Dear People of God:
The first Christians observed with great devotion the days of our Lord's passion and resurrection, and it became the custom of the Church to prepare for them by a season of penitence and fasting. This season of Lent provided a time in which converts to the faith were prepared for Holy
Baptism.
It was also a time when those who, because of notorious sins, had been separated from the body of the faithful were reconciled by penitence and forgiveness, and restored to the fellowship of the Church. Thereby, the whole congregation was put in mind of the message of pardon and absolution set forth in the Gospel of our Savior, and of the need which all Christians continually have to renew their repentance and faith.
I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word.
And, to make a right beginning of repentance, and as a mark of our mortal nature, let us now
kneel before the Lord, our maker and redeemer….”
From the Book of Common Prayer
Last Week’s Update…stay connected!
Logistics
Served: 100
Last week's leaders: Geoff,Bryan
Next week's leaders: Brian Rooney from Valley Brook
Next week's preacher: Bryan
Gifts
Last week's: underwear
Looking Ahead
Food sign-ups for February, March, and beyond are here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040849A5AC2AA6F58-street#/
Miscellaneous
This weekend may be a bit wet!
Service (From Bryan):
The Holy Spirit fell… I stopped the truck and walking past at just that moment was our friend, Randal. I was so stoked to see him and he shared he was down for a 41 day bid but was looking good…. During lunch I asked if we could pray for him and he said please, and two of us laid hands on and prayed over the man who a few months ago was bound by demons.
Pastor Brian from Valley Brook served up a powerful message on love that came from a place of lived-grace that was undeniably authentic. This led to a prayer time that saw demons fleeing out of a friend surrounded by the loving witness of Jesus….
A first-time friend who has only been homeless for a week walked up and asked me to pray for him… “For what?” “Everything” … “i need to get right with God” And so she was baptized today, with a splash of water because she is staying in a warming shelter and does not have a lot of clothes…
Two churches brought sandwiches (Valley Brook and New Life) because God wanted an overflow of food and Joy brought Valetine’s Day bags and some stuffies for girls and faces lit up from the love….
Nobody wanted to leave.
Perhaps my money quote of the day came from Christine…. “Sorry if I smell like weed, I was just hugging my friend over there and I didn’t see he was smoking a joint”
This place is beautiful.
Love to all,
b
From the Community Churches
“God damnit! You have big boots”!
I started a new ministry and got fired from it after we were finished. I was asked to lead a “hymn sing” for the independent living communites at one of the facilites where I currently serve a separate memory care unit. I started off asking what church background folks had, if any, and the lady up front in a thick accent told me “Orthodox! From Turkey!”….
The singing was powerful, and as I got near the end one person asked if I was going to give a homily (sermon). The director and I shared this was a hymn sing, but if they desired I could start a church there for them. We discussed the outline of faith I follow with the Street Church Collective and they all agreed and said yes, please, bring us a church. So i was “fired” as the song leader and “hired” as the new pastor all in the same day and no, my singing wasn’t that bad. Now, back to “god damnit, you have big boots!”
As I was shaking hands with my new friends and saying goodbye, my Orthodox friend kissed my hand (cultural for a priest) and pulled me down next to her….
“I have to tell you true story from my village.
Once a man came down from the mountain in shabby clothes and came to church. He was from the mountains and never heard of Jesus and knew nothing. All the people greeted him with “god damnit, you have big boots” so he thought this was a kind of blessing or prayer.
When time came he followed the line up for communion and said humbly to the priest “god damnit, you have big boots” not knowing he been mocked by everyone. The priest told him he can stay in the mountains because he had Jesus in his heart”
She was excited to tell me about Turkey, and Antioch and how ancient their churches were before they were destroyed by Muslims and how they were called garbage.
As I was leaving, a VNA came by to get my new friend. She had been waiting until we were finished….
Hey, say a prayer for me too she shouted across the room…
Sure, for what?
Everything. i got a lot going on.
Come on over here I said to her and asked her name and what was going on and she shared and then my new Orthodox friend and I held her hands and we prayed over her together.
That was the fastest I have ever seen a baby church engage in healing and spreading the Gospel.
The Street Church Collective
Arden Court Community Church (Farmington)
Brookdale Chatfield Community Church (West Hartford)
Harbour Community Church (West Hartford)
Farmington Station Community Church-memory care Farmington)
Farmington Station Community Church-independent living (Farmington)
River Ridge Community Church (Avon)
The Street Church (Hartford)
West Hartford Health and Rehab Community Church (West Hartford)
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visit our website thestreetchurch.org to learn more
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Bryan
Street Church Administrator & Volunteer Coordinator
(860) 578-2961 TEXT ONLY
bryan@thestreetchurch.org