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Dear Friend,
On Wednesday morning I saw a clergy friend ask on Facebook "Is this the first day of Lent 2021 or the 341st day of Lent 2020?" It does indeed feel like the last year has been one long season of Lent. But we are resurrection people. We know that this is not where the story ends. We know that there is new life on the horizon and that a new dawn always comes after the long darkness of winter nights.
This Lent I find myself practicing gratefulness for small things and "Covid blessings," as a friend and fellow priest calls them. I am most grateful this week for sturdy shelter, a working heater, power, and clean water. All week I have been reading updates from my Seminary of the Southwest family in Texas about the devastation of their winter storm and the failures of the Texas power grid. They are experiencing the same freezing temperatures as we are up here, but without the needed infrastructure to survive in it. Millions have been without power or heat for days. Many are also without water as pipes burst and water treatment facilities fail. I invite your prayers for all those in our world who do not have what they need to survive these cold days.
As we enter into Lent, I wonder what practices you are feeling called into. How will you draw closer to God as we journey together toward Easter?
In Christ,
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From left to right: Screenshot of The Rev. Jim Martin preaching at our Covenant Ash Wednesday Service; Table of ashes, prayer cards, and Lenten study books; Isabel Kempton recives ashes at St. Andrew's; Mtr. Radha distributes packets of ashes at St. Mary's.
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Vote for the Name of our Newsletter!
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UTO In-Gathering Sunday
The next in-gathering of United Thank Offering boxes at St. Mary's is Sunday, February 21. Please bring your boxes to the parking lot when you come to receive communion that day. You can also mail donations to the parish office. We will pray the UTO Prayer together in our service that Sunday.
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Invitation to Conversation about the
Thriving Bi-Vocational Congregations Program
You are invited to a Covenant-wide conversation about the possibility of our Covenant's participation in a new program on Sunday, February 21 at 1:00 pm. The conversation will take place on Zoom, at the same link we use for our services. I hope that you will bring your hopes for our Covenant and your questions about the program. Please join us!
Click here to join the Zoom meeting.
Our Covenant has been nominated by the diocese to apply for a new Lily Grant funded project at Iona called "Thriving Bi-Vocational Congregations." This program has been developed in order to support and empower bi-vocational congregations to embrace their unique call and to thrive in it. Bi-vocational congregations are diverse. They can be led by laity, non-stipendiary clergy, or clergy serving multiple calls. The last one is us!
As I said in my Rector's Annual Report, our model of church as a Covenant between multiple parishes is an exciting re-imagining of what church can be. Bi-vocational congregations are one of the fastest growing segments of the church right now.
This program includes workshops and conversation over Zoom, one-on-one mentoring, and work on some projects within the congregation to implement what we are learning in the program. The three prongs of learning are spiritual formation, vocational discernment as a congregation, and asset-based community development to deepen our relationships with our local contexts.
The program is a three-year commitment. They ask that the entire congregation commits to this work together. The meetings are a attended by a team of three people from the congregation, including me as the rector. That team can be made up of a bench of volunteers who rotate attending the meetings. That team of volunteers would share our learnings with the Covenant and work with both churches to develop any projects we do.
Right now we are in the phase of discerning if we do feel called to apply for this program. The application is due April 16. I believe that this is an exciting possibility for our Covenant. The program goals are precisely the questions that your Leadership Council has been beginning to explore. I believe that having partners on that exploration and gifted leaders helping us to discern how we thrive as who we are as a Covenant would be a gift to the council, to me, and two both of our churches.
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Lenten Program
You are invited to our joint Lenten program on Wednesday nights in Lent from 7:00 - 8:00 pm, beginning February 24. We will gather on Zoom.
This program will include a time of contemplative prayer and discussion of Living Compass’ book Living Well Through Lent 2021: Listening with All Your Heart, Soul, Strength, and Mind. If you would like a copy of the book, email or call Mtr. Radha. We are happy to send you one! The books have been made available for free by Living Compass.
Click here to join the Zoom meeting.
To join by phone, call: 312-626-6799 (Chicago)
When prompted, enter Meeting ID: 745 519 1600
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Lenten Conversation Partner
Would you like to have a conversation partner to journey with through Lent? Theresa Williams is in the midst of reading books on three different topics and would love to reflect and ponder with someone by phone on any or all of them throughout the Lenten season. The books / concepts are:
- Book: “The Heart of Centering Prayer: Nondual Christianity in Theory and Practice” by Cynthia Bourgeault. Concept: What exactly is nondual Christianity and how do we experience it?
- Book: “How God Changes Your Brain: Breakthrough Findings from a Leading Neuroscientist” by Andrew Newberg, M.D. Concept: How does our biology influence our belief systems?
- Book: “Faith After Doubt: Why Your Beliefs Stopped Working and What to Do About It” by Brian D. McLaren. Concept: How can faith and doubt coexist?
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Meijer Simply Give Program to Benefit
the Manna Pantry
Starting February 14 and ending April 4, the Simply Give program at the Big Rapids Meijer store will benefit the Manna Pantry of Big Rapids. This means that every card you purchase for $10 will translate into a $20 donation to the Manna Pantry. There are two double match days when Meijer’s will match each $10 with a $20 match. They are March 13 and April 3. Please donate often. This is an easy way to increase your support to the Pantry. For those who live in Cadillac, please check at the Cadillac Meijer store to see what organization they are supporting this time. It is probably a local food pantry.
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Upcoming Class for
Confirmation, Reception, and Reaffirmation
The Northern Region of our diocese will be offering a class to prepare for Confirmation, Reception, and Reaffirmation of Baptismal Vows. This class will be taught by clergy from our region, including Mtr. Radha. We will learn about the Episcopal Church, the Book of Common Prayer, and the rites of our church. We will explore our faith and discern how God is calling each of us.
Classes will be on the fourth Sunday of each month from 7:00-8:40 pm from February 28th through October 24th. After the completion of this class, participants will be invited to be confirmed, received, or reaffirm their baptismal vows.
Anyone who has been baptized and desires to explore making this commitment in the Episcopal Church is invited to join us. If you are interested in joining us or have any questions, please contact Mtr. Radha.
What are Confirmation, Reception, and Reaffirmation?
Confirmation is the rite in which we express a mature commitment to Christ, and receive strength from the Holy Spirit through prayer and the laying on of hands by a bishop (from the Catechism in the Book of Common Prayer).
Reception is the rite in which baptized persons who have been members of another Christian fellowship and who wish to be affiliated with the Episcopal Church may make a public affirmation of their faith and commitment to the responsibilities of their baptism in the presence of a bishop. The bishop lays hands on each candidate for reception and says, "We recognize you as a member of the one holy catholic and apostolic Church, and we receive you into the fellowship of this Communion" (BCP, p. 418). Candidates for reception normally have made a mature commitment in another Christian fellowship (An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church).
Reaffirmation of Baptismal Vows is the rite in which persons who are already baptized are presented to the bishop in the context of a service of Baptism or Confirmation to reaffirm their baptismal vows. These might be persons returning to the church after a period of unbelief or those who have entered a new level of spiritual life. (An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church).
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Invitation to Affinity Group Conversation
about Bishop Hougland's Suspension
As we continue through this difficult season - including the pandemic, violence on the national stage, the continuing devastation of systemic racism, and especially our bishop’s suspension - the Dioceses of Western and Eastern Michigan invite you to participate in an Affinity Group Conversation.
We believe that we would all benefit from processing together our feelings around our bishop’s misconduct and resulting suspension in the midst of these other challenges. This conversation will be about us, both as individuals and as a community and will be focused on wellness and pastoral care. Conversations like these have already begun to take place with certain groups in our wider community, including our joint staff and some regional clergy groups. We look forward to our own opportunity as a joint Standing Committee to participate as well.
As a participant in an “Affinity Group Conversation'' you will be placed in a small group of individuals that share similar characteristics of their life and ministry within the church - from our clergy, to our youth, to the every day member of a congregation. These groups will meet at least once over Zoom during February, March, and early April with the specific schedules to be determined by the participants’ availability. Each small group will have a facilitator, either someone from outside our dioceses or someone that might reside within our boundaries but are not part of the Episcopal Church.
It is important to understand that these Affinity Group Conversations are intentionally not for the purpose of information gathering or decision-making. The facilitators of the conversations may relay to the Standing Committees overarching themes they hear, but there will not be members of Standing Committee or our staffs present to record data from the group or individuals. However, you should also be aware that if a concern arises that would indicate a violation of Title IV of our Canons, this would be shared with the appropriate parties and would require private follow-up with the individual raising the issue. We will gather closer to the end of Bishop Hougland’s suspension to do some intentional data collection and listening sessions ahead of the decision that must be made of whether the dioceses would invite Bishop Hougland back into relationship with us.
We hope you will consider joining an Affinity Group. We believe that time spent intentionally processing our experience and feelings ahead of the difficult conversations ahead will be truly beneficial to our individuals, our various communities, and our dioceses at-large.
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News from the Wider Church
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PBS Special Featuring
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry
Submitted by Theresa Williams
Michael Curry, our Presiding Bishop, will be interviewed during Episode Two of the upcoming PBS special: “The Black Church – This is Our Story – This is Our Song”.
Our local PBS stations (WCMU in Mt. Pleasant for Cadillac and WGVU for Big Rapids) will be airing the program on two consecutive Tuesdays in February at 9:00 p.m. Episode One will air on Tuesday, February 16. Episode Two (which includes our PB) will air on Tuesday, February 23.
If you can’t watch the program live, it looks like PBS will be making it available on YouTube after the original air dates.
From PBS: "The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song is a moving four-hour, two-part series from executive producer, host and writer Henry Louis Gates, Jr., the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor at Harvard University and director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research, that traces the 400-year-old story of the Black church in America, all the way down to its bedrock role as the site of African American survival and grace, organizing and resilience, thriving and testifying, autonomy and freedom, solidarity and speaking truth to power."
Click here for more information about this program.
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Upcoming Services
- February 21, 10:15 am - Holy Eucharist on Zoom with distribution in the St. Mary's parking lot
- We will pray the Prayer for Spiritual Communion with all those who are unable to join us in the parking lot.
- At the end of the Zoom service you will be invited to travel to the St. Andrew's parking lot to receive communion. Please remain in your car when you arrive. We will give everyone 45 minutes to gather in the parking lot.
- If you would like to join us for only the parking lot portion of the service, plan to arrive at St. Mary's at about noon.
- February 24, 7:00 pm - Lenten Compline
- February 26, 8:00 pm - Diocesan Compline
- Mtr. Radha will officiate the weekly Friday night Compline held on the Facebook pages of the Dioceses of Western and Eastern MI.
- February 28, 10:15 am - Holy Eucharist on Zoom with distribution in the St. Andrew's parking lot
- We will pray the Prayer for Spiritual Communion with all those who are unable to join us in the parking lot.
- At the end of the Zoom service you will be invited to travel to the St. Andrew's parking lot to receive communion. Please remain in your car when you arrive. We will give everyone 45 minutes to gather in the parking lot.
- If you would like to join us for only the parking lot portion of the service, plan to arrive at St. Andrew's at about noon.
You can join all of our Zoom services by video on your computer, tablet, or smartphone by clicking the link below, or by any phone by calling the number below. When you join the Zoom call you will be placed in a waiting room. You will be admitted from the waiting room as you join us.
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Readings for the First Sunday in Lent
February 21, 2021
Hebrew Scripture: Genesis 9:8-17
Psalm: Psalm 25:1-9
New Testament: 1 Peter 3:18-22
Gospel: Mark 1:9-15
You can find the full text of the readings at The Lectionary Page.
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Serving Schedules
Worship
Durable Medical Equipment Lending Pantry
February 22: Jerry and Dale Hoekwater
February 25: Nancy and Pat Foster
March 1: Diane Wilson, One person needed
March 4: Nancy and Pat Foster
March 8: Two people needed
March 11: Karen and Lee Peters
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Special Guidelines for Service and Outreach Ministries:
- Distributions are permitted only for outdoor, curbside delivery. No guest may enter the building at any time.
- There must be no more than ten volunteers inside the building at a time.
- All volunteers must wear masks and maintain six feet of physical distancing between households.
There are two conditions we must meet in order to return to in-person services. First, the diocese must move us back into Phase 2 of the Plan for Re-Entry. Second, we must meet the conditions of our parish plan for re-entry, which requires that our county have no more than nine daily new cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 people. At this time, there is no estimate about the timeline of the Diocesan phases. The bishops of Michigan continue to meet regularly to asses the Plan for Re-Entry.
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Contributions are welcome!
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If you would like to submit something for the e-newsletter, please email it to Mtr. Radha (rector.cmec@gmail.com) by Tuesday of that week.
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