January 15, 2021 See our current Zoom Bulletin: Epiphany Bulletin 2021 Join Zoom Worship by Clicking Here - Amazon AWS

January 15, 2021

        See our current Zoom Bulletin: Epiphany Bulletin 2021
                 Join Zoom Worship by Clicking Here

Dear People of St. Mary's,

Every year, I return to this poem by W.H. Auden sometime after Christmas. It says
something important about these in-between months, I think. I wonder if Auden
might speak to you, too?

Your brother in Christ,
Sean

"For the Time Being"
Well, so that is that. Now we must dismantle the tree,
Putting the decorations back into their cardboard boxes –
Some have got broken – and carrying them up to the attic.
The holly and the mistletoe must be taken down and burnt,
And the children got ready for school. There are enough
Left-overs to do, warmed-up, for the rest of the week –
Not that we have much appetite, having drunk such a lot,
Stayed up so late, attempted – quite unsuccessfully –
To love all of our relatives, and in general
Grossly overestimated our powers. Once again
As in previous years we have seen the actual Vision and failed
To do more than entertain it as an agreeable
Possibility, once again we have sent Him away,
Begging though to remain His disobedient servant,
The promising child who cannot keep His word for long.
The Christmas Feast is already a fading memory,
And already the mind begins to be vaguely aware
Of an unpleasant whiff of apprehension at the thought
Of Lent and Good Friday which cannot, after all, now
Be very far off. But, for the time being, here we all are,
Back in the moderate Aristotelian city
Of darning and the Eight-Fifteen, where Euclid's geometry
And Newton's mechanics would account for our experience,
And the kitchen table exists because I scrub it.
It seems to have shrunk during the holidays. The streets
Are much narrower than we remembered; we had forgotten
The office was as depressing as this. To those who have seen
The Child, however dimly, however incredulously,
The Time Being is, in a sense, the most trying time of all.
For the innocent children who whispered so excitedly
Outside the locked door where they knew the presents to be
Grew up when it opened. Now, recollecting that moment
We can repress the joy, but the guilt remains conscious;
Remembering the stable where for once in our lives
Everything became a You and nothing was an It.

Weekly Worship Schedule

10:00 AM on Zoom –
Worship for the Season after the Epiphany
January 10 through February 14, 2021

     Follow the service with our Epiphany Seasonal Bulletin 2021. Readings may
     be found at the Lectionary Page
     Join Zoom worship from a computer or tablet: Launch Zoom 10am
     Join Zoom worship by phone: Call: (646) 558-8656; Meeting ID: 683 337
     6542#; Participant ID: #; Password: 521795#

Sundays at 11:15am - Family Gathering with Story and Prayers via Zoom

     Designed for parents and children to attend together, with an emphasis on
     preschoolers through elementary aged children. Launch Zoom 11:15am

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                                             Thank you so much for your
                                             generosity and commitment to
                                             this parish community.

                                             Homilies Online
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Coming in February – Lent Adult Formation
Four Tuesdays in Lent
Feb 16 (Shrove Tuesday)
March 2
March 16
March 30 (Tuesday in Holy Week)
7:30-8:30 PM on Zoom

You are invited to take a journey this Lent with the company of two devotionals:
Walter Brueggemann’s A Way Other Than Our Own and the St. Marys Lenten
Reflection Booklet. We will come together 4 times to reflect on what we’re
thinking, feeling, and experiencing during this holy season. Come as often as
you’re able to deepen your Lenten journey. A time of prayer will be part of our
gatherings. Please order Brueggemann's book soon so that you have it in
time for Lent.

Sign up to write for our Lenten Reflection Booklet!
                 ***Just 2 More Weeks to Sign Up***
                    *Only 10 of 47 spots are filled*
Yes, we've just begun Epiphany, but in order to have our Lenten Reflection
Booklet ready in time for Ash Wednesday (February 17th), we need all writers to
have signed up by Monday, January 25th. You can sign up to write a reflection (or
two) by clicking here.

Reflections should be in the range of 200-400 words and will ideally end with a
brief prayer. You can reflect on one or more of the scripture readings assigned for
your day. Please indicate which reading you're reflecting on at the beginning of
your reflection. The lectionary readings assigned to each day of Lent can be
found at www.lectionarypage.net.

Once sign-ups are complete, we'll share more information about how to submit
your reflection(s).

Thank you so much for participating in this annual gift to one another!

We need photos for our website!
Rev. Sean, Renee Barrick, and Ian Richmond have been working to update and
simplify our website. We aim to make it friendlier for newcomers, who are the
main audience for our site. And now, we need pictures to help make it more
beautiful and to offer a window into our community life. Do you have pictures to
share? Any and all pictures of our parish community in action are most welcome.
We won't be able to use every photo submitted, and we're grateful for your
understanding. You can upload your photos by clicking here.

COVID Vaccine News

The Montgomery County Office of Public Health (OPH) is asking people to
preregister for the COVID-19 vaccine, based on categories. For more information
on how the procedure will work, please click here or call OPH at (610) 278-3000.

Adult Education & Formation
Parish Book Discussion on Race and Racism in America
Tuesday, February 9th, 7:30-9:00 PM on Zoom
Click Here to Join Zoom Meeting

You're invited to read White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in
American Christianity by Robert P. Jones and then join in a book discussion with
fellow parishioners.

E.J. Dionne says of this new book: "Robert Jones offers both searching personal
testimony and a rigorous look at the facts to call white Christians to account for
the scandalous ways white supremacists have regularly distorted and
manipulated a faith dedicated to love and justice to rationalize racism. Jones is a
rare and indispensable voice in our public conversation about religion because he
combines painstaking data analysis with a moral sense."

For a recent interview on white supremacy with Robert Jones,click here. For any
questions, please e-mail Michael D'Antonio.

Diocesan Offering: An Introduction to Systemic Racism
Saturday, January 30, 2021 from 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM
This webinar is an introduction to the four-part series from the Anti-Racism
Commission of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, exploring the multi-
layered manifestations of systemic racism in the United States. We will develop a
sociological understanding of the concepts race, racism, prejudice, discrimination,
ethnicity, minority, power, privilege, stratification, as well as other relevant
terminology. Click on link below for tickets and to sign up:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/introduction-to-systemic-racism-tickets-
131100684677?aff=erellivmlt

Men's Film Night

The next meeting of St. Mary's Men's Film Night will be on Tuesday, January
19th from 7:35-8:35pm (please note the revised starting time).

From John Krick:

The Ice Storm was included on a recent list in The New York Times of good
movies of a wintry nature that are a change-up from the traditional Christmas
fare. So, if you are looking to watch something along the lines of It's A
Wonderful Life, you'll be disappointed. More like the opposite.

Released in 1997, director Ang Lee takes us back to 1973, the Watergate era. Set
in the Connecticut suburbs, The Ice Storm is a tale of two families who on the
surface seem to have it pretty good, but soon the fault lines emerge, fueled by
alcohol, drugs and sex. Perhaps it is inevitable that their comfortable lives will
soon be forever changed.

The Ice Storm is notable for a stellar ensemble cast that includes Kevin Kline,
Joan Allen, Sigourney Weaver (who received multiple Supporting Actress
awards), Christina Ricci and Tobey Maguire. It also received the Cannes Film
Award for Best Screenplay. Interestingly, despite these positives, the film was a
commercial failure, costing twice as much to make as it took in. Back in 1997,
most of us spent our money to see Men in Black and Titanic instead. So it
goes.

This is how our group works. We watch a movie and then we get together and talk
about it (and other stuff). Then we choose another film to watch and do it
again. We always learn something new. And it is a lot of fun.

You can watch The Ice Storm on Prime Video, Apple TV and other streaming
services.

Join the Zoom meeting.

Reach out to John Krick, Michael D'Antonio or John Cleary if you have any
questions.

Centering Prayer Group
New day: the Centering Prayer Group will meet at7:00-7:30pm on Tuesdays
through February 9th. Click here for this week's Zoom link.

This weekly session is for people who would like to practice Centering Prayer
technique along with others from time to time. Anyone who would like to know
more about this system of prayer can e-mail the parish office at
stmarysardmore@verizon.net or call (610) 649-1486.

Spiritual Reflection Group
Spiritual Reflection Group will meet Monday, February 1, 7:00 PM via Zoom. For
our discussion we will use a selection from Pope Francis' encyclical Fratelli
tutti ("All brothers"). All are welcome. For more information, contact Dianne
Williams.

Youth Group
The St. Mary’s Youth Group offers a fun and inclusive space for the youth of St.
Mary’s to connect, learn, and explore their faith. We gladly welcome new group
members, in grades 6 and up, to join us as we grow in our relationship to God and
each other! Youth Group meets on most Sundays from 11:30-12:30 on Zoom.

Please contact Annamarie Given to learn more and get the Zoom information.

Ardmore Food Pantry
We served 87 guests on Monday, January 11th.

Food Donations

Due to the generosity of St. Mary's members and many in the community our
shelves are more than full at the moment. Thank you! We are sharing some of
the wealth of items with other houses of worship and food pantries. So, for the
next couple of weeks, we will not be asking for donations. If you would still like to
donate, that is certainly fine, but if you could please hold onto those donations
until the week of January 18th we’d appreciate it. That will give us a chance to put
a dent in our inventory before adding new items. Thanks very much.

AFP Volunteer Opportunities
If you are interested in volunteering at the pantry:

     Mondays, please click on Sign-up Genius and find a date and time that
     works for you.
     Thursdays, we start at 1:00. No sign-up genius. Just stop by the Food
     Pantry.
     Saturdays we have alternating teams of volunteers. One team can use a
     couple of members and meets at 11:00am. No sign-up genius necessary.
     Sunday afternoons, please come by the Food Pantry around noon. No
     sign-up genius necessary.

Since we limit the number of volunteers at any session to between 8 and 10, it is
a good idea to check with Deacon Karen beforehand.

Throughout this time, plastic bags, and paper bags (especially sturdy and doubled

bags with handles) are always welcomed.

Please no more egg cartons! Your diligence has us covered for months to come!

Many thanks, prayers, and blessings,
The AFP Advisory Board, AFP Volunteers, our Guests and Deacon Karen

Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN)
It’s the stories that challenge and inspire us. Vanessa and her two sons were
finally progressing into independence until COVID hit. Jasmine and her sons were
recently settled into a home but at risk of losing it when COVID hit and her job
ended.

Yes, the pandemic has been devastating to so many area families. And, yes, IHN
has quickly adapted, converting its Day Center into a 24/7 residential facility and
beginning a new program for recent graduates needing additional support.

And St. Mary’s has adapted also. No longer able to safely house families, we
have stepped up with cash donations to fill in the budget gaps for the Day Center
that didn’t anticipate increased utility bills and building modifications a year ago.
We’ve also responded to requests for cleaning supplies, diapers, gift cards and
more.

Meal planning and delivery, too, have been different. Instead of enjoying the
company of families while sharing St. Mary’s-prepared meals in our rectory, we
have delivered easy-to-heat food and meals adapted to each family’s requests.
On Monday and Friday of our host week, one or two of our volunteers have driven
a densely packed carful of items to the Norristown Day Center. Then, so the IHN
families could see the encouraging smiles of our volunteers, we prepared a poster
of photos to display.

As we enter 2021 with five host weeks on our schedule, we’ll continue to adapt
even as we look forward to once again meeting the families who help us face the
urgent needs of homelessness.

To learn more about Vanessa and Jasmine and the very specific impact of our
volunteers’ support, see the very compelling IHN of the Main Line annual report.

Prayer List

Each January, we begin our prayer list afresh. Please resubmit any names that
you would like to continue being on this list in the new year.

St. Mary's parishioners and those they love:
Phillipa Edmonia-Marguerite Ashby Benin, Janet Chenery and Conway Family,
Amy Cleary, Weecha Crawford, Joan Emmett, Joanne Grecia, Kitty Grecia,
Evelyn Kabulis, Roy Lewis, Rakeisha Reid, Deacon Robin Robb, Florence
Schick, Thea, Harold Thompson.

Ardmore Food Pantry guests and volunteers:
Abby, Doris Ama, Barbara, Juanita Brown, Tim Brown, Shirley Burrell, Carolyn,
Karen Carr, Ann Cross, Dolores, Donna Dundon, Hank Finkel, Franz, Garry,
Ellen Green, Julie, Lois, Barbara Michener, Evelyn Mayo, Joseph P., Abby
Parker, the Parker Family, Margaret and Sherri Pendleton, Roslyn, Gladys
Saldana, the Santorina Family, Charlene Taylor, Todd and son, Vic, Mark Wilmer,
and Annie Woo

Should there be someone you would like to have added to the Prayer List, please
contact the Parish office at stmarysardmore@verizon.net or by phone at (610)
649-1486.

                         Parish Office (610) 649-1486

                        Ardmore Food Pantry Hours
                 Monday 11:00am - 12:00pm; 6:00pm - 7:00pm
                      foodpantry@stmarysardmore.org

                                   Rector
                              Rev. Sean Lanigan

                            Associate in Ministry
                           Deacon Karen Kaminskas

                            Parish Administrator
                                Renee Barrick

                              Director of Music
                                 John Grecia

                                Church Sexton
                                 Jim Umhofer

                              Announcements
                         stmarysardmore@verizon.net

St. Mary's Episcopal Church                                                       ​
36 Ardmore Avenue
Ardmore, PA 19003
www.stmarysardmore.org
(610) 649-1486