Welcome to
The Church of St. Paul and Incarnation!
in the Heart of Jersey City
“More Than Comfort”
In this Sunday’s gospel lesson, we will
hear Matthew’s report of the “Feeding of the Five Thousand,” when Jesus takes
all that the disciples have to offer – what seems to be a woefully insufficient
five loaves and two fish - and miraculously feeds a crowd of “about five
thousand men, besides women and children.” Since this is the only one of Jesus’
miracles to appear in all four gospels, it’s obvious that the early Christians
recognized this event as a most important sign of Jesus’ power, and an
essential reminder of the abundance that is always on offer from God. This
long-ago miracle of abundance echoes down to us today, especially each time we bring
our small offering to the Lord’s Table, each time we remember Jesus taking the
bread, blessing it, and sharing it with his friends.
We have missed so many and so much
during these long months of pandemic and isolation. Here in our church
community, we long to see the faces of beloved brothers and sisters, to sing
hymns, to pass the peace, to share food and drink during coffee hour, to
welcome the newly baptized, and so much more. Maybe most of all, we long to
share Holy Communion.
As I mentioned in a recent sermon,
distributing Communion is both a great honor and also a wonderful pleasure. I
love watching all of you approach the altar, some walking hesitantly and
prayerfully while others, especially the kids, come bounding up the steps,
practically sliding into the altar rail, so excited to receive what – or,
better, who - is being offered. While kneeling or standing at the rail, some of
you look up at me, eager for a moment of connection while others keep your eyes
downcast, reverently and privately waiting for the Body of Christ. And then
there are your hands, some soft and smooth, others creased and bent, hands
telling stories of lives just getting started or tales of journeys that are by now
many chapters long.
During these months when we have not
been able to gather in person there have been debates in the wider church about
Communion. Is it appropriate to continue in our usual way, even if only the
priest and maybe one or two others can receive the sacrament? Or, is it more meaningful
for everyone to “fast” from Communion until we are all together again? And, how
about the bread and wine that some people set up at home during our Sunday
services? In some way can that also be Communion? It seems to me that there is
not one correct answer, but, no matter what, distance and technology and even
shaky theology will surely not stop God from giving us the grace that we so
desperately need. So, I decided to continue our live-streamed services as close
to normal as possible, although that has meant that only Sue and I are able to
receive and you have been invited to a “spiritual communion.” There hasn’t been
a week when I haven’t felt some awkwardness and even guilt about that, but I’ve
hoped that offering something familiar would be a comfort during these
difficult days.
After all, an important blessing of
Communion is comfort: the comfort of knowing that God is in our midst, no
matter how tough our challenges – the comfort of participating in a ritual
rooted in the birth of our faith - the comfort of knowing that, even when we
are apart, together we are the Body of Christ. Especially right now, we
can use all the comfort we can get. But, comfort is not the only blessing of Communion.
In the words of Eucharistic Prayer C (BCP, pg. 372):
“Open our eyes to see your hand at work
in the world about us. Deliver us from the presumption of coming to this Table
for solace only, and not for strength; for pardon only, and not for renewal.
Let the grace of this Holy Communion make us one body, one spirit in Christ,
that we may worthily serve the world in his name.”
Communion – even when we are separated
by distance - offers us not just comfort (or “solace”) but strength.
Communion offers us not just pardon but renewal. Communion gives us all
that we need to really be the Body of Christ in a world that is as hungry as
ever for the abundance always on offer from God. We are given all the comfort
and forgiveness that we need but we are also given the strength to love, to offer
mercy, and to stand beside the poor and the oppressed, the people who are
especially blessed in God’s downside-up kingdom.
Since God can take what seems to be a
woefully insufficient amount of bread and fish and somehow manage to feed many
thousands of people, I am convinced that God will have no trouble at all feeding
us during our time of spiritual and physical hunger. With God’s help, we are
strong enough to follow the example of the late great John Lewis and make some
good trouble, doing our part right here and now to create a more just society.
As a start, I hope that all of
you will attend the New Jersey Together action (via Zoom) on August 31,
7:30pm-9:00pm. This is a very real way for God to take the little that we have
and multiply it into a blessing for many thousands of our sisters and brothers wounded
by deep racial and economic inequities. Please register for the action here: http://www.njtogether.org/action2020
In the meantime, we will gather at a
distance on Sunday, once again offering what we have, trusting that the God of
abundance will give us all the good food that we need.
Prayers and Thanksgivings:
Please
pray for all those on our parish prayer list, especially Jean, Andy, Angelo, Richard,
Kit, and Anthony.
Please
also remember in your prayers those who have died, and those who grieve their
loss:
Cory
Oglesby, nephew of Walter Brown
Antonio
Madrinan, cousin of Virgil Madrinan
Debra
Dudley Ballera, sister of Craig Dudley
All of
those who have died as a result of Covid -19.
We give
thanks for all the blessings of our lives, especially all those celebrating
birthdays and anniversaries during August.
Supporting Our Church:
We are
aware that, unfortunately, some parishioners have been laid off or furloughed
and others are in danger of losing their jobs. Please know that you are in our
prayers and we are here to help any way we can. In these extremely challenging
economic times, we are especially grateful to those of you who have been able
to keep up with your pledges. You can still mail checks to the church or you
can use online giving. Visit stpaulsjc.org and click on "Online
Giving." We also have a Venmo account. Call the office or email me for
more information.
Worship Schedule:
Monday through Friday: "Church By Phone"
Morning
Prayer, 7:30
Noonday
Prayer, 12:00
Evening
Prayer, 5:30
Call: 201-433-4922 for call-in information.
Sunday at 10:00am
Join us
on Facebook Live for a celebration of Holy Eucharist
www.facebook.com/StPaulsJC
First Sunday Parish Get-Together:
You are invited to our monthly parish get-together
on Zoom! Join us THIS Sunday, August 2, at 1:00 for a chance to catch up with
each other. Contact Fr. Tom for details.
From the Diocese:
Read
The Voice Online for all the latest news, including words of encouragement
from Bishop Hughes:
https://myemail.constantcontact.com/The-VOICE-Online--Encouragement-from-Bishop-Hughes--Mental-health-focus-for-summer-Regional-Zoom-meetings--Upcoming-ordinations.html?soid=1102692382496&aid=t766WZh2DlA
“Good Trouble”
–
New Jersey
Together Statewide Action, Monday 8/31
This
past Monday evening, over 400 people from across New Jersey met on Zoom to
ratify an agenda for much larger action on Monday, August 31, 7:30pm-9:00pm. We
are hoping fore a large turnout from St. Paul and Incarnation as we join with
thousands of other people from over 140 congregations and non-profits, pressing
for concrete actions and commitments from decision makers, including Governor
Murphy. The focus will be on a set of specific issues related to racial equity,
criminal justice, and the current pandemic.
Click here for more information
and to register: https://www.njtogether.org/action2020
Free Covid-19
Testing
New
Jersey Together is co-sponsoring FREE Covid-19 testing on Sunday, August 2,
from 10am to 4pm, at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church (472 Bergen Ave.).
Pre-register
here: www.njtogether.org/testing
North Porch at
Triangle Park Community Center
As many of
you know, North Porch offers diapers, formula, and other assistance to families
with infants and young children. Since the need continues to grow, North Porch
is asking for financial donations through a GoFundMe campaign. Please consider
supporting this beautiful ministry:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/north-porch-mom-amp-infant-program?utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link-tip&fbclid=IwAR2tibm9cDTU2k9BqFh-dtWMCn77qrsNaNBpNeMh7gcaW_M_reC03IdJpi4
DJ’s Free Market
Subscribe to
the DJ’s Newsletter to stay informed about this exciting new ministry led by
Deacon Jill:
The Arts at St. Paul & Incarnation
The virtual opening
of ASPI’s new show “UpRooted” was a big success! Many thanks to all the members
of the Arts Council, especially Amy Neufeld and Sarah Ibrahim. If you missed
the opening, you can visit the virtual gallery to see the beautiful art:
http://www.aspi-jc.org
Help for Renters and Homeowners:
There
is help available for renters and homeowners suffering because of the pandemic.
One is the website for the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency: www.njhousing.gov. You can also call
1-800-NJ-HOUSE (1-800-654-6873).
Helpful Resources:
State
of New Jersey Covid-19 Information Hub:
https://covid19.nj.gov
The
Diocese of Newark posts Covid-19 resources here:
https://dioceseofnewark.org/covid-19
You can
subscribe to diocesan newsletters here:
https://dioceseofnewark.org/subscribe
The
Episcopal Church has collected Covid-19 resources here:
https://episcopalchurch.org/concerning-covid19
"Habits
of Grace," weekly reflections from Presiding Bishop Michael Curry:
https://episcopalchurch.org/habits-of-grace
The
Church of England has some wonderful prayers and other materials here:
https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/coronavirus-covid-19-liturgy-and-prayer-resources
Fr. Tom's sermons can be found here:
http://tommurphe.blogspot.com