Where God lives by The Rev. Dr. Duncan Johnston

Transcription

1 SPIRITUS GLADIUS ST. PAUL S EPISCOPAL CHURCH Mission Kitchen volunteers needed Helpers are needed to deliver and serve food at St. John s, Elizabeth, on the last Sunday of every month between 12:30 and 3:00. Cooks are also needed from 10:00 to 11:00 at St. Paul s on Mission Kitchen mornings. Contact Erica Webber at ,x13, or at stpaulssundayschool1@gmail. com if you are able to help. Where God lives by The Rev. Dr. Duncan Johnston So, we re here. After months of searching, praying, thinking, praying, talking, visiting, reading, praying, puzzling, questioning, planning (did I mention praying?) Gelind and I are here. Settled, nestled, and petaled in Westfield, St Paul s, and the Rectory. Thank you so very much for your welcome, hospitality and grace. Never has 157 miles (the distance from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania to Westfield) demanded such a long journey. I am thrilled to be your Rector. Thank you for making us feel so at home. Sermon podcasts now available Sunday sermons are now available in streaming audio form on Soundcloud. com and m a y b e d o w n l o a d e d a s podcasts on Apple itunes or Google Play. A link is also a v a i l a b l e o n t h e p a r i s h website. Bill Havlena, Editor Our calling as a congregation is to live our faith as deeply and devotedly as we can, and to be a house of prayer for all people. Services are open to the public, and we welcome you to worship in this holy space in the heart of Westfield. There are many, many reasons why I m so pleased to be living in Westfield. One of them is that cities have always had a large place in my heart. I grew up the same distance from London as Westfield is to New York. I watched my father leave home early in the morning to catch the train that took him into the heart of the city. Then, every evening, I accompanied my mother to meet him at the station. I saw the strain that his commute took upon him, but I knew instinctively that the city was a good place, a safe place, a place where people worked but had fun. If my dad goes there every morning and returns every night, it must be a grand place. (Continued on page 2) 1

2 Consider joining us for Bible Study Thursday Bible Studies have restarted after the summer break. For the next few months we will be sitting at the feet of Jesus, and listening to the greatest vision of human life every uttered- The Sermon on the Mount. If you are free on Thursdays at 10:30 then why not come to the Lounge for an hour to read a segment of the Sermon, and then share with others as we try to apply these transforming words to our lives. If you wish to get a head start, you ll find the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew, Chapters 5-7. Fall 2017 Where God lives (continued from page 1) When I finished my college years, I lived and worked in the inner city, and those years changed me. I witnessed poverty, violence, and despair. Yet, I also encountered beauty, courage, and love. And God. Yes, God. Lots of God. All over the city. The metropolis sometimes gets a bad rap. It s seen only as a location of struggle and ugliness, where crime and poverty blight the lives of millions, where dirt, noise, and decay strangle the joyful elements of life. Many Christians find it easy to experience God in places of natural beauty. The lakes, mountains, forests, and down the shore. I admire those people. Some even say they find God more in the garden than in the church. I hear you! I think I may be one those Christians who find God in the city just as much as anywhere. I think Jesus was also like that. (By the way, this is probably the only time you ll hear me comparing myself with Jesus, as I always come off looking really bad when I do.) So, here s a quiz question: In the Gospels, where are the places that Jesus was tempted? The city? No. Natural places? Yes. The desert and the Garden of Gethsemane. Two places where there are no buildings and no people. Those are the locations where Jesus is at his most vulnerable, where he is isolated, where he wrestles with his doubts, his frailty, and his human urges. He was crucified outside the city wall. The uninhabited place was the place of despair. Sure, in the city he faced opposition, but outside it he encountered the devil. Jesus loved people. He was able to peer into the eyes of everyone he met and spot the hallmark of God engraved on their souls. Human beings are created in God s image, in a completeness that plants, animals, and natural landscapes are not. I think that is why Jesus is at home in the city. For him, it was a place of life, joy, creativity, love, passion, laughter, worship. The city, for him, gleamed with the glory of God, because that is where God s best handiwork lived. And the more diverse the better. If we can look at a human being and not identify God, then we are probably not looking hard enough. The story of God s people starts in a Garden but finishes in a City. From Eden to the New Jerusalem, we are on a journey a bit more than 157 miles, and a little more arduous. We re destined for a community of countless people; we may as well enjoy living in community now, on the edge of our city. JuliaWalker Mary Lynn Crozier Tim Hamway Terence Hegarty Rob Hostler Steve Kircher Donna Laterza RECTOR The Rev. Dr. Duncan Johnston ASSISTANT The Rev. Nathan P. Ritter WARDENS VESTRY Geoff Dunham Kathy McElroy Alec Reynolds Kate Rogers Andy Rovito Aldo Scrofani Kathy Stotler 2

3 Solid Brass returns to St. Paul s on November 12 Musical arrangements are being published in the Solid Brass Series of Art of Sound Music (artofsoundmusic.com). Solid Brass has been a recipient of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and performed in Mexico and two tours of Canada. Suggested donation is $20, with student admission free. The concert will be followed by a reception with an opportunity to meet the artists. Don t miss this exciting group with a program offering something for everyone! After a very successful appearance at St. Paul s in 2014, the Summit-based ensemble Solid Brass returns with a program of classical and popular works on November 12. The group, which includes trumpets, French horn, trombones, tuba, and percussion, will perform music from operas by Bizet, Strauss, and Wagner, marches by Sousa, English folk songs arranged by Vaughan Williams, Renaissance dances, Big Band standards, and tributes to Freddie Mercury and the Beach Boys. Founded in 1982, Solid Brass is recognized by audiences and critics alike as one of the premier brass groups in the country. The members of the ensemble are some of the New York area s finest musicians who have performed at Lincoln Center with the Metropolitan Opera and New York City Opera orchestras, the New York City Ballet orchestra, numerous Broadway shows, and a host of appearances as orchestral and chamber musicians in the metropolitan area. Solid Brass has recorded on the Musical Heritage Society label, Dorian Recordings, Joseph Grado Signature Recordings and Craig Dory Recordings, and has appeared on NJTV s The State of the Arts on PBS. 3

4 Thanks to all who attended and worked to make the parish picnic a success Thanks to all who helped to plan, organize, and work the day of the picnic to make it a great success! The time and effort of all the volunteers was appreciated by everyone who attended. Thanks also to everyone who brought salads and desserts to provide for a wonderful feast and to help welcome the Johnstons to St. Paul s. 4

5 God s abounding love for 150 years I will always remember my first visit to St Paul s. The worship area was being rearranged for the Spring Concert, which was to happen a few days later. Yet, despite the absence of some of the pews, I fell in love with this building. Each day I am inspired by the beautiful vision of the congregation and Fr. Andrew to create such splendor combined with such functionality. We have been given a wonderful legacy to care for and manage. But that was just the beginning of my attraction to the parish. What makes it so compelling? The people. We are truly blessed. And have been for 150 years. Yes, it was in 1867 that the first Episcopal Parish Church in Westfield was constructed on our current location. Then, it was called Grace Church. Later it became Christ Church. Now it is dedicated to proclaiming the Good News of Jesus with the passion and compassion of St Paul. Tough ask. Sure, it is. But, take a look at how God has blessed us for 150 years and bask in his Abounding Love. That is our invitation this autumn. To revel in the goodness of our Heavenly Father. By the time you read this the stewardship campaign will have begun. God s Abounding Love. The Committee, under the brilliant leadership of Alec Reynolds, chose that title because we want the parish to celebrate. If we are not careful we can view stewardship season as church tax time, and who like paying taxes. Rather, we are invited to rejoice. God has lavished his gifts on us, and so we pass on his abundance, celebrating the Gospel of joy. Watch out for some inspiring speakers from the congregation on some Sundays in October and November, some important sermons by Fr Duncan, and the arrival of your pledge card at the end of October. But please don t fill it in until you have listened, learned, and had your heart warmed by God s Abounding Love. Then, on November 19th come to Celebration Sunday, with some special liturgy. Oh yes, one more thing That 150th anniversary? Watch out for a special celebration of our significant birthday as we approach Christmas. Father Duncan Bill and Anne Shepherd honored at Trinity Cathedral Anne and Bill Shepherd's 60 years of contributions to the life St. Paul's were recognized at the annual diocesan Evensong Service at the Cathedral on September 30th to honor older adults from each parish. The Shepherds have taken a important role in many activities and committees, including vestry, stewardship, capital campaigns. 5

6 Calendar of Events Wednesday, November 1 7:30 pm Blanket Night, Hamersley Hall Friday, November 3 7:00 pm Stewardship Committee Neighborhood Gathering at the Wolitzer residence Sunday, November 5 10:00 am All Saint s Day Eucharist, with Reading of the Necrology and Holy Baptism Friday, November 10 7:00 pm Stewardship Committee Neighborhood Gathering at the Hostler residence Sunday, November 12 4:00 pm Solid Brass in concert Wednesday, November 15 7:00 pm St. Paul s Book Group Thursday, November 23 10:00 am Thanksgiving Day Eucharist Weekly Schedule Sunday 7:45 am Holy Eucharist - Rite I 10:00 am Holy Eucharist with Choir - Rite II Church School at 9:45 Monday-Thursday 9:10 am Morning Prayer Thursday 9:30 am 10:30 am Holy Eucharist with Healing Bible Study Remember to check our website The website is where you can find updated information about all parish events and organizations. The site has been refreshed and navigation has been streamlined check it out at 6