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News & Notes from 'Old Durham'

June 11, 2020

Christ Church, Durham Parish
'Feeding Souls Since 1661'
We are the Episcopal Church in Nanjemoy, Maryland.  Although our historic church building at 8700 Ironsides Road, Nanjemoy is currently closed, we are regularly gathering for worship over Zoom. We'd love to have you join us.  

Morning Prayer at 10:30am on Sundays.  Compline (a brief service of nighttime prayers) at 8pm on Sundays and Wednesdays.
Learn more at OldDurham.org
Wednesday Noon Study
book cover
Our next Wednesday Noon Study (starting June 24) will be a discussion of Passionate for Justice: Ida B. Wells as Prophet for Our Time.  Rev. Robin has ordered copies of the book, which is also available on Kindle and Audible.  Contact Rev. Robin for more information.  The Zoom link will be available in next week's News and Notes.

"Ida B. Wells was a powerful churchwoman and witness for justice and equity from 1878 to 1931. Born enslaved, her witness flowed through the struggles for justice in her lifetime, especially in the intersections of African Americans, women, and those who were poor. Her life is a profound witness for faith-based work of visionary power, resistance, and resilience for today's world, when the forces of injustice stand in opposition to progress.

These are exciting and dangerous times. Boundaries that previously seemed impenetrable are now being crossed. This book is a guide for the current state of affairs in American culture, enlivened by the historical perspective of Wells' search for justice.

The authors are an African-American woman and a child of white supremacy. Both have dedicated themselves to working, writing, and developing ministries oriented toward justice, equity, and mercy. This book can be used in all settings, but most especially in churches (pastors and other church leaders, study groups), seminaries, and universities."
Could You Use Some Help? 
EDOW Covid-19 relief money
Thanks to the generosity of many,  the diocese is now able to provide direct assistance to those within our congregations and the communities they serve. The COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund amplifies congregational ministry to assist congregation and community members experiencing financial hardships as a result of the novel coronavirus pandemic; and established congregational food pantries and meals programs experiencing increased demand.  Learn more.
Could You Offer Some Help?
Love one another photo
Our community needs us now, more than ever.  There are a number of ways that we can continue to serve our community, even in these difficult times.
  1. Joe’s Place is continuing to feed people who are able to come on Thursday afternoons twice a month.  At the moment, we seem to have enough food to keep up with demand.  Monetary donations are, of course, always welcome.  You can mail a check (made out to the church) to the church or use the Paypal “Donate Now” link on the church’s website.  Just be sure to indicate, either in the memo line of the check or in the information box online, that the donation is for Joe’s Place.
  2. If you are a person who sews, you can make face masks.  First for your family, and then if you have ones you can donate, Deacon Susan will be glad to pick them up from you.  She has a number of sources that are able to put the masks to good use.
  3. Lifestyles, the local umbrella organization for services to the homeless, is running a“cabana” at Mount Hope Baptist Church in Nanjemoy.  It will be stocked with bags of toiletries and food, and staffed by volunteers.  They are asking for donations of both money and specific items. Here is a list of items they are looking for.  Deacon Susan will gladly make arrangements to pick up donations.  Checks should be made payable to End Hunger in Charles County and write COVID19 food in the memo. Send them to the Fuller House, 3470 Rockefeller Court, Waldorf, MD 20602. 
  4. The Diocese has set up a COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund (see above) to help parishioners, and folks associated with our parishes, who don’t have enough money for food.  It also is set up to support established food pantries like Joe’s Place.  Applications for assistance are made by the clergy on behalf of the parishioner, and reviewed by a diocesan committee.  Contact to Rev. Catharine to apply for assistance.  You can also donate to the fund here.
We are a community committed to following Jesus in his Way of Love.  In these times when we cannot worship together in person, God can still show us ways in which we can follow him faithfully.  By reading scripture and praying for guidance we can be led to acts of love that show the good news of the gospel in action  When that happens we discover that we ourselves are blessed by extending the blessings of Christ to others in these tangible ways.

Image: "Love One Another", from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN.  http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=55171 [retrieved April 29, 2020]. Original source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/niznoz/5658062870/.
This Week's Announcements
Joe’s Place Food Pantry:  A small, dedicated, and much-appreciated crew of volunteers is continuing this vital ministry for us during this period of social distancing.
Paying your pledges. Yes, you can still pay your pledge! In fact, the parish budget is counting on it! You can either mail a check to the church's postal address (8700 Ironsides Road, Nanjemoy, MD 20662) or use Paypal on the church website. One way in which we are trying to provide financial oversight in these tricky times is to issue regular giving statements to our pledging members.  When you receive your statement, please check to confirm that the church’s records match yours.
Pastoral Care Team will meet on Sunday, June 14 at 12:30pm.
The Vestry will meet on June 25th at 7PM.
Episcopal Asset Map. The Episcopal Church has a massive site that allows people to find us, our worship services and our services to the community.  Our own parish’s entry (and not ours only!) needs some spiffing up.  Deacon Susan and Mike Cahall are working on it at the direction of the bishops.  If you have a little time, check out the Asset Map to see how other parishes are represented, and if you have information that you think could or should be included, please let Deacon Susan know.
 
When Will This Be Over?
The Bishops of Washington, Maryland, and Virginia have issued a joint statement on how they expect the "re-gathering" process to go.  It will likely be a slower and more gradual process than many of us imagined when we first closed the doors of the church.
See their statement here.
The Diocese of Washington has also put out a checklist and set of parameters for any re-gathering at church facilities.  Those are available at the COVID-19 "hub" on the diocesan website.  Any re-gathering will require approval from the bishop. 
The Vestry intends, along with our colleagues in the Southern Maryland region and across the diocese, to spend the summer planning for a gradual re-gathering in the fall.  If you have thoughts on what might make you more or less comfortable with re-gathered worship, or on how you would like 'hybrid' worship to work (that is, worship that combines online and physical presence), please share them with your local friendly Vestry members.  Any re-gathering will require approval from the bishop, and we are working to develop our plans. 


Image:  Dave Walker's CartoonChurch
Worship this Sunday
rublev icon
June 11th is the Second Sunday after Pentecost

Rublev
One day, God walked in, pale from the grey steppe,
slit-eyed against the wind, and stopped,
said, Colour me, breathe your blood into my mouth.
I said, Here is the blood of all our people,
these are their bruises, blue and purple,
gold, brown, and pale green wash of death.
These (god) are the chromatic pains of flesh,
I said, I trust I shall make you blush,
O I shall stain you with the scars of birth
For ever, I shall root you in the wood,
under the sun shall bake you bread
of beechmast, never let you forth
To the white desert, to the starving sand.
But we shall sit and speak around
one table, share one food, one earth.

Rowan Williams

Morning Prayer at 10:30am on Sundays.  Compline (a brief service of nighttime prayers) at 8pm on Sundays and Wednesdays.

Click here to join us on Zoom
Or dial 301-715 8592 
and punch in 
Meeting ID: 827 6276 3261
Password: 411356

 

 

Check out this handy calendar to see what the readings will be in the Episcopal Church this Sunday or any Sunday.  The Revised Common Lectionary site has additional resources for exploring each week's scriptures.
If you're looking for the Daily Office (Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer), you can visit Forward Movement.  You will also find Forward Day by Day at this site.
 
In the Wider Church
Keep abreast of goings-on in the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, of which we are a parish.  Sign up for the newsletter or check out previous issues here.
In Our Prayers
Let us pray......in thanksgiving for the members of our congregation: David, Patrice, Matthew, and Renae.
....for support and protection for those who serve our country at home and abroad: Alex, Mike, Wes, Thomas, Steven, and Megan.
....for those in need of God’s healing grace: Rick, Frank (father of Frank), Vivian (mother of Barbara), MabelRose (friend of Gloria, Jane (sister of Bill), Tom; Our continuing prayers are offered for: James (neighbor of Rick and Mary), Pete (father of Rev. Catharine), Anna and Chris (daughter and son-in-law of Jinger and Sue); BarbaraThelma (Deacon Susan’s mother), Butch, Livvy (mother of Kathy), Buddy, Rhonda, Jeanne, Jean, Roy, and Luci (aunt of Barbara).
...for those who have died: Jesus (neighbor of Rev. Catharine).
The Diocese of Washington cycle of prayer: Presiding Bishop Michael Curry; St. George's Church, Glenn Dale; St. George's Church, Valley Lee; St. George's, DC.  The Anglican Communion Cycle of Prayer: Pray for the Church of the Province of Myanmar (Burma), The Most Revd Stephen Than Myint Oo - Archbishop of Myanmar and Bishop of Yangon.
The Episcopal Diocese of Washington's COVID-19 prayer:
Holy One, we ask for you to embrace the whole human family with your care as we seek to understand, adapt, and live into the reality of the COVID 19 pandemic. We pray for those who are giving care and those who are ill, for those who are afraid or alone, and for those who have died. We especially pray for those who have tested positive for this disease and those who are in self-quarantine. Give us strength and courage to face what is to come and guide the leaders of the nations in finding ways to work together for the good of all. Hold your church, this diocese, our congregations and clergy, in communion with each other, so that we might find ways to be in relationship while apart, uniting us in your your son, Jesus, who with the Spirit hold us all in Your loving arms. Amen.
A Prayer for Racial Justice (from The Rev. Linda Kaufman, Diocese of Washington):  Gracious and loving God, you have made us in your image, and called us to be the body of Christ. We have not honored your image in one another; we have not loved others as you have loved us. Forgive us our sin of not seeing you in each other. This pandemic has highlighted the racial disparities in our communities. The violence toward people of color has sickened us. Now give us strength to stand up and work with all the strength we possess to bring racial justice in our church and in our community. Give us the will to do your will in this work. In the name of Jesus, who always stood with people who were oppressed, even when it cost him his life, Amen.
A prayer for times of uncertainty and growth ("The Merton Prayer") by Thomas Merton OCSO: My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone. 
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