Author: ronpar72

Greetings and Salutations, One and All!

This Sunday marks the first day of October!

“Listen! The wind is rising,

and the air is wild with leaves.

We have had our summer evenings,

now for October eves!”

– Humbert Wolfe

Jesus’s Authority Questioned

Last Sunday (9/24), our gospel lesson told the story of how a landowner’s authority to grant wages as he deemed appropriate was questioned. This week (10/01), Jesus is questioned about his authority – to which he responds with some questions of his own. Join us as we explore some of the questions Jesus asked.

Jabez Prayer Initiative

This Sunday (10/01) marks the beginning of our fifth and final week in the Jabez Prayer Initiative. Prayer for this Week (and beyond): Almighty God, please continue your cycle of blessings for St. Paul’s and its ministries.

Though this is the last week of the initiative, you are welcome (even encouraged) to continue to pray this prayer over our parish! The entire prayer: Oh, that you would bless [us] indeed, and enlarge [our] territory, that your hand would be with [us], and that you would keep [us] from evil ~ 1 Chronicles 4:10 (NKJV)

If you’re interested in learning more on the topic of Jabez and his short but powerful prayer, you are invited to join us in Sunday School this week at 8:30 a.m. for the final installment of the Jabez Prayer series.

Way of Love Wednesdays

The Way of Love is a formation series in which participants discover and discuss reasons and ways to intentionally live a Jesus-centered life.

Wednesday the 27th was the third of our 9-week Way of Love sessions. Our conversation focused on the concept of learning by reading and reflecting on Scripture, especially the life and teachings of Jesus. When we open our minds and hearts to Scripture, we learn to see God’s story and God’s activity in everyday life.

Next week, we will discuss the practice of dwelling intentionally with God each day through Prayer: Jesus teaches us to come before God with humble hearts, boldly offering our thanksgivings and concerns to God or simply listening for God’s voice in our lives and in the world. Whether in thought, word, or deed, individually or corporately, when we pray we invite and dwell in God’s loving presence.

You are invited to join us, either in person or online through Facebook Live (Facebook) or via Google Meet (meet.google.com/kdu-asvd-ygy) at 7:00 p.m., next Wednesday (10/04). 

St. Paul’s Website

If you haven’t already seen it, be sure to check out – AND SHARE – our parish web page! It includes information about our church, as well as links to previous newsletters, sermon videos, and our Facebook page. Go to stpaulsclaremore.org 

Let Us Pray

• Remember to keep Lloyd Bajon in your prayers as he recovers from a horse riding accident.
• Pray for Doris as she travels.
• If you have prayer requests you’d like to add to the Newsletter, email them to Clergy@stpaulsclaremore.org
  

Save the Dates

• September 3-October 7 – Five-week Jabez Prayer Initiative
• Wednesday, October 4, 7:00 p.m. – Way of Love Wednesday, Week Four
  
• October 6-7 – Diocesan Conference
• Saturday, October 28, 9:30-11:30 – Prayer & Meditation Retreat in the Great Hall
• Sunday, November, 5 – Canon to the Ordinary, The Rev. Betsy Randall, will be celebrating with us

Greetings, Dear Ones!
Happy Fall (in two days)! It is written somewhere that there are really only two seasons of the year: Fall, and Waiting-for-Fall.  This writer whole-heartedly agrees; Autumn is her favorite time of year!

So many shades of gold
Autumn
Another miracle we take for granted
Another expression of the artist’s vision
The blending of the autumn hues
with the setting sun
Warm
Comforting
Perfect
Thank you for autumn, Lord.

– Author Unknown

The Kingdom of Heaven is Like the Owner of a Vineyard

Last Sunday (9/17), we looked at Jesus’s challenge to forgive 77 (or 70×7) times – that is, as many times as it takes until the task is complete! This week (9/24), the gospel focuses on another parable on the Kingdom of Heaven – that it is like a landowner who pays the same wages to all who work for him in his vineyard, whether they worked the full day or only part.

Jabez Prayer Initiative

The prayer for week 4 (beginning 3/24) of the Jabez Initiative: Lord, we pray that you would keep St. Paul’s and those involved in its ministries from evil.

Similar to what we pray in the Lord’s prayer – “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” – we are asking for God to protect our congregation and its ministries from harm. Can you remember a time when you felt that you were protected from harm?

If you’re interested in learning more on the topic of Jabez and his short but powerful prayer, you are invited to join us this week for Sunday School at 8:30.

Way of Love Wednesdays

Wednesday the 20th was the second of our 9-week Way of Love sessions. Several of us gathered for an evening of conversation about the concept of turning: pausing, listening, and choosing to follow Jesus. In this process, we turn from the powers of sin, hatred, fear, injustice, and oppression toward the way of truth, love, hope, justice, and freedom. We reorient our lives to Jesus Christ, falling in love with Jesus again, again, and again. 

Next week we will focus on Learning: By reading and reflecting on Scripture, especially the life and teachings of Jesus, we draw near to God and God’s word dwells in us. When we open our minds and hearts to Scripture, we learn to see God’s story and God’s activity in everyday life.

You are invited to join us, either in person at 7:00 p.m., or online through Facebook Live (Facebook) or via Google Meet (meet.google.com/kdu-asvd-ygy) at 7:30 p.m., next Wednesday (9/27). 

Volunteers Needed

To help with Social Media and IT, contact Ron Parker.

To volunteer as an acolyte or a lector, contact Tom Keenze.

Want to help, but don’t know what you might enjoy? Try something on for a few weeks and see how it fits!

St. Paul’s Website & Microsoft Office Suite

The Rev. Nancy has a new Pro-Priest email address! (That’s Pro-Priest as in professional, not as in the opposite of Anti-Priest!) Ron Parker has been working diligently to establish our online presence, and it is coming together beautifully! In addition to The Rev’s email, a few other key administrative folks will also have access to the office suite, which provides cloud storage and internet security. Check us out at stpaulsclaremore.org and be sure to update Rev. Nancy’s email address, from which all future newsletters will be sent. It is TheRevNancy@stpaulsclaremore.org

Let Us Pray

• Remember to keep Lloyd Bajon in your prayers as he recovers from a horse riding accident.
• Pray for Doris and Rev. Nancy as they are each traveling.
• If you have prayer requests you’d like to add to the Newsletter, email them to Clergy@stpaulsclaremore.org

Save the Dates

• September 3-October 7 – Five-week Jabez Prayer Initiative
• Wednesday, September 27, 7:00 p.m. – Way of Love Wednesday, Week Three
• October 6-7 – Diocesan Conference
• Saturday, October 28, 9:30-11:30 – Prayer & Meditation Retreat in the Great Hall
• Sunday, November, 5 – Canon to the Ordinary, The Rev. Betsy Randall, will be celebrating with us

Greetings, Beloved St. Paul’s Family!
I hope you have all had a chance to enjoy this wonderful weather we’ve had of late!

Accept, O Lord, our thanks and praise for all that you have
done for us. We thank you for the splendor of the whole
creation, for the beauty of this world, for the wonder of life,
and for the mystery of love. (BCP 836)

Forgiveness

Last Sunday (9/10), the Gospel lesson focused on best practices for handling disagreement. This week, Jesus offers some challenging advice on forgiveness – just do it! As Alexander Pope wrote, “to err is human; to forgive is divine.” Indeed, forgiving is often easier said than done, and can seem to require superhuman abilities! Join us this Sunday (9/17) morning to hear some practical suggestions for tackling this difficult task.

Jabez Prayer Initiative

The prayer for week 3 (beginning 3/17) of the Jabez Initiative: Merciful God, may your hand be with St. Paul’s and its ministries.

The “hand of the Lord” is a biblical term for God’s power and presence. Have you ever experienced the hand of the Lord in your own life?

If you’re interested in learning more on the topic of Jabez and his short but powerful prayer, you are invited to join us each week for Sunday School at 8:30.

Way of Love Wednesdays

Wednesday the 13th was the first of our 9-week Way of Love sessions. Several folks from within – and beyond – the St. Paul’s community gathered for an evening of conversation about who we are, what brought us here, and how we can learn to live our lives intentionally centered on the principles that Jesus taught – the way of love.

Next week we will be discussing the concept of Turning: pausing, listening, and choosing to follow Jesus. In this process, we turn from the powers of sin, hatred, fear, injustice, and oppression toward the way of truth, love, hope, justice, and freedom. We reorient our lives to Jesus Christ, falling in love with Jesus again, again, and again.

You are invited to join us next Wednesday (9/20) at 7:00 p.m. 

Volunteers Needed

We are still looking for more volunteers!

To help with Social Media and IT, contact Ron Parker.

To volunteer as an acolyte or a lector, contact Tom Keenze.

Want to help, but don’t know what you might enjoy? Try something on for a few weeks and see how it fits!

Save the Dates

• September 3-October 7 – Five-week Jabez Prayer Initiative
• Wednesday, September 20, 7:00 p.m. – Way of Love Wednesday, Week Two
• October 6-7 – Diocesan Conference
• Saturday, October 28, 9:30-11:30 – Prayer & Meditation Retreat in the Great Hall
• Sunday, November, 5 – Canon to the Ordinary, The Rev. Betsy Randall, will be celebrating with us

• Greetings, All!

I trust you all had a fun and safe Labor Day weekend!

Take Up Your Cross

Last Sunday (9/03), we looked at Jesus’s instruction to his followers to “take up [their] cross,” and what that might look like from a practical perspective – based upon our epistle lesson in Romans 12. The good news is that St. Paul’s Claremore already excels at practicing many of the things the Apostle Paul encouraged the church at Rome to do; and, like both Peter and Paul, we continue to grow into what God wants us to be!

Jabez Prayer Initiative

We also began our five-week emphasis on the prayer of Jabez. Everything we know about Jabez and the prayer he prayed is found in one verse – 1 Chronicles 4:10. The prayer may seem simple; but, as the scripture says, “God granted what he asked.”

Now, you are being invited to pray this prayer over St. Paul’s Claremore and its ministries. Each week, you are encouraged to join together with the entire congregation in praying one phrase of the prayer every day. The prayer for week one has been “Lord, we ask that you would bless St. Paul’s church and its ministries indeed!”

Beginning tomorrow (9/10), the prayer for week two will be “Gracious God, we ask that you would enlarge St. Paul’s territory.” We don’t know how God will choose to answer these prayers; but we know and trust that it will be in the way that is best for us and for the Claremore community!

If you’re interested in learning more on the topic, you are invited to join us each week for Sunday School at 8:30. Over the next several weeks, we will be taking a more in-depth look at Jabez, his prayer, and what else the Bible has to say about it.

Way of Love Wednesdays

This coming Wednesday (9/13) at 7:00 p.m., we will offer the first of nine lessons on what Presiding Bishop Michael Curry calls The Way of Love. Everyone is invited; and we are hopeful that this program will appeal to some who, for whatever reason, are unable to come on Sunday mornings. This Way of Love series lasts 9 weeks; and, as added incentive, we will offer FREE PIZZA this first week! Invite someone you know and join us!

RSU Campus Ministry

As you are probably aware by now, the Diocese is eager to establish a relationship with our local college students. As such, we participated in their annual Big Tent Day event – a way for the students to learn about the resources offered both on and off campus.

In addition, The Rev. Nancy was on campus yesterday (Friday, 9/08) handing out information about St. Paul’s and the upcoming Way of Love Wednesday programming. She will be on campus again this Monday (9/11) from 11:30-1:30. If you are free, you are invited to join her – the more the merrier!

Volunteers Needed

If you are looking for a way to do a little more at St. Paul’s, we are seeking volunteers to help with Social Media (including broadcasting and recording the sermons for Facebook Live), to serve as readers for the Lectionary Lessons, and to act as Acolytes. Training will be made available once we get enough volunteers. The goal is to get enough folks on board that we can establish a rotation so no one has to serve every week unless they so desire.

Save the Dates

• September 3-October 7 – Five-week Jabez Prayer Initiative
• Monday, September 11, 11:30-1:30 – RSU campus visit in the Dr. Carolyn Taylor Center
• Wednesday, September 13, 7:00 p.m. – Way of Love Wednesday, Week One
• October 6-7 – Diocesan Conference
• Saturday, October 28, 9:30-11:30 – Prayer & Meditation Retreat
• Sunday, November, 5 – Canon to the Ordinary, The Rev. Betsy Randall, will be celebrating with us