Saint Paul’s is an historic parish, formed more than 150 years ago.  We are proud of our roots and heritage; we are also excited about who we are now and who we are becoming.  We are focused on being instruments of God’s compassion and reconciliation in the world.  The Book of Common Prayer describes that mission of the Church in this way: “The mission of the Church is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ… The Church pursues its mission as it prays and worships, proclaims the Gospel, and promotes justice, peace, and love… The Church carries out its mission through the ministry of all its members.” BCP 1979 p. 855

Our worship and Christian education, our ministry in the larger community and our fellowship events all help us to be equipped for the ministry God calls us to as our mission.  We draw on the strength and encouragement we together find in God to be able to offer loving and compassionate care for those outside our doors. Inviting new people into our parish family to share our hopes and their dreams is a pleasure and a delight.

You have honored us with your visit to our website. You will find that you are always welcome at Saint Paul’s.  If you are looking for a church home we would encourage you to join us for worship.

God’s peace be with you,

Fr. Richard

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You Are Invited!!!!

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St. Paul’s Welcomes New Members

On Saturday April 21, in a service at St. Stephen’s, New Harmony, St. Paul’s presented one adult for Baptism, six teens and adults for Confirmation, and two adults to be received into the Episcopal Church from other denominations.  They were accompanied by more than two dozen parishioners and family members for the service – a wonderful statement of support for them as they took this big step.

Those who became communicant members of St. Paul’s in Good Standing (Jim Bauermeister, Darrell Bigham, Polly Bigham, Wilhelmina Chargualaf, Jim Johnson, Lydia Johnson, Edward Jones, Natalie Olson-Autry, and Emma Watson) form one of the largest groups St. Paul’s has presented in recent years.  It is with great joy that we celebrate their formal entry into the church as adults.  As you see them on Sundays, share your admiration for their having made this affirmation of their faith and your joy for them and for St. Paul’s.

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The Journey to Pentecost

After the resurrection of Jesus, The Acts of the Apostles records that Jesus appeared to the disciples over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.  Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he told them to remain in Jerusalem and to wait for the gift that God, the Father, was going to send.

Each day the disciples did as was their custom.  They went to the Temple to pray (9:00 AM prayers) and they gathered in the evening for a common meal.  On the fiftieth day after the eighth day of the Passover, (the day when the Jews celebrated Shavuot – the Festival of the Weeks) the disciples were all together in one place.  Acts 2:1-6 recounts what happened:

The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost

    1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house (House of the Lord) where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

   5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken.

At that very moment the church was born.  God empowered his followers with the message that the Father sent Jesus, that Jesus was the Father’s son, and that the followers were to believe that Jesus showed the world the way, the truth and the life.  God was no longer in the Holy of Holies in the Temple, but he was active in the lives of those who believed.

Shavuot, The “Festival of Weeks,” is the Jewish celebration of the wheat harvest and of God giving the Ten Commandments to Moses.  Jews were expected to come to Jerusalem on this day to worship in the House of the Lord.  Huge crowds from far and near gathered at the Temple or were on their way to the Temple when they witnessed the Holy Spirit descending upon the disciples.  Acts recorded that three thousand believed and were baptized that day.

After the event of the descending of the Holy Spirit on the disciples, the disciples courageously and boldly witnessed to what God had done in Jesus Christ.  In the years that followed the followers of Jesus multiplied.  The Apostle Paul, with the Council of Jerusalem’s blessing, began sharing the message to the Gentiles as well as the Jews.  And today we know what God did in Jesus Christ because of the Holy Spirit’s work in all of the believers who preceded us.

   As St. Paul’s celebrates the events leading to Pentecost and Pentecost itself, we hope you will join us in thanking God, the Father, for the gifts of his Son Jesus and his Holy Spirit.