IMPORTANT NOTICE: St. Mary’s offers in-person and virtual service
Weekly Worship Services
Sunday, March 13, 2022
- First Message: Genesis 15:1-2, 17-18
- Gospel: Luke 13:31-35
9:00am – Virtual Family Church Service via Zoom. All are welcome. The service begins at 9am and lasts about 20 minutes.
If asked for a passcode, enter Fun
10:00am -In-person and virtual Eucharist with The Reverend Susan Moss as the celebrant and Cherry Say, Lay Catechist, Church of the Messiah in Saint Paul, giving the homily.
After the service, a Zoom social gathering will be held for those worshipping virtually and a no-beverage/no snacks social gathering will be held in the St. Mary’s room for in-person worshippers.
NOTE: See the “Yes, in-person worship is back at St. Mary’s” article for more information about decreasing COVID restrictions at St. Mary’s!
What’s in this Weekly?
Worship Team
In-person Worship
Name Tags
Children and Youth
Announcement
Prayers in the Weekly
Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Worship Team
St. Mary’s is pleased to welcome Cherry as our guest homilist this Sunday. She’s a member of Messiah Church, Ford Parkway, our neighbor and one of the faith communities in the East Metro Mission Area. Read her story here and learn more about Asiamerica Ministries with the Karen community in ECMN.
The Episcopal Church’s Office of Asiamerica Ministries through its Karen Episcopal Ministry Formation Team and the Southeast Asian Convocation, launched a program in March to train about 20 members of the Karen community as catechists, deacons and priests. “Some 30 congregations or groups of Karen immigrants and refugees have joined The Episcopal Church in the past five years,” according to the Rev. Fred Vergara, the church’s missioner for Asiamerica Ministries.
Cherry Say was 7 years old when her family fled their Myanmar home because of ethnic and religious persecution of the Karen people, the country’s second-largest ethnic minority. She spent the next 20 years in the Mae La refugee camp in Thailand, where she taught Sunday school to youth and young adults.
Now a mother and grandmother, Say, 48, lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, and hopes to follow in her father’s footsteps and become a priest. She serves as a lay Eucharistic visitor at Messiah Episcopal Church, where about one-half of the 350-member congregation are Karen and regard her as a pastor.
“When I came, they did not have a leader, a pastor” who spoke or understood the S’gaw Karen language, Say told ENS. “A lot of my people here did not understand this very well. They are very sad. They feel like they have to be baptized all over again.”
McCaugh, P. (May 11, 2021). Localized ordination programs open doors to ministry for nontraditional clergy candidates. Episcopal News Services. https://www.episcopalnewsservice.org/2021/05/11/localized-ordination-programs-open-doors-to-ministry-for-nontraditional-clergy-candidates/
- Yeah!! Hybrid (both in-person and virtual) worship is back!! See separate article in Weekly Email regarding what will stay the same and what will change.
- To listen to the homily given by Buff Grace, Director of Faith Networks for Interfaith Power and Light, on Sunday, March 6, Click HERE.
- Healing Prayers will be available after worship services on March 13th and 27th.
- Worship Schedule for LENT (hybrid—in-person & virtual unless otherwise shown)
- March 13—
- 9:00am Family Service led by MiaLisa Millares (virtual)^^
- 10:00am Eucharist with The Reverend Susan Moss as Celebrant. Homily given by Cherry Say from Church of the Messiah in St Paul. **
- March 20—
- 8:00am Adapted Morning Prayer with Gospel Based Discipleship led by Steve Andrews.
- 9:00am Family Service led by MiaLisa Millares (virtual)^^
- 10:00am Adapted Morning Prayer. Homily given by The Reverend John Mitchell from St. Andrew’s in Minneapolis.**
- March 27—
- 9:00am Family Service led by MiaLisa Millares (virtual)^^
- 10:00am Eucharist with The Reverend Susan Moss as Celebrant. Homily given by The Venerable Rena Turnham, Archdeacon, ECMN. **
- April 3—
- 9:00am Family Service led by MiaLisa Millares (virtual)^^
- 10:00am Adapted Morning Prayer. Homily given by The Reverend Canon Blair Pogue, Canon for Vitality and Innovation, ECMN**
- Mondays @ 7:30pm — Compline
- Thursdays @ 7:00pm — Contemplative Service
- March 13—
**Homilies pre-recorded, part of the ECMN Lent Homily Series.
^^Will be assessed to decide whether or not to continue these.
Feedback is welcome!
Still thinking about giving the Worship Team input about your yearnings/longings around worship at St. Mary’s? It’s never too late to let us know what you’re thinking about. Use the feedback link below.
Click HERE to give feedback. Thanks!
YES, in-person worship is back at St. Mary’s!!
At its February 22 meeting the Vestry approved opening St. Mary’s back up to in-person worship (continuing virtual worship as well). The primary concerns of the Vestry (as they have been from the beginning) are to keep everyone (especially our youngest members who can’t yet be vaccinated and those who may be at higher risk) as safe as possible and to be as inclusive as possible.
Everyone is longing for a return to “normal”, whatever that is for each of us. So, in the list below, all of these—safety, inclusivity and normalcy—were factors the Vestry considered.
First, what stays the same?
- Masks covering the nose and mouth are still required indoors.
- 6’ physical (also known as “social”) distancing will continue in the sanctuary.
- Individual parishioners going to the mic to request prayers. Although no longer mandatory, anti-bacterial wipes will be available to wipe the mic for those who wish to do so.
- Bread and wine will be distributed for communion. Wine will be served from the “pourable chalice”, so bring your small glasses or take a paper cup from an usher.
- Communion will take place at the center aisle, either standing or kneeling (at each end of the kneeler, keeping households separate)
Next, what changes?
- Small processions will come back…no choir yet.
- Aco-“lite” (!)—one child (with parental permission).
- Folks can make their own announcements from the microphone. Although no longer mandatory, anti-bacterial wipes will be available to wipe the mic for those who wish to do so.
- Singing with masks in place! Yes, we can really sing again!!
- Passing the peace with handshakes and then a ritual hand sanitizing for all! Yes, we can really touch people again! However, we need to respect that people have different comfort levels. For those who are more comfortable staying apart, that’s perfectly fine, too. Just wave a sign of peace.
- Social time in the St. Mary’s Room returns! No beverages or snacks yet, but time to be together and be social and chat!
Who are we?
- Your name as you’d like it to appear on your name badge (Include personal pronouns if you’d like them listed)
- Which style you’d like: pin? clip? lanyard?
- If you’d like a rainbow pin on your name badge
Pre-Tweeners Group on Wednesday from 6:30pm – 7pm:
We just started a group for kids who are K-2nd grade. Any child in that age group is welcome to join. We will be having a question of the day, talk about our lows and highs and then do a show and tell. All children K-2 are welcome to join. Please contact Mia for the link!
Prayer Requests
Please pray for those on Saint Mary’s prayer list: Don; Claire; the Horton family; Anne; Kirby; Amara; the Strande family; Steven; Georgia; the Weber Nelson/Nelson family; Bishop Craig Loya as he leads the ECMN; all frontline workers; teachers and those who support children and youth in education, all who are thinking about getting or waiting to get a COVID vaccine or booster; all who are homeless, unemployed, or struggling financially; doctors, nurses, caregivers, and all who care for the sick or dying; all who work for new systems of justice and equity; all who are in need of prayer.
If you would like a name to be added to Saint Mary’s public prayer list, please email claire1412 at gmail.com. The prayer list will be updated weekly, and all prayers will remain on the list for one month unless otherwise requested.
CaringBridge for Don Horton
Hello my dear friends,
If you would like to stay updated on my dad’s health situation and don’t use Facebook, I will be posting updates on CaringBridge too.
Website Link: https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/donhorton
Much love,
Claire Horton
Upcoming Events at Saint Mary’s
Opportunities for Worship, Education, Choir, & Meet Ups
for the week of 3/11 – 17
Sunday, March 13, 2022
Virtual Family Church Service
9:00am Service
Link
Sunday, March 13, 2022
In-person and Virtual Worship Service
10:00am Service
Link
Monday, March 14, 2022
Compline (Now on Mondays!)
7:30pm
Link
Tuesday, March 15, 2022
Finance Committee Meeting
6:30 – 8:00pm
For more information Click HERE
Wednesday, March 16, 2022
Pre-Tweeners
6:30pm
Contact Mia for more information. Click HERE
Wednesday, March 16, 2022
Youth Group
6:30pm
Contact Mia for more information. Click HERE
Thursday, March 17, 2022
Tweeners
7:00pm
Contact Mia for more information. Click HERE
Thursday, March 17, 2022
Saint Mary’s Dinner Group
Contact Julie Thomas for more information – julieandcats at comcast.net
Thursday, March 17, 2022
Thursday Evening Contemplative Service
Led by Erika Scheurer and Anna Clark
7:00pm
Link (please note that the Contemplative Service returns to In-person and Virtual!)
Visit the Saint Mary’s Calendars page for more information on what is happening.