The E-pistle

August 2nd, 2024

A Note from Father Sam

Dear friends in Christ,

In the Gospel on Sunday, we will hear Jesus utter those familiar yet confounding words: “I am the bread of life.” After feeding a crowd of five thousand with just five barley loaves and two fish, Jesus engages in a dialogue—an argument, really—about who he is. Again and again, he will insist to those around him, “I am the bread of life.” And so bread, a feature of our worship every week, will be an especial theme for us over the next month as we read our way through the sixth chapter of John, which is where this all happens.

Bread is a staple in diets all over the world, and bread appears over and over again in the Bible. The Israelites eat a bread called manna as they wander in their exodus from Egypt. It appears every morning on the ground as a fine, flaky substance. The hungry crowds in John’s Gospel eat loaves baked from barley, the bread of the poor in the first-century Mediterranean. Unleavened bread features prominently in the Passover meal, where Jesus will take the bread, break it, and say another astounding thing: “Take, eat; this is my body.”

As we ponder this Jesus who feeds the crowd, and who gives his very self to be bread for the world, I invite you to reflect on how Jesus is providing for you. When has Jesus, the bread of life, nourished you in times of great need? When have you helped nourish others with this bread—both literal and beyond? In the words of the great spiritual, “Let us break bread together on our knees.”

Faithfully,

Father Sam

Sunday, August 4th, 2024

9:00 A.M.

Holy Eucharist

Collect for the Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost

Let your continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend your Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without your help, protect and govern it always by your goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Scripture for the Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost: Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15, Psalm 78:23-29, Ephesians 4:1-16, John 6:22-35

Serving this week, August 4

Celebrant: The Rev’d Jane G. Tillman

Preacher: The Rev’d Samuel T. Vaught

Server: Darryl Lafferty

Lector/Intercessor: Virgil Stucker

Musicians: Libby Wade and Virgil Stucker

Greeter: TBD

Fellowship: Ginny Willcox

Altar Guild: Jennifer Carmichael

Serving next week, August 11

Celebrant/Preacher: The Rev’d Samuel T. Vaught

Assisting Priest: The Rev’d Jane G. Tillman

Server: Darryl Lafferty

Lector/Intercessor: Kim Savery

Musician: Doug Schmolze

Greeter: Jim Wade

Fellowship: The Rev’d Libby Wade

Altar Guild: Robin Race

Parish Prayer List

Those who are ill or in need of intercession

Bruce, Charles, Linda, Veronica, Jeff, Karen, Lisa, Rosalind, Jacob, Kathleen, Doug, Holly, Rick, John, Vicki, Donna, Cynthia, Eliza, Cindy, Lori, LaDawn, Elaine, Kit, David, Ann, Jessica, Heidi, Paul, Kate, John, Lisa

Those who have recently died

Laura

Giver Essien, student in Pittsfield

Sue Croll, former Riverbrook resident

Those who have asked for our long-term prayers

Doug, Allie, Ginger, Joan, Duncan, Bernadette, Ray, Piers, Katrina, Rich, Karen, Michael, Khali, George, Barbara, Christy, John, Anthony, Astrida

Those celebrating birthdays or anniversaries

Bernadette Brusco, Pam Drumm, Anne Auberjonois, Graham Higgins

Diocesan Cycle of Prayer (Week of 7/28)

Congregations, Ministries, and Partners in Ministry

Trinity Church, Shrewsbury (The Rev’d Ann Scannell, Rector)

Hampden Region (The Rev’d Harvey Hill, Area Dean)

The Church and Wider Mission

Interfaith Coalition for the Homeless of Worcester

Worcester Interfaith

Anglican Cycle of Prayer

Sun 8/4: The Anglican Church of Kenya

Mon 8/5: Diocese of Huron (Canada)

Tues 8/6: Diocese of Hyderabad (Pakistan)

Wed 8/7: Diocese of Ibadan (Nigeria)

Thurs 8/8: Di0cese of Ibadan North (Nigeria)

Fri 8/9: Diocese of Ibadan South (Nigeria)

Sat 8/10: Diocese of Ibba (South Sudan)

Pray throughout the week with Forward Day by Day

New copies of Forward Day by Day are available in the back of the church for you to take home. Forward Day by Day is a daily devotional that includes scripture readings, prayers, and a reflection written by a fellow disciple. If you are looking for a daily prayer practice, this is a great place to start! The publication is quarterly, so the new copies will take you through October.

Reminder: Summer Bible Study through August 28

Summer Bible Study continues every Wednesday through August 28. Each Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., we gather on the screen porch of the Rectory to explore the readings for the upcoming Sunday. We let our curiosities guide the conversation, and we never know quite where we’ll end up! Bring a Bible if you have one (we have plenty here, too), and come with questions and an open spirit! You can enter on the west side of the house, from the church gardens. Questions? Email Father Sam.

Don’t Forget a Lawn Chair for Outdoor Worship

Summer attendance has been fantastic, so much that we’re occasionally short on seating! If you have a comfortable and portable lawn chair, bring it along to church so that we can have plenty of seating for visitors and those who need a chair. Thank you for making our outdoor worship such a vibrant and welcoming time!

Join a Fellowship Dinner this Summer!

Would you like to deepen your relationships with fellow parishioners? Would you like meet new people at St. Paul’s over good food? If so, you are warmly invited to join one of the Fellowship Dinners hosted in the homes of parishioners this summer. There are eight dinners scheduled in the months of July and August in the various locales in which we live. Find one that works for you and sign up here. If you are having any difficulty with accessing the google doc, please call Martha (413-281-9772) and ask for help. She recently discovered that she can add names using her desktop computer, but cannot on her phone! She is happy to help you!

Questions? Contact Junior Warden Martha Bodine

For the second year in a row, St. Paul’s is sponsoring a hole at the Human to Human Golf Tournament, a new annual fundraiser to support a wide variety of ministries throughout Western Massachusetts. Father Sam would like to issue an additional challenge: this year, let’s field a team of 4 players to play the tournament! If you enjoy golfing, you can represent St. Paul’s, raise money for important work around the Diocese, and have fun all at once! You can find more information here. And don’t let the registration cost deter you—the Vestry is happy to pitch in to make any registration possible.

Two Opportunities to Pray Together Each Week

Wednesday: Morning Prayer at 8:30am (Online)



Every Wednesday, a group of parishioners meet at 8:30am to pray Morning Prayer online via Zoom. All are warmly welcome to join via the Zoom link on our website. Thank you Darryl Lafferty for continuing to lead this weekly offering.

Friday: Intercessory Prayer at 8:30am (In-person)

Some may remember that several years ago, a group of parishioners met each week to pray for the needs of those on the parish prayer list. All are invited to join on Friday mornings in the church as we revive this tradition of intercessory prayer. Thank you Alice Wohl for your leadership in reviving this weekly offering.