 Welcome to St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Bailey's Crossroads
Sunday worship and Holy Eucharist at 10:30am
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We've all heard the old adages: 'Actions Speak Louder Than Words'
or 'Your actions speak so loudly, I can't hear what you're saying!' or 'If you want to know a person's character, look at what they do, not at what they say.' It's the same message in multiple forms. So, how do we decide what to do and what to say? Hopefully, these actions...both of them...come from our hearts, but we're only human so that's not always the case. Sometimes we do things we regret. And sometimes we say things we are not proud of. And all the decisions about what we do and say are made by us. We do certain things because we believe they are 'right' or we know they need to get done or we see someone in trouble and we reach out to help. Who tells us to do or say these things? Usually, we tell ourselves what to do or say. So, by whose authority do we take action or speak?
The Rev. Liz Tomlinson
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Turning the tables
Jesus outwits the Pharisees
Jesus has just entered Jerusalem with great fanfare and throngs of adoring fans. And then he overturns the tables of the money changers in the Temple in a furious rage of indignation about the misuse of God's house...and promptly 'sets up shop' in the Temple teaching and preaching. The throngs of people are still around and are hanging on his every word. The Pharisees are taking all this in and they want to trap Jesus into saying something that that will indict him, so they ask him: "By what authority are you doing these things? In other words, "Who (or what) gives you the right?" If Jesus says he's doing them by his own authority then he's doing them without institutional or cultural authority and he's sunk. If he says he's doing them with God's authority, he's blaspheming and that's a capital offense. Either way, he's in trouble which is the Pharisees' whole objective: to trap him. But Jesus answers them with a question of his own. "Was the baptism by John the Baptist from heaven or was it of human origin?" If they say from heaven, then Jesus will ask them why they didn't embrace and believe in John the Baptist. If they say it was human, then the fiercely loyal (to John the Baptist) and rambunctious crowds, whose submission the Pharisees badly need, will turn on them and they will have lost much of their earthly power. Either way, they're trapped...and Jesus isn't. It's dangerous to try to trap Jesus in conversation. He's always one or two steps ahead! And then Jesus tells the parable about the two sons...the one who says he will do as his father asks, but doesn't and the one who rebels against his father, but then decides to do as he's been asked. The Pharisees can't have missed the point and neither do we. The tax collectors and the prostitutes are going to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven before the Pharisees because they actually embrace John's message and believe in him and they believe in Jesus...and the Pharisees don't believe in either of them. Join us on Sunday morning at 10:30am on Facebook for the service of Antecommunion and explore with us what it means to be willing and able to hear God when God speaks....just CLICK HERE
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Gathering indoors again this Sunday!!  Options for worshiping together
The Diocese has approved our plans for both outside and indoor worship services. We had our first indoor service since the Easter Vigil last Sunday, September 20 and everything went smoothly. We will have another indoor service this coming Sunday, September 27 at 10:30am. It will be Holy Eucharist just as last week's service was, but it will be in one kind (bread only) just like last week. Our pre-recorded service is still 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 do not use Prayer books or hymnals. The entire service (including the sermon) is printed in the bulletin. We will not be singing as a congregation, but Anna will play the music for the hymns and the service music so that we can 'mouth' the words behind our masks and 'hear' the singing in our own heads. When we exchange the peace it is with an elbow bump, a foot tap, a wink, a wave, or a nod...just not a hug or a handshake! Many things are 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, but 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. We can't wait to see you...one way or another...or both!!!
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Virtual Church
The Season of COVID-19
We are currently using ZOOM to conduct our worship service each week online. 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 Face-to-Face...almost...at 12:00pm 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 on ZOOM. Grab your coffee after our worship service and climb into a comfy chair in your own living room. We had a great turnout last week and hope for more folks to 'show up' this coming week. 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 worship with us regularly, you will receive a ZOOM invitation and link through Constant Contact on Saturday afternoon. |
Stuff the Bus~Hunger never takes a Holiday
Saturday, September 26, 10:00am-3:00pm
Most Requested
Items
Canned Tuna, Salmon or
Chicken
Soup
Canned Pasta
Macaroni and
Cheese
Canned Fruit
(in light syrup
or juice)
Peanut Butter
Jelly
Bag (Dry) Beans
Rice - Brown
or White
Instant Potatoes
Canned tomatoes
Pancake Mix
Pancake Syrup
Hot and Cold Cereal
Canned Vegetables
Canned Beans
Healthy Snacks (e.g. raisins,
granola bars) Your donations benefit ACCA
The pandemic has hit families in Fairfax County very hard. Please make a contribution!!
For more information and drop off locations CLICK HERE
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Cleaning out the Shed 
Saturday, September 26, 10:00am-1:00pm
On Wednesday, September 30, Fairfax County recycling will come by the church and assess what we would like to dispose of and give us a price for carting it all away. We need to have everything we want to get rid of on the curb before then. The Preschool will be adding to our stack of stuff and they will be putting their things on the curb on Monday and Tuesday. If you're going to do Stuff the Bus, drop off your donation and then come on by the church and lend a hand. Also, if there's something inside the building that you think we should discard, feel free to let us know. If you want something 'gone,' get it to the curb!!!
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Pledges and Offerings 
Still needed
Thank you to each one of you who have been faithful with your pledge and those of you who are supporting us financially by donating through Tithley on our website and through this e-mail. 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. You can also donate with your credit card by using Tithley. Just CLICK HERE These are strange and unusual times and we're all in this together. 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. Thank you in advance for keeping the St Paul's boat afloat! We are keeping a list of the Patron Saints of St. Paul's and we add each one of you to our prayers. Thank you!
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Personal Note 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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The food pantry
Fall is coming soon
See the 'Stuff the Bus' Initiative in a previous block 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. We need a volunteer to deliver our donations 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 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) for the homeless who are moving into housing of their own which is SUCCESS! 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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