Dear St. Paul’s family, In one of my letters last summer I mentioned that we use a Mutual Ministry Agreement (MMA) as one of the tools to provide myself and Chapter with goals each year. We are currently in the process of conducting a Mutual Ministry Review, looking at the goals set in the last … READ MORE…
This is a challenging Gospel, to say the least. Jesus speaks of fire, of division, of family conflict. It’s hard to find good news in his words. And the reading from the prophet Jeremiah doesn’t help either, with its talk of prophets who lie, of God’s Word being like a hammer. What are we to … READ MORE…
Dear St. Paul’s family, One of the highest-energy moments in our Sunday service is often the exchange of the Peace, when friends greet one another with a handshake or kiss. The 1979 Book of Common Prayer restored the Peace to this midpoint of the service after it had been lost to our Anglican tradition for … READ MORE…
We heard in the Hebrew Scriptures and the Epistle today references to one of the foundational stories for three major world religions. Abram and Sarai began their journey in the land of Ur. They travel around a lot in the book of Genesis leading us through all sorts of stories, and eventually they arrive in … READ MORE…
Dear St. Paul’s family, Where would the church be without the generous gifts of faithful people? We depend entirely on what you, in your generosity, choose to give as part of your spiritual practice. There is no revenue from “church central”; in fact, we give 10.5% of our unrestricted income to the diocese, and a … READ MORE…
Dear St. Paul’s family, We are now well into the major construction project that we have been anticipating for years. If you have been on campus over the past month you cannot have missed that fact! As with any construction project, there are almost daily surprises, such as unexpected barriers and interruptions to utilities, but … READ MORE…
A few years ago in another parish, we had a Vacation Bible School that was pretty awesome. One of the things we did in that week was an experiment. We took a balloon filled with air that was supposed to represent us- any one of us. The balloon looked really fun, especially when you have … READ MORE…
Dear St. Paul’s family, All of our recent congregational surveys have indicated a strong desire to offer some kind of alternative worship experience. As you know, our Sunday services are quite formal and traditional, which we love, but we also have a nagging feeling that an offering with a different vibe might appeal to people … READ MORE…
Let’s start with a pop quiz: imagine that I say something in this sermon that you find disturbing or offensive, or even (God forbid) boring. What is your response? Do you a) make an appointment to meet with me and talk about it; b) write a letter to the bishop about it; or c) complain … READ MORE…
Dear St. Paul’s family, One of our core ministries is that of music, and we are justifiably proud of our choirs. Here are some reflections on being a chorister from John Peeling, who has sung in our choir since 1963. When I was a young child we lived in an apartment right across the street … READ MORE…