St. Paul & St. Andrew

This Week at St. Paul & St. Andrew - https://mailchi.mp/s/this-week-at-st-paul-st-andrew-4862902

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘My Child, your sins are forgiven.’ Mark 2:5 We need each other. This week we'll consider the story of the paralyzed person who is brought to Jesus on a sort of stretcher, carried by four of his friends. It's a different kind of healing story. Usually those stories end with Jesus saying, "Your faith has made you well." In this story, it's the faith of the friends that Jesus finds moving. The faith they have in Jes...us. The faith they have in their friend's ability to someday, somehow, walk. And the faith they have in each other. To Jesus, faith is something you do, not something you think. After this year of pandemic, I'm acutely aware that the only way I've made it through is by faith. The faith of a few friends. And the faithfulness of this community of faith. Thank you! Thank you for the way you do faith. K Follow along in today's bulletin: https://stpaulandstandrew.org//January-31-2021-bulletin2.p We thank you for your support as we continue to create meaningful virtual connections. If you'd like to make a contribution, please visit https://stpaulandstandrew.org/give ABOUT ST. PAUL & ST. ANDREW St. Paul & St. Andrew is a progressive United Methodist Church that seeks to build a community of radical welcome that follows Jesus into the streets of the city to increase the amount of love and justice in the world. Due to COVID-19, in-person gatherings are currently suspended. You are welcome to join us online every Sunday for worship our YouTube channel. For more info, check out our website stpaulandstandrew.org

The New Yorker Radio Hour is replaying William Barber's interview with David Remnick in 2017 about bringing morality back to contemporary politics. Listen on WNYC at 10am and on demand at the link below. #PoorPeoplesCampaign #progressivechristian #progressivechristianity

This Week at St. Paul & St. Andrew - https://mailchi.mp/s/this-week-at-st-paul-st-andrew-4860246

Register for tomorrow's Church Conference - https://mailchi.mp/s/this-week-at-st-paul-st-andrew-4858086

"...and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired hands, and they followed Jesus." When Jesus calls us to something, what are we called to leave behind? Can we leave it behind, and should we? And if we can't at that moment just upend everything and follow, whatever, whatever, how does it leave us feeling, that we've been, ourselves, left behind? These are the things that the famous call of Jesus, "Follow me, and I will take you fishing for people," leav...es me wondering. Join us Sunday, as we think about what it really means to be a follower of this itinerant rabbi named Jesus. K Follow along in today's bulletin: https://stpaulandstandrew.org//January-24-2021-bulletin2.p

At first this scripture had me baffled. It didn’t seem to answer the questions being asked. If an opening represents opportunity for possibility and potential, then what does an opening not taken represent? I kept coming back to the phrase the road not taken How sometimes there is more hope in not taking advantage of an opening. These prisoners, by not fleeing, left themselves open for brighter possibilities. The easy way out is not always the decision you want to live wi...th in the future. Advent is a time of waiting out the darkness. It is a time to contemplate how we can change ourselves and by that change the world. In a way this whole year has been a sort of advent, the bleakness of our situation and the waiting for something better. Of course, this Advent is different. We need to really use this time to truly open our hearts and minds to creating something new because clearly the old way doesn’t work. I then focused on, the earthquake so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken. (Note to Lea: This may not have been the best sentence to give to someone in California.) People often make no move to change or shake the status quo without some outside incident forcing them. Perhaps we need to be wary of any opening that was brought about through fear and tragedy. Instead of the easy road of opportunistically taking advantage of those emotions, we can find a way to bring ourselves back to a world with a more thoughtful and compassionate approach that we can live with in the years beyond. Dear Lord, Thank you for giving us this long Advent of darkness and waiting. Please help us look for peaceful and calm openings into a new world. Acts 16:25-31 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. 27 When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted in a loud voice, Do not harm yourself, for we are all here. 29 The jailer called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them outside and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31 They answered, Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household. Devotional and Prayer by Jim Ring Photo by K Karpen ABOUT ADVENT DEVOTIONALS This year, Advent Devotionals at SPSA will reflect on HOPE: * the Heralds of our time and this moment * the Openings to transformation and possibilities, * the Promises made to us by God that we are assured by, and * the Expectations we hold onto as we wait for Christ to break into our world again, bringing new life and new hope for us all.

We are just coming to the two-year anniversary of my niece’s nonnegotiable demand day. She was at month 7 of her stay in rehab for treatment of her heroin addiction. She presented her treatment team, my husband, and myself with her list of demands: she wanted her car, a job as a waitress, her high heeled shoes to name a few things. If we didn’t meet her demands, she would leave treatment. She was tired of treatment and wanted to get on with her life. Or I should say, she... wanted to get back to her old life. She had worn her treatment team down and they were ready to give in. They were afraid if they didn’t meet her demands, she would run. I was angry and resentful when I heard the list. Our consultant, who was helping us manage her treatment, saw things differently. He asked, Is returning to her old life the best we can hope for? Can’t we imagine something bigger for her? He asked us to have faith that there would be some traction in her sobriety. We didn’t give into the demands. We gave the process time and space, and found the courage and patience to wait. Three months after that day, she got a job as a bank teller. Two years later, she was promoted to branch manager. Not forcing a solution and allowing the uncertainty to exist allowed for the creation of something none of us could imagined. Since that day, she often talks about how we believed in her when she couldn’t believe in herself; that we loved her when she didn’t love herself. Given the last 8 months of 2020 I have a better appreciation of what she was feeling. I am ready for 2020 to end. Enough of this pandemic. But do I want the old way back? I keep returning to the words of John O ‘Donohue, When courage comes alive, imprisoning walls become frontiers of new possibility, difficulty becomes invitation and the heart comes into a new rhythm of trust and sureness. I know new growth will come if I practice hope, courage and patience. PRAYER God, help me surrender to the uncertainty of this moment. Help me trust you to create possibilities I can’t begin to imagine. Grant me the patience to wait. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE Mark 13: 28-31 28 From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 30 Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. Devotional, Prayer, and Photo by Kate Baum ABOUT ADVENT DEVOTIONALS This year, Advent Devotionals at SPSA will reflect on HOPE: * the Heralds of our time and this moment * the Openings to transformation and possibilities, * the Promises made to us by God that we are assured by, and * the Expectations we hold onto as we wait for Christ to break into our world again, bringing new life and new hope for us all.

This Week at St. Paul & St. Andrew - https://mailchi.mp/s/this-week-at-st-paul-st-andrew-4821194

Oh how I have wished that God would tear open the heavens, burn a bush, or show any other kind of awesome deed! At every point in my life when I had to make a big decision or I was unclear on which direction I should go, I prayed for a big sign (preferably a burning bush) and for God to point me down a clear path. When I found out I would be laid off in July of 2021, I prayed that same prayer. I have a huge opening for my career. I do not know which path to go down nor do I...Continue reading

Notice anything missing? Work repairing the plaster in the corner of the sanctuary has finished and the scaffolding has been removed. This is a moment to celebrate! Hallelujah! Not only is this phase of the project coming to an end, but we are within reach of our 2020 capital campaign goal of $250,000, with only $28,000 to go. So many of you have made gifts to get us this far...we can't begin to thank you enough! And if you haven't made your gift yet, we hope you will do so ...today! https://stpaulandstandrew.org/give

Second Sunday of Advent "The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Child of God..." Mark 1:1 Mark doesn't promise too much, to start. He is living at a time of bad news. Very bad news. And, in the middle of that, he has experienced good news! At least, the beginning of good news.... Slowly, painfully slowly, our news seems to be turning from really bad to perhaps the beginning of something good. Our election transition *might* happen smoothly after all. The Coronavirus crisis *might* have an end in the not-so-distant future. The economy *might* pick up, allowing people to go back to work. Global warming *might* soon get the attention it deserves. White supremacy *might* have suffered something of a defeat. I'm not sure it all counts as good news, but maybe it's the beginning of good news. On this Second Sunday of Advent, we look to scripture, God, and each other for some good news. At least the beginning of good news. We turn to the story of John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness. Hardly a purveyor of good news, he! But through his own peculiar type of truth-telling, I can sense some good news. At least, the beginning of good news. Follow along in today's bulletin: https://stpaulandstandrew.org//December-6-2020-bulletin.pdf Pledge for 2021: https://stpaulandstandrew.org/pledge Send a prayer request: https://buff.ly/38RR8Wb

"Therefore, do not worry..." Matthew 6:25 During this stressful time, I continue to spend time with the Sermon on the Mount, the looong collection of Jesus' sayings that covers three chapters of Matthew's Gospel. And there, right in the middle, is the passage where Jesus tells his followers not to worry. Is he kidding? So much to worry about these days. And whether or not I can 'add an hour to my span of life,' I'm going to keep worrying. I would be worried about anyone who...'s NOT worried. Sure, worry can be paralyzing. But there are times it is also very motivating. 'What are you worried about?' I asked in an email to the church community. And I got back a flood of responses. Pages of worries, many of which I myself share. This Sunday, we will think about the right way to worry. And what a little 'holy worry' might lead us to do. Yours in love (and worry), K Service link: https://youtu.be/l_Adh1S4vJk Today's bulletin: https://stpaulandstandrew.org//November-8-2020-bulletin.pdf Give an offering: https://buff.ly/2BDzBVD Send a prayer request: https://buff.ly/38RR8Wb

This Week at St. Paul & St. Andrew - November 6, 2020

I’ve always loved rain; I don’t know why. Maybe it’s the Aquarian in me. When I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Western Pacificnine degrees north of the Equator, a tiny speck in an vast ocean, temperatures blazingly hot, humidity so high the air pushed back when you tried to move through itone of my greatest pleasures was walking around outside, getting soaked to the skin, whenever it rained. Which was frequently. Now, of course, in cooler climes, I wear a slicker or...Continue reading

We're watching and waiting right now. And while it may feel like agony to wait...it's worth it. Watch this week's Message and let's remember how important each and every person, each and every voice, is to God. Drawing from that same value, each and every vote should matter to us. So let them all be counted.

Hark, Heralds. I remember first hearing Sam Cooke sing A Change Is Gonna Come when I was in high school in Northeast Philly, where I grew up on R&B and Motown music. I had gone to the Uptown Theatre (Philly’s version of NYC’s Apollo) back then, where I heard the Marvellettes, Patti LaBelle, and a 13 year old Stevie Wonder singing Fingertips. In our football team’s locker room, we would break into singing those numbers, like In the Still of the Night by the Five Satins....Continue reading

LAST CALL: Warm up your ovens and your hearts... no pies for the Goddard Riverside's community Thanksgiving Dinner this year, but we are MAKING COOKIES!! 6000 homemade cookies to be exact. We have 48 pledges for 4,572 cookies, which is great!, but we're still 1,428 cookies (119 dozen) from our goal. Please let us know by immediately if you (and/or your friends) can help by completing the cookie pledge form below. We'll need you to package your homemade goodies in individual sandwich bags, with each bag containing 5 sturdy cookies for travel. When they’re all baked and packaged, you can drop them off at the church between 11/18-11/22. Our top pledge is 29 dozen cookies. Can anyone top that?