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 stpaulsswordpoints@gmail.com.

† 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 youth.stpaulsbrookfield@gmail.com 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.stpaulsbrookfield@gmail.com

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

bethmiller.stpaul@gmail.com. For Sword Points please submit it by Wednesday afternoon

each week to stpaulsswordpoints@gmail.com.

† 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 stpaulsswordpoints@gmail.com.

† 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 @ pmoconnors@gmail.com 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:

Stpaulsswordpoints@gmail.com.

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.