Our Blog

Results filtered by “The Mothers Holy Apostles”
in Special Annoucements

Staying Safe, Informed, and Caring for Each Other (Coronavirus)

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
 
For good reason, there is a lot of concern, and for many a great deal of fear, in regards to COVID-19/Coronavirus.  As we said yesterday in church, we will not succumb to fear, but we WILL act smartly and use precautions.   
 
We live in NYC, and that means most of us are required to use public transportation, we have children in school, we are going to work - we are in constant contact with other people.  Just living our regular day to day lives right now can bring on a lot of fear - and it is hard in the midst of so much fear - it takes a toll on us. We want to urge you to be in touch with us if you find yourself overwhelmed by fear and anxiety, we are here for you for pastoral counseling, even if it is not in person.
 
We want to encourage everyone to remember that we have each other - and that this is one of the great moments for technology - that we can check in with each other and support each other in a variety of ways.  It is a moment for us as Christians to be good neighbors and check in on people who we know are already isolated and maybe feeling more so now.  Don't hesitate to be in touch with others via phone, FaceTime, Skype. 
 
The precautions we are taking at Holy Apostles:
 
  • As of March 8, 2020, communion will be distributed in one kind only - that is the bread, no longer distributed at the communion rail, but standing up.
  • The pews will be wiped down weekly using disinfectant wipes, immediately following the service.
  • We will no longer hold hands during the Lord's Prayer, shake hands or hug during the peace.
The precautions we are asking you to take:
  • If you are feeling ill, have a fever or a cough, please stay home.
  • If you have traveled to an infected area, or have come in contact with people who are under quarantine, please consult health officials.
  • Wash your hands regularly, do not touch your face (eyes, nose, mouth) & use hand sanitizer.
Communication during this time is incredibly important. We will continue to be in touch with you all, check in and keep you up to date with what we are doing. 
 
In peace,
The Mothers


Read more...
Posted by The Mothers Holy Apostles
in Lenten Daily Reflection

Lenten Message

main image

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

In our Ash Wednesday liturgy, we are invited to observe a Holy Lent - it's kind of a funny thing - we are usually invited to dinner, or a movie, out to drinks or those of us with children to playdates - but invited to observe a Holy Lent!  What on earth does that mean? And do I want to respond to an invitation that might require more work than fun?

God is constantly inviting us into relationship with God, but we may be too busy regularly to answer God's invitation to us. Lent is a specific invitation to us to re-commit our hearts to God. What that means  is that this is a time to figure out the things in and on our hearts that are getting in the way of being in relationship with God.  (In secular terms - it means looking at the things that are unnecessarily distracting us from being present with ourselves and our loved ones.) So we both give things up - those things that cloud our hearts and our minds (remember this isn't a time to lose weight, so we aren't talking about desserts and chocolate!) - and take things on - such as daily scripture readings or daily prayer -if you have a partner or a family, you may want to consider a common Lenten practice. 

One of the ways we are inviting you all to observe a Holy Lent is to join us in contemplating the 10 Commandments, which we will recite every Sunday in Lent,  hear about in our Sunday sermons, read about in Ana Levy Lyons' book No Other Gods and discuss in our three Lenten small groups.  The commandments are guidelines and expectations given to us by God - something we tend to shy away from in liberal Christianity as we grip onto a concept of freedom of choice - and yet, what does it mean to consider them? How might they give us something that we are yearning for?  We hope to find out!

Join us this Lent. Commit yourself to a daily practice, commit yourself to church - and see how much easier it is to turn our hearts back to God, together.

Faithfully yours,
The Mothers

Also See:

Lenten Daily Reflections

 
 


Read more...
Posted by The Mothers Holy Apostles

12...4567891011121314Next