Hello – This Sunday is the feast of Pentecost, the annual celebration when our sacred space is draped in red and we rejoice in the birth of the Christian Church. On this Sunday, we remember that the Church was born in tongues of spiritual fire just 50 days after Jesus rose from the dead. (The…

Hello – In May, I’m going to offer three different time slots for Basic Discipleship. These are Sundays at 6pm, Thursdays at 12:30 and Saturdays at 8am. Each time slot is limited to four people. The starting dates are May 15th, 19th and 21st. In Basic Discipleship I teach how to pray and then encourage…

Hello – So far I’ve had five great small group conversations about the necessary dimensions for a rigorous church. We’ve had discussions at two Sunday Spiritual Forums and have taken time at each of our three weekly Bible Studies. The last of these planned open conversations is tomorrow night, Wednesday, at 5:30pm in the Upper…

Hello – I believe that rigorous churches will survive and thrive in our increasingly secular age. I also believe St. Paul’s is becoming a rigorous church. For over a decade, we have been gradually devoting ourselves to the core Christian practices of prayer, worship, service, generosity, learning scripture, listening for call and Discipleship Groups. That’s…

Hello – I have an important teaching I’m finally ready to share with you. I plan three times to share this teaching- the next two Sunday Spiritual Forums, which are 9:00 to 9:40 in Duncan Hall and a special session on Wednesday, April 27th, from 5:30 to 6:30. As you may know, my life was…

Hello – For the second year in a row, a substantial number of people from St. Paul’s are involved in Cursillo, which means ‘short course’ in Spanish. Cursillo has an interesting history. It was started in Spain by people who had been keepers of inns, or ‘albergues’ along the Christian pilgrimage route, the Camino. They…

Hello – After a brief break for Holy Week and Easter Week, our full range of classes start tomorrow. 1. The Spiritual Forum resumes its slow and deep exploration of life as a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. (Sundays 9:00am to 9:40am) 2. Confirmation Class for youth continues with an introduction to prayer. (Sundays 11:30am to 12:30pm)…

Hello – It was such a joy to see so many of you through the course of Holy Week. It was a time filled with great emotions. Many made the week special and excellent but I want to particularly thank Mike for his music, Judy for her hard work and good taste, Alex for the…

Hello – The most important things to know if you’re a Christian are the whole, rich story we remember in the next three days. Nothing can deepen your faith more than walking in the way of these three days by going to the three most important church services of the year. I know that’s a…

Five Quick Hits Hello – Five things to bear in mind, even as we head into Holy Week. • Our three Bible Studies and the Sunday Spiritual Forum are on hiatus until the first week in April. (Tuesday 12:30 will be Song of Songs; Wednesday 10am, Exodus; Thursday 6:15, Job.) • In April I start…