Saint Andrew’s Presbyterian & St. Paul’s United
From the desk of Rev. Michelle…
Thank you all for the surprise cake last Sunday, and the messages of birthday wishes. It was quite a surprise and deeply appreciated after a long, difficult week. Many people would have heard by now, that Rev. Kendall Harrison, the regional pastoral relations minister for the United Church died suddenly of a heart attack at 63. He had worked closely with St. Paul’s at different points in its ministry. Our prayers go out to his family and all who are grieving his death. His death reminds us all not to take life for granted, and celebrate where we can, so make sure you take a moment to wish Meghan a Happy Birthday this Friday.
Last Sunday we continued our exploration of the theological banquet, moving on from the Ecclesial table to take a seat at the Missional table. This is the stream most associated with the church’s outreach. Missionals understand the church not as a place but as an activity. Missional lived faith is a doing faith, and they are not drawn to congregate in the same way as others. Because of this, they may not be as known or recognized in the congregation when they show up for worship and other church activities. They are unlikely to be on church boards or organizing church social events. Other streams have criticized the missionals as having a lack of commitment to the congregation or having shallow faith, while missing the depth to which they engage their faith by literally following Jesus to the streets and places of pain and suffering in the world.
They meet Christ in service of compassion as they encounter the neighbour in need and have been known to run towards human suffering to offer love and practical support. Their faith can be lived out through church mission projects, but it is just as likely that they are active in community organizations or through their employment in social services and caring professions. They are often our social entrepreneurs. The common denominator of a missional is that they are out in the world, making people feel safer, less fearful, increasing wellness or helping others feel less lonely.
The missional call is the call to love; to heal, to protect, to accompany, to put oneself between another and the danger, struggle, disadvantage, loss or pain they are experiencing. When they are commissioned by the church, we call them missionaries, chaplains or diaconal ministers.
Faith is an action, lived out on the ground, meeting God in the needs of the world by offering practical and tangible help to anyone in need just as Jesus did. They are often modest and understated, simply saying “it’s just something you do to help out where you can.” Missionals tend to have an unflappable confidence, are innovative and ready to risk for the sake of serving their community. The missional faith in more recent years is expressed frequently as social innovation and social entrepreneurship.
These newer models of living the missional faith are the descendants of our historical community ministries and missions.
Missionals understand themselves to be a sent people through whom God’s love is incarnate and in whom Jesus can be seen, as they show love to neighbour and stranger alike. The missional faith is relational. Like Jesus washing the disciples’ feet, missional faith is personal and intimate, it is self-giving and sees the other.
Sin for the missional is when people turn away from others and withhold love and care. It is through the way of Jesus God heals and blesses individuals and communities. The church’s roll, according to the Missional perspective, is to equip and commission disciples of Jesus to live their lives in concrete service to those in need in our community and in our world. Missionals hold that life’s true calling is to help others, and this conviction is unmotivated by selfish gain. They do not count the costs, nor do they seek recognition for their acts of service or caring. They offer us a model of Christ at work today, inspiring the church with their belief that everyday ordinary people are given opportunities to spread compassion daily, in small ways, right where they are.
God’s grace is experienced through God’s compassionate forgiveness, to which following Christ is to follow example and imitate his actions with their hands, not just their heads is our response.
Missionals also bring the gifts of hard work and practicality, as they seek to make a real difference in some of the most challenging situations. While they help the church to face outward, they also create a vital link bringing the world of partnership, collaboration, civic participation and encounter with the realities of those in need to the church. They prevent the church from isolation and the exclusive and elitist versions of Christianity. The missionals also prevent a romanticized version of Christianity or spiritualizing what it means to love. Songs that typify the Missionals include “In Loving Partnership, we Come” VU 6o3/TBoP 759, especially vs 2 and “Christ Has No Body Now but Yours” MV 171.
As Janet Grear writes “Helping others is a tricky business, not least because humans are expert at seeing only what we want to see and believing about ourselves only what we wish to believe”. Missional faith is corrupted when we are more invested in the benefits to ourselves. The beginning of the shadow for the missionals is when they run right out and offer care without asking what their neighbours need. They can get so gung-ho and think they know what is best, particularly when the ones caring have more resources and power than those receiving the care.
Missionals in their Shadow can patch the wound without looking at the body, or to put it another way, seek to put a Band-Aid on the wound without asking why the person is bleeding in the first place. This naivety can twist the beauty of the missionals care and compassion.
The cure to this shadow is the ecumenicals who ask why when they notice that something is not right, is harmed, they think systemically they are the ones who help the missionals not become too attached to the problem – which gives us something to do and can lead us to just patriarchal charity. rather than looking at the cause that might force them to rethink how they engage.
Of all the streams the missional might be the easiest to identify, because they will literally be living their faith, letting their hands and feet lead the way.
This weekend we will be taking a look at the Evangelical table of our faith but for now, let us give thanks for our Missionals.
Loving God,
Thank you for all who see you in the poor, hungry and hurting,
for the way that they model your care and concern.
May we be inspired by their humility and compassion
to do likewise, letting love always be our highest goal.
Amen.
Featured In This March 20th eNews Edition
Worship This Sunday March 23rd
St. Paul’s Office Hours
Recital Featuring Music of J.S. Bach Tomorrow
Spring Yard Sale
Upcoming Dates To Remember
Can You Help?
Free Income Tax Clinic
Beef Stew Take Out
Ongoing Church Activities
Connecting With Rev. Michelle
Bulletin & eNews Submissions
Worship This Sunday March 23rd
Please join Rev. Michelle for service this Sunday at 10:30am.
To view the bulletin in advance click here!
Can’t make it in person, join via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83673756287 Passcode: 2023
View anytime on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@st.paulsunitedchurch984/videos
St. Paul’s Office Hours
St. Paul’s office has resumed regular office hours of Monday-Thursday from 8am-3pm
and Friday from 8am-12pm.
Recital Featuring Music of J.S. Bach Tomorrow
A Recital featuring the music of J.S. Bach, in celebration of his birthday, will take place at St. Paul’s ~ Saint Andrew’s on Friday, March 21st at noon. Music presented by Natalia Delacroix, Dr. Sharon Pond, and friends. Entrance by freewill offering at the door.
St. Paul’s Pantry Program
The Pantry will focus on white sugar and dish soap in March. Other items needed are salt, dish and laundry soap, Mr. Clean, Comet, cheese whiz, ketchup, coffee, tea, granola, cookies, ritz crackers, molasses, mayo, jam, tomatoes, 1L orange juice, canned milk, sardines, white sugar, flour, cake mix, tin foil, plastic wrap, apple sauce, and puddings. Thank you for your ongoing support!
Spring Yard Sale
The Tuesday AM Ladies’ Group, their numbers now increased by their newest member (the St. Paul’s ladies) announce their Spring Yard Sale to be held on Friday, May 1st from 3-7 pm and Saturday, May 2nd from 9-Noon. Donations of any and all saleable items are encouraged to make for an interesting and bountiful inventory for our dedicated regular shoppers and also for first time visitors. Starting April 27th, items can be dropped off on Monday-Friday during office hours, or on Sunday following service.
Upcoming Dates To Remember
March 23rd ~ Service at 10:30am ~ Fellowship Hosted by Chris Grant & Mary Stickles
March 30th ~ Service at 10:30am Fellowship Hosted by the Mission Committee
April 6th ~ Service at 10:30 ~ Fellowship Hosts Needed!
April 13th ~ Service at 10:30 ~ Fellowship Hosts Needed!
April 20th ~ Service at 10:30 ~ Fellowship hosted by the Worship Committee
April 27th ~ Service at 10:30 ~ Fellowship Hosts Needed!
Can You Help?
Rev. Michelle was contacted by The Rev. Joseph Reed earlier this month. Rev. Joe has been a minister in Montreal, a missionary in Nicaragua for over 20 years, and was moderator of the 127th General Assembly. He has been partnering with the Fredericton YMCA to help get a Nicaraguan YMCA worker out of the country and claim refugee status in Canada. I had a meeting at the YMCA this week and met Marvin. There are a few items that we are trying to get for him. If you happen to have any of the following items to donate, contact Rev. Michelle: used cell phone that can be activated on a network, clothing items especially pants size 33-32 but also shirts size large, winter boots men’s size 8.5-9, slippers for indoors men’s size 8.5-9, fridge (doesn’t have to be full size).
Free Income Tax Clinic
Forest Hill United Church is hosting free income tax clinics on Friday March 28th, April 4th, 11th, and 25th from 9:30am to 1pm. You qualify for this service if you are 65 or older, housing insecure, a student, a person with disabilities, or have a modest income. To see if you qualify or for more information, please call 506-455-0988 or email foresth.office@bellaliant.com
Beef Stew Take Out
The Nashwaaksis United Church is hosting a Beef Stew Takeout on Friday, April 11th, 4–5:30pm. The menu includes Beef Stew, Roll and Carrot Cake for $15. Please reserve your order by Wednesday, April 9th at 2pm, by calling the church office at 506-458-9452 or by email: admin@nashwaaksisunited.ca
Ongoing Church Activities
Monday – Friday ~ Community Outreach ~ Brown Bag Lunch Program in St. Paul’s Office
Tuesdays ~ Tuesday Morning Ladies Group at 9:30am ~ All are welcome!
Tuesdays & Thursdays ~ Quilting from 1-4pm ~ All are welcome!
Wednesdays ~ Community Outreach ~ Pantry Program from 9-11am
Thursdays ~ Bible Study from 6-7pm ~ All are Welcome!
Thursdays ~ Choir Practice from 7-8pm ~ All are welcome!
Fridays ~ Community Outreach ~ Breakfast 2 Go from 8:30-10am
Connecting With Rev. Michelle
Rev. Michelle can be reached on the main office phone lines, her office directly at 506-455-0639, by text or call to her cell at 506-259-7602 or via email at michellenarmstrong@hotmail.com. Drop-in office hours are Sundays and Mondays from 1-2:30pm. Appointments are preferred to ensure the time you need to connect.
Bulletin & eNews Submissions
Please send announcements to Meghan at stpaulsoffice224@gmail.com by noon Wednesday.
Contact Information
Saint Andrew’s Presbyterian & St. Paul’s United
512 Charlotte Street, Fredericton, New Brunswick E3B 1M2
Saint Andrew’s: Tel: 506.455.8220 | Email: sapcfred@gmail.com |Website: https://sapc.ca/
Office Administrator: Joanna Price |Office Hours: Monday-Friday 2pm-6pm
St. Paul’s: Tel: 506.458.1183 | E-mail: stpaulsoffice224@gmail.com|Website: www.stpaulsunited.ca
Office Administrator/Bookkeeper: Meghan Roebuck |Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 8am-3pm & Friday 8am-12pm
Minister: Rev. Michelle Armstrong |Organist: Dr. Sharon Pond
Custodian: Doug Newman | Ministers Emeriti: Rev. Doug Blaikie & Rev. Dr. Basil Lowery