Rector's Blog
September 12, 2011, People of St. Paul's (41), Christianity (85), Food for the Soul (55), In the News (Nation, World) (80)
Post by The Rev. Gena Adams-Riley
On the morning of September 11th 2001, I was traveling north toward Washington D.C. on I-395 from our apartment in Alexandria, Virginia. I wrote a poem in the weeks that followed as I sorted through the experience of watching American Airlines Flight 77 crash into the Pentagon killing 64 people on the plane, 125 people in the Pentagon, and 5 hijackers.
I accelerate;
move left, the fast lane,
tune in my lifeline, NPR—
Terrorists
Attack
New York City
American Airlines
Towers.
What's this about?
I hear it,
then see it play out before me—
silver capsule
red letters
darting through the sky,
too fast, too low, the wrong way,
sharply veering.
Metal meets concrete,
strikes without warning.
The nightmare of a soldier-
a burst of orange,
cloud of black
gray is swallowed.
A mighty wound,
gaping hollowness
cannot be touched.
Steel, rubber, metal,
grind to a halt.
I'm not alone,
they see it, too.
Hands clutch shaking heads,
people bewildered,
stopped in a place we do not belong.
I stand in the roadway,
reaching.
My heart floods with tears,
my eyes are dry.
I shake with coldness,
my stomach burns.
I circle my car,
there is no safety in this place.
You are with them,
whoever they are,
I cannot know them,
they are gone.
Nameless to me—
mothers
fathers
children
sisters
brothers
lovers.
You call them by name;
call them by name!
Have mercy,
deliver them from evil.
They are dust,
to dust they return.
Give me a balm
to heal my sinsick heart.
- The Rev. Gena D. Adams-Riley, Revised September 2011
Pictured: A steel bench from the Pentagon Memorial to the victims of the 9/11 attacks.
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Tags: 911, gena adams-riley, poetry, september 11
September 02, 2011, People of St. Paul's (41), Church (77), City & Commonwealth (63)
Posted by Wallace+
All are welcome to visit St. Paul's for quiet reflection and prayer whenever we are open (daily, 10am - 4pm). However, next weekend, ten years after the terrorist attacks on 9/11/2001, we anticipate some individuals may feel a special need for refuge. In response, we are reminding the community of our prayer presence and inviting them to visit anytime on Saturday, September 10 and join us for a service of prayer and music that day at 5 pm.
To help welcome any visitors, we are looking for volunteers who can help greet during the day and pass out bulletins during the 5 pm service. If you're available, please email John Taylor at taycamp@aol.com or contact me at rector@stpauls-episcopal.org.
If you'd like to know more about our offerings that weekend, visit www.stpauls-episcopal.org/911 .
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Tags: 911, september 11, welcome
September 01, 2011, People of St. Paul's (41), In the News (Richmond) (74)
Posted by Kimberly Allen
While sometimes wandering aimlessly is good for perspective, sometimes it's also also good to be able to plug in your phone or laptop and read email from family and loved ones.
We welcome you to visit the church or parish house as a resting space when we are open. Our electricity is also working and we are set up for wireless Internet access for those who would like to bring in your laptop to check your email. For wireless access, you will need to visit Reception and give your name to receive the password. If no one is at the Reception, please call (804) 246-9384.
(Hat tip to ImageCPR for capturing the above tweet from Chad Ochocinco)
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Tags: hurricane irene
August 16, 2011, People of St. Paul's (41), Church (77), City & Commonwealth (63), In the News (Richmond) (74)
Posted by Kimberly Allen
You may have seen the news that the First Fridays Art Walk has been canceled for September. However, many galleries and sites are choosing to remain open and St. Paul's is one of them.
Bob Wynne (whom many of you may have met at church) will show a new exhibit of paintings and photos of the Western United States and Western Europe. He will host an opening reception from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Parish Hall and free guided tours of the church will be available. His Facebook invitation is available here.
This week, the church issued the following statement about our decision to remain open and our ongoing support of the art walk:
"St. Paul's Episcopal Church will remain open as scheduled on First Friday, September 2 from 5 pm to 8 pm. We helped launch 'First Fridays East' in spring 2010 in part to support a vibrant downtown community and we continue to believe in the importance of welcoming all those in the area to visit the heart of the city. We invite you to visit us on Grace Street where we have been proclaiming Christ since 1845; take a guided tour of the church; and enjoy a new exhibit of paintings and photos by artist Bob Wynne."
Visit www.stpauls-episcopal.org/firstfridays for details about our upcoming 2011 - 2012 season.
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Tags: arts, downtown, first fridays
August 12, 2011, People of St. Paul's (41)
Posted by Wallace+
I am pleased to announce that our new Director of Administration and Finance, Mike Koschak, will be with us this Sunday, his first day on the job being this coming Monday. Mike comes to us as a business school graduate with over 25 years of corporate and law firm management experience. His experience includes financial reporting and analysis, budgeting, information systems, strategic planning, operations management, marketing, organizational planning and human resource management. "Motivated, innovative, and entrepreneurial" are the words he used to describe himself in his resume and they are spot on!
Mike earned his MBA at Golden Gate University in San Francisco, California and his BA in Business Administration at the University of Minnesota. In his spare time, he serves as Treasurer on the Board of Directors for Greater Richmond SCAN - Stop Child Abuse Now!, as Treasurer on the Parents Council at The New Community School, and has been a member of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church since 1995.
I hope you will join us this Sunday for a reception welcoming Mike after the 10 a.m. service. We will also celebrate Andrew Terry's ministry with us as our summer seminarian as his residence with us concludes this Sunday. Look forward to seeing you downtown on Grace Street.
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August 11, 2011, People of St. Paul's (41)
Following is the family obituary for Robert "Butch" Griner, which was published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch on August 7, 2011. A memorial service in his honor was held at the church on Tuesday.
Robert Griner
GRINER, Robert Glen, affectionately known as "Butch" to friends and family, died August 5, 2011. Formerly of Norfolk, Butch was a resident of Richmond, Virginia, where he was employed by, and a member of, Saint Paul's Episcopal Church. As the church's coordinator for the Downtown Community Ministries, Butch was privileged to serve the homeless of Richmond through the Emmaus Feeding Program. For over 10 years, he coordinated the care and feeding of over 140,000 guests. This was Butch's ministry which he greatly loved!
Born February 25, 1952, the eldest son of the late Margaret Ray Knowles and Robert Kitchen Griner, he is survived by his loving companion of 13 years, the love of his life, Linda Pitts; a son, Scott Griner; two grandsons, Tyler and Logan Griner; a granddaughter, Brooklan Griner; siblings, David A. Griner and Kelly K. Midgett and her husband, Paul; an aunt, numerous cousins, and a host of family and friends.
A memorial service will be held at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Richmond, at 2 p.m. on August 9, 2011. A reception will immediately follow the service in the Parish House. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the American Cancer Society , or to the Richmond SPCA, 2519 Hermitage Road, Richmond, Va. 23220. Please share your love and condolences with the family at www.blileys.com.
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Tags: butch griner, emmaus
August 05, 2011, People of St. Paul's (41)
Posted by Wallace+
It is with a sad heart that I share the news with you that Butch Griner died last night.
As the staff of St. Paul's prayed together this morning, we remembered and gave thanks for Butch's warm, big-hearted presence, and for his gracious service to God's children in need. In the nine years that Butch has served St. Paul's, he has touched thousands of lives through his ministry with the Emmaus Walk-In Lunch program and the St. Paul's Food Pantry, through his friendship to those in the St. Paul's community, and through his living example of patience, compassion, and kindness. We all will miss Butch terribly, and we will pray for Linda, his loving partner, and for all those who grieve.
Butch's service will be held at St. Paul's, on Tuesday, August 9, at 2:00 p.m. We hope you will be able to join us.
Grant, O Lord, to all who are bereaved the spirit of faith and courage, that they may have strength to meet the days to come with steadfastness and patience; not sorrowing as those without hope, but in thankful remembrance of your great goodness, and in the joyful expectation of eternal life with those they love. And this we ask in the Name of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
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Tags: butch griner, emmaus
June 17, 2011, People of St. Paul's (41), Church (77), City & Commonwealth (63)
Posted by Kimberly Allen
This week, Bekah Holbrook and Shola Walker added their voices to the Views from the Bottom Blog, launched in tandem with St. Paul's Views from the Bottom Covenant Group being led by Andrew Terry. They challenge the group (and their readers) to think about the meaning of place and story as they head out to experience Shockoe and Church Hill, two neighborhoods that make up and shape the downtown community.
From Bekah's reflection:
People often talk about what they like (or don’t like) about where they live. They cite real estate value, public transportation, quality of schools, public safety, proximity to work and recreation. Interestingly, what people miss when they move away is more often relational: friends, family, potluck groups, faith communities, neighbors, friendly landlords. Perhaps it’s because we seek to feel connected. We want to identify with others, be recognized and known. We want to have a sense that we belong to a place and that place belongs to us.
I had started to develop that sense living in the Fan, which is a neighborhood with a strong identity, one that I felt connected to. I was comfortable and secure there. I wonder if I can develop a sense of connectedness to Shockoe Bottom. What is the identity of my new neighborhood? Who are my neighbors? How and when will I know if I belong to this place?
And from Shola's poem:
There’s only one problem in Richmond
that only compassion can sort
when you have so much pride
that you accept only one side
then we ALL end up in court!”
Oh Richmond, Dear Richmond
maybe your story starts with mending
because the problems in The Bottom
if we choose to solve them
is we first have to stop our defending. Peace
Check out the blog for more.
The group will meet at Cafe Gutenberg this Sunday around 11:30 am.
Tags: covenant group, shockoe bottom
June 16, 2011, People of St. Paul's (41)
Shared by Charlie Diradour, St. Paul's Parishioner
Last month tornados and severe weather ravaged the Joplin, Missouri area. Many of us have wondered as we watch our nightly news what we can do to help. Locally, the Timmons Group has organized a collection drive (June 15 - 22) at its Corporate Headquarters in Richmond (1001 Boulders Parkway, Suite 300). Timmons Group employees will be on site during this time to collect, sort and box donations from 4 – 7 p.m. week nights. Estes Express Lines is providing a 28 foot freight trailer to collect the donated items and transport them to Joplin for distribution.
The following are immediate needs the community is trying to fill:
- NO Clothing – they are overwhelmed with clothes and cannot accept anymore at this time.
- Gift cards – Lowe’s, Walmart, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Sonic
- Pain medication – Tylenol, Aleve, Aspirin – adult and children’s
- Cleaning items of all kinds – Mops, Brooms, Lysol, you name it
- Toilet paper and paper towels
- Coolers
- Baby Items – Wipes, Diapers/Pull-ups – especially larger sizes 4, 5 or 6
- Boxed fans – there is no A/C in many of the shelters and places so they are in desperate need of fans and the temperatures are rising out there.
- Flavored water packets – there are pallets of donated wanted a little flavor to add to them would be great!
- Laundry detergent, dryer sheets
- Non-perishable foods
- Cookware
- Pet supplies
- New/gently used bikes and children’s toys
To view the Timmons Group press release on this effort click here.
Pictured: A man carries a young girl who was rescued after being trapped with her mother in their home after a tornado hit Joplin, Mo. in this May 22, 2011 file photo. (Mike Gullett/AP Photo)
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Tags: disaster relief, faith in action
March 10, 2011, People of St. Paul's (41), Guest Blog Posts (9)
Guest Post by Jenny Bliley, St. Paul's Social Worker
Could you do it? Could your family live off of $1,000 income for thirty days? How much is rent? Would you have money left over to buy food, pay for a field trip for your son, attend a family funeral out of town or get your car fixed? Urban Ministries of Durham has a great new educational game called SPENT that you can play on their web site www.playspent.org. You are given $1,000 to live off of for 30 days.
As a social worker I pride myself in understanding what it takes to stay within a limited budget and make ends meet. I certainly talk with families every day that are making these choices. So, I played the game and...
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Tags: emmaus, finance budgeting, financial planning
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