“Emmanuel at Home” Worship for Sundays, and

The Rt. Reverend Susan Goff, Bishop of Virginia, in response to the spread of COVID-19, has responsibly and 2020 temporarily halted public worship. According to the CDC, and public Inside this issue: health officials"social distancing" is the most effective method to stem Holy Week 1 the spread of the virus, and the best Easter Virtual Hymn 3 way to protect the most vulnerable in Sing our community. Easter & 3 But worship can happen wherever you Flower Extravaganza are. With the gift of technology, we Seminarian Updates 4 can celebrate "Emmanuel at Home Morning Prayer," which includes links to:

Vestry HiLites 5 • scripture, lectionary readings of the day

Outreach 6 • music

Parish Administrator 7 • a homily, both text and audio Search • “EEC Sunday School at Home” materials for families with children Spiritual Formation for 8 Children & Youth • 0ffertory, with a link to -e giving, for the financial support of Emmanuel's many Adult Spiritual 8 ministries, to the parish and to the community Formation • "Emmanuel at Home Coffee Hour" via Zoom Staying Healthy 9 • Preschool Message 10 pastoral care contact information for the clergy

Encouraging Words 11 This online liturgy will be updated each week. So check your Saturday evening e- mail inbox in the coming days. And for “announcements” check your Thursday Calendar 12 inbox, for Emmanuel’s weekly e-news. “Emmanuel at Home: Morning Prayer” follows the ancient practice of Jewish and High Notes Submissions monastic tradition, which the Episcopal Church has long observed for daily prayer: morning; noon; evening; and night. The service can be led by anyone and can be Articles for the May High Notes celebrated anywhere. It is particularly suited to those Sundays when we are unable must be submitted to Kelli by Friday, April 24. to gather as a congregation. So (possibly even at 8:00 or 10:30 a.m.) gather around (Continued on page 2)

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Our 10 -Year Vision (Continued from page 1) for Emmanuel your kitchen, dining room table, or gather in your living room and celebrate Emmanuel Episcopal Church is a God’s good news. thriving, engaged and creative parish working to educate and meet the And though we are apart, the high holy days are upon us. And this parish needs of children, youth and adults; liturgist has designed at-home services for Holy Week: , Maundy live and demonstrate our Christian Thursday, and Easter. values; and create a more humane and just world through community service and outreach. Palm Sunday Cut spring branches from your garden or make paper palms with your children. This Diocesan Bishops The Rt. Rev. Susan Goff Morning Prayer edition still kicks off with The Rt. Rev. Robert Wilkes Ihloff “All glory, laud, and honor.” It includes a link to the passion narrative which can be Emmanuel Church Staff read solo or dramatically with your family in

Rector parts. In keeping with tradition, there is no The Rev. Charles C. McCoart, Jr. homily following the passion. Silent

Associate for Worship reflection is customary. But the service also The Rev. Joan L. Peacock includes links to listen to Bach’s Saint Matthew’s Passion, part one or the full performance in its entirety. Seminarian The Rev. Pete Nunnally Kevin Newell

Director of Spiritual Formation for How do you do Maundy Thursday without foot washing or communion? Well, Children and Youth the Scottish Episcopal Church has an alternative service which I have adapted Elise Flick for use at home. “The maundy” is an act of humility. In lieu of foot washing, Organist/Choir Director fresh water is sprinkled with a cut branch over those gathered (or on yourself, Ryan Fitch your family, your pets, as well!) as a sign of renewal of life in baptism. Kevin

Parish Administrator Newell, our seminarian will be “preaching.” Kelli Corts Good Friday Administrative Assistant Karen O’Hern We had already planned to mix it up this year. Instead of the traditional Book of

Sexton Common Prayer Good Friday service, we are doing a Taizé Way of the Cross. Carlos Guzman Instead of in the chapel, you can do this wherever you are. For each of the fourteen stations, it includes art, prayers, and links to the interwoven Taizé Nursery Caregivers Lillian Urrea chant. Also included will be a Taizé Way of the Cross Spotify playlist. Natalie De Leon Santizo Jeni Rivera Easter

This is not a year without an Easter. Though separate, connected in this online Sunday Services worship, we will still be proclaiming: The Lord is risen. The Lord is risen indeed,” 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. and singing lots of ‘alleluias.” Church Office Hours Stay tuned. Monday—Thursday 10:00 a.m.—2:00 p.m. And to help keep the Body of Christ connected, please send photos of your

Emmanuel Episcopal Church “home church” to Joani. I will post them to the Emmanuel Facebook page and to 1608 Russell Road our new Instagram account (@emmanuel.at.home.) Photos with children’s Alexandria, VA 22301 faces (anyone under 18 years of age) require parent’s consent, so please include 703-683-0798 (phone) 703-683-6158 (fax) that in your email. [email protected] www.emmanuelonhigh.org Blessings, Joani

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2019 Vestry Emmanuel Easter Virtual Hymn . Tom Craig (Senior Warden) Janie Piemonte (Junior Warden) Sing! Alleluia! Barbara Huffman · Nathan Turner (Worship) Maria Jones · Matt Stratford (Education) Liz Kane · Doris Rudolph (Service) Scott Keplinger · Chris Yianilos (Fellowship) Ryan, our music director, and Pete, our Emily McNaughton · John Read seminarian, have teamed up to organize an (Stewardship) Gene Lange (Treasurer) Easter Virtual Hymn Sing! Though apart, we Sarah Kolo (Clerk) can still make a joyful Easter noise together; young, old, musically gifted or tone deaf, we Contacts for Ministry Teams want to hear from you. Worship Team Coordinator: Nancy Dupree It's easy! Click here for full instructions, links Acolytes: Kelly and Joe Dresen to music and audio to practice with. Altar Guild: Mary Ann Frank Counters: Kelli Corts Deadline to submit is Palm Sunday, April 5. If Guitar Circle: Stewart Bartley you have any difficulties contactRyan or Music & Choirs: Ryan Fitch Pete. Readers (8:00): Suji Kelly Readers and Chalice (10:30): Jerry Boykin Ushers: Bob Callahan

Education Team Coordinators: Joani Peacock Easter Bonnet and Flower Elise Flick Adult Spiritual Formation: Beth Boland Extravaganza Sunday School: Elise Flick God & Donuts: Rachel Piemonte & Chris Piemonte Preschool: Nicole Crochet We know that Easter is a time of great celebration and in these strange and challenging days, we all need something fun to look forward to and maybe start Service a new tradition! Team Coordinator: Sean Ellis Adult Summer Service Trip: Vacant Get your crafting materials ready, sprinkle the glitter, hunt for the plastic eggs, ALIVE!: Sarah Orndorff Bag Lunch Program: Karen Coda warm up the glue gun, and find that old that needs a bit of pizazz! Carpenter’s Shelter Breakfast: Jennifer Jones Carpenter’s Shelter Dinner: Bonnie Lilley During the Zoom coffee hour on Easter Sunday we will have an Easter Bonnet Community Lodgings: Barbara Harslem competition! Awards will go to most Giving Tree: Sylvie Harris Haiti: Sean Ellis beautiful, most creative and unique, Haitian Coffee Sales: Kim Scott most humorous, and one for terrifically Meals on Wheels: Mary Tinsley tacky! Refugee Family: Kim Scott United Thank Offering: Bonnie Fairbank The “award” will be of donations in the Yard Sale: Gretchen Walzl winners’ name, to ALIVE!, Meals on Fellowship Wheels, and Carpenter’s Shelter. Team Coordinator: TBD Breakfast with St. Nick: Courtney Keplinger Check out the photo of our music Coffee Hour Baristas: Ann Wheaton director, Ryan's, Easter bonnet! Your Craft & Sewing Group: Gudrun Callahan Easter : TBD competition judges will be the Prime Timers: Bonnie Fairbank; Barbie Frank Emmanuel staff! Now, head to that Shrine Mont Parish Retreat: Joe Scott craft closet and get the whole family Twenties & Thirties (TnT): Lauren Maxey involved! Stewardship Team Coordinator: Adam Schildge P.S. Also bring flowers galore from your Annual Giving: Jane Kolson; Tyler Dorn garden to Zoom Coffee Hour Easter Building and Grounds: Christina Bartley & Sunday! Stewart Bartley Finance: Aaron Flaaen Foundation: Jane Kolson

Page 4 H ig h N ot es Seminarian Updates

Claire Elser Additionally, Kevin’s official On Saturday, March capacity with 7, Emmanuel Emmanuel parishioner Claire will come to a Elser was ordained a close this deacon in the May, though Diocese of Virginia. he will be God willing, Claire joining us in will be ordained a the Fall to priest this Fall. help train in our new resident seminarian, as well as Congratulations to remaining on our preaching rota as his schedule will you Claire, and to allow. We wish him all the best of luck in his future! your husband, Stefan

and adorable daughter, Welcome Winnie Smith Ruth. . Hello, Emmanuel family!

My name is Winnie Smith, Pete Nunnally and I’m thrilled to officially be joining you On Saturday, all as one of your March 7, seminarians this Emmanuel Fall. I grew up in seminarian Pete Larchmont, New York, Nunnally was about thirty minutes ordained a outside of Manhattan. A deacon in the cradle Episcopalian, I was Diocese of active in Sunday School, Virginia. On June youth group, and service 1 Pete will begin trips throughout my childhood. I went to college at working as the Sewanee: the University of the South, where I served as Associate Rector at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, 209 a Sacristan at All Saints’ Chapel and began to sense a North Glebe Road, Arlington, Virginia 22207. God call to the priesthood. After graduating, I worked as willing, Pete will be ordained a priest this Fall. Director of Youth Ministries at Saint Luke’s Parish, Congratulations, Pete. Darien, CT, and then as a fundraiser for United Way Worldwide just down the road in Old Town before beginning my studies at VTS in August 2019. When I Kevin Newell walked into Emmanuel for the first time last fall, I felt an incredible sense of community and excitement Over the summer, resident seminarian Kevin Newell will about service, worship, and growing in faith together. I be serving as hospital chaplain with Nationwide can’t wait to get to know everyone! Children’s Hospital in Columbus, OH (pictured above right). This is a part of Kevin’s education for the priesthood, known as Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE). His intensive training will last June through August, so please keep him in your prayers this summer. (Continued on page 5)

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(Continued from page 4) HiLites KC Robertson On Sunday, March 8, At its meeting on March 11, the Vestry met virtually former Emmanuel and… seminarian, the Rev. • Received a briefing from Joani about the parish KC Robertson returned response to COVID-19 to Emmanuel as celebrant and • Decided that each ministry team lead would check preacher. Pete served in with contacts to learn about needs, help as deacon for the first manage updates for planned activities, and time. KC is the explain building use policy Associate Rector and • Learned about how the previous strategic plan School Chaplain at St. was developed Margaret’s Episcopal Church and School in • Appointed Barbie Frank to represent Emmanuel San Juan Capistrano, at the annual diocesan convention (Joe Dresen, CA. Best mailing alternate). address for KC is: The Rev. KC Robertson, St. Sarah Kolo, Clerk Margaret’s Episcopal Church, 31641 La Novia Avenue, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675.

Calling All Graduates If you have a child graduating from high school or college please let Nancy Dupree know. We like to recognize the graduates in the spring.

Page 6 H ig h N ot es Meet the New Rector of In Search of Singing Ste. Croix Parish, Haiti Rooster Coffee Volunteers

Ste. Croix Parish has a new In support of our partner parish, Ste. rector! His name is Yves Semé. Croix, in Léogâne, Haiti, we wish to He was born and raised in continue our coffee sale fundraiser. Léogâne so he is very familiar We are in search of two or more with the area and the parish. He volunteers who can sell the bags of is married and has one child. He Singing Rooster coffee during our Sunday coffee hours. was ordained a priest in 2019 This simply means making an occasional church and did his seminarian field announcement of the sale, having a couple of bags in education with Father Sonley at sight at the coffee counter, and being ready to sell. If Léogâne. After being ordained a we hear from you, we will be sure to buy more coffee to priest, he was assigned to the continue this important work! Please contact Kim Scott Ascension Parish at Beraud, Haiti and chaplain at the (703-589-3637) if you (and others) would like to learn Business and Technology Institute (BTI) which was more. Thank you so much! founded by Episcopal Relief and Development in 2005 and is affiliated with the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti. Father Semé shares this message to Message from ALIVE! Emmanuel: “I am Yves Semé, priest in charge of Many have been asking ALIVE! how you can help. It’s the Léogâne Ste. Croix Parish. I wonderful to know you are living a life of generosity want to thank you for your and love — an embodiment of the founding vision that determination and your generosity makes ALIVE! the cornerstone organization it is for the towards the people of my city. So, City of Alexandria. Thank you. There are a few things being a Christian, a priest, and from you can do: Léogâne, I salute very much your • Although donations of food items regularly supply courage and your spirit of ALIVE! programs, they have decided to suspend sharing. Now being a pastor of the collections for the time being of food, furniture and faith community, I would like to housewares. continue the partnership so that the children of my city can continue to • Financial donations are needed now, as every benefit from education. May God penny is being used to purchase food at very low continue to bless you and protect cost to serve the community as quickly as they can. you without forgetting your family.” ALIVE! is working as fast as they can to get food at low cost to as many people as they can safely. This He also shares: means reducing the number of hands involved and “I would like to visit your parish but unfortunately I have ensuring the pipeline remains stable, safe and not yet benefited from the American visa. I also secure. Visit www.alive-inc.org to donate. continue to thank you for your generosity and your • The outpouring of requests to provide volunteer leniency towards school children and teachers of the help shows that you care and want to help. Thank Ste. Croix Parish. I would like to tell you without your you. If you are healthy and able to volunteer please help the academic year would not be possible because register or direct people to register as a Ready to the children really have difficulty. I continue to pray for Go volunteer at Volunteer Alexandria. You will be you that God may bless you and keep you in your field directed to pick an activity — ALIVE! will be of work.” providing a list of ALIVE! activities to Volunteer Sean Ellis Alexandria as they become available.

H ig h N ot es Page 7 Goodbye and Thank You

After 15 years serving as Emmanuel’s parish Brandon and Leah are now college graduates, living in administrator and the preschool’s bookkeeper, I have other states, beginning their careers, and starting their decided to leave the northern Virginia area for a adult lives. So I’ve decided to give myself the same slower-paced life in Wilmington, NC. I have enjoyed opportunity. my years at Emmanuel and serving along side Dan, These unfortunate times likely will not give me the Martha and Chuck in growing the church. opportunity to say goodbye to each of you as I had I will always be grateful for the flexibility Emmanuel hoped, but please know that I will never forget these provided me as I raised my kids. I honestly don’t know years at Emmanuel and all of you whom I’ve come to of any other organization that would have allowed me know and care about. Please keep me in your prayers as to be a full-time employee and a full-time mom. I make this transition. With sincere gratitude, Kelli

Emmanuel Looking to Hire Parish Administrator

Emmanuel Episcopal Qualifications Church in Alexandria, • Knowledge of general financial accounting Virginia, seeks an including financial controls, accounts payable, organized, self-directed accounts receivable, cash disbursements, payroll, and energetic person in a bank reconciliation, and budgeting. welcoming, open-minded and open-hearted • Leadership qualities and strong oral, written, congregation that is blessed with over 613 individuals verbal, and interpersonal communication skills. and 229 families who share a community-wide • Management experience and ability to supervise curiosity about our faith and how best to live it out. others. The Parish Administrator works closely with the Rector • Ability to take initiative and make decisions while and lay volunteers to manage the business of the managing deadlines. parish handling all non-ministerial functions including finance, human resources, building and grounds The applicant should be a person of strong integrity, management, staff management, and communication. honesty and confidentiality who is excited to work with diverse personalities and differing opinions. Working knowledge of office software (spreadsheets and database management) to include Microsoft This is an exempt (salaried), full-time position Office (specifically Word, Excel, Outlook, and requiring 40+ hours per week and includes benefits; Publisher) is required. Familiarity with QuickBooks, some weekend and night work may be required. Paychex, Church Windows, e-Giving, Constant Compensation commensurate with experience. Contact, and My Church Events is desired, but an Emmanuel Episcopal Church is an equal opportunity individual with demonstrated business software employer. experience and willingness to learn would be Qualified applicants may submit letters of interest and considered. resumes for consideration to the attention of Karen O’Hern.

Page 8 H ig h N ot es Spiritual Formation for Adult Education Programs Children & Youth Rescheduled / Reimagined

In light of the need to cancel Sunday School through As we all know, April is not shaping up to be the month Easter, we are making every effort to provide resources we had all hoped it would be. Therefore, the card- for families to help their children grow in faith at home. writing event and Theology on Our Feet events Please keep an eye out for the links in our parish scheduled for Palm Sunday will not take place in church communications and worship materials. You will find on that day. Yet the Adult Spiritual Formation Team is weekly coloring sheets, lessons, family discussion still looking for ways to serve you. Stay tuned for news materials, and faith-based activities for children of all about rescheduling Popcorn Theology (that was ages while we are out of the church building through the canceled in late March) and Theology on Our Feet. end of , Holy Week, and the beginning of the Easter season. Our April 26 Sunday School meeting remains on As for the card-writing activity, this was to follow up on the calendar as we wait for further guidance on the the successful intergenerational Christmas card writing appropriate time to resume our usual activities. we have engaged in for the last several years during Advent. This time we were to write Easter and Happy As a student myself, Spring cards. But guess what? You can still do that! I understand the While it's always an extra benefit to enjoy our Coffee challenges families Hour fellowship while we write the cards, we can still are now facing in act communally without being together in the same moving to online room. We encourage each and every one of you to learning. I have some classes that have moved to video select at least one person/family in the Emmanuel meeting platforms and others that are forging on directory and send them encouraging cards letting through assignments and e-mail communication alone. I them know you are thinking of them and wishing them will make every effort to provide resources each week for seasonal greetings some time between now and continuing your child’s Sunday School education at Easter. Do the same for other family and friends. Who home without adding too much to parents’ mental loads knows? Maybe it will become a habit. as we all work to make the necessary adjustments to our lives during this challenging time. Coloring sheets and activity pages are an easy way to keep your child thinking about their faith, and related crafts and activities are a great way to occupy children who are home during school closures. One resource I would encourage you to sit down to as a family is the weekly Family Page that will be included in Sunday worship materials. The Family Page helps guide a discussion of the weekly lessons across all age groups; I hope that it will be helpful to everyone hoping to keep their family in the habit of setting aside time to talk about faith each week. I will add to these resources as we continue to adjust to the temporary suspension of church activities. I would love to hear from those who use them with their families. As always, please don’t hesitate to send me an e-mail if I can help you support your child’s faith journey at home. Elise Flick

H ig h N ot es Page 9 Art, Music and Nature: Staying Mentally Healthy Balm in Stressful Times While Social Distancing

Music, arts, and exploring the great outdoors are As a mental health evangelist, balanced and bipolar, healing at any time. Museums, concerts, art galleries, an important part of my ministry is helping others to national parks. Socially distanced, for the good of all, prioritize their mental health. Important anytime but we likely will not be able to meet up at a museum or art especially important now in the midst of the gallery for quite a while. The links below offer a variety coronavirus outbreak. For the health and welfare of all, of virtual ways we still can. Explore on your own or with the COVID-19 pandemic has us social distancing, your family together gathered around the screen. sheltering in place, and/or if required self-quarantining. Follow up with a discussion. Emotionally we are on edge, anxious, worried, and unmoored as the situation rapidly changes. As • These museums offer free online tours humans, we crave connection and community. But • The National Portrait Gallery Online Experiences — isolated and disconnected our mental health can fray. join their email list Remember you are not alone. Reach out to friends and • 15 Broadway plays and musicals you can stream family. Check in on neighbors and the elderly. Have a from home real conversation on the phone. Or click on FaceTime, seeing a loved one is even better. Organize an online • The Metropolitan Opera is streaming an opera every night for free. They start at 7:30 p.m.; watch get together via Zoom or Hangout. And if you have anytime until 3:30 p.m. the following day serious concerns, contact your physician for a referral. Many mental health professionals offer tele-therapy, • The National Museum of African American History as well. and Culture has online exhibits for exploration While being vigilant about preventing the spread of • Tour National Parks (and don't forget to get the virus, we all need to pay special attention to our outdoors if you are able and take a walk; fresh air mental health. Here are some resources to help care and sunshine are good for the spirit, soul, and for you and your family. mental health) • CDC: Coronavirus 2019: Managing Stress and • DC Environmental Film Festival's films are Anxiety available online for free • National Alliance on Mental Illness: Update on the • Free offerings from Audible; listen to books on end Coronavirus

• World Health Organization: Coronavirus, Mental Health Considerations

• Coronavirus Mental Health Tips Stay well & keep the faith, Joani

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A Note from the Preschool Director

The Preschool is following ACPS direction and will be closed for the remainder of the school year. Our teachers are staying engaged with their students and families through notes, video and book suggestions. We miss our students and our families!

One piece of advice that I have shared with the families and may be helpful to the parish families is to set a routine every day. Children thrive with consistency. Preschool Board of Directors So try to keep a routine where they wake up, activity time(s), eat, nap and go to Melissa Bennett (Chair) sleep at the same time every day. It will help their bodies stay in a rhythm. Megan Savage (Treasurer) Kate Bartholomay (Secretary) Try to incorporate as much gross motor play as possible, preferably outside if Matt Stratford (Vestry Liaison) you have a yard or area to play. Moving little bodies is so important for their Becca Brocato (Teacher Representative) Meghan Currie (Resource Parent) brains and bodies. If you cannot get outside, have ten minute breaks that you or Kate Sosnoff (Resource Parent) your child’s caregiver stop and do gross motor activities inside (see examples Brandon Hollingshead (Parishioner) below). Shorter periods of time with intentional gross motor activities is Chuck McCoart (Ex Officio) Nicole Crochet (Ex Officio) preferable over unstructured running around. It will organize their bodies instead of getting them overstimulated. Instead of just running around, turn it into an activity. For example, “Run to the tree, pick up a ball and come back and throw Preschool Staff the ball into the bin. Let’s see if you can get all the balls in the bin before I finish

Director singing the ABCs” or “The fairy princesses need to get back to their home. Run, Nicole Crochet get them one by one and take them to their house. See if you can do it before I count to 30.” Office Administrator Dawn Doucette Additional ideas of gross motor activities:

Teachers • Hop around like a frog to the "pond" Pierina Battifora Rebecca Brocato • Walk on all fours like a bear to get back to the "cave" Mary Beth Conry Meghan Cote • Skip around the house singing songs Amy Ernst Marilu Escalante • Crab walk races Christy Finn Paige Gilgan • Gallop around like a horse to the "stable" Mollee Hansen Perrin Keeler • Act like a gorilla (moving their arms from side to side is great because it Jacqueline Kittredge Savannah McManus crosses their midline) Dana Mutscheller Nancy Palmer • Jump on bubble wrap to pop the bubbles Kate Schneider Cappie Stiers • Make a tunnel of couch pillows to crawl through Amanda Womble • Draw rainbows in the air (another great activity for crossing the midline)

• Give yourself a great big hug (also crosses the midline)

School Hours • Sing If you are happy and you know it, touch your______Monday—Friday 9:00 a.m.—12:30 p.m. • Get down on the floor with them and sing Row, Row, Row Your Boat. Pretend that you need to get to a party on an island. You need their help with their Emmanuel Episcopal Preschool 1608 Russell Road strong muscles to row to the island. Once you have sung the song once, tell Alexandria, VA 22301 them you still haven’t made it to the island and you will need to do again and 703-683-0303 (phone) row harder and faster. You can repeat it as many times as you like. As a 703-683-6158 (fax) [email protected] teacher I sang this in the hall when we were waiting on friends and usually www.emmanuelonhigh.org (Continued on page 11)

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(Continued from page 10) often as possible to your little ones. If you need more books and the libraries shut down, please consider repeated it two or three times. When you get to the supporting our local bookstore, Hooray for Books. island, pretend you are eating a feast (I ask them They can mail you books or for the time being you can what they are eating). After you finish the feast, call to purchase books and they will bring them to the they help you row back quickly to get home so you curb for you. Having a bookstore with knowledgeable sing the song a few more times. staff in children’s and young adult literature in our area One last note, please read books (not on screens) as is important.

Encouraging Words as You Navigate Through COVID-19

I received this message from a friend of mine who is a Senses: Use your five senses (touch, sight, hearing, therapist: taste, smell) to notice what is around you in the moment. What do you see? What do you hear? Can If you are experiencing extra anxiety during these ever- you taste anything? Touch something near you and changing times, you aren’t alone. COVID-19 has us all describe it to yourself. Can you smell anything? By struggling with more stress, uncertainty and change doing this, we can come back to our bodies in the than usual. It has a lot of us wondering how to tend to present moment. our feelings and how to stay calm during an extremely challenging time. As we try to find various ways to Presence: In times like these, it is easy to go down the navigate anxiety about COVID-19, a quote from Thich path of the “what-ifs” and get lost in our narratives and Nhat Hanh, a revered mindfulness teacher, continues projections. Create a space and time designated to pop into my mind: “When crowded Vietnamese specifically for news and media. The rest of the day be refugee boats met with storms or pirates, if everyone where your feet are. Ask yourself — what am I getting panicked all would be lost. But if even one person on from constantly looking through the sad and the boat remained calm and centered, it was enough. It frightening stories all day? showed the way for everyone to survive.” So how can Non-attachment: If you are experiencing negative we calm our nerves and quell anxieties? thoughts, notice them and feel them, and then let Breathe: The first step we can take when we are feeling them go. Think of your thoughts as a twig in a river: our anxiety is to calm our sympathetic nervous system: you can notice that it is there, and you can also watch it A simple way to do this is with long, intentional pass. You can feel fear, sadness and frustration, but breaths. Take at least three deep breaths, counting to avoid attaching them to your own narrative, this five with the inhale, and counting to five on the exhale. ultimately leads to suffering. Notice tensions being released. Peace, chuck. Weekly Bibliotherapy Step away from the screen for a while and lose yourself in a book. This is literary therapy for jangled souls in stressful times. Spirituality, history, biography, fiction and fantasy. Every genre has something to offer. Strength, comfort, inspiration, guidance, connection, humor and healthy escape. Each week, I will share titles recommended by parishioners (in parentheses). Please, send Joani recommendations and she will post them on Thursdays.

• Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress, Steven Pinker (Margaret Wohler)

• A Life of , Shisaku Endo (Joani Peacock)

• The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz, Erik Larson (multiple)

• Wait Till Next Year: A Memoir, Doris Kearns Godwin (Nan deRenzo)

• Here If You Need Me: A True Story, Kate Braestrup (Barbara Harslem)

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1 Carpenter’s Shelter Dinner 4 Meals on Wheels Deliveries 5 Palm Sunday Service at Home 4-8 Bag Lunch Week 6 Meals on Wheels Deliveries 6 Carpenter’s Shelter Dinner 8 Vestry Meeting (7:30 PM; Virtual) 9 ALIVE! Furniture Distribution (8:00 AM) 9 Maundy Thursday Service at Home 13 Vestry Meeting (7:30 PM) 10 Good Friday Service at Home 17 Theology on Our Feet (9:00 AM) 12 Easter Sunday Service at Home 17 Last Day of Sunday School (10:15 AM) 13 (Church Office Closed) 17 Seminarian Appreciation (10:30 AM) 19 Outreach Team Meeting (9:00 AM) 17 Youth Confirmation Class (11:45 AM) 25 Carpenter’s Shelter Breakfast 17 Last Day of God & Donuts (4:00 PM) 17 Popcorn Theology: Mental Health Month (6:30 PM) 23 Carpenter’s Shelter Breakfast 25 Memorial Day (Church Office Closed) For a look at our continually- 31 & Price updated church calendar, click 31 Outreach Team Bake Sale (9:00 & 11:45 AM) on the calendar to the left. 31 Popcorn Theology: Uncle/Son & She (6:30 PM)

Shrine Mont Retreat is Postponed

Like everyone else, Shrine Mont is responding to the coronavirus. Please take May 1, 2 and 3 off of your calendars. In the hopes that we are all past the virus this summer, Shrine Mont has offered us a make -up weekend of June 12 to 14. I am reaching out now to see if you are tentatively available and / or interested in attending a make-up retreat June 12 to 14. Please let me know so I can respond back to Shrine Mont. If as a parish we do not attend Shrine Mont this year, please consider signing your children up for one of the summer Shrine Mont camps. Or attending a Shrine Mont camp designed specifically for families. If in the end you decide to not go to Shrine Mont this year, please consider making a donation to Shrine Mont. They have been there for us in the past and we'd like to be there for them now. Please reach out to me if you have any comments, questions, concerns. Thank you. Joe Scott