The E-pistle

June 8th, 2023

A Message from Libby

How is Your Garden Growing?

On a walk through the church yard this week, I spied these two plants sitting in pots in the shade with a watering can nearby. I’m sure someone will soon dig a hole, drop them into the soil with a bit of fertilizer, and water them generously. With a little help from gardeners and nature, they’ll have what it takes to grow deep, strong roots. As I think about these two plants, I’m drawn to consider how our spiritual garden is growing here at St. Paul’s. Our participation has been increasing slowly but surely with stronger and broader enthusiasm and energy, and we’re accomplishing some long overdue tasks like the rectory renovation and the website overhaul. The rector search is stalled until those two big tasks are a bit further along, but it will happen soon. Perhaps these are signs of spiritual growth, which is hard to measure on its own.

Sometimes it’s easy to get stuck in practical day-to-day work and lose sight of the spiritual underpinning that’s essential to the growth of a faith community and its individuals. If you’re feeling spiritually alive and growing right now, that’s great. Share that energy with others. If you’re feeling a bit dry and uncertain right now, try participating in the Tuesday Meditation Group, Wednesday Morning Prayer service, Sunday Holy Eucharist, or Diocesan Compline service. Being in community with others and connecting with the divine can fertilize and water your roots. So can helping others, so check out the Appalachian Trail project or the Lee Food Pantry, or Gideon’s Garden opportunities. Pick up a copy of Forward Day by Day for your devotional use or choose another book to read (maybe outside in rejuvenating natural surroundings). Let yourself relax into the expansiveness of God, sink into the rich soil of life in Christ, and be watered and refreshed by the Holy Spirit.

Sunday Worship at 8 and 10 a.m.

Collect for the Second Sunday after Pentecost

O God, from whom all good proceeds: Grant that by your inspiration we may think those things that are right, and by your merciful guiding may do them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Scripture for June 11th: Hosea 5:15-6:6, Psalm 50:7-15, Romans 4:13-25, Matthews 9:9-13, 18-26.

Worship Team for June 11th, 2nd Sunday after Pentecost

Celebrant (8 & 10)                 The Rev. Libby Wade

Preacher (8 & 10)                  The Rev. Jane Tillman

Reader/Intercessor (8)          Darryl Lafferty

Reader/Intercessor (10)        Carl Sprague

Usher/Greeter (10)                Natalie Boyce

Fellowship Host                     Patty Melville

Worship Teams for June 18- One Service at 10 AM

Celebrant/Preacher           The Rev. Libby Wade

Assisting Priest             The Rev. Jane Tillman

Reader                                   Jean Rousseau

Intercessor                                    Torey Winn

Usher/Greeter                           Martha Bodine

Parish Prayer List

--People we pray for on Sundays:  Bruce, Charles, Irby, Ginger, Joan, Duncan, Bernadette, Linda, Veronica, Jeff, Karen, Lisa, Ray, Allie, Isabel, Estreeta, and Michael Curry.

--Long-term prayer list:  Piers, Katrina, Rich, Karen, Michael, Tom, Khali, George, Doug, Barbara, Christy, John, and Anthony

-- May she rest in peace -- Anne Covell's sister-in-law, who died May 27th

--Our partners at Grace Church, Great Barrington, and their priest Tina Rathbone; Christ Trinity Episcopal-Lutheran Church, Sheffield, and their priest Erik Karas; the Austen Riggs community and the Riverbrook Residence; victims of war, violence, abuse, persecution and disaster at home and abroad; and those who continue to be impacted by the pandemic

--Outreach Ministry of the Week: St. Paul’s Childrens Center

--Diocesan Cycle of Prayer:  St. Johns, Northampton

--Anglican Cycle of Prayer:  The Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand, and Polynesia

--Birthdays: Chris Marsden & Barbara McCue.

--This week’s altar flowers were donated by Carl Sprague in memory of Susan LeRoy Merrill.

“My Soul in Silence Waits”

Meditation and Prayer Group 

Tuesdays at 4:30 p.m. on Zoom

Our format will include a brief reflection on a psalm followed by a time for silent prayer, meditation, or journaling, and ending with spoken prayers. 

Come into this quiet time for centering, reflection, and prayer.  Nourish your soul in silence and safety.  Participate every Tuesday or drop in whenever you can.  You will be welcomed!    Contact: The Rev. Libby Wade at ( [email protected] )  

Morning Prayer on Zoom

Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m.

Led by Darryl Lafferty

Form community….Offer prayers….Learn about Saints’ Days

These photos are from Gideon’s Garden Planting Day on June 3.  Three folks from St. Paul’s were among the 45 planters. Perhaps you saw Jim Wade’s “Helper Person” t-shirt last Sunday when he talked about the joy of helping this garden grow to feed those experiencing food insecurity in our region. There will be regular days and hours this summer for volunteers to help with the weeding and harvesting of produce. We’ll publish those hours soon. As a small memorial garden was planted on Saturday, those present named and remembered every one of the 20 young people whose lives have been cut short by gun violence in our state so far this year. As the Rev. Tina Rathbone said, “May each one of them rest in peace and rise in power. And may the rest of us continue to work – all together – to nurture and support every one of God’s blessed children however and whenever we can.”

Appalachian Trail Angels Ministry Dates Set

Tuesday, July 18 and Saturday, August 12

Zoom Training Session – Wednesday, June 14, 7 p.m

My grandchildren (age 7 & 13) had a great time hiking around Benedict Pond with us last weekend. They’ll have fun back home in New Jersey telling their friends they hiked on the Appalachian Trail, even if it was only a tiny bit of the Trail! Last summer, those of us who worked for a day as AT Trail Angels got to hear fascinating stories from thru-hikers, who had trekked north from Georgia or were headed south from Mt. Katahdin in Maine. If you’d like to be part of a St. Paul’s team this year, please contact our Ministry Intern Sharon Billetter ([email protected]) or sign up on Sunday at church. In addition to volunteering in person, donations toward Kroger gift cards will be gladly accepted to purchase food for the meals provided at the Trail Angels Site.                                                                                                                           -- Libby+

As a United Way Project several years ago, St. Paul’s erected a Berkshire Book House at one of the entrances to our church yard. As you can see, it’s rather bare at the moment. Though this box is intended for children’s books, it was full of adult books this week. Libby removed those and restocked with books donated by the Johnsons and the Skakels. We need a “librarian” for our Book House! Duties include periodically checking to make sure only appropriate books are inside (not censoring or banning, just keeping it for children!) and choosing books from our already ample supply to put in the house. “Find books that make YOU happy! Take them home, IN JOY,” says a sign inside the Book House. This is one more way of offering welcome to the Stockbridge community and visitors to town. If you could help with this simple yet fulfilling task, please contact Libby Wade. 

Honoring Graduates on Sunday, June 18 at 10:00 A.M.

Is someone in your family graduating from preschool, elementary school, middle or high

school, or college this spring? Are you an educator or is someone in your family an

educator? If so, please send their name, grade or degree, and school to Libby Wade

([email protected]) as soon as possible, so that they can be listed in our leaflet on

Sunday, June 18, and in the E-pistle that week. On June 18, we’ll pray for graduates and

educators, as well as celebrate the 50 th anniversary of the founding of St. Paul’s

Children’s Center. There will be a brunch after the 10 a.m. worship service with special

guests from the early days of our preschool.

If you know someone who taught at St. Paul’s Children’s Center or who attended the Center, please share this invitation with them:

Rectory Renovation

Fundraising Team Appointed 

Our contractor, Henry Kirchdorfer, is working diligently on the Rectory kitchen and bathrooms. Once he finishes, the painter will return to complete his work, the floors will be refinished or cleaned, work will be done on several of the chimneys, and, at some point, the roof will be repaired or replaced. As you can see from the photo, the sun porch is full of insulation and boxes of cabinets and appliances ready to be installed. Jorja Marsden is doing an outstanding and time-consuming job as our project manager. As the renovation moves forward, a Fundraising Team has begun meeting to design a path to funding the portion of renovation cost not covered by the vestry-authorized endowment withdrawal. Please welcome Martha Bodine, Genet Jeanjean, and Virgil Stucker to this leadership role. They bring wisdom, broad experience, and fresh perspectives to the task. This decades-overdue renovation will create a welcoming and comfortable home for St. Paul’s new rector and enhance our presence in the Stockbridge community. 

Calendar of Upcoming Events



+ Saturday, June 10 – St. Paul’s Team works at Lee Food Pantry

+ Sunday, June 11, 8 & 10 a.m. – Holy Eucharist in the church

+ Every Tuesday, 4:30 p.m. (Zoom link) – Meditation & Prayer

+ Every Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. (Zoom link) – Morning Prayer

+ Wednesday, June 14, 5:30 p.m. – Vestry Meeting in the Parish House

+ Wednesday, June 14, 7:00 p.m. – Appalachian Trail Angel Volunteer Training on-line

+ Friday, June 16 – Marriage Ceremony at St. Paul’s for Linda Boborodea and Naren Dhamadharan

+ Sunday, June 18 – ONE SERVICE ONLY at 10 a.m. – Celebration of Graduates and 50th Anniversary Celebration of Founding of St. Paul’s Children’s Center; Brunch in the Children’s Center after worship

+ Wednesday, June 21 – Safe Church Training for volunteers at Grace Church Office in Great Barrington (Time TBD)

+ Sunday, June 25 – ONE SERVICE ONLY (Time TBD) outdoors

Due to a number of factors, we have not been able to livestream our Sunday worship in May. We hope to resolve these issues over the summer.