Are We There Yet?
The title of this week’s letter reminds me of summer
vacations we would take with my family when I was a kid. My aunt was a year-round resident of
Sandwich, MA; her modest cape home looked out over the beautiful salt marsh and
boardwalk, and the stunning town beach was a short walk away. Many Thanksgiving Day meals were also enjoyed
in this magical place.
We would pile into the car and make the 2-hour trek from
Rhode Island. Inevitably, we would be
moaning “Are we there yet?” about 60 minutes in, somewhere along Rt 195
East. Cape Code traffic was also
horrible then.
Last week, I was fortunate to be able to enjoy a vacation with
my husband Brett in Ogunquit, Maine – an annual event for us that we ended up
cancelling last year because of the pandemic. It was good to be back and to try to unplug and relax, with mixed
results. I was so hopeful at the
beginning of the summer as many things in our lives were opening up and
resembling something more familiar. To
be honest, that hope has been tempered by the pandemic’s seemingly relentless
presence. So here we are, approaching
the middle of August, and I’m asking the question “Are we there yet?”
In response to the Hebrew Bible reading from this past
Sunday’s services, Rev. Nick preached about grief. Over the course of this year, he has been
encouraging us to be open to experiencing grief and sharing it with each
other. His terrific sermon (click here
if you haven’t heard it) was another opportunity for us to ponder how grief
touches our lives and can lead us to a closer relationship with God and with each
other.
Before the pandemic, I would often read at bedtime and over
the course of a weekend. That habit
shifted – we replaced our bedtime reading with Compline, weekend routines
changed, and so on. As a result, I ended
up with a “book pile” that was collecting dust. On top of the pile was a partially read novel Abide with Me, by
Elizabeth Strout, which I finished last week while on vacation. The next book in the pile is Love is the
Way: Holding on to Hope in Troubling Times by Bishop Michael Curry. I’m halfway through this wonderful book, and
for me, some of that lost hope I mentioned above is being restored. Bishop Curry writes, “The purpose of this book
is to explain what the way of love looks like, even as we walk it in a world
that feels at times closer to a nightmare than to the dream.”
This pandemic journey is taking longer than expected. While it tries our patience as we continue to
adjust, I am confident in God’s love, and thankful to be on this journey with all
of you.
May God bless us and keep us!
Dave McSweeney
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Conversation on Justice Advocacy with Melanie Merkle Atha
Melanie Merkle Atha, the Executive Director of Episcopal Peace Fellowship, will join us for worship on Sunday, August 29, and offer an informal gathering after the 10:00 am service in the Suter Library to discuss the work of EPF. The Rev. Bob Davidson will welcome and host Melanie in this conversation. All are welcome. Since Epiphany, 2019, Melanie and her husband, Steven, have been traveling the country, visiting Episcopal parishes and EPF peace partners to learn what justice advocacy is happening within the Church, and sharing information and resources to support advocates in their work. We hope you can join the conversation.
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Blessing of the Backpacks & Rally Day
Join us on Sunday, September 12 for the Blessing of the Backpacks during our 10:00 am Holy Eucharist. This is the Sunday each year when we ask God’s blessing on our children and their backpacks as they start a new school year. It’s a day when the children physically bring a piece of their school lives into our church, and we as a community pray for them and promise to always be with them in spirit.
Following the 10:00 am service, all are invited to Epiphany's annual Rally Day celebration! Join us for fellowship and a lunch catered by Bella Isla. Children can enjoy a bounce obstacle course, an outdoor scavenger hunt, a collaborative art project, and more. To register to volunteer, please use our SignUpGenius form. We hope to see you at this fun event!
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Join the Children's Ministry Committee
Would you like to be part of the Children's Ministry Committee for our 2021-2022 program year? The CMC is composed of parishioners and staff who are called to champion the many ministries of this church which support the spiritual formation of children from birth through fifth grade, and their families. This includes Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, children in worship, fellowship events, mission and outreach work, parent support, and intergenerational programming (like our new Wednesday evening Midweek!). The CMC meets seasonally as a large group, and works in sub-committees as needed.
The work of the CMC needs ALL ages and kinds of people! Parents, non-parents, grandparents; those deeply invested in education, in mission, in building true community, in having fun.
Please email Bryn if you are interested in serving on the Children's Ministry Committee or have any questions.
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Join the Communications Committee
As we slowly return to church in person in the days and months ahead, Epiphany’s Communications Committee is looking to update and share information more broadly around who we are, where we’re going, and how to welcome newcomers into our parish community.
As part of this effort, we are prioritizing developing cleaner, higher-tech, in-person and online ways to connect. During a recent brainstorming session, we developed a list of priorities to tackle starting end of summer through 2022 — everything from displaying an art show in Hadley Hall for Rally Day, to launching a multimedia storytelling event centered on sharing parishioner poems, adult, youth, and children’s artwork, prayers, laments, stories and/or photos that portray personal stories experienced during the Covid pandemic. These displays would be contrasted with stories and photos of our common life as a parish, before the pandemic, and we could invite people outside of Epiphany in to view the exhibit. Other priorities include refreshing the website, designing new signage, and other communications projects.
If you would like to be a part of any or all of these efforts, or if you have other communications skills to share, please reach out to Kate Reynolds at kate.reynolds5@gmail.com or 781-405-1848 to learn more. All are welcome, whether you want to share ideas as a committee member or take on a singular project as a freelance writer, photographer, IT app designer, social media wizard, or signage creator. We would love to learn more about your skills and expertise!
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Kids4Peace Kids4Peace is a global interfaith youth movement dedicated to ending conflict, with a network of local chapters offering dialogue, leadership, and social action programs. In 2021-2022, there are two great ways for youth in grades 7-12 to be involved!
First, learn about a social justice issue you're passionate about through Circles of Action. Work with a diverse interfaith group all school year to create an action project that will make your community more just and equitable while developing new skills and making friends. Second, discover different faith traditions and deepen your own religious identity by participating in Community Workshops. Questions? Contact Megan Hopkins at megan@kids4peaceboston.org for more information.
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Staffing at Parish of the Epiphany
We are pleased to announce the vestry’s support and approval for the hiring of two crucial staff positions: a clergy associate who will help grow our parish ministry, and a full-time Director of Youth and Lifelong Formation who will support the spiritual growth of our youth and create opportunities for cross-generational connections in the parish. Bryn Hollenbeck will remain on staff in the part-time position of Director of Children’s Ministry and Parish Life, focusing on formation for children and our Midweek at Epiphany programming.
With the vestry's support, Rev. Nick will begin the search process for hiring both positions. We are very grateful for your trust in us and commitment to our parish family as we seek to lead and respond to God’s directing Spirit among us.
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Mask-Wearing at Church
As we see cases rise and new information concerning the Delta variant, Rev. Nick, with the support of the Wardens, has decided to wait to make any additional changes to our mask-wearing guidelines while at worship and on the church grounds. Please wear masks inside during worship services, unless for medical reasons this is not possible. Masks are optional when outside; during coffee hour, we ask that you replace your mask when not eating or drinking.
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This Week's Calendar
Click here to access the complete parish calendar.
Thursday, August 12
5:30pm Men's Group via Zoom
7:00pm Healing Prayer via Zoom
9:00pm Compline via Zoom
Sunday, August 15
8:00am Holy Eucharist in the Sanctuary
9:00am Bible Study in the Suter Room
9:00am Coffee Hour in the Cloister Garden
10:00am Holy Eucharist in the Sanctuary and via YouTube
11:15am Summer Punch in the Cloister Garden
Monday, August 16
6:00pm AA Meeting in Hadley Hall
7:30pm AA Meeting in Hadley Hall
Tuesday, August 17
9:30am Staff Meeting in Hadley Hall
7:00pm Governance Task Force Meeting via Zoom
Thursday, August 19
5:30pm Men's Group via Zoom
7:00pm Healing Prayer via Zoom
9:00pm Compline via Zoom |
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70 Church Street, Winchester, MA 01890
781-729-1922
www.3crowns.org
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