St Paul's is in the midst of a series of renovations that resulted from rain damage and other much needed renovations. Here are some photos of the church as it is today. New drop ceilings, fixtures, insulation, paint and flooring are on the way!
 Mother’s Day and Father’s Day arrive every year with their own sets of joy and baggage. For us as Christians, it’s an opportunity to remember the motherly/fatherly nature of God while honoring the good qualities of our temporal parents. This Sunday we’ll be thanking God for our mothers. At their best, they represent to us the nurture and love of God. In scriptures, the metaphor of motherhood is used to articulate God's love for us. Like a mother, God is:
For some of us, it's hard to imagine God as a mother because the church as been so emphatic on identifying God as father and male. Even Jesus called God, Father. And in so doing, he emphasized the intimacy and care represented by that title. However, by definition, God is greater than gender categories but also inclusive of them. God is BOTH father and mother, and so much more! As the church, we acknowledge that everyone is in a different place around these “Hallmark Holidays”. We should honor each other in all the complexity these holidays hold. Together, let’s celebrate the greatest truth: God our Mother/Father loves us deeply and truly. For that, we are united in gratitude.  There is a growing groundswell among the churches calling the nation to address issues of poverty. Please watch this video by our Presiding Bishop, Michael Curry, as he invites our response.
This coming Sunday, our nation honors Earth Day. St Louis hosts one of that largest celebrations in Forest Park. This Sunday is also Good Shepherd Sunday. It’s a perfect time to honor our Savior who leads us beside the still waters, provides us with green pastures (Ps. 23) and calls us his sheep (John 10). In our worship this Sunday, we’ll be using a liturgy created by first tribes in Minnesota for their Episcopal worship. We’ll be honoring the Creator and the creation through song, sermon and worship. We’ll also begin implementing some new stewardship commitments in our church building. Come on Sunday and celebrate the goodness of creation, and our role as stewards who live sustainably. -- Pastor Rebecca+   REMEMBERING...50 years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was coordinating a National Poor People’s campaign. He halted his efforts and flew to Memphis to stand with black Sanitation workers. It was there where he was assassinated. The Poor People's campaign continued on without his leadership. Thousands of rural and urban, black, brown and white people gathered to demand a response to the crippling issues of poverty. They caravaned to Washington DC and lived in a tent city on the Mall. The tents extended from the Lincoln Memorial all the way down to the Capital, flanking both sides of the reflection pool. They called their tent city, Resurrection Village. Resurrection continues as we continue in the season of Easter and begin the New Poor People’s Campaign. I am among the St Louis organizers of this movement. In my sermon this Sunday, I’ll tell you a little more about that. In the meantime, please take a moment and check out this link (www.ppcmo.org). As the church, we are called to share with those who do not have enough. It’s our privilege at St Paul’s to join Jesus in meeting each others' needs.  |
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Rector's Corner posts written by Pastor Rebecca. Archives
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