Whoever you are or for whatever reason that you are looking at this website, we want you to know that in the Episcopal Church and particularly from the people of St. Christopher’s you will receive the Welcome of Christ.
Be . . . Be Here . . . Belong
at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church
We hope that you will join us on Sunday to Worship God and to find people who want to be companions on the journey of faith. There is a place waiting for you at St. Christopher’s and we hope to see you soon.
Right now, with the spike in COVID cases due to the Omicron variant, we have moved back to live-streamed worship only but are praying that this will last a very short time. We are noticing cases seem to be dropping in some parts of the country and as soon as it is possible, we will resume in-person worship at 8:30 AM and 10:00 AM each Sunday.
Until then, we will have one liturgy at 10:00 AM – live-streamed. Just click on the picture below to view it!
WORSHIP
Worship Leaflet for THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY – January 23, 2021 – 10:00 AM
Today Jesus comes into the synagogue, takes the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and reads the passage that declares his mission statement: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” This is meant to be our mission statement as well.
You may wonder why we still have the Poinsettias in the church. We celebrate The Twelve Days of Christmas ending on the Feast of the Epiphany, January 6, but the season of Christmastide continues on for a few more weeks. It ends on February 2 with the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. This is when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the Temple to present him to God. According to Jewish ritual, firstborn males belonged to God and parents had to go to the Temple to present them, taking with them a gift to God, typically two turtledoves, to “buy them back,” “to redeem them.” This was done 40 days after the birth of the child and was also the time when the mother was purified and received back into the community. We maintain the season of Christmastide with the beauty of the poinsettias and with more candles being lit than usual. On February 2, it is also the custom to bless candles for use in the church or in peoples homes.
If you want to have the beauty of one of the poinsettias in your home, contact the parish office by email or leave a message.
You may access our Facebook page using this link.
FACEBOOK: St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church
You can find us regularly on St. Christopher’s Church YouTube. Subscribe to our channel, check out what is live-streaming or watch videos that have previously been aired. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1EwdTY0RpDjU9O1cdg1aTA
A Prayer for the Power of the Spirit among the People of God
Our Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry has asked all of us to pray for all who are mourning due to the coronavirus. We were asked to continue to pray this prayer from Pentecost Sunday through the first Sunday in September, 2020, never imagining that the pandemic would continue much beyond that. Since the virus is still with us, we are choosing to continue praying this prayer until we return to a time when we can fully gather together to worship God in spirit and in truth. “This prayer – crafted by a team of Lutheran and Episcopal prayer leaders in light of the COVID pandemic – is meant to unite us in common prayer and revive us for common mission, wherever and however we may be gathered.”
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry praying the prayer: https://www.facebook.com/episcopalian/videos/2609858725901243/
God of all power and love,
we give thanks for your unfailing presence
and the hope you provide in times of uncertainty and loss.
Send your Holy Spirit to enkindle in us your holy fire.
Revive us to live as Christ’s body in the world:
a people who pray, worship, learn,
break bread, share life, heal neighbors,
bear good news, seek justice, rest and grow in the Spirit.
Wherever and however we gather,
unite us in common prayer and send us in common mission,
that we and the whole creation might be restored and renewed,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
May this be a time of grace and unity and may we use it to learn how to more deeply love and offer our lives in service to the common good.
May the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God and of his Son, Jesus, and may the blessing of God rest upon you this day and always.
(Most call me Pastor Mary Ann)
Because we want everyone to be included, St. Christopher’s is so happy to be able to provide a hearing loop to those who wear hearing aids. Just switch your hearing aid to ‘T’ to access the loop. If you do not wear a hearing aid and wish to have the benefit of the loop, you may ask the ushers and they will give you a headset to use.
And now, the sound system has been connected to a professional live-streaming camera so that we may have high quality sound and picture when live-streaming our services. The 10:00 AM liturgy is live-streamed.
Please click HERE for the Order of Compline
Here is the Video of the Crosses made by parishioners for Good Friday liturgy and the Veneration of the Cross
PLEASE HELP! – Dottie Baker’s Son, Buddy
Dottie Baker has been a long-standing member of St. Christopher’s and is beloved. Many of the children of the church walk in faith because of her teaching. Now, she needs our help!
I hope everyone will respond generously to the Go Fund Me appeal for her son, Buddy. He has been diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer and needs unbelievably expensive treatments. Dottie received some good news this week. Enough has been raised so that he can have his first treatment soon. Now we need to continue to contribute so that he can receive the other two scheduled treatments. You are amazing and Dottie and her son are so grateful.
FYI – the parish itself has helped Dottie who has given her life in loving service to this parish and its children. The Outreach Committee has given some of its budgeted fund, I have contributed out of the Rector’s Discretionary Fund that you so generously contribute to on the first Sunday of every month (Oh wait! That’s today!) and our bishop, +Bishop Daniel Gutierrez has also made a contribution from his Bishop’s Discretionary Fund. I thought you should know. Thanks to all of you too! Dottie told me recently he is making some improvement. Let’s keep going!
St. Christopher's Episcopal Church Live-stream worship - 10:00 AM 