| “Give thanks to the Lord, for the Lord is good, and the Lord’s mercy endures for ever (Psalm 107:1).” |
| Dear Friends, The opening verse of this week’s psalm suggests that gratitude is really the only response to God’s inherent goodness and mercy which is unending. The past few weeks I have had the blessing of hearing so many Epiphany stories. I marvel at the deep connections made and the sure presence of God’s work here. God’s goodness and mercy is most evident through connection. A few weeks ago we opened a campaign to raise money for a permanent and integrated live streaming solution. With a patchwork of equipment and with commitment we have been able to offer worship when we could not gather or could only in small numbers. As we continue to increasingly gather in person, we need to reclaim the space used by that equipment. Who could have known that live streaming worship would remain a strong connector even as gathering restrictions lifted? It is rather a common experience for someone who worshiped online with us to reach out at some point in the week after the Sunday and share something meaningful to them about the service. I love those stories! And this week with little Jonah’s baptism, the feedback was significantly more. Below, one of our beloved parishioners shares what the livestreaming meant and continues to mean to her and her husband. |
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| My husband, Tracy, and I started attending Epiphany in the summer of 2019. We were married later that year, and then covid hit shortly thereafter. While we had not been able to establish strong roots within the Epiphany community (having been there less than a year before covid), being able to virtually participate has strengthened our faith and the support we feel from the Epiphany community. Each Sunday, we listen to the Word of God, pray and sing together, and reflect on the message! Epiphany’s virtual worship has made a tremendous difference in our lives as a couple and our spiritual life. We are excited to contribute financially to the updated streaming process to ensure others, who participate in Epiphany’s worship virtually, experience a renewal of their faith as we have. |
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| We have a donor match up to $6,000 until August 15th. If we all give, we will certainly meet our $15K goal and continue this ministry of connection in its updated configuration. We can continue to connect in ways we could not have imagined over two years ago. Thank you to those who have contributed! We are on our way to meeting the goal and we can get there before 8/15! If you have been prayerfully considering about participating in this work of connection, the donor match is good through 8/15. If you would like to team up with your fellow parishioners and double your contribution, please click: Keep the Stream-Donate Online and complete the form or send a check and in the memo line write, Keep the Stream. Help us continue our work of connection. Raise your voice with ours: “Give thanks to the Lord, for the Lord is good, and the Lord’s mercy endures for ever!” In Peace, Rev. Dina |