Mission and the Church

epistle What is Pentecost?

living out Pentecost

Mission and the Church

Feasting: worship

Serving: mission

Making: formation

Final Thoughts: Speaking in Tongues

Worship Opportunities

Pentecost is most commonly referred to

as “the birthday of the church”. As de-

scribed in the second chapter of Acts,

Pentecost marks the arrival of the Holy

Spirit and the dawning of a new age of

apostleship.

While the story itself has vivid images,

most notably, the tongues of fire de-

scending and the speaking in many

tongues, Pentecost represents a bold

new chapter in the story in which, not

one, but many are given the responsibil-

ity for God’s mission in the world.

the A seasonal publication of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

Issue 1.5 in this issue >>>

Every year, we get through the

gloom of Holy Week, and rejoice

at the coming of Easter. And I

certainly felt that way this time.

But it came to me when I noticed

a theme in the Easter gospels that

didn’t work with the way we nor-

mally celebrate. It was this: the

risen Christ doesn’t let up.

Jesus is tough throughout the

gospels, constantly telling his fol-

lowers and groupies that they

need to change, that big things

are coming. Then, during Holy

Week, we think they’ve arrived.

The big things are done. Now it

is time to kick back and party!

But the Jesus that comes to that

upper room doesn’t relax. He

doesn’t pass out the drinks and

turn up the music. Instead, He

tells them that it is now their turn.

All through Easter, we have been

going through the expectations

Jesus has for His disciples. Much

of it coming from Maundy Thurs-

Pentecost

Continued on page 2

You mean, it isn’t just

about believing, but

we actually have to

do work?

his year, as we have gone through Holy Week and Easter, I have come to see the seasons in a new light. No doubt you know the experience of doing the same thing again, only to find

that this time was different. You see something you never have be-fore. For me, this happened in Easter.

T

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The Epistle

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

115 N. Sixth St. St. Clair, MI 48079

T: 810.329.3821 F: 810.329.1166

office@stpaulstclair.org

stpauls1885@sbcglobal.net

stpaulstclair.org @StPaulStClair

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Rev. Drew Downs

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Phillip Lundman

To have a submission considered for the upcoming issue of the Epistle, please contact

Rev. Drew at rector@stpaulstclair.org

Or call 810.329.3821

Next issue: July 17, 2013 Submissions for this edition are due

by June 30, 2013

Supporting St. Paul’s

Ask us about the many ways of giving: pre-authorized giving, weekly envelopes, offer-ings at services, annual gifts and bequests.

Drop by/Mail in:

PO Box 161 115 N. Sixth St

St. Clair, MI 48079

Call: 810.329.3821

Church holidays are known as “Feasts”. This season is kicked off

with two of the seven principal feasts in the church.

Pentecost and Trinity Sunday Fifty days after Easter begins, we come to Pentecost and the arri-

val of the Holy Spirit. The following Sunday, we celebrate Trini-

ty Sunday. As principal feasts, we are to mark and celebrate

these days as special. At our 10:00 service, we will chant Eucha-

ristic Prayer D, our oldest and most ecumenical prayer form.

Our Pentecost collection On Pentecost, we will collect for two of the mission opportuni-

ties in the Diocese with our friends in South Dakota and the Do-

minican Republic. This special collection is one reflection of our

participation in mission. The other is in our increased awareness

and participation in the wider community and diocese to aid oth-

ers in common mission. Please consider being a local contact for

Mission Council.

Continued from page 1

worship >>>

Feasting Celebrating in community

day, the day Jesus gives His

last teachings before the cruci-

fixion. And in these teachings,

we have heard a recurring

command to love and to em-

body the very nature of GOD.

It seems, then, that we misun-

derstand what is great about

this party we call Easter, for it

is the dawning of a new age.

An age in which the Para-

clete, the Holy Spirit joins

with us in holy mission.

Pentecost is my favorite feast

day of the church. I have

come to believe that you can’t

really love Christ without get-

ting excited for Pentecost. For

this reason: it’s about GOD

and us. It isn’t about all the

other stuff. It is about our rela-

tionship with the divine. And

more. It is about trust. GOD’s

trust in us that we are up to the

challenge.

It is a blessing to be at St.

Paul’s with this group of won-

derful Christians, seeking

Christ in one another and do-

ing GOD’s work here in St.

Clair.

And it is a blessing to be part

of fulfilling GOD’s mission in

the world. A mission that was

made manifest in tongues of

fire and continues to be made

manifest in sorting cans and

sharing food.

The Rev. Drew Downs

3

mission >>>

formation >>>

Church Leadership

WARDENS

Sally Beck Myron Kubbe

VESTRY

Al Barnes Jacquie Ebelt

Cortney Paddock Ken Rands

Michelle Weaver

ALTAR GUILD

Peg Lozen Pat McNamara

BUILDINGS & GROUNDS

Tom Jubb

CARE/SHARE

Cortney Paddock

CHILDREN’S FORMATION

Jacquie Ebelt

THRIFT SHOP

Jackie Rands

TREASURER

Michelle Weaver

ORGANIST

Carrie Stewart-Gulan

RECTOR

The Rev. Drew Downs

Saving lives with pop cans Our Spiritual Care Share Ministry is collecting returnable cans

and bottles as a fundraiser for Nets for Life, a ministry through

Episcopal Relief and Development that gives mosquito nets and

training to those in our global community that are most effected

by insect-born diseases. We surpassed the goal of 12 mosquito

nets this year, and are onto more. Please bring in your returnables!

A Special Convention and Art Fair June will be a busy month at St. Paul’s as the Diocese of Eastern

Michigan has called a special convention June 8 to take up new

canons: four years’ work culminating in revisions that will make

our diocese more flexible and responsive to mission. And join us

at the Art Fair on Saturday, June 29. We will have a booth with

our famous bean bag toss and will have fun by the water!

Serving Participating in God’s mission

Making Creating opportunities for the Holy Spirit

In Pentecost, we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit, a wild, un-

tamed wind that blows us over and moves us, whether or not we

wish it would. Join us in the coming weeks to see where you are

being moved.

Basics of Faith Our main formation offering, Basics will gather through June on

the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays at 6:30 pm. Please join us!

1st & 3rd Wednesdays at 6:30 pm -The Living Room

Bible Study Each Sunday, we gather between the services to explore the story

of Scripture.

Sundays at 9:15 am -The Living Room

Reflections posted at spbiblestudy.wordpress.com

Newcomers Class We currently offer a newcomers class on the first Sunday of the

month for those new to the faith, looking to join, or hoping to be

confirmed.

1st Sundays, after the 10:00 service -The Office

4

In the Pentecost story, we have these two great references to

tongues. One is spectacularly visual and the other is spectacularly

audible. As visual people, we could be forgiven if we were over-

whelmed by the idea of tongues of fire descending. The other should

be much more striking to us.

The other is that the disciples are given the ability to speak the gos-

pel so that it might be heard by those around them, speaking in many

languages. What should be striking is not that it happened or even

how. But in the what. They spoke and were heard, like there was

some divine translator doing the hard work for them. That the gospel

could be heard by anyone and everyone, without regard to our tal-

ents is alarming and exciting. That we often try to speak for the gos-

pel to people who don’t need the translation means that maybe we

need to find a way to put the divine translator to work.

Speaking in Tongues

In The Next Issue

Who is St. Paul?

It is not just about speaking, but being heard

thoughts... final

Contact us at 810.329.3821 stpaulstclair.org

coming soon >>>

PENTECOST 5/19 8:00 am & 10:00 am

TRINITY SUNDAY 5/26 8:00 am & 10:00 am

PROPER 4 6/2 8:00 am & 10:00 am

PROPER 5 6/9

8:00 am & 10:00 am

PROPER 6 6/16 8:00 am & 10:00 am

PROPER 7 6/23 8:00 am & 10:00 am

PROPER 8 6/30 8:00 am & 10:00 am

Worship Opportunities After Pentecost

Visit our Facebook page for more!

www.facebook.com/stpaulstclair

PROPER 9 7/7 8:00 am & 10:00 am

PROPER 10 7/14 8:00 am & 10:00 am

PROPER 11 7/21 8:00 am & 10:00 am

PROPER 12 7/28 8:00 am & 10:00 am

SUMMER SATURDAYS Beginning July 20 at 5:30 pm

A special outdoor alternative service

of table fellowship.