Our mission, with feet . . .

Dear Friends in Christ -

I've been drawn this week to think about MISSION, particularly through the wonderful Wednesday night small group discussion series "Guided by the Spirit."

What is our mission? What is God calling us to?

A place to start answering this question: The mission statement of St. Paul's . . .
The mission of St. Paul's is to bring people into an ever-deepening relationship with God, and with one another, through Jesus Christ. Under the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit, we aspire to be a loving and welcoming family of faith, which is a living witness for the coming Kingdom of God.

Hmmm . . . That's a statement of our overall mission, but in order for that mission to "have feet," we have to be living into the answer to this question: What is God calling me to, now? What is God calling us to, now?

May God give us new vision as we seek to answer these questions together.
Blessings,
Janet+

Share the Harvest Dinner POSTPONED until NOV. 17th

Dear Friends in Christ -

Every faithful Christian experiences a little setback now and then.
Every faithful parish experiences a little setback now and then.

Our "Share the Harvest" Fall Fundraising Dinner was postponed this week due to lack of subscription - in other words, not enough people signed up. Some folks didn't have enough lead time to get it on their schedules, some folks didn't have time to invite the friends they hoped to invite, and some folks said the tickets were just a bit pricey (clearly they've never tasted our Chef's cooking!). But seriously, all that feedback is being taken to heart.

The wonderful chef who is offering this dinner to us said that it's just as difficult to cook for 40 as it is for 240, so we opted to postpone - and regroup.

The truth of the matter is, the planning for this fundraiser came together at the end of the summer, and there just wasn't enough lead time to get our feet under us and get going.

So now we've made a few adjustments. A group of folks has formed a committee to organize, plan and publicize the November 17th event - and it will indeed be a wonderful evening.

If you purchased a ticket for this Saturday's dinner, please accept my apologies for any inconvenience. If you would like to hold on to your ticket and use it for the November 17th dinner, that would be great. If you would like a refund, we will gladly provide one.

Thank you for your understanding - and for your positive feedback for the overall event. This bird is in the process of gaining speed so that it can gain altitude . . . with God's help, it will fly yet!!

Blessings,
Janet+

When God is Silent

Dear Friends -

My husband and I moved to New Haven in the fall of 1997 so that he could attend Yale Divinity School. Desperate for a job, I plagued the Academic Administrator for help finding a position; she finally took pity on me and hired me to work in her own office. One of the key benefits of this arrangement was that when I wasn't typing or filing or doing payroll I got to attend lectures and events on the campus.

Every fall, the Divinity School hosts Convocation, a week of special lectures given by internationally renown speakers brought in for the occasion. That year, the school was especially proud to have Jurgen Moltmann, perhaps the leading theologian in the world, giving a series of lectures. A lesser-known woman, Barbara Brown Taylor, an Episcopal priest and a professor at a small college in the South, was to give another series of lectures during the week.

At the beginning of the week, the campus was a-buzz with anticipation of Moltmann's lectures. By the end of the week, all the talk was about Taylor. Her presence was mesmerizing, her lectures were compelling, and her passion for God was palpable. Today, I don't remember what Moltmann's lectures were about (though they were good, I'm sure), but I do remember what Taylor's were about: the silence of God.

If you've ever wondered why God doesn't speak up more, or if you've ever struggled with feeling God has left you alone, this book is for you.

Taylor's lectures have now been made into a book entitled When God is Silent, and the parish book group has selected it for our next discussion, to be held SATURDAY, OCT. 13TH AT 7:00 p.m. at the Rectory. The book is available at Written Words Bookstore at a 10% discount. I do hope you'll join us.

Blessings,
Janet+

Windows with layers

Dear Friends in Christ -

I had an amazing experience last week . . . I went to THE GLASS SOURCE stained glass studio here in Shelton (owned and operated by one of our parishioners, Mike Skrtic) and helped to make the new stained glass windows that have been commissioned for St. Paul's.

As happens in many churches, generous parishioners have stepped forward to give these windows in honor of loved ones. But it is a unique and wonderful thing to be able to actually be a part of making the windows.

Wow - what fun! I love making things with my hands - sewing, needlework, cooking, beading, collage - but I've never had a chance to work with stained glass. Mike and the other folks from St. Paul's who are actually making the windows - the Rogowskis and the Bartomellis - were welcoming and encouraging. They did the hard parts (cutting and grinding the glass pieces) and showed me how to do an easy part (wrapping the edges of each piece with copper tape).

I was amazed to learn that the most luminous stained glass windows (the large central window in our chapel, for example) are made in layers, with three to five layers of glass in different colors put together to make one "piece". Layers. That explains the dimension-ality we experience when we look at the window.

Layers. The layers of our lives are like that, too. The layers of who we are in Christ, the layers of things we do in Christ make us more luminous. Each of us has a unique configuration of layers that cause us to bring God's light to the world in unique ways.

May God's light shine through you this week.
Blessings,
Janet+

In Memoriam - Madeleine L'Engle

Dear Friends in Christ -

On Thursday last week, Madeleine L'Engle passed from this life to meet her Lord in heaven. She was 88.

I got to know Madeleine a bit through the Episcopal women's prayer group that I'm a part of, the Society of the Companions of the Holy Cross. She was really something - a woman with boundless energy and a magnificent sense of humor and a keen mind. She was a perfectly brilliant writer, authoring over 60 books during her lifetime. You might know her as the author of the award-winning children's book A Wrinkle in Time.

Madeleine wrote books for adults, too. Among my favorites are her Crosswicks Journals, the first of which is A Circle of Quiet. I was also inspired and touched by a book that she wrote about marriage, A Two-Part Invention. She captured gently and honestly both the real-life struggles and wonders of married life.

One of the things that I most admired about Madeleine was her steady faithfulness. Though she sometimes got discouraged - in her 30s she couldn't seem to get anything published and was tempted to quit writing altogether at 40 - she never lost faith, in her God or in herself. She didn't let the critics get to her, even when her award-winning book A Wrinkle in Time was banned by some churches and libraries.

I last saw Madeleine at a special event at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Her body was failing, and she was in a wheelchair. But her spirit was radiant, and she reached out a strong, warm hand to all those around her.

Today I give thanks for her work and for her life.
Faithfully yours,
Janet+

A meditation for today

. . . may childlike faith lead us to deeper knowledge of God's love . . .

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=9e7c4b40cf5a13cea6ca

Blessings,
Janet+

An epitaph

Ruth Bell Graham's suggested epitaph for herself:

"End of construction: Thank you for your patience."

Spooner House Dinner . . . and a Presentation

On Friday night, August 31st, dozens of teens and adults from St. Paul's worked together to host a dinner for the residents of Spooner House, the local shelter for the homeless. It was a wonderful evening of food and fellowship. As our guests were served, Joey Wilbur provided some nice background music on his guitar. Then those serving sat down with our guests and enjoyed some good conversation. A wonderful time was had by all.

Also, this served as a great occasion to present to Spooner House a check from the proceeds of or parish Golf Classic in May. Above with "the big check" are:
John J. Walsh, President & COO Valley UnitedWay

Susan J. Agamy, Executive Director Spooner - Food Bank

Byron Peterson, St. Paul's Golf Classic Chairman

Ron Marcho, St. Paul's Senior Warden

The Rev. Janet Waggoner, St. Paul's Rector

Prayers for working and going to school

Dear Friends in Christ -
This past weekend, we used some lovely prayers in the 10:00 a.m. worship service that really speak to our needs day to day. As you go about your work and studies this week, I hope you will take a minute to say these prayers. May they lift your heart to God in the midst of all you do.
Blessings,
Janet+

God of the turning years, we are indeed a restless people. We fret and stew about life's many tasks. We forget to look to you for our sustenance and for direction in our lives. As we are buffeted by the winds that blow from many directions, take us above the fray that we may indeed glide in the steady flow of your grace. We know that if we but ask, you will provide the forgiveness and the joy that come from living within your will.
As summer comes to a close, we ask a special blessing on those returning to school. Our children need special graces in these troubling times. We trust them to your care. We also ask that you bless the work of adults who now return from vacations to a more intense period of labor. Even though it is often difficult to walk in another's shoes, may those who labor and those who manage seek to understand each other and their needs.
Some of us are retired from our jobs and professions. Bless the work that we do as volunteers, grandparents, and participants in the creation of better lives for all. Our work is also important. We are aware of those who cannot participate in many activities because of illness or advanced age. Their lives are also important. Provide them a healing grace and a hope for tomorrow.
We would especially remember those who are in the throes of serious illness. Hold their hands as they travel the difficult paths of pain, debilitation, and possible death. We remember their families and the care-givers who need your sustaining grace.
Finally we want to thank you for all you have given us. We are a people who have been richly blessed in this wonderful land of opportunity. Teach us to share our wealth with a world that is in great need. We thank you for churches that are trying hard to live up to your calling in their community. Give them a vision for the future as they serve a needy world.
Most of all we thank you for caring enough to send us your very own Son, who set out on a path that led to his death. He bade us follow him down that same path. We tend to stray from that path, yet your grace gently pulls us back. Hold our hands as we boldly take the next step on our journey. We ask all these things in Jesus name. Amen.
Copyright © Jay D Weaver - August 29, 2006 - Lancaster Church of the Brethren, Lancaster, PA.

A Prayer for Labor Day Weekend

On this weekend, when we rest from our usual labors, loving Father, we pray for all who shoulder the tasks of human labor—in the marketplace, in factories and offices, in the professions, and in family living. We thank you, Lord, for the gift and opportunity of work; may our efforts always be pure of heart, for the good of others and the glory of your name. We lift up to you all who long for just employment and those who work to defend the rights and needs of workers everywhere. May those of us who are now retired always remember that we still make a valuable contribution to our Church and our world by our prayers and deeds of charity. May our working and our resting all give praise to you until the day we share together in eternal rest with all our departed in your Kingdom as you live and reign Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

From the website of the R.C. Archdiocese of Detroit: http://www.aodonline.org/AODOnline/Prayers+and+Reflection+12179/Prayers+7466/Prayers+-+Prayer+for+Labor+Day.htm