A Message from the Rector:
Last week parishioner Dave Murray quoted a sentence from Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan about God’s deep wish that we have a flourishing and abundant life: “For Jesus, the kingdom of God is not primarily about the dead, but about the living, not primarily about life after death, but about life in this world.”
I am writing this reflection from the Barbara Harris Conference Center in New Hampshire where I am at the Gathering of the Recovery Ministries of the Episcopal Church. At this gathering we had a Bible study that paired two readings, one from the Gospel and one from Alcohol Anonymous’ Big Book.
Mark 10:46-52
As Jesus and his disciples and a large group were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside.
When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.” Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.”
So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” Jesus said to him, “Go, your faith has made you well.” And immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.
AAWS, 2001, p. 337
“So here I am, sober. Successful. Serene. Just a few of the gifts of the program for surrendering, suiting up, and showing up for life every day. Good days and bad days, reality is a wild ride and I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
The leader had us focus on Bartimaeus’s cloak as the thing that he needed to shed in order to be made whole. She then asked us, “What do you need to give up in order to be healed? What do you need to give up to live life abundantly?” I’m not sure that I’d thought about bad days as part of the texture of a wild ride, and it has kept me looking at the good and the bad in new ways—and to think about “abundant life” with new parameters.
Jen+
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. NOTE: Rev. Jen will be out of the office May 29 – June 30 so no drop-in hours May 31 or the entire month of June.

The Fifth Sunday of Easter
Sunday Morning In-Person Worship Service, May 7, led by The Rev. Dr. Jennifer Oldstone-Moore, 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 at 10:10 a.m.
Click here for the service booklet for May 7.

The Latest Updates
A PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS?
Every week the St. Andrew’s newsletter has a reflection about life and faith. Most are observations about daily life and where we experience God in the midst of the “same old, same old.” We would love to feature your thoughts – – a few paragraphs that will help us all see more clearly how the Holy One touches us in our ordinary lives. Please let Renee or Jen+ know if you are interested.
FREE DAILY DEVOTIONAL
The Day by Day daily devotional for May, June, and July is now available in the sanctuary. They are free for the taking. We are assessing how many daily devotionals to order each month. Please let Renee know if you would like a devotional each quarter. If you do not see any devotionals in the sanctuary (there are 5 in the front pew and 5 at the back door), please let Renee know that you would like one, and we will make a second order while tweaking our final numbers.
LAY EUCHARISTIC VISITORS
The Diocese is offering training for people to become Lay Eucharistic Visitors (LEV). This training licenses you to take the blessed sacrament to those who cannot come to church, including residents of The Waters. It is a wonderful way to be church! Trainings are on June 17 and September 7. Please consider being a LEV! Contact the Rev. Mary Taflinger at taflinger@indiodio.org with questions. Register here.
NEW ZOOM LINK
The new link can be found on the St. Andrew’s website at the bottom of the last page. Click on the Zoom icon to join as an attendee.
COMMUNION AT THE WATERS
Once a month Sunday services have resumed at The Waters. The next service will be Sunday, May 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!
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.

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 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.

Non Food Pantry Latest
Saturday, May 27
• Noon to 3:00 p.m.
There will be a drive through distribution and sack lunches will be served. We are very grateful to Kate Berry, Martha Rainbolt, Carl Huffman, Karen Hirt Mannon, and Christiane Wisehart who have worked very hard to obtain supplies for the Non-Food Pantry. Kroger is not able to acquire enough products for us so the items are being purchased from a variety of sources. This is much more expensive. Donations to help offset this extra cost will be gratefully accepted! NOTE: There will be no distributions in June or July. Distributions will resume in August with new guidelines and will take place indoors.
Top 3 Needed Items

Your prayers are asked for:
Haile Bane, grandson of Joanne Haymaker
The family of Gary Barcus, friend of Joanne Haymaker
Beth Benedix, friend to many of us at Saint Andrew’s
Douglas Butler, brother-in-law of Claudia Butler
Richard A. Butler, father-in-law of Claudia Butler
Adam Cohen, friend of St. Andrew’s
Family & friends of Michael Condra
Norm Crampton, former member
Bob Fatzinger, brother of Barbara Pare
David Grueber, stepson of Scott Kissinger
Don & Laurie Hamilton, friends of Dave & Sue Murray
Kimberley Heithaus, niece of Joe & Jenny Heithaus
Lisa Breese Kincaid, daughter of Bob & Mimi Breese
Mary Mountz
Tom Mullen, father of Patti Harmless
Emmanuel Myril, Karen Hirt Mannon’s son-in-law’s father
Sarah Oldstone, sister-in-law of Jen+
Pamela & Linda
Gordon Redden
Elizabeth & Natalie Sheffler, daughter & granddaughter of Page & Narda Cotton
Gloria Smith
Skip Sutton
Jerry Taylor, friend of Warren & Connie Macy
Beth Thoenen, friend of Jen+
Sydnor Thompson, brother of Harriet Moore
Diocesan Cycle of Prayer: St. Paul’s Church, Indianapolis: The Rev. Dr. John Denson, The Rev. Barbara Kempf, The Rev. Jeffrey Bower, The Rev. Patrick Burke.
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 in Mithon.
Anglican Cycle of Prayer: The Church in Wales.
Birthdays: Gordon Redden, May 7; Henrietta Schwartz, May 9 .
Anniversaries: None.