ONLINE WORSHIP ANNOUNCEMENTS
UPCOMING ONLINE
(except where indicated)
21st Sunday after Pentecost Service @ 8:45 am via St. Paul’s Facebook
9:45 am Coffee Hour
11 am Outdoor Worship Service in rectory backyard (limited seating; preregistration required)
October 26
Historic Trust Meeting @ 5:30 pm
October 26-30
Morning Prayer @ 9 am
October 28
Bible Study @ 11 am
November 1
All Saint’s Day Service with Baptism @ 8:45 am via St. Paul’s Facebook
9:45 am Coffee Hour
11 am Outdoor Day of the Dead Service in rectory backyard (limited seating; preregistration required)
Evening Prayer on the Eve of an Election
Join us for a quiet, contemplative service to pray for unity and peace as the nation votes.
Topic: Evening Prayer on the Eve of an Election
Time: Nov 2, 2020 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
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Meeting ID: 890 1489 5780
Worship Schedule & Re-opening Update:
Schedule changes November 8
Sunday, Nov. 1 will be our last Sunday with two services. On Nov. 8, we’ll return to a single, live-streamed service at 10 am. Currently, state regulations permit indoor worship at 25% capacity, but St. Paul’s will not be ready for this step until we upgrade our camera equipment in the church, which we are exploring. We also need to update our protocols and ensure we have enough volunteers to run a smooth service that meets the needs of the people in the church and online. We’ll keep you posted!
Send in Your Loved One’s Photos for our Día de los Muertos Slide Show
As a part of our Day of the Dead celebration on Sunday, Nov. 1, we will be putting together a slide show to honor and remember the saints who have gone before us. The slide show will be shown at our 8:45 am live-streamed digital service on Nov. 1. Please email pictures of your loved ones in JPEG format to Betsy Zampa by Wednesday, Oct. 28.
Readings for the 21st Sunday of Pentecost
Deuteronomy 34:1-12
Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17
1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
Matthew 22:34-46
Grateful, Glad & Giving Provides Backpacks for Schoolchildren
Thanks to generous donations from parishioners, made in previous Backpack Drive and the Family Giving Tree campaigns, and an anonymous gift of backpacks, we were able to provide 6 middle school and 9 high school aged children with school supplies. The backpacks were filled by teenage volunteers, including Jeaniesue Pelkey. They were blessed at both services on Oct. 18 and delivered to the Benicia Community Action Council on Oct. 23.This has been an unusual year, and the Family Giving Tree will also undergo changes this season. Stay tuned!
—Donna Patey
A Few Words About Dia de los Muertos in the Time of Covid-19
We won’t have sugar skulls or pan de muertos. But, now is not the time to stop celebrating Dia de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. After more than 20 years, this celebration is part of who we are at St. Paul’s. This year we will have an ofrenda outside next to the Parish Hall from Oct. 25 through Nov. 1. It will bear some of the many names to be remembered this Covid-19 year. Please email the office with names special to you this year. Because our ofrenda will be outside, we are adapting so that it will survive the elements. Please come see it.
While Dia de Los Muertos is about the dead, it is a joyful holiday. The pre-Columbian peoples of Mexico believed that the dead came back annually to visit. The visits were much anticipated. Death was viewed as part of the circle of life, and everyone understood that love triumphs over death. This teaching fits well with our own catechism. The Communion of Saints, described in our Book of Common Prayer on page 862 is: The whole family of God, the living and the dead, those whom we love and those whom we hurt, bound together in Christ by sacrament, prayer and praise.
Today Dia de Los Muertos is an opportunity to remember our ancestors and family and friends who have died and to be inspired because of them. The holiday is a wonderful antidote to the American fear of death—particularly now, when we live with pandemic.
Inside the church our special altar cloth will be in use. We are still adding names, so if you would like a loved one remembered, let the church office know and his or her name will be added. By looking at the names one can get a sense of the history of St. Paul’s and the members of our parish who have touched our lives in the past. The cloth also remembers the victims of earthquakes, floods, fires, hurricanes, and gun violence, as well as world figures, saints, and martyrs. We will also have a PowerPoint presentation of pictures of our loved ones. Text or email your pictures to Betsy Zampa. Celebrating Dia de los Muertos becomes a way of celebrating the best in us—our capacity to remember, to love, to hope, and to build beloved community!
—Barbara Jewell
Parishioner Volunteer Opportunity
Peter Geng is looking for someone to help him learn Zoom to launch online Chinese cooking classes. If anyone is interested, please contact the church office.
Zoom Coffee Hour on Sundays
Join us online at 9:45 am for our Sunday virtual coffee hour. Check your Friday email from St. Paul’s for secure Zoom log-in information.
Morning Prayer Online – Weekdays at 9 am
This half-hour service of scripture reading and prayers will start your day off on the right foot. It’s a wonderful anchor in uncertain times! Check your Friday email from St. Paul’s for secure Zoom log-in information.
Bible Study Online – Wednesdays at 11 am
Join us as we dive into next Sunday’s readings while enjoying fellowship, deep conversation, and entertaining tangents. Remember – you can always call into the meeting by phone, no computer required! Check your Friday email from St. Paul’s for secure Zoom log-in information.