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What is the Will of God, Now?
by the Reverend Roger Talbott, Retired Clergy, The United Methodist Church
Roger, a St. Bart's parishioner, will be preaching this weekend at all Sunday services.
"Get behind me, Satan!"
These words seem harsh when Jesus addresses them to Peter, one of his best friends. Especially when Peter is trying to protect Jesus from certain death.
Peter was probably only doing the job Jesus himself asked him to do.
Jesus picked Peter, James, and John first and had them go everywhere with him. Tradition says it was because they were more "special" than the other disciples. But maybe they were his security team.
Fishermen were tough dudes. All that rowing and hauling heavy nets of fish meant that they built big muscles — perfect for crowd control. You couldn't push your way past those three guys.
This is why, when Jesus says he must suffer and die, Peter exclaims. "This must never happen to you, Lord!"
This is what the New Testament scholar, Walter Wink, meant when he said, "Satan is yesterday's will of God."
It may have been yesterday's will of God for Jesus to go around Galilee doing good. It may have been yesterday’s will of God for Peter to keep the crowds from crushing Jesus.
But now Jesus has to go to Jerusalem to face, and ultimately defeat, the power of Death. That will mean Jesus will have to pick up a cross — and Peter, one day, will follow him.
For forty-five years, it was God's will for me to preach and lead congregations as a pastor. Now I sometimes usher at St. Bart's. From that experience, I'll try to say something about what it means to see Christ and to follow Him into the 21st century.
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The Fourteenth Sunday After Pentecost
Sunday, August 30
Join us in person at 9 am, 11 am, or 5 pm. The Reverend Roger Talbott, Retired Clergy, The United Methodist Church, will preach at all services.
Join us online at 11 am. Download the service leaflet to follow along as we livestream from the church on our website, Facebook, and YouTube.
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The Forum
Sunday, August 30 at 10 am
Retired Clergy of St. Bart's
Retired clergy who worship at St. Bart's talk about their past in active parish ministry and what it's like to now sit in the congregation.
Please post your questions in the comments section on Facebook or YouTube, or email the Reverend Peter D. Thompson at pthompson@stbarts.org.
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Reclaim Our Vote Postcard Party
Sunday, August 30 at 12:30 pm in the Great Hall
Reclaim Our Vote is a non-partisan, grassroots, volunteer effort through the Center For Common Ground that seeks to empower marginalized communities in areas that have experienced voter suppression. Together, we aim to build a democracy that values the voices of all people. All materials will be provided. Learn more.
| | Click here for a complete list of Community Groups and activities after church this Sunday. | | | | |
Imagine Worship at St. Bart’s
Thursdays at 7 pm in the chapel
Pray your way into the weekend with Imagine Worship at St. Bart’s. This joyful, relaxed, and intimate service of Holy Eucharist features original contemporary music and a warm community atmosphere. Come early to rehearse with the pickup choir at 6 pm, and stay afterward for refreshments and fellowship. All are welcome!
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St. Bart's at the Ballpark (Strike 2!)
Friday, August 28 at 7 pm (gates open at 5:30 pm)
After the game on August 7 was rained out, we thought we'd try again! Join us to watch the Staten Island FerryHawks take on the York Revolution. Manhattan's closest minor league baseball team plays just steps away from the Staten Island Ferry dock, and our seats have a great view of home plate and lower Manhattan. Tickets are just $14.20, including fees, with options to purchase a meal voucher. Invite your friends and buy your tickets today—seats are limited! Guests with tickets from the 8/7 game can stop by the box office before the game, and they will be able to print you a new ticket! Purchase tickets here.
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A Celebration of the Life of Alexander H. Beard, Jr.
Saturday, August 29 at 2 pm
A memorial service for St. Bart’s parishioner Alex Beard will be held at St. Bart’s on August 29, 2026, at 2 pm. All are welcome to attend.
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The Forum
Sunday, September 6 at 10 am
Sanctuary
Eugene Nam, Chief Counsel of the Interfaith Center of New York, discusses the ongoing challenges faced by immigrant communities, as well as how we can help.
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Back to School Backpack Assembly Drive
Sunday, September 6 at 12:15 pm in the Great Hall
St. Bart’s is proud to host our annual Backpack Drive for underserved students in our community, in cooperation with the Volunteers of America of Greater New York. Help us reach our goal of preparing 100 backpacks by joining the Coffee Hour assembly line! All the supplies will be provided. Register your participation or make a contribution.
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Midtown Interfaith Service Commemorating the 25th Anniversary of September 11, 2001
Tuesday, September 8 at 6 pm, Saint Peter's Church (619 Lexington Avenue)
Join with neighboring faith communities to remember those who died on September 11, 2001 and pray for unity and peace.
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In Solemn Remembrance of September 11, 2001
Friday, September 11 at 11 am
On the twenty-fifth anniversary of September 11, 2001, St. Bart’s will once again offer a service of Holy Eucharist in solemn remembrance of all who died on that day. The Reverend Jay Sidebotham, our former Vicar, will preach. Both in-person and online worshipers are welcome. Members of the New York City Fire Department will be in attendance.
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Save the Date: St. Bart's Day
Sunday, September 13
Join us for a joyful celebration of the St. Bart’s community as we launch a new program year. Following the 11 am service, stay for our annual St. Bart’s Fair, complete with catered food, ice cream, a bouncy castle, and more!
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Children, Youth, and Choristers Resume
Sunday, September 13
Children, Youth, and Choristers resume our regular Sunday gatherings on Sunday, September 13. We ask each family to register each year so that we can stay up-to-date with announcements, contact information, allergies, media releases and more. Please register here.
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The World Upside Down
Tuesdays, September 15–October 20, 6:30-8 pm
Professor Larry Welborn of Fordham University explores the relationship between religion and society, reflecting on how the world is turned upside down both in the pages of Holy Scripture and in our experiences of contemporary life. Click here to register.
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Visit of St. James's Piccadilly
September 20 – 29, 2026
Representatives from St. James's Piccadilly, our linked parish in London, return for a nine-day visit to St. Bart's. Clergy from St. James's will preach at our morning services and speak at The Forum on September 20 and September 27. On September 20, the St. James's Singers will join with St. Bart's musicians for our regularly scheduled services. They will also offer a 6 pm service of Compline following the 5 pm Contemplative Eucharist and an afternoon concert featuring the music of Stephen Sondheim.
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Move On: A Life Through Sondheim
Sunday, September 20 at 3 pm
Will Hopkins of our linked parish St. James's Piccadilly, offers a free concert bringing together some of Sondheim's most beloved songs. Imagine Worship Artist-in-Residence Mark Miller accompanies.
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Contemplative Eucharist and Compline with the St. James’s Singers
Sunday, September 20 at 5 pm in the chapel
St. James's Singers, the choir of our linked parish St. James's Piccadilly, offers music during the Contemplative Eucharist. Stay for Compline at 6 pm, a brief, sung evening service.
The St. James’s Singers in NYC
Follow the St. James’s Singers to other venues in NYC:
9/22, 5:30 pm: Evensong at St. Thomas Fifth Avenue
9/24, 1 pm: A Choral Pilgrimage at the Met Cloisters
9/25, 1:45 pm: Lunchtime Recital at St. Patrick's Cathedral
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The Wren Gala
Tuesday, September 29 at 6 pm in the church
Join friends from our linked parish in London, St. James's Piccadilly, for The Wren Gala in the transformed nave of St. Bart’s. This extraordinary evening celebrates the enduring legacy of Sir Christopher Wren's 1684 church of St James's Piccadilly, where art, music and the spirit of service have converged for over three centuries. Guests will be transported into a world of candlelit grandeur, exquisite dining, and stirring performances, all in honor of a new generation of changemakers carrying this legacy forward. Click here to purchase tickets and to learn more.
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The Forum, Sunday, August 23 at 10 am
Faith of the Nation: Religious Imagery in American Art
Sunday, August 23 at 11 am
The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost
The Sermon from Sunday, August 23 at 11 am
A New Name
by the Reverend Peter D. Thompson
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