St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Worship Video for the week of February 21, 2021, with The Rev. Mark Stanley preaching about being with Jesus in the wilderness and facing temptations but having the help of angels. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4tIj7LF-Sg&feature=youtu.be 

Forum for Sunday, February 21, 2021 from 10:00-11:00 a.m. “An Introduction to Lent and Spiritual Practices for the Season.” The Rev. Mary Luck Stanley will help us learn more about ways you might set aside time this Lent to take better care of your soul. Here is the Zoom link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81761096006 

Children’s Worship for Sunday, February 21 at 9:00 a.m. will have Mark Stanley and his puppet friend Chewy talking about the power of forgiveness. The Zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83068065631

Postponing Courageous Conversations about Race: While Patricia Quintero-Hall and I had been planning to host a Lenten Series focusing on Courageous Conversations about Race, we realized at a planning meeting this week, that these important conversations would require more planning and preparation. So, we have decided to postpone having these conversations until after Easter in the hope that we will create a program that allows more time for each meeting, and that will invite people to join stable small groups that will have time to develop trust, thus promoting opportunities for deeper sharing. 

Instead, this coming Sunday, February 21, 2021, I will be leading a Forum from 10-11 a.m. via Zoom about “An Introduction to Lent and Spiritual Practices for the Season.” I hope you will join us this Sunday to learn more about ways you might set aside time this Lent to take better care of your soul. Here is the Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81761096006  

Ash Wednesday Online Services are at Noon and at 8:00 p.m. today.
If you wish to impose ashes on yourself or your household, you are invited to gather these ashes and put them in a dish or container before the service begins. These ashes can come from your fireplace, from burnt matches, or even makeup. During the Zoom service, at the appropriate time you may place these ashes on yourself, or the people in your household can apply them on each other. The ashes are placed on the forehead with the sign of the cross and saying the words “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Today’s Ash Wednesday services will include a sermon by Mark Stanley, the Litany of Penitence (Book of Common Prayer, p. 267) as well as chorister Sarah Woodward leading music. The Zoom link for these two services is here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82561527684

Worship Video for the week of February 14, 2021, with a sermon by the Rev. Mary Luck  Stanley about seeing the light of Christ in people. https://youtu.be/1g5OMtQVDWQ

The Forum on February 14 at 10:00 a.m. – Creating an Old St. Paul’s Church Scholarship. The Anti-Racism Council and the St. Paul’s Vestry have voted to create a scholarship for an ambitious African American student from Baltimore City to attend the St. Paul’s Schools in Brooklandville. Our church founded these schools for “orphans” and “poor boys” in Baltimore, and this scholarship initiative can get us back in touch with that original mission. To find candidates, we will be partnering with Baltimore Education Scholarship Trust (B.E.S.T.). At this forum our presenters will include: Mark Stanley, Jessica Suriano, the Executive Director of B.E.S.T.; Annie Smallwood Morse, the Admissions Director of the St. Paul’s Schools; as well as Dorien Russell, a young man who grew up in our parish and is a St. Paul’s School graduate and B.E.S.T. alum. Come hear about this scholarship and the difference it can make in a young person’s life. The Zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81474864380

Children’s Worship is on Sunday, February 14 at 9:00 a.m. The Zoom link is
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83068065631

On Ash Wednesday, February 17, we will be offering Zoom Worship services at noon and at 8:00 p.m. The Prayer Book Ash Wednesday service gives the option of receiving ashes on the forehead on that day. Our diocese has clarified that any type of ashes can be used, these ashes do not need to be blessed, and that anyone can apply them. Therefore, we will invite people (if you wish) to use ashes that you can find in your own home. These ashes can come from your fireplace or from matches. During the Zoom service, at the appropriate time you can place these ashes on yourself or the people in your household can apply them on each other. This Ash Wednesday service can be a meaningful way to begin the holy season of Lent. The Zoom link for these services:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82561527684

Sermon by The Reverend Mary Luck Stanley, preached on January 13, 2019 at Old St. Paul’s, Baltimore, about loneliness, belonging, and being beloved children of God: https: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=-43ZWz5uxHM&t=264s

Worship Video for the week of February 7, 2021 with a sermon by the Rev. Mark Stanley about Saint Julian of Norwich who lived through a pandemic in her own time yet proclaimed that “All will be well.” https://youtu.be/fAVzrPWZab0

The Forum on Sunday February 7 from 10:00 to 10:50 a.m. Cults: Why do they happen and what can we do about them? The Rev. Mark Stanley says,k “I am fascinated and troubled that cults draw so many people in and take over their lives. Cults with conspiracy theories and bizarre ideas seem to be on the rise. Why do cults continue to have so much success? How can we distinguish between a cult and a healthy commitment? I look forward to engaging with you on this timely and important topic.” The updated Zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81474864380

Children’s Worship is on Sunday, February 7 at 9:00 a.m. The updated Zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83068065631Worship Video for the week of January 31, 2021, with a sermon by the Rev. Dr. Chris Dreisbach: https://youtu.be/0bhIHy-tGyQ

Annual Meeting: On Sunday January 31 at 10:00 a.m., we will have our Congregational Annual Meeting on Zoom. We hope you will join in to learn about the state of our parish, hear how we stand with our finances, and help elect our new vestry class and Diocesan Delegate. The link is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84824154177

Children’s Worship on Sunday, January 31 at 9:00 a.m. will feature another visit from Mark Stanley’s puppet friend, Chewy the Dog. Chewy is wondering how a little seed can grow into a big tree. The Zoom link is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82463046914

Sunday Zoom Fellowship & Worship: Next Sunday, January 24, you are invited to live Zoom worship beginning at 10:00 a.m. (On Sunday, January 31 we will return to recorded Worship Videos.) You are also invited to join in an optional fellowship time from 9:45 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. before the service begins. We hope to see you there! The Zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87080090207
 
Children’s Worship is on Sunday January 24 at 9:00 a.m. The Zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82463046914

Let’s pray for our country tonight at 8 p.m. when we will gather on Zoom and say Compline together. The Zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81973147983?pwd=a2hOdlN6cHk0cklvdGlEbkN5clhzQT09

Christmas Eve 2020 Worship Video: https://youtu.be/hHIt0GmVlME

Christmas 2020 Choir Concert Video:  https://youtu.be/gNYJttvHjtY

Compline will happen at 8:00 p.m. this coming Wednesday: The Zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81973147983?pwd=a2hOdlN6cHk0cklvdGlEbkN5clhzQT09

Worship Video for the week of December 20, 2020, with a sermon by the Rev. Mark Stanley: https://youtu.be/YMmy2eY3HO8

Other News:

Our thanks to everyone who helped in the Day of Service yesterday at the Fort Worthington neighborhood of Baltimore.