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The Fledgling--Week of February 3, 2023
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I had a stressful (non-church related) meeting coming this week, so I spent the evenings baking cookies. This was an adapted stress relief mechanism from early in the pandemic, when I spent a lot of time baking pita bread and perfecting the recipe for molasses cookies. Something in my Southern raising insisted that I could make the meeting go better by producing cookies and coffee. Who doesn't love cookies and coffee?
In nearly every culture, food is intrinsically linked to hospitality. When someone steps foot in your house, you offer them food and drink. It is what you do, no matter if they have traveled from across the world or across the street. You offer them nourishment and refreshment, based on the assumption that all human beings need to eat and drink. The code of hospitality, though it is translated differently across cultures, rests on the recognition of humanity. You're human, I'm human, you'll need to eat, I'll need to eat. Let me meet your needs, because I share them too. Have some cookies.
Throughout the Bible, we continually encounter figures who share hospitality. Abraham and Sarah extended hospitality to the three strangers when they received word of Sarah's pregnancy. Lot extended hospitality to the angels in Sodom, Elijah received hospitality from the widow of Zarapeth, and Jesus benefited from the hospitality of many different people who hosted him, including Mary and Martha. Part of our call to love one another as we have been loved is included in the rituals of cultural hospitality--the mundane work of hosting one another, whether that work is done literally or spiritually. Our call is to recognize our common humanity, affirm our belovedness, and hold a space where everyone is fed and nourished.
With cookies, if possible.
If you have an announcement for the Fledgling, send it to the office by Thursday morning for inclusion on Friday. Bulletin announcements should be into the office by Wednesday morning.
- If you know of someone who would like to receive the Fledgling, please send their email to the office.
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Prayer for the week
Set us free, O God, from the bondage of our sins, and give us the liberty of that abundant life which you have made known to us in your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Readings for this week
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Have you had coffee/tea/hot cider with Mtr Megan? Send me an email and we'll set up Skype/Facetime and chat! It's fun (I promise) and we can still meet while we're staying safe right now.
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Schedule this week:
Daily Morning Prayer: Monday--Thursday 9:30am on FB and YouTube
Adult Education: 9:15am in Parish Hall and on Zoom
Sunday Worship: 8am Rite 1 and 10:30am Rite 2
Episcopal 101: Join us following the 10:30am service. Grab some coffee and snacks, and head to the Chapman room!
Israel/Palestine Pilgrimage Organizational Meeting: Zoom 4pm (link in your email)
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Christian Education
Adult Education resumes with a new book. We are now reading Jesus and John Wayne, by Kristin DuMez. Join us in person or via Zoom with Chapter 7 THIS week.
CW: This book discusses difficult topics at times, and includes descriptions of child abuse, and racist and homophobic violence. Please take care of yourselves.
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Miss the Annual Meeting? Catch up now by reading the packet, here. Sincere apologies for the faulty Zoom link that was shared--somehow the link became corrupted and it failed to work. As soon as we have minutes from the Annual Meeting, these will be sent out in the Fledgling as well. --Mtr. Megan
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Historical Moment
In celebration of our 200th year, which began in April, we are perusing the various records of the parish to offer up different tidbits of our past. One of the topics I have been tracking down is how St. John's dealt with issues around the Civil Rights Movement. It is difficult to make any broad generalizations, however, at the Annual Meeting in January of 1964, we can read this:
"James L. Gibbs thanked the parish for use of the facilities by the Council for Equality. Father Traub urged the parish to support the Council in its work and to attend their meetings. Mrs. Cottrell pointed out that there is an Episcopal organization for the purpose of fostering equality and the church should consider a local chapter. It is the Episcopal Society for Cultural and Racial Unity."
Here is what we know: James L. Gibbs was a local hero and the first director of the Southside Community Center. His work, and the work of the Council for Equality, transformed the lives of Black people here in Ithaca and around the country. Mrs. Cottrell (who I think ended up the first woman elected to Vestry) did start a local chapter of ESCRU, and that national organization was instrumental in causing the Episcopal Church to confront its complicity in segregation and racism.
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