Daily Devotions for August 12, 2020

12. August 2020 · Comments Off · Categories: Daily Devotion · Tags: belonging, caring, Church, community, Daily Devotion, Episcopal, episcopal church, episcopal church of st anne, message, purpose, Rev. Ryan Eikenbary, St Anne, St Anne community, St Anne Family

Devotion for the Morning
From Psalm 51
Open my lips, O Lord, *
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, *
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence *
and take not your holy Spirit from me.
Give me the joy of your saving help again *
and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

A Reading (Acts 21:15-26)

After this, we started on our way up to Jerusalem. Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us and brought us to the home of Mnason, where we were to stay. He was a man from Cyprus and one of the early disciples.
When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters received us warmly. The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.
When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law. As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.”
The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them.

A period of silence may follow.

The Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried.
He descended to the dead.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven,
and sits at the right hand of God the Father.
he shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
Prayers may be offered for ourselves and others.
The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.

The Collect
Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought
us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty
power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by
adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your
purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
_________________________________________________
Devotion for the Evening
O gracious light,
pure brightness of the ever living Father in heaven,
O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!
Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
and our eyes behold the vesper light,
we sing your praises, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of Life,
and to be glorified through all the worlds.
A Reading (Mark 10:17-31)
As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”
“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
Prayers may be offered for ourselves and others.
The Lord’s Prayer

The Collect
Lord Jesus, stay with us, for evening is at hand and the day is
past; be our companion in the way, kindle our hearts, and
awaken hope, that we may know you as you are revealed in
Scripture and the breaking of bread. Grant this for the sake
of your love. Amen.

Peace,

Rev. Ryan G. Eikenbary

Priest-in-Charge, Episcopal Church of St. Anne
Pastor, Zion Lutheran Church
[email protected]

Daily Devotions August 11, 2020

11. August 2020 · Comments Off · Categories: Daily Devotion · Tags: belonging, caring, Church, community, Daily Devotion, Episcopal, episcopal church, episcopal church of st anne, message, Rev. Ryan Eikenbary, St Anne, St Anne community, St Anne Family

A Reading (Acts 21:1-14)

After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Kos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. We sought out the disciples there and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. When it was time to leave, we left and continued on our way. All of them, including wives and children, accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. After saying goodbye to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.
We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed with them for a day. Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.
After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”
When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”

A period of silence may follow.

The Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried.
He descended to the dead.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven,
and sits at the right hand of God the Father.
he shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

Prayers may be offered for ourselves and others.
The Lord’s Prayer

The Collect
Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought
us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty
power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by
adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your
purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
_________________________________________________
Devotion for the Evening
O gracious light,
pure brightness of the ever living Father in heaven,
O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!
Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
and our eyes behold the vesper light,
we sing your praises, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of Life,
and to be glorified through all the worlds.
A Reading (Mark 10:1-16)
Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them.
Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”
“What did Moses command you?” he replied.
They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”
“It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. He answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”
People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.
Prayers may be offered for ourselves and others.
The Lord’s Prayer

Peace,

Rev. Ryan G. Eikenbary

Priest-in-Charge, Episcopal Church of St. Anne
Pastor, Zion Lutheran Church
[email protected]

Daily Devotions August 10, 2020

10. August 2020 · Comments Off · Categories: Daily Devotion · Tags: belonging, caring, Church, community, Daily Devotion, Episcopal, episcopal church, episcopal church of st anne, Rev. Ryan Eikenbary, St Anne, St Anne community, St Anne Family

A Reading (Acts 20:17-38)

From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
“And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.
“Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
“Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.

A period of silence may follow.

The Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried.
He descended to the dead.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven,
and sits at the right hand of God the Father.
he shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

Prayers may be offered for ourselves and others.
The Lord’s Prayer

Peace,

Rev. Ryan G. Eikenbary

Priest-in-Charge, Episcopal Church of St. Anne
Pastor, Zion Lutheran Church
[email protected]

Morning Prayer and the Congregational Guide for Sunday August 9, 2020

08. August 2020 · Comments Off · Categories: Congregational Guide, Morning Prayer · Tags: belonging, caring, Church, community, Congregational Guide, Episcopal, episcopal church, episcopal church of st anne, message, Readings, Rev. Ryan Eikenbary, St Anne, St Anne community, St Anne Family

Dear St. Anne’s community,
Happy Saturday to you all. I hope this message finds you well and in good spirits. Please join me at 11:00am tomorrow on the St. Anne’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/stannestockton/ <https://www.facebook.com/stannestockton/> for Sunday Service. The recorded service will be posted to the St. Anne’s Facebook page later in the day to watch as you are able. A guide for the service is attached to this email.
At 11:45am following the service join us for a virtual coffee hour. Grab a goodie from your kitchen then click the Zoom link below to see and chat with others from the church:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/917842540 <https://us02web.zoom.us/j/917842540>
You can also always find all the information about our digital church offerings on our website under the calendar
tab: http://episcopalchurchofstanne.com <http://episcopalchurchofstanne.com/>
Finally, if you are having trouble accessing the online resources please reach out to me and I can walk you through what to do. You can email me back: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> or call me at: 707-718-5552.
Peace to you all.

Click the link below to view the Congregational Guide

Congregational Guide For Sunday August 9, 2020

Daily Devotional For August 8, 2020

08. August 2020 · Comments Off · Categories: Daily Devotion · Tags: belonging, caring, Church, community, Daily Devotion, Episcopal, episcopal church, episcopal church of st anne, Rev. Ryan Eikenbary, St Anne, St Anne community, St Anne Family

Devotion for the Morning
From Psalm 51
Open my lips, O Lord, *
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, *
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence *
and take not your holy Spirit from me.
Give me the joy of your saving help again *
and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
A Reading (Acts 20:1-16)
When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia. He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, where he stayed three months. Because some Jews had plotted against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia. He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. But we sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days.
On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!” Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.
We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus. Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.
A period of silence may follow.
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried.
He descended to the dead.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven,
and sits at the right hand of God the Father.
he shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
Prayers may be offered for ourselves and others.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
The Collect
Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought
us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty
power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by
adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your
purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
_________________________________________________
Devotion for the Evening
O gracious light,
pure brightness of the ever living Father in heaven,
O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!
Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
and our eyes behold the vesper light,
we sing your praises, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of Life,
and to be glorified through all the worlds.
A Reading (Mark 9:30-41)
They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.
They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.
Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”
He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”
“Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”
“Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.
Prayers may be offered for ourselves and others.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
The Collect
Lord Jesus, stay with us, for evening is at hand and the day is
past; be our companion in the way, kindle our hearts, and
awaken hope, that we may know you as you are revealed in
Scripture and the breaking of bread. Grant this for the sake
of your love. Amen.
Peace,
Rev. Ryan G. Eikenbary
Priest-in-Charge, Episcopal Church of St. Anne
Pastor, Zion Lutheran Church
[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>

Bishop David Pastoral Letter August 6, 2020

07. August 2020 · Comments Off · Categories: Bishop, Pastoral Letter · Tags: Bishop, Bishop David Rice, caring, Church, community, David Rice, Diocese of San Joaquin, Episcopal, episcopal church, Episcopal Diocese Of San Joaquin, message

Click the link below to view the Pastoral Letter.

Bishop David Pastoral Letter

Daily Devotions August 1, 2020

01. August 2020 · Comments Off · Categories: Daily Devotion · Tags: belonging, caring, Church, community, Daily Devotion, Episcopal, episcopal church, episcopal church of st anne, message, St Anne, St Anne community, St Anne Family

Dear St. Anne’s community,
Happy Saturday to you all. I hope this message finds you well and in good spirits. Please join me at 11:00am tomorrow on the St. Anne’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/stannestockton/ for Sunday Service. The recorded service will be posted to the St. Anne’s Facebook page later in the day to watch as you are able. A guide for the service is attached to this email.
At 11:45am following the service join us for a virtual coffee hour. Grab a goodie from your kitchen then click the Zoom link below to see and chat with others from the church:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/917842540
At 2:00pm join us for the next session of the Summer Theology Book Club. Here is the link to the discussion:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85051478508?pwd=SUxYNXRXa256UGZ3TmVqRGt3NlloQT09
You can also always find all the information about our digital church offerings on our website under the calendar
tab: http://episcopalchurchofstanne.com
If you have prayer requests please send them to the office and I will begin sending out a prayer list on Saturdays in the future.
Peace to you all.
Rev. Ryan Eikenbary
_____________________________________________________
Devotion for the Morning
From Psalm 51
Open my lips, O Lord, *
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, *
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence *
and take not your holy Spirit from me.
Give me the joy of your saving help again *
and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
A Reading (Acts 16-34)
While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good newsabout Jesus and the resurrection. Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)
Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.
“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’
“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” At that, Paul left the Council. Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.
A period of silence may follow.
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried.
He descended to the dead.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven,
and sits at the right hand of God the Father.
he shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
Prayers may be offered for ourselves and others.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
The Collect
Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought
us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty
power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by
adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your
purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
_________________________________________________
Devotion for the Evening
O gracious light,
pure brightness of the ever living Father in heaven,
O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!
Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
and our eyes behold the vesper light,
we sing your praises, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of Life,
and to be glorified through all the worlds.
A Reading (Mark 7:8:1-10)
During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.”
His disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?”
“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.
“Seven,” they replied.
He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people, and they did so. They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. About four thousand were present. After he had sent them away, he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha.
Prayers may be offered for ourselves and others.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
The Collect
Lord Jesus, stay with us, for evening is at hand and the day is
past; be our companion in the way, kindle our hearts, and
awaken hope, that we may know you as you are revealed in
Scripture and the breaking of bread. Grant this for the sake
of your love. Amen.

Friday Reflections July 24, 2020

24. July 2020 · Comments Off · Categories: Bishop, Friday Reflections · Tags: Bishop, Bishop David Rice, caring, Church, community, David Rice, Diocese of San Joaquin, Episcopal, episcopal church, Episcopal Diocese Of San Joaquin, Friday Reflections, message

The Friday Reflection

July 24, 2020

Episocpal Church of the Saviour, Hanford, and St. James Lutheran Church, Hanford welcome Pastor Julie Kelly.

From Pastor Julie:

Joyous Greetings!

In the midst of challenging times, celebration and joy are more meaningful than ever. I am filled with joy over joining in ministry at The Episcopal Church of the Saviour and fellow congregation, St James Lutheran Church in Hanford. The ECOS journey to this point has been filled with challenge and they have risen again and again to meet it with strength, passion, and joy. I believe our ministry together will be one where we will share in these gifts and find plentiful reason to celebrate the goodness of God in our community.

With so much to offer nearby, I look forward to making my home in nearby Visalia and spending many hours in Hanford and the surrounding communities. My family, (husband Lance, and children Brenden, Aurey, Nick, and Graham) and I enjoy many outdoor activities and we are looking forward to exploring the nearby areas and the secrets to be discovered. In the meantime, I intend to discover how to be a fiber artist in a yarn desert (ask me what that means!)

I am a cradle Lutheran but my parents left the church when I was young- it has been to my advantage to have lived so many places and worshipped in so many ways. I believe it is what gave me the courage to learn how to be a luther-palian/episco-theran and I look forward to learning with your support. I know this is an odd time to begin a relationship and we have some challenges ahead in finding unique ways to learn about one another, but I believe God is always giving us new and exciting opportunities. This is one. Thanks for the welcome and I look forward to meeting you when we are able to do so safely.

Congratulations on the ordination of Rev. Angela Lerena and Rev. Nelson Serrano Poveda

During these COVID19 days in which we find ourselves and through which we continue to navigate with care and caution, EDSJ has established protocols and guidelines endeavoring to keep one another safe. Our protocols and guidelines are predicated on identifying that public health will always supersede economics. And communal, theological and mutual responsibility must take priority over individual rights. This was no more evident than in our recent ordination of Angela Lerena and Nelson Povedo. Angela and Nelson were ordained to the priesthood. A significant portion of the service was pre-recorded and the parts which were live, occurred in a “masked and socially distanced” manner. We continue our commitment to public safety and common good and we welcome and celebrate to the Holy Order of Priest, Angela and Nelson.

St. James Cathedral had some organizers of a car celebration! Check it out HERE.

Join us for the final week!

We are thankful for the leadership and guidance that Dain and Constance have given us. Join us for our last conversation on racism and white privilege with Dain and Constance for the time being! Our conversation has been framed by the book, “Waking Up White” by Debby Irving. It is available on Apple Books, Kindle, and Audio Book.

Each Wednesday in July at 5:30 pm – 6:45 pm we will gather on Zoom.

The schedule of reading is as follows:

July 29th: Sections 8 & 9 [Chapters 41-46]

For parishes interested in the work of Sacred Ground, please see this leaders video HERE.

If you do not know about Sacred Ground yet, please check out their website and all their resources for use in your own congregation.

In an increasingly polarized and fearful world, there are few places where people can have a reasonable and constructive dialogue about race relations and other important issues of our time. Summer Institute 2020 brings together spiritual leaders to provide insight and guidance and community leaders who want to see things differently to provide gracious time and place for truth-seeking dialogue that can achieve non-violent mutual understanding and learn tools to lead discussions that will lead to brave and gracious community.

From August 3 – 13 (excluding Saturday and Sunday), Institute participants will meet online from across the nation each day.

Find out more information here.

July Newsletter

“We are living in a country that is focused on scarcity. We as a country are so afraid that if we let anyone into our country; to eat our food and take our jobs there will not be enough for us.

The Bible and Jesus does not want us living this way. I have a friend who continually talks about an amazing God who will do things beyond our imagination. Sometimes this annoys me, yet if we believed in this amazing God, in the wonderful and amazing things he will do for us, there is no reason to live in fear of scarcity.” – Dcn. Amy Larsen

You can continue reading her powerful article in the newsletter.

The Establishment of the Creation Care Commission

Bishop David has appointed the following people to serve on the Creation Care Commission for EDSJ.

Rev. Terrance Goodpasture (St. James Cathedral, Fresno) [Chair]

Zoe Duke (St. James Cathedral, Fresno)

Suzanne Harvey (St. Raphael’s, Oakhurst)

Cynthia Thorburn (St. Paul’s, Visalia)

Mike Dunham (St. Paul’s, Bakersfield)

Barbara Krengel (St. John the Baptist, Lodi)

Eric Goosens (St. Paul’s, Modesto)

Zandy Adams (St. Matthew’s, San Andreas)

Rev. Bob Woods (St. Sherrian’s, Kernville)

Rev. Teri VanHuss (St. John’s, Tulare)

Rev. Peter Ackerman (St. John the Baptist, Lodi)

The Creation Care Commission was established on June 26th by Bishop David in consultation with Diocesan Council. They were charge to engage the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin in the work of restoring our relationship with the planet. The immediate concern is climate change and the responsibility of the church in addressing environmental destruction.

This years Provincial VIII & VI Deacon Conference 2020 is open to all laity and clergy!

Thursday, August 20, 2020

10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 2:30-5:00 p.m.

Friday, August 21, 2020

10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 2:30-5:30 p.m.

$35 registration fee includes the following:

4 conference sessions over 2 days, which will be recorded and available to attendees after the event
4 renowned speakers
resources for your church
2 follow-up sessions after the event:

Tuesday, September 29 at 4:00 p.m. PDT

Tuesday, December 8 at 4:00 p.m. PST

Watch a Documentary on Creation Care and/or Environmental Justice

Some examples include faith-based films such as Behold the Earth and Renewal, as well as other educational films such as The Story of Stuff. Learn something new, and make a commitment to yourself to make a positive change in your life.

Friday Reflection

All articles and special news can be submitted to the Diocesan Office at: [email protected]

All submissions are due MONDAY for the following Friday Reflection.

Submission requirements:

pictures -JPEG format

articles- word document

document to link- PDF

Please edit pictures for best brightness, contrast, and lighting before sending.

Episcopal Church of St. Anne’s, Stockton and Zion Lutheran Church, Stockton welcome Pastor Ryan Eikenbary.

Reverend Ryan Eikenbary is a northern California native who very much enjoys serving God in this wonderfully diverse and beautiful part of the world. He is a lifelong-student and after starting college in a music conservatory studying to be an Opera singer, felt the call of God and transferred to The Masters University, to earn a BA in Biblical Studies. His post-graduate studies include an MA in Church History from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific, and an MDiv from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary. His thesis in Church History is titled: And God Spoke in England: Puritan Iconoclasm and the Creation of the Verbal Icon.

He is passionate about the worship of our great God, living the gospel, and helping to form people in the Christian faith. Prior to attending seminary, he worked in college administration and post seminary worked both as a church administrator and as a nursing home chaplain until receiving his first call at Zion Lutheran Church in Stockton in October of 2016. As a pastor he thoroughly enjoys preaching and educating in a way that seeks to grow the life of faith of his congregation. He looks forward to joining with the people at the Episcopal Church of St. Anne’s just a few blocks down the street from Zion Lutheran.

When he is not at church, he enjoys reading, running, swimming, and working in his garden. Additionally, he teaches courses in ethics and religion in American at the University of the Pacific in Stockton. He has been married since 2012 and his spouse is a school administrator. In 2016 they adopted their now 10-year-old son after having him as a foster child for a year. He and his spouse are now fostering a 6-year-old who they hope will be forever joining their family in the next year.

Events Warranting Your

Participation and Prayers

Diocesan Events

Diocesan/Cathedral Worship

July 26 | 10:00 AM

Facebook and YouTube

Standing Committee Meeting

July 28 | 6:30 PM

ZOOM

Diocesan Book Study with The Perrys

July 29 | 5:30 PM

ZOOM

COVID Clergy Conversations

July 30 | 12:30 PM

ZOOM

It is with great hope, anticipation, preparation, and prayer that we announce St. James Cathedral Sunday School for school-aged children kicks off Sunday, September 13th at 9:15AM on ZOOM.

During the digital church period, St. James Sunday School is open to the entire Diocese. The first session, September 13th, is designed for the whole family to participate.

Registration is required and will open Saturday, August 1st and will be available on the St. James website. Registered students/families will receive the Zoom link and login information. We invite you to check out the St. James Children’s Ministry web page for more about our ministry with children and our curriculum Weaving God’s Promises.

SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS ARE NEEDED

Teacher recruitment period is now! If you feel called to the ministry of the spiritual formation of children, please send an email to [email protected]. Teachers can be members of any Episcopal congregation in the Diocese.

Prior to the first session, Dean Ryan and the Sunday School Committee will host via ZOOM an Orientation and Training session for all interested teachers. No prior teaching or Sunday School experience is required-all that is required is a willing and committed heart to educating the next generation of the Church. In addition to the Orientation and Training session, teachers will be required to take an online training module called Safeguarding God’s Children–an in-depth educational and training program for preventing and responding to child sexual abuse in everyday life and in ministry.

BASIC INFORMATION

Classes are Sundays at 9:15AM on ZOOM. Registration for Sunday School opens August 1st. Please visit St. James website for link to registration. The first session is Sunday, September 13th and the whole family is invited to participate.

CURRICULUM

Weaving God’s Promises is a comprehensive, three-year Christian education curriculum for children developed and written exclusively for the Episcopal Church. Weaving God’s Promises’ 30-minute lesson plans are accessed online. There will be a “take-home” paper, Threads, that will be emailed to every family after each lesson. Threads allows families to continue the conversation and theme throughout the week.

BASIC SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON FORMAT

Gathering and Greeting
Sunday School Prayer
Sunday School Song
About the Scripture Story
Telling the Story
Activity Related to the Story
Weaving Our Faith: Conversation about the story
Closing Prayer

TEACHER COVENANT OF COMMITMENT

(Developed by Sunday School Committee)

With God’s Help I Covenant

To practice the spiritual disciplines of scripture reading and prayer.

Worship on Sundays and be an active member of the St. James community or other church in the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin.
Be prepared: Read the curriculum and plan my lessons.
Grow in my faith and understanding of my work through educational opportunities as offered.
Practice inclusive hospitality as Jesus teaches us the love of God is the love of neighbor.