Weekend of June 24, 2022
The Third Sunday after Pentecost
|
|
Does God help those who help themselves? |
|
The often quoted adage "God helps those who help themselves" has been banging around in my head lately. Probably because since Fr. Rob has been on sabbatical, I've been offered a lot of help by a lot of different people. It is true that leading St. Paul's without Fr. Rob has been a challenge, but I would never say that I'm "on my own." There are many wonderful leaders in our church who have stepped up and into roles that help share the load of keeping St. Paul's moving along well.
But even in the midst of helpful people, I have at times felt overwhelmed and stressed over the past month. This is a normal part of any job, any life. We all have things that cause stress in our lives from family issues and illness to major projects and deadlines. Not to mention pandemics and economic stress! And I recently had a situation that I could not move past. I was dealing with a minor issue, a project, something so small that in any other situation, I could easily deal with it. But in this case, with the stress of other things going on, I procrastinated. I pushed this project to the side and so it sat FOR WEEKS. I had no inspiration, no ideas on how to it move forward. It sat like an elephant on my desk, making a mess and staring at me. And then, someone offered to help with it. Someone reached out and took initiative and dealt with the thing that I could not. And suddenly, the clouds parted, the elephant departed, the mess was made more manageable and I was able to move past the issue.
To be fair, this is a minor example and many people deal with much more grave and stressing issues. But with this relatively small project, I was in a place where I couldn't help myself. Too much time had passed from the original deadline and I was unable to see a way to fix it. I could not help myself. So, God sent someone to help me. And because of this help more has been accomplished for the work of the Church and ultimately for the Kingdom of God. I think God does this all the time in big and small ways. Sometimes God helps us through the people around us, sometimes God inspires and convicts us to act, and sometimes God just takes care of it all on God's own. So yes, I believe that God does help those who help themselves AND I believe God helps those who cannot help themselves. This is the very nature of who God is. God helps. God saves. God intervenes and cares for and challenges and convicts and heals and loves. God does all of these things for us all of the time. Some days, God's help is easier to see and experience than others. Some days, it's hard to see God's help at all.
Part of our life as Christians is holding the faith that God is actively at work in our lives and in our world. And when some in our community, whether you or me or anyone else, lose sight of how God is working and helping, we are called to hold the faith for them. And we may even be called to help in our own way, whether or not they can help themselves.
Keep the faith St. Paul's,
|
|
|
We invite you to join us this Sunday, June 26, 2022.
-
7:45 AM Sunday: Holy Eucharist in the Church
- Childcare Provided in Nursery
-
8:45 AM Sunday: Coffee Hour in the Courtyard
-
9:00 AM Sunday: Adult Sunday School, The Wired Word, in the Parlor (see what we'll be discussing here)
-
10:15 AM Sunday: Holy Eucharist in the Church
- Childcare Provided in Nursery
-
11:30 AM Sunday: Coffee Hour in the Courtyard
-
Servers: Want to know if you're scheduled to serve in worship this week? Click Here to See the Schedule
-
Masks are optional at in-person worship and learning opportunities. You will notice that the clergy are wearing masks due to a high number of COVID cases in our school and community. Make the choice that works best for you and your family.
-
If you need an alternative to in-person worship, you can view the live stream on our YouTube channel HERE and on Facebook HERE
-
We encourage you to spend some time beforehand with the readings and Collect of the Day. Don't have a Book of Common Prayer for Sunday? Find it online HERE.
|
|
Please join us this Sunday, June 26, 2022 at the 10:15 AM service for Children's Chapel! During the sequence hymn, children are invited to follow the junior acolyte and Mtr. Gina to the chapel for an age appropriate message and activity. Children will return to church after the sermon.
Questions? Email Mtr. Liz here.
|
|
Wednesday, June 29:
-
5:30 PM: Holy Eucharist in the Church
Questions? Contact Mtr. Liz here.
|
|
"Having access to online worship available has been such a comfort to me. Thank you so much!"
"We watched last week when we were on vacation--it was so cool that we could do that!"
"Yes, it's our first Sunday here, but we watched online a few times before coming in person."
These are the kinds of comments we hear from people regularly about our online worship. Having stream producers available each week has an impact on members and newcomers alike, and we are inviting you to be a part of it.
Each Sunday, a volunteer runs our virtual stream so people around our neighborhood, city, and even country can join us for worship. You do not need previous experience in videography, or an Oscar for directing--just a comfort with computers, a working knowledge of the worship service, and a desire to serve others. The software and equipment is very user-friendly, and actually a lot of fun to use. All volunteers will receive one-to-one training to get you ready. Please contact Mtr. Liz here for more information and to sign up!
|
|
This summer, St. Paul's will offer "Life, Faith, Church," a summer learning series that is primarily a self-study bookended by only two in-person events so your calendar will not go into overload. This summer you will work at your own pace over a period of about 17 weeks. It only requires minutes per week, and you’ll have an accountability “shepherd” who will check in to encourage you and answer questions. Click the button below to learn more and sign up!
|
|
The St. Paul's vestry is dedicated to sending 2 campers to camp on FULL SCHOLARSHIP this summer. Please contact Mtr. Liz here for more information.
|
|
This is NOT your usual Bible study, although we will be reading from the Bible, we will be reading for answers to put into action in our lives now.
-Wednesday, June 29, 2022
-6am - 7am Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits & Coffee
-Chapel, St. Paul's Episcopal Church (enter at Canal Blvd. door by Chapel)
|
|
SUMMER IS HERE!
an article by Dr. Jeanne Robertson
What are you hoping for? Are you looking forward to a relaxed summer, vacation time, some changes in your schedule? Visits with family or friends? What are your expectations? Expectations tend to vary with each situation or circumstance. Do your expectations tend to be too high so they result in disappointments, stress, even depression when they aren’t met? Are they so low that you avoid or dread situations? Do the expectations create anxiety? (Anxiety is the... Read the rest of her article at our website.
Dr. Jeanne is the Director of the St. Paul's Center for Counseling & Education and is a valuable resource in our community. Whether you need to talk through a specific problem or discuss issues in general, Dr. Jeanne is ready and able to help. You can meet with her by phone, Zoom, and in her office, if you are fully vaccinated. If you would like to set up a meeting with Dr. Jeanne, please call or text her at (504) 330-2549 or email her at jrobertson@stpauls-lakeview.org.
|
|
|
|
Sharon and The Holder Family, Bruce and The Edrington Family, Samuel, Denny, Joan, Sara, Dave, James, Tim, Rick, The Henry Family, Steve and The Harris Family, Kathy and Charlie and The Richardson Family, The Eggleston Family, The Merrick Family, The Segal Family, Paula, Helen, Steve, Susan, Gail, Michele, Barbara, Sally, Lee, Justin, George & Barbara, Cindy, Alice, Ozzie, Bill, The Williams Family, Mark & Joy, Tino & Lupe Navarro, Deborah & Ian Gage, Corey & family, Mallory, The Guerra and The Alfortish families, Henry, Jodee, Charlie, Matthew, Robert, Betty, Pat, Joseph, Phil, Noah, Stephen, Ann, Gerald, Tom, Earlyn, Bryson, Clyde, Zina, Christina, Harlon, Jack, Jane, Mike, Kylie, Kay, Judy, Ruth, Helen, Devin, Phillip, Anna, Pam, Mary, Vic, Claire, Paul, Sue, Delores, Jean, Shelly, Judson, Chris, Robert, Ted, Stephanie, Audrey, Harvey, Jan & Ralph, Eugene, Nan, August, Patti, Nathaniel, Rosemary, Larry & Carl, Bonnie, Erin, all those who are ill with COVID-19, the people of Haiti in the recovery efforts, the people of Ukraine, Afghanistan, and those in harms way, and all victims of natural disasters.
We pray for all those in the healthcare profession, especially Ranjit Chima, Lindsey Hill, Rob Ramirez, Laura Beth Ramirez, Bob Vieth, Stephanie Palmisano, Kelley Morel, Tommy Morel, Jasmine Bahd, Jeanne Robertson, Doug Bostick, Vicki Kennedy, Gene Antenucci, Melissa Carnall, Betty Lo, Chris Blaise, Jennifer Chamberlain, Michael Napoli, Alison Napoli, Jane Clayton, Alison Quayle, Ian Townley, Mike Santone, Mark Thomas, Jean Thomas, Nikki Wilder, Riley Sibley, Catie Brown, Catherine Courtney, Julie Rose, Amelia Martin, Jamie Fineran, and all others who care for those who are suffering in body, mind, or spirit.
|
|
|
|
|
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
In person worship
Sundays at 7:45 & 10:15 AM
Wednesdays at 5:30 PM
Virtual Services:
Sundays at 10:15 AM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
