The View from Bolton Street
E-Faith@8, 12/6
The Faith@8 group is continuing to meet during this time of social distancing. Join us for an informal, community led service with more questions than answers and an open spot for whoever appears. Just follow the Zoom link below!
Memorial Faith@8
Time: Sundays at 8:00AM Eastern
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83309554789?pwd=czZUbWt6Yk1WVmgvNlAwNExQUWc5QT09
Meeting ID: 833 0955 4789
Passcode: 214106
Dial by your location
+1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 833 0955 4789
Passcode: 214106
SPREAD CHRISTMAS CHEER! Christmas Outreach Opportunities
Ways to Support Those in need this holiday season
Given the tremendous need this year, we are partnering with 3 groups to spread some Holiday Cheer!
1) We have a very specific list (including Amazon links) for kids living at Pedestal Gardens.
2) We are working with Ruth Royster to deliver Stockings for Seniors in Bolton Hill. For this effort, we will provide stockings (or you can contribute your own) that can be filled with small gifts for seniors. Suggestions include large print books or word puzzles, jumbo playing cards, soaps or other hygiene products, warm socks with tread, etc.
3) We are working with the No Boundaries Coalition to provide Christmas gifts to the 14 kids who are currently in their program. We do not have the kids' wish lists yet, but will update this sign up as they become available.
Please reach out to benton3214@gmail.com for any questions.
Our goal is to collect all gifts by December 16th. We will have several collection days at Memorial including December 12th. I will provide updates when I receive confirmation as to whether gifts should be wrapped and how they should be labeled, but wanted to get the request out as soon as possible.
If you would prefer to donate money to this effort, you can do so here: https://www.memorialboltonhill.org/donate-now
Hurry Up and Wait
This Sunday marks the beginning of Advent, the start of the Church year. For Christians, particularly in 2020 this is GOOD NEWS in more ways than one. For one, we get to put this terrible, no good, very difficult year behind us a month early.
It also means that we can spend the next month in preparation for the incarnation. For the rebirth of life. In a manger in Bethlehem, In the hearts and minds and souls of those called to follow Christ, and in our common lives as we can finally see a light at the end of the COVID tunnel.
As you may know, the Episcopal Church works on a three year lectionary, with each of the three years following one of the ‘synoptic gospels’ — that is the three Gospels - Matthew, Mark, and Luke - that tell of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus in largely the same form and pattern. This year we are working on the Gospel of Mark which is... how does one say this politely? To The Point. This pithy internet Meme mostly makes the point — Mark gets right to business telling the Jesus story. My Seminary professor described mark as “Jesus on the move”.
The gospel of Mark has 16 chapters, as opposed to 28, 24 and 21 for the others. It also has only 11,000 words — a third less than John and close to half of Matthew or Luke. You could sit down and read it comfortably in under an hour. Maybe you want to do that this weekend?
So we are left then in THIS advent with two messages. HURRY UP and WAIT.
Perhaps this is appropriate because that is what so many of us are doing in our common lives — Hurry up and Waiting on: A Vaccine, A Transition of Power, A Return to common worship, A loosening of restrictions, A return to school, to work, to many things.
Perhaps Mark IS the perfect Gospel for us right now? Another aspect of Mark’s Gospel is the ‘messianic secret’. Over and over again Jesus reveals to those closest to him that he is the Messiah but that they can’t tell anybody. The Gospel itself ends with an empty tomb! With the women running away in fear! With no clear depiction or description of the resurrection.
Of course — WE know the secret. We are in on the story. We know those women got over their fears and told the story because we are here. as Christians! Nearly 2000 years later.
As we HURRY UP AND WAIT this Advent season — let us remember that we know how the story ends. We know the Good News. We Trust that God will make Good out of this because we have seen it happen over and over again in our common history.
Which mean this is a good time - a great time - to share that good news, to tell that story - with the doubters and worriers and cynics in your life (even if that is... you!)
Friends as we wait for the incarnation let us also hurry up in our desire to tell the story, to do the work of the Lord, to not only call for justice but to work towards it, and to be an instrument of Christ’s never failing love and compassion this season.
After all that is the greatest gift we can give anyone.
E-Faith@8, 11/29
The Faith@8 group is continuing to meet during this time of social distancing. Join us for an informal, community led service with more questions than answers and an open spot for whoever appears. Just follow the Zoom link below!
Memorial Faith@8
Time: Sundays at 8:00AM Eastern
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83309554789?pwd=czZUbWt6Yk1WVmgvNlAwNExQUWc5QT09
Meeting ID: 833 0955 4789
Passcode: 214106
Dial by your location
+1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 833 0955 4789
Passcode: 214106
E-Church 10:30am, 11/29
To join us, all you need to do is click on the link below. We will have the order of service up on the screen to follow along. We recognize that all of us have different levels of comfort with technology - we will do our best to help everyone do what they need to feel comfortable and participate!
Two tips for Zoom worship:
1) Let us see your face! If at all possible, please start a video feed so we can see each other face to face, even across distance.
2) Please mute yourself unless you have a speaking role in the service. And if you find you are muted, please don’t unmute yourself unless asked. However - even when you are muted, please do respond to the prayers and readings, as we are all worshipping together.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84992001341?pwd=QUMvMFYzZU9HQkRLVmxISkVPRGlIQT09
Meeting ID: 849 9200 1341
Password: 563025
One tap mobile
+13017158592,,84992001341#,,,,0#,,563025# US (Germantown)
+19292056099,,84992001341#,,,,0#,,563025# US (New York)
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+13126266799,,85296035556#,,1#,141735# US (Chicago)
Dial by your location
+1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
Meeting ID: 876 9436 6639
Password: 729226
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdoU8Ii34Q
Thanksgiving, 2020
Please join us Thursday morning for a service of
Holy Eucharist
celebrating
The Feast of Thanksgiving
Thursday, November 26, 11 AM.
Join the Zoom at 10:30 before the Service to share your favorite Thanksgiving Gathering Traditions!
Stop by the church after the service to receive the Eucharist outdoors and socially-distanced.
Thanksgiving is a time when we bring the first fruits before God to give thanks for the many ways God has blessed us this year. At its core it is a celebration of the power of faith over fear, and the need to work together across difference.
While the tensions and oppression by colonists against Native American populations is a tragic part of our history, the early history of the pilgrims and their relationship to the Wampanoag stands in contrast to much of that.
If you would like to make a contribution to our own efforts to put faith over fear and to work together across difference, you can contribute to our COVID relief fund at this link.
E-Church 10:30am, 11/22
To join us, all you need to do is click on the link below. We will have the order of service up on the screen to follow along. We recognize that all of us have different levels of comfort with technology - we will do our best to help everyone do what they need to feel comfortable and participate!
Two tips for Zoom worship:
1) Let us see your face! If at all possible, please start a video feed so we can see each other face to face, even across distance.
2) Please mute yourself unless you have a speaking role in the service. And if you find you are muted, please don’t unmute yourself unless asked. However - even when you are muted, please do respond to the prayers and readings, as we are all worshipping together.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84992001341?pwd=QUMvMFYzZU9HQkRLVmxISkVPRGlIQT09
Meeting ID: 849 9200 1341
Password: 563025
One tap mobile
+13017158592,,84992001341#,,,,0#,,563025# US (Germantown)
+19292056099,,84992001341#,,,,0#,,563025# US (New York)
One tap mobile
+13017158592,,85296035556#,,1#,141735# US (Germantown)
+13126266799,,85296035556#,,1#,141735# US (Chicago)
Dial by your location
+1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
Meeting ID: 876 9436 6639
Password: 729226
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdoU8Ii34Q
Five Talents
This Sunday we have in the Gospels the parable of the Five Talents. A tough and absent master leaves his servants with varying amounts of money, 5 talents, 2 talents and 1 talent, to steward while he is gone. As I am sure you remember, the one with 5 made 5 more, the one with 2 made 2 more, and the one with 1, buried it because they were scared of losing it.
The master's response is predictable. rewarding those who made money, and punishing the one who was too fearful.
Too often we live in fear of losing what little we have. We bury it, hide it, scurry it away, so that no one comes to take it from us.
This comes to our time, our talent, and our treasure. Have you ever hidden a dream? a passion? a desire from the world because you were afraid of what people would say?
Within the Anglican Communion we have an organization - Five Talents International - that helps to empower people to overcome these fears and to go after those dreams and passions. www.fivetalents.org is a Christian Microfinance organization that builds off the parable of the Five Talents to teach practical, relational and spiritual skills to small business owners around the world. I have taught with them in Uganda, Rwanda and Honduras, and continue to be impressed and inspired by the work of this organization that helps to empower men and women to achieve economic independence and deeper connection to their communities and to Jesus.
One of the most memorable learnings I took away from these sessions was that in business and in life the most important thing is to put God first. When we let our greed or our fears dominate - we end up in a bad place, but if we put God first - we are able to evaluate our personal and financial decisions considering how this builds Faith, Hope and Love.
This week you all should have received a stewardship package from Memorial (including a great puzzle!) inviting you to 'be a part of our puzzle.' As you ponder whether and how to pledge this year - I hope you will consider putting God first in this too. Has Memorial added to your faith? Your hope? Your love in 2020? If so I hope you will pledge so that we can continue to offer this to others in 2021.
And if you would like to learn more about Five Talents, click on the link above or send me a note!
For more on stewardship click here: https://www.memorialboltonhill.org/stewardship
Election, Day After
Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight.
Perhaps you woke up this morning feeling bent over and unable to stand. Perhaps you have felt that way for the last four years. Today may not feel as healing or satisfying as you had hoped.
If you have spent some time in Baltimore City, you may also recognize that more than a few people in this city have been bent over and unable to stand for much longer than 18 years.
As we struggle with the unknown of this election, the unknown of what is next, the frustration of things not being politically what we might desire - we should have the humility to remember that many of our friends and neighbors have been struggling with much deeper fundamental problems for a long time. Some of us are still waiting for that healing touch, for the freedom to stand up and walk.
So let’s be gentle with each other and ourselves today. Spend time outside, offer prayers, read scripture, call someone you love, do some tangible good if you can. Then let’s get back to the work of liberation. On Sunday I preached about freedom, and the freedom found in the Beatitudes, in the humility of seeing where God’s attention is and is not, and putting our attention there. In striving for justice, for healing, for hope.
And When Jesus called for healing of this woman the powers that be said NO! Now is not the time! This is a special day, we will deal with that later.
But for that woman, for many women, for many people - these special days don’t matter because if you can’t stand then you can’t sing then you can’t worship then you can’t… be. (I should note that this is both a physical and spiritual affliction. Jesus is not being ableist here! This is a spiritual healing that results in a physical healing). If we don’t as Children of God seek to provide examples of healing and hope, of justice raining like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream, then we should be surprised when the days we call people to action, those that are left behind don’t come. Jesus heals, on Jesus time, and all we are called to do is walk along in love with those seeking it.
So after you have rested, recuperated, vented, and caffeinated…. let’s walk together. Because for better or for worse, there is little else that most of us can do as the ballots are counted this election. But the work of Justice only increases from here on out - not just in the streets, but in the church and in our hearts.
E-Church 10:30am, 11/8
To join us, all you need to do is click on the link below. We will have the order of service up on the screen to follow along. We recognize that all of us have different levels of comfort with technology - we will do our best to help everyone do what they need to feel comfortable and participate!
Two tips for Zoom worship:
1) Let us see your face! If at all possible, please start a video feed so we can see each other face to face, even across distance.
2) Please mute yourself unless you have a speaking role in the service. And if you find you are muted, please don’t unmute yourself unless asked. However - even when you are muted, please do respond to the prayers and readings, as we are all worshipping together.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84992001341?pwd=QUMvMFYzZU9HQkRLVmxISkVPRGlIQT09
Meeting ID: 849 9200 1341
Password: 563025
One tap mobile
+13017158592,,84992001341#,,,,0#,,563025# US (Germantown)
+19292056099,,84992001341#,,,,0#,,563025# US (New York)
One tap mobile
+13017158592,,85296035556#,,1#,141735# US (Germantown)
+13126266799,,85296035556#,,1#,141735# US (Chicago)
Dial by your location
+1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
Meeting ID: 876 9436 6639
Password: 729226
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdoU8Ii34Q