From the Rector . . .

While on a continuing education pilgrimage to Northern England I visited St. Paul's Parish Church 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 seperate 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 +