Pentecost 2020
From Bishop Scarfe
As we approach the Feast of Pentecost, we are also in a period of mourning. We are mourning for all the lives lost in this pandemic as we mark the 100,000th death in the United States. We mourn the loss of being in physical contact with family and friends, and for usually momentous occasions like births, graduations and weddings that are now necessarily marked in different ways.
And this week, we mourn another death of a black man because of the actions of the police who were arresting him.
It was late Tuesday evening when I witnessed the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis captured on video. Earlier in the day, I had met with some of the youth from St. Timothy's in West Des Moines (with all of us keeping safe distance from one another), whose confirmation has been postponed due to the pandemic. We met to safely record our parts of the diocesan service that they will help lead this Sunday. Soon, I reminded them, they would be confirming the promises that had been made for them at their baptism. I shared with them a thought from Barbara Brown Taylor in Leaving Church that, “At least one of the purposes of church is to remind us that God has other children, easily as precious as we. Baptism and narcissism cancel each other out.”
Our baptism calls us away from our self-centeredness that would place our own selfish needs ahead of the rest of God's beloved creation. Presiding Bishop Curry, in his revival sermon at General Convention, said he believed that selfishness is the root of all evil. "It is the source of every wrong. It is behind every bigotry. It is behind every injustice. It is the root cancer of every war. It is the source of every destruction. That selfishness destroys homes! It will destroy churches! It will destroy nations! And left untethered, it will destroy creation!"
As we approach this Pentecost and what will also be a season of mourning, we are reminded that God has sent us the Holy Spirit as our companion, our advocate, our comforter, and even our agitator—compelling and moving us beyond our own selves to share the love of God with every nation, tribe, and language. I encourage you to use the litany below to remind us of our baptismal vows, repent and turn away from the evils of racism that infect us, and invite the Holy Spirit to drive us towards a more just future for all of God's precious creation.
In the peace and love of Christ,
+Alan
The Rt. Rev. Alan Scarfe, Bishop of Iowa
Will you continue in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of the bread, and in the prayers? Even as we look with anticipation towards regathering in our buildings and resuming Eucharist at the altar, may the Holy Spirit keep our attention on Body broken and Blood poured out in the meatpacking plants, next to the janitorial carts, in our prisons and detention centers, and in facilities that house our oldest, and often wisest, but most vulnerable, as we pray,
Come, Holy Spirit.
Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord? Racism persists as one of the greatest evils in this country, and it continues to claim the lives of our brothers and sisters. The #SayHisName and #SayHerName lists grow longer and longer— and now, George Floyd is added to that list. We may not know how the Holy Spirit will empower us to resist the evils of racism and see our complicity with the structures that perpetuate inequality, but we pray,
Come, Holy Spirit.
Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ? We don't know in what ways the Holy Spirit will guide our words and actions in the days ahead to proclaim the loving, liberating, and life-giving Good News of God to this nation that is broken by the sin of racism, but we pray,
Come, Holy Spirit.
Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself? Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being? While we may not know exactly how we will be called to serve and to love our neighbors in the days ahead, and what form our work for justice, peace, and dignity for all will take, we know the work is urgent and lives depend on it, and so we pray,
Come, Holy Spirit.
Come, Holy Spirit, and fill us all with strength and courage to confront the evils of racism and the lie of white supremacy. Be with us as we mourn the death of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and all of the names that have come before theirs. And drive us out into the world to disrupt and dismantle the systems of racism that infect us so that all your beloved people may truly be free.
Come, Holy Spirit.
Written by the Rev. Meg Wagner, Missioner for Communication, Reconciliation, and New Initiatives
Visit becomingbelovedcommunity.org/covid-19 for ideas and resources on continuing the work of becoming beloved community during this pandemic.
Diocesan Online Worship Continues
This Sunday, worship will be offered by St. Timothy's in West Des Moines at 10:00am and will be found online on the diocesan Facebook page, the diocesan Youtube channel , and will be available on the diocesan website . Call-in option for members who only have access to phones (participants on the phone will NOT be able to be heard but will be able to hear the service): 312 626 6799 and enter the Meeting ID as prompted: 365 765 527#
Presiding Bishop joins call for national day of mourning on June 1
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry has joined other faith leaders, mayors, local governments, and civic groups in calling for a national day of mourning and lament on June 1 as the United States exceeds 100,000 documented deaths from COVID-19.
The Presiding Bishop invites Episcopalians to commemorate the victims during worship services this weekend. “I encourage Episcopalians to join with other people of faith this weekend to grieve and honor those who have died from COVID-19,” Curry said in a press release. “Let this tragic moment not pass without us honoring the many among us who have lost their lives or lost their loved ones and commending them and ourselves to God’s love and peace.”
One way Episcopalians can incorporate the gravity of the pandemic into their worship is by praying a new collect, composed by a team of Episcopalians and Lutherans, called “A Prayer for the Power of the Spirit among the People of God.” Written “to unite us in common prayer and revive us for common mission” during this crisis in the spirit of Pentecost, Curry and his Lutheran counterpart, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, invite congregations to pray it from Pentecost through the first Sunday in September.
Pentecost at Home
Check out this list of activities and ideas for celebrating Pentecost at home
Make Pentecost pinwheels
GILEAD Grant Applications Open
Who Can Apply?
Congregations, worshipping communities, chapters, or individual members of the Diocese of Iowa may apply for GILEAD funds. Partnerships with non-Episcopal entities are welcome and encouraged, but an Episcopal entity must serve as the reporting agent and the project leader must be an Episcopalian who is a resident in the Diocese of Iowa.
Grants are available in these categories:
Beginning a New Worshipping Community
Beginning a New Ministry or Strengthening an Existing One
Liturgical Space Renewal
Support for Recently Ordained Clergy
Formation for Youth or Young Adults
Leadership Development
Evangelism
Expanding Tools & Technology
Changes, Cancellations and Postponements
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
The Family of The Rev. Canon Ron Osborne has shared the following updated obituarythat reflects the currently rescheduled date for his memorial service: August 8th at 2:00 pm, Trinity Episcopal Church, Waterloo.
Summer Ministry School and Retreat will not happen this year. Due to COVID quarantine and safety concerns, Grinnell College will not be hosting events in June. Both SMSR and the Small Church Summit that was to be at the same place and time have been re-scheduled for June 25-27, 2021.
EPIC Summer Camp is Changing to Online. Read More