The E-pistle

Friday, February 14, 2025

James Weldon Johnson

Absalom Jones

A Note from Father Sam

Dear friends in Christ,

Did you know that we have two different hymnals in our pews at St. Paul’s? In addition to the blue Hymnal 1982, we also sing hymns from Lift Every Voice and Sing II, a hymnal inspired by African American sacred music. While “LEVAS,” as we call it, is available for use every week of the year, we have made an extra effort to sing from this hymnal each week in the month of February as we observe Black History Month. This Sunday, we will sing the African American spiritual “Standin’ in the Need of Prayer.” Like most spirituals, we don’t know the source of its text or music, but we can thank the great James Weldon Johnson for its survival and popularity today. Johnson, the civil rights activist, NAACP leader, and lyricist of the magisterial hymn that gives its name to our hymnal, included “Standin’ in the Need of Prayer” in his 1925 collection The Book of American Negro Spirituals. Thanks to Johnson’s efforts to preserve the artistic and theological contributions of American spirituals to our faith, we can all sing on Sunday of our need for prayer and communion with God: “Not my brother, not my sister, but it's me, O Lord,

Standin' in the need of prayer…It's me, it's me, O Lord, Standin' in the need of prayer.” During his years compiling his book of spirituals, Johnson spent time at his home in Great Barrington. You can read more about his connection to the community in a recent article in the Berkshire Eagle.

On Sunday, we’ll also sing about Absalom Jones, the first Black man ordained priest in the Episcopal Church, and direct our loose-plate offerings to the Absalom Jones fund, which supports two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) associated with the Episcopal Church: St. Augustine’s University in Raleigh, NC, and Voorhees University in Denmark, SC. There will be more information about this fund and about Absalom Jones in the bulletin.

Working, praying, and yes, singing, for racial justice is part of the call of all Christians in a world where we are alienated from one another by the powers of sin, evil, and injustice. We stand in the need of prayer—prayer for historic wrongs to be righted, prayer for long-hidden truths to be told, prayer for God’s reconciling grace to wash over every human soul and unjust structure in our society. May the ways we mark Black History Month—in deed, prayer, and song—help our walk of discipleship all year long.

Faithfully,

Father Sam

Sunday, February 16th, 2025

8:00 AM Holy Eucharist Rite I

10:00 A.M Holy Eucharist Rite II

O God, the strength of all who put their trust in you: Mercifully accept our prayers; and because in our weakness we can do nothing good without you, give us the help of your grace, that in keeping your commandments we may please you both in will and deed; 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 Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany: Jeremiah 17:5-10, Psalm 1, 1 Corinthians 15:12-20, Luke 6:17-26

Serving this Sunday:

Altar Guild: Jorja Marsden

Fellowship: Ginny Willcox

Serving at 8:00 AM

Celebrant: The Rev’d Samuel T. Vaught

Preacher: The Rev’d Samuel T. Vaught

Acolyte: Rob Maloney

LEM: Rob Maloney

Lector/Intercessor: Sebastian Bonner

Greeters: Jorja Marsden

Serving at 10:00 AM

Celebrant: The Rev’d Samuel T. Vaught

Preacher: The Rev’d Samuel T. Vaught

Acolyte: Kim Savery

 LEM: Ginny Willcox

Lector: Vaunie Graulty

Intercessor: Carl Sprague

Greeters: Brett Roberts and Carl Sprague

Musician: Nancy King

Parish Prayer List

Those who are ill or in need of intercession

Jacob, Kathleen, Donna, Cynthia, Lori, Kit, David, Ann, Celia, Anne, Dawn, Bill, Tom, Tracey, Ginny, Rebecca, Jim, Travis, Faye, Linda, Mary, Emery, Martha, Anne

Those who have recently died

Victims of recent plane crashes

Those who have asked for our long-term prayers

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

Those celebrating birthdays or anniversaries

David Pearson

Our Parish: St. Paul’s, Stockbridge

That we may grow in faith, hope, and love, and together strive to be the hands and heart of Christ for Stockbridge and the wider world; for Sam, our Rector; Jane and Libby, our Priests Associate; for our Wardens  and Vestry; for the students and staff of the St. Paul’s Children’s Center 

The Diocese of Western Massachusetts

Doug, Bishop

Steven, interim Canon to the Ordinary 

Diocesan Cycle of Prayer (Week of 2/16)

Congregations, Ministries, and Partners in Ministry

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Longmeadow

Lawrence House Service Corps

The Church and Wider Mission

Church Periodical Club

The Episcopal Church and Visual

Arts

Anglican Cycle of Prayer (Week of 2/16)

Sun 2/16: The Church of Bangladesh

Mon 2/17: Diocese of Lweru (Tanzania)

Tues 2/18: Missionary Area of Macau (Hong Kong)

Wed 2/19: Diocese of Machakos (Kenya)

Thurs 2/20: Diocese of Maciene (Mozambique & Angola)

Fri 2/21: Diocese of of Madhya Kerala (South India)

Sat 2/22: Diocese of Madi & West Nile (Uganda)

Prayers for those in Authority

The Town of Stockbridge 

The Stockbridge Select Board 

Ernest Cardillo, Jamie Minacci, Patrick White

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Maura Healey, Governor of Massachusetts

The General Court of Massachusetts 

Leigh Davis (House of Representatives) 

Paul Mark (Senate) 

The United States of America 

Donald Trump, President of the United States

Supreme Court of the United States

The United States Congress 

Richard Neal (House of Representatives)

Elizabeth Warren (Senate) 

Ed Markey (Senate) 



Prayers for the World 

For lasting peace in the Middle East

For the people of the Middle East, Sudan, Ukraine, Myanmar, Haiti, and other places of conflict

For kidnapped Ukrainian children and their families and friends

For all affected by natural disasters and climate change, especially in Tibet and California

For all who live in fear, especially migrants and transgender children and adults

February Red Letter Days

Monday, February 24: Saint Matthias the Apostle: Bishop Doug will join us for Holy Eucharist at 6pm, followed by a discussion about bishop elections! Stay tuned for details.

Sunday Forum

Our Sunday Forum Bible Study continues this week (February 16th) after the 10 AM Eucharist. We will be discussing Genesis 12 - 25: The Calling of Abraham. The following week (Sunday, February 23rd), we will discuss Genesis 26 - 36: Jacob and Israel. All are welcome, even if you haven't read the text! See Brett Roberts.

Winter Formation on Zoom:

Exploring Paul, our Patron

Who is St. Paul? Why did he write so much of the New Testament?

Join fellow parishioners for a 7-week formation series exploring the Apostle Paul, our parish’s patron. Each Thursday evening at 6:00 p.m., we will meet over Zoom from our homes to learn more about Paul, read through his Letter to the Galatians, and hopefully gain some new perspectives on this important figure in our faith! The sessions will build on one another, but please feel free to attend any that you are able to. This formation offering is virtual, and we will meet using the Church zoom link found on the website and linked to here. 

Next week, February 20, we will explore Galatians, chapter 5. If you would like some additional perspectives, find two readings here. (Choose the folder labeled Week 5.) Questions? See Father Sam.

Praying the Offices in Church

You are invited to join Father Sam in praying the Daily Office (Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer) in the Church four days a week. Each Tuesday-Friday, Morning Prayer is offered at 8:00 a.m. and Evening Prayer at 5:00 p.m. Come begin or end your day in prayer with fellow parishioners!

Our regular weekday services of Wednesday Zoom Morning Prayer and Friday Intercessory Prayer continue at 8:30 a.m. on those days. Consider staying after Morning Prayer on Fridays to pray through the parish prayer list with others at Intercessory Prayer. Or, if you are a regular at the online Morning Prayer on Wednesdays, and would like to find more ways to pray with others, consider coming to the Church on another day of the week!