I hope we'll see some of you at the family-friendly service this Sunday, Nov. 8. Rev. Martha will give a special kid-friendly sermon, and following the service, Claire Lawrence will host a breakout room to discuss this year's Christmas pageant — we're making it happen virtually! Read more about the pageant below.
I'd love to find children and youth (or parents!) to be readers and lead the Prayers of the People. Reply to this email if someone in your family is interested. We can record that part in advance or it can be done live during the service.
Here's the Zoom information for next Sunday:
Finally, I'm sure there's a mix of emotions on this election day. (I trust you've already voted, but if not, you still have time to get to the polls!) So much is out of our control, and the weight of what's at stake can inspire anger, grief, anxiety, fear, and any number of other valid responses. If you need to take your mind off things tonight, St. Bede's is hosting Compline (night prayer) at 8:00 p.m., and the Zoom room opens at 7:00 p.m. — you can get the information here. I'll also leave you with the poem/prayer "Prophets of a Future Not Our Own" that's comforted me in these days:
It helps now and then to step back and take the long view.
The Kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision.
We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work.
Which is another way of saying that the Kingdom lies behind us.
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No program accomplishes the Church's mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.
No strategic plan addresses every possibility.
That is what we are about.
We plant seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need to further develop.
We provide yeast that produce effects far beyond our capabilities.
We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation realizing this.
It enables us to do something and do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end result, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.
We are the workers, not the master builders; ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own.
Amen.
This was composed by Roman Catholic Bishop Ken Untener in 1979. It was drafted for a homily by Roman Catholic Cardinal John Dearden for a celebration of departed priests. The words are often attributed to the liberation theologian and martyr Bishop Óscar Romero; they were never spoken by him, yet they speak to his spirit.
All best wishes,
Brendan Deocariza-Nee
Children's & Youth Minister
Get in touch by email or schedule a chat on Calendly.
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Saints Around the World
Check your mailbox in the next couple of days for Saints Around the World, an asynchronous, interactive lesson plan to encourage faith formation at home. Children are introduced to holy people from all regions of the world and learn how each of us is uniquely called to lead a holy life.
The packet contains a lesson booklet, activity guide, and “passport” that’s stamped by sharing reflections with a family member.
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Virtual Christmas Pageant
The show must go on! This year, we're using Do Not Be Afraid: A Virtual Christmas Pageant by Illustrated Ministry. Each part will be recorded individually, then edited together to share over Zoom during the Christmas Eve service.
If you can, join Claire Lawrence during virtual coffee hour following the service on Nov. 8 so we can gauge interest and start planning — but let us know if you're interested regardless! Friends and family outside St. Bede's are more than welcome to participate. |
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It's Stewardship Season
A special thanks to all of you who have already turned in your 2021 pledge cards! To date, St. Bede's has received pledges totaling just under $120,000 from 45 donors. So that we can better budget for the upcoming year, please mail your pledge card to the church office as soon as possible.
Need a new Stewardship Packet? Contact parish administrator Siri Huntoon at shuntoon@stbedesmenlopark.org to receive a replacement.
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“The ultimate Mystery of being, the ultimate Truth, is Love. This is the essential structure of reality. ... There is in Being an infinite desire to give itself in love and this gift of Self in love is for ever answered by a return of love ... and so the rhythm of the universe is created.” – Saint Bede
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