Saint Andrew’s Presbyterian & St. Paul’s United
From the desk of Rev. Michelle…
Last Sunday, we started our exploration of The Theological Banquet, which Rev. Janet Gear describes in her book Undivided Love. For a general overview please see last week’s eNews. Gear asserts that the first language of faith is life and that by observing how we live, we can “read” our implicit theology, our unconscious assumptions and beliefs about God that drive our faith. These unconscious beliefs deeply influence our actions, practices and living. Faith is a gift of God which allows Christ’s life to flow through us and shapes us in Christ’s way.
The apostle Paul taught that the Holy Spirit activates faith in a variety of expressions, for the glory of God and the good of all. For some, Faith takes the shape of a messenger of the gospel, others, the form of Christian community, or service to those in need, others express their faith by resisting injustice, or by seeking wisdom. One of these streams and expressions will feel most like home to you, and others may feel foreign. Each week, our Lenten worship will speak to one of these theological streams. It is my hope that as we pray together that we will grow in understanding of the theological streams that we find most comfortable and come to know that the others are equally important and valued. For each of these streams provides holy ground on which people meet and commune faithfully with the Giver of life.
We started our journey through the theological banquet at the ecclesiastical table, which holds the primary location of faith in being a member of the church, which is understood as the body of Christ. This stream of faith more than the others finds the church institution important, in fact, the church would not exist without them. They are often the first to show up when needed and the last to leave. This is because their love of God is nurtured and expressed not primarily through their independent actions, but through the things the church does as a church, everything from worship, teaching Sunday School, serving on a committee, serving coffee, to simply knowing and caring about people in the congregation.
This sense of commitment to the church is strong. The temptation for other streams is that then they see the passion for the church and think it is about the building or the institution. But the Ecclesial the real meaning is in “the community gathered” which lives and passes on the faith from generation to generation. They are likely to fight the hardest to keep the church open and thriving during troubled times, because without the community, their primary connection to God would be lost.
“Ecclesials” are often found on local church sessions and boards and are apt to participate in wider denominational committees and courts. More than any other stream, the Ecclesiastical stream has an archaeological history found in meeting minutes, hymn books and church curriculums. Ecclesials offer us the lineage of devoted guardians of the faith who put their trust in God, and what God does through calling and empowering people to be Christ’s body. The church is not for anything – its purpose is to be there, empowered by the Spirit, to make manifest in the world the body of Christ. There is an anticipation of the kingdom of God, seen and experienced through the sacraments, to which ecclesials respond to, are led by, seek to conform to and participate in through the preaching, teaching and shared life of the church.Ecclesiastics know the language of faith as welcome and care, worship and sacrament and careful stewardship. They bear witness to the collective faith we are called to in Christ – calling us away from the self-centred mentality to the community. A song that typifies this stream is by Don Marsh, and goes like this “ I am the church, you are the church, we are the church together – all who follow Jesus all around the world – yes we’re the church together.” If you want to see the rest of the words, pick up the Book of Praise and turn to #475.
The gift that the ecclesials give to us all is the determination to endure and tireless stewardship of the life and work of the community of faith. However, all good things have a shadow and for the Ecclesiastics this occurs when the determination to endure turns to desperation to endure. The temptation under duress is to remain active at any cost; the result is, quite literally to lose the plot. When ecclesials lose sight of Christ’s Body, they see only individual bodies. As people oriented toward welcome, hospitality and community, the stress or threat of decline turns desperate and moves ecclesials toward needs-based ministry. Ecclesials ask themselves what would make people happy, what would make them join, what would make them stay, what do they want. We know this is a shadow because it leads away from life, not toward life. Resulting in a promotion of the merits of belonging to the community without a sense of being conduits to Christ’s life at the centre of congregational life.
When Ecclesials lose their way they need the genuine call to deep faith. Though they often seek to preserve the church first through the lure of having correct doctrine, new innovation, by just working harder, or seeking to have more revenue generation, these are not the answers. What is needed in these times is deep faith that other members of the body of Christ can help the ecclesials recall, bringing them back to beautiful and authentic life in the spirit. The evangelicals can provide the authentic reminder of the need for daily renewal informed by the scriptures, and the spirituals can help ecclesials to seek after the wisdom of Christ. With these corrective lenses to ground the ecclesials in the sure knowledge of who they are and whose they are, they once again trust that all will be fed not by them but by Christ embodied among us, the beloved community that empowers their connection with God.
I hope you appreciated this deeper visit to the Ecclesial banquet table and that you will join us on Sunday as we feast from the food on another table. In the meantime, let us pray:
Loving God, we give thanks for the church,
for the ways we have been welcomed into community,
meeting there you and with others who seek your ways.
As we seek to proclaim your love in the world,
help us to appreciate the gifts offered by those who tend and steward our community.
Let us give thanks for the generations of people who have joined together to proclaim your love,
and passed on to us rich traditions.
As we seek to thrive in today’s world, grant us deep knowledge that you are present in and through our gathered community.
This we pray in Christ’s name. Amen
FEATURED IN THIS MARCH 14TH ENEWS EDITION
ST. PAUL’S OFFICE CLOSED
CAN YOU HELP?
UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER
ST. PAUL’S PANTRY PROGRAM
UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER
ONGOING CHURCH ACTIVITIES
“SPRING WITH AN IRISH TWIST”
SAVING WALDEN’S WORLD
CONNECTING WITH REV. MICHELLE
BULLETIN & ENEWS SUBMISSIONS
Worship This Sunday March 16th
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 IS CLOSED while Meghan is on vacation, and will reopen on Thursday, March 20th at 8am. Until then, please contact Joanna (506-455-8220), Monday-Friday from 2-6pm or via email at sapcfred@gmail.com
or Rev. Michelle at michellenarmstrong@hotmail.com or 506-259-7602 for emergencies or concerns.
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).
ST. PAUL’S PANTRY PROGRAM – For March, The Pantry will focus on white sugar and dish soap. Other items needed: icing sugar; cream corn; tomatoes; jam; mayo; vinegar (1 L); cookies; Ritz crackers and coffee. Thank you for your ongoing and generous support!
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
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
“SPRING WITH AN IRISH TWIST”– Sunday afternoon, The Lintuhtine Singers present a fun, fun, fun concert at the Hazen Centre in Oromocto at 3 pm. Special Guests: Sidney Murgatroyd (Strings), Andrew Somerville (guitar, vocals), and Sparra (Dance troupe), directed by Helen Mórag McKinnon, and accompanied by Lynn Mills and Conrad Levesque. Monetary ($) donation at the door to cover concert & needed outreach costs.
SAVING WALDEN’S WORLD – A Film about Local Resilience You are invited on Tuesday, March 19, 7:00 pm in Edmund Casey Hall, St. Thomas University, to a free screening of the award-winning documentary “Saving Walden’s World”, a powerful exploration of how communities around the globe are achieving sustainable development through women’s empowerment, education, and innovative social programs. Winner of 11 international film festival awards, this documentary takes us on a journey through Kerala, Cuba, and Slovenia, revealing how these societies have transformed. Q & A to follow the screening. Register here for your free ticket: https://events.humanitix.com/saving-walden-s-world-a-film-about-local-resilience-by-belfast-resident-jim-merkel Jim Merkel is a filmmaker, engineer and activist. Saving Walden’s World grew out of his book Radical Simplicity: Small Footprints on a Finite Earth and the Jan Cannon film radically simple. He lives in Belfast, Maine with his son Walden and partner Susan Cutting. They are dedicated to a sustainable lifestyle.
CONNECTING WITH REV. MICHELLE
Rev. Michelle can be reached at either church office number or her direct office line (506-455-0639) and by text or call to her cell: 506-259-7602, or email michellenarmstrong@hotmail.com.
Drop-in office hours are 1-2:30pm. on Sundays and Mondays. Appointments are preferred Sunday-Thursday to ensure you have the time you need to connect. Please contact her via her cell for pastoral emergencies outside of her regular work hours and days.
BULLETIN & ENEWS SUBMISSIONS
Please send announcements to Meghan at stpaulsoffice224@gmail.com by noon Wednesday.
CONTACT INFORMATION
St. 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
Ministers Emeriti: Rev. Doug Blaikie & Rev. Dr. Basil Lowery
Minister: Rev. Michelle Armstrong | Organist: Dr. Sharon Pond
Custodian: Doug Newman