ON-GOING ACTIVITIES AT ST. BEN’S
ABUNDANCE SHOP– Thrift shop at 2025 9th St. COMMUNITY DINNER – Providing and serving food at SBCC, on 1st Thursday of odd-numbered months, in conjunction with Los Osos Cares. EARTHCARE – ZOOM 3rd Wednesdays 3pm. Discussion/action group seeking spiritual and practical solutions to environmental concerns. HEALING SERVICE – FACEBOOK – A time for prayers for healing at the 10:30 service on 5th Sundays HOLLISTER INSTITUTE – ZOOM –Opportunities for stimulating discussion and thoughtful exploration. Currently: “The Nonviolent Life” Tuesdays at 10:15 LAUNDRY LOVE – Helping low-income families with funds, soap, and friendly assistance at Osos Clean Laundry. 4-6pm on last Wednesdays PEOPLE’S KITCHEN – Providing and serving lunch at 40 Prado, 1st Saturday of even-numbered months SATURDAY EUCHARIST Evening Eucharist on 2nd Saturdays at 5:30pm Zoom and Facebook VESPERS AND CONVERSATION – ZOOM – 5:30 pm Tuesdays
VESTRY / PARISH COUNCIL – ZOOM – 3rd Sundays at 12:30pm.
- The Rev. Dr. Caroline Hall, Rector
- Stef Shuman, Sr. Warden
- Jane Wu, Jr. Warden
- Lisa Gonzalez, Treasurer,
- Lorienne Schwenk, Clerk
- Esta Kandarian,
- Alan Kiste,
- Benjamin Nucum
- Helen Schnieders
- Barbara Schippers
- Maureen Titus
Bidding Book Prayers – If you’d like to request prayers for someone and have their names read out during the online worship services on Sunday, please submit their names to stefshuman@sbcglobal.net during the week (by Friday).
We are grateful for God’s financial providence and blessing. Thank you for making your offerings by mail to our PO Box, or on-line https://www.StBensLosOsos.org/support-us/
Unless otherwise stated, our meetings happen on Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7977776046?pwd=VUFZSXY3UVpNVitJaDl2VmhPS3E2UT09 Passcode is: 93402
The 10:30 am Sunday service is live-streamed on Facebook: www.facebook.com/stbenslososos/ but you do not have to sign up for Facebook to watch it. You can also watch it on our website: https://www.stbenslososos.org/facebook-including-live-stream/
Service leaflets are available under the Worship tab on our website: https://www.stbenslososos.org/category/service-bulletin/
This Week at St. Benedict’s
Sunday, March 28
- 8:00 am – Worship service (Zoom)
- 9:30 am – Outdoor Service in church parking lot
- 10:30 am – Live-streamed worship service (FaceBook)
- 11:30 am – Virtual Coffee Hour (Zoom)
- 2pm brief Deanery Meeting
Monday, March 29 RECTOR’S SABBATH
Tuesday, March 30 (All Zoom)
- 9:45 am – Prayers for the Morning
- 10:15 am – Hollister Institute: “The Nonviolent Life” by John Dear with special guest, Ruth Ann Angus
- 5:30 pm – Vespers
Wednesday March 31
- 4pm Laundry Love at Los Osos Clean Laundry
- 5 pm Stations of the Cross (Zoom)
Thursday April 1 Maundy Thursday
- 6:30 pm – Agape Meal (Zoom)
Friday April 2 Good Friday
- 12 noon Good Friday Liturgy on the veranda
- 7:30pm Tenebrae (Facebook)
Saturday April 3 Holy Saturday
- 12 noon People’s Kitchen at Prado Day Center
- 6 pm Easter Vigil on Diocesan Youtube channel
- 7:30 pm Easter Vigil service outdoors in person, with eucharist
Sunday, April 4 Easter Sunday
HOLY WEEK AT ST. BENEDICT’S
Holy Week starts Today!
Stations of the Cross: walk the Via Dolorosa – the way of tears – which is also the Way of Peace and of Hope as we follow the story of Jesus’ journey to the cross and beyond. This year we will not be displaying the wonderful Stations gifted by the Hirahara family, and made for us by Chloe White. However you can make a private pilgrimage with them at any time by participating in the service on our website: https://www.stbenslososos.org/stations-of-the-cross/ We will also walk the stations together on Wednesday March 31 at 5pm
Maundy Thursday April 1, 6:30pm On Maundy Thursday we remember Jesus’ last supper with his friends and the subsequent betrayal in the Garden of Gethsemane. This year we will enjoy an agape meal together on-line. An agape meal is literally a love-feast, a communal meal shared among Christians with love. You are invited to prepare a simple meal in your home which we will bless and then enjoy eating as we remember the last supper together. Afterwards, the church is stripped of all its color and artwork, ending with the stripping of the altar, reminding us of how Jesus was stripped naked. We depart in silence, just as his disciples left him, silently melting into the night.
Good Friday, April 2 Good Friday is the day when Jesus was crucified. The Scriptures tell us that he hung on the cross for three hours from noon until three. Some people choose to fast until 3 pm as a way of personally connecting with Jesus’ sacrifice. We will mark the day with a traditional Good Friday liturgy at 12 noon on the veranda. This service draws on the ancient monastic services of Matins and Lauds and includes psalms, readings from Lamentations and early church writers, The most conspicuous feature of the service is the gradual extinguishing of candles and other lights in the church until only a single candle, considered a symbol of our Lord, remains. Toward the end of the service this candle is hidden, typifying the apparent victory of the forces of evil. At the very end, a loud noise is made, symbolizing the earthquake at the time of the resurrection (Matthew 28:2), the hidden candle is restored to its place, and by its light all depart in silence.
Holy Saturday and Easter Vigil April 3, 7:30 pm Holy Saturday – the time when Jesus was in the tomb. Then… finally we get to Easter, but we can’t quite wait until Easter morning, so we celebrate the night of Jesus’ resurrection starting at 7:30pm on Saturday with the Great Vigil of Easter. During this ancient service we light the new fire and remember our salvation history. Then we celebrate the resurrection in the first Eucharist of Easter. There will be two possibilities this year – the diocese is preparing a Vigil service which you can watch, and we will hold a simple service Vigil for a Pilgrim People service in the parking lot around the fire pit starting at 7:30. This will be shorter and simpler than the average vigil service yet will include Eucharist.
Easter Day Sunday, April 4: 8 am and 10:30 am Our celebration continues on Easter Morning, with a contemplative communion service at 8am and an in-person Eucharist at 10:30am live-streamed on Facebook.
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Announcements
THE NONVIOLENT LIFE by John Dear is the current selection in our Tuesday morning Hollister Institute discussions.. Ruth Ann Angus will join us on March 30 at 10:15 to talk about the local organization and workshops that she and John Dear are organizing. You may want to check out their websites in advance: https://www.yeswecanpeacebuilders.org/ and https://beatitudescenter.org/
LAUNDRY LOVE – Wednesday March 31 4-6pm – St. Benedict’s sponsors Laundry Love at the Osos Clean Laundry at the Valley Liquor complex on the last Wednesday of each month. If you can help on site, or provide snacks or would like to contribute money for this, please contact Maureen Titus.
PEOPLE’S KITCHEN Our next turn providing lunch for the clients at Prado Day Center will be on Saturday, April 3, at 12 noon. If you can help, please contact Pat Henry riecie5381@gmail.com as soon as possible.
NEW HOLLISTER INSTITUTE DISCUSSION
Beginning Tuesday, April 13 we will be reading and reflecting on John O’Donohue’s book, Beauty: The Invisible Embrace, rediscovering the true source of compassion, serenity and hope.
From the publisher: “O’Donohue opens our eyes, hearts and minds to the wonder of our own relationship with beauty. Rather than “covering” this theme, he uncovers it, exposing the infinity and mystery of its breadth. His words return us home to the dignity of silence, the profundity of stillness, the power of thought and perception, and the eternal grace and generosity of beauty’s presence. In this masterful and revelatory work, O’Donohue encourages our greater intimacy with beauty, and celebrates it for what it really is: a homecoming of the human spirit.”
Led by the Rev. Caro Hall and other members of St. Benedict’s, this online class will be held on Zoom on Tuesdays at 10:15am.
THE RULE OF BENEDICT – Starting after Easter, Lorienne Schwenk will be leading a seven week reflection on the Rule of St. Benedict. We will be using Joan Chittister’s book, “The Rule of Benedict”, which contains the rule and her reflections. Please contact Lorienne if you are interested so we can determine the best time and date for this class. 805.200.7908; purrsbythesea@gmail.com.
SACRED GROUND – What we can do for healthy soils and a healthy planet.
Thursday, April 22nd, 7:00-8:30 pm Online. This Graceshop (called that because climate solutions from healthy soils come via the grace of creation) is offered by the volunteers on the Earthcare team at St. Benedict’s Episcopal Church and open to the whole community, near and far. The sacred ground theme comes from Interfaith Power and Light, which includes all major religions (www.interfaithpowerandlight.com ), for Faith Climate Action Week, April 16-25.
Registrationlink: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcud-urrT8qGtxasQ4JCR1yTPP9HpJ11Thg More details on St. Ben’s website under “Events”.
DAILY PAUSINGS – Join us for Pausings – a few minutes of reflection with Caro+ posted every day at about 7pm on St. Benedict’s Facebook page. These few minutes of poetry, psalms, and prayers are a great way to end your day, or access anytime.
- PERSONAL PRAYER A member of the Healing Prayer Ministry team is available each week to pray with you for special concerns. If you’d like this prayer support this week, contact Louisa Beeler at 805-543-2898. If no answer, please leave a message and your call will be returned.
St BENEDICT’S CONNECTIONS: Please do not hesitate to contact Caro+ 805-704-5826 caro@stbenslososos.org She loves to hear from you. In an emergency, texts are best.
Be well, be safe, and stay in touch.
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