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Weekly News for July 26, 2020
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Worship-at-Home
Sunday, July 26 at 11:00 a.m.
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Pastors' Weekly Message: From Pastor Kate
Dear St. Paul’s family –
Our “big God family” just got a little bit bigger!
Last week, Pastor Pat and I had the joy and privilege of baptizing Quinn Bernice Elizabeth Maloney. Some of you may remember that her big sister Collier’s baptism was the first one I assisted with here at St. Paul’s, so there was beautiful symmetry for me in sharing this moment with the Maloney family.
Of course, in this season of “covid-tide” the scene looked a little different than Collier’s baptism. The Sanctuary was empty save for our camera crew and the family; all of us wore masks throughout the service; and I wore gloves as I anointed Quinn with the living waters of our faith. However, the words we spoke over her were very similar, if not the exact same, that have been spoken over centuries of infants and adult believers, and the vows we made to “surround her with a community of love and forgiveness, that she may grow in her trust of God and be found faithful in her service to others” still rang with sacred promise.
Friends and family were able to join us via livestream to share this holy moment, and this Sunday we will include her baptism as part of our weekly worship. As you watch and listen, I invite you to use whatever water happens to be handy – in a glass, from a tap, in a stream, even from a kiddie pool or a sprinkler – to draw the sign of the cross on your forehead as you remember your own baptism. Take a moment to give thanks for all the ways God has moved and is yet moving in your life and the lives of others.
God is yet at work at St. Paul’s!
Peace,
Pastor Kate
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Sunday, July 26
11:00 a.m
This Sunday, we are excited to welcome Rev. Tony Love as our guest preacher. Rev. Love serves in the BWC as Assistant to the Bishop. Find the worship service on Sunday morning on our Worship-at-Home page:
http://stpaulsk.org/worship/worship-at-home
It was a joy to welcome those who braved the heat to attend the outdoor worship service last week, and those who joined us in real time through Facebook Live. A higher-quality recording of the July 19 service is now available on the Worship-at-Home page:
http://stpaulsk.org/worship/worship-at-home
. St. Paul's pastors are working on plans for an outdoor service in August. Stay tuned!
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Sunday, July 26
The United Methodist Committee on Relief provides humanitarian relief when war, conflict, or natural disaster disrupts life to such an extent that communities cannot recover on their own.
UMCOR's operations are supported by this UMC designated Special Sunday: UMCOR offering!
Since we cannot provide the paper envelopes we'd normally include in the Sunday worship bulletins, we've set up a secure online giving option available now:
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Submit comments by July 31
Please read the draft of St. Paul's new Welcoming Statement and provide your feedback by clicking here:
https://forms.gle/MBSEF8cZuz6DTbrB9
For those who would prefer a paper form, you can find it in the July Epistle (also available for download by clicking
here
).
As part of our Reconciling journey, lay leaders from across our congregation collaborated to create a draft "Welcoming Statement" that is reflective of our community values and offers an explicit and intentional welcome to anyone wanting to learn more about God's grace, specifically members of the LGBTQIA+ community and other marginalized groups.
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If you would like to pray alongside others from St. Paul's, call
425-436-6326
at 9:45 each Tuesday morning. When prompted for the “access code," type in
774042
followed by
#
.
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July 20-26
Pastor Pat is on vacation this week. She will return on Monday July 27. During her absence Pastor Kate will be attending to the matters of our church. For contact information for all of St. Paul's staff, visit
http://stpaulsk.org/community/meet-the-staff.
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The Re-Entering Well Team has now contacted the leaders & coordinators of church ministries and outside groups regularly using St. Paul's facilities, inviting them to submit plans outlining how they might re-enter the building while following established guidelines and restrictions. The Re-Entering Well team will consider each plan and will provide leaders with feedback or approval. If you have questions, please contact Erin in the church office at [email protected]
Some staff have re-entered the building to complete tasks which cannot be done remotely. The building however remains closed to the public, because we are carefully engaging in distancing restrictions and extra sanitation practices.
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Churches throughout the UMC and the Baltimore-Washington region have reported scammers, posing as churches or church leaders, requesting money or gift cards from members of the church community. Often scammers will create fake email accounts copying the name of a pastor or using the name of the church, which is public information. Please remember all St. Paul's online and e-giving options can be found through our website:
stpaulsk.org/giving
, and we will not ask you to use another online donation method. (If you donate by check, you may continue to mail donations to the church office at 10401 Armory Avenue, Kensington MD, as we pick up the mail regularly!) If you receive a suspicious request for money or gifts, please disregard it or email Erin Steele at the church office to double check ([email protected]).
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The online version of St. Paul's Library Catalog is temporarily unavailable! We are working with our online catalog partners at Our Library Online to get it up and running again soon. Thanks for your patience! If you have library questions in the meantime, please contact the church office or our librarian, Debra McCurry.
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Saturdays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays
- The Saturday study (10:00-11:00 a.m.) uses the BibleProject’s Church at Home: Small Group Bible Study.
- The Tuesday (4:00-5:00 pm) study The Psalms is a traditional Bible study using a guide from Eugene Peterson.
- The Wednesday (4:00-5:00 pm) study on the "I Am" statements of Jesus continues, using a video guide from Rob Fuquay.
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Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays
9:00 a.m.
Facebook Live
Three days a week (except holidays!), St. Paul's staff and special guests take turns offering a live meditation or reading, reminding us to start our day by taking a breath. Once the live session closes, the recording remains available for later viewing. No Facebook account required - simply go to
https://www.facebook.com/stpaulskensington/
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Wednesday, August 19
7:00-8:00 p.m.
We will be very still for the summer! Instead of meeting weekly, we will meet once a month for the remainder of the summer. The August gathering for Still Wednesday will be held on August 19. Still Wednesday offers a time of prayer, connection, and quiet contemplation in a busy world. Email [email protected] or call Kenzie Raulin at 301-237-1520 for the Zoom link. All are welcome.
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Contact Meg Baker, Director of Christian Education
We have some new summer programming for kids in the works! For now, please continue to enjoy these offerings:
Kids’ Connection episodes are short videos featuring members of the St. Paul's community sharing stories, songs, and activities geared for our youngest friends. Videos available for viewing any time at
http://stpaulsk.org/community/children
and scrolling down the page. New episodes are available each week! If you or your family would like to participate in future episodes, or for more information, please contact Meg Baker.
Summer Sunday School materials, which include children's bulletins and activity sheets, are sent via email each week. Short worship-oriented Children's Message videos are sent by email each week as well. If you are not receiving these but would like to, please contact Meg Baker.
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Our ministry leaders are working on developing creative ways to re-open in the coming months. However, we will not hold an in-person food distribution or meal in August. Our recipients will once again receive grocery store gift cards through the mail and can request groceries through our partners at Bethesda Help. If you can, please continue setting aside nonperishables now to help restock the St. Paul's pantry. Our grocery "wish list" is available at
http://stpaulsk.org/service/hunger-ministry
You can also make a gift of financial support at
http://stpaulsk.org/giving.
Thank you!
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Sign up any time
This ongoing opportunity matches friendly home cooks at St. Paul's with any family who might appreciate having one less meal to make. Those who would like to receive a meal should start with the form found here:
https://forms.gle/PBxN89ECm8Tg9kVZ7
and those who would like to cook should email Bill Butz or Erin Steele at the church office ([email protected]).
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Bible Readings for July 26, 2020
New Testament Reading:
Romans 8:26-39
26
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.
27
And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
28
We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
29
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family.
30
And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.
31
What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
32
He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else?
33
Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
34
Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us.
35
Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36
As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all day long;
we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
38
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
39
nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 13:44-52
44
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
45
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls;
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on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
47
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind;
48
when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad.
49
So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous
50
and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51
“Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.”
52
And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”
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