Have you begun to notice moments of goodness all around you?
As people of faith, we know these as moments of God's grace.
We hope you will share your
Grace notes with us.
Email yours by clicking
HERE.
Today, several St. Martin's staff members share theirs:
Mitch:
On Sunday, Denise and Noah saw a rainbow while on a walk, and were reminded of God's promise to care for the world.
Susan:
One that has really touched me is that as I have been making calls to parishioners, so many of them have told me of other parishioners who have been calling, reaching out, offering to make runs to the grocery store, and just taking care of each other. It's been such a blessing to see how well we love each other at St. Martin's-in-the-Fields!
Caitlyn:
I took the dog for a walk at Sesqui, and we watched so many little kids marveling at Creation with their families. Baby tortoises were lifted up to be closely examined, bits of algae were wondered at, and excited shrieks echoed when little silver fish appeared. It was so special watching people appreciate the fingerprints of God's grace in nature and share love together.
Chuck: Our son built a fire so that Michelle could relax and rest. It was a good alternative to watching the news.
Allison:
I
saw God's grace in our neighbors' impromptu porch concert over the weekend as we all gathered, listening joyfully and with gratitude from the safe distance of our yards.
Kathy:
Three precious little children brought a sweet "wreath" to me, made from a paper plate with cutout paper eggs and a beautiful cross in the middle. It takes a special place on our front glass door.
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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I hope that you are all well. I am pleased so many of you enjoyed Sunday's worship. We will work on getting better audio, and seek to make it better each week. This week, St. Martin's has moved into a "full shutdown" mode. We have put into place our ability to work remotely. The learning curve has been steep. I pray that we can all be gracious with one another as I am sure mistakes will be made.
As we watch the infection rates grow, I encourage everyone to be safe and continue to do your best to follow the CDC guidelines. I also encourage people to look for moments of grace. As you saw in the article above this letter, Denise and Noah saw a rainbow yesterday. As the stresses of this world pile up, the practice of looking for God's love will be increasingly important. Keep looking, and share with us. Those
Grace notes
are there.
Finally, many of you have reached out regarding English. Harriet had a fever for a night. It is all cleared up. It was a brief spike and gone almost as quickly as it came, but out of an abundance of caution due to the health issues English incurred last year, English and Harriet are doing their best to self-isolate. It is the safest and smartest thing for them to do. Please keep them in your prayers.
In Christ,
Mitch+
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We know this church online thing is all very confusing. Those of us trying to make it happen are a bit confused, too. Here are few tips to help you navigate the pioneering land we're all traversing:
- Each Sunday, a little before 10 a.m., click HERE or go to the video section of the church's Facebook page. The video will not appear until it goes LIVE so if you're a bit early, wait. Perhaps say a prayer. Still yourself. The video will appear. When it does, you will automatically be able to start to view it.
- After the service, go to the video of that week's devotion on the church's YouTube channel. You will be reminded of this at the end of the service. Bookmark the page so you can go straight to it from your bookmarks each time you need to find it. You can always return to view the videos again.
- Still afraid you might miss it? No worries. An email will be sent each Sunday afternoon in case you didn't make it to church on time.
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The Rev. Susan Prinz has organized
pastoral caregivers who are able to shop for those who cannot get out.
- If you are someone in need of a grocery or pharmacy run email [email protected] and she will coordinate your list with a shopper.
- If you are older and able to get out, however, please take note of local groceries that are offering specific hours for older shoppers. Click HERE for a complete list.
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A dedicated extension,
(Ext. 201), has been established for
pastoral care calls for the parish. Should you have a need requiring clergy, please follow the instructions you will receive when you call the parish office, 803.787.0392.
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Did you miss Caitlyn's devotion on Sunday? You can still listen to it by clicking
HERE, which will take you to the church's YouTube channel where all of our videos are being posted and archived.
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We know this uncertain time is especially difficult for our teens, whose traditions like prom and graduation are being altered this year. Take heart, as one parishioner said she is explaining to her son: "These are
delays, not cancellations." Don't hesitate to reach out to our youth and children's minister
Courtney Baker
if you need to chat.
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Feeling exhausted and overwhelmed? You are not alone. Click
HERE for a great essay by Building Faith about our lives right now.
Don't miss the links to
the devotion and
music at the bottom of the essay.
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While scrolling Instagram at the end of the day, be sure to follow
@smifsc for
Compline from Home postings, Monday through Friday, featuring different parishioner's art work. We hope these are soothing posts to help your rest. This week's artist is nature photographer Bob Askins.
This is the same place where you will find the
3-Word Gospel, which is posted each Tuesday.
A
Youth Compline is also posting live on Instagram (
@episcpalauppersc)
tonight (March 24) at 6 p.m. These could be a calming way for your teens to end their day.
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Thank you in advance for keeping your pledge current during this time of uncertainty. You may pay your pledge in these ways:
- Use this link to keep your pledge up-to-date by going online. You will need your bank routing number, which is the first set of numbers printed on the bottom of your checks, on the left side. You will also need your account number, which is the next set of numbers beside the routing number at the bottom of your check. This online link is safe and secure.
- You may also mail your checks to the Parish Office at 5220 Clemson Ave., Columbia, SC 29206.
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- Please LIKE the St. Martin's Facebook page (which makes you a follower of the page), and SHARE posts you find inspiring with others, especially with those who may not be a member .... at least not yet. The red circle in the photos to the right shows you where to find LIKE, FOLLOW and SHARE on the parish's Facebook page.
- Please know that while the St. Martin's campus is shuttered in order to maximize the health and well being of our members, our staff is still working. All are working from home, thanks to the technological advances that allow computers to be linked, online staff meetings to be held, videos to be shot, emails to be written, calls to be made and the office server to be connected. You are asked also, please, to protect yourself, your family and your neighbor by staying home and not making unnecessary trips out to any location, including St. Martin's.
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5220 Clemson Avenue
Columbia, SC 29206
803.787.0392 | www.stmartinsinthefields.com
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