The Messenger
The Weekly E-newsletter of St. Gabriel's Episcopal Church
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Message from the Priest-in-Charge
Dear friends,
This morning, I packed away the last Christmas item in our house: a Christmas facemask. I thought about what the world will be like in November 2021, when I get out the Christmas decorations again. I certainly hope that by then masks will be a thing of the past and the whole virus chapter will be behind us.
For now, unfortunately, it is not. I have heard from many of you about your longing to gather again in person, and I have to admit that I'm also missing communal worship. As wonderful as it would be to get together, for the time being, the safest course of action is to continue worshiping online, especially with virus cases rising again in our area. I appreciate your patience as we navigate this time, and I'm looking forward to seeing you all again when we're able to do so. In the meantime, please call or send me an email if you'd like to talk, laugh, cry, pray, or just check in.
As a reminder, our weekend worship schedule is:
- Saturday at 5:00 pm - Contemporary worship with singing
- Sunday at 8:00 am - Traditional spoken service
- Sunday at 10:30 am - Contemporary worship with singing
Starting this week, I'm also offering two worship services during the week:
Both weekday services last around 10-15 minutes, and you can click on the links above to see the bulletins. Like our weekend worship, Morning Prayer and Compline will be streamed on our church Facebook Live page.
Be well, and take care of yourselves physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
In Christ's love,
Andrew+
Links for worship:
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Annual Meeting
SUNDAY, JANUARY 31
11:30 AM via Zoom
The Annual Meeting of the parish, an important meeting where the congregation elects Vestry members and Delegates to Diocesan Convention, is held "the last Sunday of January each year," by church law. This year, it will look a bit different, but it will still be held!
The meeting, which is open to all parishioners who are active members on record, will begin at 11:30 AM, following the online 10:30 worship service (which will end around 11:15). We encourage the participation of as many of our members as possible. To join the meeting, click on the link below, sign into your Zoom account, or dial the phone number (for audio only) then type in the meeting ID & passcode.
Join Zoom Meeting here:
https://zoom.us/j/3305542764?pwd=aHJ6cmJWaTVXSXl6MGJiN2tWZFJuQT09
Meeting ID: 330 554 2764
Passcode: 001188
Phone number to call in: (301) 715-8592
We hope to see you there!
NOTE: CHURCH OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE/MINISTRY CHAIRS submit written reports for the "Annual Report," which will be made available in time for the meeting. This has been a unique and challenging year, so we ask that when writing your report that you not only think of the challenges faced, but also some of the positive aspects that have come out of this year. Please e-mail your reports to Sally at the church office NO LATER THAN FRIDAY, JANUARY 22nd!
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Announcements and Events
Offering Envelopes
Offering Envelopes packets for 2021 are located at the back of the church and available for pick up during church office hours. If you'd like a set mailed to you, please send an e-mail to the church office or call 610-385-3144.
Please note that if you do not have Offering Envelopes, you can still donate to St. Gabriel's. You can...
- Mail a check directly to the church
- Set up a regular donation through your bank's "Bill Pay" program, so that your bank sends a check to St. Gabe's every week or month
- Donate securely online through our "Tithely" platform
Thank you for your support!
Redner's Receipts
If you regularly shop at Redner's and have a Redner's  Rewards card, please bring in your receipts! We collect the receipts at church (in a box just inside the office entrance) and then turn then into Redner's. Redner's then donates 1% of the total amount spent to Hopewell Love.
We recently turned in the receipts we've collected, and Hopewell Love will receive $211!
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Resources
Daily Prayers from "Common Prayer"
Shane Claiborne, Christian author and modern-day prophet, co-authored a prayer book called "Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals." This book offers prayers for every day of the year, and you can read and pray these short services online.
Jesus the Lion-Lamb
Throughout the season of Epiphany, our Bible readings reveal different aspects about who Jesus is. In the Episcopal publication The Living Church, priest Clint Wilson writes about Jesus' counterintuitive identity as the Lamb of God.
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Prayer List
Please remember in your prayers those on our 30-day prayer list:
Chelsey; Eva; Ellen Fritz; the family of Nona Marshall; Diane Newell; and Nicole.
In our parish cycle of prayer this week, we pray for:
Donald, Lisa, Megan, Elizabeth, & Emerson David Bealer;
Ryan, Elizabeth, Owen, Claire, & Nathan Beebe;
Philip, Mara, Jenna, Nathan, & Sarah Bennett.
The complete prayer list is in our Sunday bulletin
(which can be viewed on the St. Gabriel's website).
If you'd like to add or remove someone from the Prayer List,
please email Barbara.
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