April 21st, 2015
St. Lydia’s is only around because of you. Your voice, leadership, and contributions make it what it is. This Spring, we’re making it easy to help keep the wheels turning at 304 Bond street, through micro tasks!
Here’s how it works:
1. Find this green box:
Take a card, write your name, and record the contributions you’d like to make to St. Lydia’s. There’s a place for the amount of time and the amount of money you’d like to give. On the back, you can write how you’re feeling called to serve this year.
2. When you’re ready to give time to St. Lydia’s, pick up a micro task card from the silver micro task box!
The card gives the task, detailed instructions, and a time estimate. When you’re done with your micro task, record the time on your contribution card, and place the micro task card in the “DONE” section of the silver micro task box.
So easy!
April 14th, 2015
Here’s a beautiful Alleluia from South Africa, written by George Mxadana, that we’ll be singing during the Easter Season at St. Lydia’s.
Thanks to the lovely Paul Vasile for making these teaching tracks for us!
Mxadana Alleluia, meolody
Mxadana Alleluia, bass
April 12th, 2015
Here’s a lovely song from Kenya that we’ll sing at St. Lydia’s, either as a Gathering Song in the summer months, or as a prayer song.
Thanks to Paul Vasile for making these wonderful teaching recordings for us.
Here’s an introduction and the melody
and here’s the bass line
April 12th, 2015
Squeezebox is a place for our Song Leaders, as well as congregants, to learn the songs we sing at St. Lydia’s.
Song Leaders and singers, here’s the place to find and practice ALL the music we’ll be singing during the season of Easter in 2015! Bookmark this page so that you can check in often to listen to the pieces and practice.
Easter Season
April 12-May 18
Gathering Song: “Kiev Alleluia,” Kovalyevsky Kiev Chant or “Mxadana Alleluia”
Candle Lighting Song: “The Lord is My Light,” Lillian Bouknight
Eucharistic Prayer Setting: “Festive Table Acclamation,” Paul Vasile
Prayer Song: Song Leader’s Choice. A selection of songs may be found here. And Paul Vasile has made a recording for us of “Come, Bring Your Burdens to God,” which is another great choice for the prayer song.
Gathering Song at the Offering: Zimbabwe Alleluia, (to come)
Closing Hymn: “Now the Green Blade Rises,” French Carol (April 12-May 27) or “Jesus Christ is Risen Today” (May 3-18)
April 12th, 2015
- From 1980 to 2008, the number of people incarcerated in America quadrupled-from roughly 500,000 to 2.3 million people
- Today, the US is 5% of the World population and has 25% of world prisoners
- African Americans are incarcerated at nearly six times the rate of whites
- 5 times as many Whites are using drugs as African Americans, yet African Americans are sent to prison for drug offenses at 10 times the rate of Whites.
How Can People of Faith Respond?
March 17th, 2015
As we move steadily toward the heart of the Christian year, plan to observe of Holy Week and Easter at St. Lydia’s.
All the details you need are right here.
All services take place at 304 Bond Street, Brooklyn
Would you like to help organize, carry out, or lead any of these services? If so, write our Community Coordinator, Julia!
Palm Sunday and Monday Dinner Church Services
Sunday March 29 and Monday March 30, arrive between 6:30 and 7:00
Our regular Dinner Church service will afford us a time to remember Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem with palms and singing. Then after supper, just as Jesus did, we’ll wash one anothers’ feet. Be sure to wear socks to church tonight instead of tights or nylons!
Good Friday
Friday, April 3 at 7:00 pm
We’ll tell the story of Jesus’ death with singing, silence, and the walking of a labyrinth.
Easter Vigil
Saturday, April 4, at 9:00 pm
Our celebration of Easter takes place Saturday night as we gather for an Easter Vigil. There will be fire, storytelling and feasting. Dress warmly and comfortably (we’ll take part in a short procession around the neighborhood and some may sit on the floor during the service) and bring a spring potted flower (tulip, daffodil, or hyacinth) to decorate the space, as well as a cushion to sit on if you are able.
*Please note: there will be no Dinner Church on Sunday, April 5 or Monday, April 6. The Easter Vigil will be our church that week!
March 16th, 2015
What does faith look like when we take the nameless woman who poured perfumed oil all over Jesus’ head, right in the middle of dinner, as our model?
From a first-century dinner table to the streets of Ferguson, Missouri, sometimes faith lived out is the opposite of respectable. Listen at Broken Bread.
February 23rd, 2015
Listen to Emily’s latest sermon podcast, 99 Sheep and Affordable Housing.
The Gospel of Matthew encourages us to have an old fashioned come-to-Jesus when someone in the church “sins against” us. But what if it’s our law makers, leaders, or business executives who are the ones sinning? When 1% of the world’s population is just shy of owning half the world’s wealth, can the Gospel of Matthew give us tools for change?
February 18th, 2015
This is a place for our Song Leaders, as well as congregants, to learn the songs we sing at St. Lydia’s.
Below you’ll find all the music you need for our observance of Lent at St. Lydia’s. Lent is a season of preparation when we pare things down and let what’s unnecessary fall away, in order to hear the story of Christ’s death and resurrection. Our music for the season reflects that sense of simplicity.
Anointing Song
Rather than gathering in song this season, we’ll be gathering with a chanted collect, then participating in an anointing, where each congregant will be marked with the sign of the cross in oil on their head or hands. Our bodies are anointed for death as the woman at Bethany anointed Jesus’s body with her jar of oil. During the anointing, we’ll sing “Receive O Earth” by Daniel Schwandt, a piece intended for a funeral.
Click here to listen to the teaching recording (bonus points for those whose ears pick up Emily’s cat meowing in the background) and here for the sheet music. Pay special attention to the meter on this tune — it can be tricky!
Candlelighting Song
As we process to the tables, we’ll sing “John Bell Kyrie,” which comes from us to the Iona Community in Scotland. This is a simple call-and-response piece with a little overlap to spice things up. In the recording, you’ll hear Emily singing the song leader’s part first, and then coming in almost immediately with the congregation’s part.
Table Acclamation
We’ll sing a simple Lent Table Acclamation for our Eucharistic Prayer.
Prayer Song
Take your pick!
Offering Song
We’ll sing “What We Need Is Here” as our re-gathering song after clean up. A simple way to remember that God provides us with what we need.
Final Hymn
For our final hymn, we’ll sing “What Wondrous Love Is This,” a haunting shape note piece.
And finally, here is the script for the season!
February 4th, 2015
Palm Burning Party
Let’s set fire to last year’s palms, make some ashes, eat some pancakes,
drink some drinks, and celebrate the last day before Lent.
please bring beer or other beverages to share.
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
7:00 pm
304 Bond Street, Brooklyn
Ash Wednesday Service
Ash Wednesday is a day in the Christian calendar when we remember our mortality.
We are marked with a sign of the cross on our foreheads in ashes, and told, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
This ritual marks the beginning of the season of Lent, a time to pare away all that is unnecessary and simplify our lives, that we might be better able to hear God’s
St. Lydia’s will be open from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm to distribute ashes;
A short, meditative service with distribution of ashes will take place at 7:00
If you would like to help distribute ashes during the day or evening,
write Julia and let her know when you’re available.
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
7:00 pm
304 Bond Street, Brooklyn
