June 19, 2020

WORSHIP THIS SUNDAY, JUNE 21ST
There are several options for worshiping together on Sunday, June 21st:

1.  Go to the St. Augustine's Facebook (www.facebook.com/staugustinesmet) at either 8:00 am, 9:30 am (español), or 10:30 am.  The services at those times will be "live."

OR....

2.  If you don't have access to the internet, you can dial in and listen live at those times by dialing (888)958-7272 and then entering one of these access codes (you can only listen while the service is "live"):

8:00 AM - 371007309
9:30 AM - 416480822
10:30 AM - 863691700

OR....

3.  Go to the St. Augustine's Facebook (www.facebook.com/staugustinesmet) at any time and watch the recorded services.  

These options are particularly appropriate for individuals 65 years or older and people of all ages with poor control of medical issues like high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, or a weakened immune system.  (Or those who have gotten accustomed to church in their pajamas!)

OR....

4.  Come to St. Augustine's for in-person, indoor worship at 8:00 am, 9:30 am (español), or 10:30 am.

If you decide to come, here's an idea of what to do and what to expect:
- The liturgy will be similar to the past few weeks, that is to say we will not celebrate Holy Eucharist.  (Plans are under consideration about how to do this safely and reverently. We are hoping to have this in place in July.)
- You'll need to wear a mask.  If you don't have one, we will give you one.
- You will be "checked in" by a member of the Vestry, so that we can have a roster of attendance should contact tracing be necessary later.  The "check-in" will take place by the fountain in the gatehouse.  
- We will skip a pew between congregants and ask people to maintain six feet of distance between family groups.
- If we run out of pew space, Byrd Hall will be set up as an overflow area to watch on Facebook Live.
- Hand sanitizer will be available throughout the church.
- You will need to print and bring the bulletin and/or your personal Book of Common Prayer.  Printed bulletins will not be provided and all books have been removed from the pews.
- We will not "pass the plate," but the offertory plates will be set out for your donations.  
- The church will be disinfected between services.  This will be possible in part because Darlene Fisher, our Housekeeper, has agreed to adjust her hours to work on Sundays.  She'll be assisted by members of the Altar Guild and Vestry.
- Chase will play and sing from the choir loft.
- We will not provide any shared food or beverages after the services.
- The Nursery will not be open.

​Virtual Coffee Hour
We will continue hosting “Coffee Hour” at 9:00 am (a bit later to allow time for people attending the 8:00 service to get home).  If you need the link or password, email Kate. In addition to checking in, please consider watching the film “Just Mercy”.  It’s based on the book by Bryan Stevenson and his efforts to help bring justice to the criminal justice system. It’s also a powerful illustration about the redeeming potential of mercy.  This website will tell you how to watch it for free:  www.justmercyfilm.com

Happy Father’s Day
And last but by no means least, Happy Father’s Day to all our dads out there.  Here are some of the lessons learned from dads (and baseball).

Weekly Words of Wellness 
Scott Stoner, The Living Compass Wellness Initiative - June 19, 2020

Baseball and Dadisms 2020

I miss baseball. I mean, what would it be like to go an entire summer without baseball? That's something I had never considered, but I'm afraid we just might find out. The thought makes me shutter.

Every year as Father's Day approaches, I miss my Dad, and because I have so many special memories of him regarding baseball, I think I miss him most this year. So it only seems fitting this year to offer my annual column on Dadisms  as an honor to my Dad and the countless other Dads who taught us so much about life through the lens of baseball. (Certainly, there are lots of Moms who love baseball, too, but that's another column for another time).

In response to my requests, many of you sent in your favorite Dadisms over the last few weeks. I appreciated  them all, and I also enjoyed the many stories you shared about your fathers, stepfathers, grandfathers, and other father figures. Your stories provided a context for what you shared, and that made them even more meaningful. Several of your stories, like mine, included special baseball memories with fathers and grandfathers.

So here is a baseball-themed version of my annual tribute to the wise sayings from the important men in our lives.

"There is no 'I' in the word 'team.'" 
While not unique to baseball, the wisdom of this saying reminds us that it is "not always about you." Sometimes being a good team player is graciously being willing to sit on the bench so that others can have their turn to pitch or swing the bat on any given day. I always have great respect for aging veterans who fully accept their role as no longer being everyday players, and instead focus on mentoring the players or players that will someday replace them.

"Know what you are going to do with the ball before it is hit to you." 
This is excellent advice in baseball and in life. Applied to baseball, it means to know the situation--how many outs there are, what the score is, and how many runners are on base--before the ball is hit, so that there will be no hesitation as to what to do if the ball does come your way. Applied to life, it means we need to know our responses to both positive opportunities and potentially harmful situations before they arise. Parents can teach their children, particularly teens, to practice their responses and be prepared ahead of time for potential negative influences and temptations. This is excellent advice for adults as well.

 "Wait for your pitch," and "Let the game come to you." 
These two similar sayings remind us that patience is the key to making good decisions in all aspects of life. Knowing when not to swing at a pitch is as important as knowing when to swing. Take your time, weigh your options, and resist trying to force the game to come to you. 

 "Keep your eye on the ball."  
This piece of wisdom was shared in an attempt to make a player a better hitter. The wisdom here is all about the importance of being focused, and of paying attention to what is right in front of you.  In our work and personal lives, as with baseball, staying focused on what is most important is vital. "Keep the main thing, the main thing," is another way of saying this same thing.

"Look the ball into your glove."  
This is a similar piece of wisdom but related to being a good fielder. The lesson here is, again, the importance of focus and concentration. Errors are easily made if a fielder is looking to where they are going to throw the ball, rather than focusing on watching the ball land into the glove. The parallel to this in terms of family wellness is the gift we offer another person when we are truly present to them--when our conversation with them is all that matters to us at that moment. We follow their words carefully, just like we follow the ball into the glove, never taking our eyes off of them. We need to avoid making the error of losing track of the ball in the crucial relationships of our lives, as well as on the field.  

 "Shake it off."  
This is often said either after a tough loss, after making an error, or getting hit by a pitch. This is not only sound advice, but it sends a positive, hopeful message. Things don't always go as planned. We all experience defeat and loss on and off the field. These things don't have to define us though. When we are hurting--in life or in baseball-maintaining emotional and spiritual resiliency is the key to recovering and moving on. 

 "Know when and how to sacrifice." 
In baseball, executing a skilled sacrifice involves advancing or scoring another player who is on base at the expense of giving yourself up for an out; it's a selfless act. This can be done by bunting or by hitting a deep fly ball to the outfield (or even hitting to the right side of the infield, if there is a runner on second). It may look easy, but being able to make a well-timed sacrifice consistently takes years of practice, as many dads know through sacrificing for their families over the years.

"2-4-6-8, who do we appreciate? Yay ....________!" 
My baseball coaches always had our team recite this cheer after every game, win or lose, filling the blank in with the name of the team we had just played.  Learn to be a humble and gracious loser, as well as a humble and kind winner.  

And that seems like a great way to conclude this year's Dadisms column. "2-4-6-8, who do we appreciate? Yay.... fathers, grandfathers, and all the other influential men in our lives."

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I want to thank all of you who took the time to send your favorite Dadisms. I regret that I am not able to share most of them. Please know that I read and treasured all of them, along with the often poignant stories you also shared. 

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