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The week of Sept. 7-13, 2015
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Kickoff Sunday is here!
Sunday School, choir and committee and group activities
are the focus of Kickoff Sunday
September revival!
Our parish life takes on new dimension in September, with a return of our choir, resumption of full-bore Sunday School for children, and "Kickoff Sunday," when we revitalize our parish life with a review of our volunteer opportunities for parishioners and others. It is a revival of what goes on at St. Paul's all year and an expansion of some parts of our parish life. The mission of St. Paul's is manifested in its worship and its mission initiatives. These are reflections of our individual and congregational stewardship, caring for our God, our community and our church.
This past Sunday we heard in the Letter of James, "So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead." We ask ourselves, "How does that apply to us here at St. Paul's, especially during this month when we are thinking about pledging our time and talent? And how does it apply to me, personally?" The answer for many lies in the dozen committees or groups at work here at St. Paul's: Worship, Altar Guild, Evangelism, Stewardship, Outreach, Pastoral Care, Building & Grounds, Faith Enrichment, Finance, Hospitality, Youth, Men's Club, Parish Aid.
On Sunday we will hear about the stewardship of each group and we each will be asked to complete a form showing how we pledge our work for this year - Oct. 1, 2015 thru Sept. 30, 2016. This is the time and talent portion of our fall pledge drive. (The financial part comes later.)
Our Stewardship Committee encourages each member, from children to seniors, to consider engaging ever more deeply in the parish life of our congregational committees.
"Let's keep faith alive here at St.Paul's!" is the encouraging message from our Stewardship Committee's chair, Bobbie Gordon.
Faith enrichment for everyone
The St. Paul's Faith Enrichment Task Force (formerly known as the Education Committee) reminds us that Sunday School will resume this Sunday, September 13 (Kick-off Sunday) during the 10 a.m. Rite II service. Registration will take place in the Sunday School room in the Education Building.
Sunday School is focused on the spiritual education of children aged 5-12 years old. Our Sunday School uses lectionary-based materials so family members in church and family members in Sunday School are hearing the same scripture and can discuss it during the week. Children at St. Paul's attend Sunday School until they are ready for Confirmation. All family members are encouraged to find out more about Sunday School and explore ways to get involved.
Of course, children are not the only ones who require spiritual growth-- our already confirmed youth, and even adults are still learning and growing in our faith. Accordingly, your Faith Enrichment Task Force continues to look at ways to nurture the entire congregation's spiritual awareness and knowledge. Some of the ideas we've contemplated include a series of weekly discussions on a spiritual topic or book, an occasional special speaker, and even annual or biannual spiritual retreats. If you have ideas or thoughts about how we might grow in our faith, please contact your Warden, Peter Bedrossian, or the Worship Committee Chair, Mark Debald. We welcome any ideas you might have.
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"Teach me to do your will." Psalm 143
Isaiah 50:4-9a ; Psalm 116:1-8 ; James 3:1-12; Mark 8:27-38
How fitting that the readings on Kickoff Sunday focus as much as they do on teaching. Kickoff Sunday is the day each fall when we resume Sunday School and choir and we start to explore new areas of engaging in parish life. To do all this we need people to teach us the ways of our parish and our committees and groups. They are our guides, or teachers.
Our Hebrew Bible reading opens with Isaiah proclaiming, "The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word." Sustenance comes in the form of learning more about our faith and engaging in our faith more deeply, so teaching is what we need. Isaiah takes on that task in this Sunday's first reading: "The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn backward." Interestingly, the teacher is admitting that God had to open his ear. May we all pray for open ears to learn of new ways to live into the fullness of our faith at St. Paul's.
Our psalm Sunday teaches us how God can guide us, help us and save us from all kinds of dire situations. While teaching is not mentioned directly, the reading does teach us, again, to turn to God when the chips are down.
The letter of James is our epistle reading this week again. In it James warns, "Not many of you should become teachers." He notes that teachers are held to a higher standard than others and observes how dangerous a weapon the tongue is when not used properly and carefully. Any teacher will tell us that children catch every misstep and, for some reason, remember them more than the lessons being taught intentionally. In that context, we all are teachers, teaching by the way we live our lives, in or out of mindfulness of God and God's glory.
Finally, the great rabbi, Jesus, asks his followers, "Who do people say I am?" and later, "Who do you say I am?" It is easier to report the expressions of others than to come to our own conclusions, sometimes. But Peter confesses his faith, that Jesus is the Messiah. But when Jesus describes his fate, Peter denies it. Jesus teaches the importance of his dying by denouncing Peter's loyal protest, crying, "Get behind me, Satan!" In so doing, the great rabbi teaches us all that pretending Jesus could have lived a different life, or didn't die for us, or isn't the Son of God, all these "alternate beliefs" do is obscure the facts of our faith.
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How Much Does St. Paul's Mean to You?
Sunday the new church year begins, with Sunday School and the Choir. It also begins the season when we consider how we will support our Parish in the upcoming year.
times we tend to think that this means "How much money will you pledge to St. Paul's?" However, what we really need to think is how much does St. Paul's mean to us? How do I show how much it means to me? This gets us to the point: What will you do to show how much St. Paul's means to you?
right, what will you do? Will you join a committee, help with Sunday School, the Food Pantry, Small Blessings. It might mean you will become a more active participant in worship: Singing in the choir, being a reader, being on the Altar Guild. It means the effort you are willing to put in to support and keep St. Paul's the kind of place that you want to attend.
Now everyone cannot give unlimited time to the Church but everyone can give something. So, start thinking about the value you put on St. Paul's, and how you can show that with what you do. For an inspiration, think about closing of this Sunday's reading from the Letter of James: To paraphrase it, to have true and complete faith you need to be able to show it, not just say it! -Warden Pete Bedrossian
St. Paul's is thanked and honored
at 2015 Picnic Dedicated to God
On behalf of St. Paul's Church, Rose Marie Proctor and Father Tyler receive a plaque at the 2015 Picnic Dedicated to God at Mansion Square Park Saturday. St. Paul's was noted for having supported the picnic every year since its initiation. The recognition came from the picnic's founder and organizer, our friend John Flowers, who died in August.
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THIS WEEK'S CALENDAR
This is the week ahead from our bulletin calendar:
Sept. 7-13, 2015
7 Labor Day
9 12:15 pm Healing Service; 1 pm Parish Aid
10 6 pm Pastoral Care, Relatives as Parents
12 10 am Buildings and Grounds, 11 am Block cleanup
13 8 am Rite I; 8:45 Bible study; 9:30 Choir rehearsal; 10 am Rite II and Sunday School; 11:15 coffee hour, Youth
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