While we were on vacation, my oldest son, Wes, decided to take a fishing boat out on the lake. The vessel had a little electric powered engine. He had an easy time getting out on the lake, but then the wind came up. Much as he tried to get back to dock, the boat didn't have enough power and he had no oars. We all had a good laugh watching the rescue operation as Scott rode in a kayak with two extra sets of oars tucked in it. (shown below) Then two of them rowed back in the boat with a kayak sticking up in the boat. The wind was strong enough to require the power of 2 men to get back to shore.
​Later, on the way home from visiting a quaint little town on Lake Superior, we had another wind encounter. This time, we hit the eastern front of a severe thunderstorm. In seconds, our little Prius was buffeted and pushed off the road. We couldn't see a thing. The closest way to describe it was a natural version of a drive through a car wash. But worse! We all survived and lived to marvel at the power of that storm.

Wind is like that. It caresses and it careens us. It soothes and it ravages. And yet, Jesus names the Holy Spirit as wind, breath, an invisible blowing force in our lives.

At Pentecost (Acts 2:2) the arrival of the Holy Spirit was described this way: And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. The whole house was filled. Not just the disciples and followers of Jesus. Everywhere was filled, even the back closet where the old linens had rested for months. The dust lifted and the world changed.
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I don't know what deep meaning we can pull from this. I only know that taming the wind is impossible. And taming the Spirit of God is also impossible. God's ways are better than ours, even in the howling midst of the storm. That is is enough. May we choose to believe that change is a part of the Spirit's work. May we trust.

-- Pastor Rebecca

So much in our world is going wrong that it's hard to remember to celebrate what's going right. For months now, we seem to be circling around a downward spiral of bad possibilities. We've been separated from our familiar work, social, and worship life.
And yet, in spite of it all, there are a lot of things to celebrate. This marathon doesn't look like it will be over anytime soon. Yet, powerful and positive things are still happening. Have you tried to make a list of your top 10 good things? Things you are grateful for right now? I've done one here for St. Paul's. See what you think:

1. We are doing well financially. In spite of it all, we are all still giving and investing in God's kingdom work at St. Paul's.
2. Ministry-wise we are providing daily for the food, internet, and resource needs of our neighbors. And we are continuing to provide delicious meals to 15 - 20 people each week. We are also giving them masks.
3. We are housing someone who was 11 years homeless before moving into our parish house. Now, his rent covers our costs for his utilities and he has become essential to our ongoing ministry in the neighborhood!
4. We are gathering on Zoom, on average, 4 times a week. This has been a life-saver for me. I've loved keeping up with those who participate. In fact, in some ways we are drawing closer through this separation because we are sharing more of our personal stories and perspectives than we ever could during coffee hour.
5. Our friendships with one another are deepening through phone calls, email and snailmail.
6. Our website and YouTube channel are creating a St. Paul's satellite community. People from as far away as New Hampshire and Arizona have joined zoom calls. And, we have one new intending-member who joined us through YouTube and lives locally.
7. We are getting new ideas for our memorial garden. The plans so far look amazing and will enhance the memorial garden, and enable us to widen our wedding and liturgical options outdoors.
8. We are doing small facility improvements while they are not such an imposition. The gutters, basement, awning, and stairwell are either being improved or will be improved before we are back in our building.
9. We are still a small but mighty, beautiful, fiesty, candid group of disciples and it's an amazing privilege to be your Rector.
10. We belong to a God of love, truth, beauty, grace, justice and hope - articulated in Jesus Christ. What, I ask you, What could be better than that?

We haven't crossed the finish line yet. The pandemic is still raging and it promises to be a marathon event. But thanks be to God, we are still passing the baton. We are still running the race, and our eyes are on the prize. As Paul puts it in Philippians 4:13-15a:  I do not consider myself yet to have laid hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus. 

                                           --- Pastor Rebecca