The Tuesday Book and Bible group has been pondering Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4. This is the woman who had had five husbands and who was shunned by her community—and who against seemingly impossible odds becomes the Apostle to the Samaritan and the first in John’s Gospel to name Jesus as the Holy One of God.

The group’s discussions have been powerful. Part of the work is learning about society and culture at the time of Jesus. For instance, in Jesus’ day, where a woman could be divorced on just about any grounds but could not initiate a divorce on her own. But we have also been coming to terms with the prejudices of our own day that affect our reading. It is a surprise to realize that we’ve assumed that this woman must be promiscuous and rash—only to learn that part of her tragedy may have been her helplessness in ending up marrying her husband’s surviving brothers, one after the other, given a custom from those days. We had assumed her shame is because of her sex life; we learned that her shame was probably because she unable to bear children and thus considered to be worth nothing.

I’ve realized that many of the assumptions about what is “obvious” in the Bible should be reconsidered. This poem, written from the point of view of the Angel Gabriel, makes me rethink Gabriel’s message to Mary, her strength of character, and her resolve. For such a momentous event, why wouldn’t God’s messenger be the one who is terrified?

Jen+

Gabriel’s Annunciation

For a moment
I hesitated
on the threshold.
For the space
of a breath
I paused,
unwilling to disturb
her last ordinary moment,
knowing that the next step
would cleave her life:
that this day
would slice her story
in two,
dividing all the days before
from all the ones
to come.

The artists would later
depict the scene:
Mary dazzled
by the archangel,
her head bowed
in humble assent,
awed by the messenger
who condescended
to leave paradise
to bestow such an honor
upon a woman, and mortal.

Yet I tell you
it was I who was dazzled,
I who found myself agape
when I came upon her—
reading, at the loom, in the kitchen,
I cannot now recall;
only that the woman before me—
blessed and full of grace
long before I called her so—
shimmered with how completely
she inhabited herself,
inhabited the space around her,
inhabited the moment
that hung between us.

I wanted to save her
from what I had been sent
to say.

Yet when the time came,
when I had stammered
the invitation
(history would not record
the sweat on my brow,
the pounding of my heart;
would not note
that I said
Do not be afraid
to myself as much as
to her)
it was she
who saved me—
her first deliverance—
her Let it be
not just declaration
to the Divine
but a word of solace,
of soothing,
of benediction

for the angel
in the doorway
who would hesitate
one last time—
just for the space
of a breath
torn from his chest—
before wrenching himself away
from her radiant consent,
her beautiful and
awful yes.

–Jan Richardson

Rev. Jen has set her office drop-in day as Wednesday of each week from 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. for anyone who would like to stop in and visit. You are always invited to make an appointment for a time convenient for you. Mondays are her Sabbath day. NOTE: Rev. Jen will be out of the office January 2 – January 8, 2024.

Sunday Morning In-Person Prayer Service, Sunday, January 7, led by Sue Murray, with Homilist Jennifer Phelps, 10:15 a.m.

You can stream the service via St. Andrew’s Facebook Page. Click on this link to view the Live Stream. We will start the Live Stream 5 minutes prior to the start of the service.

Click here for the service booklet for January 7.

HELP NEEDED WITH SEVERAL MINISTRIES

Both the Altar Guild and Beyond Homeless Shepherds are in need of persons to help out monthly. If you are able to help out a month or two a year or just want more information, please contact Renee in the church office. We are also in need of Ushers, Lectors, Intercessors, Chalice Bearers, Coffee Hour hosts, Youth Acolytes, 2nd persons in Sunday School room, and The Waters Communion Service helpers.

BELL RINGERS NEEDED

The bell is up and running once again! We are in need of older youth or adults who would like to serve as bell ringers. If you are interested, please let Renee or Rev. Jen know and we’ll see to it that you get the proper training.

SECOND SUNDAY DISCRETIONARY COLLECTION

Monies in the loose plate collection on the 2nd Sunday of each month go towards Rev. Jen’s Discretionary Fund used to help the less fortunate in Putnam County.

THIS WEEK’S SHOPPING LIST FOR NON-FOOD PANTRY

Please add body moisturizers (including hand lotions), Fabuloso, Comet, Pine Sol, and shampoo to your shopping list for the NFP. Every little bit helps our budget go farther in helping meet the needs of folks in Putnam County. The next Non-Food Pantry will be Saturday, January 27 from noon – 2:00 p.m. There is a sign-up sheet posted in Hamilton Hall for folks to help with a product pick-up and/or as well as for help on January 27 at the monthly distribution. FYI: Baskets at church are now dedicated for the NFP and not the Food Pantry.

EVENING PRAYER

Most weeks, the Tuesday Bible and Book group meet at 4:30 p.m. On these Tuesdays, there is a service of Evening Prayer beginning at 4:00 p.m. Don’t be afraid to join in even if you come late.

BIBLE AND BOOK GROUP, TUESDAY, JANUARY 9, 4:30 PM

Our Bible study/books group(s) started up again. We are reading “Belonging” by Karoline Lewis.

COMMUNION AT THE WATERS, SUNDAY, JANUARY 14

Once a month Sunday services are continuing at The Waters. The next service will be Sunday, January 14 at 2:00 – 2:45 p.m. If you’d like to help with this ministry in any way, please contact Rev. Jen or Renee. All are welcome to attend!

VESTRY MEETING, TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 7:00 P.M.

The Vestry will meet for it’s monthly meeting in Hamilton Hall.

SAVE THE DATE FOR FEBRUARY 21, 2024

The Philadelphia Eleven documentary will be shown at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 21, 2024 at Korb Classroom in the Wabash College Fine Arts Building. After the screening Bishop Jennifer will participate in a panel discussion.

FREE DAILY DEVOTIONAL

We have some large print Day by Day daily devotionals in the sanctuary that you are free to take home for your personal devotions–and if we know that people would like copies, we can order the right amount. Many of you may also appreciate the on-line version of Day to Day. Click here.

ON-GOING COVID PROTOCOL

We continue to respond to both our county’s current CDC designation and to the current variant. Masking is optional. Those who serve bread and wine will mask so that anyone who comes to the altar can feel secure. Decisions on COVID policy have moved from the Reconvening Committee to Rev. Jen and the Wardens.

We have heard that the daily reflections and scripture readings provided during Lent were appreciated. The meditations are written by persons from Gobin UMC and Beech Grove UMC. They will be in the newsletter each week and go from Wednesday to Tuesday, except for Sunday. Whether you enjoy these every day or as the Spirit moves you, may this resource continue to bring you spiritual food for the journey. Blessings!

Click here to view the readings and accompanying links.

Your prayers are asked for: