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Art Offering

April 09, 2010, People of St. Paul's (42), Church (77), City & Commonwealth (63)

Posted by Kimberly Allen

Last Friday night, over 100 parishioners and newcomers alike visited St. Paul's for the opening of "Simple Gifts," a collection of photography by parishioner Bruce Yoder. Among our visitors was the Rev. Greg Harman, pastor of New Beginnings Christian Church on Kensington Avenue. Like Wallace+, pastor Harman is involved in ROSMY's effort to raise awareness about safe spaces for LGBT youth seeking a faith community. St. Paul's and New Beginnings also share a commitment to finding ways to connect art and worship.

While here, Greg shared an exciting Web site New Beginnings has started called the "Art Offering Online." It's a photostream of artwork created by New Beginnings church members, family and friends in Richmond and presented during the offertory. By sharing the art publicly, their hope is that it will "inspire you to take a moment and worship." If you get a chance, check it out at www.flickr.com/photos/artoffering.

Pictured below, the Rev. Kate Jenkins sends Lay Eucharistic Visitor Gail James forth. In the foreground are paintings inspired by the readings and displayed on the chancel during Youth & Children Sunday at St. Paul's on March 21. The art was created by St. Paul's youth Olivia, Margaret, and Joy.

Youth Sunday

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Easter e-Mo by Barbara Crafton

April 05, 2010, Church (77), Food for the Soul (55)

Posted by Wallace+

I commend to you this endearing Easter reflection by the Rev. Barbara Cawthorne Crafton.

The Rev. Barbara Cawthorne Crafton

Barbara is known to St. Paul's by way of the Lenten Preaching Series. I receive her Almost Daily e-Mo. I'd recommend subscribing.

Happy Easter!

And out into the sunshine we go!

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Good Friday

April 02, 2010, People of St. Paul's (42), Christianity (85), Church (77)

From today's "Coming Up on Grace Street" e-message.

Photo by Bruce Yoder My Dear People,

Today we observe Good Friday. Our noon liturgy was poignant as the Rev. Kate Jenkins reminded us that "the point is not what sense we can make of the cross, but what sense the cross makes of us." In just a little while, we will go still deeper into Good Friday as we follow the Stations of the Cross.

As we make our way through Holy Week, I can't help but begin to sense the hope of Easter on the horizon. Tomorrow evening, Bishop Shannon Johnston will preside over our Easter Vigil service at 7:30 p.m., during which 24 people will be confirmed or received, or will reaffirm their Baptismal Vows. And on Easter Sunday, I look forward to seeing each and every one of you for a worship experience and celebration that exemplifies living, laughing, and loving as Christ's disciples in the heart of the city.

As Bishop Shannon reminded us at the close of our 2010 Lenten Series: As Christians, we don't get up on Sunday and decide whether or not to worship. Indeed, worshiping the Living God is the most important thing we do; it is, yes, at the heart of everything we do.

Your brother in Christ,

Wallace+

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A ‘Thank You’ from Pernessa Seele

April 02, 2010, Christianity (85), Church (77), In the News (Nation, World) (80), Love (17)

Wallace & Jim Forbes Posted by Wallace+

Pernessa Seele, Founder & CEO of The Balm in Gilead, sent a note of thanks to people of faith throughout Richmond who participated in the National Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS. I, in turn, share her note with all people of St. Paul's, thanking you for your prayers.

To My Family in Faith:

We greatly appreciate and sincerely thank you for your participation in the National Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS (2010 NWPHA).

Because of the participation and enthusiasm generated by faith communities and organizations such as your own, NWPHA 2010 was a tremendous success. As a result of our combined efforts, over 20 million people throughout the United States received our message of prayer, education, advocacy and service for the healing of AIDS. Across the nation, communities were educated about HIV prevention and testing while encouraged to support the availability of compassionate care and treatment for those living with the disease; and to love unconditionally all persons affected by HIV/AIDS.

Click on 'read more' to continue reading her letter.

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Seeds of Growth

June 17, 2009, Church (77)

In today's Word From Grace Street and his sermon on Sunday, Wallace discusses the "living, growing, abundant Kingdom of God" here on Grace Street.

From today's A Word From Grace Street: "As of today, 41 people are attending [a concert here on Saturday], with 104 maybes. The Weekly Rant and Nuevas Raices, a Hispanic publication, have picked it up. A number of VCU folks are coming. And what we first envisioned as a brass quartet has turned out to be four trumpets, three horns, one euphonium, two trombones, one bass trombone, a tuba, and two percussionists!... Who knows what will happen? Who knows how many people will be there?What started small isn't so small anymore. There's a sense of things having happily grown out of control. Hmmm... Sounds like the Kingdom of God." Read more.

From Sunday's sermon: "Jesus tells us that the Kingdom of God is like seed scattered. It sprouts, it grows. The Kingdom of God is living, organic. It is never static (no living thing is, of course). It changes, evolves, matures, grows.Like the smallest seed you can think of, he says. The mustard seed. It is planted, it sprouts, it grows, and it grows, and it grows branches, leafing out; the robins, the sparrows, the finches, they all make their homes there. It becomes the greatest of all the plants in the garden; there's nothing else like it. Who ever would have thought?! From the smallest of seeds, it grows, in abundance, as we never would have imagined it could grow. That's what the Kingdom of God is like, Jesus says." Read more.

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The Tetragrammaton

June 03, 2009, Church (77), History (23)

In his latest issue of A Word from Grace Street, Wallace tells us a little more about the Tetragrammaton that hovers over our heads every Sunday:

"Tetragrammaton" is the Greek for "[word of] four letters." "YHWH" are the four letters, standing for the Hebrew "Yahweh," the name of God, as given at the Burning Bush; "Yahweh," in turn, being the Hebrew for "I AM WHO I AM."

By ancient tradition the name of God (YHWH) has in and of itself been considered very holy. (See the Third Commandment.) By tradition most Jews do not even speak the name itself (YHWH), but instead speak of the LORD ("Adonai," in Hebrew).

While certainly respecting the Jewish tradition of not speaking God's name, we Christians have not followed that particular custom, feeling free to speak God's name, albeit always with reverence, presumably.

With all of this in the way of introduction, I must say, I never expected anyone to use the words "YHWH" and "Miss America contest" in the same sentence. And yet I did, week before last.

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