This Week at St. Paul's
Mother Michelle Walker
Dear St. Paul's Family,
There are a handful of passages in the Bible that stop me in my tracks every single time I read them. One of those is this beautiful passage from Luke, that we commonly refer to as the Magnificat.
The Song of Mary Magnificat Luke 1:46-55
My soul doth magnify the Lord, *
and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.
For he hath regarded *
the lowliness of his handmaiden.
For behold from henceforth *
all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath magnified me, *
and holy is his Name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him *
throughout all generations.
He hath showed strength with his arm; *
he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat, *
and hath exalted the humble and meek.
He hath filled the hungry with good things, *
and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel, *
as he promised to our forefathers,
Abraham and his seed for ever.
Something deeply holy, deeply intimate, and deeply human rises up in my Spirit whenever I hear or recite this passage. It's placement as Scripture on the fourth Sunday of Advent, right before Christmas Eve, reminds us that imperfect human beings also played a role in the birth of the Savior.
I revel in Mary's faith and the different life she had simply because she was chosen AND she said "yes". We don't hear of her fears or complaints, we simply know her response to be “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”
How are we all a little more like Mary THIS year due to all of the twists and turns of 2020? Where are we saying “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” in new and different ways? May you reflect on this in the coming week and allow the Holy to speak to you in the quiet anticipation of the Savior's birth.
Blessings!
Mother Michelle
priest@stpaulslaporte.org | 219-575-0226
Please Consider ...
Christmas Flower Offering envelopes are available on Sundays next to the bulletins. Please consider making a donation so that our Christmas services are filled with the beauty of the season.
Christmas Envelopes are available for those individuals wishing to offer a special Christmas contribution.
End of Year Contributions are due to the church by 12/27, if you would like them on your 2020 Giving Statement for tax purposes. Thank you for your generosity, always!
Did you know that because of the CARES Act, 100% of your charitable giving can be claimed on your 2020 taxes? Usually only 60% can be claimed. (This has been confirmed with the Diocesan CPA firm.) The more you give this year, the more tax credit you'll receive.
One More Vestry Person is still needed to round out our slate for next year. Are you ready to serve St. Paul's in this fashion either for the first time or again! I'm excited to share that we will start off the vestry year with a Saturday retreat in February (in-person or via Zoom) where we will decide as a leadership team what we want to focus on for 2021. Please consider being a part of this team! *Regular meetings are the 3rd Tuesday at 6pm, in-person or via Zoom as you prefer.