Saint John's Episcopal Church, Georgetown

Be you. Be here. Belong.

Church in the Time of Coronavirus

St. John’s Church will be closed – with no in-person activities or services – to help contain the spread of the Coronavirus. But even though our buildings are closed, the church is still at work, and we are here for you!

We Hold These Truths: Homily & Music for July 5, 2020

 

Trinity Sunday Reflection

 

Pentecost Reflection by the Rev. Gini Gerbasi

 

This reflection for the feast day when the church marks the coming of the Holy Spirit is an offering of lament for everything the church has done – and left undone – in a world full of suffering. In the words of the Litany of Penance (starting on page 267 of the Book of Common Prayer), we confess our unfaithfulness, hypocrisy, and pride; our exploitation of other people; our blindness to human need and suffering, and our indifference to injustice and cruelty. Click here, or on the photo to experience the Litany of Penance through the eyes of The Rev. Gini Gerbasi, Rector of St. John’s, Georgetown, and the music of Samuel Carabetta, Organist & Choirmaster, and soprano Margot Rood.

 

Special Morning Prayer Service for Earth Day

Our Care for Creation Team put together this gorgeous service for Earth Day, including prayers from the New Zealand Prayer Book, from the Pope, and from our own prayer book. The service includes some of your favorite hymns, and excerpts over the credits of a gorgeous piece of music by composer Ludovico Einaudi. It also features lots of birdsong, azaleas, and other gorgeous signs of spring as our team shares their readings and prayers from the great outdoors. Join us for a glorious celebration of God’s good creation!

Virtual Services and Easter Message

Click here (or on the photo above) for a Video Easter Message that includes a short homily, and gorgeous music recorded live by our choir. You will be singing along, and you will not want to miss it!

And click here for our Maundy Thursday reflection or here for our Good Friday meditation, which includes a reading of the Passion, a stripping of our altar, and a beautiful rendition of “Were You There” by our music director, and two members of our choir, who recorded from their homes.

We have Virtual Morning Prayer services every weekday, which you can access by clicking here for our YouTube channel. If you hit the “subscribe” button, you can get notice every time we post a service!

We also have a Eucharist service by Zoom every Tuesday evening at 5:30. We’d love to have you join us! Email for the link! (Kurt or Sarah at stjohnsgeorgetown.org)

We are also doing regular Compline, or Night Prayer, services. On Wednesday nights, you can find a FaceBook live version led by one of our parishioners. Email us (Kurt or Gini at stjohnsgeorgetown.org) for details. And click here or on the image for a beautiful virtual compline service by our choir. (And be sure to watch to the end for an adorable outtake!)

Prayer

We are also still praying, and we are here to pray for and with you. During this time of community anxiety and concern, know that our prayers are with you, and that God is in this. If you would like to send in a prayer request, click here, or on the “Prayer Request” image and we will get our prayer team on it! And if you need some help or support, please feel free to call the office, and our phone system will patch you through to one of us.

Engage

We still want to help you engage with the big stories of our faith which can help you find meaning and insight in these stressful times. One of our tools is our podcast, The Irreverends, where we dig into the Bible readings for the coming Sunday. Episodes are about 30 minutes long, and are usually posted on Thursdays. To listen to the Irreverends, click here (or any time you see our logo).

Helping others is another great way to engage with your faith and with the community. St. Theresa of Avila reminds us that God has no hands on earth now but our’s. So we are working to be some of God’s many hands during this pandemic. We have folks organizing grocery runs, sewing masks, and doing other things to serve our community during this crisis. Click here or the button below to connect with folks who can help connect what you have to offer with what others might need!