In today’s gospel, Jesus tells a story to two groups: one, to the religious insiders who are grumbling because Jesus is talking to a group of people I will call “the lost,” and two, the taxpayers and sinners, “the lost,” who Jesus is hanging out with despite being unpopular with the religious insiders of his … READ MORE…
Good Morning! I am given two tasks this morning: first to engage the scriptures and second to remember Lucy Larrabee. So let us pray… May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable O God in your sight! Choose Life! Once upon a time, about the 7th century in words … READ MORE…
Dear St. Paul’s family, As we seek to be sensitive to the needs of all our members and visitors, we are always alert for new ways to signal that St. Paul’s is a safe place for everyone, living out our “Welcome All” mission statement. When we installed gender-neutral bathrooms a few years ago, we sent … READ MORE…
Last June I visited Durham, England, enjoying a weekend package that a generous parishioner had given me; the weekend included two VIP tickets to a concert in Durham Cathedral, and my sister Jacqueline came with me. Durham is famous for the stunning cathedral and castle that dominate the landscape from the top of a steep … READ MORE…
Dear St. Paul’s family, As you know, we are a multicultural congregation, with a Spanish-language ministry. This fall, there are several holidays and occasions of special significance for our Latino parishioners, and all are welcome and invited to attend. On Saturday, September 14, the diocesan Latino/Hispanic Heritage Celebration will take place at St. Philip’s, Lemon … READ MORE…
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…