Dearly Beloved,
I must share with you a few wonderful things that have happened so far this week.
Food Banks
As you know, we have been collecting food and toiletry supplies for our local food banks. On Saturday, Dss. Cynthia was able to deliver a literal car load of supplies to Interfaith Assistance Ministry in Hendersonville, including 96 rolls of toilet paper!
We discovered that Bread of Life Food Bank in Brevard has transformed into a feeding program to care for the hungry during this time of crisis. They need items for cooking meals. On Monday, Bill & Julie Morton dropped off many items there which we had collected like pasta, sauces, etc. and also many batches of homemade cookies. The director met them and was so excited about the cookies! He apparently had found an old container of Animal Crackers and he was going to use that for dessert for the children but we provided delicious, fresh dessert. What blessing that the baked goods arrived when they did!
Call to Action
With this in mind, our call to action for you this week, in addition to the ongoing need for non-perishable items, is start baking! If everyone could bring a couple dozen homemade cookies, we can fill up the dessert larder over at Bread of Life. They also desperately need fresh fruits to balance out the meals. We will make another run over there on Monday at noon. The collection bins will be outside under the awning of the church entryway. They will be there tomorrow, Thursday, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and also Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to Noon, as well as Monday from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
And don’t forget to keep the non-perishables and toiletry items coming!
Good News about Live-streaming
We had very good feed-back on our first live-stream this past Sunday. One couple in north Georgia said they enjoyed it very much, especially because the camera angle made them feel as if they were actually sitting in the church. Also, I received an email from a priest friend of mine in Colorado. He and his wife joined us online and he said the Prayer of Consecration with me so he and his wife were able to have physical communion that way. I can honestly say it is the first time I ever celebrated Holy Communion “together” with another priest while he was 1600 miles away! Pretty fun!
How to Watch Live-stream
This seems to be a big question for everyone. Our live-streams can be accessed via Facebook AND our website. You DO NOT need a Facebook account to watch. You just need a computer. For those who have Facebook, you know what to do. For everyone else, here is how you do it.
- Go to our website: www.allsaintsmillsriver.org.
- In the upper right-hand part of the screen, there is a yellow button that says “Join Us Live.” Click that button and you will be taken to the live-stream page. The feed begins about 4 minutes before the start of the service. The picture in the header above shows you exactly where the “Join Us Live” button is (circled in red).
- While on this page, you will see a “Notes” tab on the right side of the screen. Click that and you will see the order of service. (Sorry, Facebook people, no order of service for you!)
- CAUTION: If the feed drops while you are watching, DO NOT touch your computer. It will catch up on its own. This past Sunday, when every church on the planet was live-streaming for the first time, there were some glitches when the servers were overloaded. The server host tells us the problem has been fixed but as more and more churches begin live-streaming, this may well happen again. Just be patient and your feed will pick back up again.
- NOTE ABOUT VOLUME CONTROL: We have optimized the audio feed to stream properly without distortion. You have the ability to regulate the volume on your computer in two ways. The first is to check the volume on the feed itself. At the bottom of the video itself on the live-stream there will be a speaker icon. Click that icon and a slider bar will pop out next to the icon. Make sure this slider is all the way to full volume. Next, at the bottom right corner of your computer screen, right next to the date and time, is another speaker icon. Click on it and another slider bar will pop up. Use this slider bar to control your volume.
News of Note
Carolyn Pugh’s daughter Mary Catherine has not been able to recover. The family has made the decision to remove all the heroic measures being employed in her care. As I write, the family is waiting on Mary Catherine’s daughter Morgan to arrive in Virginia before those measures are removed. We expect Mary Catherine to pass away tonight. O Almighty God, we commend the soul of Mary Catherine into thy hands as thou art our faithful Creator and most merciful Savior. Amen.
A New Feature for Website & Facebook
We have started a new feature to help us all stay connected while must be apart. That new feature is “Our Family Videos.” Again, go to our website and you will see the latest family video posted on the front page. Thanks to Abigail Byrd who got us started yesterday with a tap dance routine to bring sunshine into your day. I invite all of you to make a short 2 to 5 minute video to show us what you are doing or if you just want to say hi or something like that. Email those videos in full resolution to me at rectorallsaintsnc@gmail.com.
Ladies Holy Week Reflections and Meditations
Praying together while apart! Even though we are all tucked away in our own homes for safety, Dss. Cynthia thought it would be nice to do Holy Week Reflections and Meditations together daily, beginning on Palm Sunday. Ladies, you can join the group by email or on our All Saints Ladies private Facebook group page, which will allow for group discussions. The first email will arrive Palm Sunday afternoon. I will be putting the same information on our LASSES Group Facebook page that day. If you would like more information, please contact Cynthia at cynthia@allsaintsmillsriver.org or call 828-275-7654. Here is our Facebook Group Page link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/235959754474597/
Last Chance for Basket Raffle
Remember to buy your raffle tickets now! The drawing will be on Palm Sunday, just 5 days away! We have posted all the baskets online with pictures and the ability to buy tickets. Buy Now! Click here to see the baskets and buy your tickets now! And please be sure to share this with your friends in the area and get them to join with us. The baskets are absolutely awesome and we will deliver them to you before Easter, even as we are in “lock down!”
Palm Sunday and Holy Week
As you know, Palm Sunday is this coming Sunday, April 5. On that day, we will begin live-streaming every service we have during Holy Week. I will send out a detailed schedule on Saturday. But, again, go to the website and go to the Calendar page. Everything is listed there.
I cannot stress enough that all of you should visit our website. All the current news and information is always there. It is the central repository of our life together. Most questions about worship, events, news, etc. are usually answered right there.
Blessings to all of you and I sure do miss you all!
Fr. Erich
