Author: cohacolympia
Resuming In-Person Worship and Evening Prayer
Good Morning,
We have resumed in-person worship at this time along with simultaneously broadcasting virtually for those who are ill and/or who would like to continue worshiping from home. For in-person worship, we are following Washington state guidelines by Governor Inslee and the Department of Health to promote the safety and wellbeing of our congregants. If you would like to attend in-person, please plan to arrive a few minutes early to have your temperature checked, sign our log, and bring a mask to wear (unless unable/exempt per Washington guidelines). Also note, as of now, we do not have a Sunday School for the children during service or a coffee hour afterwards.
***If you need a mask, we do have a limited supply***
There are few different options to attend virtually to include watching Facebook Live at 10am, emailing Fr. John to obtain a Zoom link to the meeting, or watching the Facebook Live video at a different time.
In addition, we will continue to have Evening Prayer, virtually, on Wednesdays starting at 6pm and will be available through Facebook Live.
Finally, we have a few different options for Bible studies that occurring through the week virtually by way of Zoom. If you would like to learn more, please contact us.
If you have any questions, concerns, prayer requests or comments about safety practices we are following in-person worship or would like to learn more about the virtual options, please feel free to contact us either by phone at (360) 350-5548 or through a Facebook message @cohacolympia
We continue to pray for the safety of you, our community both locally, nationally, and globally during these uncertain times.
Message from Clergy and Vestry.
Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
We pray God’s comfort and peace over you and your household during this time of uncertainty. As your rector, clergy and lay leaders, we have listened carefully to all the information, requirements, and recommendations of our national, state and local governments. After much prayer and consideration, we have made the decision to resume in-person services at Christ Our Hope Anglican Church as well as continue with online worship simultaneously. Following local and state guidelines, we our practicing social distancing, checking temperatures of everyone upon entry, requiring everyone to wear a mask (per Washington state recommendations), and cleaning/disinfecting after services
If you would like to attend in-person, please come with your own mask, or we can provide one. If you are feeling ill or would like to attend virtually, please visit our Facebook page a few minutes before 10am to access Facebook Live. Another option is to Facebook message or email Fr. John to obtain a zoom link.
Our Facebook page can be found @COHACOLYMPIA
However you decide to attend service, we are blessed to have you and pray for your continuing safety and health.
Letter Regarding COHAC and Covid-19
Pastoral Letter, March 13, 2020
Dear brothers and sisters of Christ Our Hope; Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We pray God’s comfort and peace over you and your household during this time of uncertainty. As your rector, clergy and lay leaders, we have listened carefully to all the information, requirements, and recommendations of our national, state and local governments. After much prayer and consideration, we are making the decision to cancel Sunday worship for the next two weeks starting March 15, 2020. We will evaluate further cancellations on a continual basis as information comes available. We do hope and pray that by doing our part in suspending service for a time we will help protect the vulnerable in the community. However, this does not mean that our worship together as a community and as a family in Christ will come to a pause. Although apart in body, we will be united through the power of the Holy Spirit and the power of prayer.
We have many wonderful tools at our disposal to do this. First, Fr. John and Camila will be recording a livestream Morning Prayer service via our church Facebook page on Sunday morning at 10 AM. Access the page via the link below on Sunday to watch and pray along through the service. If you do not have a Book of Common Prayer, you can download it from the ACNA website. Also, our bishop has uploaded a video of Evening and Morning Prayer each weekend of Lent with the Sunday lectionary texts being read; this will allow you in your homes to pray along with our bishop on either Saturday evening or Sunday morning as well. In the meantime, Street Angels, Jail Ministry and Bible Study will all also be on hold. Evening Prayer on Tuesday will be available at the church for those who would like to attend, but we do urge everyone to follow the advice of the CDC by staying home if anyone in your house is sick, wash your hands regularly, cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze, and keep a distance of six feet from others if you come to Evening Prayer at the church.
Another important part of our worship and community is tithing. We would encourage you to prayerfully consider continued giving to the church during this time via on-line banking, or by mailing a check. Our mailing address is PO Box 2847, Olympia, WA 98507. Please also do not hesitate to reach out to our clergy by phone or email if you need prayer, counsel, or simply would like to talk. We are here for you. Archbishop Foley has urged all Anglicans to pray for those who are infected by the coronavirus, or have lost loved ones to it, as a Lenten discipline.
Let us join together and lift up all our worries and anxieties to the great Comforter and put our trust in Him above all else. Remember the words Moses said to the children of Israel long ago “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged”.
In Christ,
Fr. John Allen Deacon Jeramy Jensen Senior Warden Jim Di Giovanna on behalf of the vestry
Links Christ our Hope Facebook Page: ACNA Book of Common Prayer download: https://www.facebook.com/cohacolympia/ http://bcp2019.anglicanchurch.net/
Morning and Evening Prayer with Bishop Kevin and Stefanie: https://www.cascadiadiocese.org/sermons-services
Holy Week April 14-21, 2019
Sunday, April 14th: Palm Sunday followed by a feast and Easter Egg Hunt
Thursday, April 18th: Maundy Thursday at 6pm
Friday, April 19th: Good Friday at 6pm
Saturday, April 20th: Holy Saturday at 10am
Sunday, April 21st: Easter at 10am
What is Lent?
By Fr. John Allen, Rector of Christ Our Hope Anglican Church
Liturgy Resource
There is this great website that is very user friendly and helps with Liturgy and the Daily Office. You can either view in a calendar view or just go to the website and the main page is the current office for that time of the day. So if you would like to add Liturgy to your daily life, this website helps with knowing what the readings and sayings are for that day.
There are also additional resources for special circumstances.
http://www.legereme.com/The Epiphany
by Father John Allen
Here is a small reflection on the sermon from this week:
“What do we know about the mysterious Magi who followed a star to Bethlehem? Not much! Only that they were from the East, they were Gentiles, and they sought to come and worship the Messiah. But that is all we really need to know: these were the very first Gentiles to come and worship Jesus, the first who were outside of the covenant with Israel that were now invited in! And so God’s promise to Abraham long ago that through him the Lord would bless all nations, was not beginning to come true. And further, the Magi give us an example of how to act on the faith we have. King Herod had faith, faith enough to believe that the little baby in Bethlehem was a threat to him. But his faith made him afraid of the challenges and changes this little Messiah would bring. The Magi, meanwhile, wouldn’t let any challenge keep them from Him, and so they set a standard for us all to follow”
Matthew 2:1-12 English Standard Version (ESV)
The Visit of the Wise Men
2 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men[a] from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose[b] and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
6 “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.”9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
3rd Sunday of Advent
Luke 3:7-20 English Standard Version (ESV)
7 He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?8 Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 9 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
10 And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” 11 And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics[a] is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” 12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.”14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”
15 As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, 16 John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
18 So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. 19 But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, 20 added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison.
Start of Advent and Our Grand Opening
Luke 21:25-33 NRSV
The Coming of the Son of Man
25 “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. 26 People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
The Lesson of the Fig Tree
29 Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees; 30 as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
