News from the Red Doors - June 12, 2020

A HUGE Thank You to our Treasurer 

Sue 2020-06.jpg

This lady, our Treasurer Sue Cummings, deserves a round of applause.  She works tirelessly to keep things organized at the office while ensuring our deposits are made and our bills are paid - all as a volunteer.

I'm extremely grateful for Sue and her dedication to St. Paul's.  Thank you Sue!  Eventually I'll quit needing quite so much from you!  :)

This Week's Live Stream

We will again be live streaming this Sunday beginning at 8:50am with an organ prelude and our Morning Prayer service at 9am.  Join us via our St Paul's Facebook page or via Zoom. 

The digital worship guide for Sunday can be accessed through the button below. 

Digital Worship Guide

This Week at St. Paul's - Mother Michelle Walker

Dear St. Paul's Family,


The weather was so beautiful on Thursday morning when I arrived at the office I couldn't resist a walk around the property with a couple stops to take pictures of our lovely flowers and greenery.  I often find that when things in life feel overly big I need to be reminded of God's grandeur in the simplicity and beauty of flowers and plants, in a beautiful day with singing birds, in a moment of solitude while standing in the breeze.  I enjoyed that on Thursday morning and wanted to share it with you!  May you also be reminded of God's grandeur!

Last Sunday we hosted our first ever live stream at St. Paul's.  It was exhilarating and exhausting.  I took a two-hour nap on Sunday afternoon!  It was so wonderful to be in the space and have John playing the organ.  And I'm only beginning to learn what it means to be an officiant/preacher WHILE also functioning as the tech(nology) person.  Your prayers in this process are appreciated.  And we WILL be live again this Sunday, so please stay tuned.

I'd also like to offer, to each and every one of you, an opportunity to sit, to talk and get to know each other, to be in prayer.  Other priests in our diocese have offered "Prayer in the Parking Lot" and found it to be a blessing.  Our parking lot is rather sunny and hot on a summery day, but I would be happy to meet you at the benches by the entrance to the parish hall, appropriately social distanced and wearing masks of course.  My St. Paul's days are Tuesdays and Thursdays and my time can be flexible (except Thursdays from 9am-10am when we have Morning Prayer and Bible Study).  So if you're interested, find a dry day.  Give me a call.  And I'll meet you at the benches!

Until then, know that you are in my prayers!

Mother Michelle
priest@stpaulslaporte.org | 219-575-0226

LIVE from St. Paul's - June 7, 2020

Live stream video from Sunday June 7, 2020

Despite a little issue with the sound, and a copyright claim for our postlude (which has been edited out of this video), I think it's safe to declare our first live stream a success! Thank you to the Center for Congregations and their Connect Through Tech(nology) Grant for allowing us the opportunity to do this. The video has been uploaded to our YouTube channel linked below.

https://youtu.be/AuM3G7MNPkY

PLEASE subscribe to our YouTube channel as it increases our visibility and will open up more features for us to use. Eventually we will have an entire library of videos there. It all starts with this first one!

News from the Red Doors - June 5, 2020

Join us VIRTUALLY @ St. Paul's Sunday @ 9am!

Join us VIRTUALLY this Sunday, June 7th, at 9am for our first LIVE stream from St. Paul's.  Mother Michelle, John Gouwens, and Mike Konieczny will be live in the sanctuary offering the service of Morning Prayer Rite I.  (No one else will be present for these first few weeks.)

Please tune in at 8:50am for John's wonderful prelude, and to ensure you are ready for service at 9am.  We can't wait for you to enjoy this!

Our live streamed services will be broadcast LIVE on Facebook at the link below.  Please LIKE, COMMENT, and SHARE the post to promote it!
https://www.facebook.com/stpaullaporte/live/

By noon on Sunday the recording will also be uploaded and available on our new YouTube Channel at the link below.  Gradually we will build a library of services and other videos, as appropriate.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3aHjlQQyiCn7IqXlKLM_oQ/featured

Prayers for 'smooth sailing' this Sunday are GREATLY appreciated!  Once we have one successful Live service under our belt, we'll be sure to promote and share in the community.  

Digital Worship Guide

Yes, Zoom Virtual Coffee Hour is Still On!

Yes, we will still host a Zoom Watch Party for our online service and will begin our virtual coffee hour right after service, which will likely be closer to 9:45am.  Regardless of how you enjoy our LIVE service online, please join us on Zoom at 9:45am for fellowship.

Relaunched Website

With the CFC Technology Grant we have also deployed a new St. Paul's website.  It's the same address with much of the same content but on a platform easier to maintain.  Check it out when you have a minute.  

https://www.stpaulslaporte.org/

This Week at St. Paul's
Mother Michelle Walker

Dear St. Paul's Family,


It has been a week, hasn't it?  I mean in terms of the new technologies and communication channels at St. Paul's alone it's been quite a week.  When you add in the realities of the world around us, it's REALLY been a week.  As I sat down to write my first sermon in 3 months, to a congregation I'm only beginning to get to know, in the middle of a pandemic, after a week of anti-racism protests (peaceful and otherwise), that will be delivered to a phone camera ... I had to give myself a reality check.  I had to pray.  I had to step away to soak in a little nature.  And I had to listen very closely for the words of the Holy One.  It has been a week, for sure.

And I will share with you, in the context of this email, I have been struggling with MY place in the midst of Racial Reconciliation, in the midst of the protests, in the midst of President Trump's visit to St. John's Episcopal Church and the circumstances surrounding that.  I'm the last person to want to be in the middle of what might be considered a political conversation.  Yet, as your leader I must endeavor to find the right time to reflect upon and possibly talk about these very issues.  Sometimes, and for some people, I will get it right.  Mostly I probably won't.  But that doesn't give me an excuse to not respectfully and lovingly have the conversations.  We'll learn together.

Thanks to a Facebook exchange with a dear friend, who sees things extremely differently than I do, I am reminded that what we believe about what is going on in our country right now is influenced by OUR beliefs, OUR life experiences, OUR faith, and OUR trusted sources or news outlets.  It's easy for me to find the articles that tell my preferred version of the story and it's even easier to then initiate arguments with those that feel differently than I do.  But is that what Christ is calling me to do?  For us to do?

I struggle with you in these times my friends and we will find our voice ... together.  Until then I challenge you to create space between what you feel like expressing (saying, typing, texting) and what you actually express.  I challenge you to read, with as much objectivity as you can, the articles expressing perspectives contrary to your own.  I insist that you remember Jesus loves ALL of us - of every color and ethnicity, belief and political affiliation.  And then LEAD with that love in your conversations and prayers.

We have much good work to do together here in our beautiful city of LaPorte.  For now we focus on LOVE, and technology, and getting back to worship.  Soon enough we will be ready for the rest!   

Blessings to you and I hope you'll be able to join us virtually on Sunday morning.  
 

Love and prayers, 
Mother Michelle
priest@stpaulslaporte.org| 219-575-0226

PS.  The new website and Google Suite allows for email addresses with our website in them.  I will continue to monitor the revmiw12@gmail.com indefinitely but will gradually begin using the address above for St. Paul's business.