This Week at St. Paul's
Mother Michelle Walker
Somewhere along the way in my faith journey I was introduced to a thought process, perhaps even a belief, that when things appear to be moving in a Spiritual direction drawing us closer to God and stronger as a community - Satan notices. And when he notices, he enjoys creating chaos to distract a person or a faith community from their focus on the Holy.
To be clear, I am NOT presenting this as a doctrine of the Church or a fundamental element of being an Episcopalian. I do, however, stop in those moments when our senior warden has open heart surgery followed by a beloved parishioner taking a tumble on her way into church and a vestry member falling down the stairs and breaking her ankle in 3 places and I PRAY for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Come Holy Spirit.
Come Holy Spirit, fill us with your grace.
Come Holy Spirit, heal our infirmities - both visible and invisible.
Come Holy Spirit, protect and guard us from all ungodliness.
Come Holy Spirit, prepare us to spread the Gospel in the world in which we live.
Come Holy Spirit. Amen.
And so with those prayers of protection and direction I share with you a couple of exciting meetings. Two Thursdays ago I met with Maria Fruth, President and CEO of the Healthcare Foundation of LaPorte. Thanks to an introduction by Jean Burns, I received a tour of their beautiful new facility (at the corner of McClung Road and East Shore Parkway). Maria was lovely and a wealth of information about LaPorte. We discussed possible ways in which members of St. Paul's are already, or might become more, involved in various ministries about the county.
Maria also directed my attention to their main initiative of Ten2030. This initiative strives to empower our residents to make LaPorte County one of the top 10 healthiest counties in Indiana by the year 2030. (Did you know that by some metrics, LaPorte is the UNhealthiest county in all of Indiana?!?) There are many components to this plan, and many places where we might fit in as supporters either personally or as a faith community. I encourage you to check out the website by clicking on the photo above or on this link: http://www.ten2030.org/.
This week I met with Maggi Spartz of the Unity Foundation of LaPorte. In a different sort of meeting we gathered at the Unity Park on Pine Lake (near T-Bones Restaurant) and walked Chessie trail from the park to near Clear Lake and back. We discussed trails and their funding; serving the community; and matching our initiatives with the experience, availability, and energy of our congregation.
Maggi shared with me their initiative of Vibrant Communities of LaPorte. This initiative is focused on strengthening LaPorte's communities based on the core beliefs of people (caring for all people as demonstrated by our investments in their welfare); prosperity (growing a strong and resilient economy for all); and place (celebrating our histories, protecting their character, and preserving the environment). There are also many components, action items, as part of this plan. Most of them are bigger than we could take on as a parish, but all of them offer opportunities for us to contribute in various ways (time, talent, or treasure). Please wander through their website as well by clicking on the photo above or on this link: https://vibrantlpcounty.com/.
Both of these meetings are the fruits of my Wabash Pastoral Leadership Program, as a mechanism to better knowing the community in which we live and how we can serve that community as a pillar of spiritual health. Don't worry, I'm not committing us to anything at this point. I'm simply gathering information, plantings seeds, and listening for that soft voice of the Holy Spirit when she says "Now. Here. This is where St. Paul's can give back to the community more deeply and further the work of the Holy."
So I end this letter where I began, with a call to the Holy Spirit and a tangible excitement for what's in store for us in the coming weeks, months, and years.
Come Holy Spirit.
Come Holy Spirit, fill us with your grace.
Come Holy Spirit, heal our infirmities - both visible and invisible.
Come Holy Spirit, protect and guard us from all ungodliness.
Come Holy Spirit, prepare us to spread the Gospel in the world in which we live.
Come Holy Spirit. Amen.
Blessings,
Mother Michelle
priest@stpaulslaporte.org | 219-575-0226 (c)
Join us for Chair and Church with St. Paul's, a simple gathering of St. Paul's parishioners for city events throughout the summer. This is an opportunity to spend time with the people we love, in places we love around the city. LaPorte has a variety of events to offer this summer. And the only requirement is that you bring a chair and a fun loving attitude. (Rides are available for those that prefer not to drive at that time of day.)
The first event is Cruise Night on Saturday 6/5. Bring your chair, and your St. Paul's tee shirt if you have one, and join us in front of the PNC bank at the corner of Michigan and Lincolnway. Beginning June 9th, we will gather at the Fox Park pavilion on Wednesdays to enjoy city band concerts via Arts in the Park. More details are available at our Facebook events. All are welcome ... even those who do not yet call St. Paul's their home!