
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14 ~ Opening Sentence for Morning Prayer
Here are this week’s announcements, especially:
- Choir Sunday/Hymn Choir (Worship)
- Bible Study; Narnia Book Club (Christian Formation)
- Lay Conversation with Bishop Hughes (Diocesan News)
- Worship Survey (What Next?)
WORSHIP
This Sunday is the Third Sunday after Pentecost. Our service of Morning Prayer will be at 10 am via Facebook Live. The link is here: fb.me/allsaintsmillington. This is a public link. You don’t have to be on Facebook to view it. And our prayer requests during the service are inter-active. The service leaflet to review or print is on the home page of the website.
Choir Sunday/Hymn Choir – On June 28 our service will be a pre-recorded video service We are looking for singers who would like to participate in a Hymn Choir. Alison will send a recording of the hymn or hymns for the day with an organ accompaniment and a voice to sing along with. Singers will make a recording of themselves singing along and send it back. We'll mix all the voices together to create a slideshow to use during the video worship service.
At home you will need a device to record onto (phone, computer, or tablet) and a second device with headphones to play the accompaniment track. It will be audio only, so you don't need to worry about recording any video. It is a lot easier than it sounds, so don't let worries about technology hold you back! Please email Alison at: asienerbrown@gmail.com if you would like to sing along.
All Sunday worship livestreams are available as a video to watch any time after 2:00 pm on Sunday on the home page of the website. The music links to the prelude and other musical offerings will also be posted there.
Daily Compline at 9:30 pm. This community of daily prayer and worship includes people from our parish, from other places in New Jersey, and even from other parts of the globe! All Saints’ parishioners and clergy take turns leading the service. Compline is offered every evening at 9:30 pm on the parish Facebook page: fb.me/allsaintsmillington. This service lasts about 15 minutes and is a wonderful way to pray for your own concerns and for the well-being of the world. Come join us.
PARISH LIFE
Virtual Coffee Hour via Zoom on Sunday at 11:00 am. How does this work? It’s just a nice social time with others from church. It’s an opportunity to see one another, check-in, share news and fellowship. The link for this was e-mailed to the parish. If you didn’t get the link and would like to join us, e-mail allstsmill@hotmail.com. Come and spend time with your fellow Saints!
CHRISTIAN FORMATION
Narnia Book Club – Sundays at 4:00 pm. We are finishing up our read of “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” (Chronicles of Narnia) by CS Lewis. This week, June 21, we’ll discuss chapters 14 & 15. If you need the Zoom link for this, please e-mail allsaints_rector@hotmail.com and we’ll be glad to include you.
Bible Study meets Wednesdays at 10:15 am. This week, June 24, we’ll discuss the Letter of James, chapter 3. This is a short book of the Bible – five chapters. James focuses on practical aspects of Christian living. If you haven’t been part of Bible study before, this is a good way to start, and we’ve recently added some new folks, so the group is always evolving. We meet via Zoom. If you would like to participate or want more information, please e-mail Mother Vicki at allsaints_rector@hotmail.com.
OUTREACH
Twelve Baskets Food Pantry continues to serve residents in the Valley View apartments at the V.A. Hospital in Lyons, as well as families in our community. If you know someone who is in need of food, please have them call the Parish Office 908-647-0067 ext. 4. We can supply them with emergency food in a contact-free manner.
WHAT COMES NEXT?
Parish Worship & Fellowship Survey – in order to help the Vestry and clergy evaluate and make decisions about when All Saints’ can hold in-person worship we ask you to fill out the on-line survey that will be sent home via e-mail. Please be sure to fill it out by June 25. There is no need to print it or e-mail it back to us; the information will be conveyed automatically. If you don’t receive the e-mail with the survey link, please send an e-mail to allstsmill@hotmail.com. And if you know someone who needs a print copy, please phone the office 908-647-0067 and we will mail you one. Thank you for your very important response.
DIOCESAN NEWS
Checking-in: A Lay Conversation with the Bishop – Bishp Carlye Hughes is eager to once again spend time in conversation with the members of the diocese, to reflect and consider what we, our churches, and our communities have learned and experienced as we have adjusted to the changes this time has demanded of us.
On Tuesday, June 30 at 6 PM we will hold the second monthly Lay Conversation with Bishop Hughes. Scheduled for 90 minutes, this Zoom conversation is open to all members of the diocese. An email invitation will be sent Monday, June 29 to recipients of The Voice Online with sign-in instructions for this Zoom meeting. Anyone who does not receive The Voice Online and wants to participate can e-mail Mother Vicki for the Zoom link.
CHRISTIAN PRACTICES
Prayer for the End of this School Year – we know that this academic year has been a strange and difficult one, for students and teachers, children and parents, at every age and stage of education. And as we come to the end of the year we do so with relief, but with prayers for hope and purpose in the lives of all our students:
Prayers for Hope and Purpose
'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hop and a future." ~ Jeremiah 29:11
Dear God, we thank you that you have indeed given our children great hope and a future. We pray for the days you have purposed for them to walk in, every single one, and ask you to fill them with your spirit and power as they live out their destiny. We ask that you inspire them to never be afraid to dream big, run strong, and soar high.
We pray that nothing be allowed to hold them back in this life. May they fulfill every calling you have on their lives. Would you strengthen them to live a life of so much love, passion, influence, hope, and determination that this world is changed for the better. May they always know that anything is possible for him who believes, for our God is always greater. May they have a deep desire to serve faithfully and a heart to work hard. Shine over them. Fill them with your spirit. Bless them with your favor and peace. In Jesus’ name, Amen. ~ by Debbie McDaniel
Blessings, Vicki+