E-pistle October 14, 2022

A Message from Libby

The frost last weekend put an end to a very fruitful season for the patch of colorful zinnias in my front yard. I’m sad to see them go, but the changing of seasons means that their bright colors are being replaced by the equally enchanting yellows and reds of fall leaves. My eyes are drawn to the shimmering view of Beartown Mountain from our back porch with its varied hues, and I’m enjoying the slight chill in the air. Transition time in a church is a bit like this changing of seasons in nature. Even as we remember the past and are sorry to see it go, we turn our eyes to the new future possibilities. 

Change is an inevitable part of life. We can fear it and cling to the past or we can live into its promise of new life. The choice is up to us. 

This issue of the E-pistle is the last one to be produced by Jean Chapin. As you know, after leaving the Parish Administrator position here at St. Paul’s at the end of May, Jean has continued to produce the newsletter and handle our Constant Contact reminders. She has brought a keen eye for visual elements that enhance the e-newsletter and draw us into reading the content. We’ll all miss that special “Jean” touch! 

While some interest has been expressed in the revised Parish Administrator position, that search process is still open. In the meantime, I’m not sure I’ll be able to put out an e-newsletter every week, though I’ll try. It will be much plainer, but still informative, I hope. Please pray for a new Parish Administrator to come soon. Change is difficult, but there is hope for the future!

In St. Paul's Children's Center

St. Paul’s Children’s Center welcomes fall with “leaf people” art.

Sunday Worship Services

This Sunday – October 16 – 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.

10 a.m. worship is livestreamed.

Collect for the 19^th Sunday after Pentecost                                           

Almighty and everlasting God, in Christ you have revealed your glory among the nations: Preserve the works of your mercy, that your Church throughout the world may persevere with steadfast faith in the confession of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Scripture Readings for the 19^th Sunday after Pentecost

Jeremiah 31:27-34; Psalm 119:97-104; 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5; Luke 18:1-8

Sunday Worship Teams (If you exchange slots with someone, please notify the Church Office as soon as possible.)

Sunday, October 16 (8 & 10 a.m.)                           

Celebrant/Preacher            The Rev. Libby Wade                   

Assisting Priest                   The Rev. Jane Tillman     

8 a.m. Reader/Intercessor Jorja Marsden                   

10 a.m. Reader/Intercessor Jean Rousseau      

10 a.m. Usher/Greeter        Jim Wade               

10 a.m. Lemonade Host      Martha Bodine

Guest Organist                     Nancy King

Sunday, October 23 (8 & 10 a.m.)

Celebrant/Preacher             The Rev. Jane Tillman

8 a.m. Reader/Intercessor    Darryl Lafferty     

10 a.m. Reader/Intercessor  Kendra MacLeod

10 a.m. Usher/Greeter         Ginny Willcox

10 a.m. Lemonade Host       The Dillons

Guest Organist                      Ron Hanft

Help Needed on Sundays

8 a.m. Readers/Intercessors for Sundays in November and December.

10 a.m. Readers/Intercessors for Sundays, November 6 and 20. Contact Libby Wade to volunteer for these slots. 



Lemonade Hosts needed for November and December. Contact Martha Bodine.

College Students – Addresses Needed

If you have a college student in your family, please send an e-mail to Libby+ (libby_wade@yahoo.com) with the student’s name and college address. Later this fall, we’ll prepare mid-term “care packages” for these St. Paul’s young adults who are away at school. It’s another way to stay connected with our community.

Parish Prayer List

• People we pray for on Sundays: Bruce, Charles, Irby, David, Nick, Melissa, Ginger, and Joan
• Long-term prayer list: Piers, Katrina, Rich, Karen, Michael, Tom, Khali, George, Doug, George, David, Barbara, Christy, John, Florence
• Our partners at Grace Church, Great Barrington, and their priest Tina Rathbone; Christ Trinity Episcopal-Lutheran Church, Sheffield, and their priest Erik Karas; the Austen Riggs community and the Riverbrook Residence
• We pray for Faith Savery as she celebrates her birthday this week; and for Robin and Tom Race, as they celebrate their anniversary.
• We pray for victims of war, violence, abuse, persecution, terrorism, and disaster at home and abroad; especially remembering those impacted by the pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
• We pray for the repose of the soul of Helga Kaiser, in whose memory the flowers are given.
• Outreach Ministry of the Week: Cathedral of the Beloved, Pittsfield
• Diocesan Cycle of Prayer: St. Stephen’s, Westborough
• Anglican Cycle of Prayer: Anglican Church of Central America

Upcoming Events

+ Every Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. – Morning Prayer on Zoom. 

+ Every Sunday -- Holy Eucharist in the Church

One Service Only at 9 a.m. on the 2^nd Sunday of each month

Services at 8 & 10 a.m. all other Sundays

+Saturday, October 15, 11:00 a.m. at St. Paul’s – Memorial Service for Helga Kaiser

+ An invitation from Christ Trinity Sheffield: Beer+Hymns+Brats Oktoberfest at Big Elm Brewery, 65 Silver St., Sheffield, 6 – 8 p.m., Friday, October 21.   Donations support the Appalachian Trail Hospitality Program.  (See flyer below)

+ Want to carpool to Worcester on Sunday afternoon, November 6, for the Rev. Sam Smith’s celebration of new ministry with All Saints Church at 4 p.m.?  Contact Jorja Marsden.

+ St. Paul’s team serves at the Lee Food Pantry on Saturday, November 12. Your contributions of non-perishable food and personal care items may be dropped off at the church near the southwest door of St. Paul’s at any time. 

+Swords to Plowshares Event, Saturday, November 12, 11:00 – 1:00 at the Guthrie Center. (See flyer below for more event about this event for which St. Paul’s is a sponsor.

+ Opportunities to work at Gideon’s Garden: Every week (Mondays, 9-12; Wednesdays, 9-12 or 2-5) harvesting produce for local food pantries, including Lee Food Pantry. Gideon’s Garden is on Division St. in Great Barrington, near Taft Farms.

Please support hurricane recovery efforts

Episcopal Relief & Development mobilizes in coordination with local partners to provide assistance to those affected by hurricanes.

Please contribute to the Hurricane Relief Fund to support relief and recovery efforts.

Education for Ministry (EfM) is a hybrid study group mentored by Karen Byers of Christ Trinity Church. The Episcopal Seminary in Sewanee, TN provides the curriculum and training for mentors. Studies include Old Testament, New Testament, theology, liturgy, and church history. Weekly theological reflection helps the group integrate their studies with daily life. Each week the group writes a collect (prayer) based on their reading and reflection. Karen then shares that collect with the South County Episcopal/Lutheran congregations. Here is her message for the past week.

Evangelism

This week some participants in EfM read about the spread of the Church through missionaries, traders and slavers into the new world, Asia, and India. It is a tale of the ravages of disease and of brutal methods of conversion. Some missionaries were more respectful of the native cultures they encountered, learning the local languages and moderating their dress and their approach. But often their methods were repudiated by their superiors back home.  Evangelism in our time, we reckoned, requires a delicate balance of attraction and invitation.   

God, source of the Word,

we confess our confusion about how to spread the Message.

We seek to respect the dignity of every human being

and place our hope in Your inspiration.

Forgive our many grievous missteps.

Empowered by your Holy Spirit, let us walk in the way of Jesus. 

AMEN

Beer & Hymns & Bratwurst

And your friends from Christ Trinity Church, especially Jean, invite you to Sheffield to join us in celebrating the Appalachian Trail Ministry. You folks at St. Paul's were the most supportive visiting church to our Appalachian Trail tent in 2022. Thank you! 

John-Arthur Miller is our Hymn-meister and Nancy King will be at the keyboard. We've chosen lots of great Lutheran, Episcopal and Congregational hymns to sing,.  Jean and The Oktoberfest Music team have been refining the "hymnbook" and have found some new, very popular sing-alongs to share with you.  So please join us. Big Elm is at 65 Silver Street in Sheffield, a couple miles south of the town center.  Please let us know that you are visiting from St. Paul's so that we all get to know each other better.

Stay connected with the church