Dear Friends in Christ,
The Denson family commemorated a high holy day this week, and no, it was not Valentine’s Day. What could be more important? Baseball! Pitchers and catchers reported to spring training camps in Arizona and Florida this week. For our team, the Cubs, the holy day was Wednesday.
Many years ago, I was the assistant coach for our son’s baseball team. Taylor was a talented player who could be his own worst enemy. Any mistake could create stress and cause him to lose focus. Baseball, as you may know, pays particular attention to errors. Even the smallest mistake can change the outcome of a game. In baseball the goal is perfection, at least when you’re playing in the field. When you’re at bat, you can make a mistake 70% of the time and be considered a very good player. It’s a paradox!
As a coach I supported another father who managed the team. He would get upset with every error, yell at the kids to pay attention, and tell them over and over again to get each play right. I’m sure he thought he was encouraging them, but in fact he was doing exactly the opposite. The players tried so hard not to make an error they would inevitably make one. They overthought every pitch and tensed up when a ball was hit to them. I decided my role was to get them to relax. So, I honored their effort and made a big deal of their successes. I’m not sure this helped us win any games but, as they stopped trying to be perfect, they made fewer errors. They also had a lot more fun.
Baseball is not alone in reinforcing a culture of perfection. Church often does the same. As a child, my mother, supported by the culture of our church, expected me to sit still and not make a sound. From that experience, I learned church was a place to strive for perfection. God, it seemed to me, was watching me more closely on Sunday mornings than the rest of the week.
For those of us responsible for leading and providing weekly worship and Christian education, it’s easy to think we need to create a perfect experience. We want your experience to be not only positive but also meaningful, even transformational. But as in baseball, if we strive for perfection, we are likely to miss the mark. Much more important than “right” worship is creating a space in which we can be as fully human as possible when we’re together, which means allowing for mistakes. We discover the love of God not in perfect worship but in authentic human connection and relationships.
I received an email from a parishioner recently in which she reflected on the fairly regular challenges I have with our A/V system in the parish hall during my monthly rector forums. She wrote, “The imperfections in audiovisual make you and St. Paul's human. We shouldn't come to a perfect church on Sunday morning and then return to our chaotic imperfect lives. We see the modeling of gracious acceptance of imperfection with humor and grace and bring that into our own orbits.”
By no means am I always gracious in the face of imperfection. But her email reminds me of the lesson I learned coaching baseball. It’s when we stop striving for perfection that we find what it is we’re truly looking for: grace, acceptance, joy and love. All of the gifts God promises us in Jesus.
Your Friend in Christ,
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UPCOMING EVENTS/ANNOUNCEMENTS |
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ADULT FAITH FORUM
Sunday, February 19, 10:15-11 a.m., Parish Hall
Join St. Paul's Staff Singer, Sarah Ward as she leads "Tune my heart to sing thy grace: a Sacred Harp singing lesson." In preparation for the Sacred Harp Passiontide service on March 12, this forum will be an introduction to the practice of shape-note music. All will go over the shapes and syllables used in The Sacred Harp, practice singing scales “on the shapes,” and sing through a few of the shape-note tunes found in the Hymnal 1982. Feel free to look at hymns 439, 636 and 671 if you’d like a preview of what will be sung!
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TUESDAY STUDY GROUP
Starting February 21, the group will begin studying Surprised by Hope by N. T. Wright. Wright asserts that Christianity’s most distinctive idea is bodily resurrection and provides a magisterial defense for a literal resurrection of Jesus. All are welcome regardless of reading the book. Questions, email Larry Johnson.
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ALL-PARISH PANCAKE SUPPER
Tuesday, February 21, 5-7 p.m. dinner, Parish Hall
7-7:30 p.m. Imposition of Ashes, Sanctuary
All are invited to join us on Shrove Tuesday for a buffet-style Pancake Supper in the Parish Hall – friends and neighbors are welcome (no RSVPs needed). Plan to stay afterwards for our first Imposition of Ashes service in the sanctuary at 7 p.m. Volunteers of all ages are encouraged to sign up to help where they can with this event. There are a variety of timeslots and ways to help. This is a great opportunity to get to know others at St. Paul’s by working on a small team. Questions, contact Laurie Pierce.
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ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICES
Wednesday, February 22, 8 a.m., 12 p.m.* and 7 p.m., Sanctuary
Join us for Ash Wednesday services with the Imposition of Ashes. *If you are unavailable to attend in person, the 12 p.m. service will be livestreamed. Watch the 12 p.m. service on Facebook or YouTube.
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MEN'S CIRCLE COUNCIL AND FELLOWSHIP MEETING
Thursday, February 23, 7-8:15 p.m., Youth Lounge (first floor, Parish Center Building)
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TGIF! EVENT
Friday, February 24, 6 p.m., Parish Hall
Adults (21+) are invited to watch the film, Courage, Brains and Muscle: Our Environmental Champions. This documentary follows former Indiana First Lady, Judy O'Bannon, traveling the state in search of environmental champions, discovering creative individuals who are successfully improving sustainability and reducing pollution. This film is being presented to TGIF! by the St. Paul's Green Ministry. A potluck chili, chowder and/or soup dinner, with all the sides, will be enjoyed as we watch the film! Please bring your favorite dish and beverage to share. RSVP to Alan Davis below:
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FEBRUARY CONFIRMATION CLASSES FOR APRIL DIOCESAN CONFIRMATIONS
Diocesan confirmations with Bishop Jennifer will be held at
St. Paul's on Sunday, April 30 at 3 p.m.
Baptized adults interested in confirmation are invited to sign up below. Persons interested in confirmation are required to complete a series of classes (12:30-1:30 p.m. on Sundays, February 26, March 26 and April 2) and attend two Adult Faith Forums (10:15-11 a.m. on Sundays, March 12 & 19). Questions, please contact the Rev. Barbara Kempf. Learn more about the sacrament of confirmation in the Episcopal Church here.
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GRACE UNLIMITED MINISTRY INTRODUCTION
Sunday, February 26, 10:15 a.m., CRR (second floor, Parish Center building)
The Rev. Sam Vaught, Chaplain of Grace Unlimited Campus Ministry at Butler University, invites Butler alumni, faculty, staff and interested neighbors to a conversation about the ministry. What is happening this spring? How can you be connected and get involved? These questions, and more, will be answered. If you can’t make it but would like to be part of the conversation, please email Father Sam Vaught.
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CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER CLASS
Sundays, March 5, 12, 19; April 16, 23; May 7, 14, 10:15-11 a.m., Room 207
(2nd floor, Parish Center Building)
Parishioner Jeff Wise leads classes on Contemplative Prayer this spring. Contemplative prayer has been described by Richard Rohr as “the way we work out the experiences which words elude, how we learn from them, and bravely allow ourselves to be transformed by them, even when our normal modes of thinking cannot make sense of them.” This is a practice of being present in the moment and allowing our mind, heart, soul and senses to be open and receptive to the moment just as it is. Questions, email Jeff Wise.
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ADULT FAITH FORUM :: FJA Grant Recipient, Angela Brown
Sunday, March 5, 10:15-11 a.m., Parish Hall
World-renowned soprano and Grammy Award winning artist, Angela Brown, will present her vision for the upcoming interfaith prayer service, “A Plea for Healing.” This free community service is built around prayers offered by diverse faith, civic and arts leaders, and citizens of all ages, races, traditions and perspectives. Brown’s hope is that the gathering will transform beyond one prayer service to a rallying cry for cooperative, impactful action throughout Indianapolis. “A Plea for Healing” was funded by a $25K grant from St. Paul’s Faith, Justice & the Arts initiative in Fall 2021. All are encouraged to attend the service at St. Paul’s on Tuesday, March 7 at 6:30 p.m. Click here for details.
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LUNCH & LEARN
Wednesday, March 8, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Parish Hall
“Twenty thousand years of history at the corner of 56th and Keystone”
Join Parishioner Alice Roettger as she explains the long, complicated story that led to the demise of an environmental treasure near 56th Street & Keystone Avenue and the pioneer who owned the land.
Alice has been a parishioner at St. Paul’s for over 40 years. She is the author of Blessings on Old St. Paul’s and enjoys speaking on the history of the northside of Indianapolis. The cost of lunch is $5. Please RSVP to Tana Hunnicutt no later than Friday, March 3 to attend.
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SACRED HARP PASSIONTIDE SERVICE
Sunday, March 12, 4 p.m., Sanctuary
The spare and haunting sound of shape-note singing is well-suited for this Lenten meditation service on the Passion. Started in New England singing schools as a way to teach music theory, shape-note singing eventually wove into the heart of Appalachia and Southern states where the tradition of singing "fa-so-la” melodies in three or four parts still endures. Sacred Harp is the name of the most popular publication in the shape-note style, and as the preface explains, King David may have played on the harp, but the instrument we were all given at birth – the human voice – is the sacred harp. St. Paul’s Choir will sing original versions of tunes from Sacred Harp and other collections, as well as anthem arrangements by American composers. Length: approx. 60 min.
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NEWCOMER SCHEDULE :: EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
Sundays, March 19 and April 2, 16 & 23
March 19 :: History of the Book of Common Prayer, 10:15-11 a.m.
Join us in the Parish Hall after the 9 a.m. service for this Adult Faith Forum.
March 19 :: Newcomers Luncheon, 12:30 p.m.
Please RSVP to join us in the Lilly Room for a luncheon following the 11:15 a.m. service. RSVP by emailing Tana Hunnicutt no later than March 16.
April 2 :: Tour the places and spaces we call St. Paul's, 10:15-11 a.m.
Please meet the Rev. Jeff Bower in the nave/sanctuary of the Church after the 9 a.m. service.
April 16 :: St. Paul's and the Episcopal Church 101, 10:15-11 a.m.
Join the Rev. Jeff Bower in the CRR (second floor, Parish Center) after the 9 a.m. service for an overview of all things St. Paul's and an introduction to the Episcopal Church.
April 23 :: Learn more about the Eucharist, 10:15-11 a.m.
Join the Rev. Jeff Bower in the Chapel of the Good Shepherd after the 9 a.m. service for an instructed eucharist.
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HOLY BAPTISM
Baptisms will next be administered on April 16 and May 28, 2023
The deadline to register for April 16 baptisms is Thursday, March 23. If you or your child are interested in baptism, please visit below for more info and to request to be baptized on either of these dates.
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SAVE THE DATE :: CELEBRATE ST. PAUL'S
Saturday, April 22, 6-10 p.m.
Plans are underway for an all-parish celebration, and we hope that you will hold the date for an evening of food, fellowship, fun and special programming for all ages. That's right! No need to get a sitter for this exciting time of connecting and building relationships and community together, as we enter into the Easter Season and all the many ways that it affords us to engage our gifts and create impact together. Stay tuned for details.
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