Dear Friends in Christ,
On Wednesday morning, my meditation was guided by Tamara Levitt, the Head of Mindfulness on the Calm app. While every meditation includes silence and encouragement to focus on a home base (such as the breath), each individual meditation centers on a particular theme. Wednesday’s theme was kindness and included a mantra: May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you have a peaceful heart. Tamara invited us to direct the mantra to different people: ourselves, someone we love, someone we find challenging.
As you have probably guessed, the purpose of the mantra was to shift our perspective and make us more mindful of our relationships. If we go through our day wishing happiness, health, and a peaceful heart on everyone we encounter, including and perhaps especially those people we find challenging, we’ll find not only our relationships but also our very selves transformed.
As I’ve reflected on the meditation since hearing it, three thoughts come to mind.
First: Easier said than done. Saying a mantra is easy, living it much harder. Of course, Tamara didn’t say it would be easy. She simply invited us into a practice. Say the mantra. Focus it on someone else. See what happens. Repeat. We often look for solutions when what we really need is a process, a practice, something that opens our hearts and minds over time to new perspectives.
Second: The last question of our Baptismal Covenant invites us to accept each person as a child of God. We are asked: “Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?” Respecting each person’s dignity is very hard to do, especially the people we find most challenging and difficult. I wonder if a mantra would help us live into this promise. We don’t need to use Tamara’s. We could try something else. May you be joyful. May you be loved. May you be at peace.
Third: Meditation is a form of prayer, though I find myself arbitrarily separating the two practices as if they are different. While the practice of meditation fits within my morning prayer time, my actual prayers tend to be spoken and directive. Whether focused on myself or others, my prayers often take on the form of requests. I make petitions to God with the hope of getting results.
But what if prayer is less about results and more about relationships? What if prayer is not convincing God to act but instead focusing my mindset so that I live more authentically and relationally?
“But for us as Christians,” Br. James Koester, SSJE said a few years ago, “prayer is not about the magic of saying certain words so that some desired outcome happens. Rather prayer is about mystery. It is about the mystery of love. We pray, not because we want something, but because we love someone.” (Praying Well, Loving Much)
We pray because we love someone. Still easier said than done, right? But give it time and it just might work. May you be joyful. May you be loved. May you be at peace.
Your Friend in Christ,
Rector
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WORSHIP SCHEDULE
Beginning Sunday, September 11, worship at 7:45, 9 and 11:15 a.m.
We will continue to offer our Wednesday Holy Eucharist at 11 a.m. but will return to having three in-person Sunday worship services beginning the Sunday after Labor Day. Forums will occur weekly on the first, second and third Sundays of each month and a parish-wide Fellowship Coffee Hour will occur (weather-permitting) outside on the fourth Sunday of each month.
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RECTOR'S FORUM
Sunday, September 11, 10:15-11 a.m., Parish Hall
General Convention. The Lambeth Conference. It was a full summer for The Episcopal Church. But how does any of this impact St. Paul’s? During the Rector’s Forum, John will provide a summary of those denominational gatherings while also looking ahead to what will be happening at St. Paul’s as we start a new year of ministry.
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SUNDAY MORNING SMALL SNACKS
Help us provide snacks between the 9 a.m. service and Sunday School/Adult Formation
Adults have been spotted strolling into Adult Ed with multiple cookies. Kids cite “the snacks” as their favorite part of church. Let’s keep it going! Please see details and sign up below to provide small snacks for ONE Sunday, starting Sunday, September 11. Store-bought is encouraged; homemade is always loved, your choice.
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CHOIR SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE
Thursday, September 15, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Choir Room (2nd floor, Church bldg.)
Get a glimpse of what it's like to be involved with St. Paul's Choir School and learn more about Choral Scholarships. Youth and teens are invited to join the choristers for dinner, a favorite part of the week. Details can be found here. RSVP below to Dr. Jacob Taylor.
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CHAMBER MUSIC CONCERT ::
THE ABEL FAMILY QUARTET AND FRIENDS
Sunday, September 18, 4-5 p.m., Sanctuary
Alfred, Benjamin, and Colette Abel join with cellist Marty Meyer and pianist Yuantong Bai, featuring music of Sergei Prokofiev, Franz Schubert and Maurice Ravel for strings and piano. The Abel family are longtime friends of St. Paul’s and well-known to the Indianapolis community. All four family members are professional musicians from Indianapolis and also based in cities from Cincinnati to New York.
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FAMILY MINISTRY WAYCROSS RETREAT
Friday, September 30 at 5 p.m. - Sunday, October 2 at noon
Join families and friends from St. Paul's for a weekend away at Waycross CCC in Brown County with fellowship, worship and a variety of indoor/outdoor activities. The retreat is sponsored by Family Ministry; programming will be designed for families with children in the household but all who wish to come are welcome! Cost is $100-$250 for the entire weekend and is all-inclusive (hotel-type lodging, meals and snacks, programming, crafts, nursery care and more). Scholarships to offset the fees are also available. Questions, email Laurie Pierce or call 463.800.3073. Register below now:
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SACRED GROUND DIALOGUE SERIES
St. Paul’s will host this film and reading-based program, which is part of “Becoming Beloved Community,” The Episcopal Church’s long-term commitment to racial healing, reconciliation and justice in our personal lives, ministries and society. Sacred Ground is open to all, and is a great opportunity to learn about the history of race and racism in America, but also about ourselves, our stories and our local context. The series begins Oct 3 with a potluck dinner at St. Paul’s. The group then meets via Zoom on Oct 10, 24; Nov 5; Dec 5 & (in person) Dec 12. Questions, contact Laurie Pierce or the Rev. Patrick Burke. Register below:
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COBURN PLACE HELP
Volunteers (age 16+) are needed to help set up an apartment at Coburn Place. This is a fun and meaningful activity open to people of all physical abilities. The work includes selecting household items, moving furniture, hanging decor, etc. Moving carts are provided and the apartment has elevator access. All volunteers must bring a driver's license to scan at the visitor kiosk. Questions, contact Cathy Henney. Click the link below to sign up:
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HABITAT HELPERS
Thursday, September 15 & Friday, September 23, 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
St. Paul's supports Habitat for Humanity by lending a hand to first time homeowners and helping them realize their dream. Habitat homeowners pay for their own homes and work many hours to build them but cannot complete all of the construction alone. Our assistance is needed! If you could share your time, you'll spend a memorable day fulfilling hopes and prayers. You may even pick up a skill or idea that can be used in your own home. This project is located in the Riverside neighborhood, on the near west side of Indianapolis (exact address will be provided after sign-up). Many employers provide time off to assist community efforts such as this. Questions, please contact Bill Cummings. Sign up below to volunteer.
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2022 CIVIC EDUCATION CONFERENCE
Women 4 Change Indiana equips citizens with the information needed to care for their communities in constructive ways that will enhance the state. Civic Education: The DNA of Democracy features workshops that offer in-depth learning about civic and democratic engagement. Keynote speakers are Dr. Cynthia Cherrey, President of the International Leadership Association; Rajiv Vinnakota, President of the Institute for Citizens & Scholars at Princeton University; and Sarah Evans Barker, Judge of the United States District Court. Register by September 15 for $40/early bird and $25/student tickets. Lunch is provided. This event is sponsored in part by an outreach grant from St. Paul's. Click below for details and to register. Questions, contact Katherine Tyler Scott.
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