"St. Michael's Episcopal Church is a biblically-based Church growing in the knowledge and love of our Lord Jesus Christ and sharing that love with others."
Welcome to St. Michael's Episcopal Church
We are a local expression of the greater Episcopal Church and are part of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California. We have been an active congregation since 1959 and continue to grow together in our love for the Lord, one another and our neighbors.
Our Sunday morning service of Holy Eucharist is at 9:30am. All are welcome to join us and we look forward to meeting you.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Worship During the COVID-19 Pandemic Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
Dear Friends and Members of St. Michael's,
Out of an abundance of caution, our bishop, the Rt. Rev. Megan Traquair, has ordered all churches in the Diocese of Northern California to close and Sunday morning worship to be cancelled to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the coronavirus. There are already a handful of cases in Shasta County, and there are even more documented cases all around us. By taking this step now we will help prevent the spread of the virus and lessen its impact. We are taking this action, not out of fear, but out of love for those who are vulnerable to this illness, especially the elderly and those who already have complicated health factors. Jesus said there is no greater love than this, than for one to lay down their life for their friends. We are laying down a part of our church life for our friends and neighbors, and we truly believe God will honor that.
We remain people of hope and prayer. There are a variety of options for worship available to us. We have begun hosting Morning Prayer services on Sunday and Wednesday mornings by Zoom. Please email us if you are interested at stmichaelsanderson@gmail.com. Both St. Peter's, Red Bluff and St. John’s, Chico are streaming their Sunday services on Facebook Live. Please stay tuned, and check St. Peter’s Facebook page often for services and reflections led by Fr. Aidan. It is important to take care of yourselves, live without fear but in love and care for the vulnerable around you, call your friends and neighbors to check on them, and continue to remember your church and your God. Let us not be anxious, but offer our prayers and thanksgiving to God, and let his peace dwell in our hearts.
Even in the midst of our current situation we are about to enter upon the solemn and joyous days of Holy Week, this sacred time when we remember the saving acts of God through the cross and passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. On Palm Sunday we remember his glorious entrance into Jerusalem, but then turn toward the story of his suffering and death. On Maundy Thursday we reflect upon his life of self-giving and self-sacrificial love, in washing the feet of his disciples, in breaking the bread with them, and in giving himself up to arrest. On Good Friday we contemplate the cross and how Christ entered into death for us. Then on Easter we celebrate his victory over death and bursting forth of eternal life for the world. While the quarantine does not allow us to gather together physically, we still have multiple ways to "enter with joy upon the contemplation of those mighty acts." Here is what our Diocese has to offer this Holy Week:
Holy Week @ Home booklet and resources: The Diocese of Northern California has issued a host of resources that families can use for Holy Week in our own homes. There is everything from instructions on how to create a sacred space in your own home to help with observing these holy days, to Holy Week coloring books for children. Please check it out at Holy Week @ Home. Consider taking time to make some observance of these days. There will also be opportunities to worship online:
Palm Sunday: Fr. Aidan will be streaming the Liturgy of the Palms and a simple Liturgy of the Word prayer service from St. Peter's, Red Bluff on Sunday morning at 9:30AM. It can be found on their Facebook page.
Maundy Thursday: Our very own Deacon Anne and her husband Deacon Lew Powell from St. John's will be streaming a Maundy Thursday service from their home in Chico on Thursday at 6 p.m. on St. John's Facebook page.
Good Friday: Fr. Aidan will give a brief reflection and pray the Solemn Collects from his home on St. Peter's Facebook page at noon.
Easter Vigil: For those interested in the ancient practice of beginning the Paschal celebration with an Easter Vigil on Saturday evening, we are invited to stream various Easter vigil services around our diocese. Our Dean, Fr. Richard at St. John's will be doing a simple vigil from his home in Chico at 8 p.m. St. John's Facebook page and Bishop Megan will be preaching from the Easter Vigil at Trinity Cathedral on their page.
Easter Sunday: Our community will gather for Morning Prayer by Zoom. Please contact us at stmichaelsanderson@gmail.com. Fr. Aidan will be streaming a service of Holy Eucharist from St. Peter's Facebook page at 9:30 a.m. While we know that you will not be able to be present to receive, we hope that the grace of the sacrament will still be a real and present comfort to you. You are also encouraged to check out offerings from around the diocese and around the church, such as Trinity Cathedral in Sacramento at 9 a.m. or the National Cathedral in Washington DC.
Hopefully, these offerings will help you and your family engage in this time of prayer and contemplation. Please let us know if there is anything else we can do to make this a meaningful time for you and your families. We continue to pray for the mercy of God in this troubled time, and hope that we will be able to gather together as a community soon. We are people of Resurrection, and no virus will ever be able to dampen our hope or lessen our joy in Jesus Christ.
Assist us mercifully with your help, O Lord God of our salvation, that we may enter with joy upon the contemplation of those mighty acts, whereby you have given us life and immortality, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, 270) - Aidan+