Hello St. Paul’s,
Happy New Year! You’ve probably heard many times that Christian formation is a lifelong pursuit. In the Episcopal Church we strive to empower people to be informed and thoughtful about their faith. We do this through Sunday worship, including sermons, but also through parish communications and the various formational classes and study opportunities that it is our privilege to offer.
If you are still thinking about what New Year’s resolutions to make, here’s a suggestion: resolve to grow and develop your faith this year. As a starting point, make a commitment to one of our formation programs. The most convenient and consistent offering is the forum at 9 am on Sunday mornings. Sterling Winchester has recently assumed leadership of this ministry, and he would love to add two or three people to his planning group, so that we can plan programs that appeal across all of our diverse generations. Contact Sterling at sterling.a.winchester@gmail.com.
The first quarter of 2024 is already fully scheduled, with forums focusing on the business of the church, celebrations of the spiritual gift of writing, and studies of engaging works by local authors taking us through to Easter. During Lent we have several additional offerings, in person or online, so that you can deepen your devotion as we walk through that holy season.
Here’s the full schedule of adult formation offerings for first quarter (Click Here)
For those who feel called to a greater commitment, I recommend that you look into classes at the diocesan West Coast Collaborative (edsd.org/wcc/) or the Education for Ministry program (contact Susan Jester at jesters@stpaulcathedral.org).
If you prefer to pursue formation in a more individual manner, there are plenty of written resources. The church offers a question-and-answer Outline of the Faith in the Book of Common Prayer, starting on p. 845, and if you read through any of the liturgies in the Book of Common Prayer, you will find plenty of information in the rubrics, or instructions, preceding each liturgy and sprinkled throughout the order of service. A good Bible with introductory essays and footnotes, such as the New Oxford Annotated Bible, is a must-have resource.
Periodically this Dean’s Letter series includes glossaries or explanations of various aspects of our worship; you can find an archive of all these letters at stpaulcathedral.org/tag/dean-letters.
Last, but not least, try signing on to Zoom at 8 am or 5 pm on a weekday to attend virtual Morning or Evening Prayer. We have wide-ranging and thoughtful conversations about the Scripture passages of the day, and there’s always something new to learn, besides getting to know your fellow Cathedral family members better.
Good luck with those resolutions!
Your sister in Christ,
Penny
