www.saintpaulsbrookfield.com (203) 775-9587 August 25, 2011
† This Week at St. Paul’s
Fri., Aug 26 - 5:30 pm - Music Ministry Retreat, Walnut Hill
Sat., Aug. 27 - 7:30 am - Men‟s Prayer Breakfast, Parish Hall
8:00 am - Music Ministry Retreat, Walnut Hill
Sun., Aug 28 - Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost
8:00 am - Traditional Eucharist
9:15 am - Adult Christian Education, Guild Room
10:30 am - Contemporary Eucharist
3:00 pm - Youth Group Fall Kick-Off
Wed., Aug. 31 - 10:00 am - Holy Eucharist and Healing
7:00 pm - BETA Video Series, Guild Room
† Father Crocker Retires, Again!
I n 2002, Father George Crocker retired after a record 33
year tenure as our rector at St. Paul‟s. At the time, his
goal for retirement was to find a nice quiet country church
and preach the Gospel. Our Rector Emeritus‟ wish was
fulfilled in 2005 at Christ Church Quaker Farms in nearby
Oxford, Connecticut. Now, after six and a half years it‟s time
for George to retire again.
Last Saturday the men of Christ Church invited our men
to join them at their monthly breakfast to celebrate Fr.
(Continued on page 3)
† Where Did You Go to Church Last Sunday?
L ast weekend Ray and Carol Ferro traveled to Providence, Rhode
Island where they went to church with their friends, Tom Bair and his
wife The Rt. Rev. Geralyn Wolf, Episcopal Bishop of Rhode Island. The
church they attended was St. Stephen's, a historic church located in the midst
of the Brown University campus. The church building was designed by
Richard Upjohn and built in 1860. In 1889 the congregation received a
major bequest from Henry J. Steere, a prominent philanthropist and
industrialist.
T h e wo r s h i p s e r v i c e
according to Ray “was very high
church, with all the bells and
whistles…..and a ton of incense.
So much so that we later
discovered the locals refer to the
church as „Smokin‟ Steve‟s!‟”
Summer is a time of
vacations and travel for many.
Years ago people used to bring
back bulletins from the churches
they attended. We‟re curious to
see how far and wide the St.
Paul‟s family extends this summer, so in this
digital age we‟d like you to send us photos.
Submit them to us by e-mail to [email protected].
† Happy Birthday to You!
S haron Simon celebrates Saturday! Monday is the big day for
Hilary Scalzo. Tuesday, Analee Kirner, Jeanne Hill & Shannon
Palmer will be opening presents. Have a blessed day each one of you!
† Friends of St. Francis
R ecently we checked our friend William Robert‟s blog site and
discovered he has a new cat. William writes, “On August
11th, 2011 I got a new cat. Her name is Chloe and she is from
Maryland. She is a rag doll cat much like Lexie. She does not like to
be picked up, unlike other cats in the rag doll breed. Chloe mostly
hides under my bed, but occasionally comes downstairs. She really
likes to play and has a strange meow. Chloe is one of the best cats I
have ever seen!” Click here for a link to his blog site.
† Irene Heads Towards Brookfield
W ho knows where the wind blows? We‟ll find out this weekend
as Hurricane Irene storms our way. “Weather permitting”
check our website for updates. For anyone who loses power, we‟ll do
everything to keep our church facilities open and available. That
includes our restrooms, kitchen, hot and cold water and refrigerators.
Crocker‟s retirement. Ten of our Saturday morning
regulars traveled to
Oxford where there
joined a dozen of
Christ Church‟s
men for a belly-
filling breakfast of
scrambled eggs,
pancakes, burritos,
bacon, sausage,
juice and coffee and
a spirit filled
morning of remem-
brances and praises for George‟s ministry among us.
Congratulations to Fr. Crocker
and we look forward to seeing him
more often around St. Paul‟s.
(Continued from page 1)
† St. Paul’s
OWN
ATTENTION: 6-12th
graders. You are cordially
invited to our Facebook
Page! Just search for "St.
Paul's OWN" and you'll
find us! We will be
posting all of the important
youth group updates on the
p age (o ur mee t in g
calendars, event updates,
even youth worship
practice and bible studies),
so be sure you Like us so
that you're always up-to-
date on what's going on!
We also want to know your opinion on things like where to go for retreats, what kind of
worship music you like or which mission you'd want to take part in, so be sure to take part
in the polls and sign up for the events to make your voice heard!
Whether you've Liked us yet or not (we know you will...right? Right.), here
is the Youth Group Schedule for the next month (barring any Hurricanes
coming our way)…
YOUTH GROUP KICKOFF Sunday, August 28th: 3 pm to 7 pm.
LABOR DAY WEEKEND--NO YOUTH GROUP Sunday, September 3rd.
Sunday, September 11th: 5 pm to 7 pm.
Sunday, September 18th: 5 pm to 7 pm.
Sunday, September 25th: 5 pm to 7 pm.
Be sure to Like us for
updates on the schedule
based on Hurricane
Irene! No matter what,
we can't wait to see you
at the kick off, whether
it's August 28th or
September 11th! We
will have food, games
and tons of prizes--be
sure to bring friends
and canned goods to
win as much as you
can! We look forward
to seeing you!
Kick-off raffle info: I know you‟re all wondering how you can get more raffle tickets in order to win some
great prizes like gift cards and CD‟s. So here is the complete list of ways to earn them:
Bring a friend – you and your friend will get a ticket
Bring a canned good or other item(s) for the food pantry
Be one of the first 10 kids there
Like us on Facebook – St. Paul‟s OWN – before the kick-off
Fill out the info card at the event
Have a parent join us for dinner at the kick-off (@ 5:30 pm)
Have a parent sign up to help out during the year
Other tickets earned during events at the kick-off
HELP WANTED We still need a couple more volunteers for the youth kick-off this weekend. Setup,
clean-up, and cooking. Setup and cleanup are about ½ hour each, cooking is from
5:00 – 6:30. Please e-mail [email protected] to sign up. Thanks!
We're looking for volunteers to help with the youth group kick-off.
Parents & non-parents are welcome. We need two each of; grillers, sous
chefs, setup & clean up. To volunteer, please contact us at
Youth Group Calendar
August 28th – Fall kick-off 3-7 pm
September 11th – Youth Group 5-7 pm
September 18th – Youth Group 5-7 pm
September 25th – Youth Group 5-7 pm
The Kingdom Is Near
A New Day is Dawning
Discover in Jesus’ words
how God’s Kingdom
is at work now
and its ultimate
future triumph!
9 week video course by Joanne Ellison
author, speaker, Bible teacher and founder
of Drawing Near to God Ministries
St. Paul’s Church/Guild Room
Wednesday Nights Thru October 19
7:00 PM—8:30 PM
T his video series, entitled “The Kingdom is
Near” by bible teacher Joanne Ellison,
started last night with about 20 parishioners in
attendance. Designed to cultivate a more intimate
relationship with God through understanding our
place in His Kingdom, the study focuses on the
words of Jesus to show that Kingdom Living begins
in the here and now, not when we reach Heaven!
† Announcement Deadlines….. For the Sunday bulletins please submit your information by the preceding Monday to
[email protected]. For Sword Points please submit it by Wednesday afternoon
each week to [email protected].
† Sunday School Registration
T he first day of Sunday School is September 11th at 10:30 am. Registration will
begin at 10 that day in the Sunday School hallway. Please come so we can collect
all the important information about your children, and update it if needed. Anyone up to 8th
grade can sign up, and Nursery is available. If you are interested in helping out in any way,
or if you have any questions, please see Heather Melody or Lori O'Hara. Thank you!
† What’s In A Name?
T o the people of Israel, a name was more than an identification for an individual.
It was a statement about who that person was. When Moses (whose name
means “taken from the water”) met God for
the first time via the burning bush, Moses
wanted to know God’s name. Moses
wanted to know who God was. God’s reply was, “I am.” Derived from the Hebrew verb
to be, this name let Moses know that the One he was
speaking to was unlike anyone else. God not only is, but he
always was and always will be. God alone was never
created, and he exists totally independent from anyone or
anything else. “I am” is the one unchanging , eternal God.
The Jewish people considered God’s name so holy that
they refused to say it aloud for fear of using it in a way that
dishonored him. In the New Testament, however, Jesus not
only spoke God’s name, but he also used it to refer to
himself. The people immediately tried to stone Jesus.
They knew God’s words in Exodus. They understood that Jesus was calling himself
God.
When God told Moses
his name, God revealed the
essence of who he is—and
confirmed in advance that the
same essence was in his Son.
In the same way that God
introduced himself to Moses, this verse introduces you to God. It assures you that the
“I am” of the universe is active and involved in life here on earth.
God said to Moses, “I Am Who I Am.”
Understanding God’s eternal nature, and that
Jesus is wholly God, gives you the same
assurance it did Moses. “I am” is with you,
steadfast and unchangeable.
† Choir Practice for Sword Points Readers
(click on the red links below to begin practice on this Sunday‟s hymns)
Opening Hymn The God of Abraham Praise
Gradual Hymn What Wondrous Love is This
Offertory Hymn Just as I am, without one plea
Closing Hymn Take Up Your Cross, The Savior Said
Just As I Am Without One Plea
T he Swiss evangelist and hymn writer Cesar Malan always liked to speak a word for
Jesus. One day, while visiting England, he spoke to a young women at his table,
saying that he hoped she was a Christian. Charlotte Elliott bristled. She would rather not
discuss that question, she said. Malan apologized if he had given offense.
For Charlotte, however, Malan's witness was a turning
point. She could not get his suggestion out of her head.
Three weeks later, she met Malan again and told him that
ever since he had spoken to her, she had been trying to find
Jesus her Savior. How could she come to Him, she
wondered. "You have nothing of merit to bring to God.
You must come just as you are," replied the minister.
Rejoicing, Charlotte did.
From the age of 33 until her death, Charlotte suffered
crippling fatigue. "My Heavenly Father knows, and He
alone, what it is, day after day, and hour after hour, to fight
against bodily feelings of almost overpowering weakness
and languor and exhaustion, to resolve, as He enables me
to do, not to yield to the slothfulness, the depression, the
irritability, such as a body causes me to long to indulge, but to rise every morning
determined on taking this for my motto, 'If any man will come after me, let him deny
himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.'"
Despite her ailment, she made herself useful. For example, she edited the Religious
Remembrancer magazine.
In 1835, about twelve years after her conversion, her brother was raising funds for a
school for the daughters of clergymen--St. Mary's Hall. Unable to help with the project,
Charlotte felt useless. Perhaps God had even rejected her!
She fell into deep doubt. As she pondered her situation, she remembered the words of
Cesar Malan and decided to write a song for others who were in her situation. The words
she wrote became one of the greatest soul-winning songs in the history of hymns.
Just as I am, without one plea
But that Thy blood was shed for me
And that Thou biddest me come to Thee
O, Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Many stories are told of people whose lives were transformed by her verses. Dora
Wordsworth, daughter of William Wordsworth, asked to have the lines read to her again and
again on her death bed. Sir Henry Norman, an official in British-controlled India, was
saved through the hymn at a meeting led by Lord Radstock. Billy Graham used it as the
invitation in his crusades.
What is more, in her own lifetime Charlotte learned that copies of the poem were being
sold and the money donated for St. Mary's Hall, the very project she had thought she could
not help!
In spite of her illness, Charlotte lived to be 82, dying in 1871. After her death, more
than a thousand letters were found among her papers, written by people telling her how her
hymn had touched their lives.
† Sunday’s Readings (click on the red links below to go directly to the text)
The Cost of Following Jesus
Exodus 3:1-15
After killing an Egyptian who was killing an Israelite, Moses has gone into exile in
Midian. There he has been met with a warm welcome and has married Zipporah, Jethro‟s
daughter.
Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45c
The people of Israel, God‟s people, are invited, as they worship, to acknowledge all that
God has done for them. The psalm then tells biblical history, from the covenants with the
patriarchs to entry into the Promised Land. God caused Pharaoh and the Egyptians to hate
and deceive Israel - so they would undertake the Exodus under Moses and Aaron.
Romans 12:9-21
In preceding chapters, Paul has explained what God has done for those who have faith in
Christ. He has begun to tell us what our response should be, what is involved in living the
ethical life and what obedience to God means – in other words, what it means to serve
Christ.
Matthew 16:21-28
Jesus has been instructing his disciples about the mission they are to carry out on his
behalf, about telling the good news. While many are confused as to who Jesus is, Peter has
identified him as the Messiah, the one expected to come at the end of time to judge all
people, and to honor those who are faithful to God.
† Pick Up Your Copy Today!
Synthesis CE Study Guides for each weeks readings
will be available at the back of the church.
† Official Prayer of the Sword Points
Editorial Board
A lmighty God, keep us, we pray thee, from thinking of ourselves more highly than
we ought to think, and ready at all times to step aside for others, that the cause of
Christ may be advanced; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
† Children’s Offering
B ecause the children are at Sunday School during the offering time, we are
encouraging children to place any offering in the plate at the back of the church
before coming up for the children's sermon. Please encourage your child to take
advantage of this time to practice giving a weekly offering.
† The Saints of God
August 25
King Louis of France
L ouis IX of France was canonized by the Church in 1297. A man of unusual purity
of life and manners, he was sincerely committed to his faith and to its moral
demands. Courageous and fearless in battle, patient and uncomplaining in adversity, he was
an impartial, just, and compassionate sovereign. The one word that summarizes his
character is integrity.
Louis‟ crusading adventures in the Middle East and in North Africa were of little
historical consequence. Such ventures were part of the piety of his
time. Throughout his life he was diligent in attending divine
worship, and constant in his charities, both open and secret.
Unusually free of the bigotry of
his age, Louis had an intelligent
interest in the theological issues
of his day. But his primary
concern was to put Christian
ethics into practice in both his
personal and his public life.
Louis was born at Poissy, April
25, 1214, and was crowned King at Rheims on
November 29, 1226. His early religious exercises of
devotion and asceticism were inspired by his mother,
Blanche of Castile. He died August 25, 1270, while on
crusade at Tunis, and was buried with his royal peers in
the basilica of St. Denis near Paris. After his
canonization, his relics were transferred to the Sainte
Chapelle, the lovely Gothic chapel in Paris which he
built as a shrine for relics of our Lord‟s passion. The
building is itself a fitting monument to his genuine piety and beautiful character.
Because of his determined effort to live a personal life of Franciscan poverty and self-
denial in the midst of worldly power and splendor - he wore a hair shirt under his royal
dress - Louis is honored as patron saint of the Third Order of St. Francis.
He is the only canonized king of France; consequently, there are many places named
after him, most notably St. Louis, Missouri.
Mail…..Send us photos and info about your travels, your home group, your pets, your
sports teams to [email protected].
† Ladies To Study Isaiah - Judgment & Foregiveness
T he Ladies Tuesday AM Bible Study will begin their 18-week study on the
Book of Isaiah on Tuesday, September 6th, 2011. The first half of Isaiah
carries the message of judgment for sin. The second half, brings a message of
forgiveness, comfort and hope. Isaiah speaks more about the Messiah than does any
other Old Testament prophet. Isaiah's book is a window into the mind of God as it
was seven hundred years before Christ and still is today. It is God's message of
comfort to us because those who heed it find eternal peace and fellowship with him.
Study books, @ $8.00 each, are available through Barbara Cappiello after the 8:00
am service or Donna Betts after the 10:30 am service. Classes will start promptly at
9:30 and end at 11:00. We hope you will join us as we study God's Word,
especially those new to studying the Bible!
Sainte Chapelle
† Bruschetta
The Healing Ministry offers House of Prayer
(longer periods of prayer) on a Saturday each month between 2:00 and 4:00 pm.
Walk-ins are welcome and you may also request prayer by appointment.
We pray for any need including: relationships, physical
healing, emotional healing, finances, family and
generational healing.
If you have any questions or would like further info, call:
Lynne Donnelly,
860-354-3725,
Diane Hannah,
860-355-9119,
or the Parish Office,
203-775-9587.
† Rain, Rain, Go Away…
Come Again Some Other Music
Ministry Retreat Weekend!
T he music ministry retreat will
happen, with or without Irene this
weekend. You can still RSVP and join the
choir while we learn songs like Michael W.
Smith's "Let it Rain" or Todd Agnew's
"Grace like Rain." Please RSVP to Patrick
O‟Connors @ [email protected] by
August 24th Details are as follows:
When: August 26th & 27th – Friday
starting at 6:30pm, Saturday 8:00 – 3:30pm
Where: Walnut Hill Community Church, Bethel, CT
Who: Current music ministry members, anyone who wants to sing, play an instrument, learn
sound, or just hang out with a cool group of people for a couple of days!
Cost: FREE
Directions:
Slice the bread on the
diagonal, brush slices lightly with 2 T. olive
oil and toast on a cookie sheet on the top rack
in a pre-heated 450° oven. Toast until just golden (about 5 minutes). In large bowl,
combine all other ingredients. Spoon onto toast pieces. Serves 8.
Ingredients:
6 Roma or plum tomatoes, finely diced (about 1 ½ lbs.)
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ c. red onion, finely diced
¼ c. fresh basil, finely chopped
½ tsp. salt
½ c. extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 T. olive oil for bread
¼ c. balsamic vinegar
1 loaf of French Baguette or Italian bread
† Your Prayers Are Requested For…
I t is such an intimate time when praying for the health and well being of others
and such a privilege. The people that we lift up to The Lord are part of our hearts
for all time. Please pray for...
.….Dot Blake, convalescing from a stroke at Filosa in
Danbury.
…..Bill Schrull, recovering from his recent neck surgery.
..…Lois Hunt, continued healing for her broken left foot.
…..Kent School; South Kent School, Pomfret School,
Salisbury School, Wooster School, Rectory School, St.
Thomas Day School - New Haven, Trinity School on the Hill
- Hartford; the Episcopal Church at Yale, the Episcopal
Church at UConn - Storrs, Berkeley Divinity School - New
Haven.
…..Drew Crocker.
…..Ingrid Pruss, full recovery from her back surgery
…..Daniel Hatch, complete healing and peace.
…..Barbara Kast.
L ord, you have been our hope, our strength, and our peace in all seasons. You are the rock upon which we stand. We, your people, join our hearts in praise to you for the
coming Faith Alive weekend in November. Come Holy Spirit, be the wellspring of our hearts; draw us ever closer to Jesus. Revive and replenish our faith in new and exciting ways. Lord, we entrust this weekend to you for our protection and spiritual growth. Let our doors be open to all and let them meet you here. Pour out your Holy Spirit on this St. Paul’s family transforming us into the likeness of your Son, our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. Amen
† Scholarly Speaking
Too Many Saints
I n the film Amadeus the emperor Joseph II‟s reaction to Abduction from the Seraglio is
“Too many notes, my dear Mozart.” This line does express a common view at the
time that Mozart‟s music was a little too rich. As my Research Assistant and I have been
working our way through the (greatly expanded) Calendar of Saints in Holy Women, Holy
Men (hereafter HWHM), I am being led – rather unexpectedly – to the conclusion that there
are just too many of them.
This is not just a matter of numbers, but let‟s
start with that. The HWHM Calendar, which
includes only feasts with fixed dates (i.e. not
Sundays or the Lent-Easter cycle) has 293* entries
including one for February 29th, and several with
multiple individuals on the same day. In contrast
to this the pre-Reformation Sarum Calendar listed
202* feasts with about a dozen other entries that
were not separate feasts but had some other form
of liturgical observance. The first English Prayer
Books listed only the New Testament Holy Days
(with some variants as to exactly which ones were
included). Under Elizabeth I it began to be
customary to include lesser saints again, but
apparently these were listed for reference rather
than for actual celebration. The most extreme
example that I have found of this is the Latin
edition of the Prayer Book issued in 1560 that
included 310* entries. By 1662 the list was down
to 98*, and again, most of these were for reference rather than actual celebration. Of course
in HWHM the lesser feasts are all optional, but, unlike the Elizabethan and later Prayer
Books, they are all provided with collects and readings for celebration.
If it is simply a matter of having something to choose
from at an occasional Eucharist, then one might well
say, the more the merrier; but as we work through the
calendar systematically it becomes a bit overwhelming
to keep track of them all. Another, and I think more
important, issue is how the names were selected. Many
have long been recognized either by formal
canonization or by widespread recognition as
significant Christian figures, but others (especially among the most recent additions) are
either largely unknown, or are known for achievements outside of the realm of faith. I am
willing to assume that most of them were inspired by faith, but I would argue that at the
least we need clearer criteria for inclusion. HWHM does include several standards (which
seem to me to lean more towards sociology than theology) but even these are sometimes
overlooked.
Finally, while I am tempted to lobby for pruning twenty or thirty names from the list, I
think instead that I shall exercise the option not to observe – or to minimize the observation
– of these individuals. With earlier (and shorter) calendars of lesser feasts I have tried to
make a discipline of observing all of them (at least with the collect at Morning and Evening
Prayer) whether I agreed with them or not, but for me it seems to have reached the point of
diminishing returns. In time audiences did come to appreciate the richness of Mozart‟s
music, and perhaps I, and many more, can come to appreciate the fullness of our calendar. *These numbers are based on actual counts, but for various reasons may be slightly off.
- Fr. Bill Loring, Scholar in Residence
D o you have a question you
would like answered by our
Scholar-in-Residence? Send your
ecclesiastical, liturgical, doctrinal,
historical or other inquiries to:
Just For Fun !Just For Fun !Just For Fun !
(And Christian Fellowship)
† The Earthquake! O n Tuesday, Sword Points had one of its reporters
on site at St. Paul’s. While Sword Points has been accused in the past of not having any feelings, on Tuesday when everyone seemed to feel the quake, our reporter felt nothing. So there’s nothing to report.
That doesn’t mean that there wasn’t destruction elsewhere and lest we get accused of not being sensitive, it is worthy to note that our National Cathedral in Washington, DC was damaged.. Follow these links for more info & pictures.
† FAIRS, OPEN HOUSES, DINNERS, ANNIVERSARIES, SPORTS
Apple Festival (Sept. 10, Monroe)
† LECTURES, QUIET DAYS, RETREATS, CONFERENCES Spanish Cursillo Weekend (Sept. 2-5, Farmington)
Workshop on Reconciliation (Sept. 17, Hartford)
15th annual Bishops' Stewardship Conf. (Oct. 8, New Canaan)
† MUSIC, ART, SPECIAL WORSHIP EVENTS Sept. 11 - Remembrances, Interfaith services, more
† It Takes An Editorial Board
Contributors to this Weeks
Sword Points:
Debbie Barackman, Donna
Betts, Barbara Cappiello,
Lynne Donnelly, Ray Ferro,
Clayton Ferry, Patrick
O‟Connors, Lori O‟Hara,
Linda Pendergast, Kirsten
Peterson, Adrianne Roberts,
Cathy Schrull, Joe Shepley,
Lindsay Sweeting, David Szen
& Pam Szen.
† Sermon Shorts
W ith an introduction to the Book of
Exodus, last Sunday Fr. Shepley
spoke to the vital role of women in biblical
history, comparing female figures from
Moses' early life with that of Jesus'
life. The concept of "fearing God" is
underscored throughout the message, where
an application is offered, particularly for
those facing transitional decisions in their
lives.
To hear his full sermon follow this link
to The Sunday Sermons each week.