St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Saginaw, MI, a Jubilee Ministry Center, is an inclusive, thinking person's church where everybody is somebody and Jesus Christ is Lord. We are a Gospel Community of Christians committed to building strong, holy lives; reaching out in love to others; strengthening justice and compassion throughout our community; and winning souls for Christ and his Church.
A Center for Jubilee Ministry Un Centro de Liberacion
Rector: The Rev. Judith Boli Deacon: The Rev. Joan Kemp Parish Administrator: Mrs. Ellen Williams Sr. Warden: Dr. Caroline Scott Jr.Warden: Mr. William Crimp Clerk of the Vestry: Ms. Donna Motton Director of Outreach Ministries: Mr. Grady Holmes Outreach Minister: Dr. Jim Benjamin
Thoughts for Sermons:
Draft sermon for Sunday, November 8, 2009, is at the end of this web page.
Do you want to make your sermons more inclusive? Short, thought-provoking wisdom statements by African-Americans are near the end of this web page.
For additions to the above statements, sermon feedback, etc., please e-mail me at:
Thought for the Week: “God uses us in ways we don’t know.” (Deacon Joan Kemp)
Schedule
Sunday
8 & 11 A.M.: Holy Communion Services
9:30 A.M.: Sunday School for children, teens, and adults
1 P.M.: Dinner at St. Paul's- we feed the hungry.
2nd Sunday at 9:20 AM- vestry meetings
1 P.M.: Healthy Futures- every last Sunday of the month (a health clinic for the un and under-insured)
Weekdays
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday: Sandwich Ministry (2 P.M. until bag lunches are gone)
Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday: Pantry Ministry (10AM- 3 PM)
Wednesday (noon): Holy Eucharist with healing and adult Bible study- all welcome!
Saturday: Intergenerational Choir- "Voices of Joy" (12:30)
Transportation is available for all worship and fellowship activities by calling (989)799-2189.
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OUTREACH MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES
Each month, St. Paul's Church feeds approximately 1,000 people and distributes groceries to about 300 families. Our food costs average about $400 per month.
Ministry Needs:
Food or the money to buy it. (Every penny donated goes to feed the hungry. None goes for overhead. Checks can be made out to Dinner-at-St.Paul's.)
Volunteers- Church or business groups to host a Sunday (4-5 people needed plusfood to feed about 125 people from 1-2 PM).
Your prayers for our ministry and the people we serve!
If you would like to participate with us in this ministry, please call me at 989-799-2189 or e-mail me at: jboli@charter.net
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Thought-provoking Wisdom Statements by African-Americans:
“Birds are entangled by their feet, and we humans by our tongues.” (African folk statement)
“Love is doing a thoughtful deed for your spouse, children, or friend with no expectation of return.” (Dr. Tony Evans)
“Age is just mind over matter; if you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” (Satchel Paige, pitcher)
“Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided people.” (Martin Luther King, Jr.)
Sermon for Sunday, November 8, 2009
Title: “LIFE HAPPENS WHEN WE AREN’T LOOKING!”A sermon by Deacon Joan Kemp
Thought for Today: “God uses us in ways we don’t know.” Text: Mark 12:42-44. Today’s lesson shows us what God wants from us: 1. He wants us to live our faith through our normal day to day living, practicing what we say we believe in the little things we do. 2. He wants us to be totally focused and committed to living out our faith in our day to day, little things. If we do, then, he promises to us, our lives in the work of his kingdom. Most of the times he uses us, we won’t know anything about it. On rare occasions when we do know, it probably will be a long time afterwards.
How does Mark show what God wants from us, and what his promise is? The story of The Poor Widow is short. This widow came to the Temple and put two small coins in the offering. Jesus told us she was poor, and that the two coins were here entire income. From that little bit, we know she took her time and energy to get to the Temple. We know she loved God to give “all she had”. We don’t know her name, age, children, or anything else. She did not know that Jesus was watching her, and teaching the disciples, and us, about her. She was just doing her normal thing, her day to day life, doing what she was “supposed to do”. She had no idea that she was an example to the disciples, and to us 2000+ years later! I bet she was surprised when she arrived in heaven and found out about it!!
Well, what about our lives? Does God promise to use us too? Let me share an event that I do know about, in my life. When I was living and working in Washington state, the secretary was a friend. She had a daughter who was just graduating from school. The daughter was considering going into social work, and maybe going back to school. My friend asked me if I would talk with her daughter, and give her some information. We met several times after work, and on weekends. She did decide to go on to school, and become a social worker. I gave her a letter of recommendation, too. What I did, I did for her, I considered to be “normal”, “not much“, even though some of it was inconvenient, “something I should do”. I didn’t think anything else about it, until the day I left the agency to return to Michigan to live. My friend and her daughter brought me a gift and told me how much I had helped her. I didn’t know. Nor do I know how many lives she has helped because of being a social worker. I won’t know---not until I arrive in heaven.
What about your life??? You may want to say, ’ well you’re ordained.’ I want to point out that neither the widow or I were ordained. When this happened, it was many years before my ordination.
You may not ever know who will be affected by you, but you need to know that someone out there is watching you, and responding to what they are experiencing. That is why God wants you to: 1. Live out your faith through your normal living, the little things; 2. Live out your faith with total focus and commitment---your whole heart, soul, and mind, and everything else…..giving him your all. Then, God will keep his promise to use you in his kingdom. Amen!
