June 23, 2022
To read recent sermon transcripts, CLICK HERE
Greetings!

There are very few things in life that come to us with no strings attached and no demands made. Any decision that we make about our current life will change how our life will look in the future. There's always a 'price-to-pay' for every decision we make and for every unforeseeable change in our life that happens. We are told at an early age that nothing in life is 'free.' And surely that is true. Sometimes we don't know what price we will be paying until we are well into a new venture in life. No one seems to tell us about the 'unforeseen' circumstances that we might encounter. Most of us, as we enter adulthood, try and sometimes fail with the decisions we make. Many of us find ourselves in foreign territory without clearly understanding how we got there. And some of us don't take the gamble when others warn us about all the things that could go wrong or could turn out differently than we expect. As it turns out, life is a gamble no matter how careful we are. The most important thing for us to remember is the 'why' of our decision and the 'who' that will be travelling with us.
The Rev. Liz Tomlinson
Jesus spells it out
Discipleship comes at a cost

As Jesus and his disciples approach Jerusalem, Jesus prepares them for the life they will lead if they choose to follow him. The requirements are pretty stringent and Jesus leaves no doubt that there is nothing 'easy' about following in his footsteps. When the disciples want to know what they need to do, Jesus is very direct. There is to be no 'postponing' their decision while they get their own lives in order. Jesus wants all of each of them with no distractions and no interruptions and no "I'll catch up with you later!" Making a decision to follow Jesus is a full time commitment that never takes second place to any other commitment. Jesus requires that the disciples (and that's us!) have no reservations about their decision; that they have no regrets about their choice; and that they are prepared to turn their backs on everything they have known before they knew Jesus. Are we ready to do the same?
Join Us for Coffee Hour
Following Morning Worship

We have recently resumed Coffee Hour in Fleming Hall after our morning Worship Service and we are inviting you to join us for coffee and birthday cake this Sunday. We missed our Coffee Hour while it was suspended for over a year as a result of COVID and now we're glad it's back. If you would like to help plan this Coffee Hour from time to time, please contact one of our Vestry members. They are Tam Mehuron, David Wright, Anna Ko and our consultant, Alvin Jones. Won't you join us in Fleming Hall immediately after our worship service?
Vestry Meeting
This Sunday, June 26

Our next Vestry meeting is this coming Sunday at 12:30pm in the Rector's Office. Anyone in the congregation is welcome to sit in on a Vestry meeting and ask questions if need be. Please feel free to join us if you'd like.
The new Diocesan Bishop
Elected Saturday, June 4

Last Saturday, clergy and selected delegates from churches all over the
Diocese of Virginia met at St. Agnes and St. Stephens School in Alexandria to elect a new bishop for our Diocese. He is the Rev. Canon E. Mark Stevenson who comes to us from '815' in New York as the bishop [to whom he is the Canon] is none other than The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry. For more information about Bishop Stevenson, please CLICK HERE
First we pray
What comes next?

Once again we are presented with the tragedy of children being murdered in school. And last weekend we were faced with 13 more incidents of gun massacres in our country. A 'mass shooting' is defined as 4 or more people killed or wounded by a shooter. We even have a term for it now...'mass shooting.' As we've known for so long, prayers are important, but they are not sufficient. They are not nearly enough. While we stand watching a future generation being slaughtered before our eyes, we need to ask God for the will and inspiration to solve this problem in our country. We are the only developed country on the face of the planet that experiences this phenomenon on such a regular basis. And we, its citizens, are the only ones who can solve it. Get on your knees and ask for inspiration. God is not only watching. God is listening as well. And God answers prayer.
Episcopal Relief and Development
Aid for Ukraine

This war in Ukraine seems to be unfolding in unprecedented ways...even for warfare. It's heartbreaking to know unarmed civilians are subject to attack. So many of us are looking for reliable and truly useful ways to help the people of Ukraine during this unprecedented crisis. One of the most reliable charity organizations world wide is Episcopal Relief and Development. If you would like to make an online charitable donation earmarked especially for Ukraine, please CLICK HERE to access their website.
Updating the Directory
Staying in Touch

Now more than ever, it's important for us to be able to stay in touch with one another in any way that we can...telephone, snail-mail, e-mail, smoke signal, morse code, etc. If you aren't sure whether or not you are in the directory or if your information is correct, please contact our Parish Administrator, Linda Green at green@stpaulsbxr.org and give her your contact information so that we can update the directory. They will be ready for distribution soon and we want to be sure that everyone who should be in there is in there...and that everyone who should have a directory gets one!
Bailey's Shelter & Supportive Housing
Volunteer Opportunities
 
The next meeting of the Advisory Committee will be Wednesday, July 13, 2022 at 7:00pm 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. Although face-to-face volunteer work has been temporarily suspended the shelter is in the process of re-instating that support for the shelter clients. Please contact them if you want to know more!
Contact Community & Volunteer Coordinator
 Bailey's Shelter and Supportive Housing 
New Hope Housing 
5914 Seminary Rd
Fairfax, VA 22041
Tel: 703-578-8852
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. Please designate Bailey's Shelter and Supportive Housing, 5914 Seminary Rd., Falls Church, VA. 22041 when you place your order if you want your donation to go to this shelter. 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!!
The Food Pantry
Replenishment Needed
  
Urgent calls have come from ACCA this month for donations to the food pantry. We have hungry people around us all year long, but especially now in this season of COVID-19 when so many sources of income have disappeared. St. Paul's continues to be both faithful and generous in supporting the ACCA Food Pantry and they need our help now more than ever. At the last Vestry Meeting, the Vestry voted to double the monetary support that we give to ACCA each month. Your generosity is inspiring. If you have food to donate, please continue to bring nonperishable foodstuffs for ACCA and place them in the wicker basket at the rear of the Sanctuary. They are particularly in need of any kind of rice, canned fruit, fresh vegetables, and canned stew.

"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me." Matthew 25:35
The Rev. Elizabeth W. Tomlinson
Priest in Charge
tomlinson@stpaulsbxr.org
703-820-2625


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