Weekend of May 27, 2022
The Seventh Sunday of Easter
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What do we do when we don't know what to say?
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These past couple of weeks have left me at a loss for words. The events of violence and destruction in Buffalo and Uvalde have broken my heart. In my frustration, anger, deep sadness, and moments of fear I have, at times, found myself in place of silence, unable to bring forth words to describe how I feel or to comfort others. And when this happens, I turn to scripture and tradition, to words that have comforted and recalled the presence of God in our midst for generations.
Our scriptures are full of the laments of God's holy people. More than 70% of our psalms are songs of lament, and are full of people calling out to God to save them. The first verse of Psalm 13 is particularly poignant,
How long, O LORD? will you forget me for ever? *
how long will you hide your face from me?
There are many pages detailing the struggles of the Israelites wandering for 40 years in the wilderness of the desert. And songs from the mothers and fathers of our faith calling out to God for help in dire moments.
And then in our Book of Common Prayer, we have beautifully written prayers that speak to situations of both joy and despair. The Supplication on page 154 is a short prayer service that can be used in both private or corporate worship. The rubrics (instructions listed in italics) indicate that it is to be used "especially in times of war, or of national anxiety, or of disaster." You can also find prayers and thanksgivings for many different occasions in the back of the prayer book, beginning on page 810.
I also find comfort in the words of wise leaders. This week, the pastoral letter from the Rt. Reverend Russell Kendrick, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast, has been especially comforting to me. You can read his letter here. As well as the letter from Dr. Catherine Meeks, the Executive Director of the Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing in Atlanta, Georgia. You can read her letter here.
If none of these resources seem to fit what your heart needs, I encourage you to go to God in silent prayer. Allowing God to fill the space with what God knows you need. Silence can be uncomfortable, as our minds often begin to run rampant when given the chance. So give yourself a set amount of time, maybe 2-3 minutes to start. Find a comfortable and quiet place, set a timer, set an intention telling God that you need God to fill the broken and and heal the hurting places in your heart, and simply sit.
And most of all, I take comfort in our common and corporate worship together. When we all stand in the church asking God to forgive us, to be with us, and to save our world, I feel the love of God in Christ present in our gathered community.
I pray that you are able to find comfort in these days, whether through our scripture, tradition, or community. Please know that I am always here to support you and pray for and with you.
In the words of one of the wisest priests I know (Fr. Rob)...
Keep the faith St. Pauls's.
Blessings.
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We invite you to join us this Sunday, May 29, 2022.
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7:45 AM Sunday: Holy Eucharist in the Church
- Childcare Provided in Nursery
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8:45 AM Sunday: Coffee Hour in the Courtyard
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Please Note: There is no "Lectionary Lounge" this Sunday. Our adult Sunday School class will resume on Sunday, June 12 with The Wired Word.
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10:15 AM Sunday: Holy Eucharist in the Church
- Childcare Provided in Nursery
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11:30 AM Sunday: Coffee Hour in the Courtyard
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Servers: Want to know if you're scheduled to serve in worship this week? Click Here to See the Schedule
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Masks continue to be optional, and also are encouraged at in-person worship and learning opportunities. You will notice that the clergy are wearing masks due to a high number of COVID cases in our school and community. Make the choice that works best for you and your family.
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If you need an alternative to in-person worship, you can view the live stream on our YouTube channel HERE and on Facebook HERE
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We encourage you to spend some time beforehand with the readings and Collect of the Day. Don't have a Book of Common Prayer for Sunday? Find it online HERE.
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Wednesday, June 1:
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5:30 PM: Holy Eucharist in the Church
Questions? Contact Mtr. Liz here.
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On Saturday, May 14, clergy and lay delegates from around our diocese gathered at Christ Church Cathedral and elected the Rev. Canon Shannon Rogers Duckworth, our current Canon to the Ordinary, to be the 12th Bishop of the Diocese of Louisiana. Bishop-Elect Duckworth's ordination and consecration will be in November 2022. Click below to read more about Bishop-Elect Duckworth and the Electing Convention.
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Do you speak another language? Help us enrich the experience of worship on Pentecost Sunday, June 5. We need a group of readers to read portions of Acts 2:1-21 in different languages to recreate the cacophony of sound created when the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples and they all spoke in different tongues. Email Mtr. Liz here to participate!
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"Having access to online worship available has been such a comfort to me. Thank you so much!"
"We watched last week when we were on vacation--it was so cool that we could do that!"
"Yes, it's our first Sunday here, but we watched online a few times before coming in person."
These are the kinds of comments we hear from people regularly about our online worship. Having stream producers available each week has an impact on members and newcomers alike, and we are inviting you to be a part of it.
Each Sunday, a volunteer runs our virtual stream so people around our neighborhood, city, and even country can join us for worship. You do not need previous experience in videography, or an Oscar for directing--just a comfort with computers, a working knowledge of the worship service, and a desire to serve others. The software and equipment is very user-friendly, and actually a lot of fun to use. All volunteers will receive one-to-one training to get you ready. Please contact Mtr. Liz here for more information and to sign up!
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This summer, St. Paul's will offer "Life, Faith, Church," a summer learning series that is primarily a self-study bookended by only two in-person events so your calendar will not go into overload. This summer you will work at your own pace over a period of about 17 weeks. It only requires minutes per week, and you’ll have an accountability “shepherd” who will check in to encourage you and answer questions. Click the button below to learn more and sign up!
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Children’s and Youth Ministry Vision Summit - We want to hear from you!
Join us June 11th from 9 - 11:30 am in O'Ferrall Hall.
We will be joined by our consultants from Ministry Architects to build clarity and consensus through a fun, positive process, so we hope to see a wide variety of people involved. We will come out of the process with three documents pertaining to our congregation’s future for children and youth ministries:
- Mission Statement
- Core Values
- 3-year goals with one-year benchmarks
All are welcome! Come help us set forth a vision for our young people. For more information, contact Dawn Brown, Renovation Team member, here.
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The St. Paul's vestry is dedicated to sending 2 campers to camp on FULL SCHOLARSHIP this summer. Please contact Mtr. Liz here for more information.
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This is NOT your usual Bible study, although we will be reading from the Bible, we will be reading for answers to put into action in our lives now.
-Wednesday, June 1, 2022
-6am - 7am Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits & Coffee
-Chapel, St. Paul's Episcopal Church (enter at Canal Blvd. door by Chapel)
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SUMMER IS HERE!
an article by Dr. Jeanne Robertson
What are you hoping for? Are you looking forward to a relaxed summer, vacation time, some changes in your schedule? Visits with family or friends? What are your expectations? Expectations tend to vary with each situation or circumstance. Do your expectations tend to be too high so they result in disappointments, stress, even depression when they aren’t met? Are they so low that you avoid or dread situations? Do the expectations create anxiety? (Anxiety is the... Read the rest of her article at our website.
Dr. Jeanne is the Director of the St. Paul's Center for Counseling & Education and is a valuable resource in our community. Whether you need to talk through a specific problem or discuss issues in general, Dr. Jeanne is ready and able to help. You can meet with her by phone, Zoom, and in her office, if you are fully vaccinated. If you would like to set up a meeting with Dr. Jeanne, please call or text her at (504) 330-2549 or email her at jrobertson@stpauls-lakeview.org.
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Bruce and The Edrington Family, Samuel, Denny, Joan, Sara, Dave, James, Tim, Siguard, Rick, The Henry Family, Steve and The Harris Family, Kathy and Charlie and The Richardson Family, The Eggleston Family, The Merrick Family, The Segal Family, Paula, Helen, Steve, Susan, Gail, Michele, Barbara, Sally, Lee, Justin, George & Barbara, Cindy, Alice, Ozzie, Bill, The Williams Family, Mark & Joy, Tino & Lupe Navarro, Deborah & Ian Gage, Corey & family, Mallory, The Guerra and The Alfortish families, Henry, Jodee, Charlie, Matthew, Robert, Yasmeen, Betty, Pat, Joseph, Phil, Noah, Stephen, Ann, Gerald, Tom, Earlyn, Bryson, Clyde, Zina, Christina, Harlon, Jack, Jane, Mike, Kylie, Kay, Judy, Ruth, Helen, Devin, Phillip, Anna, Pam, Mary, Vic, Claire, Paul, Sue, Delores, Jean, Shelly, Judson, Chris, Robert, Ted, Stephanie, Audrey, Harvey, Jan & Ralph, Eugene, Nan, August, Patti, Nathaniel, Kathleen, Rosemary, Larry & Carl, Bonnie, Erin, all those who are ill with COVID-19, the people of Haiti in the recovery efforts, the people of Ukraine, Afghanistan, and those in harms way, and all victims of natural disasters.
We pray for all those in the healthcare profession, especially Ranjit Chima, Lindsey Hill, Rob Ramirez, Laura Beth Ramirez, Bob Vieth, Stephanie Palmisano, Kelley Morel, Tommy Morel, Jasmine Bahd, Jeanne Robertson, Doug Bostick, Vicki Kennedy, Gene Antenucci, Melissa Carnall, Betty Lo, Chris Blaise, Jennifer Chamberlain, Michael Napoli, Alison Napoli, Jane Clayton, Alison Quayle, Ian Townley, Mike Santone, Mark Thomas, Jean Thomas, Nikki Wilder, Riley Sibley, Catie Brown, Catherine Courtney, Julie Rose, Amelia Martin, Jamie Fineran, and all others who care for those who are suffering in body, mind, or spirit.
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St. Paul's Episcopal Church
In person worship
Sundays at 7:45 & 10:15 AM
Wednesdays at 5:30 PM
Virtual Services:
Sundays at 10:15 AM
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