“We saw the star in the East, and we came to worship him” (Matthew 2.2). This is the theme scripture for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which begins next Tuesday. The idea that we are stronger together and better able to point to Christ’s Spirit at work together, was the driving force and the foundation of the United Church.
As we weather this pandemic, it has been interesting to see the who, what, where and how of individual congregations’ responses. Some drew internal, closed down everything and decided to wait it out (remember when the doors closed in March 2020 and we all thought it was only going to be for a few weeks?). As the reality kicked in that this was going to be a long hall situation, some churches adjusted smoothly to new technology and drew upon and fostered the rich resources in their congregations to continue the life and work of the church. Then there was a third group, who looked to their neighboring churches and said “let’s not do this alone, we are stronger together.” Local clergy worked together to shepherd the whole flock through challenging times, pooling the skills and gifts for the whole.
We can’t go back in time and change how we responded to the early pandemic. It was a stressful and lonely time as clergy (as I am sure it was for you). Even as we stepped up to the calling, tried to make connections on-line with the congregation through bible studies, spiritual practices and coffee time, and sought to offer worship with the widest distribution possible, there were times when it felt in many ways that the congregation of believers evaporated overnight. Now I KNOW that this is not true, as once Rev. Richard and I started to ask, people stepped forward to be part of a phone tree, singing for services, and read scripture. For this I am truly grateful. In so many ways, we all just kind of kept on, keeping on the best we could, instead of asking what our goals were or what was most important.
But maybe we can do it a little differently this time, when we end up in lock-down (because reality is we can all see it coming). Instead of retreating into our homes, lets connect. Let’s dream and plan, let us discern where God is at work. In March of 2019 we kind of put everything on hold. Even when I got back from maternity leave there was a feeling (and some outright comments) that we are waiting for everyone to come back, waiting for the pandemic to be fully over. We cannot wait anymore! Almost two years has past, God has been calling churches into active ministry now, even when things are not perfect, even if it is not exactly how we would like things to be, even if it is not your preference. The church is the people, we need you. I need you. God needs you!
So, I want to know what worked and what didn’t work for online worship from June 2020 – when we stopped. What you liked, what was challenging. If you didn’t participate I want to know why: Was it lack of technology? Did you struggle with logging in? Did you just find it all too new? Let’s work at removing the barriers. Let’s take what we learned last time, keep what worked, and change what didn’t. Like all things, if we approach it with a negative attitude, we are bound to be disappointed. If we approach things with a positive attitude, we will see the blessings God is offering. As Psalm 29 reminds us:
If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves;
But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed.
May we attend to God and what is being revealed to us, even now as the pandemic continues to rage, for we have seen the star in the East and we can not help but come to worship.
As we journey towards Sunday let us pray:
Epiphany is the season of revelation
Where we come to see things in a new light
Where you are revealed to us yet again.
But we can often miss seeing you and the path you invite us to walk.
When life gets so hectic that we stop seeking – calm storm in which we stand
When our vision is limited by blinders – knock them out of the way
When fear and uncertainty cause us to hid – call us out that we may walk with you.
For you know that plans you have made for us,
And you have promised to never let us go,
Give us new vision for this time and this day.
This we pray, Amen
1) Sunday January 16th – Worship
2) Office Hours
3) New Building Safety & Security Measure
4) Pantry
5) Annual Committee Reports
6) Nominations for Board and Committees
7) Offering Envelopes
8) 2022 Budget
9) FundScrip
10) Upper Room Daily Devotional
11) Faith in Action
1) Worship January 16, 2022
As long as we remain at level 2 we will have Ralph Simpson sharing his gift of song with us during the service.
As we continue with level 2 of the provinces Covid plan please read and follow the guidelines below.
– Only a soloist can sing, congregational singing is not allowed
– Wearing a mask (that fits over your mouth and nose) will be required. Medical grade or double masking recommended
– While you can enter the Charlotte Street door, however if you are able, it is preferable to enter the main sanctuary doors.
– Sanitize your hands when entering the church and have proof of vaccination ready
– Continue to maintain 2 meters distance from people not in your steady 10
– Know we are fortunate to have a capacity limit of 150, which means everyone who wants to attend from the congregation can.
As always, if you are not ready to join us in person, are traveling or feeling like you need to pull back, we hope see you on Zoom https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86854718551 Passcode: 165090
Should the province go to level 3 we will move all worship to Zoom as in-person worship is prohibited at that level of the Winter Plan.
2) Office Hours: Just a friendly reminder that the office hours are from 8am – 3pm Monday through Friday. Please note that Thursday is a big day in the office, if you could shift your business to another day, it would be appreciated. Thanks!
3) New Building Safety & Security Measures: Starting Thursday January 13, each person entering and exiting the building will complete the new Daily Building Security Record in the binder at both the York and Charlotte Street entrances. This will allow for better safety and security of both the building and people in it should an emergency happen. Please remember to sign both in and out regardless of your nature in the building.
4) Pantry: The pantry needs some vital items including: cheez whiz, L size juice, dish & laundry detergent, instant coffee, sugar, pudding cups, fruit cups, pancake mix & syrup. Donations can be dropped off anytime during office hours or on Sunday. Thank you in advance for your amazing generosity!
5) Annual Committee Reports: If you are a committee chair, please forward your year-end reports to Meghan in the church office at stpaulsoffice224@gmail.com Beginning at the Annual Meeting we will identify and affirm those who have been called to leadership at St Paul’s. Help discern the path forward for the congregation by offering to serve on the board, be part of the hands and feet response to needs of our church through a committee. God called Abraham and Sarah in their 90’s, God called the boy Samuel as a child – you are neither too old or too young to serve! The big question is what are you passionate about? Talk with Rev. Michelle or Member of the board today!
7) Offering Envelopes: Your offering envelopes are available for pickup or delivery! Please contact Meghan to arrange a suitable process to get them to you in the near future.
8) 2022 Budget: We are preparing our new budget! The first step involves receiving your suggestions to Increase Revenue! This is crucial so we can estimate our expenses. Please contact Ron at 454-4628 or by email at rnaugler@bellaliant.net so we may receive YOUR VALUABLE INPUT!
9) FundScrip: The deadline for our first FundScrip order of the new year will be Sunday, February 6. We will be happy to welcome back our regular supporters and look forward to receiving orders from new participants. Haven’t taken part in the program yet? The process is simple. Here’s how it works. You purchase gift cards through the church office to cover your shopping needs . . . groceries, gas, drug stores, hardware, restaurants, etc. Cards from over 200 retailers are available in different denominations from $10 to $500. Each purchase automatically generates a donation from the retailer to St. Paul’s calculated as a percentage of the card’s value. There is no cost to you for this donation. You receive the full face value of every card you purchase. Just fill out an order form, take it to the office during the week or bring it to church on Sunday. You can pre-pay by cash, cheque or e-transfer. Order forms are available from the church office, in the Narthex on Sunday or click here. Deadlines for future orders will be the first Sunday of each month. Cards arrive in a few days and are available the following Sunday at church or at the office during the week. Remember: Shopping is fundraising for St. Paul’s.
10) Upper Room Daily Devotional: Start off the New Year right, spending a few moments with God every day. The January-February 2022 Upper Room Daily Devotional has arrived. The Upper Room is a short inspirational reading, with a suggested bible reading. It can be purchased for $2 in the Church office today!
11) Faith in Action: Christianity at its core is about relationship, relationship within the Godhead, God’s relationship with us, our relationships with others. As we approach 100 hospitalizations in the province and face increased response to try and address the strain of COVID, we want to be prepared to help each other through it. Contact during lockdown is so important, when COVID started we created a phone tree, while it didn’t work for all, some great friendships came from it. This time we are looking for both volunteers to call and for people to indicate if they would like a friendly check-in. God created us to be social beings, isolation is not good for our souls, so let’s support each other. We also still have an ongoing list for making meals or picking up supplies. If you would be willing to participate in these simple acts of service, please give Meghan a call at 458-1183. If you would benefit from receiving some help, please contact Rev. Michelle 259-7602.