St. PJ's eNews: May 30, 2025 | | |
- Weekly Reflection: The Ascension of Christ
- Spread the word with our website: Hold your next party or meeting at St. PJ's
- Monday, June 23: Hymn Sing and Ice-Cream Social
- No Sunday School June 15
- News from the Wider Church: Happy 1,700 birthday to the Council of Nicaea, Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" undermines Biblical values, and more
- This Week at St. PJ's and Cycles of Prayer
- Adult Formation This Sunday: God's Microphones in World War II
- Video: Last Sunday's Service and Sermon
- Upcoming Visits with Rev. Nathan
- There's Always More...
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Weekly Reflection:
The Ascension of Christ
From the Rev. Nathan Empsall, priest-in-charge
Yesterday was Ascension Day, when we remember the ascension of Jesus's body into Heaven as his disciples watched - and it's one of the seven principal feasts of the church year.
In our church calendar, Sundays are one of the most important feasts. Nearly every other celebration -- including most holy days and almost every saint -- rank below Sunday. There are only 10 exceptions (seven principal feasts and three select major feasts), and Ascension Day is one of them. In other words, even though Ascension Day falls on a Thursday each year, it is one of the few days we can transfer to a Sunday. We won't do that every year, because the readings for the final Sunday before Pentecost are also important, but we will do it this year.
So as we head into our rare Sunday observance of the Ascension of Christ, here are a few words from the former Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. Rowan Williams, to underscore what's so important about this particular feast, and how it plays into our understanding of Christ -- and Christ's understanding of us:
The ascension of Jesus in this context becomes a celebration of the extraordinary fact that our humanity in all its variety, in all its vulnerability, has been taken by Jesus into the heart of the divine life. 'Man with God is on the throne,' that hymn goes on. Quite a shocking line if you start thinking about it.
And that of course is first of all good news about humanity itself – the humanity that we all know to be stained, wounded, imprisoned in various ways; this humanity—yours and mine—is still capable of being embraced by God, shot through with God's glory, received and welcomed in the burning heart of reality itself...
But let's pursue that theme just a little bit further. Jesus takes our human nature—yours and mine—to the heart of God and he speaks to God his father in a human voice. In heaven the language they speak is human (not just angelic). Our words (human words) are heard at the very centre of the burning heart of reality.
St Augustine many centuries ago reflected on this in his many sermons on the psalms. Like most of us, St Augustine was rather worried by the fact that the psalms are not always fit for polite company. They are full of rude, angry, violent, hateful remarks; they contain protests against God, and spectacular ill-wishing against human beings. The psalms, you might say, are as human as it gets. So why do we recite them in public worship? aren't they just a reminder of those aspects of our humanity that are best left out of God's sight?
Augustine's point was this: apart from the fact that it is no use trying to leave bits of our humanity out of God's sight, God has actually taken an initiative in making our language his own. And therefore you have to imagine as you say or hear the psalms that Jesus is speaking them. And there's another shocking thought – Jesus saying, 'where are you, God?' Jesus saying, 'my God why have you forsaken me?' (But then of course he did.) Jesus saying, 'Destroy my enemies', and 'Blessed are those who dash their children against the stones' ... goodness knows what. Well, says the saint, it doesn't mean that Jesus is telling us that any and every human cry is good. It doesn't mean that Jesus endorses ideas about revenge on your enemies, or even shaking your fist at God the Father. But it does mean that Jesus treats us, our feelings, our tumultuous personalities, as real. He takes us seriously. He takes us seriously when we're moving towards God and each other in love; and, amazingly, he takes us seriously when we're moving in the opposite direction – when we are spinning downwards into destructive, hateful fantasies. He doesn't let go of us and he doesn't lose sight of us when we seek to lock ourselves up in the dark. ...
So yes, indeed, the Ascension is a celebration of the glory of humanity, the unlikely possibilities of people like you and me, the eternal potential locked up in our muddled struggling lives. And a celebration too of God's capacity, through his Holy Spirit, to reach into those parts of humanity that are so far from glorious, that are rebellious and troubled and broken, to breathe through them, to take them home, to drop them into that fire and melt them and recast them.
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Spread the word with our website:
Hold your next party or meeting at St. PJ's
Do you know anyone -- a friend, a colleague, an organization -- who needs space for a birthday party, meeting, music rehearsal, public forum, baby shower, prep kitchen, or dance recital?
Let them know that St. PJ's has great space at affordable rates! (And I can vouch for that personally, having rented the parish hall for two children's birthday parties.)
The parish hall, undercroft, guild room, downstairs commercial kitchen, and (for the right event) sanctuary are all available. Information regarding these spaces and their rates is now on the St. PJ's website.
Please share the link and spread the word!
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Monday, June 23:
Hymn Sing and Ice-Cream Social
Will, Dylan, and Rev. Nathan are excited to announce an upcoming Hymn Sing and Ice Cream Social on Monday, June 23, at 6:45 p.m.!
This is a chance to gather in the Parish Hall around the piano and under the pretty lights to fill our hearts with song, have a sweet treat, and just simply be together for an hour.
Will is creating a reusable "PJ's Pick-up Hymnal" of a few dozen tunes that can bring together various sources - the Hymnal 1982, Lift Every Voice and Sing, and so many more. If there’s a hymn that's particularly special to you and that you want to be sure we include, please email revnathan@stpaulstjames.org ASAP.
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No Sunday School on June 15
Some advance notice for parents and families. The headline pretty much says it all on this one: Ms. Molly will be away on June 15, so there will be no Sunday School.
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Come for Jazz Eucharist this Sunday, June 1, at 10:30 a.m. as we observe the Ascension of Christ.
Parishioner Marilyn Bergen will preach, and Rev. Nathan will preside.
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Sunday Worship 10:30 a.m.
In person and online
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Wednesday Prayer 12:30 p.m.
In person
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Thursday Compline 8 p.m.
On Zoom
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Cycles of Prayer
In the cycle of prayer for the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, we pray this week for St. John’s, Niantic; Zion, North Branford; and St. John’s, North Haven, and for Episcopal Rainbow, TransEpiscopal,
Believe Out Loud, LGBTQ+ Episcopalians, and those who serve the LGBTQ+ community.
In the global Anglican Cycle of Prayer, we pray for the Anglican Church of Korea
ST. PJ'S PRAYER LIST: Rachel, Doug Parker, Anne Matthies, Betty Hill, Tim Barnes, Calvin Griffin, Lenny Santarsiero, Rev. Walter MacNutt, Tom Caffelle, Kevin Gerbe, Leota Tucker, Edwina Johnson, Cynthia King, Paul D'Agostino, Richard Holcomb, Tiras Jaske, Gwen Chapin, Uli Mackert, Steve Crowson, Charlie & Bridget Farrell, Alyce, Judi, Tom, Leslie, Andrew, Pam, Tommy, Beverly Lett, Vanetta Lloyd
Birthdays & Anniversaries: Jeff Lange (06/02), Mary Galvin (06/06)
Faithful Departed: David Obser (5/21)
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Adult Formation This Sunday:
World War II
"God’s Microphones," our exploration of prophetic saints whose faith led them to oppose fascist and authoritarian governments, concludes this Sunday.
We will gather in the chapel 15 minutes after the service for a discussion of several World War II figures: Sophie Scholl and the White Rose, the Saints of Dachau, Fr. Maximillian Kolbe, and Cardinal Clemens August Graf von Galen.
"Each one of you has to be God's microphone. Each one of you has to be a messenger, a prophet. The church will always exist as long as there is someone who has been baptized." - St. Oscar Romero
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VIDEO: Last Sunday's Service and Sermons
If you either missed or want to revisit last Sunday at St. PJ's, you can find the recorded livestream on Facebook or YouTube.
Rev. Nathan celebrated the Eucharist and preached on the peace of Christ.
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Upcoming Visits with Rev. Nathan
As previously announced, beginning this month, I would love to meet with every St. PJ's member -- as families or individuals -- and get to know you and your dreams for our community life together.
Ideally this meeting would be at your home, where I can also offer a home blessing. If you prefer a coffee shop, your office, or a park bench on a nice day, those are fine options too -- just not the church.
I want to hear about who you are, what makes you tick, what you believe and love, your history at St. PJ's, and your hopes for this congregation's future. Through these meetings, I hope to get a better feel for who we are as a community -- and where the Spirit might be leading us.
Because I am half-time, it will undoubtedly take several months to get through these visits. If you would like to meet sooner, please let me know. Otherwise, I'm going to use an Excel random-number generator to determine the order in which I'll reach out. But whether it's next week or in September, know that I can't wait!
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There's always more...
If you would like to submit an item for consideration in the eNews or bulletin announcements, please let Rev. Nathan know at revnathan@stpaulstjames.org by next Wednesday afternoon.
Please contact Monifa Atkinson in the church office at office@stpaulstjames.org or (203) 562-2143 if you are interested in receiving more information about any of the following:
- Renting space at St. PJ's for your next party, meeting, concert, wedding, or other event. More info at the St. PJ's website here >>
- Volunteering with St. PJ's
- Adding a name, birthday, or anniversary to the St. PJ's prayer list
- Arranging pastoral care needs
- Purchasing grocery-store gift cards to benefit St. PJ's
- Reserving a place in the St. PJ's columbarium or purchasing a plaque on the Memorial Wall
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St. PJ's Staff and Contacts
Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - Noon
office@stpaulstjames.org
(203) 562-2143
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Priest-in-Charge: The Rev. Nathan Empsall, revnathan@stpaulstjames.org
- Administrative Director: Monifa Atkinson
- Sexton: Sammy Rodriguez
- Children's Ministry: Molly Clayton
- Director of Music: Will Cleary
- Associate Director of Music: Dylan Rowland
- Tech and Music Intern: Dontae James
- Priest Associate: The Rev. Steve Crowson
- Vestry: Bill Evans (co-warden), Juhani Jaske (co-warden), David Hill (treasurer), Maggie King (clerk), Roni Holcomb, Steve Crowson, Maurice Harris, Pam Sayre, Vanetta Lloyd, Lynne Severance
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