This past Sunday morning I pulled into the empty parking lot at about 8 a.m. As I turned off the ignition, I glanced up at the Celtic cross. I have seen that cross many times, but this time I experienced a “thin place” moment. For those of you not familiar with “thin places,” you need to know that we get the concept from Irish Celtic spirituality. The Celts had a basic awareness of God’s presence in every aspect of their lives. When Saint Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland, he, fortunately, did not try to change that aspect of the Celts’ spirituality.

Even though the Celts sensed God everywhere, they had special places where they felt strongly connected to God’s presence. They called these spots “thin places.” I bet if you open yourself up to this thought you may recall moments and places where you had a tangible sensation that the veil between heaven and earth was parted for a moment.

For years I wondered what made a given place special or “thin.” One evening by the chapel at Honey Creek, I realized that maybe the chapel was sacred because of the lives of the people who had consecrated that ground with their presence, their spirits, and their stories over the years.

In my thin place parking lot moment last Sunday, I not only felt God’s presence, but I felt the presence of the thousands of people who have worshipped at this place over the past 270 years, since 1750.

Perhaps some of you have experienced your own thin-place moments here at Saint Paul’s. If so, I’d love to hear about them.

To the People of Saint Paul’s Church:

Let me begin with the good news: while we are planning for a virtual Holy Week including Good Friday, the Vestry in, consultation with the Clergy and Staff of Saint Paul’s, have approved two Easter services and an Easter Egg Hunt! We hope that this brings a little extra joy to the day for everyone. We have a “Return to Worship Committee” (Bill Ford, Chair; Catherine Boardman, Barbara Coleman, Coleman Graham, Laurie Montgomery, and Nick Uros) who are planning the details to abide by the Diocesan guidelines. We appreciate their work in putting this opportunity together. While more details will follow, the goal is to have an outdoor service at 9 a.m. at the Celtic Cross. We are reminded that the first service conducted after the fire was also held at this site which makes this choice seem even more appropriate. The service will be limited to 75 persons. The Egg Hunt (organized by Laura Robertson, Stacy Nuessle and Coleman Graham) will begin at 10:15 a.m. Finally, an indoor service at 11 a.m. will be streamed for those at home and will include up to 50 persons. Signup information and specific details are being finalized for both services and will be provided next week. We do not anticipate an in-person service the following week, but we are working towards a return to in-person, hopefully as soon as the next week and likely along the same guidelines as last fall, again keeping in mind the restrictions and the local case numbers. Keith Shafer plans to resume work with the choir on a limited basis, and we look forward to the day when they can sing again. We know that these days of being apart have been frustrating and challenging in so many ways. We ask for your continued help through the process.

While that news is difficult to follow, we have another opportunity for Saint Paul’s. Over the last few weeks, our Church has embarked on a journey to identify and then to resolve issues which could limit us as a Parish. Our conflict transformation consultants Revs. Becky Rowell and Melanie Lemburg are completing the listening sessions with the group of parishioners identified by the Vestry. The post-interview feedback from the participants has been positive, and we are encouraged that our church will remain strong for a long time. The Vestry has decided to offer these listening sessions to anyone in the Parish who feels a need to be heard. If you would like to talk with Becky Rowell about Saint Paul's and the Polk Memorial, please contact her directly. She will respond to schedule a time to speak by phone or Zoom. We originally estimated that the cost for the process would be $5000. The costs for the additional listening sessions has been generously underwritten by two parishioners who have completed the process already. We are very grateful for their support and believe that we have undertaken the correct path forward.

Once the interviews are completed, Revs. Rowell and Lemburg will compile a report of their findings. We do not anticipate that including additional members of the church in the process will create a significant delay in receiving the final report. The report will go to the Bishop, Parish leadership, and congregation. We hope to be able to do this in person, COVID permitting. If not, the meetings will be conducted on-line. Revs. Rowell and Lemburg will continue to work with Saint Paul's to transform this conflict.

The Vestry and Clergy appreciate your patience, your participation, and your prayers during this additional time of reflection. We very much look forward to seeing you in person soon!

Ashley Wright

Senior Warden

We are excited to announce our Holy Week and Easter Schedule! Be on the lookout for an email from the Parish Office next week that will include sign-ups for in-person worship. All in-person services will require a reservation. 

Like the 2020 Christmas offering, this year's Easter offering will be used to make a real difference in our community. The Outreach Committee has selected Christ Community Health Services to be the recipient of this year's Easter offering. CCHS is a nonprofit in Augusta that offers affordable, quality primary health and dental care to the uninsured and underserved. Their mission is "To proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and to demonstrate His love by providing affordable, quality primary health care to the underserved."

In 2019, their ministry served more than 7,600 patients. We are excited to be a part of this important organization in our community! You can learn more about CCHS on their website.

If you have questions or would like additional information about this Offering, please contact Melissa Friedman or Nancy Kotti.

Give Online by clicking the button below

If you have not completed a pledge card, please complete this year’s annual stewardship appeal and return it to the church as soon as possible, or pledge online on our website at saintpauls.org/pledge-card/. If you did not receive a pledge appeal in the mail or have simply misplaced yours, please email the parish office or contact by telephone at (706) 724-2485 ext. 225.

as of 3/17/21

Offerings received this Week $21,833.90 

Operating Expenses to Date $172,623.13

Total Income Received to Date $201,041.90

Please contact the Parish Office to update our files.