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Haga clic aquí para ver el mensaje de esta semana en español de nuestro misionero latino, Luis Valencia.
From the Rector
The Rev. Dr. Jared C. Cramer, SCP
Dear <<First Name>>
This coming week sees three distinct and yet important and meaningful moments coming together, one immediately after another.
This Sunday is Trinity Sunday, one of the seven principal feasts of the church year and one of only two principal feasts that fall on a Sunday. That means our 8:30am liturgy will include the music of the harpsichord and our 10am liturgy will be sung with incense. We will also use incense at our 12:45pm Spanish-language liturgy. Of course, I'm always tempted on Trinity Sunday simply to play my favorite short cartoon clip from Lutheran Satire about the Trinity... but I will do my best to resist.
The following day, Monday, May 31, is Memorial Day. This sacred day in our national calendar is set aside to honor those who died in service of their country. Though often seen as the joyful start of the summer, it is important on Memorial Day to take stock, pray for those who have died, and ask what we can do to bring an end to violence and war in our world. It's our custom at SJE for me to use the thanksgiving "For Heroic Service" found on page 839 of the Book of Common Prayer as the concluding collect for the previous Sunday's liturgy and I plan on doing that this year as well. Additionally, if you have any friends or family members who died while performing their duties in the armed forces, please feel free to click here and add them to the names of those I will read at Sunday's service this week.
Finally, Tuesday, June 1, is the 100th Anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre. As the Wiki article on this event notes, this was "when mobs of White residents, many of them deputized and given weapons by city officials, attacked Black residents and businesses of the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It has been called 'the single worst incident of racial violence in American history.' The attack, carried out on the ground and from private aircraft, destroyed more than 35 square blocks of the district—at that time the wealthiest Black community in the United States, known as 'Black Wall Street'. More than 800 people were admitted to hospitals, and as many as 6,000 Black residents were interned in large facilities, many of them for several days. The Oklahoma Bureau of Vital Statistics officially recorded 36 dead." Later, a 2001 commission raised that number to 39, while acknowledging the actual tally could be between 75 and 300. At SJE, along with several faith communities across our area and nation, we will commemorate this event on Tuesday at Noon, ringing the church bell 36 times and then saying the Great Litany for penitence and reconciliation in the Nave. You're welcome to join us in person or on Facebook Live. On Sunday, I will also read the names of those thirty-six who were murdered, alongside of those names submitted for Memorial Day remembrances.
Each of these events carries their own importance, their own tenor, and intersects with our lives in their own way. I think that perhaps most importantly every one of these reminds us that the forces of violence and darkness are always on the prowl, seeking to engulf us as a people, church, and nation. It is our calling as Christians to stand against injustice and to work for peace both close to home and around the world.
Warmly,
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As we continue to reopen, there are two ministry positions where we could use some help.
• We need more ushers at both the 8:30am and 10am liturgy. Your job is pretty simple, get there about 20 minutes early, be super friendly and check people off as they arrive (or ask them to share their name and contact info on the sheet), carry forward the offerings at the Offertory, put the money in a tamper-proof bag and drop it in the safe at the end. More details online here.
• We also need more coffee hour hosts for the 10am liturgy. Once again, pretty simple job. Get there early to make coffee and lemonade. After you take communion, slip out of the service early and use a cart to bring the coffee and lemonade outside. Then, bring everything back in when the fellowship winds down. Currently, there is no food at Coffee Hour, but when that resumes, then the host either buys or makes some kind of snack food (it varies a lot!) to set-out. If the cost of buying coffee hour snacks is difficult for you, hosts can always submit receipts to Cindi for reimbursement from the Hospitality Fund. More details online here.
If you'd be interested in joining either of these important ministries of welcome, please email Fr. Jared.
Episcopal Youth Camp to Open
We are pleased to announce that Episcopal Youth Camp plans to take place this summer! And SJE has funds to scholarship the cost of camp for the children of any of our members! Contact Fr. Jared or Reyna for more information on getting a camp scholarship.
Pending pandemic restrictions, the Episcopal Youth Camp will gather the weeks of August 8th (Senior Camp) and August 15th (Junior Camp and CIT) at Camp Newaygo. All youth, grades 3-12, are invited to join us for a great camp experience. Visit our website to learn more about our sessions, pricing, and more. Registration is open now and early bird rates are available.
Register Here!
Click here to learn about our COVID protocols before and during the sessions, our cancellation policy, and other details. Adults interested in volunteering or donating can learn more on our website. If you have any questions, please email camp@edwm.org.
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