Family and Friends of Saint John’s Episcopal Church,

In our Episcopal Christian tradition, we “Keep the Feast,” each Sunday; coming together to break bread, hear the spirit, and challenge ourselves, together with each other, to act in love. Please help us keep the feast by bringing your gifts to our communal table, as we navigate a new way of gathering during this unusual season of Lent and Easter. For our members, visitors, and friends in Charlestown, greater Boston, and the greater New England area, we have established a tithe.ly account for folks to safely meet their pledges and offer the material gifts necessary to support our church while services are suspended at our 27 Devens Street, Charlestown, MA 02129 location.  A link to tithe.ly can be found here: 

https://tithe.ly/give_new/www/#/tithely/give-one-time/1378157

More importantly, please bring your most precious gift – who you are – by joining our Sunday 10am Worship Services and Wednesday 7pm Prayer Service, through our online ZOOM network. See details in our Newsfeed, below. 

Our BUILDING is closed, and public worship is suspended, our WORSHIP continues in new forms, however, and our HEARTS remain open!

Even if you have access, please do not go into our church building, unless requested. The building must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected each time someone enters! Every surface touched — including doorknobs, edges, light switches, handles–must be disinfected each time!

Our Co-Wardens are working on ways to be sure this happens and more information will be forthcoming.

NEW and NOTEWORTHY, as well as, Worthy of Repeating:

1. Rev Rebecca will not make pastoral visits in person, but is always available by phone

     508-918-8963. She is trying to call at least 5 parishioners every day just to check in.

2. All meetings (and worship) are conducted virtually and not in person. 

3. Clergy and staff are working remotely from home as much as possible.

4. Surfaces in our church building must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected whenever people have been in the building. Our building is now CLOSED to everyone.

Rev. Rebecca participates in a weekly conference with Boston Mayor, Marty Walsh.

Here are some take-aways from today’s call:

1. check in by phone with elders (see our Buddy System signup below)

2. Stay calm and stay home

3. Pray for Boston

4. Concern for people most vulnerable to economic downturns and disease

• a. Clergy are working with Laura Everett, MA Council of Churches to compile lists of resources for economic, physical and mental health

• b. DO NOT just DROP OFF food at Food Pantries — they cannot safely process random donations — this virus can live for 3 days on paper, cloth, plastic and (some say) up to 9 days on metal, so ALL donated items must be disinfected. Guidelines for donations soon but MONEY donations are best at this time!

5. The Boston Resiliency Fund has been established for those most effected: see more here: https://www.boston.gov/departments/treasury/boston-resiliency-fund

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”  Isaiah 41:10

There will be No Public Service of Worship at Saint John’s Episcopal Church, 27 Devens Street, Charlestown, MA 02129, until further notice.

Online UPDATES will follow, as needed, on Saint John’s SOCIAL MEDIA

WE WILL BE SENDING NEWS & NOTES TWICE A WEEK ON TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS TO KEEP EVERYONE INFORMED AND UPDATED ON NEW WAYS TO GATHER TOGETHER THROUGH ZOOM. PLEASE KNOW, THAT AT SAINT JOHN’S 02129, WE’RE ALWAYS SO GLAD YOU’RE HERE, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONNECTING WITH YOU!

Zoom works by creating a space where we can all see and hear one another as if we were in the same room. The instructions for how to do so are below. While it may be strange at first, worshiping with one another online will give us not only the ability to worship God and reflect on God’s Word, but a chance to see and speak and gather with one another.

How to join Online ZOOM services & download the free Zoom application here:

 https://zoom.us/download

Zoom for iphone

Zoom on Google Play 

Click on the “Join Meeting” link here: https://zoom.us/j/198363119

Join Zoom Meeting.

PALM SUNDAY, April 5th 10am

You are invited to make “Palms” at home to wave during the service. You are also invited to make a film of your family and palms and send for News & Notes!

ZOOM Meeting ID: 198 363 119

Tenebrae, April 8th 7pm “The Service of Shadows” begins with many candles and slowly gets darker as we pray our way through the ancient office of hours.

ZOOM Meeting ID: 872 104 5882

MAUNDY THURSDAY, April 9th 6pm

You are invited to bring your phone or computer to the Dinner Table and share your meal while we hear lessons. If you have plants or flowers,  create your own “Altar of Repose” to share.

ZOOM Meeting ID: 344 833 318

GOOD FRIDAY April 10th 7pm

ZOOM Meeting ID: 660 631 876

EASTER SUNDAY April 12th 10am

We hope to film from St. John’s Sanctuary, with participants watching via Zoom

ZOOM Meeting ID: 198 363 119

Sunday Morning Godly Play on ZOOM at 9:30am

Meeting ID: 765 646 721

Password: 003871

Sunday Morning Service & Coffee Hour on Zoom at 10am

Meeting ID: 198 363 119  

WEDNESDAY Evening Prayer Service: on ZOOM at 7pm

Meeting ID: 198 363 119

THURSDAY Evening Centering Prayer, with Jane Struss, on ZOOM at 7pm

For those who haven’t joined us before, Jane will give an explanation of what we’re doing at the beginning and guide us through the first part of the 20 minute meditation. The chant at the beginning is simple repetition. The silent part of the meditation is for 20 minutes, which may seem long at first, but after awhile doesn’t seem long enough.

Here is the link:

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/6840157248

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 684 015 7248 

There will be no services this Sunday, March 15th, Sunday, March 21st, or Sunday March 29th.

Friends and Family of Saint John’s,

  In keeping with many of our fellow churches in the Diocese of Massachusetts, the recommendations of both the Governor and the state and local health officials, and out of an abundance of caution, there will be no services this Sunday, March 15th, Sunday, March 21st, or Sunday March 29th.

  The decision did not come easily or lightly given the importance of “keeping the feast” together on Sundays for all of us.  But we believe that to Act in Love  as a community of Christ, and of a broader Charlestown, we must affirmatively protect the health of our Parish and our wider neighborhood. 

  Please keep an eye out for opportunities to stay engaged: Reverend Black will be posting suggested reflections and morning prayers until we can “gather stones together” again. 

  Hear the Spirit. 

Doug & Alice, Saint John’s Wardens

Wednesday, February 26 at 7pm

“I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the

observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance;

by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and

meditating on God’s holy Word. And, to make a right beginning

of repentance, and as a mark of our mortal nature, let us now

kneel before the Lord, our maker and redeemer.”

from, the Book of Common Prayer, Ash Wednesday

Although the structure of the Ash Wednesday service is much the same as the usual Sunday Eucharist, there are a few important differences. Ashes (a sign of regret and mourning) are marked on our foreheads in the shape of a cross with the words “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Ash Wednesday begins the 40 days of the penitential Lenten with an exhortation to the observance of a Holy Lent. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten season, a 40-day period dedicated to reflection, prayer and fasting ahead of Easter.

On Ash Wednesday,the priest applies ashes to our foreheads in the shape of a cross. People generally wear the ashes — which symbolize penance, mourning and mortality — throughout the day to publicly express their faith and penance.

The ashes used on Ash Wednesday are made from the burning of palms blessed in the previous year’s Palm Sunday celebration. The following year, the fronds are burned to create the ashes for Ash Wednesday. The ashes are usually mixed with Holy Water or oil, and carry the scent of incense.

Today is Ash Wednesday.

For many of us, the smudge on people’s foreheads signifies the first day of Lent. The images above are made by, Photographer Greg Miller, who has been documenting this ritual on the streets of New York City for the past 20 years. His book, Unto Dust, features 40 portraits from his decades of work. You can see more of his images, by following the link, below:

https://www.npr.org/2018/02/14/585638036/on-streets-of-new-york-the-penitent-pause-for-a-portrait