From our Pastor
"Seeds of Hope" 

Have you ever felt like the odd duck?  You know what I mean, wanting to fit in, but because of some reason or another, it just seems so difficult.  I've been there and more than once in my life!  While on vacation, I decided to worship at a church very different in style and form than what I am used to.  My family couldn't join me that morning, so there I was alone, looking for a parking place after entering from the wrong way.  The first door I tried to open was locked, so too the second door.  I had to walk around and watch other people entering the building just to find out how to get inside. My skin color was different, my ethnic background was different, and I wasn't sure where to go once I got inside, or even how I would be received as a visitor; and an awkward one at that.  When I entered the nave of the church (where the people sit) I wasn't sure where to sit or even what I was supposed to do.  There were several books, but I didn't know which one, if any, would be used. I changed seats and moved three times before worship began and then once it began I was totally lost -- they weren't using any of the books that I could see and the service was in Greek or something!  

But just then, something wonderful happened as a stranger recognized me as a visitor and he acted as guide and host, helping me follow and understand the liturgy and form of worship that was even in a different language.  Yes, I had heard Greek!  In fact, it was in four different languages: Arabic, Greek, Aramaic, and English.  I realized that PowerPoint doesn't really help very much if the language printed on the screen is not one I understand!  However, my host and guide was warm and friendly and he made me feel welcomed and I was able to enter into worship with his assistance.  The church building and liturgy (form of worship) were beautiful even if a bit foreign to me, and the preaching was excellent and thankfully it was in English so I could follow along and understand how the bible passage applied to my life and circumstances.  With help from my guide and host, I entered into Holy worship and loved it. Afterwards there was coffee, and even a personal invitation for adult bible study -- even in English!

That morning, I was again reminded of how I became an Episcopalian.  Years ago, I was a visitor at an Episcopal church in the upstate and as I was sitting alone, lost and confused, and a member of the church recognized me as a visitor.  She got up, left her husband in the pew in front of me and sat beside me and guided me through the worship service.  Afterwards, she introduced me to her husband and then to the pastor and priest and other worshipers.  They all invited me for coffee, cookies and fellowship.  I went home excited, telling my wife, "you've got to try this church with me -- they are so different!"  

I’ve been there.  If you feel like an odd duck, but you know you need to connect with God and you are looking for more meaning in life, even perhaps a relationship with Jesus and with others who are seeking the same, I hope you will consider worship with us at St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church (St Barts).  I know how it feels to be an odd duck.  You may not even be sure of what you may want, and I still hope you will come and visit us.  I've been there too. You don't even have to be a Christian to come here to visit, but we sure hope that if that's the case, you will eventually become a follower of Jesus and maybe we can help.  I spent too many years walking apart from God, before I reconnected - that's another story.  We are not perfect at St. Barts, but we are trying to be a welcoming parish family modeling our behavior of God's love for humanity as best expressed through his son, Jesus and we seek to love and serve others under his leadership.  You remember, Jesus hung out with sinners.  So, if you aren't perfect, then you'll understand if we aren't either, but we are trying to follow Jesus. 

The entire worship service (the liturgy) is printed in a bulletin which includes all of the hymns and readings from Holy Scripture.  Our worship service and style is ancient, modeled after early church practice and our worship is biblical, with most of the liturgy coming directly from Holy Scripture with Sunday readings from the Old Testament, Psalms, Letters or Epistles and a reading from one of the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke or John.  We seek to offer prayers and sermons that are biblically based with real life application for our daily lives, hopes and dreams.  When the bible challenges us, we work within those challenges trusting the Holy Spirit to lead us and correct us where we have erred.  Although the worship is ancient, it is not old, but modern as it speaks to us today in relevant ways.  We have coffee and fellowship time before and after worship and we are available to pray for those who want prayers for healing after every worship service.  I hope you will gather from this description that we are trying to be friendly and warm and sometimes, we succeed very well and sadly, sometimes we need to keep trying and learning to do better, but isn't that life?

At St. Barts, we have plenty of worship opportunities, plenty of opportunities for you to connect with God and with others through worship, service, Bible study or sharing the Good News.  We are very mindful seeking to serve all in the community with a wide variety of outreach programs.  Lastly, we strive for sermons to be biblically relevant seeking to apply God's Word to our lives today and we offer Holy Communion three times on Sunday and twice on Wednesdays following Jesus words, to "Do this in remembrance of me."  On special Holy Days and on the days closer to Easter, he have Holy Communion more often.  With the exception of Saturdays, we have corporate prayer offered several times daily, and the church facilities are open daily for individual pray and time alone with God. 

We believe that God gives all life and offers sinners reconciliation to him and to each other and we want to be a part of the universal and timeless church, the family of God, the body of Christ, that spreads "Seeds of Hope" from God to all of Humanity.  The Book of Common Prayer offers these words of encouragement, "The Christian Hope is to live with confidence in newness and fullness of life, and to await the coming of Christ in glory, and the completion of God's purpose for the world."  Our assurance as Christians is "that nothing, not even death, shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  Join us and be our guests!

God's Peace,

Fr. Michael +

"A Thin Place"

While on a continuing education pilgrimage to Northern England I visited St. Paul's ParishChurch in Jarrow near the mouth of the river Tyne.  St. Paul's Church and Monastery was built on land given by king Ecgfirth of Northumbria in 681.  It was the monastery to which the Venerable Bede came as a boy and it thrived during the 6th and 7th centuries.  The chancel of St. Paul's is the original Saxon church built as a separate chapel and used by Bede himself.  Upon entering St. Paul's, the verger welcomed us saying that St. Paul's is a "thin place" where daily prayers have been offered continually for over 1300 years.  By "thin place" our host was talking about the distance between heaven and earth, being "very thin" because of these continued prayers and ongoing worship over such a long period of time. 

I want St. Bartholomew's Parish to be a "thin place" too, where the distance between heaven and earth is virtually non-existent.  How do we do this?  How do we become a "thin place?"  I think it starts with hearts shaped by prayer.  I want us to be a place of continuing worship of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  I want us to be a like King David: a people after God's own heart.  Let us realized that all that we have -- absolutely everything -- comes from God and let us give him thanks and praise for all of the blessings that we receive.  Let us offer continual prayer and worship conforming our will to his.  As our individual hearts change, so will our parish.  I believe God is calling us to be a church known as the church that prays without ceasing.  When we add the teachings of the Saints that all that we do can be offered up in prayer, then we can see the benefits of prayer as it changes individuals, the parish and the community all to God's glory.

God's Peace,

Fr. Michael +