St. Paul @ 125 in the news

The Jersey Journal for Thursday, May 28, has a great article about our anniversary celebration this Sunday: “A Mighty Wind” by Fr. Alex Santora.

Breathing new life at Pentecost

Mighty God, you breathe life into our bones, and your Spirit brings truth to the world. Send us this Spirit, transform us by your truth, and give us language to proclaim your gospel, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

What a powerful prayer we will pray together this Feast of Pentecost on Sunday, May 31. Let it sit and stir within you from now until that morning. Memorize it if you can; learn it by heart so that it can penetrate your bones as surely as God breathes life into us. Let it remind you of the power we have in Christ Jesus—the power and gift of faith, faith that proclaims the name of Jesus Christ as Lord, the power to live confidently in God’s love, knowing that our true identity is found nowhere else but in that love, power in the Holy Spirit to speak the language of faith to a world that needs to hear it, that longs for it, that dies without it. In God we have these amazing and life-changing powers. Yes, that means you.

God will surely breathe new life into us as we celebrate our 125th anniversary this Pentecost and pray these words. Pentecost commemorates the birthday of the church, God’s church. We are among those whom God blesses with the Holy Spirit and a calling. The calling of the church has always been to share the good news of Christ’s death and resurrection and so to be a blessing to the world, but that has always been lived out differently in different times and places. We pray that the Holy Spirit will guide us in this new age, and be present in us and among us this Pentecost as we worship, rededicate ourselves to be God’s church in this place, and then share a festive meal together. Invite your friends and family, your neighbors and co-workers.

Peace,
Pastor Jessica

Bibles dedicated

On May 3, we dedicated new Bibles for use in our pews and classrooms. Donated by the Riley family in memory of Sandra Riley, these Bibles are in the New Revised Standard Version. Now our study Bibles match the translation we use in worship! We thank God for this generous gift.