The E-pistle

July 26th, 2024

A Note from Father Sam

Dear friends in Christ,

This coming Monday is an important anniversary in the history of the Episcopal Church. On July 29, 1974, eleven deacons were ordained to the priesthood at the Church of the Advocate in Philadelphia. What made this particular ordination special? All of the deacons were women! Fifty years ago Monday, these eleven women became the first women ordained as priests in the Episcopal Church. Together, they are known as the Philadelphia Eleven, and their ordination was a watershed moment in the history of the Church.

This event marked the moment when our Church woke up to a simple truth that many Christians had been saying for centuries: God calls each and every one of us to a life of faithful discipleship, and the different Orders of ministry in the Church (lay person, deacon, priest, bishop) cannot be open to some and closed to others simply because of their gender, or race, or sexuality. God creates us in a beautiful diversity, and God calls us to different ministries from within that diversity. All Christians may be called upon to serve in ordained ministry. It took until 1974 for the Episcopal Church to gain the wisdom and courage to say that this was equally true for women, as for men. In the fifty years since, this truth has been recognized for LGBTQ people, too.

Perhaps you well remember an Episcopal Church without women priests (or deacons, or bishops). Or perhaps, like me, you can’t remember a time when all orders of ministry weren’t open to everyone. Today I ask you to join me in giving thanks for the ordination of women in the Episcopal Church, for the ordained women who have played crucial roles in the life of Saint Paul’s, not least the Rev’d Libby Wade and the Rev’d Jane Tillman, and for the gift of God’s Spirit, who is always leading us and guiding us into all truth, even when we are slow to follow along. As we remember and give thanks, let us pray.

O God of Persistent Grace, you called the Philadelphia Eleven to the priesthood and granted them courage and boldness to respond, thereby opening the eyes of your church to the giftedness and equality of all: grant us so to hear, trust, and follow your Holy Spirit wherever she may lead, that the gifts of all your people may flourish throughout the earth, through Christ our Savior. Amen.

Gratefully,

Father Sam

PS: The road to July 29, 1974, and the events that followed, were neither simple nor easy, especially for the brave women ordained that day! Learn more about the journey of the Philadelphia Eleven here, and consider streaming the documentary this weekend!

Sunday, July 28th, 2024

9:00 A.M.

Holy Eucharist

Collect for the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost

O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon us your mercy; that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal; 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 Tenth Sunday after Pentecost: 2 Kings 4:42-44, Psalm 145:10-19, Ephesians 3:14-21, John 6:1-21

Serving this week, July 28

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

Server: Darryl Lafferty

Lector/Intercessor: Bill Higgins

Musician: David Smith

Greeter: Anne Covell

Fellowship: Martha Bodine

Altar Guild: Natalie Boyce

Serving next 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

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

Those who have asked for our long-term prayers

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

Those celebrating birthdays or anniversaries

Joel Levi, Dan Weston

Diocesan Cycle of Prayer (Week of 7/28)

Congregations, Ministries, and Partners in Ministry

Trinity Church, Shelburne Falls

Franklin-Hampshire Region (The Rev’d Tanya Wallace, Area Dean)

The Church and Wider Mission

Episcopal Relief and Development

Ministries to Assisted Living & Skilled Nursing Care

Anglican Cycle of Prayer

Sun 7/28: Episc. Church in Jerusalem & Middle East

Mon 7/29: Diocese of Ho (West Africa)

Tues 7/30: Diocese of Hokkaido (Japan)

Wed 7/31: Diocese of Honduras (Episcopal Church)

Thurs 8/1: Di0cese of Hong Kong Island (HK)

Fri 8/2: Diocese of the Horn of Africa (Alexandria)

Sat 8/3: Diocese of Hpa-an (Myanmar)

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.