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June Epistle Newsletter

Download the June issue of our newsletter: The Epistle, June 2009

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On the Cover:

Another Deciding Time for St. Paul's Church: Alleluia! Alleluia!

As you would imagine, on a daily basis I meet people and introduce myself, or am introduced, as the Rector of St. Paul’s Church.  Nine times out of ten, the person I meet will mention one of two things about St. Paul’s, either “Oh, now that’s a church with some history,” or “Oh, I love what y’all do with outreach.”  History and Outreach.  Or, we could put it another way: we are known for what we have done in the past, and for what we are doing now.  All in the name of “Proclaiming Christ in the Heart of the City.”  We do indeed have a rich history here at St. Paul’s.  That being said, we don’t only have a remarkable past, we also have an exciting, potent present and, I do believe, an extraordinary future ahead of us.

It takes only a glance at our history to realize that, at St. Paul’s, this has always been our perspective: conscious of the past, yes, but always engaged in the present moment and planning for the future.  Many moments in our history come to mind.  I’ll name just three:
   
+  When, in 1843, the rector and people of Monumental Church, on Broad Street, realized that, only 30 years into their life as a congregation, they had outgrown their church. They needed more room to grow.  And so St. Paul’s Church was born.  And most of the members of Monumental moved over to Grace Street, along with their rector, our first rector, the Reverend William Norwood.
   
+  When, only fifty years later, a conversation in the parish began regarding the need to create a fund, the proceeds of which could support the worship, outreach, and properties of St. Paul’s Church.  And so, in 1905, the St. Paul’s Endowment was established.  Today, thanks to the generosity of parishioners, we draw on the proceeds from the St. Paul’s Endowment so that we can properly care for our facilities and so that we can maintain and grow our commitment to outreach, or, as we now like to say, “faith in action.”  And, I might add, the St. Paul’s Endowment enables us to be the largest per capita contributor to our Diocese.  In addition to the St. Paul’s Endowment, in more recent years, we have developed the Program Endowment, which helps support our worship and Christian formation ministries.
   
+  When, another fifty years later, another conversation began.  In the 1950s and 1960s, many downtown churches, across the country, were moving out into the suburbs.  It was a true “deciding time” for urban congregations: could churches thrive downtown?  Thanks to the generosity of parishioners, St. Paul’s answer to that moment was to build a parish hall, Sunday school facilities, and two parking decks, “to assure that St. Paul’s would always be, in the years to come, the ever-growing, vital, missionary church, leader in the city, Diocese, and country, that she has been in the past and is now.”

So, here we are, another fifty years later, and it is another deciding time, another moment in our history, where we ask ourselves who God calls us to be and what God calls us to do.  On Sunday, the Feast of Pentecost, we commenced a period of planning, conversation, and prayer, to culminate with a St. Paul’s Conference on the weekend of All Saints’ Sunday, October 30-November 1.  You can hear and/or read my sermon from Sunday, at http://www.stpauls-episcopal.org (Rector’s Page), in which I talk about my vision of where we are headed together.  In the coming weeks and months, there will be many opportunities for you to get involved, as we plan for our future together here at St. Paul’s.  As your rector, I am asking you, personally, to join me in prayer and in action as we set out on this great adventure together.
   
On Pentecost, lo those many generations ago, the Spirit of the Living God was given to us, the People of God, given to us and poured out in our midst.  And, clearly, that same Spirit has been stirring of late, here on Grace Street.  Indeed, my sense is that we are at the dawn of a new golden age at St. Paul’s Church.  And it is one of the great blessings of my life to be here and to be a part of that new day with you.  I cannot wait to see what the Living God is about to do on Grace Street.  Soon enough, my friends, we shall see!  We shall see!  It is emerging even now!   

Your brother in Christ,


Wallace+

On page 3: Worship at St. Paul's

‘I will, with God’s Help” : Reaffirmation of Baptismal Vows

by The Rev. Kate Jenkins, Associate Rector (.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address))

Save the date! On Sunday, June 28th The Rt. Rev. Shannon S. Johnston, Bishop Coadjutor of the Diocese of Virginia, will make his first episcopal visit to
St. Paul’s.  In addition to celebrating the sacrament of Holy Baptism that day, we are inviting and encouraging all lay leaders (committee chairs, vestry members, etc.) to consider renewing their baptismal vows.

The “Reaffirmation of Baptismal Vows” is particularly appropriate for those experiencing a call from God to grow in faith or begin a new ministry.  If you have previously made a mature affirmation of faith, please prayerfully consider publicly reaffirming your faith that day.

There is a catch however. We’d ask anyone interested in reaffirming their baptismal vows to thoughtfully and concretely reflect on the vows and covenant to be renewed. 

Reaffirmation : A few questions to ponder

• How do you experience the presence and power of evil in your life? What will it mean and look like for you to renounce its power over your life? What help will you need from the church if your renunciation is to be sustained?
• What will be the cost for you to turn to Jesus Christ and accept him as your savior? How will this action concretely manifest itself in your life? What will be the cost for you to totally rely on God’s grace and love? How will that action concretely manifest itself in your life?
• In what ways do you connect your Faith as a Baptized person with your daily life and work?

Since you will be affirming the Baptismal Covenant, in your daily life, what does it mean to you to:

• Proclaim by word and example the good news of God in Christ?
• Seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?
• Strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being?

Contact Us
 
Please contact our Rector, The Rev. Wallace Adams-Riley, or Associate Rector, The Rev. Kate Jenkins, if you are interested in this meaningful service. They can be reached at 643-3589 or by email at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

“… and may the Holy Spirit, who has begun a good work in you, direct and uphold you in the service of Christ and his kingdom.”
(Book of Common Prayer, p. 310) 

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