+++Sunday, March 22, Rev. Karen and Fr. Christopher will present to you Sunday Morning Prayer live on Facebook about 10 a.m. We’re producing the PowerPoint in advance and will be live with you as we pray together. Log on to Facebook and we can chat with each other as we pray. As mentioned, we’re planning for it to happen around 10 a.m.+++

Beloved family of God:

I pray you are well while you adjust to the rigors of self-isolation. It is completely contrary to our nature as human beings and as Christians to isolate one from another. We are formed by a God who longs to connect with us and are made for connections with one another to sustain us and to lift our spirits.

I wish to update you on the activities of St. John this week. It has been a week ago tomorrow, since I emailed you and let you know that we would not be meeting in the church on Sunday as a family. I intuitively knew that it would be a longer isolation but had little inclination that our separation would go through Holy Week and – as of now – make us wait until Easter. BE PREPARED. Our isolation could yet go beyond that!

The situation will only serve to sweeten the time when we can, at last, come together again. I can see it in my mind. I can feel the excitement leading us forward to that date. Can you feel it? With freedom to shake hands and hold each other – heart-to-heart? Doesn’t it inspire?

Many of you have seen that Rev. Karen and I are producing Morning or Evening prayer once a day on Facebook and also post a link to the video here on the website. Look for us on the Saint John Chrysostom Church page of Facebook. If you do not use Facebook or cannot find the page, would you please let me know? (CPotter@StJohns-ES.Org.) We can send you links via email.

The Bishop’s Committee, Rev. Karen and I are beginning to make daily calls to all registered members of the Church. If you don’t receive a call from one of us by this time next week, please let me know that as well. We will ask if you need anything: food, medicines, assistance. The caller will let Rev. Karen and me know and we will make the connections between need and service. THIS IS NO TIME TO BE SHY. If you have need, we have folks willing to help you out. We will do everything possible to meet your urgent need and to maintain our “social (holy) distances” as you let us serve you.

Our beloved Andy Guilford suggests that, among other ways to change this crisis into opportunity is to offer ourselves to each other in service and in relationship. He suggests that we make this a part of our Lenten Discipline. Call one another. If someone needs something, make the call to me or to the Rev. Karen. Offer to FaceTime yourself as you read stories to children so their parents might get a small break! Drop a care package off at a neighbor’s home. So many opportunities. My hope is that the isolation that is being foisted upon us now will become the urgent and frequent reaching out to one another, so we never again become as isolated as this; nor as isolated as we were last month.

Here’s our prayer list for this week. I invite you to make this list a part of your time during isolation and use it to connect to those who need you most.

Use your church roster to reach out to me, Rev. Karen, or any of our Bishop’s Committee members.

Blessings, strength, courage and health to you all.

Blessings by the bucket-load for the parents who have young children all day, every hour, all week. You are the saints of today. Your efforts are herculean and your love unbounded. I thank you, on their behalf.

In the love of Christ, the healer,

Christopher+

Rev. Christopher Potter, Vicar
St. John Chrysostom Episcopal Church and School
30382 Via Con Dios, Rancho Santa Margarita
949-888-4595