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Proper 23A Scripture:

Isaiah 25:1-9
Psalm 23
Philippians 4:1-9
Matthew 22:1-14

Notes from ’s sermon :

I don’t know if you’ve heard, but we have a new puppy!

• Meet Cash! We’re in full training mode.

• Exercise. Discipline. Affection.

  • Discipline = rule, boundaries, and limitations.

  • And also, that Jeff and I are the ‘big dogs’.

  • Cash doesn’t have to understand, he just has to accept we’re the big dogs.

• And since Cash is a priest’s dog, he’s also learning theology.

• He’s here today to help us understand how we can read these two pieces of Scripture - Psalm 23 and the parable of the wedding banquet -and understand them as Good News.
  
  

God of mercy, and God of wrath

• Often we think of OT God as harsh, NT God (Jesus) as tender and merciful

• But here we see the opposite.

• Psalm 23 (OT) is God’s tender care - leading us beside still waters

  • ‘Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life’

  • Psalm 23 is THE most comforting piece of Scripture, that we frequently read at funerals and turn to in times of trouble

• And it’s Jesus who is comparing the kingdom of God to this dark parable

  • Murdering people and burning their city

  • ‘Outer darkness. Weeping and gnashing of teeth’

  • This parable is disturbing, and even preachers tend to avoid it!

• I want to explain away the dark, scary God and turn your attention only to the Psalm 23 Good Shepherd, but Cash won’t let me!
  
  
  

There’s just one God

• The goldfish story (no matter how much you love and care for them, they’re terrified of you! You are just that much bigger and more complex).

• Pets are the same (maybe not as distant) analogy. if we could ask Cash, he would say he would like only the mommy who cuddles him and gives him treats (not mean mommy who says ‘no’)

• God’s ways are so far beyond our ways that they inspire AWE. And not a little bit of fear!

• Our fear of the unfathomably powerful God who created the whole world. Who brought us into this world - and will bring us out. Whose love and life and kingdom don’t end at death.

• We don’t understand God. We CAN’T. And so some of God’s ways are going to look very scary and dark to us, indeed.

• We can’t domesticate God.

God is the ‘big dog’. And that’s the Good News.

• No matter how gentle and caring we are, our pets are still going to be scared or sad or confused by our behavior sometimes.

• When we say ‘no’ to Cash he throws himself to the floor and gives us the wounded side eye, very disappointed in how we have wounded him.

• The Good Shepherd and the angry King are one and the same.

• It’s how we understand God’s presence and power - and our reaction to it - that changes.

• Otherwise, we would be left with a God we could understand. And what kind of God would that be? Surely not a God who could walk with us through the valley of the shadow of death and make us feel safe.

No matter which face of God we see, it’s the face of God who loves us.

• I notice something in Psalm 23: ‘Thy ROD and thy staff, they comfort me. Discipline AND affection..

• This Gospel story, as dark as it is, is a story about a PARTY. a wedding banquet.

• a story of a king who spares no expense, whose generosity cannot be measured, who goes to extremes of hospitality.

• It is a story of a great feast to celebrate great love, a ceremony of commitment to which everyone is invited.

• Like the Good Shepherd, who spreads a table for us and fills our cups to overflowing, the rageful king wants nothing but to bring us in.

• The unfathomably wild love of a God who is powerful enough to save us.

We’re glad you’re here, and we’re already praying for you.

In fact, if you have a prayer request, you can make it right here:

Prayer request

We would love to know more about you, too!

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Bulletin, readings, prayers, schedule, and how to watch the service online:

Church this week

Join us at Trexo: a gym for your soul!

Join the gym!

St. Paul’s is a small town church with a big heart for the Gospel.

Join us for worship - Sundays at 10:30am

Bishop Gregg brought a message of forgiveness and encouragement to the church.

St. Paul’s was so grateful to host retired bishop William Gregg as he visited - and baptized Marsha’s granddaughter Kylie!

Linda Sufficool also re-affirmed her faith.

Especially amazing for such a small church - we’ve had baptisms, confirmations, receptions and re-affirmations almost every time we’ve had a bishop’s visit.

The Holy Spirit is very strong in this place.

And of course there was lots of food!

In so many ways, St. Paul’s is the ‘cutting edge’ of church by focusing on those things that are most important - worship, prayer, fellowship, baptism, Eucharist.

Carrying the faith forward into the world.


Thank you, Bishop Gregg for your support, encouragement, prayers and presence.

We’re glad you’re here, and we’re already praying for you.

In fact, if you have a prayer request, you can make it right here:

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Join us for worship on Sundays at 10:30am: 930 South Main Street Salisbury, NC 28144.

But mostly, just know you belong here - as part of God’s family and this community.

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Follow St. Paul’s as we follow Jesus.

We’re using this space to think about doing and being church in new ways.
And you’re invited to join us!

Paid subscribers get a front row seat to a 30-member traditional congregation’s journey into the Future of Church.

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Proper 16A Scripture:

Isaiah 51:1-6
Psalm 138
Romans 12:1-8
Matthew 16:13-20

Notes from ’s sermon - which was more like a word study:

Church

• ‘On this rock I will build my church’

• Jesus uses the word only three times - twice in the context of if someone holds something against you, go to them, then the church. And the third time is here.

• ‘Whatever you bound on earth, is bound in heaven.’

• Ecclesia = church = those who are called

  ---

Present

• Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship (Romans 12)

• And here we offer and present unto thee, O Lord, our selves, our souls and bodies, to be a reasonable, holy, and living sacrifice unto thee (HE rite 1) - this is directly from Romans!

• Thomas Cranmer (first Book of Common Prayer - 1549) - sacrifice is intentional, conscious self-offering of one’s whole life to God - as Jesus offered his whole life to us.

• Rite I is Thomas Cranmer’s words almost exactly - as Cranmer’s words are Paul’s..

• ‘Present ourselves’ - to place alongside. Relinquish ownership. Presenting a child for baptism - hand it over to the church.

  ---

Sacrifice

• Give up something valuable to you for another

• The ancient Hebrew people sacrificed grain and meat. They gave up the very best of their food (even if it was scarce) as an offering to God

• as opposed to OT animal sacrifice, NT

• ‘Jesus - himself, once offered - a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice.’

• Jesus gave up his very life for US. That we might be freed from our sins and believe in everlasting life..

• ‘Sacrifice’ root is ‘sacer’ - means to ‘make holy’

• So Paul is saying ‘make yourselves holy by presenting yourselves before the Lord’

• We sacrifice ourselves in other relationships, too. We give of ourselves in our marriages, to our children, our church, our neighbors.

Worship

• to adore, to approach with awe, to put in right relationship (orientation)

• To confess our sins, to praise, and to present ourselves

• ‘be filled with thy grace and heavenly benediction’

• ‘That we may be made ONE body, and that he may dwell in us, and we in him.’

• Corporate worship is ‘rehearsal of life-as-worship’

We’re glad you’re here, and we’re already praying for you.

In fact, if you have a prayer request, you can make it right here:

Prayer request

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Bulletin, readings, prayers, schedule, and how to watch the service online:

Church this week

Join us at Trexo: a gym for your soul!

Join the gym!

St. Paul’s is a small town church with a big heart for the Gospel.

Join us for worship - Sundays at 10:30am

Follow St. Paul’s as we follow Jesus.

We’re using this space to think about doing and being church in new ways.
And you’re invited to join us!

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Proper 14A Scripture:

1 Kings 19:9-18
Psalm 85:8-13
Romans 10:5-15
Matthew 14:22-33

Notes from ’s sermon:

Two Scripture stories/one theme - ‘It’s simple, but not easy’

• Elijah in the cave (1 Kings).

• Elijah is MAD. EVERYONE’s out to get him. He killed 100 prophets of Baal, and now Jezebel is going to get him. He’s trying to be faithful but everyone’s getting mad!

• ‘still small voice’ or the ‘sound of sheer silence’

• God says: ’Get back out there and trust me’

  ---

The Gospel story is much more familiar - but easily misunderstood

• Jesus walking on water

• there’s a boat, they’re afraid, Jesus comes forward to them on the water

• Peter decides to try!

• Jesus says: ‘Get back in here and trust me’

  ---

What is Jesus really saying?

• I don’t think Jesus is saying ‘you of little faith’ because Peter failed to walk on water!

• He’s saying ‘why did you doubt I was coming to save you?’

• ‘Lord, if it is you’ - Peter is testing Jesus!

• And God says, ‘even when it’s hard, know that I’m there’

A couple of things the stories have in common

• A ‘great wind’‘

• But God was not in the wind - in the drama (God is there when the drama is over).

• Both Elijah and the disciples were in danger while doing their jobs

• Sometimes; when things are bad, we have to take action.

• and sometimes we’ve got to sit tight. and trust God.

‘I’m God, and you’re not’

• That’s the Good News!

• Elijah goes back and does what he should (and he never dies)

• Peter gets the keys to the kingdom (and his legend never dies)

• they both wavered in their faith - but they both, in the end, trusted God

• Preachers always preach to themselves - I need to hear this!

• I want to give God suggestions, map out a plan. I want a big sign.

• But here’s the still, small voice instead:

• God does not say - if only you had faith, you could do superhuman feats.

  God says: ‘If only you had faith, you would know I am always with you.’

We’re glad you’re here, and we’re already praying for you.

In fact, if you have a prayer request, you can make it right here:

Prayer request

We would love to know more about you, too!

You are already on our subscriber list. If you’d like to be part of St. Paul’s digital membership - and participate with us in discipleship, spiritual growth, and worship, please fill out our Connect Card (share only the information you want to).

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Bulletin, readings, prayers, schedule, and how to watch the service online:

Church this week

Join us at Trexo: a gym for your soul!

Join the gym!

St. Paul’s is a small town church with a big heart for the Gospel.

Join us for worship - Sundays at 10:30am

Follow St. Paul’s as we follow Jesus.

We’re using this space to think about doing and being church in new ways.
And you’re invited to join us!

Paid subscribers get a front row seat to a 30-member traditional congregation’s journey into the Future of Church.

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Proper 11A Scripture:

Isaiah 44:6-8
Psalm 86:11-17
Romans 8:12-25
Matthew 13:24-30,36-43

Notes from ’s sermon:

Email from ‘visitor’ to St. Paul’s - is it REAL?

• We live in a world where it is increasingly hard to tell!

• Luckily, we’ve been preparing for this moment for 2,000 years!

• Christians live in the Kingdom of God
  
  

Context clues, details, verification - GOOD NEWS

• The email:

  • Context clues - church visit - (or at least that’s what they want you to think)

  • Details - scant!

  • Can be verified - hardly!

• Good News - what does Paul say??

  • We live in the Kingdom of God. ‘Who hopes for what is seen?’

  • We live with love, forgiveness, peace, joy, all these are the MOST real things.

• Email = NOT Good News! Explicitly fishing for personal and financial data.
  

  ---

‘Welcome to the real world’

• Christians are criticized for this. Suffering is REAL

• Paul:
  I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us.

• ‘If it’s not good news, it’s not the end’. Suffering in context, so we are not overwhelmed with fear and despair.

• If we believe in resurrection, we don’t believe suffering and death are permanent states. That changes our view of reality - and gives us HOPE.

• It also helps us act/react out of our sense of what’s real (how do we respond without violence? How do we help direct others who have lost their view of reality?)

Sometimes it’s Good News, but still not real

• Cute stories about dogs and celebrities - slim on details, can’t be verified

• We can believe them as fiction

• But this also shows how we know miracles are real (the heart in the chalice at the Eucharist)

• Also - not all theology is Good and TRUE

Let’s apply this to the ‘scary’ Gospel - weeping and gnashing of teeth

• Context clues: it’s a parable!

• Details: farming. Wheat and weeds together

• Verifiable: sure. It’s in the Bible! People were there when Jesus said it, then they told others, and it’s been written down for centuries.

• Good News: there is a field! We all grow together. We’re called to turn towards what’s real: love, forgiveness, reconciliation, joy, eternal life.

• Jesus is literally saying: this is the Kingdom of Heaven.

• It’s our calling to see what’s real.

We’re glad you’re here, and we’re already praying for you.

In fact, if you have a prayer request, you can make it right here:

Prayer request

Join us for worship on Sundays at 10:30am: 930 South Main Street Salisbury, NC 28144.

But mostly, just know you belong here - as part of God’s family and this community.

We would love to know more about you, too!

You are already on our subscriber list. If you’d like to be part of St. Paul’s digital membership - and participate with us in discipleship, spiritual growth, and worship, please fill out our Connect Card (share only the information you want to).

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Bulletin, readings, prayers, schedule, and how to watch the service online:

Church this week

Join us at Trexo: a gym for your soul!

Join the gym!

Follow St. Paul’s as we follow Jesus.

We’re using this space to think about doing and being church in new ways.
And you’re invited to join us!

Paid subscribers get a front row seat to a 30-member traditional congregation’s journey into the Future of Church.

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Trinity Sunday Scripture:

Zechariah 9:9-12
Psalm 145:8-15
Romans 7:15-25a
Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

Notes from ’s sermon:

I do not do what I do want to do (and I do do what I don’t want to do!)

Paul’s ‘do-do’ chapter

I know what’s good, I want to do what’s right, but I fail at it, every day I’m held captive by this war inside myself.

This is about SIN.

Yesterday was America’s 250th birthday.

What’s America all about? FREEDOM.

I’m still not the most patriotic person - I worry about idolatry. I don’t want to put anything ahead of the cross.

Still. I’m American to my core. I have a strong sense of my own personal freedom.

I’ve been converted here, by singing verse four of hymn 717…

Our Father’s God, to Thee
Author of liberty, to Thee we sing
Long may our land be bright, with freedom’s holy light
Protect us by Thy might, great God our King.

Freedom’s holy light. there’s something sacred about yearning to live free.

Sin and freedom.

Sometimes what feels like sin to you might feel like freedom to me. (and vice versa)

I can do as I please, but so often I don’t do what I know is right (this goes for countries, too) And sometimes by doing what I please, I hurt you (or vice versa).

Both are part of our nature.: longing for freedom. But being caged in by sin.

I had an online conversation about original sin:

How can we say babies are born ‘bad’?

You might have heard - I have a granddaughter - and when I look at her I see nothing but perfection and beauty. She’s born human.

She’s born with a sense of freedom - she’s learning to crawl. And also the capacity to love and be loved. Which she will, eventually, learn to use both. and fail at both often.

We all will. we all do.

It’s hard not to get caught up in how we keep these from contradicting.

‘Wretched man that I am’ says Paul.

The beauty of America is we all have the right life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

We can get stuck in judgment, not repentance (‘YOU’ do not do what you ought to do)

Even though we (thankfully) have freedom of religion and separation of church and state .

Our founding fathers were at the same place as Paul.

They knew we could never find a ‘more perfect union’ on our own. Anymore than we can live our lives without stepping in the do-do of what we know is right, and what you have the right to do, and what we do even though we know it’s wrong..

Our true freedom is repentance of our sin.

True freedom is Jesus.

My yoke is easy, and my burden is light

It’s still a yoke! It’s still a burden.

Come to me - you who are heavy laden.Statue of liberty - bring me your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.

The promise of the America is freedom from oppressive government.

The promise of Jesus is laying down our sins. The things we know are wrong.

Yes, a lot of it is not our fault - but some of it is.

Yes, so much of it is out of our control - but not all of it.

The burden of trying to free ourselves from sin - to think we can always do what’s right - is crushing us.

And it still seems too hard, too scary - even for Paul! But when we’re ready to put down all our human burdens and say, ‘Jesus, I can’t do this by myself. I’ve really screwed this up. I don’t know what to do’

That is the moment Jesus opens his arms and forgives us. and frees us. and sets us on the way of love.

It’s not make believe. it’s not magic. it’s miracle. It’s salvation.

It’s freedoms holy light.

We’re glad you’re here, and we’re already praying for you.

In fact, if you have a prayer request, you can make it right here:

Prayer request

Join us for worship on Sundays at 10:30am: 930 South Main Street Salisbury, NC 28144.

But mostly, just know you belong here - as part of God’s family and this community.

We would love to know more about you, too!

You are already on our subscriber list. If you’d like to be part of St. Paul’s digital membership - and participate with us in discipleship, spiritual growth, and worship, please fill out our Connect Card (share only the information you want to).

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Bulletin, readings, prayers, schedule, and how to watch the service online:

Church this week

Join us at Trexo: a gym for your soul!

Join the gym!

Follow St. Paul’s as we follow Jesus.

We’re using this space to think about doing and being church in new ways.
And you’re invited to join us!

Paid subscribers get a front row seat to a 30-member traditional congregation’s journey into the Future of Church.

What changes are we making? What discoveries about who we are?

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Trinity Sunday Scripture:

• Jeremiah 20:7-13
  Psalm 69: 8-11, (12-17), 18-20
  Romans 6:1b-11
  Matthew 10:24-39

Notes from ’s sermon:

Preaching on Romans

• to avoid dividing sons from their fathers on Fathers Day!

• Paul was the first Christian theologian.

• He was writing Scripture in real time.
  

We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again;

death no longer has dominion over him.

The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Baptizing babies at seminary

• We used the ‘baby baster’! a huge copper pot.

• We baptized babies by immersion.

• Holding them up, we quickly and gently ducked them under the water:

  • In the name of the Father

  • and of the Son

  • and of the Holy Spirit

• It was so moving.

• Made me regret the ‘birdbath’ baptisms we usually do in the Episcopal church.

• We really go the sense that we are baptized into the death of Christ, as well as his life.

Life and death. Sin and Grace.

• Around and around we go!

• Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? By no means!

• I think this is humor on Paul’s part - just because we ARE always forgiven doesn’t mean we should sin just because we can.

• The Prodigal Son

  • Once he knew that the Father responded with joy at his return, he could say:

  • ‘I’m going to go back to that dissolute living! I can come back whenever I want’ (much to the older brother’s chagrin…)

  • OR - he could just stay at the party!

• We DO sin. No matter how hard we try, we will.

• But we don’t have to keep ourselves from GRACE.

Jesus and hyperbole

• He really wasn’t saying, ‘don’t love your family’!

• He was using hyperbole to compare how the love of God is infinitely larger than even the most intense love we experience.

• ‘I would give my life for those I love.’ How often we think or say that.

• But we don’t have to - because Jesus gave his life for us.

• And we dare to love because know that even death will not separate us from those we hold most dear.

• This is where faith comes in.

Jesus says ‘be not afraid’ three times in this Gospel

• It’s hard - it can be scary - the ups and downs of Life and Death, Sin and Grace.

• I’m a sinner - you are, too. We will go on sinning no matter how hard we try not to. But still we believe in grace.

• I’m going to die. So are you. We all are. We will lose those we love. But still we believe in eternal life.

• We cannot truly live in a world full of sin without believing in the power of grace.

• We cannot truly love in a world bound by death without believing in the power of resurrection.

• When you’re up - don’t look down. And when you’re down - keep looking up.

• Life is up. Love is up. Hearts up! (You knew I would say that…)

We’re glad you’re here, and we’re already praying for you.

In fact, if you have a prayer request, you can make it right here:

Prayer request

Join us for worship on Sundays at 10:30am: 930 South Main Street Salisbury, NC 28144.

But mostly, just know you belong here - as part of God’s family and this community.

We would love to know more about you, too!

You are already on our subscriber list. If you’d like to be part of St. Paul’s digital membership - and participate with us in discipleship, spiritual growth, and worship, please fill out our Connect Card (share only the information you want to).

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Bulletin, readings, prayers, schedule, and how to watch the service online:

Church this week

Join us at Trexo: a gym for your soul!

Join the gym!

Follow St. Paul’s as we follow Jesus.

We’re using this space to think about doing and being church in new ways.
And you’re invited to join us!

Paid subscribers get a front row seat to a 30-member traditional congregation’s journey into the Future of Church.

What changes are we making? What discoveries about who we are?

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Trinity Sunday Scripture:

• Genesis 1:1-2:4a

• 2 Corinthians 13:11-13

• Matthew 28:16-20

• Psalm 8

Notes from ’s sermon:

A friend and her daughter were walking the Camino de Santiago

• Walking on rural roads - churches in each tiny village, all unlocked and open

• Stopping in each empty church, singing and praying

• They just felt called - they were drawn in.

Today is Trinity Sunday

• about a doctrine: foundational framework for understanding the faith.

• Christian doctrine:

  • The Trinity:

  • Incarnation

  • Atonement

  • Salvation by Grace

  • The Great Commandment/Commission
    

• Early church - first few hundred years. We tried to figure it out

• We canonized Scripture, developed the Creeds, and we formed the core doctrine

• What does it mean to be Christian?

• the point isn’t to understand, it’s to describe

Trying to get a grasp on the shape of this mystery we live inside of - and that shape is always a triangle!

• Every time it starts to make sense, it slips right away from us - and maybe that’s the point!

• We’re called to embrace the mystery - literally

• And we’re called NOT to try and figure it out, but to push into the mystery - to find God’s presence there.
  
  

• We’re called to be in relationship with the mystery of God

  • How extraordinary is that!

  • How? pray, worship, practice, serve. we live what we know

  • We’re not teaching others about God, we’re inviting others into the same kind of relationship we have with God. by having it ourselves.

My friend on the Camino

• months later, getting an email from one of her companions - not a religious person - about how much it meant to him

• And after she and her daughter left - they started doing it, too

• This is living in the mystery of what has been revealed - and seeing the power of God working through us

We’re glad you’re here, and we’re already praying for you.

In fact, if you have a prayer request, you can make it right here:

Prayer request

Join us for worship on Sundays at 10:30am: 930 South Main Street Salisbury, NC 28144.

But mostly, just know you belong here - as part of God’s family and this community.

We would love to know more about you, too!

You are already on our subscriber list. If you’d like to be part of St. Paul’s digital membership - and participate with us in discipleship, spiritual growth, and worship, please fill out our Connect Card (share only the information you want to).

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Bulletin, readings, prayers, schedule, and how to watch the service online:

Church this week

Join us at Trexo: a gym for your soul!

Join the gym!

There are fewer of us in the pews now.

Average Sunday attendance has started trickling down - 18, 16, 14.

We’ve had a few deaths, there are a few people who can’t really get to church much anymore, and some have moved away.

Even for a small church, things are small.

How worried should we be about our future?

I think it depends on what we think our future IS.

Follow St. Paul’s as we follow Jesus.

We’re using this space to think about doing and being church in new ways.

And you’re invited to join us!

Paid subscribers get a front row seat to a 30-member traditional congregation’s journey into the Future of Church.

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Subscribe now

We’re glad you’re here, and we’re already praying for you.

In fact, if you have a prayer request, you can make it right here:

Prayer request

Join us for worship on Sundays at 10:30am: 930 South Main Street Salisbury, NC 28144.

But mostly, just know you belong here - as part of God’s family and this community.

Let us know more about you!

Connect Card

Bulletin, readings, prayers, schedule, and how to watch the service online:

Church this week

Read more

Follow St. Paul’s as we follow Jesus.

We’re using this space to think about doing and being church in new ways.
And you’re invited to join us!

Paid subscribers get a front row seat to a 30-member traditional congregation’s journey into the Future of Church.

What changes are we making? What discoveries about who we are?

Subscribe and find out….

Subscribe now

Easter 7 Scripture:

• Acts 1:6-14

• 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11

• John 17:1-11

• Psalm 68:1-10, 33-36

Notes from ’s sermon:

Ascension - 40 days after Jesus’ resurrection

• Jesus ascends to heaven after 40 days

• Men in white - where have we seen them??

• 12th cent. Illuminated manuscript - men looking up. Most depictions of the Ascension have Jesus in the center, this one just has his feet

• The focus is on disciples - us

Jesus leaves instructions

• It’s not for us to know

  • let’s not bother trying to figure everything out

  • OR getting upset because it’s not going as we would have it

• You will receive power from the Holy Spirit

  • we’re never alone

• Jesus is no longer bodily here with us

  • but it doesn’t mean that God isn’t present

You will be my witnesses!

• We’ve got work to do

• TELL about what you know, what you’ve seen, of Jesus. Everywhere.

• Don’t just stand there, looking up!

  • We need to do that sometimes - we need to pray, worship, practice.

  • We need to remember where we last saw Jesus.

• AND - we need to witness.

  • With our lives, with our words.

  • What we know, what we have seen, what we believe about Jesus.

• Being Christian is both.

What do the disciples do?

• Locked themselves in a room!

• They were probably a little freaked out about everything that had happened.

• They did it together, though. Community. We cannot be Christian alone.

• They prayed constantly!

• Then they called a 12th - Matthias.

• Then the Holy Spirit came (Pentecost)
  

The space between Ascension and Pentecost

• It’s still Easter for one more week

• There’s a whole tiny little season in here for being overwhelmed and confused

• But we know what we need to do.

• Pretty soon this group of people who did these things were called ‘Christian’ (Acts 11)

• That’s all there is to it!

We’re glad you’re here, and we’re already praying for you.

In fact, if you have a prayer request, you can make it right here:

Prayer request

Join us for worship on Sundays at 10:30am: 930 South Main Street Salisbury, NC 28144.

But mostly, just know you belong here - as part of God’s family and this community.

We would love to know more about you, too!

You are already on our subscriber list. If you’d like to be part of St. Paul’s digital membership - and participate with us in discipleship, spiritual growth, and worship, please fill out our Connect Card (share only the information you want to).

Connect Card

Bulletin, readings, prayers, schedule, and how to watch the service online:

Church this week

Join us at Trexo: a gym for your soul!

Join the gym!

Aimée Bostwick, Senior Advisor for Program Innovation at Kanuga, leads St. Paul’s (and Kanuga Executive VP Jimmy Haden) in song/prayer.

Members of St. Paul’s spent the weekend at Kanuga.

We talked about church - our church and the Church.

We listened and laughed and sang and prayed.

We came home with a sense of God’s presence, God’s calling, and the adventure of moving forward in faith - even though it’s hard, even though we don’t know exactly what that looks like yet (and that’s ok).

Hearts up!

Walk with St. Paul’s as we walk with Jesus.

Subscribe now

It’s easier to convey the meaning of the weekend away through images than words. So there’s lots of them this week.

Though Fr. Cathie did preach at Kanuga chapel about the basic ‘formula’ of church:

• the Apostles’ teaching

• Fellowship

• Breaking of Bread

• the Prayers

  
  You can watch her sermon here:
  

Good Shepherd Sunday sermon

We’re glad you’re here, and we’re already praying for you.

In fact, if you have a prayer request, you can make it right here:

Prayer request

Join us for worship on Sundays at 10:30am: 930 South Main Street Salisbury, NC 28144.

But mostly, just know you belong here - as part of God’s family and this community.

Connect Card

Bulletin, readings, prayers, schedule, and how to watch the service online:

Church this week

Follow St. Paul’s as we follow Jesus.

We’re using this space to think about doing and being church in new ways.
And you’re invited to join us!

Paid subscribers get a front row seat to a 30-member traditional congregation’s journey into the Future of Church.

What changes are we making? What discoveries about who we are?

Subscribe and find out….

Subscribe now

This weekend, members of St. Paul’s are traveling to Kanuga

- an Episcopal retreat, camp and conference center in the mountains of North Carolina.

The primary purpose of the retreat is to step away to a beautiful, intentional space to reflect and discuss the future of St. Paul’s as a community of faith.


The broader context: the collapsing system of the traditional church model (the Episcopal Church is losing members and closing churches every year). This is putting pressure on all congregations about how they will function today - and in the future, and St. Paul’s is no exception.

We’re encouraging ourselves to be “fearless and faithful” in discussing what St. Paul’s could look like - or wants to be - in the future of church.

There’s a lot of Good News - and it may require bold decisions.

Fr. Cathie plans to retire on August 1st, 2029.

After that, she will no longer be St. Paul’s Sunday priest , but hopefully we can stay in ministry together in some ways. She feels passionately about St. Paul’s dreaming and discerning about the next three years - and beyond.

The retreat is designed for gentle, unhurried conversation about 3 big questions and unstructured time together to be with each other and God.

Dewey Preslar facilitated the retreat taking place at Kanuga because of how strongly he feels God’s presence there.

All members are encouraged to consider the questions (which are listed below), and to share thoughts with Jerry Taylor, our senior warden, or a vestry member (or any other member) if they are not planning on being at the retreat.

Sunday worship will be live streamed at 10:30 am.

Here’s the general schedule for our time at Kanuga:

Kanuga schedule

We’re glad you’re here, and we’re already praying for you.

In fact, if you have a prayer request, you can make it right here:

Prayer request

Join us for worship on Sundays at 10:30am: 930 South Main Street Salisbury, NC 28144.

But mostly, just know you belong here - as part of God’s family and this community.

We would love to know more about you, too!

You are already on our subscriber list. If you’d like to be part of St. Paul’s digital membership - and participate with us in discipleship, spiritual growth, and worship, please fill out our Connect Card (share only the information you want to).

Connect Card

Bulletin, readings, prayers, schedule, and how to watch the service online:

Church this week

Conversations about the future of St. Paul’s

Read more

Follow St. Paul’s as we follow Jesus.

We’re using this space to think about doing and being church in new ways.
And you’re invited to join us!

Paid subscribers get a front row seat to a 30-member traditional congregation’s journey into the Future of Church.

What changes are we making? What discoveries about who we are?

Subscribe and find out….

Subscribe now

Join us for Holy Week and Easter services:

Holy Week and Easter

Palm Sunday Scripture:

• Isaiah 50:4-9a

• Philippians 2:5-11

• Matthew 26:14- 27:66

Notes from ’s sermon:

Today we take our part

• We walk in procession, wave our palms, say ‘Hosanna!” (God save us)

• We cheer for Jesus, we betray him, we deny him, we shout for him to be crucified. We realize he really is the son of God.

• Today, and all through Holy Week, we walk through the story again. With our whole bodies, our whole selves.

Egeria is a Spanish woman who lived in the late 380s

• She could have been a nun or a noblewoman - we don’t know

• She went from Spain to Jerusalem on a 3 year pilgrimage to Jerusalem to see how Christians spent Holy Week. And she wrote about it (incidentally, this is one of the first published works from a woman)

• Pilgrims poured into the city and went from one place to another where Jesus had been - the cave where Jesus taught, a cathedral built by Constantine, Jesus’ tomb.

• They prayed and sang, they wept, they shouted. They participated with their whole selves. Anamnesis. Living remembrance.

This is one reason we know that the Christian story is true

• it’s not just Scripture - the Bible is important, but it’s not God.

  It points us towards God.

• Liturgy - how we worship - does the same.

• We come back to these places and walk through these stories, and take our parts, again and again.

• Ever since Jesus was there in person.
  

  

Egeria’s writings were disseminated throughout the Christian world

• And throughout Christian history

• All the way to us

• We’ve been walking through Holy Week - remembering with our lives

• Ever since the first Christians did

• Ever since the first crowds followed Jesus.
  

Today, we take our part

• Inhabiting all the ways we react to Jesus…

  • Hosanna’ (God save us)

  • ‘Surely I will not betray you’

  • ‘I do not know the man’

  • ‘Crucify him’

  • ‘He saved others, he cannot save himself’’

  • ‘Truly, this man was the Son of God’

    And Jesus keeps going forward, towards his destiny. Towards our salvation.

The only Good News we get today is that it’s only the first day of the week

Join us for the Virtual Vigil at the Altar of Repose through Trexo - Maundy Thursday evening into Good Friday morning…

Trexo: Gym for your Soul

Staying awake with Jesus in Holy Week

Jesus asked his disciples to stay awake while he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane before his arrest…

Read more

7 months ago · 3 likes · Fr. Cathie Caimano

We’re glad you’re here, and we’re already praying for you.

In fact, if you have a prayer request, you can make it right here:

Prayer request

Join us for worship on Sundays at 10:30am: 930 South Main Street Salisbury, NC 28144.

But mostly, just know you belong here - as part of God’s family and this community.

We would love to know more about you, too!

You are already on our subscriber list. If you’d like to be part of St. Paul’s digital membership - and participate with us in discipleship, spiritual growth, and worship, please fill out our Connect Card (share only the information you want to).

Connect Card

Bulletin, readings, prayers, schedule, and how to watch the service online:

Church this week

We’re using this space to think about doing and being church in new ways.
And you’re invited to join us!

Paid subscribers get a front row seat to a 30-member traditional congregation’s journey into the Future of Church.

What changes are we making? What discoveries about who we are?

Subscribe and find out….

Subscribe now

We’re glad you’re here, and we’re already praying for you.

In fact, if you have a prayer request, you can make it right here:

Prayer request

Join us for worship on Sundays at 10:30am: 930 South Main Street Salisbury, NC 28144.

But mostly, just know you belong here - as part of God’s family and this community.

We would love to know more about you, too!

You are already on our subscriber list. If you’d like to be part of St. Paul’s digital membership - and participate with us in discipleship, spiritual growth, and worship, please fill out our Connect Card (share only the information you want to).

Connect Card

Bulletin, readings, prayers, schedule, and how to watch the service online:

Church this week

Follow us as we follow Jesus

Fr. Cathie is with us 2 Sundays a month, so twice a week you’ll get sermon notes/video, plus St. Paul’s announcements and any special events going on (we’ll do this every week).

The other two weeks we’ll post about how we’re thinking about church in new ways, and what we’re changing (and letting go of…) as we move into the future of church.

We hope you find this inspiring for your own community and ministry.

Read more

We’re using this space to think about doing and being church in new ways.
And you’re invited to join us!

Paid subscribers get a front row seat to a 30-member traditional congregation’s journey into the Future of Church.

What changes are we making? What discoveries about who we are?

Subscribe and find out….

Subscribe now

ONE BIG CHANGE (that’s actually pretty small):’

Find the St. Paul’s announcements in the Church Center chat.

Read more about this below in ‘Follow us as we follow Jesus’…

Join us at Trexo as we participate in the Practice of Fasting this Lent:

Trexo: a gym for your soul

We’re glad you’re here, and we’re already praying for you.

In fact, if you have a prayer request, you can make it right here:

Prayer request

Join us for worship on Sundays at 10:30am: 930 South Main Street Salisbury, NC 28144.

But mostly, just know you belong here - as part of God’s family and this community.

We would love to know more about you, too!

You are already on our subscriber list. If you’d like to be part of St. Paul’s digital membership - and participate with us in discipleship, spiritual growth, and worship, please fill out our Connect Card (share only the information you want to).

Connect Card

Bulletin, readings, prayers, schedule, and how to watch the service online:

Church this week

Follow us as we follow Jesus

Fr. Cathie is with us 2 Sundays a month, so twice a week you’ll get sermon notes/video, plus St. Paul’s announcements and any special events going on (we’ll do this every week).

The other two weeks we’ll post about how we’re thinking about church in new ways, and what we’re changing (and letting go of…) as we move into the future of church.

We hope you find this inspiring for your own community and ministry.

Read more

St. Paul’s announcements are in the church chat!

We’re trying something new. We’re making the announcements via church chat while they are happening! So even if you’re not there in person, you can still see and respond to the announcements - and ask questions if you need to.

Access the chat via Church Center…

St. Paul's Church Center

The First Sunday in Lent Scripture:

• Exodus 17:1-7

• Romans 5:1-11

• John 4:5-42

• Psalm 95

Notes from ’s sermon:

The Samaritan woman is one of my very favorite Bible stories

• Along with the raising of Lazarus

• The longest conversation Jesus has in the Bible

• Jesus reveals he is the Messiah - the first and most direct

• To a Samaritan (a foreigner - someone deeply distrusted, even hated by Jews).

• But the reason I love this story - along with Lazarus - is that it is so easy to imagine HER.
  
  

What does she look like?

(I imagine a faded dress, even though of course she would not have been wearing a dress!)

• It’s hot, it’s dusty, it’s noon. And this woman is tired.

• She’s seen it all before.

• 5 husbands - plus one. this is not a moral judgment. (he does NOT say, ‘neither do I condemn you’)

• Whether she’s been divorced 5 times, or widowed (or a little of both!)

• This is a woman who knows what it’s like to have her heart broken.

And she’s at the well. Jacob’s well.

• Moses - who strikes the rock and water gushes out of it for his people, met his wife Zipporah at a well.

• His son Isaac met his wife Rebekah at a well.

• And his son Jacob met his wife Rachel at THIS VERY well. And wept when he kissed her. It’s a very romantic spat. Full of life and hope.

• The well - in the desert - is a place of life - literally!

• It’s also a community gathering place. People meet up here, this is where they come for their water, after all. Every day.

• They gossip and they catch up and they trade news - and sometimes, they fall in love.

The woman thinks Jesus is hitting on her.

• Of COURSE she does. This strange man striking up a conversation with her - all alone in the middle of the day.What else would she believe?

• And she is LONG past believing in love.

• So she brushes him off the way women have been brushing off unwanted male attention since the beginning of time.

• First she says, ‘you’re not my type.’ My people don’t mingle with your people.

• Then she points out the obvious - Jesus is at the well but he doesn’t have a bucket to collect water. No offense, but someone who can’t even think ahead far enough to bring a jar to a well is maybe not marriage material.

• At first, she doesn’t see it.

• Jesus IS offering her love, but not in the sense that she understands. Her heart is hardened, like those Israelites wandering in the desert who turned against Moses because they were thirsty and afraid. But God saved them.

• But Jesus talks about the living water - and reveals himself as the Messiah - in such a way that the woman comes to understand that he is offering LOVE.

• But not in the classic sense - in the eternal sense.

• Jesus offers her what her heart really needs. not romantic love - something a million times stronger. the living water - the source of life - that is the love of God that saves us all.

• ‘He knows everything about me,’ she says. Isn’t that what you say about someone you fall in love with?

• Jesus’ persistence wins her over.

She has fallen in love with what we cannot live without - love that saves us. Love that heals us. Love that makes us whole.

We come here, to this altar, week after week. The source of our life with God.

• This could be a place of dusty, old traditions.

• We could just come here because we’ve always done it, and our family before.

• OR - it could be a place that despite all of our dashed expectations, in spite of our heartbreaks, despite all our world-weariness,

• We come because we BELIEVE

• That we just might - unexpectedly and powerfully - meet the love of our life.

• The love of ALL of our lives - Jesus Christ. Who gave his body and blood for us. And for the salvation of the whole world.

Don’t forget to join us at Trexo for your spiritual workout. Hearts up!

Trexo: Gym for your Soul

Ancient Christian practice for modern life. Stretch and strengthen your soul. Hearts up!

By Fr. Cathie Caimano

See below for more on how we are thinking about church differently into the future…

Join us at Trexo as we participate in the Practice of Fasting this Lent:

Trexo: a gym for your soul

St. Paul’s Announcements :

St. Paul's Announcements

We’re glad you’re here, and we’re already praying for you.

In fact, if you have a prayer request, you can make it right here:

Prayer request

Join us for worship on Sundays at 10:30am: 930 South Main Street Salisbury, NC 28144.

But mostly, just know you belong here - as part of God’s family and this community.

We would love to know more about you, too!

You are already on our subscriber list. If you’d like to be part of St. Paul’s digital membership - and participate with us in discipleship, spiritual growth, and worship, please fill out our Connect Card (share only the information you want to).

Connect Card

Bulletin, readings, prayers, schedule, and how to watch the service online:

Church this week

Fr. Cathie is with us 2 Sundays a month, so twice a week you’ll get sermon notes/video, plus St. Paul’s announcements and any special events going on (we’ll do this every week).

The other two weeks we’ll post about how we’re thinking about church in new ways, and what we’re changing (and letting go of…) as we move into the future of church.

We hope you find this inspiring for your own community and ministry.

Read more

If you would like the announcements for St. Paul’s, click the button below:

St. Paul's Announcements

The First Sunday in Lent Scripture:

• Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7

• Romans 5:12-19

• Matthew 4:1-11

• Psalm 32

Notes from ’s sermon:

The very first fast was in the Garden of Eden

• At Trexo, we’re focused on fasting in Lent.

• God says to Adam and Eve: ‘DON’T EAT of that fruit’ - but of course they do!

• God should have known - God DID know

• We’re only human. - God made us human

• Our origin story - ‘original sin.

• People often reject this doctrine - ‘‘We’re not born bad’. There’s no way babies are born bad’.

• But this story is about our limits - and also the adventure of being human.

• It’s about the fact that we are made in the image of God - but we’re not God.

• We have limits. We make mistakes. We must die.

• It’s what makes our lives SO beautiful and precious.
  

What would have happened if Adam and Eve had NOT eaten the fruit?

• They would have stayed in heaven - in the Garden

• Which would have been wonderful - but would it?

• they would have gotten bored! not appreciating the splendor. ‘Ho-hum another day in paradise…’

• What I believe: humans are made to LOVE. Our mission in life, the whole thing about life, is that we learn to love and be loved.

• If we never fail at love, we can’t ever know what love really is.

• We want to get out there and LOVE!

• That’s why suffering is baked into the human experience. It’s awful - we don’t want it. GOD doesn’t want it.

• But if we don’t disobey God - which God knew we would do - we never get to see the consequences that not loving brings.

• We’re experimenting all over the place! And failing sometimes (and sometimes succeeding spectacularly)

• This is not about punishment - it’s about teaching us that LOVE is the MOST valuable thing. The thing we want most. The thing we keep striving to do and be.

Which brings us to Jesus - tempted by the devil

• I always think the same thing: come ON! Jesus is GOD, is he really tempted by the devil?

• But Jesus is fully God AND fully human.

• What does that mean? That’s a theological conversation we’ve been having for thousands of years. (Heresies).

• Some people say it means that Jesus grew into his understanding of himself as the Messiah, so right here at the beginning of his ministry, he doesn’t KNOW he can stand up to Satan.

• But I’m not sure of this.

• Jesus is fully God, from birth. We just celebrated Christmas and Epiphany, and we saw how people reacted to him, even as a baby. HE KNEW.

Jesus’ temptation was to ONLY be God - he doesn’t have to be human!

• Jesus could have just smited Satan. He could have walked around throwing thunderbolts and healing every sickness and banishing death just like that.

• But instead he chose to LIVE as a human, LOVE as a human, SUFFER as a human, DIE as a human.

• Why? For the love of us.

• So that we can continue the adventure of being human - learning to love and be loved.

• AND - so he could bring us back to Paradise by dying for us - and rising again,

• To save us from thinking Adam and Eve made the wrong choice.
  

And so we come to Lent

• DON’T eat - we tell ourselves when we fast during Lent. And maybe we’re tempted like Eve is: the devil maybe whispering that it doesn’t really matter - there are no real consequences if we don’t keep our Lenten discipline.

• And he’s right - sort of.

• Because just like the consequences of all our failed attempts at love, it’s not about punishment, it’s about what we miss out on.

• The adventure of life.

• Living in this tension of being made in the image of God - but also having the freedom - and the limitations - of finding our own way.

• Learning to love. Learning how precious and beautiful this life is.

• Learning the gift that Jesus has given us with his own life.

• We’re only human, after all.
  
  

Don’t forget to join us at Trexo for your spiritual workout. Hearts up!

Trexo: Gym for your Soul

Ancient Christian practice for modern life. Stretch and strengthen your soul. Hearts up!

By Fr. Cathie Caimano

February 18 is Ash Wednesday.

We begin the season of Lent with a solemn service of Holy Eucharist and Imposition of Ashes at 7pm. Get all the details below:

Church this week

St. Paul’s announcements:

Announcements

Follow us as we Follow Jesus

We’re starting something new at St. Paul’s. We’re figuring out how we’re called to live into the Future of Church as a community - and you’re invited to come with us!

As a paid subscriber of St. Paul’s Substack, you’ll get to come along as we re-imagine our own ministry, and how we hope to thrive as a Community of Practice.

We’re not so worried about being a congregation in the traditional sense (though we’re part of the Episcopal Church and we follow the doctrine, discipline and worship of our denomination).

We’re more interested in how to become formed in the Christian faith by practicing the way of Jesus within our context.

We’re also the first ‘Chapter’ of Trexo, so we’ll base our own Practices on the basic Practices at the ‘gym for your soul’.

———

Fr. Cathie is with us 2 Sundays a month, so twice a week you’ll get sermon notes/video, plus St. Paul’s announcements and any special events going on (we’ll do this every week).

The other two weeks we’ll post about how we’re thinking about church in new ways, and what we’re changing (and letting go of…) as we move into the future of church.

We hope you find this inspiring for your own community and ministry.

We’re also creating pathways for true digital membership - welcoming new members into our Community of Practice, and practicing with you! You’ll learn more about this as we explore how we’re called to the Future of Church.

We’re glad you’re here, and we’re already praying for you.

In fact, if you have a prayer request, you can make it right here:

Prayer request

Join us for worship on Sundays at 10:30am: 930 South Main Street Salisbury, NC 28144.

But mostly, just know you belong here - as part of God’s family and this community.

We would love to know more about you, too!

You are already on our subscriber list. If you’d like to be part of St. Paul’s digital membership - and participate with us in discipleship, spiritual growth, and worship, please fill out our Connect Card (share only the information you want to).

Connect Card

Bulletin, readings, prayers, schedule, and how to watch the service online:

Church this week

St. Paul’s is part of the Stained Glass Project at Free Range Priest:

Free Range Priest

The Stained Glass Project

How do we re-imagine ministry in the digital age…

Read more

8 months ago · Fr. Cathie Caimano

If you would like the announcements for St. Paul’s, click the button below:

St. Paul's Announcements

The Fifth Sunday of Epiphany Scripture:

• Isaiah 58:1-9a, [9b-12]

• 1 Corinthians 2:1-12, [13-16]

• Matthew 5:13-20

• Psalm 112:1-9, (10)

Notes from ’s sermon:

‘You are the salt of the earth.’
‘You are the light of the world.’

Salt: Flavor and nutrition (your body needs it).
Light: Warmth. Clarity and our body’s rhythm and mood

Too much of either will kill us! We will die from too little, too.

Salt = Preservative. It was once used as currency (because it meant people could eat in the winter).

Light = Growing food. Candlemas (blessing candles because light was so important). Energy. Photosynthesis (plants need light, we need plants for food).

Jesus wants us to be this: Essential.

We call someone ‘salt of the earth’ and say someone ‘lights up a room’’

Salt of the earth: honest, good, dependable, reliable. Hard-working.

Lights up a room: warm, positive energy; their energy is enough to change the energy of the environment’. alive, animated, welcoming.

Spiritually speaking: Steadfast and joyful. ‘Grounded goodness’ and ‘Radiant presence’

This is your calling, right here. Jesus wants us to be this. Jesus tells us we ARE this.

Notice that Jesus goes right from this to talking about the Law.

‘I did not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it’

The Law = 10 Commandments (+ lots of other things)

No ‘thou shalt not’s - it’s in the ‘imperfect tense’

It’s a statement of identity. ‘As my people, you are now the people who do not kill, etc.’

But humans being humans, it’s hard not to get caught up in fine print.

Abiding by the letter of the law - or not. Trying to figure out every ‘stroke of the law’ - are we doing good, or not?

Judging ourselves - and each other.

Jesus is born into this world for precisely this reason.

The new covenant - our new relationship with God is about returning to our identity, and not getting caught up in the Rules.

NOT because the rules aren’t important, but because the rules - the Law - points back to our identity as God’s people.

This is who we’re meant to be

Conversations at St. Paul’s

We’ve started to talk about how things might be different here - how we might living into our calling as a community in new ways.

This is my vision for you: that this becomes a community - a ‘chapter’, a religious school (or ‘gym”)

Where you focus all your attention and energy on the Practices of Worship and Prayer, Hospitality and Service.

To not worry so much about the ‘rules’ of what we can and can’t do as Episcopalians, or even some of the things that we ‘always’ do here.

But to intentionally build a communal ‘Rule of Life’ where we specifically outline our own identity statement.

It’s a little scary - it might be uncomfortable.

But I believe this is - it can be more of - where we live into our calling to be a school for becoming steadfast and joyful. ‘Grounded goodness’ and ‘radiant presence’

A place where we practice being salt and light.

Don’t forget to join us at Trexo for your spiritual workout. Hearts up!

Trexo: Gym for your Soul

Ancient Christian practice for modern life. Stretch and strengthen your soul. Hearts up!

By Fr. Cathie Caimano