The E-pistle

Friday, February 21st, 2025

A Note from Father Sam

Dear friends in Christ,

While there is nothing green about the view outside our windows right now, we have been enjoying a lengthy “green” season in church. We call this the Season after the Epiphany, which stretches from January 7 until whenever Lent begins, and during this time we (mostly) use green hangings and vestments in the church. It’s a season with a variety of themes, particularly our proclamation of the light of Christ into the world’s darkness, but it also gives us a chance to rest a bit in these short winter days, free from the more dramatic, sweeping seasons of Advent into Christmas and Lent into Easter. This year, we’ve had nearly two months of this green season, but before we know it, Lent will begin as we observe Ash Wednesday on March 5.

Lent will beckon us to attend to our souls as we prepare to celebrate the deepest mysteries of our faith at Easter. It will bring invitations for reflection, penitence, and prayer. I hope it will also bring invitations to turn our faith outwards: to tell the good news of Jesus to a world that could use some good news, to find partners in our community to help us love our neighbors better, and to show up for those in fear and danger, with the message that comes straight from the heart of the Christian faith: that we are not alone.

Details of our Lenten observance are below, including our two Ash Wednesday service times. Do not let your hearts grow weary. Jesus Christ is with you, no matter what. You are not alone.

Faithfully,

Father Sam

Sunday, February 23rd, 2025

8:00 AM Holy Eucharist Rite I

10:00 A.M Holy Eucharist Rite II

O Lord, you have taught us that without love whatever we do is worth nothing: Send your Holy Spirit and pour into our hearts your greatest gift, which is love, the true bond of peace and of all virtue, without which whoever lives is accounted dead before you. Grant this for the sake of your only Son Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Scripture for the Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany: Genesis 45:3-11, 15, Psalm 37:1-12, 41-42 1 Corinthians 15:35-38,42-50, Luke 6:27-38

Serving this Sunday:

Altar Guild: Tracy Johnson

Fellowship: Gale Page

Serving at 8:00 AM

Celebrant: The Rev’d Samuel T. Vaught

Preacher: The Jane Tillman

Acolyte: Rob Maloney

LEM: Jorja Marsden

Lector/Intercessor: Linda Mason

Greeter: David Pearson

Serving at 10:00 AM

Celebrant: The Rev’d Samuel T. Vaught

Preacher: The Rev’d Jane Tillman

Acolyte: Kim Savery

LEM: Kendra MacLeod

Lector: Diane Dillon

Intercessor: TBD

Greeters: Frank Smith & Gale Page

Musician: David Smith

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

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

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 2/23)

Congregations, Ministries, and Partners in Ministry

St. Phillips, Easthampton

Society of the Companions of the Holy Cross

The Church and Wider Mission

Episcopal Conference of the Deaf

Anglican Cycle of Prayer (Week of 2/23)

Sun 2/23: Igreja Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil

Mon 2/24: Diocese of Madras (South India)

Tues 2/25: Diocese of of Madurai-Ramnad (South India)

Wed 2/26: Diocese of Magwi (South Sudan)

Thurs 2/27: Diocese of Mahajanga (Indian Ocean)

Fri 2/28: Diocese of Maiduguri (Nigeria)

Sat 3/1: Diocese of Maine (Episcopal Church)

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 joining us for Holy Eucharist at 6pm, followed by a discussion about bishop elections! Stay tuned for details.

Ash Wednesday: March 5

Ash Wednesday services will be held at St. Paul’s on Wednesday, March 5 at 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Looking for a service at another time? 

Grace Church, Great Barrington: 12:00 p.m.

Christ Trinity Church, Sheffield: 12:00 p.m.

Trinity Church, Lenox: 12:00 p.m.

St. Helena’s Chapel, Lenox: 5:30 p.m.

Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper: March 4

Join Father Sam and Brett to celebrate this last festive day before Lent begins with a pancake supper in the Rectory at 6:00pm. We’ll gather to enjoy some pancakes, other food, and drinks, and then we’ll step outside to burn last year’s Palm Sunday palms to prepare this year’s Ash Wednesday ashes.

Lent Formation Series: “In the Garden”

Our Lenten supper series returns this year on Wednesday nights in the Rectory. This year, our theme is “In the Garden.” Have you considered that the creation story in Genesis, Jesus’ arrest, and Jesus’ resurrection all take place in gardens? Is that a coincidence? Why is there a tree at the center of Eden and a tree at the center of heavenly Jerusalem in the book of Revelation? We will explore the important gardens and agricultural images in scripture as we walk the journey towards Easter together. A simple supper of soup and bread will be served each evening.

In the Garden: 2025 Lenten Formation Series

March 12: Life Began in a Garden (Creation)

March 19: Trees by Streams of Water (Life in Christ)

March 26: Laborers in the Vineyard (The Kingdom of God)

April 2: The Garden of Gethsemane (Suffering and Death)

April 9: An Empty Tomb in a Garden (New Creation)

All sessions will be at 6:00 p.m. in the Rectory.

Attend a Virtual Listening Session or Complete a Survey for the Bishop Search!

If you would like to participate in the listening sessions for our Bishop Search, but can’t attend any of the in-person sessions, you have options! Below are the following dates we will gather online. The zoom link for all zoom sessions is below. To safeguard these conversations, we request that this link is not shared on any social media platforms. 

Zoom Sessions:

Listening Session via Zoom

Sunday, Feb. 16th from 4-6:00 p.m.

Listening Session via Zoom

Sunday, Feb. 23th from 4-6:00 p.m.

Young Adult Conversation via Zoom

Mon., Feb. 24th from 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Listening Session via Zoom

Sunday, March 2th from 4-6:00 p.m.

Listening Sessions via Zoom

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85194316305?pwd=cjHCXVmX2Z8tw8tWDQ4ABNZdJ3DGHC.1

Meeting ID: 851 9431 6305

Passcode: 798007

Dial by your location

• +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)

Survey

The Bishop Search Committee has created a survey for anyone who is unable to participate in one of the scheduled in-person or Zoom listening sessions. You can find the link to the survey here. Please note that submissions will not be accepted after Sunday, March 2nd, 2025. We ask that you contact Caleb Ireland, Co-Chair of the Listening Subcommittee, by email at caleb.s.ireland@gmail.com if you have any technical difficulties or questions as you complete the survey. If you or any members of your parish do not have an email address and thus would like to receive the survey on paper, please ask your parish priest or senior warden to contact Caleb.

Let us pray.

Gracious God, we give you thanks for the ministry we share in the Diocese of Western Massachusetts. In this season of discernment, we ask your blessing and the guidance of your Holy Spirit as we prepare to call our next Bishop. Guide us in this important work, that your mission may be furthered, and your Gospel proclaimed. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Sunday Forum

Our Sunday Forum Bible Study continues this week (February 23rd) after the 10 AM Eucharist. We will be discuss Genesis 26 - 36: Jacob and Israel. All are welcome, even if you haven't read the text! See Brett Roberts for more information.

Winter Formation on Zoom:

Exploring Paul, our Patron

Next week is our seventh and final session of our winter formation class all about St. Paul and the Galatians. On Thursday, Feb. 27, we will explore the last chapter of Paul’s Letter to the Galatians (chapter 6). Optional readings can be found here. (Choose the folder labeled Week 6.) We meet on Zoom at 6:00 p.m. 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!