“Dear People of St. Paul’s, ”

October 10, 2024 - from Dave Kinnear, Senior Warden

St. Paul’s has a new Rector!

The Bishop of Colorado, Kymberly Lucas, has called Fr. Jeremy Lucas as the Rector at St. Paul’ s Episcopal Church. The Vestry voted unanimously to ask Bishop Kym to make the call and I had the pleasure of announcing the news at our service this past Sunday. I hope that you are as excited about this news as was the congregation on Sunday.  

On behalf of the Vestry, I would like to thank the Search Committee for all of their great work. The congregational profile that the committee created provided many of the discussion topics the Vestry used when we engaged Fr. Jeremy in a detailed discernment discussion before asking the bishop to make the call. Fr. Jeremy also tells me that the profile was an important contributor to his decision to seek the permanent position.
 
The Holy Spirit worked through a lot of people to match St. Paul’s with Fr. Jeremy. I was introduced to Fr. Jeremy by The Rev. Canon Vanessa Stickler Glass, from the bishop’s office. Many of you urged members of the Vestry to find a way to make Fr. Jeremy our Rector. Several of you got word to the bishop about how well St. Paul’s was connecting with our interim Rector. Bishop Kym offered to waive the prohibition against an interim Rector from being a candidate for the permanent Rector position. Vestry members participated in several special meetings as we hurried to engage Jeremy as interim Rector and, then, to consider whether he was the right fit as our permanent Rector.
 
St. Paul’s completed the rector search process, including a detailed conversation between the Vestry and Fr. Jeremy. We skipped the national posting of the position, since the Vestry believed that our best candidate was right here in Steamboat Springs. Episcopal priests are in short supply, so we are thrilled to have found one who fits our congregation so well.
 
The congregational profile, which was prepared by the Search Committee, is an incredibly valuable document. The Vestry has already begun using it to plan St. Paul’s work going forward. Members of the Search Committee will be presenting the profile, after the service, on Sunday, October 13. I urge you to come and learn more.
 
Thank you to everyone who has gotten St. Paul’s through this transition. I cannot wait to see what we accomplish next!
 
Dave Kinnear
Senior Warden

October 3, 2024 - from Father Jeremy

"War as a method of settling international disputes is incompatible with the teaching and example of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Resolution 25, Lambeth Conference 1930.  

The Lambeth Conference is a meeting of bishops in the Anglican communion that takes place every 10 years. Since 1930 the Conference has reaffirmed its support for Resolution 25, as has the Epsicopal Church on numerous occasions. 

As I write this Israel is sending troops into southern Lebanon and Iran is firing ballistic missles into Israel. Ukraine and Russia continue their battle and a civil war is taking place in Sudan. It feels like war is all around us and I want to say this clearly, war is always a failure. 

War is a failure of diplomacy and political will. It is a failure of the best of human will towards peace and justice. It is a failure to consider the cost of war, bourn mostly by women and children and also by whole societies that are weakened and often destroyed by senseless violence. 

There may be times in which decisions are made that makes war feel more necessary and more palatable. When humans are attacked and killed, as they were on October 7th, revenge seems “reasonable”. There is a long history in the Christian church of trying to justify war, even to the point of developing a “Just War” Doctrine. But never let yourself be fooled into thinking that it's ok. It's not ok. More murder does nothing to cause less murder. Jesus, for everything we know, does nothing to condone violence and war. Just because we feel something is necessary it does not make it ok, and we cannot baptize killing in the name of God or country to absolve ourselves. 

My grandfather was a awarded the Bronze Star in World War II. After coming home he spent a large part of the rest of his life working with veterans. He saw their broken bodies and burdened spirits and gave them his time to try and help them heal. As someone who has known and lived with veterans their entire life, I know it would be much better if we created fewer veterans. Soldiers don't start wars, politicians do. It is a failure of political will and diplomacy, not a failure of individuals. Jesus did not condemn Roman soldiers, even the ones who executed him. 

It is hard to know what the prospects for peace may be, but let it begin with us. October 4th is the Feast Day of St Francis of Assisi. While he is known by most as the patron saint of animals and the environment, he was also know as a fierce advocate for peace, starting with our hearts. 

Animals and the environment are windows to God’s love.  The look in a beloved pet's eye, is love.  The bountiful gifts of humor, astonishment, and abundance that come from our skies, forests, mountains, oceans, wetlands, and all their inhabitants, is love. Love that God gave us the free will to destroy or to nourish with our own actions.

The prayer attributed to St. Francis is one that we should be praying often as the sabers of war rattle. Let us be instruments of God's peace.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

St Francis of Assisi

Blessings and Peace, Jeremy+

September 26, 2024 - from Father Jeremy

Every year the Farmers Almanac publishes the dates for Ember Days. They are a set of four dates that coincide with the beginning and ending of the four seasons. Last week marked the fall Ember days of September, the 18th, 20th and 21st. What you may not know is that Ember days have been around as part of the Christian tradition since the 4th century as days of prayer and fasting for the blessings of nature at the turning of the seasons. 

The word ember does not refer to a dying fire, or burning coals. It most likely comes from either latin/german for “four times” or old english for “recurring”. While its etymology is debated, its significance is not. The Anglican and Episcopal traditions have been celebrating these days for a very, very long time.   So what is it that we are thinking about as the seasons turn? September 21st marked the official end of summer and the coming of the fall. This being our first fall in Steamboat, it feels like the trees we timed to precisely turn as the equinox passed. It has been an amazing summer, but as the days grow shorter and the light changes there is a strange feeling of turning. The time is coming to gather in and prepare. We have been craving soup and Audrey has been making delicious, rich, and hearty sourdough bread. At the same time we are celebrating the harvest and all the gifts of nature, we are mourning the passing of time as another summer comes to an end. 

Recently the author Cody Delistraty  wrote an op/ed for the New York Times titled “How Should We Mourn the End of Summer?” As he reflected on summer passing he wrote “I found myself ruminating not only on what I’d done and what I’d missed but also on what I considered most important. Rituals like journaling, reflecting and mourning are fundamental to how we psychologically construct the past because they inform us of our values and what we want for our futures. What we do at present, of course, crafts the future.” To that list I would add the ritual of prayer. The recognition that we are not fully in control and that a higher power holds us in love as we walk through our days. As we reflect on our past to understand how it informs our values, we may find that most, if not all, of the blessings we are giving thanks for are not of our own creation. We are called in this life to be partners with our God and participate in creation. 

The September Ember Days fall the week after Holy Cross Day on September 14th and they are associated with the grape harvest. Because of their fragile nature, grapes are one of the few fruits that have not succumbed to industrial harvesting. Human hands are required to pick grapes the same way they have been for thousands of years.  Grape vines and harvesting  are a great example of partnership between our creator and humanity. While we cannot control the rain that falls or how cold the nights get, we are still called to tend the vines. God does a lot, but without human participation of some kind, the grapes would become food for the birds and animals or rot on the vine. I was talking to Audrey about grape harvesting recently and she told me that she used to sample grape weights to estimate the harvest in the Willamette valley  “We used sharp snippers. It was a 10 hour day across multiple fields, weighing and recording. Snipping using the sharpest tools available, to make the process efficient.  I found a way to take multiple samples of clusters before returning my hands to the 1 gallon bucket used for measurements, instead of doing one at a time, removing several unnecessary hand movements to the process.

It was after 5pm (we started early), and I was getting mentally and physically tired. I was mesmerized at the beauty of the different stages of the different varieties of grapes. I was tired but wanted to finish, so I hurried
to complete estimates on one more row of panels.  The first, not completely mindful reach, and I sliced my hand with the blade. It was quitting time.” She said “The fall is a transition inward, a transition to rest. But don't let that rest come at the price of losing mindfulness in what we do.  Deliberate practice.  Intention. Awareness of our own bodies, minds, hearts, and spirits.  Attention to what we need to nourish those things.”

So what does this partnership with God mean for our everyday lives? The turning of the seasons is a good time to revisit our values and ask ourselves what we truly believe. How do we keep our awareness and attention. If we believe that God is loving and kind, and that is the kind of creation God wants, then each of us are called to tend the garden of kindness so that a harvest of love may be had. God provides the material.  With deliberate practice, we transform these fruits into a veritable feast.  Let us harvest mindfully.

Saint Teresa of Avila wrote “Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

Blessings and Peace, Jeremy+

September 19, 2024 - from Sally Hertzog

As mentioned a few weeks ago, the Outreach Team has developed an e*news feature called Outreach Highlight.  This is an opportunity for parishioners to feature their favorite nonprofit/organization in a personal way.

We believe it will be a great opportunity for us to get better acquainted as well as learn of the great work accomplished by various nonprofits.  We will read about the outreach being done and understand what draws volunteers to specific organizations.

To participate, fill out a short questionnaire via a link in our e*newsletter (below) or, via the church bulletin, being sure to return completed hard copies to a marked box at the rear of the sanctuary.  Once your questionnaire is submitted, someone from the Outreach Team will contact you for a short interview. 

Let’s learn more about you, our amazing local nonprofits, as well as those organizations beyond our valley walls!

September 12, 2024 - from Music Minister, Vincent Johns - Lee...

Hello from the Choir Loft!
 
So many exciting things have happened since my last E-News submission; I’ve been chomping at the bit to share with you.
 
Our new organ is a reality! The proposal was signed last week by Fr. Jeremy and the initial payment has been wired.  Church Organs of Colorado has sent the order to Rodgers Organs in Oregon and we should expect installation to begin in a couple of months (perhaps sooner if they have the organ already built).  Further, I will be using my continuing education funds to take organ coaching from a professional organist in Denver once a month.  With that, it’s exciting to anticipate using our brand-new organ for Advent and Christmas. If you’d like to see and read a little bit about the new organ, please click here.
 
The choir is preparing for anthems for the rest of the year, including Advent and Easter. We will be holding a retreat this Saturday, September 14, from. 9am to 2:30pm including lunch and breaks. If you love to sing, this is your opportunity to see what we’re all about! Come for a little while, or the whole retreat to see if this enriching ministry is for you. Please also feel free to talk to any choir members to find out their experiences in the choir. 
 
We are also looking for children 14 and under to sing with us for Christmas Eve.  The song we’re going to sing is “Christmas Shines.” It’s an adult/children anthem and it’s a lot of fun.  If you’d like to join us, please contact me as soon as possible (details below).  Rehearsals with the children will begin in November.
 
Now for some fund-raising news.  Just like my piano CD of hymns that we distributed for donations last spring, I am working on a CD of Christmas arrangements which should be available the first week of November. These CDs will not be for sale, but donations to the music program are greatly appreciated. They will make great Christmas presents!!!
 
Finally, thank you for your constant support and your many kind comments.  The choir and I are so happy we can minister to you in song. 
 
If you’d like more information on any of these topics, please don’t hesitate to call me at (917) 608-4074 or email me at sonata55635@gmail.com. 

Grace and Peace to you through our Lord, Jesus Christ,
Vincent

September 6, 2024 - from Sally Hertzog

Church Chat with the Outreach Team
 
On any given Sunday, people from many walks of life are seated in the pews of St. Paul’s sanctuary. These are younger and older folks, long-time St. Paul’s members, visitors, full-time residents and those who are second-home owners.   It’s great to see families in church, with children who participate in Sunday school or youth group in conjunction with Nicole Hickory and Maggie Taylor from the Methodist Church.

That being said, how about if we parishioners get to know each other a little better?  Sure, we may visit during coffee hour and share small talk.  But let’s dig a little deeper and learn of other’s interests and how we partner with and reach out to others.

The Outreach Team would like to engage in “Church Chat” and highlight willing parishioners to share information about themselves and how they participate in outreach/volunteerism BEYOND THE WALLS OF ST PAUL’S.  Many congregants participate in a ministry at St. Paul’s but the Outreach Team would like you to share news of your service in our Steamboat community or beyond, maybe another town, state or country. 

What nonprofits/organizations interest you and why are you drawn to volunteer with a specific nonprofit?  Providing this information to the Outreach Team gives us all a chance to not only know each other better, but to also learn of great nonprofits and their missions.

So, in a couple of weeks, look for an insert in the Sunday bulletin and in the online newsletter.  This form will have several questions for an individual to fill out and return to the church.  (Children, teens and adults are invited to participate).  Then the Outreach Team will conduct a short interview with the respondent, to highlight not only the volunteer, but also the organization being served. 

What a fun way get better acquainted while also learning of the work being done by nonprofits outside St Paul’s.  We hope you will participate in this fun “Church Chat” endeavor.

- Sally Hertzog
 

August 29, 2024 - from Father Jeremy

"And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.  Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” Genesis 2:2-3

“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” Exodus 20:8

History dot com tells the history of Labor Day beginning with the conditions that led to changes for American workers. “In the late 1800’s the average American worked 12 hour days seven days a week. Most of these workers were in mills, factories and mines. Children as young as 5 or 6 worked alongside adults making a fraction of their wages. People of all ages, particularly the very poor and recent immigrants, often faced extremely unsafe working conditions, with insufficient access to fresh air, sanitary facilities and breaks.” 

On September 5, 1882, 10,000 workers in New York City took unpaid leave and marched from City Hall to Union Square. This was the first Labor Day parade. Only after several major strikes were violently put down did some protections for workers in America start to be implemented in certain states.  Labor Day was officially created on June 28, 1894 by President Grover Clevland as a way of trying to repair ties with working class Americans. 

Even without the internet and before I learned about it in school I knew how industrial workers were treated. My father’s family is full of coal miners and steelworkers going back to those times in the late 1800. My grandfather told stories of his parents and grandparents living in tar paper shacks provided by the mine owners and being paid in company script that could only be used in the company store. My uncle and grandfather were both leaders in coal and steel unions. Throughout the years workers have had to work longer and harder to afford what most consider a normal life. The United States is the only advanced economy that does not guarantee its workers any paid vacation time, according to a report by the Center for Economic and Policy Research. As a result, 1 in 4 private-sector workers in the U.S. do not receive any paid vacation or paid holidays. Work bleeds into all of our time and we almost never stop.  Right now very few businesses would consider the 45 minutes back and forth from Craig everyday as work. So many of the workers in Steamboat spend seven plus hours, an entire extra workday a week, getting to and from a job for free. 

There are many debates over how much we should work and what should be considered work. The problem with most of our definitions of work, is that they usually only consider what one does for a paycheck as work.  If we added trips to the grocery store and laundry and yard work and chores and all of the other work we do, the 40 hours we spend at our job is just the start of a 60-80 hour week. Only recently has raising children been talked about as work. Work includes all of the volunteer work we do as well. Just because there's no monetary remuneration, does not mean it's not work. 

We read in Genesis 2 that on the seventh day God rested. God took a day off! Holy rest and sabbath means that we use that time for creative and restorative pursuits, not doing chores, not getting all of the other things done that we can’t get done spending eight hours a day at an office. God knows that a paycheck is not the only way to define work, and is far from being the only valuable work we do. This is why keeping a sabbath day is part of the top ten list that Moses brought down from the mountain (see commandment four). It is important that we do not determine the value of our time based on how much money we get to give it away. 

So when was the last time you took a day off from work of any kind, and just delighted in and enjoyed God’s creation? All we are told in scripture is that God rested on the seventh day. But God was not working with a seven day work week. There were no such days as Sunday or Saturday “In the beginning…” These days are days of traditional observance but they by no means suggest that a doctor working on a Sunday can’t take Tuesday as a sabbath day. Often we don’t even remember that we are called to sabbath rest. 

Labor Day weekend is as good of a time as any to reflect on how we are spending our lives in relation to what we do for money and how we rest. I heard once that money is just stored time and talent. It means that we give our life to something for which we are returned paper (or digital numbers these days) that represents that life. If we make $20/hour at a job, we are giving an hour of our life for $20 to use to buy the things we need or feel we need. When that $20 buys less and less we find it harder to take time off and observe the call of sabbath rest.  

In Matthew 6:25-34 Jesus tells us again and again that our worth is not based on what we do our how much we earn. Our value is found in God before we work at all. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.” 

God calls us to rest to remind us we are valuable and worth more than any amount of money. God loved us before we ever made a dollar. Remembering the sabbath is to remember ourselves. 

Peace, Jeremy+

August 22, 2024 - from Father Jeremy

My Other Religion 

I have a confession to make. There was a time in my life when I was a member of another religion. I know it’s hard to believe but, if I’m being completely honest, I am still sometimes pulled towards worship at another altar. It’s probably a religion you have heard of, it has millions of adherents who live all over the world. They are loud and evangelical and believe, with a cult-like fever in their particular version of this religion. I guess you could say there are a lot of geographical “denominations” and sometimes it splits entire families apart. This religion is, of course, college football. My particular denomination is Southern College Football and my “church”  is the Alabama Crimson Tide. Roll Tide! 

I was born into this faith. On September 10, 1971 Saint Paul William “Bear” Bryant defeated the mighty USC Trojans by introducing the “wish-bone” offense. It was a stunning upset.  My father was said to have been walking around celebrating my birth in the waiting room saying “Alabama won and I got a son!” All you need to know is that the Alabama victory was mentioned before my birth. Bear Bryant turned 58 the next day. 

In his book “Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer: A Road Trip into the Heart of Fan Mania”, New York Times writer Warren St. John described being an Alabama fan this way. “My team is the Alabama Crimson Tide. Growing up a Tide fan in the 1970s gave me an unrealistic sense of what it means to be a fan, for the simple reason that in the 1970s Alabama won, and being a sports fan is largely about learning to cope with losing. In most sports there is just one champion per year - every four years if you're into a sport like World Cup soccer - so for the overwhelming majority of fans, losing at least once a season is a near certainty. In my childhood, this small kink in the works of the fan's life went more or less unexposed.”

I went to many of those games in the 1970’s in Birmingham. Until 2003 Alabama played at least a few games at Legion Field in Birmingham, and most years in the 70’s and 80’s I was at one game at least. On Friday January 28th, 1983 my parents took me and my sister out of school to stand and watch the funeral hearse of Bear Bryant pass by. 

Obviously over the past several years it has been fun to be an Alabama football fan. I have not been nearly as obsessed with my previous faith as I once was, but there are many Saturdays you will find me watching a game, and many Monday mornings playing quarterback. This has always been a fun and enjoyable part of my life and has attached to it some of the best memories of family and friends. In challenging times I often return to these moments and savor the joy and laughter and excitement. 

Ecclesites 3 is the verse made famous by The Byrds recording Pete Seeger's song “Turn, Turn, Turn” “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: 

a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.”

We have a tendency in difficult times to get stuck and lose perspective on the fact that there is a time for everything under heaven, and that we live under the watchful eye of a loving God who is with us in good times and bad.  During times of social and economic turmoil this can be even more true. In Matthew 6:34 Jesus reminds us to not worry about tomorrow for it will have worries of its own. This by no means suggests that we should ignore important issues and problems that arise. What I am suggesting is that there is a place for joy and hope in our everyday life. 

I have been a part of a community of people since I was born that celebrates this time of year and looks with excitement to the weeks and months to come. It is a time for gatherings, meals, celebrations and commiserations. It helps bind people together, even if they attend different football churches or are part of different gridiron denominations. 

As a way of connecting football season to our world at large I am issuing a challenge to all other football fans at St. Paul’s. On Sunday there will be a large board at church. On it will be places to put your name, favorite team and the name of a charity. I will commit to donating $1 for every point the Alabama Crimson Tide scores this year to a specific charity. I challenge you all to do the same. At the end of the season we will all celebrate helping charities and nonprofits in Steamboat and beyond.  You don’t necessarily need to be a football fan or know anything about football to participate. Choose a team with a great logo, or pick a professional football team. If you or your family are Taylor Swift fans choose her boyfriend’s team (hint: it starts with KC) However you choose to give, please, above all, have fun. Get together with friends and laugh. Remember that we can sometimes take life too seriously (we can also take football too seriously). Know that God loves every team exactly the same, but he loves the Crimson Tide the most. ;)

Peace, Jeremy+

August 15, 2024 - from Father Jeremy

“O God of justice and compassion, you put down the proud and mighty from their place, and lift up the poor and the afflicted: We give you thanks for your faithful witness Jonathan Myrick Daniels, who, in the midst of injustice and violence, risked and gave his life for another; and we pray that we, following his example, may make no peace with oppression; through Jesus Christ the just one, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.” August 14 Collect for Jonathan Myrick Daniels Seminarian and Martyr, 1965 from “A Great Cloud of Witnesses, Calendar for Commemorations” 

In the summer of 1998 my friends The Rev Deacon Steve Shanks and The Rev Frances Walter traveled to the “black belt” of Alabama to the small town of Hayneville, Alabama. We were there to meet the dean of Coventry Cathedral and jointly make a pilgrimage to the site of the martyrdom of Jonathan Daniels. For a complete story of who Jonathan Daniels was follow this link to a wonderful article commemorating the 50th anniversary of his death. In short, Jonathan Daniels was a 26 year old episcopal seminarian and the 26th civil right activist murdered in the South working to register black voters after the passage of the Voters Rights Act in 1965. He was gunned down and murdered on a public street by a deputy sheriff while saving the life of a young woman and fellow activist named Ruby Sales. He stepped in front of a shotgun blast meant for her. 

Frances Walter was a friend of Jonathan Daniels and had spent time in the same jail in Hayneville working for civil rights. We walked from site to site following the last hours of Jonathan’s life, from the jail cell where he and other civil rights workers were held to the front steps of Varner’s Store where he was murdered. We then visited the courtroom where his killer was acquitted only 40 days after his murder by an all white jury. It was an incredibly powerful experience to walk the way of the cross of a martyr and to understand at a deeper level than ever before how slavery, segregation, racism and discrimination has shaped the character of our country. 

Over the years I have made many more pilgrimages to Hayneville. I have walked with Ruby Sales and heard her tell the story of that fateful day. I have taken communion from the judges bench in that infamous courtroom. Every time I have come away more committed to the cause of equal rights and equity for all. 

These pilgrimages were a formative part of my discernment to the priesthood and my understanding that, as a white man in the South, I was called to use my privilege in the cause of equality. I believe that we are all called to work for the betterment of our brothers and sisters who have not been afforded the same rights and privileges as we have. I pray in the words of the Collect for Jonathan Daniels that  “we, following his example, may make no peace with oppression” Archbishop Tutu once said “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.”  Jesus has called all of us and said quite clearly “Greater love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13

Laying down our lives does not necessarily mean dying, it means that we will give our life to the cause of love which leads the way to justice. The cause of equality is one that we meet every day and can show up in every part of our life. Shortly after moving to Steamboat I was in the sauna in the locker room at Old Town Hot Springs. As I sat there I heard raised voices and an obvious argument over something. It continued for several minutes and was over before I got back to my locker.  Later that day I was called by a parishioner who happened to be involved in that particular altercation. He told me that he had confronted a young man who was telling jokes and laughing about how this young man would have owned slaves and that the black men in the locker room would have probably been field slaves and not house slaves because of the darkness of their skin. When confronted, this young man became belligerent and said that he had just been kidding around with his friends. Our parishioner told me that he was not proud of the way he had handled the situation, but that he could not stand by and let someone speak so blithely about such an evil subject and horrible wound in the history of our country.  While he could have probably taken a less acrimonious approach, his instinct was pure, to stand up and say something in the face of cruel humor at the expense of another. 

I only point out this story to say that racism and discrimination are not something only to be found in the far off world of the South. Discrimination exists in every corner of our world, because it exists in our broken humanity. At the same time love also exists in our broken humanity. The men and women, who, like Jonathan Daniels, risked their lives for the sake of justice, did so out of a profound sense of love for their friends and neighbors who were violently oppressed and kept from their rights in this country. They did not believe that humanity had to follow the path of hate, and so stood up and laid down their lives for the love of their friends. I pray that each of us be inspired by their witness and find within ourselves the courage to do the same.

The commemoration of Jonathan Daniels and the martyrs of Alabama is held annually on August 14th, but we need not wait a year to honor the deep act of love he demonstrated that day.  These acts are not meant to live in our memories alone- to be simply stories of the greatness of the hearts of our ancestors.  Let us have the wisdom to know our convictions as deeply as Jonathan Daniels, and the courage to not look the other way.  Let us have the courage to lift up the poor and the afflicted, even if it means temporarily sacrificing comfortable silence. Let us honor the history of Christ, of Daniels, and of countless others, by realizing those stories continue in an unbroken chain to this day, and we choose our part with our actions.

 Peace, Jeremy+

August 5, 2024- from Father Jeremy

I was once asked a question that kept me thinking for days. Ok, this has happened more than once, but I still think about this question often.

The question was this, “If you were given the chance to trade bodies with the person you love the most in the world, and you were asked to take care of that body for a year, how would you treat it?” Obviously most of us would want to return their body as good or better than we got it. We would probably feed it healthy food, get exercise, sleep well, play, laugh, go for dental and doctors appointments. I’m sure there are many wonderful ways that we would treat the precious gift of life with which we had been entrusted. Then came the second part of the question, and the one that has kept me thinking all these years later; If you would be willing to do all of those things for the person you love the most, why are you not doing them for yourself? 


The notion of self-care is one that is both vitally important and often misunderstood. In the gospel of Mark Jesus tells us that we are to,  “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31. The Rev John Claypool once pointed out that the second part of this verse is both a commandment to do something, and a statement that you WILL love your neighbor as yourself. In other words, if you don’t love yourself, how are you going to love anyone else? (Can I get an AMEN?) 


It is clear to me that many people in our world do not love themselves, and it is so sad.  Most of the addictions we see are really ways of avoiding having to look inside of ourselves.  People are afraid that if they stop too long they will have to face the voices that have told them that they are not lovable and that they have no worth. Oftentimes we don't take care of ourselves because we really don’t think we are worth it.  In reality the silence inside is where God is waiting to tell us how much we are loved and where we find the beautiful creation that God made. I was recently listening to a podcast called Hidden Brain about being alone. In it, researchers showed that people will choose being bored and sorting pencils rather than just being alone with their thoughts. 


If we were back inside of the person we loved the most and heard their mind telling them they were worthless, would we not immediately jump in and defend them as a wonderful  child of God? Maybe we would look in the mirror and recite part of Psalm 139 “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” 


We live in a world today that constantly tries to convince us that we are not good enough, and that self care means excessive self indulgence.  None of us are perfect, but our worth is defined by God and not by advertisers. Advertisers want us to believe that somehow their product will be the thing that makes us whole. So we work hard to buy our way to worthiness, only to find the next product that promises to really work this time. The truth is that you cannot buy what you already have. God has made us worthy and we are surrounded by God’s love and grace from before we are born until after we have returned to the love that made us. 


Take some time to look in the mirror and practice seeing yourself as God sees you “fearfully and wonderfully made.” 

Peace, Jeremy+

July 18, 2024- from Father Jeremy

“The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 1 Corinthians 12:21

“And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:35-40

Over the past few weeks I have spoken to several people expressing the same concern in different ways, “How can we have deep conversations about important topics in a world where everyone seems to have taken sides and is ready to fight at the drop of a hat?” I must confess that it is a challenge I have struggled with for many years. As a priest in community I feel that it is my role to engage in topics and subjects that are important to the spiritual life. That includes pretty much anything. Money, sex, politics, family, the environment... You name the topic and it contains a spiritual element. How could it not? Everything that we are, everything that we have, all that there is, was created by a loving God and redeemed by the love of Jesus. As the poet Wendell Berry once said, “There is no such thing as sacred and secular, there is only the sacred and that which has been desecrated.” So how do we talk about the sacred and what has been desecrated? …..

The first thing that we failable humans have to do is to recognize that we are part of a community. We are not individuals without connections, we need one another.

Right now there are forces in the world working hard to tear us apart. Their main way of doing this is to convince us that we do not need one another, or our brothers and sisters who are the animals and plants, earth and sky, with whom we share this creation. When we can look at one another without care or concern we fall apart. Archbishop Desmond Tutu once said: 

“Indigenous Peoples remind us of this fact. They teach us that the first law of our being is that we are set in a delicate network of interdependence with our fellow human beings and with the rest of creation. In Africa recognition of our interdependence is called ubuntu. It is the essence of being human. It speaks of the fact that my humanity is caught up and is inextricably bound up in yours. I am human because I belong to the whole, to the community, to the tribe, to the nation, to the earth. Ubuntu is about wholeness, about compassion for life.

Ubuntu has to do with the very essence of what it means to be human, to know that you are bound up with others in the bundle of life. In our fragile and crowded world we can survive only together. We can be truly free, ultimately, only together. We can be human only together.”

In an effort to help us remember our common humanity and to share our hopes and fears with one another, St. Paul’s will be hosting Sunday Night Conversations during the month of August. We will begin our time together at 4pm with Evening Prayer in the Old Stone Church and then spend the next hour talking about a topic of importance. This will be a facilitated conversation, not a debate. We will share from our own unique perspectives and listen with the intent to understand, not trying to convince anyone that our perspective is better or right or the only way to see things. We will ask that what is said in these holy conversations remains within the sacred walls of the Old Stone Church. 

It is my sincere belief that we only truly get to know one another when we respectfully listen to one another's stories and recognize our common humanity in our neighbors. In the book “Difficult Conversations: How To Discuss What Matters Most” members of the Harvard Negotiation Team discuss the importance of stories in moving  through disagreements. Chapter 2 is entitled “Stop Arguing About Who’s Right: Explore Each Other’s Stories”.  In that chapter they make this very important statement: “There’s only one way to come to understand another person's story, and that’s by being curious. Instead of asking ‘How can they be so selfish?!’ ask yourself, ‘I wonder what information they have that I don’t.’ Instead of asking, ‘How can they be so irrational?’ ask ‘How might they see the world such that their view makes sense? What important experiences have shaped them?’ Certainty locks us out of their story; curiosity lets us in.” 

How do we love our neighbor as ourselves, even if we disagree? How do we connect with each other amidst a zeitgeist of polarization, when so much we hold dear to our hearts feels delicately suspended in the fray? How do we discover and strengthen the ties that bind all of creation inextricably together as one?

We have to set aside our egos, before the one true power, that is God.  In order to do that, we must not be afraid to be vulnerable with each other.  To share our fears, our dreams, our concerns, and our solutions.  To listen with the intent to understand.

When we share our vulnerabilities before God, we send out a energetic branch.  When we listen with curiosity, we reach out a hand to grasp that branch.

That connection is community.  That connection is how we affirm our commitment to love our neighbors as ourselves, to actively live in a civil society, one that does not avoid tough conversations, trading true connection for the illusion of peace.

That is how we are human, together.

July 11, 2024- from Father Jeremy

About a year ago David Brooks wrote a piece for The Atlantic called “How America Got Mean”. He said this  “The most important story about why Americans have become sad and alienated and rude, I believe, is also the simplest: We inhabit a society in which people are no longer trained in how to treat others with kindness and consideration. Our society has become one in which people feel licensed to give their selfishness free rein… [I]n a healthy society, a web of institutions—families, schools, religious groups, community organizations, and workplaces—helps form people into kind and responsible citizens, the sort of people who show up for one another.”

This article, which I highly recommend, has stuck with me. Despite all of the simple explanations like social media, economics, social breakdown, Brooks comes back to the more complex idea of how we educate society in “Moral Formation” “Moral formation, as I will use that stuffy-sounding term here, comprises three things. First, helping people learn to restrain their selfishness. How do we keep our evolutionarily conferred egotism under control? Second, teaching basic social and ethical skills. How do you welcome a neighbor into your community? How do you disagree with someone constructively? And third, helping people find a purpose in life. Morally formative institutions hold up a set of ideals. They provide practical pathways toward a meaningful existence: Here’s how you can dedicate your life to serving the poor, or protecting the nation, or loving your neighbor.” 

For centuries the role of moral formation and ethics has fallen to churches. The Christian church has, at some times, done a better job than others in fulfilling that role. The same can be said of every religious institution of any faith or denomination. We don't always get it right, but hopefully, with God’s grace, we are always trying to do better. 

 I believe more than ever that our country and world need more institutions teaching moral formation. Because this is how we live together as humans in a flawed world. We need boundaries and guard rails so that we can live in a civil society. But more than that we need humans in the world who believe in doing the right thing, because it is the right thing. Not because anyone is watching. In fact, one of the most indelible definitions of character that I ever heard is “doing the right thing even if no one is watching and when no one will ever know if you did or didn’t”  This is not something that magically springs from us at birth.  Children must be taught empathy, they need to see examples of kindness and love, honesty and fortitude. 

Two  of the biggest challenges today in teaching morality and ethics are one,  that no one can seem to agree with or any one definition of “good”. And two, there seem to be no real consequences to unethical or immoral behavior.  Every day it seems like we see more and more people “get away with it”. So, what are people to think? Being a moral person, It seems to me that we have gotten so used to the idea that we should only be “good” when it gets us something.

Lately I have been playing around with Open AI and ChatGPT. I thought it might be interesting to see what AI had to say about being a good person and how we learn to be good people. I asked, “How would I learn to be a good person?” Here was the answer:

Learning how to be a good person is an ongoing process of self-reflection, learning, and growth. Here are some steps that can help guide you:

1. Self-Reflection:

• Regularly take time to reflect on your actions, thoughts, and motivations.

• Consider keeping a journal to track your personal growth and areas for improvement.

1. Empathy:

• Practice putting yourself in others' shoes to understand their perspectives and feelings.

• Engage in active listening, which involves truly hearing and understanding others without immediately jumping to conclusions or judgments.

1. Kindness and Compassion:

• Perform acts of kindness, no matter how small.

• Volunteer your time and skills to help those in need.

1. Integrity and Honesty:

• Be truthful and transparent in your dealings with others.

• Keep your promises and commitments.

1. Personal Development:

• Read books, take courses, or seek resources that encourage personal growth and ethical behavior.

• Learn from role models who exemplify the traits you admire.

1. Community Engagement:

• Get involved in your local community to better understand the needs and challenges of those around you.

• Participate in activities that promote social good and justice.

1. Mindfulness and Gratitude:

• Practice mindfulness to stay present and aware of your actions and their impact.

• Cultivate gratitude to appreciate the positive aspects of your life and the people around you.

1. Feedback and Accountability:

• Seek feedback from trusted friends, family, or mentors to gain insights into your behavior.

• Hold yourself accountable for your actions and strive to make amends if you hurt someone.

1. Continuous Learning:

• Stay open to learning and adapting as you grow.

• Recognize that becoming a good person is a lifelong journey that requires patience and dedication.

All of these are great ways to build a moral foundation and character, and each has deep connections to our faith. It is no wonder that when AI goes looking for a “how to” list it comes back with a collection of some of the most ancient prayer and meditation practices known. It also reminds us of ancient teachings from almost every religious and philosophical tradition. How we live this out in our daily lives will be unique to each of us, but we must try and reflect on building our character and encourage others to do the same. Not by finger wagging and criticism, but by our own example. By living a life of character, we become examples. By supporting community leaders and elected officials who live lives of high moral character we begin again to build up a society with a firm foundation, in which we live not only for ourselves but for others. 

Peace, Jeremy+

July 4, 2024 - from Father Jeremy

“Out of the rack and ruin of our gangster death,
The rape and rot of graft, and stealth, and lies,
We, the people, must redeem
The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers.
The mountains and the endless plain—
All, all the stretch of these great green states—
And make America again!”

From “Let America Be America Again” by Langston Hughes

 When I was a kid the 4th of July was one of my favorite holidays. What 10 year old Alabama boy doesn’t love the opportunity to blow things up,  set things on fire, eat tons of junk food, swim in a lake or river, and fall asleep exhausted to the sounds of fireworks. But as I grew up my relationship with the holiday changed. Studying history in college and going to law school,  I came to learn that our country's highest ideals were not always met by its citizens, both elected and otherwise. That no matter how many times someone said that the rights found in the Declaration of Independence and Constitution applied to everyone equally, I discovered otherwise. 

 America, like every other country that has ever existed, is flawed and has failed, because like every other country it is made up of flawed men and women, who at times fail to be their highest and best selves. Langston Hughes goes through this in detail in his poem, and yet at the same time has hope that we humans can be counted on to try and live up to our best selves. I am the son and grandson of veterans and I have worked with veterans for many years. I know that there are men and women willing to risk their lives to defend the highest ideals of America. I have also met men and women who give their lives day by day to support the pursuit of happiness for all. Each of them is working towards the America envisioned but not always embodied by its citizens. 

 In our world today there are some who believe that God has specifically blessed our country and that it can do no wrong. This belief known mostly as Christian Nationalism is a sinful misrepresentation and limitation of the God of love who created all that is and shall be. As Christians, we must take the time to realize that, even as we celebrate and give thanks for the country we have been given the opportunity to live in, to equate that with God’s providence leaves us at risk for a pride and hubris that has enslaved people in the name of Christian values. The type of pride that has exterminated whole races of people who were living on the land that “God had given to us”. It leads to discrimination in the name of holiness, and destruction and violence in the name of our particular God.  Christian Nationalism has no place in our country, it is sinful and theologically empty.  

 America is not a Christian nation. Our founding fathers, in fact, made it very clear that religion has no role in government, as government has no role in religion.  It was so important to them that this notion comprises the First Amendment.  

 It is called to be a nation where Christians, and people of all faiths, or none, can live out the highest ideals of society and community through our faith. 

 Though we may make laws that govern a civil society based on our moral convictions, to confine our faith to a distinct group of people - defined by people, not by God – is an act of pride, not of faith.

 God is unfathomably larger than a single nation.  We defraud our faith when we choose to limit it.

 That leaves the question, how should a Christian celebrate the 4th of July? What does it mean to celebrate the founding of a country as a person of faith? 

 There is a cheap way, and there is a way of integrity.  The cheap way is to paint a picture with words.  To wrap ourselves in a comfortable narrative of exceptionalism.  Of “better than”.  Of utterly un-Christlike pomp and circumstance.  The way of open, loving faith is less tidy.  It exposes us to the realities that Langston Hughes highlights in his petition to “Let America be America again!”.  It implores us to embrace humility instead of hubris, of gratitude and generosity instead of greed.

 Okay, but HOW?

 First we can and should give humble thanks for the opportunity to live in this place at this time. It is not that God loves us any more than God loves someone in Gaza, or Ukraine, or Sudan, or Haiti. God loves all of this creation, and we have been born, through chance, into a place where we can live in peace at this time. What this opportunity gives us is the ability to work for the betterment of God’s creation. To try and live up the best ideals of not only our country but also our Christian faith and to work for justice, equity and peace. To not isolate ourselves and close the doors to those seeking help. To reach out a hand and love our neighbors as ourselves. 

 It also means that we should accept the mistakes and faults of the past done in the name of faith. We should repent and commit to not falling into the sinful, pride filled trap of exceptionalism and entitlement. With this humility we do not have to fear helping others and attempting to repair the sins of the past. We can make new and healthy decisions that Jesus would recognize as the work of his followers, followers of the Way. 

 The relationship between faith and country can be complicated. But like any relationship we must be able to admit our mistakes, repair the damage that has been done and give thanks for the opportunity to change. We must not take for granted what we have been given, nor hoard it and try and keep it all to ourselves. So let us celebrate this anniversary of the founding of our country not merely with militaristic bravado, pride and ego. Let us celebrate the opportunity to continue creating a nation built on the principles of generosity, kindness, welcome and care and let America be America again. 

 Peace, Jeremy+ 

June 27, 2024

From Dave Kinnear, Senior Warden...


Why and How?
 
Has anyone ever asked you why you are a member of St. Paul’s? Have you ever searched for a succinct way to explain what our parish does? When did you last consider the mission and vision of St. Paul’s?
 
During our current transition, the Search Committee and the Vestry have been discussing the mission and vision of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. Understanding and communicating what we are doing and why is vital to the process of finding our next rector.
 
St. Paul’s mission and vision statements were last updated in July 2019. The Vestry began with the 2019 statements and updated them with more streamlined terminology and active language. The new versions are less wordy. The mission statement is short enough that any of us can memorize it and share it, easily, with anyone who asks about St. Paul’s. 
 

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Mission Statement
 
Through worship and discipleship in community, embodying the gifts of the Holy Spirit and sharing God’s transforming love with one and all, we are transformed in Christ to become a light to the world.
 

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Vision Statement
 
We, as St. Paul’s parish, desire to be a Christ-centered community, grounded in His love and led by the Holy Spirit. We find grace, forgiveness, and wholeness through the life-giving work of the cross.
 
We believe that God has called each of us to be here at this time and in this place. We are a community of faith that welcomes all into a relationship of belonging, connectedness and fellowship. We provide a peaceful sanctuary and place of respite where we find our common ground in Jesus, and where all are met with compassion, love, and respect. We support one another, and share in the joys, sorrows, and yearnings of each other’s lives.
 
Through constant renewal, spiritual development and using our God-given gifts, we offer Christ-centered opportunities for people of all ages. We worship through the traditions of our Episcopal liturgy including excellence in preaching and music.
 
By using our God-given gifts, we continually seek opportunities to share and live out the gospel of Jesus Christ beyond our parish doors.
 
 
These statements are posted on our website and can be found by clicking here..  They will also be included in the posting for the permanent rector position.
 
If you would like to learn more about the updated mission and vision statements, members of the Vestry will be discussing them, after the service, on July 14, 2024. Members of the Search Committee will also be discussing the results of the recent congregational survey. Please join us for a conversation about the present and future of St. Paul’s.
 
Dave Kinnear
Senior Warden

May 22, 2024 - from Father Jeremy

Following last week's celebration on Pentecost and our reflection on how the spirit moves in the world, I found this section of Richard Rohr's daily email particularly insightful.

Theologian Grace Ji-Sun Kim urges Christians to be open to the Spirit’s life-giving movement: 

"The Holy Spirit makes us “spiritually” alive. It inspires and strengthens us and gives us aspirations, inspirations, and intuitions. It opens us to new truths and enables us to integrate these truths into our minds and lives…. We want the Spirit to open us to its presence so we may be transformed. We believe that this openness to God’s transforming presence will make us truly alive.

We must be guided by the Spirit in all that we do. We work with the movement of the Spirit as wind, light, and breath to change us and empower us to be agents of change.  

When the Spirit fills our lives, we follow the rhythm of the Spirit. We are guided by the Spirit to become new creatures and become agents of change. We become workers in the Spirit and for the Spirit….  

The love of the Spirit will empower us to work for God: to generate justice, be merciful, and fill the world with God’s love…. As we experience God’s presence, we each contribute to the building of the reign of God here on Earth. It is a task that calls all of us. 

We recognize that this Spirit transforms us to become the best that we can be by our love. Love is the force that challenges us to move towards justice and wholeness."

We are living in a world that can certainly use more justice and wholeness. I leave you with this prayer from the Cursillo movement. May our prayers keep us ever mindful of God's love and the Spirit's movement.  Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in us the fire of your love. Send forth Your Spirit and we shall be created and you shall renew the face of the earth. Oh, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit, we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in your consolations. Amen

February 29, 2024

From Dave Kinnear, Senior Warden...

Welcome to our new Interim Rector:
The Very Reverend Jeremy P. Lucas

St. Paul’s has been functioning, over the past three months with supply priests and a lot of volunteer work. Many of our members have done great things to keep the parish moving forward and we are all grateful for their inspired work. We know that St. Paul’s is even stronger, though, when we have an ordained member of the clergy supporting our efforts every day.

I am excited to announce that the Vestry has reached an agreement with The Very Reverend Jeremy P. Lucas to serve as St. Paul’s Interim Rector, beginning on April 8. The Vestry met with Rev. Jeremy on February 21 and voted, unanimously, to ask him to join us. He will be with us for a number of months as the Search Committee continues its deliberate work toward finding our next permanent Rector. Please note that an interim cannot be a candidate for the permanent Rector position.

Rev. Jeremy comes to us with a variety of experiences that will enable him to serve the needs of St. Paul’s. He attended the General Theological Seminary, in New York City and has served congregations in the Portland, Oregon area, as well as Namibia. He has also served as the chaplain of a hospice and has been trained as an interim priest. Having spoken with Rev. Jeremy several times, I am confident that he will challenge each of us to grow in our faith and will, also, help us find ways to make St. Paul’s an even better parish.

We are just finishing up all of the details required to get Rev. Jeremy licensed in Colorado and officially employed by St. Paul’s. He has met with Bishop Kym and we anticipate no complications. Rev. Jeremy is committed to a parish in Portland through Easter Sunday, March 31. After finishing his duties in Portland, he will make his way to Steamboat Springs and move into the rectory.

Let’s get ready to welcome Rev. Jeremy Lucas to Steamboat Springs and to St. Paul’s at the April 14 service!

You can read more about him here.
Regards,
Dave Kinnear

February 22, 2024

from our Outreach team, parishioner Sally Hertzog

HOW TO ENGAGE IN JESUS’ GREAT COMMISSION

Do you know of Jesus’ Great Commission and how it relates to the disciples? Where do evangelism, outreach and mission fit into the picture? And finally, how do you integrate the Great Commission into your spiritual journey?

We are given the Great Commission in Matthew 27:19-20, when Jesus gives the 11 remaining Disciples their final task before he ascends. Jesus says, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” That is a lofty task; baptizing, teaching, and obeying. And how does one “obey everything I have commanded you?”

For the first Disciples and now for us, this task is challenging; to be faithful followers of Christ and to make new followers in all nations. Numerous means exist to engage in and advance the Great Commission. Of course, one of the main tenants is to know Scripture. How can one address Jesus’ teachings without knowing them? It took the Disciples time and lots of work to understand Jesus and his words and works. For most of us, it is the same, discipline and consistency in our learning and worship. Again, there are many ways to participate in the Great Commission, and each is an extension of God’s individual call in our lives. What God does not leave as an option is for us not to participate at all.

Evangelism or spreading the good news of Christ is another way to participate in the Great Commission. However, many people are uncomfortable with “preaching the gospel” to others. One may not feel confident to teach of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. But the Bible teaches that we should not be fearful, as we will be “equipped” to spread the word.

How often do you speak of Jesus and his teachings and to whom? Just to fellow believers or to those who don’t know Jesus? One of the most effective methods to acquaint people with Jesus is through action. Remember what St. Francis once said: “preach the gospel at all times, if necessary, use words.” Actions speak louder than words.

Outreach and mission are other ways to teach of Jesus and his commands. This may be soft evangelism, being out in the community and in the world to demonstrate God’s love. Outreach is the act of reaching out to the local community in numerous ways; vacation bible school, providing a meal or ride, visiting an ill person, giving volunteer and/or financial support to a local nonprofit. Is Outreach enough to spread the gospel to other nations? Not at all! That is when mission comes into the picture.

Mission is when a person, group, or church crosses cultural, ethnic, and religious borders outside of their affinity group. One crosses borders to spread the good news and do good works. An example is volunteering in an orphanage in Africa, building a school in Mexico, providing humanitarian aid to refugees in another country. Mission is the part of the Great Commission that reaches to others outside your community with teaching of Jesus and doing what he commands.

Much of outreach and mission involves action; giving of one’s time and gifts in service to others. It is important for a church to be involved in both outreach and mission if Christianity is to” make disciples of all nations.”

St. Paul’s has many parishioners who volunteer in the community and perform outreach. Organized groups and ministries at St Paul’s, the Daughters of the King and the Outreach, strive to serve others. Hopefully at some point the Outreach Team and St Paul’s will also engage in mission work; to cross borders to demonstrate Jesus’ love. So think about and discern ways in which you and St Paul’s congregation can better participate in Jesus’ Great Commission, ways that we can love our neighbors in our community and in other nations.

The Outreach Team welcomes all members of St. Paul’s to its monthly meeting to discuss outreach and mission; Meetings are the 2nd Wed of each month in the library at 11:00 a.m. Your participation and ideas are encouraged and welcome.

Sally Hertzog
sallyahertzog@gmail.com

European/Baltic Lutheran traditions have the same role and designate it as a Kuster (German), or Koster (Dutch), from the Latin “custos” which means “guard.” For the Episcopal and Anglican traditions, the Verger now serves as a Master of Ceremonies in overseeing services, and also in keeping order in the ceremonies.

The Verger can also take a role in leading services. Our Verger also often serves as an Acolyte, which term derives from the Latin “acolythus”, with earlier origin in Greek. The title was originally applied to those responsible for bearing lights in liturgical services. This tradition continues with Acolytes attending to candles, and also carrying the Cross in procession, and assisting with ceremonial functions.

Now you can better appreciate how our liturgy derives from ancient roles, and connects us to our ancestors in Christianity! And service as a Verger, or an Acolyte, or an Usher, is a form of worship.

At St. Paul's, our Verger also often serves as an Acolyte.  When our Verger is alone, he/she acts more as the Acolyte and carries the cross; if there is also an Acolyte (usually a child) then that person carries the cross and the Verger carries nothing.

Service as a Verger, or an Acolyte, or an Usher, is a form of worship.  We would love to have, and need (!), your service in this ministry; learning the roles is easy.  Please contact Jim De Francia jdefrancia@lowe-re.com

On Sundays starting February 18, we invite you to join St. Paul’s observance of a holy Lent by also coming for weekly study, supper, and fellowship at 6:15 in the parish hall (after Evening Prayer in the Old Stone Church). We’ll enjoy savory soups and bread as we discuss Richard Wilke’s “He Set His Face to Jerusalem,” a seven-week study using the Gospel of Luke to explore Jesus’s commitment to go to Jerusalem. 

A retired Methodist bishop, Rev. Wilke encourages us in this study also to examine the directions in which we set our own faces, in our relationships with God and our neighbors. Whether you call it Christian Formation, Sunday School, Bible Study or an easy meal, we hope you’ll answer the call to it – to grow in understanding and wisdom, in truth and love, and in fellowship with your companions in faith.

You can sign up here or on the physical sign-up sheet in the back of the church, where there soon will be a limited number of books available for purchase or loan. What else can you expect in worship this Lent?

• On all Sunday mornings in Lent, we change from singing “Glory to God” (the Gloria) to “have mercy on us” (the Kyrie). We will also incorporate two beautiful pre- and post-communion prayers from our Rite I liturgy.

• On the First Sunday in Lent (Feb. 18), our morning service will be joyfully unusual as we rejoice with the angels to have two baptisms!

• On the Second Sunday in Lent, our Lenten liturgy will begin in earnest as we open the service of Holy Eucharist with Lenten-traditional The Great Litany (Book of Common Prayer, pp. 148-153), an ordered collection of prayers for deliverance from things that could harm us and for the good we desire for ourselves and our neighbors.

• On the remaining Sunday mornings in Lent we will open with A Penitential Order: Rite II (BCP pp. 351-353), with its reminder of the greatest commandments.

• Evening Prayer (5:30 on Sundays) will use the more formal language of Rite I for you long-time Episcopalians who miss this, and those of you relative newbies interested in a change of pace.

Your Newly-Authorized Worship Committee
 

So, you may ask, who chose these various means for our observance of a holy Lent? Answer - your newly-authorized Worship Committee. A sub-committee of the Vestry, this group represents a wide range of liturgical interests and experiences, with all members committed to planning worship services that conform to our Episcopal tradition in ways that lovingly serve this community, especially in this time of transition. Once we have a rector (or interim rector) in place, the committee will continue to serve as one of advice, counsel and information on the needs of the parish, to support the rector.

When you see them, please thank Ken Cannon, Jim DeFrancia, Duane Erwin, JoAnne Grace, Nicole Hickory, Vincent Johns-Lee, and Sandy Schwindy for their loving service on this committee, along with Tracie Detwiler from the Leadership Team. You may also share with them and with me any questions or concerns you have about worship at St. Paul’s.
 
So come, whoever you are and wherever you find yourself on your journey to God, as together we set our faces to Jerusalem in remembrance of the One who died for our salvation.

In faith in Christ –
Susan Cahoon
Vestry member and Worship Committee Chair

[1] Marion J. Hatchett, Commentary on the American Prayer Book

January 25, 2024

From Dave Kinnear, Senior Warden:

The annual meeting is fast approaching, and I would like to strongly encourage all members of St. Paul’s to come and participate, after the service, on February 4. This is one of the very important events in the life of our parish. We will be updating everyone on the work being done by each of our ministries and will be electing Vestry members and wardens. You will also learn about the budget and how we will invest your generous contributions to advance our ministries.
 
The congregation will be asked to vote on updated bylaws at the annual meeting. The bylaws are the framework on which we build the policies and procedures we use to operate the parish. The bylaws committee has been working, all year, to modernize the bylaws and to make them consistent with the Canons of The Episcopal Church and the Colorado Diocese of the Episcopal Church. While bylaws are not the most exciting part of our ministry, they are important, so please come and give us your vote.
 
The annual meeting will include a potluck brunch, so please bring an item to share if you can. If you are unable to bring a food item, don’t worry, we will have plenty for everyone.
 
I look forward to seeing you at the annual meeting!
 
Dave Kinnear
Senior Warden

January 16, 2024

From Dave Kinnear, Sr. Warden:

Dear People of St. Paul’s,

Thank you for a successful stewardship drive. The commitment demonstrated by the people of St. Paul’s will enable us to continue and grow our ministry in 2024 and beyond. All of us on the Vestry are excited to see where the Holy Spirit leads us.

We will take our next step into the future of St. Paul’s at the annual meeting. I would like to encourage everyone to come and participate on February 4, after the 9:30 a.m. service. We will meet in the parish hall as soon as everyone has had a chance to grab a snack and get settled.

We have several important issues to address at the annual meeting this year. The Bylaws Committee has been working, all year, to bring the St. Paul’s bylaws into agreement with the Canons of The Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Colorado.

Below this note, you will see a note from the Bylaws Committee and three attachments for your review. Members of the Bylaws Committee will be available after this Sunday's service, January 21, to answer any questions you might have about the update. The congregation will be asked to approve the updated bylaws at the annual meeting.

The congregation will also be voting for Vestry members and wardens on February 4. The Leadership Committee is nominating Duane Erwin and Jim Ferguson for three-year terms on the Vestry. The wardens are elected to one-year terms. Bruce Givnish is the nominee for Junior Warden and I will be running for another year as Senior Warden.

Finally, we will be voting on the 2024 St. Paul’s budget, which has been enabled by our stewardship drive.

I look forward to the future of our ministry at St. Paul’s!

Dave Kinnear,
Senior Warden
dkinnear@gmail.com

******

From the Bylaws Committee:
David Kinnear, Susan Cahoon and Tom Chaney

It was determined before the 2023 Annual Meeting that St. Paul’s Bylaws did not meet the requirements of the Diocese of Colorado regarding the election of Wardens. Limited revisions to the Bylaws were developed and approved by the membership of the Parish before the conduct of the 2023 Annual Meeting which corrected the Bylaws.

A Bylaws Committee was then appointed to do a complete review of the Bylaws to address the needs of the Parish and changes in the National and Diocesan Canons that have evolved since St. Paul’s Bylaws were last changed. The Bylaws Committee is composed of David Kinnear, Susan Cahoon and Tom Chaney.

The Bylaws Committee was required to submit the proposed Bylaws to the Vestry thirty days before the 2024 Annual Meeting of the Parish, which it did. Subsequent to submitting the proposed Bylaws to the Vestry, the Bylaws Committee is proposing two additional changes. The Committee will offer those additional changes as amendments to the proposed Bylaws at the Annual Meeting. There are therefore three attachments for review below:

Attachment #1 shows the proposed changes, as edits relative to the original Bylaws text, that were submitted to the Vestry.

Attachment #2 shows these same proposed changes, incorporated into the Bylaws as a final copy.

Attachment #3 is a 1 page summary of all proposed changes including, in red, the two additional changes the Committee plans to offer as amendments to the proposed Bylaws.

As Dave mentions in his letter above, members of the Bylaws Committee will be available after this Sunday's service, January 21, to answer any questions you may have.

Thank you
Dave, Susan & Tom

January 11, 2024

December 22, 2023 - from Dave Kinnear, Senior Warden

RECTOR & RECTORY NEWS!

The Vestry continues to work hard on the transition to a new Rector. In fact, next Wednesday, the Vestry will interview a candidate for interim Rector. We hope to have someone in place soon. I will keep you posted on our progress.

The Rectory will be very busy beginning Sunday.  Rev. Will Fisher will stay overnight on December 24, our interim Rector candidate will stay overnight on December 26, and Bishop Kym arrives the evening of December 27.  Planning for our guests has been quite the job for June! 

The Rectory could use a few things to make it cozy and welcoming such as...
Two QUEEN Size Blankets
Four TWIN Size Blankets (or just 2 if they are heavy). 
Complete Lamps (not just the bases)
Books
Board Games (we already have chess and checkers)
Please contact June at office@steamboatstpauls.org if you are able to help.

Thank you.  
Dave Kinnear
Senior Warden
dkinnear@gmail.com

December 7, 2023 -

from June Washikita O’Neill, parish administrator

THIS SUNDAY, December 10, we will be celebrating the Festival of Lessons & Carols.  This decision was made for practical reasons as we don't have a supply priest available this week. For those of you who are concerned about having Lessons & Carols before Christmas, it is allowed.  In fact, Lessons & Carols can be done any time during Advent and Christmas, except on Jan. 1 which is the Feast of the Holy Name. There are both the Advent Festival of Lessons & Carols, and the Christmas Festival of Lessons & Carols. 

Upcoming Sunday supply priests include Rev. Will Fisher on December 17, December 24, and December 25.  Rev. Rex Chambers for December 31, January 7, and January 14.    
 

November 28, 2023 - from Lisa Schmierer, Susan Cahoon, Bruce Givnish

UPDATE STEWARDSHIP 2024
 
We are 4 weeks into our campaign and wanted to give you an update on our progress.
 
We are so grateful that so many have demonstrated the spirit of abundance by pledging already.  We are excited to report that we have received 26 pledges totaling $202,355.  Three of these are new pledges.  The average increase of the pledges is 34%.  This is great news!
 
We have close to 55 additional parishioner households that pledged in 2023 or earlier, whose pledges we look forward to receiving. 
 
Our Stewardship materials – cover letter, presentation, and pledge cards – were mailed on October 30th.  They are all available for your review on our website under the Stewardship tab: https://www.steamboatstpauls.org/stewardship-2024
 
For those of you who have pledged – thank you, thank you, thank you!
 
For those of you yet to pledge, please prayerfully consider the information provided, the needs of our ministries and make your pledge to St. Paul’s in the near future so that we can finalize plans for 2024.  You can pledge on-line at:  https://www.steamboatstpauls.org/pledgeonline
 
If you need more information or would like to talk with a Vestry member about the ministries we're asking you to support, please do not hesitate to reach out to one of us. 
 
Peace,
Lisa Schmierer, Susan Cahoon, Bruce Givnish

November 16, 2023

Dear People of St. Paul's,

As I write, snow is gently falling outside and the fire in the wood burning stove warms the house. I have a cat asleep on the blanket that drapes my lap, with two dogs tucked in next to me and a third at my feet. I feel so cozy! As much as I lament the loss of long, warm Summer days, I always appreciate the invitation of winter and the transition into a new time and space. 

My appreciation is particularly poignant this year, as I transition not only between meteorological seasons, but also ministerial ones. The signs of change are just as blatantly visible. My coffee mug sitting on a packed moving box because the coffee table is loaded in the U-Haul trailer in the driveway. Rectory walls bedecked with exposed hooks and nails where pictures once hung. Empty bookshelves in my church office. Like with Summer, I am lamenting the loss of these things and the home they have provided me these many years. Not entirely sure of what awaits me in this new season, I find myself looking for cozy signs of light, warmth, and love, inviting me into what will be.

You, dear people, are showing me the way. Thank you for sharing with me your excitement and encouragement in my call. Thank you also for sharing your disappointment and sadness in my departure. Thank you for allowing me to share these same feelings with you. In this in-between time, our sharing together has been the light, warmth, and love that help me step into this next season with hope. 

My biggest desire right now, is that you carry this hope, too. 


Peace,
Catie

Archived “Dear People,” posts here.

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