 Welcome to St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Bailey's Crossroads
Sunday worship and Holy Eucharist at 10:30am
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Any of you who have ever spent much time around children know that kids have an uncannily accurate and very strong sense of 'fairness.' According to the developmental experts, this internal sense of fairness is fairly well-developed in children as young as 12 months old. They instinctively know what is fair for themselves and what is fair for others. They tend not to want to see others get cheated and will go out of their way to level the playing field or balance the scales of justice. We've all heard children protest: "It's not fair!" and in almost all cases they are right. Whatever 'it' is...it's not fair! Unfortunately, somewhere along the way some wise adult will inform these idealistic little ones that 'life isn't fair.' And they, too, are correct. Life, as we all know, is NOT fair. The rain falls on the just and the unjust alike. And there seems to be no rhyme or reason to the way things happen. As we contemplate the gospel lesson for today, all of us may come to realize how providential it is that life is not compelled to be fair. As one of my favorite homespun philosophers says, "I don't want justice. I want mercy!" And there you have it!!! None of us is as deserving as we'd like to believe we are. And thankfully, we have a merciful God.
The Rev. Liz Tomlinson
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 Jesus challenges fairness The disciples (and we) learn a lesson about God
The outcry from this parable always seems to be about what is fair and what is unfair. The ones who have labored all day in the hot sun are paid last. And the ones who have shown up at the 11th hour are paid first. And just to add insult to injury, the laborers who worked the shortest amount of time are paid the same amount as the ones who have been there and working hard since early morning. The outcry of injustice is understandable. Do we have an 'unfair' God? Only if you assume that the landowner is allegorically God. This parable deserves a second or third look because God does not 'set-up' jealousy and division. God loves all his creation and all his children. The landowner who goes out early in the morning to hire the day laborers has given them something to do, has restored their sense of purpose and their sense of dignity, and is paying them the wage he promised to them. They didn't have to spend the entire day wondering how they would feed their families or whether or not they even deserved to be alive. They had purpose from the early morning throughout the day. The laborers who were 'saved' at the end of the day spent most of their day in worry and idleness and lack of self-worth. All of that was given to them at the end of the day. What does it mean to you to struggle with whether or not you are 'late to the party' or if you have been enjoying the warmth of the sun (of God) all day long? Come worship with us this Sunday morning and learn what Jesus means when he's talking about "the kingdom of God is like......." To join in on our service CLICK HERE |
Regathering indoors this Sunday!! 
Options for worshiping together
The Diocese has approved our plans for both outside and indoor worship services. We were planning to have an outdoor service on Sunday, September 20, but last Friday we received the 'green light' from the Diocese to worship indoors if we were ready. A quick telephone canvass of our congregation revealed that we are, indeed, ready! So this Sunday, September 20, we will gather in our Sanctuary at 10:30am for our first service together and in person since the Easter Vigil. It's been a long time and there are sure to be a few 'wrinkles' that we need to work out. Our pre-recorded service will still be available on Facebook at 10:30am (and at anytime later in the day) for those who are unable or are not ready to worship in the sanctuary in person. Masks are required indoors and seating will be 6 feet apart. Hand sanitizer will be plentiful. We will not be using Prayer books or hymnals. The entire service is printed in the bulletin. We will celebrate Holy Eucharist in one kind (bread only) and we will not be singing as a congregation. We will exchange the peace with an elbow bump, a foot tap, a wink or a wave...just not a hug or a handshake! Many things will be different, but we will be all together and we are looking forward to seeing all those smiling eyes as we gather together for worship. We will not be having in-person Coffee Hour. That will have to wait. ZOOM Coffee Hour will be later than usual (12:00pm instead of 11:15am) to accommodate folks who need to get home after service before they can log-on for Coffee Hour. Vestry meeting will begin at 1:00pm instead of 12:15pm. |
We are currently using ZOOM to conduct our worship service each week. The service is Antecommunion and is recorded from the Rectory and the sacred spaces and homes of the Virtual Church Ministry team of Caroline Kruger, Dave Wright, Markeeta Belmar, Tam Mehuron, Michael Dunn, Sarah Dunn, and Abraham and June Jallah with the beautiful music provided by our Music Director, Anna Ko. You can view the pre-recorded worship service on Facebook on Sunday morning at 10:30am. You can participate in all the liturgy, congregational responses and hymns right from your own home. It will enable us to 'be together' for worship and to enjoy Anna's music. We will be able to see and hear multiple people read, but we will not be able to hear a congregation responding during the course of the service. It will be different, but while our building will be closed, we are still the church and are still open to others. You will be able to access our Sunday morning service on Facebook if you CLICK HERE at 10:30am or later in the day if you wish.
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 Virtual Coffee Hour at Noon Face-to-Face......almost
One of the things we miss most about not being able to gather together on Sunday morning for worship is the fellowship that we enjoy afterwards over a hot cup of coffee. We can still have the coffee...and we can still 'see' each other. It will just be 2-dimensional on ZOOM. Grab your coffee after our worship service and climb into a comfy chair in your own living room. We can all get reconnected with each other and catch up on all the latest news just like we're accustomed to doing after church. Just send your RSVP to Linda at green@stpaulsbxr.org to reserve your spot! 'See' you there!! If you need some help with ZOOM just let Linda know when you RSVP. One of us will be happy to walk you through it. If you are an active parishioner at St. Paul's, you will receive a separate Invitation to Virtual Coffee Hour in a Constant Contact e-mail. If you haven't been coming to Coffee Hour, please know that others of your church family are asking about you and missing you. Come on down!
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Vestry Meeting this Sunday 
Hybrind ZOOM and In-person at 1:00pm
Our Vestry will be meeting this Sunday at 1:00pm. Some of the Vestry will be meeting in person at the Church and others will be joining the meeting on ZOOM. The time has been adjusted to allow people to get home from morning worship if they have joined us the in-person worship service in the sanctuary. If you have business to discuss with the Vestry or would like to comment on current maintenance being done to the building, please speak to a Vestry member. They are June Jallah, Tam Mehuron, Alvin Jones, Dave Wright, Fred Silvers (on leave) and Caroline Kruger (Consultant on maintenance and renovations). Any of them would be glad to speak with you. Please contact them.
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Intercessory Prayer Group
 Every Thursday at 1:30 p.m.
During this time of 'social distancing' the Intercessory Prayer Group will be maintained by Tam Mehuron in her home and is being conducted on ZOOM. The time frame of 1:30pm-2:00pm and the structure of the group remain the same. Please send an e-mail to her with your prayer requests and to get information about how to access ZOOM if you would like to participate. Her e-mail is tmehuron@verizon.net. She will answer your e-mail and will include your prayer in the service. It's a lovely way to take a 'lunch' break in the middle of the day.
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Personal card Ministry
Staying in touch the old fashion way
Handwritten notes and cards are fast becoming a lost art. Telephone calls are good and e-mail is great, but nothing takes the place of a handwritten note from one friend to another. So many people relish and treasure them. Now that the pandemic has slowed our lives down a bit, we have time to resurrect this kind of communication. It's warm. It's personal. It's not intrusive. And it can be read and re-read as many times as the recipient wants. And it carries the distinct penmanship of the person who wrote it. Sometimes people would prefer a card rather than a phone call. If you have the time and the willingness to begin writing notes to your fellow parishioners to let them know that they are loved and that you miss them, please e-mail Rev. Liz at tomlinson@stpaulsbxr.org...or send her a handwritten note! If you need a directory, we'll get one to you!
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Telephone Ministry 
Staying in Touch
Jesus told Peter, "Feed my sheep!" There are lots of ways we can 'feed' one another, but one of the best ways is through conversation. Since we can't 'be' together for worship services or for Coffee Hour, we are using this new ministry to help us stay connected and perhaps even help us get to know each other better. If you are an active parishioner at St. Paul's , you should have gotten at least one call from another parishioner...and perhaps more than one. Our callers are fantastic, but we need to share the wealth and let others take a turn. If you would like to participate in this ministry and be one of the callers, please contact Tam Mehuron at tmerhuron@verizon.net and let her know. She will give you all the details and will include you when she draws up the new rota.
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Pledges and Offerings 
Still needed
Since we are not gathering for church on Sunday morning, we don't pass the collection plate during the service. That means that pledge envelopes and checks and cash offerings aren't presented for blessing, but when Monday morning rolls around, the bills continue to show up. To the extent that you can, please send your check or your pledge to the church via US mail.The address is at the end of this newsletter. These are strange and unusual times and we're all in this together. We have lost the rental income we've enjoyed from the three churches who share our space and that won't come back until they do. If you aren't a member of St. Paul's but would like to make a donation to help us through this tough time, please know how grateful we are. You can also make a donation when you CLICK HERE Thank you in advance for keeping the St Paul's boat afloat! We're going to keep a list of the Patron Saints of St. Paul's and add each one of you to our prayers.
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Book-Share
Check out the bookcase outside the Rector's office and help yourself to anything that looks interesting. It's said "a reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads only lives one." When we get to return to our church building, check out the new books that have come in...or bring some donations yourself!
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The food pantry
Summer is here
St. Paul's continues to be both faithful and generous in supporting the ACCA Food Pantry. Your generosity is inspiring. If you have food to donate, please contact our Parish Administrator, Linda Green by e-mail at green@stpaulsbxr.org to make arrangements with her to drop off your donation. She is at the church several times a week to pick up the mail and keep the office running. She will be glad to arrange a time to let you in the building with your donation. Please continue to bring nonperishable foodstuffs for ACCA and place them in the wicker basket at the rear of the Sanctuary. Also, please remember to thank God's faithful servants, Dick and Mary Lou Runyon, for making sure all our donations are delivered to the ACCA Food Pantry where they will be shared with those in need. In the middle of this pandemic when many people are without incomes, the need for food is even greater. Please contribute all that you can!
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Homeless Shelter
 Volunteer Opportunities
The next meeting of the Advisory Committee will be on Wednesday, November 4 at 7:00pm and it will be conducted on ZOOM. Please let Rev. Liz know if you are interested in shelter operations or volunteer opportunities and she will give you information about how to access this meeting. In the meantime, if you would like to make donations to the shelter, New Hope Housing has provided a Wish List (on Amazon) which has recently been updated. Items for the homeless who are moving into housing of their own has been included. To access that list, please CLICK HERE. New Hope Housing manages a number of shelters around the county, so be sure to specify to New Hope that you want your donation to go to the Bailey's Crossroads Shelter. You can reach New Hope Housing at the Bailey's Shelter by calling 703-820-7621. You are helping to ease the way for our neighbors to get back on their feet! What an act of love!!
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