Hello, Dear Friends, and happy February!
“The February sunshine steeps your boughs and tints the buds and swells the leaves within.”
~ William C. Bryant
Celebration of New Ministry
Join us THIS EVENING – Thursday, February 1 @ 6:30 p.m. – as The Rt. Rev. Bishop Poulson C. Reed inducts The Rev. Nancy Gill as Vicar of St. Paul’s Claremore. Reception to follow.
Even Greater Things
Last week (1/28), our friends from First Christian Church joined us for worship, and we learned more about how God is powerfully doing “even greater things” in and through St. Paul’s Claremore. “Hallelujah! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, in the congregation. Great are the deeds of the Lord!” ~ Psalm 111:1-2.
This Sunday (2/04), join us at 9:30 a.m. as we see the important role that prayer and quiet time played in the life of Jesus as greater things continued to unfold for him and his disciples in their ministries.
Let Your Hospitality Continue to Shine!
Sadly, our siblings in Christ at FCC Claremore have suffered a recent catastrophe: their building was flooded, rendering their worship space unusable for a time. As such, they will be utilizing our sanctuary for their worship services on Sunday mornings @ 11:00 a.m. for the next several weeks until they are able to repair the damage to their own building.
This does not change our normal schedule. We will still meet at 9:30 a.m. for Holy Eucharist followed by Coffee Hour in the Parish Hall. It does, however, give us continued opportunity to extend hospitality to our friends in need!
Good Book Club & Christian Formation
In our Sunday formation class last week (1/28), we discussed chapters 22-30 of Genesis, and our study of this Old Testament book will continue throughout the season of Epiphany.
This coming Sunday (2/04), we will discuss chapters 31-38, wherein we continue our journey with Jacob, Leah, and Rachel as they struggle with the family dynamics of living in Laban’s house. The Rev. Dr. Gregory Mobley writes about the fact that Jacob’s life is “framed by struggles with three characters:” his twin, Esau, his father-in-law, Laban, and even God. In this part of the story, Jacob physically wrestles with God and “triumphs not because he is stronger, wiser, or more righteous than his opponent but because of spiritual tenacity. Wounded Jacob refuses to let go of this experience, no matter how arduous, until he receives a blessing from his pain.” This blessing from pain is not a passive, facile acceptance of trauma but the difficult soul-work of mining even negative experiences for the gold of meaning and insight. How does this idea resonate in you? (A Journey through Genesis, 177-9)
All are welcome to join us each Sunday at 8:30 a.m. as we discuss how this ancient work of literature is still relevant today. Plus, don’t miss our Facebook posts which correlate with this exciting book study.
Coming Soon to a Coffee Hour Near You: God Chat!
You’ve been reading about it, and now, beginning this month, your Faithful Innovation (FINN) team will periodically present opportunities for you to participate in discussions about where and how we can see God working in our personal lives, in our congregation, and in our community.
Examples:
- Some people find it hard to believe in God. Share a story about an experience that taught you something about the power of faith in Jesus.
- Share a story about when you felt really connected to a community, the world, the universe, or something greater than yourself.
Think of ways that you might share your answers to these prompts with your fellow parishioners, family, or friends. And it’s as simple as that! Simple, yes; but the ripple effects of these conversations can be quite impactful! You definitely don’t want to miss the opportunity to be part of the dialogue!
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper
Join us Tuesday, February 13 at 6:30pm as we indulge in one last big splurge before Lent begins! The Men’s Group will be cooking for us, and they have invited the entire community; so, bring your family, friends, and neighbors, and we’ll ‘let the good times roll’ with pancakes!
Let Us Pray
- For traveling safety for all who will be attending the Celebration of New Ministry
- For our Bishop’s Committee and congregation as we transition to new leadership, explore our dreams, and discern and chat about what God is doing and where God is leading us
- For Miss Lillian as she recovers from surgery
- For Tom as he undergoes knee replacement surgery, and for both he and Barbara as they travel
- For Dellaura
- For the victims of the war in Ukraine
- For Israel and Palestine, and for the victims of the war in Gaza
- For the needs of the members, family, and friends of our congregation, specifically The First Christian Church of Claremore/ Lillian/ Vernon/ Dellaura/ Miranda & Brayden/ Nancy S/ Velma/ Jim/ Judy/ Ani/ Aaron Blum/ Robert/ Lloyd/ Patricia/ Marie/ Russell/ Virginia/ Barbara/ Grace/ Lauren/ Cindy/ Stephen/ John/ Tom Patterson/ Jan/ Tom/ Bob & family/ Jean/ Al/ Carol W/ Mark/ Brian/ Pat/ Mark H/ Mike/ Chris/ Brady/ Patrick/ Zachary
If you have prayer requests to add to the Newsletter, email them to Clergy@stpaulsclaremore.org
Save the Dates
- TONIGHT!!! Thursday, February 1 @ 6:30pm – The Rev. Nancy’s Celebration of New Ministry
- Sunday, February 4 @ 9:30am – The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
- Tuesday, February 13 @ 6:30pm – Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper
- Wednesday, February 14 @ 7:00pm – Ash Wednesday service
- Sunday, February 18 – Annual Meeting; First Sunday of Lent
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