A Message from a Parishioner:
It was dark as Carl and I walked up the driveway and into the church garden for the Easter Sunrise Service. The dawn chorus of birds welcomed us, with a Robin as the lead voice. Another Robin perched on the roof of Hamilton Hall and remained there for most of the service. As we moved through the service, the darkness gave way to the light of day. For our final hymn, “Christ the Lord is risen today—Alleluia,” the Goldfinches, House finches, Cardinals, even one Crow, joined the chorus.
The birds are back. Carl has welcomed the Prairie Warbler, with its lyrical voice, to the Nature Park. Flocks are flying overhead, and our yards and rooftops are brightened, as the birds join the daffodils and tulips to celebrate spring. As I watched the flocks in the sky, I was reminded of Mary Oliver’s poem, “Wild Geese”:
You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
Are moving across the landscapes,
Over the prairies and the deep trees,
The mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
Are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
The world offers itself to your imagination,
Calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting—
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.
I don’t think that the Canada Geese are anyone’s favorite bird. There are too many of them; they make a mess on the paths in the parks where we walk; they aren’t lovely and their song isn’t really a song – it’s more like a squawk or a honk. But the Canada Geese–and the crows—belong to the “family of things,” and they remind us that we too belong – whether we sing like the warblers or like the geese—we have a “place in the family of things.” Alleluia!
Martha Rainbolt
Connect With Us
Rector’s Office Drop-In Time
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.
The Fourth Sunday of Easter
In-Person Sunday Morning Worship Service, May 11, led by The Rev. Dr. Jennifer Oldstone-Moore, 10:15 a.m. Happy Mother’s Day!
You can stream the service via St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Greencastle, Indiana 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 May 11.
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The Latest Updates
Gobin’s Getting Ahead program meets Thursdays, providing support for people who want to improve their situations but are not sure where to start. They discuss a range of topics and strategic possibilities, from budgeting to setting goals to planning backwards and encourage each other in the slow process of moving forward. The 10 – 15 people who meet share a meal which builds fellowship and also makes it easier to take the time to learn these skills. Can you/you and a group of friends provide a meal for 10 – 15 people every other month on a Thursday to the Getting Ahead program? It would be a great if a St. Andrew’s team could help support this outreach. Let Jen+ or Renee know and we will form a team!
SUNDAY WORKSHOP WITH HEATHER CAMPBELL, DIOCESAN YOUTH MINISTER
Following the service this Sunday, May 11, Heather Campbell will be giving a workshop on Intergenerational Church for congregations without a formal youth group. We are inviting parishioners, Vestry members, parents, grandparents, and everyone. Hope you will be there!
TUESDAY BIBLE STUDY
The Book and Bible Group has begun again, meeting at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays with Evening Prayer celebrated at 4:00 p.m. The next one will be Tuesday, May 13.
ALTAR FLOWER CALENDAR
An altar flower calendar is posted in Hamilton Hall. Sign up to sponsor the altar flowers to commemorate a birthday or anniversary, remember a loved one, or in thanksgiving for an important event. We ask a donation to help offset the cost of the altar flowers and other worship expenses. Be sure to tell the office your dedication so that it can be printed in the bulletin. Please make checks payable to St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church and in the memo field please put this information: Altar Flowers, person’s name, occasion, Sunday date you’d like for the flowers to be on the altar.
VESTRY MEETING MINUTES
If any of you are interested in what your Vestry is doing, there are two copies of each month’s minutes on the top of the piano in Hamilton Hall. Feel free to read and return!
THIS WEEK’S SHOPPING LIST FOR NON-FOOD PANTRY
Please add razors, shaving cream, and underarm deodorant to your shopping list for the NFP for the month of May. Meals and conversation in Hamilton Hall are going well. Patrons are now able to pick out items they most need. Your contributions help our budget go farther in helping meet the needs of those in Putnam County. The next Non-Food Pantry will be Saturday, May 31 from noon – 2:00 p.m.
KROGER COUPONS
If you have any unwanted Kroger coupons, please bring them to Hamilton Hall and place in the window ledge near the “Little Library”. We would like to make them available to our Non-Food Pantry recipients so that they might be able to take advantage of them to help extend their food budget. Thanks in advance!
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. Decisions on COVID policy have moved from the Reconvening Committee to Rev. Jen and the Wardens.
Prayers and Reflections for This Week
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. 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.
Non-Food Pantry Latest
Saturday, May 31
• Noon to 2:00 p.m.
There will be a distribution in Hamilton Hall and light lunches will be served inside. We are grateful for all those who have worked so hard to obtain supplies for the Non-Food Pantry. Items are having to be purchased from a variety of sources making it much more expensive. Donations to help offset this extra cost will be gratefully accepted!
Top 3 Needed Items
Your prayers are asked for:
Haile Bane, grandson of Joanne Haymaker
Beth Benedix, friend to many at St. Andrew’s
Jennifer Clarke, friend of Patti Harmless
Emily
Katie Gleichman, relative of Jim & Cathryn Ensley
Carole Greenawald
Gwen, sister of Connie Macy
Josh
Tom Kaiser, friend of Jen+ & Chris
Hansford Mann, friend of Joanne Haymaker
Teresa Masten, friend of Karen & Jim Mannon
Sally Motsch, friend to many at St. Andrew’s
Mary Mountz
Jeri Mucia, friend of Joanne Haymaker
Tom Mullen, father of Patti Harmless
Elizabeth & Natalie Sheffler, daughter & granddaughter of Page & Narda Cotton
Skip Sutton
Larry Taylor, former member of St. Andrew’s
Dwight Ziegler, uncle of Stephanie Gurnon
Diocesan Cycle of Prayer: St. Paul’s Church, Indianapolis: The Rev. Devon Anderson, The Rev. Jeffrey Bower, The Rev. Beth Scriven.
Our companion dioceses: The Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil: The Most Rev. Mauricio Jose Araujo De Andrade, Primate of Brazil and Bishop of Brasilia. The people and Diocese of Haiti and Saint Andre’s Parish and school in Mithon.
Anglican Cycle of Prayer: Nippon Sei Ko Kai.
Birthdays: None.
Anniversaries: None.
Special Events and Services
