Rich Offerings

The next ten days are particularly rich at St. Paul’s. The two things to remember most are that we are in the midst of our Stewardship season and that Chloe and I are hosting an Open House at our home in San Anselmo this Sunday from 4pm-6pm.

Now here’s the whole array:

• Stewardship. Please fill out your pledge card with the amount of money you intend to give St. Paul’s next year, our 150th. Please return it by Sunday, November 5th, our in-gathering Sunday.

• Our Coming Out at Convention. Friday and Saturday are our annual Diocesan Convention at Grace Cathedral. St. Paul’s will be prominent in three ways. First, we will have a table inviting people to sign up for February’s PrayWorshipServe Lenten Retreat. Second, we will have another table called “Death Row: Light Shines In The Darkness” to invite people to join our ministry. Third, I will be on a panel discussing housing in the Bay Area to talk about our St. Monnica’s Mutual Housing Community project.

• Farm to Altar. At out 10am service the communion bread has always been home baked by Brigitte with a recipe that includes milk and honey. This is because that’s what God promises in the Promised Land. Starting this Sunday, we will be using special flour from wheat grown locally by an Episcopal priest, the Rev. Elizabeth DeRuff, and honey from the hive that lived this summer in our church wall.

• Open House this Sunday from 4pm to 6pm at our home in San Anselmo. All are welcome- young and old, veterans and newcomers.Email me for the address at c.h.mrtn@gmail.com.

• Gratitude Brunch on Sunday, November 5th, following the 10am service and hosted by our Vestry. We will be doing three essential things. We will be giving thanks for pledges, we will be blessing all our beautifully restored spaces (bathrooms, Duncan Hall, offices, Upper Room), and we will be publicly thanking our four project leaders, Pat, Larry, Steve and Keatin.

• Three Invitations to Serve. In my sermon last week I offered there ways to serve in response to the Sonoma and Napa fires. One is, like Bruce and Jennifer, to volunteer through CVNL. Here’s the link. A second is to join John in improving St. Paul’s Disaster Preparedness for the next time something strikes. A third is to join Jacob and me in the effort to build St. Monnica’s. The fire disaster brought home to all how difficult housing is in the Bay Area, particularly for the working poor.

Bless you all. God calls us each to action for the sake of building up the kingdom here on earth. Find something that speaks to your heart and get going!