St. Matthew's Midweek Update The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary May 31, 2018 NATIVE AMERICAN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT As Rector of the Episcopal Church of St. Matthew, I speak on behalf of our community that we acknowledge the traditional peoples of the land on which we stand especially the Pascua Yaqui, Sobaipuri and Tohono O'odham nations. We pay our respect to them for their care of the land. - Fr. Rick Note from Rev. Debbie On this last day of May I pray that we hold up in prayer all those who have been in school and are now on break for the summer or will soon be on break for the summer. Let us also hold up all those who will use this as a time of respite and relaxation whether they are traveling away from home or staying home. Today we celebrate the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth. I imagine Mary is filled with a bit of anxious excitement as she arrives. Her news will change everyone's life from that point forward and it won't be easy. Change can indeed be difficult especially if we are not seeking to change. We are blessed to have very clear guidelines about the kind of life we might live. This reading from Roman in today's lectionary is a great example. Romans 12:9-16b Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; Love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; During the month of June, we will begin to review the WHY of our call to live God's mission in the world. It is a good practice to schedule intentional time to ask ourselves if our lives reflect the values and directions we hold true to our hearts. I feel so blessed to be with you on this journey and I know the fruit of our labors will be abundant and filled with grace. Let us pray: Blessed God, who invited us to be handmaids of your creative power: Bless us as you blessed Hannah, Elizabeth, and Mary, filling our barren hearts with your fertile word, nurturing faith within us, sustaining us as we ripen with hope, until your desire calls us to the time of labor, and we give birth to your incarnate love. Amen. NEW ANOUNCEMENTS Mark your calendars! June 10, 17, 24 Sermon Series on Mission and Ministry June 10 Who am I? Who are we? June 17 What is God calling us to do? June 24 How am I changing? Parish Retreat June 22, 4 pm to 8 pm (soup/bread) June 23, 8 am to 4 pm (lunch $5) June 24 after 10:30 (Potluck & Dream Catchers)
EfM Education for Ministry (EfM) is a weekly seminar program created and administered by the School of Theology at the University of the South. The program reflects the basic Anglican belief that God is working in the world and in your life. EfM enables you to learn more about God and yourself by relating history, culture and scripture to your own experience of the world. EfM suggests that your own life experiences are primary resources for your theological education. Over four years of study, worship and personal reflection with a group of 6-12 others, you will share your insights and discoveries about your perceptions of God and what God might be saying. The group meets from 6:30-9 pm on Mondays, September through May. Although EfM is a 4-year program, each participant enrolls for just a year at a time. Tuition is $375 per year (but partial scholarships may be available). EfM is a big commitment, meeting 2 1/2 hours per week for 34 weeks each year, and requires 2-3 hours of individual study each week.
Registration deadline is Sunday, July 29. The group is limited to 12 participants, however, so once it is filled, it is filled! Please talk with EfM mentor Clyde Kunz if you have questions about the program or would like to register. We'd love to have you join us in this journey! Clyde Kunz (520) 977-4019 Kunz@cox.net Matty's Angels Matty's Angel's next event is the collection of School Supplies for the Pascua Yaqui Children. It is scheduled for July 7, 2018. School supplies will be collected at St. Matthew"s Church and delivered to the Community Center on the Pascua Yaqui Reservation. A list of school items needed will be available as soon as Irene Gentry and Judy Kowalick receive the list. If you have questions please contact the Co-Chairpersons: Irene Gentry (520) 721-1176 or Judy Kowalick ( 520) 870-1009 Hello Angels, We would like to continue the upholstery cleaning of the chairs. Shirley and I are available on Thursdays and Fridays and an occasional Saturday. We felt that if the chairs were cleaned on Thursday or Friday the chairs ould be dry by Sunday morning.. If there is another day that would work better please let us know and we will try to accommodate you.
Please contact Shirley (email:shrim@cox.net or by phone: 520-296-0124) and let her know what days and time that you are going to be available in the months of May and June. We thought that teams of four ladies or men would be effective. I will be out of town at the end of May and for two weeks in June so please let Shirley know when you would like to come and participate in this service project. We will reassess the cleaning at the end of June. The chairs that have been cleaned look absolutely fantastic! We are looking forward to working for you. Kathy and Shirley Hermitage House The Vestry has been considering if and how we might repair and restore the Hermitage house. It is not clear if we will have the funds to do all that is necessary to ensure the buildings long term health. So before we invest several thousand dollars, we want input from our congregation. We want to know how you will use the building if it is repaired. We are not looking for suggested uses, we have many of those. We need concrete plans. Please let us know how you WILL use it. Submit your plans to Carl Genthner, our Junior Warden, at jrwardenstmatts@gmail.com.
WEEKEND ANOUNCEMENT BEN'S BELLS JUNE 2, 2018 The next Matty's Angels' scheduled event is the visit to Ben's Bells on June 2, 2018, volunteering from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Susan Johnston is the Chairperson. Please contact her if you are planning to attend this event. The number of Angles attending is necessary so Ben's Bell's personnel can provide an appropriate space for our visit. There is a sign-up sheet in the Parish Hall or you can reach Susan by email: scjaz01@gmail.com or by a phone call (520-270-2466). More information will follow as the date approaches. MONTHLY CELTIC LITURGY SATURDAY JUNE 2, 2018 The next monthly Celtic Liturgy will be Saturday June 2, 2018 5:30 pm. The service is a balance of chanting, praying and quiet contemplation. CONVERSATION & COFFEE WITH A JESUIT SUNDAY JUNE 3, 2018 What's on your mind? Civil, Serious, Sensitive Conversation in the library, Sunday June 3, at 9:15 am. Join Fr. Frank Bergen for an hour and share your concerns about everything from the congregation to the cosmos. We may or may not find answers. And when we do, we may not all agree, but we will enjoy the questions and find areas of agreement where we may least expect them.
MONTHLY FOOD COLLECTION REMINDER Food collection on the first Sunday of each month is for the Community Food Bank. Food collection for Gale Elementary School is on the third Sunday. Feel free to bring food any and every Sunday! There are people in our community who are hungry and we can help! Diocesan Announcements Please Enjoy a short video of Ellen and Laci / Therapy Dog Feel free to view and share! https://tv.azpm.org/p/azill-recent/2018/5/18/129862-ellenand-laci/ Family Camp at Chapel Rock Family Camp registration is now open! Our 3rd annual Diocesan Family Camp is a time for the families to unplug from the busyness of their daily lives and reconnect with each other and with God. This camp is for families with children and youth of all ages and even with multiple generations. Past attendees have expressed that time at camp has helped them bond with each other and create friendships with other families. JULY 5-8, 2018 PRESCOTT, AZ For more information, see the flier on the Narthex Table.
ONGOING ANNOUNCEMENTS Dream Study The next Dream Study meetings Saturday, June 9 at 10:00 am in the library. For questions, contact Nancy Haugh Men's Gathering: Matty's Men 3rd Saturday The third Saturday of each month, Matty's Men (St. Matthew's Men's group) meets at 7:30 am at Breakfast Stop Family Restaurant 6135 E. 22nd Street for breakfast and fellowship; then meets in the Parish Hall from 8:30 to 9:30. Please consider joining us to get so we can get to know each other better and hatch our plans to reach out into the community. If you would like to get our emails, please contact Bob DeLaney (520.203.4565). Homeless Veterans Donation Needs Homeless veterans at Camp Bravo are in need of socks, small antibacterial bottles, male and female shoes. Especially tennis shoes (gently used is fine), aa and aaa batteries, paper products for serving food. And Quart and gallon Ziploc style bags. Jim Thompson will be collecting and delivering them to Camp Bravo. Contact: Jim Thompson
Desert Chrism Chapter of the Order of the Daughters of the King We are very proud to be a part of St. Matthews ministries and invite you to inquire about our group. Our goal is to assist St. Matthews in the spiritual upbuilding of the parish. We are doing this by working with all members of our parish to greet visitors and provide a welcome packet which gives them an idea about who we are and activities provided. The Daughters also are organizing the Caring Casseroles Ministry, I like to call them the Kitchen Angels. They assist parish members by providing meals to those who are ill and/or recovering. I know that sometimes just a few meals and loving thoughts can help one heal faster. All interested in being part of either group please contact Karen Hatfield at 989-426-4435 or k.hatfield@att.net. PRAYER CHAIN CONTACT Judie Bass is serving as the Prayer Chain Coordinator. If you have any prayer requests for which you would like to have the prayer chain activated, please contact her at (520) 790-6581. Additions to the prayer list can be made by informing the office. The church number is (520) 298-9782.
VESTRY ANNOUNCEMENTS ATTENDANCE The attendance for the week of MAY 27, 2018 8:00 am 33 10:30 am 68 Procedures for Submitting Announcements to the E-Bulletin and/or Sunday insert Submit to the office or via email to parish01stmatts@outlook.com or saintmatthewsrector@live.com no later than Tuesday at 4 pm for the weekly e-bulletin and/or Sunday Bulletin. Identify yourself and the reason for this particular St. Matthew event or activity. Activities and Events other than St. Matthew's require the approval of the Rector. Include how long to run the announcement. The announcement will be printed as you submit so make sure everything you want to say and how it is to be said is in the announcement. Do not forget to place in your announcement the name of the contact and that person's contact information if a response is requested. If your announcement includes a collection of anything, make sure you have cleared with the Rector the location if the collection is to be on the church campus. If it is to be elsewhere, identify where that location is. Either way, have the collection location in the announcement. Provide a small description exceeding no more than a paragraph. The announcement may be edited for space requirements.
Pictures may be submitted but only in a JPEG format. No more than 4 pictures per article and text description must accompany the pictures. Posting up to more than 5 but less than 10 pictures of a St. Matthew's event or activity will require a separate electronic mailing. Hard copies of the postings will be available on the narthex table. Episcopal Church of Saint Matthew 9071 East Old Spanish Trail Tucson Arizona 85710 (520) 298-9782 stmatthew.azdiocese.org Instagram: Saintmatthews_Tucson Mailing address PO Box 17116 Tucson, AZ 85731