St. Paul's Episcopal Church Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
MESSENGER
"Making friends while serving God"
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The Week of October 19-25, 2021 |
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“Hast Thou Considered My Servant Job?”
Satan was probably minding his own business. As a matter of fact, when asked by the LORD “Whence comest thou?” he replied, “From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it” (Job 1:7, KJV). But the LORD did not stop there. His next question to Satan was one that Christians everywhere are probably familiar with: “Hast thou considered my servant Job that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?” (v.8).
The events following this interaction are acutely detailed in the Old Testament book of Job. Some believe this to be the oldest book in the Bible; God allowing man a glimpse into the unfolding of the drama behind evil and suffering, especially in the lives of some of His people. A glimpse that not only shows Him initiating events, but in His sovereignty allowing Satan limited room to orchestrate those events. The question, “Hast thou considered my servant Job?” is profound. Job, whom God described as “a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil,” was doing His best to serve the LORD. Yet, God not only saw it fit to bring him to Satan’s attention, but to later remove His hedge of protection from around him (vv. 12; 2:6) for him to be afflicted with seemingly incomprehensible and unjustifiable suffering.
Interestingly, in his second discussion with Satan regarding Job, the LORD not only asked the same question, but added “and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause?” (2:3). For standing firm, Job was “rewarded” with more affliction. With God’s permission, Satan “smote [him] with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown” (2:7). Despite the challenge from his wife to “curse God and die” – a somewhat understandable cry of bitter disappointment with God – the writer tells us, “In all this did not Job sin with his lips” (v. 10).
What does all of this have to do with us, especially those who are serving the LORD faithfully? Good question! What if He brought you to Satan’s attention? Could you be Job? What if He has already brought you to Satan’s attention? The trials and tribulations you are going through testifying to God’s temporary removal of His protective hedge. Can you be Job in the midst of your afflictions? Three observations from the narrative that should help us on our journey: 1) The LORD was always in control of the situation. Satan could do nothing without His permission; 2) Satan was limited by the LORD in what He could do to Job; 3) Job’s faith in God and God’s faith in Job were both vindicated and God gave him double for his trouble.
“Hast thou considered my servant Job?” Replace Job’s name with yours. Could God trust you to remain faithful amidst very challenging circumstances the way He trusted Job?
--Shawn Prater Lee
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To be redirected to the Lectionary Page and get a digital copy of the readings
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Jeremiah 31:7-9; Psalm 126; Hebrews 7:23-28; Mark 10:46-52
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The Sunday Sermon
10-17-2021, year B,
Hebrews 5:1-10 Melchizidek, Mark 10:35-45
I have been really enjoying settling in to the office at St. Paul’s, and starting to get to know the many people who come through the building during the week. There are the staff, Maris, Ben, and Notoe, seen regularly in the building. There are also many many volunteers, the finance crew counting and updating the books, volunteers who staff the food pantry and thrift shop, church members coming in to meet contractors repairing the fence, to set up a new computer for the new priest, and to fill me in on everything including the long and beautiful history of St. Paul’s, I mean the list is endless, and I’m sure I’ve forgotten some of the things people were doing in the church just this week.
It is so wonderful to be in a church filled with so many disciples. Our Gospel today reminds us that being a disciple is about service, service that is without a lot of glamor or prestige. Jesus says, “Whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all.” It’s not an easy lesson, but one that the faithful people of St. Paul’s have embraced, because during the week, the church is filled with people quietly and steadily doing all kinds of work to keep the church community going, and to serve the neighborhood.
This week as I sat with today’s scripture readings, I found myself strangely drawn to the reading from Hebrews, this reading with the very hard to pronounce name that strikes fear into the hearts of so many lectors that have to read it! But the more I sat with it, the more it seemed relevant to St. Paul’s and to our times.
The letter to the Hebrews is not really a letter at all, but a sermon. The writer of this sermon is talking about Christ as a high priest. Now in the times of the Temple in Jerusalem, the priests made sacrifices on behalf of the people, for the people’s sins, and to praise and please God. Every day, priests would go in to the inner parts of the temple and sacrifice animals on the altar, making offerings to God. This was what worship and holiness were like in what is called the Second Temple period. The high priest was the head of the other priests in the Temple, the very top of this group of holy men.
The writer of Hebrews is talking about what makes a good priest. He says that a good priest does not choose his call, does not seek the position for power or prestige, but is chosen by God. You see, by the time of Jesus, when Jerusalem was occupied by the Roman Empire, the position of high priest had become political. You had to be cozy with Herod, the Jewish king of Judea who was aligned with the Roman Emperor, and you had to be non-threatening to Rome. The writer of Hebrews reminds the audience that priests used to be chosen from the descendants of Aaron, Moses’ brother and the first priest of the covenant.
This writer says that Christ is a good priest because he was chosen by God, just like Aaron was. But he also says that the priesthood goes even farther back than Aaron, and he throws in this quote from Psalm 110 that mentions the very difficult to pronounce Melchizidek.
Who is Melchizidek? Melchizidek is a somewhat mysterious figure, mentioned in just one place in the book of Genesis, in connection with Abraham. Melchizidek is a priest in Jerusalem, in the times before there were Israelites, before Abraham settled down and before he had any children. In these early early pre-Israelite times, the story goes, our ancestor Abraham passed through Jerusalem and got a blessing from the priest Melchizidek.
This writer of Hebrews is making the point that there were priests chosen by God for the people from way way back. Before even Aaron and Moses, God sent a priest to the people of Israel’s earliest ancestor, before he had become their ancestor, before there were even Israelites.
Of course, the priesthood went through a lot of changes over time. In Melchizidek’s time there were no commandments, no tabernacle. Later on, in Moses and Aaron’s time, the tabernacle had to be carried around and kept in tents because there was not yet a Temple. The Temple itself was destroyed twice. That second time, in the year 70, when the Roman army marched into Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple and destroyed the city, that would be the end of the Temple for good.
And that is just about the time that this writer of Hebrews wrote this sermon. The Temple was destroyed. Christ had come but was not with his followers in the flesh any more. It must have been a very anxious time. What did priesthood mean any more, with no Temple? For the followers of Jesus, where was their great high priest, and when was he coming back? How would they go on without Jesus?
Over time, different groups of Jews would move forward from the destruction of the Temple in different ways. One group would make the synagogue the main focus, becoming rabbinic Judaism. They would leave behind temple worship and sacrifice. Another group, the followers of Jesus, would keep the altar and sacrifice, but in a more symbolic way. They would eventually call themselves Christians. And these Christians would go through many changes in how they would follow God, up until our present times.
The destruction of a temple. The death of a savior. God’s people have often been invited into new things, into new ways of worship and new relationship with God, by the death or destruction of something loved and cherished. God often calls us -- all of us, priests through our baptism -- to follow God by letting something familiar go.
This is certainly true in my own life. Several years ago I heard a scary and wonderful and persistent call to leave my comfortable, familiar life in psychiatry and take a new path. I was called to a path that was very uncertain as to how it would unfold, a path that led to where I am in front of you today. I didn’t have to leave everything -- my wife, our daughters, our family and friends walked with me and supported me along the way. You may have your own example of where God drew you into something new, but to get there, you had to leave something behind.
St. Paul’s as a community is facing a new invitation now. This invitation comes with some uncertainties, even maybe some anxieties. You have called a brand new priest, just ordained a few weeks ago. You will only have me every other Sunday. Some St. Paul’s members will need to start leading worship, and others will need to get used to having a slightly different service of Morning Prayer when your priest is not here. And there are still the unknowns about the pandemic floating around. Will people come back? Will it be safe? Will new people come?
I don’t know how to answer these questions any better than you do. I didn’t get powers to see into the future or read people’s minds when the bishop laid hands on me, and I didn’t have those powers as a psychiatrist either, even though many people assume psychiatrists and priests can do these things! But one thing I do know. St. Paul’s has survived many things since its founding in 1835, and it has gone through a few changes of its own. From a new building, to giving the park to the city, to constructing a Sunday School building when there was a baby boom, to finding new ways to serve the community with that same building later on.
St. Paul’s has survived and thrived through these changes. The community has continued strong through COVID, even finding that zoom worship could pull in some old and new members from far away. St. Paul’s has done all this through love, love of God, and love of each other. The writer of Hebrews is right, the call from God to God’s beloved people has been going on from the very beginning and will keep happening. From Abraham and Melchizidek, to Moses and Aaron, to Jesus and the first followers of Jesus, to us here today, and to the people who will come after us.
We, the priesthood of all believers, will continue to hear and respond to the invitation from God, to the call. We don’t know where God’s invitation will lead us. We will need to leave some cherished things behind to follow that call. But we will go forth in love and answer, even into the uncertainty and anxiety.
We don’t go this way alone. We have Melchizidek, and Abraham, and Moses, and Aaron, and the writer of Hebrews walking right beside us. We have the parishioners from Christ Church across town who had the vision to start this church, walking right beside us. We have all the parishioners and leaders of St. Paul’s from the founding to today, whose prayers are soaked into the walls and pews and ground under us, walking right beside us. We have Jesus, our great high priest, leading the way.
And we have each other. We, the people of God, have faced big challenges before, and we have endured. We will go forward together in these present times of fear and uncertainty, and invitation. We will go forward together, in love. Amen.
--Rev. Dr. Mary E. Barber
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REV. MARY'S FIRST SERVICE AT ST. PAUL'S |
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Sunday, 10/17/21
(photo by Dewy Clarke)
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Our mask policy has changed due to new safety concerns that have developed. We ask that all people please wear masks while in church except when seated. If you are singing, please put on your mask. Thank you for helping to keep our community safe.
--Shawn Prater-Lee
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PLEASE HELP OUR NEIGHBORS IN NEED
Loving your neighbor as yourself. We are all aware of the needs around us: fires, floods and displacement. With this in mind I am asking that you to consider small donation to the Episcopal Relief and Development fund to help the neighbors in the US, Haiti and the Afghan families. Please consider creating a Love jar in your home and dropping in 50 cents or $1 each day. At the end of October we will receive your donations with a blessing and send it off from the St. Paul’s family.
--The Rev. Dcn. Julett Butler
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ST. PAUL'S SMALL BLESSINGS THRIFT SHOP & FOOD PANTRY: PLEASE HELP US TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY SAFELY
DONATIONS TO THE THRIFT SHOP MUST BE IN CLEAR PLASTIC BAGS OR CONTAINERS OR ON HANGERS WHEN YOU BRING THEM IN. PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE THE DONATIONS ON THE PORCH, BUT BRING THEM IN DURING THRIFT SHOP HOURS (TUESDAYS, WEDNESDAYS, THURSDAYS 10AM – 2PM).
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We thank everyone who has helped our missions stay open during these trying times. We kindly ask you all to help us to continue to serve our community with the safety it needs and deserves: Any food you donate should be unopened and within the sell by date. Shop items need to be clean and seasonal. We can only accept donations during shop hours. Leaving them at any other times or in the hallway can violate fire safety codes. Please DO NOT use black/opaque garbage bags to bring in your donations as the staff is unable to process the contents of it. Thank you again for your support.
--Jeanne Henderson
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IN-PERSON SUNDAY SERVICES
As more and more people are getting vaccinated against COVID 19 the Bishop has eased some of the restrictions that have affected our worship. Given this the Vestry has decided that all services (10:00am), except for the second Sunday of the month, will be in person and will include singing. We also hope to be able to broadcast the in person service live on our YouTube channel.
The second Sunday of the month will be on Zoom (see below for Zoom link). This allows us to have the coffee hour discussions and to retain those parishioners who are able to only be with us remotely.
We hope to see you on Zoom on Sunday and in person whenever you can make it in.
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ZOOM CHURCH LINK FOR ALL SERVICES
All services except for the second Sunday (on Zoom) of the month, will be in person at 10:00am and will include singing.
Our Zoom connections remain the same and are
Meeting ID: 823 3911 5280
One tap mobile
+16465588656,,82339115280# US (New York)
+13017158592,,82339115280# US (Germantown)
Dial by your location
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
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ST. PAUL'S CHURCH YOUTUBE CHANNEL
We now have a YouTube channel.
To get there PLEASE CLICK THE LINK BELOW:
or search on YouTube for St. Paul's Poughkeepsie.
We hope to put copies of all of our online services there.
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A NOTE FROM THE TREASURY TEAM
The total deposits are reported on a monthly basis. Please watch for it at the end of this month.
A reminder - Please remember to either mail in your pledge or drop it off through the mail slot any day during the week. The correct address is: 161 Mansion St., Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
ST. PAUL’S THANKS YOU!!!
--Bobbie Gordon
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OR CALL
Melissa Clarke
(Director of Community Impact)
845-471-1900 extension; 3128
United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region is partnering with Lyft to offer free rides to individuals needing transportation to and from COVID-19 vaccine appointments and COVID-19 booster vaccinations. The program covers up to $50 round trip. The individual must cover any expenses beyond $50.
The program is open to Dutchess and Orange residents in Newburgh and Poughkeepsie. It cannot be used for drive thru vaccination sites. Medicaid recipients are not eligible for this program. They can call their Medicaid provider to cover the cost of transportation.
Sign up to receive your unique code by clicking the "apply" button above. A person can apply the code to a round trip.
Rides can only be used as transportation to and from a vaccine clinic site. Users can apply for a second code to use for transportation to and from a second shot.
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La organizacion de United Way de la region de Dutches y Orange, en colaboracion con Lyft, estan ofreciendo transporte gratis a todos aquellos que necesitan vacunarse contra el Covid-19 y la vacuna del refuerzo. Este programa cubre hasta $50 de transporte- si el costo excede los $50, el cliente tendria que contribuir el balance del costo, de su propio bolsillo.
Este programa es ofrecido a todos los residents de Newburgh y Poughkeepsie y no puede ser utilizado para recibir las vacunas en centros de auto-servicio. Ademas, los residentes que reciben seguro medico por medio de “Medicaid” no son elegibles para participar. Sin embargo, los proveedores de Medicaid cubren el costo del transporte para vacunarse y los pacientes solo tienen que llamar a su proveedor de Medicaid para cuadrar su cita de vacunacion.
Inscribase para recibir su codigo unico haciendole clic al buton de arriba que dice “apply”. Este codigo se puede utilizer para el transporte de ida y vuelta.
El transporte ofrecido por medio de este programa solo puede ser utilizado para visitas clinicas que ofrecen las vacunas del Covid-19. Los usuarios de este transporte, pueden solicitar otro codigo para obtener la segunda vacuna, si es necesario.
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TRAINING FOR LAY PASTORAL CARE MINISTERS
The Episcopal Diocese of New York is sponsoring Community of Hope International (COHI)l training for lay pastoral care ministers beginning February 2022 from 7 to 8 pm on Tuesdays via Zoom.
The classes provide an opportunity for lay ministers to discern possible parish or parish sponsored "out of parish" ministries through an experience of Benedictine Spirituality and will equip participants with the skills needed to engage effectively as pastoral care ministers. The topics and dates are listed below:
(1) February 1 – Benedictine Spirituality
(2) 8 – Theology of Pastoral Care/Pastoral Identity
(3) 15 – Listening Skills
(4) 22 – Prayer, Meditation and Silence
(5) March 8 – Motivational Spiritual Gifts
(6) 15 – Pastoral Care Visits with Boundaries
(7) 22 – Grief, Coping with Loss
(8) 29 - Understanding Family Systems
(9) April 5 – Confidentiality, Debriefing and First Simulation
(10) 19 – Pastoral Care for Seniors
(11) 26– Second Simulation
(12) May 3 – Care for the Caregivers
(13) 10 – Prayer Service and Commissioning
The total cost of the program is $55.
Last year's COHI cohort consisted of deacon postulants, deacons, a priest and lay participants. We are open to the same registration with a cap of approximately 15 participants. If you or your parishioners are interested in this program, please contact Deacon Richard Limato via email at @rplimato@saintmichaelschurch.org
I am happy to answer any questions by phone or arrange a Zoom informational meeting for you and your parishioners.
Thank you,
Richard
"Take hold of the life that really is life"
1 Timothy 6:19
Have a great day!!
The Rev'd. Deacon Denise LaVetty
Director, Diaconal Formation and Transition Ministries
Episcopal Diocese of New York
Deacon, Church of the Incarnation
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New from the Trinity Retreat Center
In-person Retreats
In-person retreats are back at the Trinity Retreat Center. Join us on our 55 acres nestled between the Housatonic River and Trinity Forest in beautiful West Cornwall, Connecticut, a place apart for rest, quiet, prayer, discovery, connection, and reflection. We celebrate the restorative presence of God in nature and in community for spiritual renewal, stewardship of creation, and support for the ongoing work of love, service, and justice.
Core Values Faith Retreat: The Way of God in Wilderness Seasons
January 7–9, 2022
with Summerlee Staten and Dr. Kathy Bozzuti-Jones
We’ll explore how we can hear God’s voice even in times of “wilderness”: seasons of change, doubt, and uncertainty. Come for conversations by the fire, dynamic teaching, vibrant conversations, and prayerful meditation. Learn more and register here
Presidents Day Weekend Rest and Renewal Retreat
February 18–21, 2022
This weekend offers a lightly structured time to retreat from daily obligations and engage a deepening awareness of our relationships—with ourselves, those around us, the divine, and all of creation. Learn more and register here
“Love is the Meaning”: Julian of Norwich Lenten Retreat
March 4–6, 2022
with Robert Owens Scott
Set the tone for Lent during this weekend retreat focusing on the writings of Julian of Norwich, an ascetic from the Middle Ages who wrote Revelations of Divine Love, the earliest surviving book in English written by a woman. Learn more and register here
Inclusiveness Retreat: Womanist Midrash
March 25–27, 2022
with the Rev. Dr. Wil Gafney
We’ll explore the stories of women in the Hebrew Bible, in particular, and biblical interpretation in general, in ways that honor our histories and heritages and speak to the present moment and its concerns. Learn more and register here
Online Retreats
We’re offering weekend retreats online—times to pray, reflect, make space for grace, and listen to the voice of God. Check our website for detailed schedules and mark your calendar to tune in.
A Poet, A Priest
October 29–31, 2021 with the Rev. Spencer Reece
Reece will discuss his spiritual and literary journey. He will explore how poetry, AA, and Al-Anon led him into the church, how writing and prayer have become synonymous for him, and the ways God speaks to us through people.
Abundance in the Midst of Challenge
November 5–7, 2021 with the Rev. Canon Karen Montagno
In the 60s, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., asked, “Where do we go from here? Chaos or community?” Explore this question with the Rev. Canon Karen Montagno, who specializes in community development and gun violence prevention. We’ll ask where the Spirit is leading us and find our quiet places of inspiration and strength utilizing meditations, the wisdom of writers and Saints, and a little playfulness.
Bring Your Group
Online Services
Candlelight Compline
with the Rev. Dr. Mark Bozzuti-Jones and the Trinity Retreat Center staff
Monday–Friday at 8pm EST
Live-streamed from our stone chapel and other sacred spaces at the retreat center, our Candlelight Compline services offer a brief interval of respite and peace in the midst of whatever your life may hold. We generally follow the service “An Order for Compline” in the Book of Common Prayer of The Episcopal Church.
These Trees and Stones: Poems for Living
with the Rev. Dr. Mark Bozzuti-Jones
Mondays at 5:30pm ET through December 27, 2021
Join us for a time to meditate, journal, listen, read, mark, and inwardly digest the prophetic and challenging trees and stones of poems. Come with an open mind, heart, and soul. All are welcome.
Sacred Pause: Saturday Noonday Prayer and Guided Gospel Meditation
with the Rev. Dr. Mark Bozzuti-Jones and Joseph Rose
Saturdays at 12pm ET
Join Trinity Retreat Center for prayer time, based on The Book of Common Prayer’s “An Order of Service for Noonday,” live-streamed from the stone chapel and other sacred spaces on the retreat center campus.
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Statement on FY2022 Refugee Admissions
The Episcopal Church commends the Biden administration’s decision to set the Fiscal Year 2022 refugee admissions ceiling to 125,000. The ceiling, which the president sets every fiscal year in consultation with Congress, fulfills the administration’s campaign pledge to set this number for this fiscal year as a part of a broader effort to strengthen the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). “We thank the Biden administration for taking the necessary steps to fulfill our country’s obligation under international law to providing protection to displaced populations worldwide” said Rebecca Linder Blachly, director of The Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations. “Protecting refugees is also central to our mission as a Church,” said the Rev. Canon C.K. Robertson, canon to the Presiding Bishop for Ministry Beyond The Episcopal Church. “We have called on the United States to protect these individuals and to meet our moral obligations of welcoming them into the safety and security of our communities.”
Although this decision marks a positive step towards strengthening the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, the administration must resettle 125,000 individuals after falling significantly short of meeting its 62,500 goal for FY2021. The efforts of Episcopal Migration Ministries, along with the other national resettlement agencies, to receive our Afghan allies also means the administration and Congress must provide them with sufficient financial resources to meet these two sets of challenges. “While we are grateful that Congress recently passed legislation that provided us with the financial resources to continue receiving our Afghan allies, we also need the administration and Congress to continue to make ongoing investments in the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program to ensure we can successfully meet the 125,000-person goal for this next fiscal year,” said Demetrio Alvero, director of operations for Episcopal Migration Ministries.
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--The Rev. Dcn. Julett Butler
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_5 Charles Benjamin
_8 Norma Williams
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17 Alexis Plain Rose
31 Carol K. Rode
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Please keep those on our parish prayer list in your minds and in your prayers, especially at this time of separation and isolation.
Intercessions
OCTOBER 2021
Our prayers are asked for:
Lillian; Vincent Family; Richard & family, Alice; Donna, Rose Marie; Owen; Neil, Elyse; Stacey, Meghan; MaryAnn, Charlie; Cynthia; Claudette, Josephs-Clarke family, Pear; Bill; Whitman, Susie & family, Benjamin family; Bernice, Lourdes, Carol & Bill; Janelle; Anthiny; Kaye; Sue
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Please "Like" our page to stay up to date with all services and events.
St. Paul's Episcopal Church - Poughkeepsie
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'In Service to God & You' |
Our food pantry volunteers are in active service at St. Paul's these days. We give thanks to them and thanks to God for their willingness to help us by helping others. |
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THIS WEEK'S CALENDAR
October 19-25, 2021
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YOUR NEWS BELONGS IN ST. PAUL'S MESSENGER
Help us get the word out by submitting news of parish activities. Send submittals to stpaulpk@verizon.net or call 845 452 8440
Give us a call today!
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St. Paul's Episcopal Church 161 Mansion Street, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
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