A Message from the Interim Rector:
The Most Reverend Frank Griswold speaks candidly at our upcoming Clergy Conversations this Sunday
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Former Presiding Bishops Frank Griswold and Katharine Jefferts Schori are pictured alongside Former Archbishop, Rowan Williams outside Lambeth Palace in London. |
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Bishop of Chicago 1987-1997, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal church 1998-2006
I first met Frank Griswold at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London in June 2007, at the ordination to the diaconate of a mutual friend – James Rosenthal. Jim was the head of the Anglican Communion Communications Office. Jim was a great help to the African Church in the 1990’s dealing with HIV and we often worked together. He ended up serving in a parish in London and Frank came to his ordination in that splendid London cathedral.
“Jim became a close friend and much trusted colleague when I was bishop of Chicago. His passion was to make connections between congregations, the bishop and the larger realities of the Anglican Communion and the world,” Griswold told Episcopal News Service. “Though at the time he was not ordained, I know of no one who better embodies the servant ministry of a deacon.”
As Presiding Bishop during some very tumultuous years, I always admired Frank’s courage and sense of servant ministry, and how he worked tirelessly to present a way the church could work together on difficult issues and move forward. It was a privilege to finally meet him and thank him for his ministry during those challenging years.
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The Fifth Sunday after The Epiphany
Sunday, February 7th, 2o21
9 AM: Live-streamed only! Holy Eucharist in the sanctuary with organ and choir. The Rev. Canon Albert Ogle is preaching and The Rev. Dan Kline is celebrating. Music is led by Dr. Andrew Kotylo and St. Paul's staff singers. This service will also feature our weekly Godly Play lesson on the Good Samaritan.
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This service will be available live on YouTube at 9 AM. Bulletin and service link will come in a Saturday evening email and will be posted on Facebook on Sunday morning.
11 AM: Clergy Conversations - The Rev. Canon Albert Ogle interviews The Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold, Former Presiding Bishop. Watch this video at 11 a.m., and then join this Zoom call at 11:45 a.m. for a Q&A with the bishop. More information available below.
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Missed last week's sermon and service? |
Dan Kline preaches and celebrates last Sunday.
Albert Ogle shares some of his new insights into St. Paul following his associated sites in Turkey with Dominic Crossan and Marcus Borg in Clergy Conversations LINK HERE.
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In-person services on Ash Wednesday
(pending local advisories and Vestry approval)
Members can pick up their own ashes from Tuesday morning through Wednesday to self administer at home when they are watching the choral eucharist at 7 p.m.
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In-person services on Ash Wednesday
pending local advisories and Vestry
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12 noon: Spoken Holy Eucharist service and communal self-administration of ashes
7 p.m.: Choral Holy Eucharist service and communal self-administration of ashes. We will have individual containers holding ashes for each worshipper given out with the bulletins. At the appropriate moment, the celebrant and congregation will self anoint in unison.
Click on the above sign-up link to read more about our safety precautions. The 7 p.m. service will also be streamed live and ashes will be available to self administer at home as in church.
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An Update from the Search Committee |
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Fellow parishioners, I’m sure you’ll remember the parish survey we all completed early last year, and the 300 (!) comments we made, before John Rollins and his worthy committee put together our Parish Profile. In the process we detailed, and the Profile Committee summarized, our strengths, opportunities and challenges for the future. Well, now that the interview process has started, the Search Committee is finding that candidates are drawn to St. Paul’s not only by our strengths; they are also intrigued by our challenges. As you’ll recall, our three strong Sunday congregations are both a strength and a challenge, and reading about that has caused candidates to think about suggestions for meeting the challenge, i.e. bringing us closer as one congregation without changing the services. We’ve already had a couple of good ideas proposed, so that I, at least, said to myself “why didn’t we think of that?!”
So stay tuned: we’ll be receiving applicants’ portfolios through the end of February, but we’ve already begun the internal discernment process and are interviewing very promising candidates. And please keep praying for our committee and its work.
Louise Thompson
Chair of the Search Committee
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An Update on the Building Renovation |
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In an effort to keep parishioners informed during the various ongoing renovation projects happening at St. Paul's, a meeting is held weekly between church staff, members of the property committee, architects and construction managers. Here are a few key developments from this week's meeting:
Permitting for the new sewer connection, electrical system, and Education Wing roof are in their final stages, and work should begin in the next week or two. Our architects will be testing methods of masonry restoration techniques in the next couple of weeks to determine which works best, and they anticipate beginning restoration shortly after. They will also be cleaning the woodwork and re-lamping the Sanctuary lights during this work. This will all be done in anticipation of the organ re-installation. There will be another update after next week's meeting.
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During this time when we are not attending church services in person, we are offering a Virtual Collection Plate. Please contribute what you would normally have given each Sunday and help Saint Paul's continue its important work! |
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Instead of giving online: if you would like offering envelopes to be mailed to you, please contact Paul Diefenbach. If you have questions about your recent end of year pledge statement, please also contact Paul or Kristin Deissler.
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Shop and Drop
Thank you for your generous donations to Shop and Drop. Your contributions continue to make a positive impact on those Germantown families with food insecurity. Shown here is the Latini family making a recent - much appreciated - food delivery!
Drivers are needed in the months ahead to deliver to St. Luke's. Ideally it is a one month gig, delivering once a week. Easy instructions provided. Questions or to sign up, please contact Charlotte Biddle; 215-247-0837.
Consider donating:
Vegetables/rice/potatoes, other: canned vegetables, boxed mashed potatoes, and rice
Protein: Peanut butter (or any other nut butter), nuts/seeds/trail mix, canned tuna fish, canned chicken, soup/stew-hearty, shelf stable milk. Consider donating jelly or jam in unbreakable containers to accompany peanut butter.
Carbohydrates: Crackers, granola bars, cereal
Other: Red tomato sauce, fruit cups, applesauce, canned fruit, and dried fruit.
The St. Paul’s Outreach Committee thanks you for your dedication.
-Charlotte Biddle, Tom O’Rourke, and Cheyenne DeMulder, Outreach Committee Co-Chairs
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Potential Outreach Opportunity with Standing Rock |
As a recent New York Times article reported, one of the devastating effects of COVID-19 on indigenous populations is the loss of culture. Coincidentally, we received a request around the same time that article was published from the Rev. Canon John Floberg, who was our North Dakota contact for the Youth Mission trips. He has asked us to consider purchasing Bibles and other books that are in the Lakota language as a way to help preserve the Lakota culture. More details to come in the next few weeks. Please continue to pray for the Standing Rock Reservation during this time as they pray for us.
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Adult Education Forum:
Clergy Conversations
with The Most Rev. Frank Griswold
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Frank Griswold will share his experiences with us this Sunday. As a priest (3 parishes in Pennsylvania including St. Martin’s), Bishop of Chicago, and Presiding Bishop from 1992-98, Frank has garnered a unique perspective on the world. He co-chaired the Anglican Roman Catholic Commission for many years and has much to say about the progress we are making as churches in dialogue and looking for shared ministries.
We tried to get him to preach last year for St. Paul’s Day, but he was otherwise engaged... in the Holy Land. So, having an opportunity to meet and share his life and experience is a great joy as I get to know him and his wife Phoebe. Phoebe chairs the Diocesan Global Mission Commission, and they are both enjoying being back home (where they began!) Frank talks about meeting Phoebe at a local baptism and the rest is history.
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Sacred Ground is part of Becoming Beloved Community, The Episcopal Church’s long-term commitment to racial healing, reconciliation, and justice in our personal lives, our ministries, and our society.
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Sacred Ground:
A Film-Based Dialogue Series on Race & Faith
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The Wissahickon Deanery of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania is offering Sacred Ground: A Film-Based Dialogue Series on Race & Faith in 10 sessions on Mondays from 7 p.m. to 8:30 from March 1 to July 5. The seminar, which will be held bi-weekly on Zoom is free and requires pre-registration.
Seminar dates are Mondays March 1, 15, 29; April 12, 26; May 10, 24, June 7, 21 and July 5. 7 p.m. to 8:30. On Zoom.
Contact
Barbara Ballenger
Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields
215-247-7466
bballenger@stmartinec.org
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Strength for the Journey from the Diocese of Pennsylvania
Several new resources have been made available to the churches of the diocese, including anti-ra cism training and online webinars and educational opportunities. I am interested in participating in an Epiphany Journey looking at the issues of refugees and immigration. and a new relationship between our diocese and the church in Jerusalem. Check out this very interesting Lenten Journey round the sites associated with Jesus here.
The Diocese is planning a celebration of the life of a local saint and hero, Absalom Jones on February 13th as the first African American priest in the Episcopal Church. We will honor his legacy with all the other churches in the diocese on Sunday 14th. There are many other online resources and worship opportunities to help us all through these troubling times.
We are honored to have a local priest preaching that Sunday, Rev. Darell Tiller.
The Reverend Darrell Tiller is currently the Priest-in-Charge at Grace Epiphany Episcopal Church-Mt. Airy. He will join us for a Q and A during the Adult Education hour at 11.
-Albert Ogle
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Save the Date
"AM I AN EPISCOPALIAN?" Class
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Join the clergy, Carroll Sheppard and Van Williams on a fun Lenten exploration of what it means to be an Episcopalian. We will meet for an hour on Tuesday evenings for five weeks from 5:30-6:30PM getting to know each other and what attracts us to St Paul's and the Episcopal church community. |
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We welcome people who are exploring, new to our internet services, newcomers and folk who have been around for long time but would enjoy a renewed conversation about what they love about our church. All welcome. More info to follow. |
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Anti-Racism Book Club: more events being planned! Details to come. |
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Wednesdays from 10:30AM-12PM |
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Pet Show Contest Rules:
- Any child (or adult) is welcome to participate
- Submit a request to enter a (Live, fiction, imaginary, or stuffed) animal using the button below.
- Date to submit will be Feb 1-Feb 21st.
- These videos will be uploaded to St. Paul's Basecamp
- There may be categories and ribbons will be presented for categories after submission dates.
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