh and healthy food. Gift cards may be dropped off in the Rectory Entry Hall or mailed to 11 Park Street. Receipts can be provided. We need to deliver the cards to the Food Bank, on or before November 19. Thanks to all who provided Personal Care Bags, or personal care items, for Chapel on the Green! It's not too late to drop those off. ECW "New Scholarship Project" Christ Church parishioners have long supported our ECW's annual home-baked cookie sale during the Tree-Lighting "Chili Supper." Sadly, these events cannot be safely offered this year. Nonetheless, ECW still wants to support our 2021 high school graduates by offering a scholarship to all qualified applicants. The ECW will again need parishioner support to do this; so they are asking us to send a " Free Will" donation to allow them to continue this program. They are calling it the "Cookieless Cookie Box" project, because every donor will be thanked with an empty Cookie Box decorated with ribbon, detachable bow and gift card. Donations will be received through November 29, 2020. The "Cookieless Boxes" will be available in the Guild Room for pickup on Saturday, December 5, 2020. Each box will be labeled with a donor's name. Those who live out of the area will be sent a Christmas-design gift card holder. Donations can be sent to: Rhoda Whitman, 21 Aberdeen Way, Durham, CT 06422 Please make checks payable to: Christ Episcopal Church ECW, and note "Cookieless Box Project" on the memo line. Thank you in advance for your support. Sunday Worship Judging by the forecast, you will want to dress warmly this Sunday for Morning Prayer in the Garden at 9a.m. Enter via the gate off the Town Hall parking lot, and please remember to bring a mask and a lawn chair, and to maintain appropriate physical distances. Our livestreamed celebration of the Holy Eucharist with hymns, vocal solos, and spiritual communion follows at 10a.m. As usual the service bulletin will be available here. Public health officials had forecast a fall surge in coranavirus infections. It happened in 1918, and is happening now as well. The numbers are truly concerning: Here's the State's Daily Tracker graphic, and the State's guidance for each level. They will surely inform your Vestry's conversation on Thursday. In-Person Sunday School is scheduled this Sunday for 11:30a.m. in the parish garden entered from the Town Hall parking lot. All Sunday School & Youth families are welcome for a snack, a game at a distance and conversation. Please let Tyler know that you plan to participate here. Tyler plans to meet as long as the temperature remains above 45 and the rain holds off. If not he'll send out an alert. Virtual Coffee Hour... is a great opportunity to see one another. The link to YNFR's Personal Zoom Room seems to work well. So, join the conversation via Zoom this Sunday, November 15 at 11:30a.m. by clicking this link. If asked, the Meeting ID: 540 197 1077, and Passcode: 1744AD Intercessory Prayer: Please send the people and concerns you would like included in the Prayers of the People. by replying to these announcements or the "Let us pray" message. Please consider this the digital version of the clip board on which names and concerns were written when we gathered for worship in the nave. Book Discussion Group: A Zoom discussion of Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent, by Isabel Wilkerson. Hardback copies are available in the Rectory Entry Hall for $25 each. The author argues that our notions regarding race are fluid, but we internalize the fixed and rigid categories of caste unconsciously. Discussion is led by the Rev. Mary Anne Osborn; contact her at [email protected] Order for the Evening on St. Hilda's Day: On Wednesday, we'll commemorate the life and witness of St. Hilda, Abbess of Whitby. Her abbey contained houses for both nuns and monks living together "in justice, devotion, chastity, peace and charity." A woman in authority, she was consulted by kings and prelates. Thursday Bible Study moves on to Genesis Chapter 44 and 45 with the mounting tension in the reunion of Joseph and his brothers. Here's the link. In case your are asked: Meeting ID: 859 9654 1732 Passcode: 23389 Estimate of Giving Cards: Thanks so much to the 66 households who have already responded with their Estimate of Giving for our operating budget in 2021! If you need a card, please respond to this message, and one will be in the mail posthaste! Thanks to all who are mailing in your offerings! Although our in-person connections remain limited, the routine of the parish continues amidst all the ways that support and maintain our common life. Thanks so much, for your faithfulness in fulfilling your giving estimate for 2020. Please continue your financial support of our common life by bringing your offering to the 9a.m. service in the Garden, or 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, as you remain safely at home. In the faith, hope and love of Christ, Harrison+ YFNR November 11, 2020
O Judge of the nations, we remember before you with grateful hearts the men and women of our country who in the day of decision ventured much for the liberties we now enjoy. Grant that we may not rest until all the people of this land share the benefits of true freedom and gladly accept its disciplines. This we ask in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. For Heroic Service, BCP, p. 839 Dear Hearts, This will be one of the prayers offered during our Order for Evening service later today. I've adapted a Litany from the UK for this day shared by St. Martin and our American day to honor Veterans. The hymns will reflect both of today's commemorations. There is a Guilford connection, of sorts, to St. Martin: Guilford native, the Rev. Samuel Johnson, our founding missionary, was ordained a priest in the Church of England in London's Church St. Martin's-in-the-Fields (now on Trafalgar Square) in 1723. St. Martin lived in the 4th century, served in the Roman army, and became a monk and bishop known for his care for the poor and the helpless. Our prayers are also asked for ---- All who are ill, including Sue, Dale, George H, Alex & John H, Jeremy H, Carol U; and for the increasingly number who are contending with Covid-19 disease; for the medical caregivers who minister of God's healing gifts; and for all facing financial hardship because of the pandemic. May they all know the healing power of Christ's presence and love. For the repose of the almost 240,000 of our fellow citizens who have died of the coronavirus. Rest eternal grant to them, O Lord; may light perpetual shine upon them. For all in the path of Storm Eta. Protect those who evacuate homes, and strengthen those who rebuild hope so that entire communities may face the future without fear. We give thanks for the birthdays of Bobbi S, and Margaret S, Grant that they may grow in wisdom and grace as they begin another year. And sincere thanks for all who participated in Saturday's Churchyard Fall Clean-up! We were rewarded with a beautiful day. We thank you for tasks requiring our best efforts that satisfy and delight us. Please continue to hold in prayer: Sheward, Shelly, Philippe, Margaret S, Kate, Frank, Jack, Judy & Ed S, Michael M, Richard D, Dave K, Brian A, Jim & Annie, John, Joan G., Lois C., Winnie Z, Bernie and family, Susie & Paul, Pam McG, Julie H, Murray E., Brooke & family, Kate S., Tracy M., Carl, Michael S, Joanne N-R, Madeline H, and Kelly G, Also: Paul D, Susan S, Linda B, June C, Charlie K, Anne C, Mark S, Angela G, Maria, Bob, Olivia, Lois T, and Jo B. Please also remember: St. Luke’s School & Church in Martel (Haiti). To add names and concerns for Wednesday's and Sunday's intercessions, and this "Let Us Pray" letter, please send them to YFNR at [email protected] with any details you care to share. Names will move to the "continuing" list, and the longer term list upon request. Wednesday Evening Prayers, for today, November 11 is at 7p.m. You'll find the bulletin here. You can join the livestream via www.facebook.com/cecguilford Here's the Thursday Bible Study Zoom link. We will turn to Genesis 42. The reunion of Joseph and his brothers begins. Join the conversation on Thursday, November 12 at 9:30a.m. Join Dr. Fauci and Dr. Collins at Washington National Cathedral for a "Where do we go from here?" conversation about Covid-19 on Thursday, November 12 at 7p.m. Details and registration for viewing the conversation is available here. A $10 donation is requested. Although wrangling about the election continues ... I, for one, am grateful that the process seems to have been conducted without violent interruption or reaction (well, except for what happened in my home town.) The counting of "absentee" ballots in our parish hall came off like clockwork. O God, you have bound us together in a common life. Help us in the midst of our struggles for justice and truth, to confront one another without hatred or bitterness, and to work together with mutual forbearance and respect; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. In Times of Conflict, BCP, p. 824 In the faith, hope and love of Christ, Harrison+ Your Friendly Neighborhood Rector P.S. Presiding Bishop Michael Curry recently met in a virtual Sunday Forum with Christ Church, Greenwich, about his latest book, Love is the Way: Holding onto Hope in Troubling Times. You can watch it on their YouTube channel here. Both the book and the interview received high praise during this morning's regular Wednesday call of Parish leaders with our Bishops.  For 23rd Sunday after Pentecost, November 8, 2020
Fall Churchyard Clean-up: Looks like Saturday and Sunday will be terrific days to work in the yard. How about helping clean-up the churchyard will a few, distanced, others? In addition to the usual raking, weeding and routine pruning, there are a few opportunities to re-attach fence panels, and saw off some heavy stems. You can find a safe spot on Sign-Up Genius here. Please bring your own gloves and other equipment. Wheelbarrows and refuse bags provided. Our Region Offers Community, Conversation & Compline, November 8th at 7-8p.m. Gather with fellow Episcopalians across our South Central (Greater New Haven) Region, to share what's on our hearts, and to offer the brief prayers for the close of the day. To receive the Zoom link, please register here. ECW "New Scholarship Project" Every year our congregation has supported our annual home-baked cookie sale during the "Chili Supper", but sadly this year these events cannot be safely offered. Nonetheless, ECW still wants to support our 2021 high school graduates by offering a scholarship to all who apply and meet our qualifications. We need your support to do this; so we are asking you to send a " Free Will" donation to allow us to continue this program. We are calling it "Cookieless Cookie Box" project, because we will thank every donor with an empty Cookie Box decorated with ribbon, detachable bow and gift card. This is our way of saying thank-you for all your support over the years. This project will run November 8 - 29, 2020. Your "cookie less box" will be available in the Guild Room for pickup on Saturday, December 5, 2020. Each box will be labeled with your name. Those who live out of the area will be sent a Christmas-design gift card holder. Donations can be sent to: Rhoda Whitman, 21 Aberdeen Way, Durham, CT 06422 Please make checks payable to: Christ Episcopal Church ECW, and note "Cookieless Box Project" on the memo line. Thank you in advance for your support. Outreach for Thanksgiving: The Guilford Food Bank's Thanksgiving Meal program is adapting to the pandemic, and so will our support. Instead of sharing foodstuffs, the Food Bank requests that we provide grocery gift cards valued at no more than $25. Your generous response will help our neighbors-in-need to set tables with fresh and healthy food. Gift cards may be dropped off in the Rectory Entry Hall or mailed to 11 Park Street. Receipts can be provided. We need to deliver the cards to the Food Bank, on or before November 19. Thanks to all who provided Personal Care Bags, or personal care items, for Chapel on the Green! It's not too late to drop those off. Sunday Worship Judging by the forecast, Morning Prayer in the Garden will enjoy a particularly lovely fall morning this Sunday. We begin at 9a.m. Enter via the gate off the Town Hall parking lot, and please remember to bring a mask and a lawn chair, and to maintain appropriate physical distances. Our livestreamed celebration of the Holy Eucharist with hymns, vocal solos, and spiritual communion follows at 10a.m. As usual the service bulletin will be available here. Digital Sunday School's videos, coloring pages, and good questions for reflection were sent mid-day today. No matter your age, don't miss Tyler Jarvis's short introductory video. We're not reading the Amos story in worship this week, but it does offer another perspective on our obligations to God and our neighbors. Virtual Coffee Hour... is a great opportunity to see one another. Using the link to YNFR's Personal Zoom Room worked well last week. So, join the conversation via Zoom this Sunday, November 8 at 11:30a.m. by clicking this link. If asked, the Meeting ID: 540 197 1077, and Passcode: 1744AD Intercessory Prayer: Please send the people and concerns you would like included in the Prayers of the People. by replying to these announcements or the "Let us pray" message. Please consider this the digital version of the clip board on which names and concerns were written when we gathered for worship in the nave. Book Discussion Group: A Zoom discussion of Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent, by Isabel Wilkerson. Two hardback copies are available in the Rectory Entry Hall for $25 each. The author argues that our notions regarding race are fluid, but we internalize the fixed and rigid categories of caste unconsciously. Discussion led by the Rev. Mary Anne Osborn; contact her at [email protected] Order for the Evening on St. Martin's & Veterans' Day: On Wednesday, we'll observe both the Church's commemoration of St. Martin and our National Veteran's Day. There is a connection: Martin served in the Roman army and is a patron saint of soldiers. Thursday Bible Study moves on to Genesis Chapter 41 to begin Joseph's fraught re-union with his brothers. Here's the link. In case your are asked: Meeting ID: 859 9654 1732 Passcode: 23389 Estimate of Giving Cards: I hope that you have received your new Parish Directory and an Estimate of Giving Card for 2021. Thanks so much to the over 60 households who have already responded with their Estimate of Giving for our operating budget in 2021! Thanks to all who are mailing in your offerings! Although our in-person connections remain limited, the routine of the parish continues amidst all the ways that support and maintain our common life. Thanks so much, for your faithfulness in fulfilling your giving estimate for 2020. Please continue your financial support of our common life by bringing your offering to the 9a.m. service in the Garden, or 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, as you remain safely elsewhere. In the faith, hope and love of Christ, Harrison+ YFNR p.s. Post-Convention Conversations: The Episcopal Church in Connecticut Convention Eucharist, daily reflections by our Bishops, and the sessions themselves are all available on the ECCT website. The Convention's "World Cafe" discussions prompted "Next Step" conversations on how we -- in our parishes and regions, as well as a diocese, might address concerns around Economic Equity, Racial Justice, and Worship and other connections in our Livestream era. These continuing conversations are open to all interested Connecticut Episcopalians; details may be found here. Nov. 3, 2020
Almighty God, to whom we must account for all our powers and privileges: Guide the people of the United States in the election of officials and representatives; that by faithful administration and wise laws, the rights of all may be protected and our nation be enabled to fulfill you purposes; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. For an Election, BCP, p. 822 Dear Hearts, Whether you have voted absentee or will vote in-person today., please remember that your vote is a way to put into action your Christian values. That was one of Presiding Bishop Michael Curry's points in his truly fine sermon during "Holding onto Hope," Sunday afternoon's "National Service of Healing and Wholeness." Perhaps you already knew the story of Eleanor Roosevelt and the Tuskegee Airmen, or his quotations from theologian Reinhold Neihbur and former Scottish Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Richard Holloway, but I didn't. I keep revisiting them, wanting to commit them to memory. You can read the sermon here, and watch it here. The whole service with its beautiful prayers and moving music is available here. Presiding Bishop Curry recently met with a virtual Sunday Forum with Christ Church, Greenwich, about his latest book, Love is the Way: Holding onto Hope in Troubling Times. You can watch it on their YouTube channel here. Our prayers are also asked for ---- All who are ill, including Carol U, Philippe, Sheward and Shelly; for Ben, Leila and the increasingly number who are contending with Covid-19 disease; for the medical caregivers who minister of God's healing gifts; and for all facing financial hardship because of the pandemic. May they all know the healing power of Christ's presence and love. For the repose of Peter Osborne and all whom we hold in blessed memory; and for the over 230,000 of our fellow citizens who have died of the coronavirus. Rest eternal grant to them, O Lord; may light perpetual shine upon them. For all who are working to restore their homes and livelihoods following recent wildfires, windstorms and floods. Protect those who evacuate homes, and strengthen those who rebuild hope so that entire communities may face the future without fear. Let us rejoice with Elena & Robert Phillips -- and the Diocese of Chicago -- on the Eve of All Saints' ordination of their son Christopher Phillips to the Sacred Order of Deacons. Family and friends participated online from near and far. We thank you, O God, for raising up faithful servants to stand at the margins of the Church and larger society, inviting us to participate in your Mission of Reconciliation and Restoration. Please continue to hold in prayer: Margaret S, Kate, Frank, Jack, Judy & Ed S, Michael M, Richard D, Dave K, Brian A, Jim & Annie, John, Joan G., Lois C., Winnie Z, Bernie and family, Susie & Paul, Pam McG, Julie H, Murray E., Brooke & family, Kate S., Tracy M., Carl, Michael S, Joanne N-R, Madeline H, and Kelly G, Also: Paul D, Susan S, Linda B, June C, Charlie K, Anne C, Mark S, Angela G, Maria, Bob, Olivia, Lois T, and Jo B. Please also remember: St. Luke’s School & Church in Martel (Haiti). To add names and concerns for Wednesday's and Sunday's intercessions, and this "Let Us Pray" letter, please send them to YFNR at [email protected] with any details you care to share. Names will move to the "continuing" list, and the longer term list upon request. Wednesday Evening Prayers on November 4 at 7p.m. will celebrate "All the Faithful Departed" -- especially those whom we love who now rejoice with us but on another shore and in a brighter light. You'll find the bulletin here. You can join the livestream via www.facebook.com/cecguilford Here's the Thursday Bible Study Zoom link. We will turn to Genesis 41. Joseph rises from a prisoner to Grand Vizier of all Egypt. Join the conversation on Thursday, November 5 at 9:30a.m. Churchyard Clean-up will provide an excuse to be outside together, but distant, on what look to be a couple lovely sunny fall days -- November 7 and 8! Pitch in at a time convenient for you by signing-up here. Wheelbarrows and bags provided; please bring your own gloves, rakes, clippers, masks, and water. And another thing... While preaching about the Beatitudes on All Saints' Sunday, I had in my mind's eye, memories of the shrine above the Sea of Galilee where the Church remembers Jesus preaching them. It is a beautiful and serene place, surrounded by cultivated fields of grain and bananas. In the midst of a troubled land, this hillside appears to be a vision of God's Kingdom come on earth. Things are as God would intend, just as in Jesus' shared vision of a restored and reconciled Creation in which the Blessed "will be comforted," "will be filled," "will see God," and "will be called children of God," So, on this election day, let us pray... Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart and especially the hearts of the people of this Nation, that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. For Social Justice, BCP, p. 823 In the faith, hope and love of Christ, Harrison+ Your Friendly Neighborhood Rector |
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