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The Rev. Gia Hayes-Martin, Rector

Vicky Turner Office Coordinator

Sara Seidel Director of Music

Carrie Troester Director of Children’s

Ministries

Newsletter Staff

Vicky Turner

Virginia Nussbaum

700 High Street

Worthington, OH

43085

T (614) 846-5180

F (614) 846-1564

www.StJohns

Worthington.org

Crossroads Volume 102, Issue 6 June 2020

_________________________________________

Continued on page 2

When Melville and I met, fifteen years ago this fall, we were both spending a week at the Iona Community’s center on an island off the west coast of Scotland. He was living in Glasgow then. I was living in Cleveland. At the end of the week, we knew we had something worth holding on to, and we agreed to try a long-distance relationship. I found a flat-rate international calling plan—$40 a month for unlimited minutes to any land line in Britain, a real bargain in the days before Skype—and we began talking two or 3 hours a night, 5 or 6 days a week. He visited me, or I visited him, every few months. After a year, we decided to marry. I consulted an immigration attorney, we applied for a fiancé visa, and we continued to talk and visit for another 11 months until Melville could emigrate to the United States.

It was a strange time. I had never felt so joyful and fulfilled in a relationship before, and at the same time I had never felt so lonely. I longed for Melville constantly. Some days I could feel it in my body, as though my heart itself was aching. What made the distance harder to bear was that we didn’t know when it would end. Our lawyer had said the visa process would take anywhere from six to 18 months and advised us not to make any wedding plans until Melville had the visa in hand. We couldn’t do anything to change the timeline but wait, pray, and keep talking to each other.

I remember how painful that time was, and I remember the gifts and graces that came with it. Melville and I talked so much that we knew each other very, very well by the time we married, more than we would have if we’d lived in the same city. I had been married before, briefly and disastrously, and I had the time I needed for careful discernment about this marriage. I discovered new resources of patience, resilience, and independence within myself. Our marriage is stronger, and I am a better, truer version of myself, because of that 3,000-mile separation. If we had rushed through dating and engagement to get past the pain more quickly, we would have missed out on those graces and gifts.

I’ve been thinking about that season of my life a lot as I contemplate the shape of church life in the pandemic. It’s becoming clear that we will not be back to the pre-pandemic “normal” for some considerable time, perhaps many months. Covid-19 can spread very easily in crowds, through singing, and through close personal contact such as distributing the bread and wine of communion. The things that make our liturgy meaningful and spiritually fulfilling for me are gathering with many other Christians, singing together, and sharing the Eucharist. Those things may be especially meaningful for you, too. And I do not know when we will be able to do those things again. I’m confident that we will, someday, but I don’t know when. We’re doing our best to follow Jesus in these circumstances, to worship and learn and serve and be community without seeing each other, but it’s not the same. We are longing for the way church used to be, to hug each other at

Longing as a Spiritual Practice

The Rev. Gia

Hayes-Martin

2

coffee hour, sing our hearts out in our favorite hymns, and meet Jesus at his table. Sometimes that longing feels like a physical ache in our bodies. And we may feel powerless to change it.

Our natural, human instinct is to make the pain go away as fast as we can. Yet if we do that, what gifts and graces will we miss out on? Now that our usual means of worship are not available to us, how else is God present and active for us? When Jesus is not feeding us through the Eucharist, we may better notice the other ways he feeds us, and come to appreciate the nourishment we’ve always taken for granted. In the silence of our choirs, we can let a new song take shape within us, and sing out our truth with more boldness and confidence. In our separation and distance, we may come to recognize as never before how desperately we need each other, and reshape our post-pandemic world around that truth.

These are painful times filled with grief and loss and longing. Yet God is still among us, still at work in the world and in us. God may be especially at work in our longing right now, giving us the graces and gifts we need.

Blessings, Gia+

Longing as a Spiritual Practice continued from page 1

St. John’s has purchased two Zoom accounts for congregational use, to help us stay connected. Below are some, but not all of the upcoming meetings scheduled on Zoom. Contact those listed for sign in links, or watch the Announcements in Saturday’s email. Or watch your email for a link to specially scheduled meetings. Email VirginiaN@StJohnsWorthington.org to schedule Zoom for your group or committee.

Sun, May 31, 11:00 AM Juice with Gia for children

Sun, May 31, 11:00 AM St. John's Zoom Coffee & Conversation

Mon, Jun 1, 06:30 PM Virtual Vacation Bible School with Carrie Troester

Mon, Jun 1, 07:00 PM St. John's Book Study Group with Karen Peeler

Tue, Jun 2, 10:00 AM St. John's Staff Meeting

Tue, Jun 2, 07:00 PM Getting to Know Gia #19

Wed, Jun 3, 05:30 PM St. John's Transitions Listening Group with Nancy Elkington

Wed, Jun 3, 07:00 PM Get to Know Gia # 20

Sun, Jun 7, 11:00 AM St. John's Zoom Coffee & Conversation

Mon, Jun 8, 06:30 PM Virtual Vacation Bible School with Carrie Troester

Mon, Jun 8, 07:00 PM St. John's Book Study Group with Karen Peeler

Wed, Jun 10, 05:30 PM St. John's Transitions Listening Group with Nancy Elkington

Wed, Jun 10, 07:00 PM St. John’s HR Committee with Steve Ellcessor

Sun, Jun 14, 11:00 AM St. John's Zoom Coffee & Conversation

Mon, Jun 15, 06:30 PM Virtual Vacation Bible School with Carrie Troester

Mon, Jun 15, 07:00 PM St. John's Book Study Group with Karen Peeler

Tues, Jun 16, 7:00 PM St. John's Vestry

Wed, Jun 17, 05:30 PM St. John's Transitions Listening Group with Nancy Elkington

Sun, Jun 21, 11:00 AM St. John's Zoom Coffee Hour

Mon, Jun 22, 06:30 PM Virtual Vacation Bible School with Carrie Troester

Mon, Jun 22, 07:00 PM St. John's Book Study Group with Karen Peeler

Sun, Jun 28, 11:00 AM St. John's Zoom Coffee Hour

Mon, Jun 29, 06:30 PM, Virtual Vacation Bible School with Carrie Troester

Mon, Jun 29, 07:00 PM St. John's Book Study Group with Karen Peeler

St. John’s Calendar on Zoom

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Join Us Online for Worship!

These are some (but not all) of the people we have seen, helping us to worship together, online. Thank you!

Pictures “captured” from St. John’s YouTube worship services.

Thank you, Sara Seidel, for putting all the pieces together in video format, to help us worship!

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The Adult Formation Committee (AFC) took a mild “pause” in March and April, awaiting the arrival of our new rector and as we all tried to figure out what the onset of COVID-19 was going to mean to our ability to gather. Whew! Much to our joy, Gia Hays-Martin is here and already making a welcome and significant difference in our lives---even from a computer screen! Now also we know at least some of what Covid means to our daily lives, and it is time to move on!! So, the AFC recently met via Zoom (everyone’s most popular app these days), and as a result, the following activities/events are in the works:

Book Group – Having thoroughly discussed and grown through 8 weeks of the study of Richard Rohr’s The Ultimate Christ, we move on to a 5-6 week study of Cynthia Bourgeault’s Wisdom Jesus, via Zoom, beginning Monday evening, May 18, at 7:00 pm. You are welcome to join anytime; just contact Karen Peeler (karenpeeler42@gmail.com) to receive the link for the meetings.

Listening Groups continue to meet, via Zoom. Some have decided to meet twice monthly as a good way to “stay connected”. You are welcome to join a group at any time, and again, you can learn when the various meeting times are and how to join by contacting Karen Peeler.

Coffee & Conversation—We will begin our Sunday Coffee & Conversation meetings via ZOOM on Sunday, May 24 about 11:15 am following Morning Prayer . The link will be provided by the church each Saturday, along with coffee hour. A loosely-connected series of presentations and discussions that we hope will have appeal to all adults will proceed as follows:

May 24 – Life and Church in the Time of COVID-19 – Karen Peeler

May 31 – Drawdown: A Plan for Preserving Our Planet Beyond COVID-19 – Donna Hissrich

June 7 – Re-discovering Our Prayer Book – Nancy Elkington

June 14 – Appreciating Anew Our Morning Prayer – Gia Hayes-Martin

June 21 – Faith in Our Homes During COVID-19 – Rea Hederman

June 28 – Exploring Our Hymn Book – Stephen Sollars

July 5 – Longing for Church in a Time of Exile – Gia Hayes-Martin

July 12 – The Church in the Time of Crisis – Diana McCullough

July 19 – Remembering Evensong in the Time of COVID-19 (Melissa and Keith Redmill)

We hope everyone will make plans to stay “zoomed in” after church, grab some coffee, and participate in the conversation!!

Women’s Retreat – At this point our Women’s Retreat in early October is in the process of re-visioning. Watch for new announcements from Donna DeRemer Hissrich.

Faith & Fellowship -We plan to re-schedule the abruptly cancelled workshop on “Active Bystander Training,” previously scheduled for March 14, but of course do not know just when at this time. Registration checks to those who were participating have been returned and new announcements and registration will be forthcoming---in the autumn, we hope!!

If you have ideas for books, discussions or programs you would like to pursue, let us know. COVID will not stop the work of St. John’s, so STAY CONNECTED!!

~ Karen Peeler

Adult Formation in the Time of COVID-19

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Celebrating Pentecost at Home

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At the April meeting of the PIMIL (Partners In Ministry In Liberia) Council, Caroline was unanimously elected Vice Chair. She has served for over five years as a volunteer of PIMIL

and more recently as a council member. Caroline said, “I have seen the organization grow from a group focusing primarily on fundraising to one that is a truly supportive ministry. The PIMIL ministry is faithfully concerned with the welfare of the Liberian students, and its

sponsors, and builds community both in Liberia and the United States.” Caroline and her family have been members of St. John’s since 1994.

Caroline Fraker Elected Vice Chair of the PIMIL Council

Caroline Fraker

This Spring, the PIMIL (Partners in Ministry in Liberia) Council made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s PIMIL Fundraiser and Luncheon scheduled for July 18, 2020. The Council feels that the public health emergency warrants extreme caution over the summer months. And given the current state of the Coronavirus in various locations, the Council does not wish to endanger members of the hosting or organizing Parishes by holding organizing meetings which were set to begin shortly.

The PIMIL Council is hopeful that we can still meet our fundraising goals by seeking donations from those who regularly attend the luncheon. Despite the global pandemic, PIMIL’s support of the Liberia students continues to grow and we are called to meet that need. The fundraising goal for the year is $20,000.00. PIMIL raises it funds primarily through donations and Annual Luncheon ticket sales. We are asking that you prayerfully consider donating the amount you would normally pay for tickets, a reserved table, sponsorship, or our basket raffle. In this way, we can continue to support our Liberian students throughout 2020. Tickets for this year’s Annual Luncheon were $20.00 each or $160.00 for a reserved table of eight (8). Checks can be made payable to St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, 30 E. College Ave., Westerville, OH 43081. Please write PIMIL on the memo line. All donations are tax deductible and receipts will be mailed to you. If you have questions about donations, you can contact Caroline Fraker at 740-403-1890.

We are also seeking individuals who wish to sponsor a student. There are many opportunities to be a sponsor – whether you want to sponsor a child in the middle of his or her academic carrier or support a child from kindergarten through the end of high school. Even sponsoring a child for one semester makes a big difference in the life of that child. To sponsor a child, please visit our website – pimil.org – for more information or contact the Rev. Abby Flemister, PIMIL Director, at 614 -891-2960.

Please know that you are in our thoughts and prayers during this unfortunate health pandemic. We pray that you and all those dear to you are well and safe, trusting you to our Lord’s loving care and protection. Know too, that we are safe and well, and are committing ourselves to our Lord’s care and protection

~ Caroline Fraker

PIMIL 2020 Fundraising Update

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It's great to see some blue sky and warm sunny days, but the continuing problems caused by COVID-19 mean that our Food Pantries are facing an ever-growing and urgent need for supplemental food for many of our neighbors. At the Worthington Pantry, "pre-packed bags of food are put directly into cars without our neighbors ever leaving the driver's seat. Each family receives canned goods, other non-perishable food like rice, cereal, and peanut butter, personal care items, and fresh produce and bread. Neighbors can also request meat, eggs, diary products, diapers, and pet food once they arrive at the top of the service line." Deliveries are being made to homebound neighbors, and the Pantry is "also working with case workers and property managers at various housing complexes to make sure that the vulnerable residents in these places receive food."

How Can We Help?

The Worthington Pantry needs volunteers to fill various roles, such as packing food, delivering bags of food to neighbor's cars, or delivering food to homebound neighbors. There are even volunteer roles you can accomplish in the safety of your home. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, they are not holding Volunteer Orientation sessions, but they still need many volunteers. Contact the Volunteer Coordinator, Christa Hester, at christa@worthingtonresourcepantry.org, or call the Pantry at 614-985-1766 to see how you can help.

Our pantries can amplify the impact of every dollar donated. You can donate online at www.worthingtonresourcepantry.org/donate, you can text "WRP" to 41444, or you can send a check to: P.O. Box 27; Worthington, OH 43085. You can donate to the Gladden Pantry in Franklinton at www.gladdenhouse.org/donate/. Some people have donated part or all of the stimulus check they received, in an effort to share their resources with our hard-hit neighbors.

If you have been spending some of your 'time at home' working on your vegetable garden for the summer, please remember to think about "planting an extra row" for the Food Pantry, whether your garden will be large or small. The Worthington Resource Pantry strives to include fresh produce in the food orders whenever possible, and they are VERY happy to take your extra carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, etc. You can make deliveries to their location at 6700 Huntley Road (the gray building on the east side of the street, just north of Schrock Road) - check the days and times at their website, www.worthingtonresourcepantry.org/hours.

June 7 - granola bars, kleenex June 14 - macaroni & cheese, toothbrushes June 21 - cereal, shampoo June 28 - canned fruit, toothpaste

The Food Pantries

Face Masks at St. John’s

Do you sew? Have you been making, or are you willing to make face masks? As we begin planning a return to the office and to the church building at St. John’s, we want to be prepared with face masks, for anyone who comes, and does not have a face mask. Disposable masks are available for purchase, but home-made, re-usable, washable, cloth masks may be a better investment over the time we will need them to protect and care for each other. If you are willing and able to sew some face masks for St. John’s, or you have questions, please contact Virginia Nussbaum at VirginiaN@StJohnsWorthington.org. St. John’s can reimburse you for supplies for these masks.

~ Virginia Nussbaum

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It seems like an odd thing to ask during these times. What are we supposed to be grateful for — supply shortages, long lines, widespread cancelations, fear, uncertainty, panic? While these reactions are very understandable, let's take a step back and look at this through a different lens. We are grateful for the opportunity to focus on the gifts we have been given, reflect on how to use these gifts responsibly for the furthering of God's kingdom here on earth, and then act. So, firstly, for what can we show gratitude? We are grateful and PRAY for:

Government leaders who have taken bold actions to keep us safe.

The technology that allows us to stay informed and connected—even when we are encouraged to maintain social distance.

Medical science and the researchers who are working around the clock to find effective treatments, a vaccine, and/or a cure.

Medical personnel, doctors, nurses and first responders who are on the front lines, risking their own health to care for those who are affected.

School administrators and teachers (and parents turned home school teachers) who are working to continue the education of our youth as seamlessly as possible.

Custodial, maintenance and cleaning staff who work endless hours to disinfect and sanitize our hospitals and buildings.

The Bishops and all our Clergy, especially our Rector Gia, who continue to provide for our spiritual nourishment.

All those who are actively placing the common good ahead of personal gain.

The return to health of all those affected, their caretakers, medical providers and those working for a cure.

While we can pray and be grateful for all of those who are working to ensure our health and safety, it is natural to feel overwhelmed and, perhaps, that there is nothing we can do to help. But, in reality, there are many ways to use our gifts, given to us by our generous God, to come to the aid of others. We can:

Assist our neighbors, especially the elderly and most vulnerable, by shopping for them and taking care of their errands when they cannot.

Remember to wash our hands for at least twenty seconds. Instead of singing, why not pray The Lord’s Prayer? That will be a bit longer than twenty seconds, but a few more moments of prayer won’t hurt!

Be mindful that while we cannot attend church in person at this time, we can still mail our offertory gift to the church office or give online on the St. John’s website.

Stay home if we don't feel well or if we are instructed to do so.

Do you recognize something here? Aren’t these all things what we are called to do anyway as caring and responsible members of our community? Yes, there is fear and uncertainty, but this is also a time to focus on the scriptural mandate to “Be Not Afraid.” For in these times, and at all times, we know and can trust God’s word, “the light [that] shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” ~John 1:5. We are grateful that God is with us during the pandemic. With God’s help, now is the time to use our gifts responsibly, not only during the pandemic, but throughout all the challenges we encounter in our lives.

~Donna DeRemer-Hissrich, Stewardship Co-chair

Can We Feel Gratitude During a Pandemic?

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Garden Glories!

The difference between us, under COVID-9, and those on the Titanic is that while both groups were experiencing the most modern lives the world had ever known, those on the Titanic were confident that they were on the most modern, advanced, safe, elegant and luxurious ship ever built. They danced into the night unaware of impending doom and death. We, on the other hand, in the year of our Lord 2020, live out each day to the music of continual news delivered from conflicting sources, consistent only in the dire predictions and uncertainties of its warnings.

They, in 1912, gloried in the future open to them and swanned about in the newest fashion, shaking off Victorian clothes that slipcovered the body for shorter skirts, skimpier garments and body-revealing designs. They anticipated the future through Art Deco style and an insouciant outlook, glorifiying the new, the modern, the future brought on by increasing industrialization and a life style of greater comfort leisure and possessions.

In 2020, we look to a world of climate change, uncertain weather, floods, storms, tornadoes, hurricanes, a real plague of locusts, unprecedented melting polar ice, rationed water and a new, airborne disease. We dress in ubiquitious jeans, rich and poor alike from a distance. Travel is abandoned, sacrificed with the luxury of self-glorification and pretense. Sheltering in place and self-quarantine have become luxuries compared with hospitalization and intubation. Tomorrow is a temptation to be dreamed of and prayed for. Today is the only true present, a gift that we but slowly appreciate as we long for past freedom of movement and the casual assumption of a future resumption of past lives.

~ Tricia Herban

Transmogrified

“Consider the lilies, how they grow…

Several years ago, left-over Easter lilies made their way into the gardens at St. John’s. Usually, flowers that have been forced don’t bloom again. If planted, green leaves may come up, but blossoms aren’t expected. However, lay weeders planted the spent lilies and – amazing grace! – the plants have produced lilies every year since then. We’ll be watching for them in the churchyard, in the Mary Chase garden against the wall of the church.

June has a way of busting out all over the campus, especially with lilies and iris. A drive through the parking lot will reveal the iris bed in bloom at the south entrance to the churchyard. Along Dublin-Granville Road, the long Columbarium garden begins its summer parade of flowering plants, and Siberian iris – both purple and white – which can be found in the Chapel Garden. We can expect to see perennial geraniums, peonies, hydrangeas, spirea, roses, ansonia, Bishop’s Cap (epimedium), and a host of perennials flourishing in June.

If playing in the dirt on a lovely day sounds like a welcome way of contributing to St. John’s well-being and your own, give us a call! Lay Weeders have shown up, usually in twos or threes (masked and keeping distance) on most Saturdays and sometimes in between. We keep in touch by internet about tasks and about the latest delights in the gardens. Early May saw clouds of bluebells and forget-me-nots, and the emergence of our Jack-in-the-Pulpits, among others.

…even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” Luke 12:27 Ellen Stukenberg, 614-885-8522

Tricia Herban

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Disclaimer:

There are loads of fortunate things oddly correlated with hardship, privation, and suffering, and my list will perforce overlook a great many of them. Even the finest may not make their way here, but I still want to give thanks for the good I have and have not discerned. I mean to acknowledge that there is so much unsung good that makes its quiet contribution to our peace of mind. This account may be fragmentary and highly personal, but it is still good stuff.

We all are grateful for the courage, sacrifice and reflexive humanity of our health workers, first responders and public servants who go about their work heroically, without question, yet capable of brave and well-informed criticism of our broken governmental system, and of the moral indifference of many comfortable functionaries in positions of authority and responsibility. Their service is, I believe, magnified by their prophetic criticism and protest. I also celebrate the disdain of ethical journalists for the vaunted “fake news.” Their affirmation of the importance of truth to civilization and statesmanship is evident in most of our free press. It is a critical response to the sad proliferation of politically motivated propaganda, disinformation, and lying. The resistance is bloodied, but unbowed. Yet we must acknowledge that without these tensions, our paramount, decent principles might not so forcefully be made evident.

Then there are the particulars:

In losing access to so many things from which we get happiness, we are obliged to admit that our happiness does not utterly depend on our conveniences and favorite pursuits. Other sources of joy become manifest, if slowly, nevertheless sufficient to our needs. The fruits of hardship.

I heard a news item in which cab drivers refused payment from sick people on their way to hospital or treatment. Tough guys, no? In our current straits, people modeling self-sacrifice, charity and kindness stand out. They teach us. They set the bar higher. For us.

Our sequestration provides us with the novel opportunity to be still and attentive to the still small voice. We can become renunciates in private, quiet ways, and gain something of monastic training, or at least a better understanding of monastic discipline. The world is not so much with us. We can turn off the TV and enter the silence. We have a chance to learn to shield ourselves from the dinning of propaganda. Of commerce. To begin to see that we have choices.

A talented friend gave up her fascinating San Francisco career and returned to Columbus to care for her aged mother. Selfless, praiseworthy. But her mother had parrots, which are very long-lived. When the mother died, the parrots lived on, under my friend’s dedicated care. Late one night one of the elderly birds wounded a wing, and required hospital care, but succumbed in the middle of the night. On learning of the sad news, her neighbor telephoned. He took out his harmonica and played ‘Amazing Grace’. What amazing grace!

One of St John’s faithful parishioners transported volunteered food to our local food pantry. A young Costa Rican woman came to receive the donation, and in conversation revealed she had just graduated from nursing school. Our friend was concerned at this young woman’s protection from the Corona Virus. She replied that she had a full-time job in the infirmary of a prison. She explained, “I am a nurse. That is what I am trained to do.”

Please try not to be shocked or disgusted about my next penitent. She is the subject of many crude jokes, and famed for a cruel, angry, ill-conceived assault upon her sexually abusive husband. Although she no longer uses her former name, she will always be known as Lorena Bobbitt. She served a long term in prison for her assault on John Bobbitt. Her repentance, though, represents a noble mastery of a most untenable, disgraceful part of her life. She is now deeply involved in advocacy for sexually abused women, was the executive producer and narrator of the original scripted biopic “I was Lorena Bobbitt” which portrays the compassionate thing she was able to make of that disastrous time: something affirmative and restorative. She has a long list of related educational and ameliorative activities. She instructs us in rising from hopelessness to healing fulfillment. A monumentally difficult achievement. A penitential lesson.

A woman in a nearby community is caring for a young daughter who has a serious and dispiriting illness. She

The Silk Purse

Len Gibler

Continued on page 11

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The following people have recently made a donation to the St. John’s All Saints Fund:

Tom and Donna Bailey Donation in memory of Lucile Widney

Ellen Stukenberg Donation in memory of Lucile Widney

Jackie Browning Donation in memory of Lucile Widney

Jackie Browning Donation in memory of Paul Rogers

All donations to the All Saints Fund are used for permanent or semi-permanent improvements for St. John’s programs or premises. If you wish to make a contribution in honor of someone or in thanksgiving for any event, simply write a check to St. John’s Episcopal Church with a notation for the “All Saints Fund.” The name of the person or event being memorialized should be included in the memo line.

Donations to the St. John’s All Saints Fund

asked a neighbor if she would bring her dog over to cheer the child up. A short period passed, then the entire neighborhood conducted a forty dog parade, with many of the pooches dressed in costume. God as an idea, not as a robed entity.

Another neighbor-story. The guy takes pity on chickens—birds who have an arguably tough lot. He keeps a little flock in his backyard. This year he built them a sandbox. There you go: another hero.

In 2019 at Durant, Oklahoma, the people of Ireland donated a large sum of money to the Choctaw Nation, who are suffering horribly with the Corona Virus. Irish officialdom made themselves present to give the gift, in the spirit of ima, the Choctaw word meaning, “to give.” They have not forgotten their history.

One hundred and seventy years earlier, the Irish suffered not only from plague and famine, but from cruel British oppression. The Irish, like the Indians, were herded, diseased and dying, into reservations, where they were deprived of their language and their culture. The Choctaw had good reason for empathy and donated from their meager treasury $170 to the beleaguered Irish---$5,000 in today’s money.

The Choctaw people had only recently arrived in Oklahoma at the order of President Andrew Jackson, himself of Irish descent. The march is known to us as “The trail of tears”. Half of the 2100 souls died of malnutrition. They well understood the parallel. And they responded in the spirit of ima.

At the Dignity Health Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz an anonymous donor gave one million dollars to all staff, including cleaners. His note read, “Thank you for standing up (and staying up!) to care for our community. This humankindness is what makes you heroes.”

In Buddhist legend, the peacock is impervious to poisons. He may eat such as poisonous plants, snakes, insects, and the like with impunity. From such fare comes the inexpressible beauty of his breathtaking plumage, ex nihilo sanctis.

~ Len Gibler, May 2020

The Silk Purse, continued from page 9

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Financial Summary for the Four Months Ended April 30, 2020

(Under) or Over

Budget Actual Budget

Operating Revenue:

Pledge Contributions 181,700 190,797 9,097

Other Plate Contributions 13,168 16,438 3,270

Other Revenue 12,916 9,470 (3,446)

Total Operating Revenue 207,784 216,705 8,921

Operating Expenses:

Human Resources 89,946 92,356 2,410

Diocesan Expense 21,325 20,186 (1,139)

Other Administrative Expenses 9,556 5,964 (3,592)

Building & Grounds Expenses 46,356 38,207 (8,149)

Committee Expenses 20,611 9,239 (11,372)

Total Operating Expenses 187,794 165,952 (21,842)

Operating Cash Flow 19,990 50,753 30,763

Financial Recap: At the end of April, our pledge contributions were over budget by $9,100; our other plate contributions (which consist primarily of contributions from non-pledging members and plate cash) were over budget by $3,300; and our total revenues were over budget by $8,900. In total, our operating expenses were under budget by $21,900, which, in combination with our revenues, left us with a positive cash flow of $50,800. The church was anticipating this positive cash flow due to the very successful stewardship campaign last year, however, due to the recent life events, our cash reserves have diminished significantly during the months of March and April. Many people are asking how they can continue making pledge donations during these unprecedented times. Please be aware that our mail is being picked up frequently and that many are mailing their donations directly to the church office. In addition, we have an online giving option through Vanco Services which can be accessed on our website that many are signing up for as well. Vanco also has an associated giving app entitled Give+ which can be used in the same manner. We would like to give thanks for your continued support of the church!

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Joe Alutto June 3

Charles Pauline June 3

Ruby Chappell June 6

Donna Somerville June 7

Ava Chappell June 8

Jean Duncan June 10

Brian Hortz June 12

Thomas Moraille June 12

Caroline Dotzauer June 13

Henry Dotzauer June 13

Mary Palmer June 14

Tim Troester June 14

June Todd June 15

Debbie Tallman June 15

Janice Whitlatch June 16

Bob Ficks June 17

Amanda Miller June 17

Orion Warnock-Johnston June 17

Betsy Warner June 19

Charlie Warner June 19

Wolfgang Warnock-Johnston June19

Linda Wyman June 20

Theo Adeyanju June 20

Alan Herrmann June 21

Paul Hogan June 22

Colette Martin June 23

Sonya Thesing June 24

Bob Hays June 25

Julia Hirata June 25

Jeff Li June 27

Judy Dowling June 29

Judy Burch June 30

June Birthdays

On Tuesday, May 12, the BREAD organization held its 22nd annual Nehemiah Action. BREAD (Building Responsibility, Equality and Dignity) is a community of faith-based congregations in the Metropolitan Columbus area advocating for social justice through the implementation of best practices in many areas of community life such as education, health, housing, and jobs. Saint John’s has been a member since 2009.

Each year, BREAD churches identify a problem in their communities that requires the attention of community leaders. A research committee is formed by interested members to study best practices for dealing with that issue. In May, relevant community leaders are invited to an assembly of about 3000 citizens and asked to implement the best practices identified for dealing with the problem.

This year the problem identified by Bread members was gun violence, which continues to plague many Columbus communities. Because of the COVID-19 virus, last year’s problem, affordable housing, was also emphasized this year as the housing crisis worsens daily with many people now facing eviction.

Because of the virus, St. John’s could not hold its scheduled adult forum in March on BREAD or recruit church members to attend the Nehemiah Action in May. The Nehemiah Action had to be held on Zoom to a much reduced audience. Nevertheless, the advocacy of BREAD for solutions to problems of violence and inadequate housing has already produced results! On May 14th, Mayor Andrew J. Ginther, along with City Council President Shannon G. Hardin and Councilmember Shayla Favor, announced that the city of Columbus has received $157 million in federal funds from the CARES Act to provide assistance in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. And $51 million is earmarked for human services such as shelter for those experiencing homelessness, food and rental assistance.

To learn more about BREAD successes and how you can invest in this unique community organization, visit the site at breadcolumbus.com.

~ Eve Herold

BREAD News