St. Peter's by-the-Sea Episcopal Church

March 29, 2020

The Fifth Sunday in Lent

March 29, 2020

You are invited to join us in Morning Worship via YouTube

on Sunday morning, beginning at 6:30 am.

The link to a prepared Worship offering, similar to Morning Prayer,

including Prayers, a Lesson, and a Meditation by Bishop Itty, and organ and choral music and two congregational hymns will be posted then.

Sunday Worship at St. Peter's

During this challenging time, it is important that we continue our worship life as the community which is the parish of St. Peter's. To this end, we will produce a service of worship each week which will be released at 6:30am Sunday mornings on our You Tube channel. While this offering certainly cannot replace our usual Sunday morning gathering, it will provide opportunity for community worship via readings, prayers, and music. A separate e-News mailing will be sent on Sunday, and the YouTube service will be availale on the website.

Please click the YouTube link below to watch last Sunday's Morning Service:

We are intentionally making this service available early on Sunday morning, so that parishioners who would like to tune into other parishes which are offering a variety of liturgies at specific hours might be able to do so. The websites of some suggestions are:

Washington National Cathedral

St. Thomas Church, NYC

Trinity Church, NYC

The Episcopal Diocese of Long Island has set up a page of helpful COVID-19 Alerts and Helpful Resources, including some worship aids. You may click HERE to access the page.

Parishioners are reminded that while we are not able to meet regularly, our parish expenses continue on. Please continue to maintain your pledges; and if you do not pledge, but support the ministries of St. Peter's with your weekly donations, please send those in to the Parish Office. We are now able to accept your donations and pledge payments electronically through PayPal (which charges a 2.5% fee), or if your bank is a registered Zelle user, you may make donations by sending to businessoffice@stpetersbayshore.org." data-mce-href="mailto:businessoffice@stpetersbayshore.org.">businessoffice@stpetersbayshore.org. There is a memo line on the form. THANK YOU for your contributions to St. Peter's ministry!

A Message from Bishop Itty

My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In scripture we read:

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid;?do not be discouraged,?for the?Lord?your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9

Recent weeks have changed so many things in the world around us. All of us in this nation and around the world are facing, in many different ways, the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite all the stress filled stories that we often hear, the good news is that life is slowly returning to normal in those places where the pandemic originated and initially spread. Europe and North America have yet to recover, however, I am confident that we too will recover and thrive in due time. Thanks to God, our nation and its people have the capacity and resources to address this pandemic, and our national and local leadership is committed to dealing with this crisis in a pragmatic way. Increased medical, financial, and logistical resources are being channeled to help those in need. Indeed, much has been accomplished and there is much to be done, even as we realize how blessed we are as a community of faith and as a people of God.

In a very simple way, I want to stress that this is not an occasion for feeling helpless or hopeless. We join with many generations of faithful people before us who have gone through hardships and difficulties, yet persevered. In similar fashion, through our commitment to one another, our support of our church family, our sensitivity to the needs of our community, and by following the advise and counsel offered to us, we will prevail over the difficulties we all face at the present time.

This is indeed an opportunity to live out our Lenten pilgrimage, seeking solace through a commitment to solitude, quiet reflection, and prayer. It is time for reading our bibles and praying for parishioners, loved ones, our nation, and the broader human family. It is time for self-inventory and a time to re-prioritize the direction of our lives so we may all strengthen the spiritual fabric of our nature. Indeed, it is a time to remember that we are all facing the same challenges, and together, with God’s grace, we will all prevail.

I pray that in a spirit of confidence and trust in God’s grace, we can all reflect upon the words of this familiar and beloved hymn:

O God, our help in ages past,

Our hope for years to come,

Our shelter from the stormy blast,

And our eternal home:

Under the shadow of thy throne,

Thy saints have dwelt secure;

Sufficient is thine arm alone,

And our defense is sure.

Before the hills in order stood,

Or earth received her frame,

From everlasting thou art God,

To endless years the same.

A thousand ages in thy sight

Are like an evening gone;

Short as the watch that ends the night

Before the rising sun.

Time, like an ever-rolling stream,

Bears all its sons away;

They fly, forgotten, as a dream

Dies at the opening day.

O God, our help in ages past,

Our hope for years to come,

Be thou our guide while troubles last,

And our eternal home!

Isaac Watts, c1708.

May God’s abundant blessings sustain you and your loved ones, and fill you with all hope, peace, and strength, now and in the days to come.

Faithfully Yours in Christ,

Bishop Johncy Itty

“Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.”

Isaiah 12:2