Weekly eNewsletter from
St. Nicholas-on-the-Hudson
January 8, 2021
From the Rector -
Here I am again, groping for words that might provide comfort during a time of chaos. Of course I refer to the riot in the United States Capitol which ironically fell on the Feast of the Epiphany, a celebration of a guiding light, a commemoration of Christ’s physical manifestation to the three magi. These three wise ones were sent by King Herod to find Jesus, purportedly because Herod wanted to pay the Christchild homage, but really because Herod wanted to “put a hit out on a toddler,” as the Lutheran pastor and writer Nadia Bolz-Weber put it in her Twitter feed on January 6. So changed, so illuminated, so inspired were the magi by their encounter with Jesus, that they decided not to return to Herod, but to leave “for their own country by another road” (Matthew 2:12).
As disgusted and just plain sad as I feel about the invasion and profaning of the seat of our democracy, this is not a political rant. But it is just to say that we, like the three wise ones, always have the option to choose a different path — the one that leads away from fear, violence, and death — all because we have experienced Christ’s glory, or at the very least, because we value life and love over death and hate. And not just our own lives and homes and families, but the lives and homes and families of all people. Indeed this is our calling as Christians — and our pathway home: to learn, worship, and pray; to turn away from evil and towards the Lord; to proclaim in word and deed the Good News of Jesus; to love all our neighbors as we love ourselves; and to strive for justice and peace among all people, respecting the dignity of every human being. This is the covenant we make at Baptism, and it’s one we can’t fulfill on our own. We can only do it with God’s help.
In light of the events of this week, I call on everyone reading this (regardless of your political affiliation) to be in prayer for our nation, this month especially, as we witness the change of one administration to another. There are some terrific prayers “for National Life” beginning on p. 820ff of the prayerbook, and you can access them online at www.bcponline.org.
And then there is this prayer, one offered by Senate Chaplain Barry C. Black upon the conclusion of the joint session of Congress which was halted and then restarted on January 6th:
"Lord of our lives and sovereign of our beloved nation, we deplore the desecration of the United States Capitol building, the shedding of innocent blood, the loss of life, and the quagmire of dysfunction that threaten our democracy. These tragedies have reminded us that words matter and that the power of life and death is in the tongue. We have been warned that eternal vigilance continues to be freedom's price. Lord, you have helped us remember that we need to see in each other a common humanity that reflects your image. You have strengthened our resolve to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies domestic as well as foreign. Use us to bring healing and unity to our hurting and divided nation and world. Thank you for what you have blessed our lawmakers to accomplish in spite of threats to liberty. Bless and keep us. Drive far from us all wrong desires, incline our hearts to do your will and guide our feet on the path of peace. And God bless America. We pray in your sovereign name, amen."
I’ll be leaning on this one a lot this month, as I lean on my faith in the God of peace, who is our home.
Yours,
Leigh+
THIS SUNDAY AT ST. NICK'S
The Baptism of Our Lord
Sunday Worship
- We offer one service of Holy Eucharist, Rite II at 9:30am streaming live from St. Nick's to our YouTube Channel.
- Participate in the liturgy by using this bulletin. You can access the entire prayerbook online at anytime at www.bcponline.org.
- We will use a small team of people to help lead worship this Advent and Christmas, including AV people, readers, and prayer leaders. Please sign up here if you would like to help this small team lead worship.
- To submit a prayer request, please use our prayer request form. Our new practice for prayers will be to start fresh with a new prayer list at the start of the new month. Please feel free to resubmit your prayer requests.
- Should you or your family wish to receive the Eucharist from the Reserved Sacrament at the church, please schedule an appointment with Mtr. Leigh here.
- If you weren't able to watch last week or would like to see any of our previously streamed services, you can watch them HERE
SAVE THE DATE
2021 Annual Meeting
We must have a quorum present, so please plan to attend on 1/31.
Click here to join.
STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIGN 2021
Our deep and heartfelt thanks to all who have made a pledge to support St. Nick's and its mission and ministry in 2021. We know it has been an incredible year, with many economic uncertainties, and that there are likely many other small businesses and non-profits that can use your support.
To say thank you to all who made a pledge for 2021, we will give each pledging household a ceramic ornament that features the rose window in St. Nick's -- lovingly crafted by our own Polly Myhrum! The ornaments will be available soon. Please be on the lookout for instructions on how to pick yours up.
If you have yet to make your pledge for next year, there's still time. You can use this online form to fill out a digital pledge card. Once you do, Dana, our parish administrator, will respond to you to confirm those numbers. Once again, we are so grateful for any support you can provide in the coming year.
ONLINE GIVING
After months of careful deliberation, following a diocesan announcement that its e-pledge system was ending, St. Nick's chose Vanco as its new platform for online giving. Some of you have been using PayPal to make donations during the pandemic, and we appreciate it! Online donations have been crucial (and safe!) for us this year. In 2021, we will begin to fully transition over to Vanco (which takes a smaller cut for transaction fees and even allows the giver to cover them) for our online giving. We will soon introduce the Vanco app, but for now, you can follow this link for instructions to set up your online giving (good for one-time donations or regular monthly payments from checking or credit card). If you had formerly been using the diocesan e-pledge system, please set up your payments for 2021 using the above instructions.
Parish Office is open for 2021!
ZOOM Office Hours with Mtr. Leigh are...
Tuesdays 3p to 5p
Wednesdays 10a to 12p
Thursdays 11a to 1p
Schedule appointments through Mtr. Leigh's online scheduler:
https://calendly.com/leighhall
SUNDAY SCHOOL at St. Nick's
Stay tuned! More to come in 2021
COMING IN MAY 2021!
We will have our annual Trash and Treasure Sale on Saturday, May 15, 2021 with a rain date of May 22. We hope that holding the event in the spring will encourage more interest as well as help us to handle the Church Fair and the T & T Sale separately with greater success for both events. It will be held outside. Please keep the T & T Sale in mind during your spring cleaning! We will enlist helpers and have more information in the early spring. For questions contact Eileen Doherty at (914) 474-5564 or [email protected]
FOOD PANTRY & PERSONAL CARE PANTRY
We have so many families hurting in Dutchess County. Your donations go a long way. The food pantry always needs cereal, peanut butter, mac & cheese, tuna, etc. The linens pantry needs gently used blankets, towels and new pillows. For more information Please call Liz at 297-4907.
BIBLE STUDY: Resumes on January 11th
Join Mtr. Leigh in Zoom for a lectionary based bible study
Mondays @ 2pm
Each Monday we'll read and study together the lessons for the upcoming Sunday. To find out what the lessons are, please visit The Lectionary Page. We generally use the first option of the two listed for the first reading.
Topic: Lectionary Bible Study
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85728735074
END OF LIFE PLANNING The Coronavirus pandemic has likely made us aware of our own mortality in new and profound ways. It is the responsibility of the Church to assist its members in preparing for death "while they are in health," which often entails the preparation of a will, or, at the least, the preparation of a plan in the event of a member's death. We have prepared a funeral planning form that will help you begin to think through and to plan your funeral, and we encourage you to begin this process seriously if you haven't already. After you complete the forms contact Mtr. Leigh for planning.
From the Book of Common Prayer: "The Minister of the Congregation is directed to instruct the people, from time to time, about the duty of Christian parents to make prudent provision for the well‑being
of their families, and of all persons to make wills, while they are in health, arranging for the disposal of their temporal goods, not neglecting, if they are able, to leave bequests for religious and charitable uses." (p. 445)
BUDDY GROUPS For Buddy Groups and captain contact information please click: HERE
PARISH DIRECTORY A Parish Directory with the most updated contact information we have for all of you is available. If you would like a digital copy of the directory, please email the church office.
AA GROUP MEETINGS St. Nick's does have regular AA meetings but due to the Corona Virus restrictions they are currently on hold until further notice.
INTRA OFFICE DEADLINES Want to put an announcement in the weekly e-news? The deadline for submission is: Wednesdays 12pm
AGING NEWS: SENIOR RESOURCES Click on this link for the recent enews from Dutchess County Department For The Aging:
https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/Aging/OFA-Golden-Living-News-for-Senior-Citizens.htm
In Our Prayers
For those for whom prayers have been asked:
Martha + Dean + Eleanor + Connor + Adrienne + Christina + Patrick + Jennifer + Bert + Evelyn + Marlene + Ann Marie + Bernice + Judy + Walter
- for all healthcare workers and first responders
- for those in prison and for prison workers
- for nursing home staff and residents, especially Jackie
- for the sick, especially those with Covid-19
- for all who struggle
- for the unemployed
- for the disappointed
- for the oppressed
- for all who work for peace and justice
- for teachers and parents and all who are making hard decisions about schooling this fall
- for those affected by the wildfires in the western states
- for our nation and it's leaders
- for those who are alone this Christmas season
- for those struggling with addiction, and the families that are affected
- for a safe and effective vaccine, and for the scientists and researchers working even now to prepare and perfect it
In thanksgiving for:
- for the possibilities
- for all who support the ministry of St. Nick’s
- for the vaccine
- for my family
For the departed:
Joann Zeoli
St. Nicholas-on-the-Hudson
January 8, 2021
From the Rector -
Here I am again, groping for words that might provide comfort during a time of chaos. Of course I refer to the riot in the United States Capitol which ironically fell on the Feast of the Epiphany, a celebration of a guiding light, a commemoration of Christ’s physical manifestation to the three magi. These three wise ones were sent by King Herod to find Jesus, purportedly because Herod wanted to pay the Christchild homage, but really because Herod wanted to “put a hit out on a toddler,” as the Lutheran pastor and writer Nadia Bolz-Weber put it in her Twitter feed on January 6. So changed, so illuminated, so inspired were the magi by their encounter with Jesus, that they decided not to return to Herod, but to leave “for their own country by another road” (Matthew 2:12).
As disgusted and just plain sad as I feel about the invasion and profaning of the seat of our democracy, this is not a political rant. But it is just to say that we, like the three wise ones, always have the option to choose a different path — the one that leads away from fear, violence, and death — all because we have experienced Christ’s glory, or at the very least, because we value life and love over death and hate. And not just our own lives and homes and families, but the lives and homes and families of all people. Indeed this is our calling as Christians — and our pathway home: to learn, worship, and pray; to turn away from evil and towards the Lord; to proclaim in word and deed the Good News of Jesus; to love all our neighbors as we love ourselves; and to strive for justice and peace among all people, respecting the dignity of every human being. This is the covenant we make at Baptism, and it’s one we can’t fulfill on our own. We can only do it with God’s help.
In light of the events of this week, I call on everyone reading this (regardless of your political affiliation) to be in prayer for our nation, this month especially, as we witness the change of one administration to another. There are some terrific prayers “for National Life” beginning on p. 820ff of the prayerbook, and you can access them online at www.bcponline.org.
And then there is this prayer, one offered by Senate Chaplain Barry C. Black upon the conclusion of the joint session of Congress which was halted and then restarted on January 6th:
"Lord of our lives and sovereign of our beloved nation, we deplore the desecration of the United States Capitol building, the shedding of innocent blood, the loss of life, and the quagmire of dysfunction that threaten our democracy. These tragedies have reminded us that words matter and that the power of life and death is in the tongue. We have been warned that eternal vigilance continues to be freedom's price. Lord, you have helped us remember that we need to see in each other a common humanity that reflects your image. You have strengthened our resolve to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies domestic as well as foreign. Use us to bring healing and unity to our hurting and divided nation and world. Thank you for what you have blessed our lawmakers to accomplish in spite of threats to liberty. Bless and keep us. Drive far from us all wrong desires, incline our hearts to do your will and guide our feet on the path of peace. And God bless America. We pray in your sovereign name, amen."
I’ll be leaning on this one a lot this month, as I lean on my faith in the God of peace, who is our home.
Yours,
Leigh+
THIS SUNDAY AT ST. NICK'S
The Baptism of Our Lord
Sunday Worship
- We offer one service of Holy Eucharist, Rite II at 9:30am streaming live from St. Nick's to our YouTube Channel.
- Participate in the liturgy by using this bulletin. You can access the entire prayerbook online at anytime at www.bcponline.org.
- We will use a small team of people to help lead worship this Advent and Christmas, including AV people, readers, and prayer leaders. Please sign up here if you would like to help this small team lead worship.
- To submit a prayer request, please use our prayer request form. Our new practice for prayers will be to start fresh with a new prayer list at the start of the new month. Please feel free to resubmit your prayer requests.
- Should you or your family wish to receive the Eucharist from the Reserved Sacrament at the church, please schedule an appointment with Mtr. Leigh here.
- If you weren't able to watch last week or would like to see any of our previously streamed services, you can watch them HERE
SAVE THE DATE
2021 Annual Meeting
We must have a quorum present, so please plan to attend on 1/31.
Click here to join.
STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIGN 2021
Our deep and heartfelt thanks to all who have made a pledge to support St. Nick's and its mission and ministry in 2021. We know it has been an incredible year, with many economic uncertainties, and that there are likely many other small businesses and non-profits that can use your support.
To say thank you to all who made a pledge for 2021, we will give each pledging household a ceramic ornament that features the rose window in St. Nick's -- lovingly crafted by our own Polly Myhrum! The ornaments will be available soon. Please be on the lookout for instructions on how to pick yours up.
If you have yet to make your pledge for next year, there's still time. You can use this online form to fill out a digital pledge card. Once you do, Dana, our parish administrator, will respond to you to confirm those numbers. Once again, we are so grateful for any support you can provide in the coming year.
ONLINE GIVING
After months of careful deliberation, following a diocesan announcement that its e-pledge system was ending, St. Nick's chose Vanco as its new platform for online giving. Some of you have been using PayPal to make donations during the pandemic, and we appreciate it! Online donations have been crucial (and safe!) for us this year. In 2021, we will begin to fully transition over to Vanco (which takes a smaller cut for transaction fees and even allows the giver to cover them) for our online giving. We will soon introduce the Vanco app, but for now, you can follow this link for instructions to set up your online giving (good for one-time donations or regular monthly payments from checking or credit card). If you had formerly been using the diocesan e-pledge system, please set up your payments for 2021 using the above instructions.
Parish Office is open for 2021!
ZOOM Office Hours with Mtr. Leigh are...
Tuesdays 3p to 5p
Wednesdays 10a to 12p
Thursdays 11a to 1p
Schedule appointments through Mtr. Leigh's online scheduler:
https://calendly.com/leighhall
SUNDAY SCHOOL at St. Nick's
Stay tuned! More to come in 2021
COMING IN MAY 2021!
We will have our annual Trash and Treasure Sale on Saturday, May 15, 2021 with a rain date of May 22. We hope that holding the event in the spring will encourage more interest as well as help us to handle the Church Fair and the T & T Sale separately with greater success for both events. It will be held outside. Please keep the T & T Sale in mind during your spring cleaning! We will enlist helpers and have more information in the early spring. For questions contact Eileen Doherty at (914) 474-5564 or [email protected]
FOOD PANTRY & PERSONAL CARE PANTRY
We have so many families hurting in Dutchess County. Your donations go a long way. The food pantry always needs cereal, peanut butter, mac & cheese, tuna, etc. The linens pantry needs gently used blankets, towels and new pillows. For more information Please call Liz at 297-4907.
BIBLE STUDY: Resumes on January 11th
Join Mtr. Leigh in Zoom for a lectionary based bible study
Mondays @ 2pm
Each Monday we'll read and study together the lessons for the upcoming Sunday. To find out what the lessons are, please visit The Lectionary Page. We generally use the first option of the two listed for the first reading.
Topic: Lectionary Bible Study
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85728735074
END OF LIFE PLANNING The Coronavirus pandemic has likely made us aware of our own mortality in new and profound ways. It is the responsibility of the Church to assist its members in preparing for death "while they are in health," which often entails the preparation of a will, or, at the least, the preparation of a plan in the event of a member's death. We have prepared a funeral planning form that will help you begin to think through and to plan your funeral, and we encourage you to begin this process seriously if you haven't already. After you complete the forms contact Mtr. Leigh for planning.
From the Book of Common Prayer: "The Minister of the Congregation is directed to instruct the people, from time to time, about the duty of Christian parents to make prudent provision for the well‑being
of their families, and of all persons to make wills, while they are in health, arranging for the disposal of their temporal goods, not neglecting, if they are able, to leave bequests for religious and charitable uses." (p. 445)
BUDDY GROUPS For Buddy Groups and captain contact information please click: HERE
PARISH DIRECTORY A Parish Directory with the most updated contact information we have for all of you is available. If you would like a digital copy of the directory, please email the church office.
AA GROUP MEETINGS St. Nick's does have regular AA meetings but due to the Corona Virus restrictions they are currently on hold until further notice.
INTRA OFFICE DEADLINES Want to put an announcement in the weekly e-news? The deadline for submission is: Wednesdays 12pm
AGING NEWS: SENIOR RESOURCES Click on this link for the recent enews from Dutchess County Department For The Aging:
https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/Aging/OFA-Golden-Living-News-for-Senior-Citizens.htm
In Our Prayers
For those for whom prayers have been asked:
Martha + Dean + Eleanor + Connor + Adrienne + Christina + Patrick + Jennifer + Bert + Evelyn + Marlene + Ann Marie + Bernice + Judy + Walter
- for all healthcare workers and first responders
- for those in prison and for prison workers
- for nursing home staff and residents, especially Jackie
- for the sick, especially those with Covid-19
- for all who struggle
- for the unemployed
- for the disappointed
- for the oppressed
- for all who work for peace and justice
- for teachers and parents and all who are making hard decisions about schooling this fall
- for those affected by the wildfires in the western states
- for our nation and it's leaders
- for those who are alone this Christmas season
- for those struggling with addiction, and the families that are affected
- for a safe and effective vaccine, and for the scientists and researchers working even now to prepare and perfect it
In thanksgiving for:
- for the possibilities
- for all who support the ministry of St. Nick’s
- for the vaccine
- for my family
For the departed:
Joann Zeoli
