The E-pistle

Friday, May 16th, 2025

A Note from Father Sam

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

Dear friends,

If you were in church last Sunday, you heard a terrific sermon on Jesus the Good Shepherd from our guest preacher, the Rev’d Canon Greg Baker. I found Father Greg’s words to speak straight to my soul, and I wonder if you did, too. He pointed us to the deep mystery that in Jesus, God has not solved all our problems, or the problems of the world. Instead, in Jesus, God meets us in our problems and promises never to abandon us. In Jesus, God is with us. And as I am tempted towards despair by news headlines and personal sorrows, I find that to be very good news indeed.

The Easter season is usually marked by joyful singing and loud Alleluias, but that is not the whole truth of Easter. Sometimes, the quiet reassurance that God is with us in our pain, in our suffering, and yes, even in our death, waiting to transform it with his life and love, evokes a deeper and more resonant Alleluia, even if it is a quieter one.

If you weren’t in church, or if you need to hear this good news again, I leave you with Father Greg’s closing words, which I pray will bring you Easter hope, no matter what you are facing at this time:

“The crucified and risen Jesus does not promise to fix our problems. He meets us in them, though. He knows what they are—he knows each of us by name. As the Good Shepherd, he is always seeking us out when we are lost or have strayed, searching in every crag and crevice of life until he finds us again. His presence is not so much pastoral as it is a promise to never abandon us to hopelessness or despair, because on the cross he too has experienced just these very things.

“There is another moment, soon after this passage from our Gospel in John this morning, that seen through the lens of Easter day means something new. Jesus receives the news that his friend Lazarus is ill. After delaying going to him, Jesus arrives to find that he has been dead and buried for four days. Lazarus’ sisters are irate. ‘If you had been here,’ they cried, ‘my brother would not have died.’

“Jesus does not prevent Lazarus’s death. But he does transform it. He goes to his tomb, orders it be opened, and calls him out of it. He raises him from the dead. And he will raise us too—calling us out of our tombs into the light and life of his presence. We will be like the risen Jesus. He will lead us through shadow and death to the springs of the water of life, to green pastures, to the courts of eternal life, where God will wipe away every tear from our eyes. And until then, in those moments in life of struggle—through illness or addiction, anxiety or despair, through the changes and chances of life—hear the risen Lord of life calling your name. Calling you out of whatever tomb you’re in and back to the light, life, and hope of Christ.” -The Rev’d Canon Greg Baker

Faithfully,

Father Sam

Sunday, May 18th, 2025: The Fifth Sunday of Easter

8:00 AM Holy Eucharist Rite I

10:00 A.M Holy Eucharist Rite II

O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people: Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Scripture for the Fourth Sunday of Easter: Acts 9:36-43, Revelation 7:9-17, John 10:22-30, Psalm 23

Serving this Sunday:

Altar Guild: Natalie Boyce

Fellowship: Patty Melville

Serving at 8:00 AM:

Celebrant: The Rev’d Samuel T. Vaught

Preacher: The Rev’d Samuel T. Vaught

Acolyte: Darryl Lafferty

LEM: Ginny Willcox

Lector/Intercessor: Linda Mason         

Greeter: Jorja Marsden

Serving at 10:00 AM

Celebrant: The Rev’d Samuel T. Vaught

Preacher: The Rev’d Samuel T. Vaught

Verger/Acolyte: Darryl Lafferty

LEM: Diane Dillon

Lector: Carl Sprague

Intercessor: Vaunie Graulty

 Greeters: Jim Wade and Frank Smith

Musician: Nancy King

Altar flowers are given to the glory of God and in loving memory of Anna & Francis Pilling and Bob Marsden, by Jorja Marsden.

Parish Prayer List

Those who are ill or in need of intercession

Jacob, Kathleen, Donna, Cynthia, Lori, Kit, David, Ann, Celia, Anne, Dawn, Tracey, Jim, Mary, Emery, Win, Mike, Janet, Bobbie, Ginger, Arthur

Those who have recently died

Francis, Bishop of Rome

Orin Smith, father of Frank Smith

Joe Davis, uncle of Mary Tierney

Those who have asked for our long-term prayers

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

Those celebrating birthdays or anniversaries

Scott Muir

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 5/11)

Congregations, Ministries, and Partners in Ministry

Trinity Church, Milford

Bement-Waterfield Educational Grant Committee

Young Adult Ministry Network (YAMN)

The Church and Wider Mission

National Episcopal Health Ministries

The Episcopal Church in the United States of America; Sean, Presiding Bishop

The Anglican Communion throughout the world; Stephen, Archbishop of York

Anglican Cycle of Prayer

Sun 5/18: The Episcopal Church in Jerusalem & The Middle East

Mon 5/19: Diocese of Mombasa (Kenya)

Tues 5/20: Diocese of Monmouth (Wales)

Wed 5/21: Diocese of Montana(Episcopal Church)

Thurs 5/22: Diocese of Montreal (Canada)

Fri 5/23: Diocese of Moosonee (Canada)

Sat 5/24: Diocese of Moray, Ross and Caithness (Scotland)

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 Kentucky

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

May Red Letter Days

Thursday, May 1: Saint Philip and Saint James, Apostles

Thursday, May 29: Ascension Day

Saturday, May 31: The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Lee Food Pantry: Current Needs

Baby wipes

Laundry detergent

Flour

Sugar

Rice

Paper towels

Toilet paper

Items can be dropped off at the back of the church. On the second Saturday of the month, a team from St. Paul’s volunteers to distribute food. Questions? See Jim Wade.

Ascension Day Eucharist and Cookout

“God has gone up with a shout!” On Thursday, May 29, we will celebrate Ascension Day for the third year in a row. 40 days after Easter Day, Ascension Day remembers the event recorded in the Gospels when the risen Jesus “withdrew from the disciples and was carried up into heaven,” foreshadowing the gift of the Holy Spirit 10 days later at Pentecost. Come to church on May 29 for Holy Eucharist at 6:00 p.m. followed by a cookout. The Rev’d Libby Wade, priest associate, will preside and preach.

Newcomer’s Lunch, June 15 after service

Are you new at St. Paul’s? Have you been around for a few months, or weeks, and are looking to meet more people and get involved? Join Father Sam for lunch after service to learn more about the parish and how you can make a home in this community of faith. We’ll meet after the 10:00 Holy Eucharist in the tower room and walk over to the upper level of the Parish House to share lunch and conversation. All are welcome!

New Copies of Forward Day by Day Available

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 July.

Be alert for email scams!

Some parishioners have continued to receive email scams from people claiming to be Father Sam or another member of the church. This is an unfortunate part of life in the digital age right now. Each of these occurrences is an opportunity for community education and awareness, and so here is some advice from the Rev’d Vicki Ix, Canon for Communications for the Diocese:

1.   No one in the church will ever ask for money or gift cards via email or text.

2.   Double check the sender’s exact email address, which often reveals something out of the ordinary.

3.   If you are suspicious about an email, call the church office or the person from whom the email seems to have come.

4.   Never click on links in emails unless you are certain you know the sender.

5.   Never share the parish directory with anyone outside the Sunday community or leave it in the church.