NO MIDWEEK WORSHIP - WE'RE BUILDING COMMUNITY! | | On Wednesday, August 6, the St. Paul’s Indy office and buildings will be closed and there will be no Wednesday worship. Clergy and staff will be spending the day offsite together for a planned outing to Victory Field — an opportunity to reconnect and build community together. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to returning refreshed and renewed when the office reopens on Thursday, August 7. | | INTERIM RECTOR REFLECTION | | |
All good liturgy is aflirt with chaos.
…so said my seminary liturgics professor back in the early 1990s. I have to say, when I first heard him say that it raised my blood pressure. The word “liturgy" comes from two Greek words: “work” and “people,” meaning, worship is the work of the people. And where there’s people, there’s bound to be a bit of chaos. We’re only human. Still, I hadn’t signed up to spend my professional life presiding over chaos and calling it good.
The Episcopal Church is known as a “liturgical church.” What that means is that it is through our liturgy, through the prayers we pray and the music we sing, that we share our theology and proclaim our experience of God’s redeeming love. If someone asks you “What do Episcopalians believe?” you can hand them a Book of Common Prayer and refer to Holy Eucharist and Baptism. It’s all there.
Being a “liturgical church” also means that in the sharing of common worship, we’re committed to a certain order and unity. We pray the same way, year in and year out, using the same prayer book and hymnal, chanting the ancient words of our spiritual forebears. Episcopal (or Anglican) liturgy looks and sounds pretty darn similar across the world. We are connected with our spiritual brothers and sisters, our siblings in Christ, through our liturgy, our ritual and ceremony — not only by what we pray, but how we pray it. Order, pattern, and organization matters. When we experience order in worship, we know what to expect and what will be expected of us — and that knowledge is a great aid in lowering anxiety, quieting our bodies, calming our minds, and readying our hearts for worship.
If we value order in worship, then why is a bit of chaos considered ‘good liturgy’ by an Episcopal theologian and seminary professor?
I wonder if we might sometimes confuse order and ritual with perfection and rigidity. The goal of worship is not perfection. The goal is not never making a mistake, or forgetting words, or standing in the wrong place, or kneeling when you’re not supposed to. Only God is perfect, and nowhere in our sacred scriptures does God ask us to be God or be perfect.
I wonder if that old professor was reminding us wide-eyed seminary students that our job in worship is not perfection. Our job is to make sure there is always room both for the Holy Spirit and humanity in worship. None of us should hold anything so tightly that it prevents the movement of a fresh experience or the hilarity of a mistake or the wild wind of the Spirit. Maybe he was saying that in Episcopal worship there is (or should be) a balance — between order and holding things lightly. Maybe he was saying that within the “work of the people,” if we’re doing it “right,” there should always be space enough for our brokenness, space enough for us to lay our burdens on the altar, and ask for forgiveness, and raise up our thanksgivings. There’s space for the Spirit, space and a levity that equips us to enjoy worship, that allows it to wash over us and move us without self-consciousness or critique and worry. The order and unity in our worship is there to bind us to each other across time and continents. It’s not there as an unattainable performance standard. We can hold it lightly and reverently at the same time.
Mess Fest is nearly upon us (Sunday, August 17) — a great community gathering full of fun and activities and food. We at St. Paul’s are expecting lots of visitors at both Mess Fest itself, and the 10 a.m. Sunday service. We are designing a special Eucharist service that Sunday at the 10:00. It will look like most 10:00 services, with the exception of the reimagining of pieces designed to more fully include children. For example, we’ll pray an “Echo Collect” — where the presider will say each line of the collect and ask the congregation to repeat after her. And there will be an intergenerational sermon, meant for Christians of all ages. Young people will be leading us in worship by reading the scripture and leading the prayers. When we invite people in to fully participate a worship service can look a bit different, but we will work very hard to sustain the balance between order and holding things lightly. In the end, we will worship God in Jesus.
I trust we’ll all bring our love for St. Paul’s and our love for Jesus to this service, as we welcome visitors, young and old, to worship with us and get a taste of our loving community.
| | The Rev. Devon Anderson, Interim Rector | | GODSPEED, THE REV. YURI RODRIGUEZ | | On her final Sunday at St. Paul’s Indy, the Rev. Yuri Rodriguez delivered a powerful sermon on Luke 11:1–13, a passage about prayer, persistence and the heart of God. Yuri reminded us that prayer is not about perfect words, but about relationship and trusting that God meets us with love. Due to a technical issue during the July 27 livestream, many of you couldn’t hear her message in real time — we’re so sorry about that. A recording of the sermon is now available - please click here to view the full sermon. After the 10 a.m. service, we celebrated Yuri with cake, hugs and heartfelt gratitude; she goes with our love and prayers. If you would like to contribute to a monetary "purse" to be sent to Yuri, click here (please indicate "thanksgiving for Rev. Yuri" in the reason for payment). | | |
GUEST PREACHER AT 8:30 & 10 A.M.
The Rev. Canon Giulianna Cappelletti Gray will preach on Sunday morning. Giulianna serves on Bishop Jennifer Baskerville-Burrow’s staff as Canon to the Ordinary for Congregational Development and Leadership at the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis. She is married to the Rev. Peter Gray, who is also an Episcopal priest. They live right here in Indianapolis with their two children and two dogs.
| | |
TALK, LEARN & REFLECT TOGETHER!
9-10 a.m., CRR (second floor, Parish Ctr. bldg.)
Whether or not you were part of a previous small group, you're warmly invited to jump into an ongoing discussion of the book, "Face to the Rising Sun." For previous attendees, choose a Spiritual that offers a theme opposite to the Spiritual chosen last week. How does this Spiritual connect with what’s happening in our world today? Who in the story, or in your own life, do you now see differently? The next discussion will occur on Sunday, August 17. Click here to email Carrie Bernhardt with questions.
| | |
'HAVE A YARD?
WE HAVE A MESS FEST SIGN!
One of the easiest (and most effective) ways to to be sure as many neighbors as possible know they're invited to Mess Fest is by placing a Mess Fest yard sign on your lawn. Do you live on a busy street, near a school or park, or in a neighborhood where families walk or drive by? If so, please pick up a yard sign this Sunday in Burrows Commons and help us invite others to experience community and love at St. Paul’s.
| | |
TUESDAY STUDY GROUP
Tuesdays, 12-1:15 p.m., Broad Ripple Brewpub
The group is now studying the book "Living Beautifully with Uncertainty and Change." Drawing from timeless Buddhist wisdom, author Pema Chödrön introduces the “Three Commitments” — teachings inviting people of all faiths to fully embrace the vulnerability and groundlessness of being human with courage and compassion. All are invited to join the conversation, regardless of reading the book. Click here to email Larry Johnson with questions.
| | |
MOSAIC BOOK CLUB
Thursday, August 7, 6:30-8 p.m., Canal Bistro
Mosaic Book Club invites all to a new location in August to discuss "Let Us Descend," a novel by Jesmyn Ward. This reimagining of American slavery follows Annis, a young girl sold south by the man who enslaved and fathered her. Drawing strength from memories, ancestral stories, and an unseen spiritual world, Annis becomes a guide through pain, resilience, and ultimately, rebirth. Mosaic Book Club welcomes all who wish to expand their perspectives through reading authors of color. Please click here to RSVP to Susie Holtz or text 317.370.4262 to ensure there are enough reserved seats. The group looks forward to welcoming new friends!
| | |
RESERVE A SPOT BY AUGUST 18
Journey Towards Justice Mini-Retreat with the Rev. Dr. Mark Francisco Bozzuti-Jones
Saturday, August 23, 8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m., Parish Hall
Don’t miss this extraordinary opportunity to engage with the Rev. Dr. Mark Francisco Bozzuti-Jones during his visit to St. Paul’s Indy. Drawing deeply from his book "Face to the Rising Sun: Reflections on Spirituals and Justice," Fr. Mark will guide us through a transformative morning of reflection, conversation and creativity. Together, we’ll explore the sacred power of Spirituals — songs rooted in hope and lament — as we consider how they continue to call us into lives of justice, peace and solidarity. The morning will include a continental breakfast, group dialogue and a writing workshop designed to help us listen more deeply to the Spirit and one another. Click here to email Carrie Bernhardt with questions. Please click below to learn more and to RSVP:
| | *Please click here to learn more about Fr. Mark and his book, small group book discussions and his visit to St. Paul's Indy. | | |
Please click on red links for available details
-
Ongoing, volunteers needed to provide MLK Center after-school snacks, email Susie Holtz
-
Tuesdays, 6-6:45 p.m., Centering Prayer, RCR (second floor, Parish Ctr. bldg.)
-
Tuesdays, 6 p.m., Slow Flow Yoga
- Wed., Aug. 6, St. Paul's Indy office closed for staff outing - NO WEDNESDAY WORSHIP
- Thur., Aug. 7, Registration opens for Parish Retreat at Waycross
-
Fri., Aug. 8 - Sun., Aug. 10, Youth Group trip to Kings Island
-
Sun., Aug. 17, Mess Fest
-
Thur., Sept. 11, 6:35 p.m., All-Parish Indians game (St. Paul's Choir School sings National Anthem at Victory Field)
- Fri.-Sun., Sept. 19-21, Parish Retreat at Waycross
| | |
YOUR STORY MATTERS - SHARE IT WITH US!
Do you have a story to tell, milestone to celebrate, event to promote or new life to announce? We’d love to hear from you! Share your news for possible inclusion in eConnections, bulletin announcements, social media, website (stpaulsindy.org) or on the Burrows Commons digital display. Submissions are due by 4 p.m. on Mondays for that week’s publications — early submissions are always welcome! Space is limited, so content will be shared based on timing, relevance and audience. Announcements may be edited or featured in different formats to best serve our community, and selected items typically run for up to two weeks. Please click here to email Meegan Kriner with questions. Click below to share your news:
| | | | |
