PARISH NOTES 

Sunday 19 July 2020

Parable of the Wheat and the Tares (1624) by Abraham Bloemaert (1564-1651). Oil on canvas. Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, MD.

THIS SUNDAY’S READINGS 

Seventh Sunday after Pentecost (Year A)
Isaiah 44:6-8
Psalm 86:11-17
Romans 8:12-25
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

THIS SUNDAY’S MUSIC

Charles-Marie Widor (1844 – 1937)—Bach’s Memento: 3. Aria in E-moll

Eugène Gigout (1844 – 1925)—Toccata en Si mineur

A WORD OF WELCOME 

Welcome to Saint Stephen’s – S. Stephen’s Church is in the midst of Brown University and serves the communities of the East Side of Providence, North Providence, East Providence, and beyond. It is a parish of the Diocese of Rhode Island in the Episcopal Church in the worldwide Anglican Communion. The Anglo-Catholic tradition informs and shapes our life together. We are a diverse community uniting all sorts and conditions in the worship of Our Lord Jesus Christ and aim to offer up the best we have in liturgy, music, preaching, teaching, fellowship, and service.

A WORD FROM FATHER LOCKE

Jesus again uses plants and seeds as signs of the Kingdom, this time by way of pointing out the spiritual danger of trying to be pure. In a situation in which weeds are mixed in with the wheat, there are those who are quite prepared – even eager – to decide which is which and to get rid of the bad. Not so fast, says Jesus, that is the work of the angels, not of fallen humanity.

The history of the church is replete with examples of those who decide they are truly faithful and break away to stay pure. Having broken community once, they tend to continue to fracture, each new group being “purer” than the others. The hard work of Christian community is to acknowledge the weediness of others – and ourselves – and to let God do the sorting.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Welcome Back! – We’re delighted to be able to see you again this Sunday! While we continue to gather again, this privilege comes with it some protocols to keep us all safe. A summary of the safety protocols may be found here.

New Rector Announced – Fr. Benjamin Straley has accepted the call to serve as the next rector of S. Stephen's Church. For more information about his call, to read a letter he wrote to the parish, and to view an introduction video, please click here. Please keep Fr. Straley in your prayers, as he prepares to arrive on 15 August.

Fr. Benjamin Straley

Almighty God, Giver of all good gifts, who of thy divine providence hast provided a rector for our church: Give thy grace, we humbly beseech thee, to Father Straley, called to ministry for thy people; and so fill him with the truth of thy doctrine and clothe him with holiness of life, that he may faithfully serve before thee, to the glory of thy great Name, and for the benefit of thy holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Virtual Offices and Masses – We will continue to offer Virtual Offices and Masses for those who wish to continue to participate safely from home. To access and view the LIVE (and archived) services, please visit the parish Facebook page here (you do not need a FB account to tune in). To access accompanying Daily Office and Low Mass readings and resources (as well as archived services), please visit the parish website sermon page here.

Virtual Coffee Hour – Please join us for our Virtual Sunday Coffee Hour tomorrow, 19 July, at 11:30 am. To attend, please click here. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact Junior Warden Alison Huff via call or text at 401-465-8029 or email (alisonhuff12@gmail.com), or Jacob Ihnen via call or text at 712-348-5848 or email (jacob_ihnen@alumni.brown.edu). Thank you!

Saint Mary Magdalene (22 July) – a major feast day of the church year, will be celebrated this coming Wednesday with Evening Prayer at 5:30 pm and Low Mass at 6 pm.

Saint James the Apostle (25 July) – a major feast day of the church year, will be celebrated this coming Saturday with Morning Prayer at 9:30 am and Low Mass at 10 am.

Episcopal Conference Center (ECC) Offerings this Summer – ECC is excited to offer you some (safe, physically distant) opportunities to be at ECC this summer. Details of their limited offerings can be found at their website here.

Concerning Pledges and the Sunday Offering – A key worry in this time of physical distancing is that our inability to fully gather as a church damages our income. We have heard nothing from the public health authorities about the risks of virus transmission through the mail, so feel free to mail your check to the church. Alternatively, it is quite straightforward to give online by clicking here to visit S. Stephen’s online giving page, where you can use the payment portal week by week or set up a recurring direct deposit program with your bank. We are grateful for your generous response to our appeal for pledges in this transition year. Now the challenge is for us to receive and collect these pledges. We don’t know how long this period of physical distancing will have to last. If you are experiencing financial difficulties which hurt your ability to keep a pledge you made before this crisis of the coronavirus, please do not hesitate to let us know. Thank you for your love of S. Stephen’s.

FOR YOUR PRAYERS

Prayers have been requested for: Beverly, Patti, Ethel, Carl, Kade, Sherri, Charles, Sandra, Lola, Ruby, Norman, Diana, Sarah, Shannah, Lynne, Harrington, Joan, Robyn, Phebe, Hunter, Ann, Beth, Sandy, Kiersten, Beverly, Tom, Jill, Bryan, Angela, Bobby, Susan, Beverly, Kevin, Rhoda, Crystal, and Christopher.

Birthdays this week: Harrington Gordon (Sunday 7/19), Molly Ellis (Tuesday 7/21), Tatjana Johnson (Tuesday 7/21), and William Locke (Thursday 7/23).

The faithful departed: Year’s Mind: Georgia Merrill Wray (20 July 1983), James H. Hurn (20 July 1987), Louis Garland Davis (21 July 2009), Houghton P. Metcalf (22 July 2003), and William Dunbar Stewart (24 July 1988). Recently Departed: Eric Westby.

Anglican and Diocesan Cycles of Prayer – In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, we are asked to pray for the Episcopal Church in the Philippines: The Most Rev’d Joel Atiwag Pachao, Prime Bishop of the Philippines; in the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, for the people and clergy of St. James', North Providence, and St. James’, Woonsocket.

THIS WEEK AT S. STEPHEN’S

EXTRA-PAROCHIAL EVENTS HOSTED AT S. STEPHEN’S

Saturday 25 July
Epiphany Soup Kitchen (Meal Pickup Only)  2:30-4:30 pm

LITURGICAL CALENDAR & SERVICE SCHEDULE

* REGATHERING HAS RESUMED FOR IN-PERSON SERVICES ON SUNDAYS (80 PEOPLE TOTAL) AND WEEKDAYS (14 PEOPLE TOTAL)
* ALL ATTENDEES MUST ADHERE TO WRITTEN AND VERBAL PROTOCOLS TO ATTEND

Sunday 19 July
SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (G)
Sung Mass  10 am

Daily Office and Mass Lectionary: Proper 11, Year Two

Monday 20 July
FERIA (G)
Margaret of Antioch, Martyr, 4th century
Evening Prayer  5:30 pm
Low Mass  6 pm

Tuesday 21 July
FERIA (G)
Noonday Prayer  12 noon
Low Mass  12:10 pm

Wednesday 22 July
SAINT MARY MAGDALENE (W)
Evening Prayer  5:30 pm
Low Mass  6 pm

Thursday 23 July
FERIA (G)
Bridget of Sweden, Abbess, Patron of Europe, 1373
Noonday Prayer  12 noon
Low Mass  12:10 pm

Friday 24 July
FERIA (G)
Thomas à Kempis, Priest, 1471
Noonday Prayer  12 noon
Low Mass  12:10 pm

Saturday 25 July
SAINT JAMES THE APOSTLE (R)
Morning Prayer  9:30 am
Low Mass  10 am

Sunday 26 July
EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (G)
Sung Mass  10 am

NEXT SUNDAY'S READINGS (26 July)

Eighth Sunday after Pentecost (Year A)
1 Kings 3:5-12
Psalm 119:129-136
Romans 8:26-39
Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52