‘Back to School’ 2024
Greetings from the St. Paul Center for Theology and Prayer!
FORMING DISCIPLES OF JESUS IN EVERY CONGREGATION
The St. Paul Center for Theology and Prayer exists to form disciples of Jesus in every congregation. It seeks to do this by equipping and resourcing local congregations for the tasks and joys of faith formation, teaching and learning, catechesis, and the life of prayer.
We hope that everyone has had a fulfilling summer. August is already nearly over, and the time of ‘Back to School’ is upon us! Although the weather is still rather hot and humid, our thoughts start to turn to the Fall - and in the season of harvest, our theme for this newsletter is SACRED CREATION. How do we understand and worship the Creator? How should we respect, cherish and celebrate all of God’s Creation?
Don’t forget, you can find our previous newsletters online. If you’re reading this because someone shared it with you, and you’re not yet on our newsletter mailing list, please do sign up here, so you’ll be sure to receive all future news from TSPC!
A THOUGHT FROM TSPC
The word “creation” designates both “that which has been created” and “the process by which things are brought into being.” In this time of climate crisis, as Christians it is important for us to both celebrate that which has been created and celebrate God as the one who brings all things into being.
Our Eastern Orthodox friends have been celebrating a “Feast of Creation on September 1” for generations, lifting up God as creator and celebrating God’s creating act as the starting point for salvation history.
In March 2024, over a hundred delegates from all continents gathered in Assisi, Italy – with many more connecting remotely – to consider following the lead of the Eastern Orthodox Church by adding a “Feast of God the Creator” to the western liturgical calendar. I was honored to join this gathering, which was hosted by the Laudato Si Research Institute, and sponsored by the Anglican Communion, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Communion of Reformed Iglesias, the World Council of Churches, and other partners. The full report from the conference, with lots of great material for preaching and teaching, is here.
The General Convention of the Episcopal Church passed a resolution commending this international, ecumenical process. I commend this process to you and your congregation! During the season ahead, incorporate some of the resources found in this newsletter into your preaching, teaching, and liturgical life. Share with us at TSPC whether and how your congregation is deepening its understanding of what we mean when we say, “I believe in God…. creator of heaven and earth.” Let this prayerful and theological attention to the Creator inform your outreach, your justice work (consider signing this fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty), and your relationship with the environment where you worship.
Blessings on this and all of your ministry.
WHAT’S ON AT TSPC
fall 2024
SACRED CREATION
Want some inspiration for centering creation care and the climate crisis in your congregation's worship life?
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Ayer was one of six parishes partnering with Associated Parishes for Liturgy and Mission last year to do innovative projects in this area. Lay leaders from St. Andrews and the other five parishes learned about the importance of thinking about texts, music, movement, materials/things, and space/location in planning liturgy. Their creation care committee worked with Interim Rector Stephanie Bradbury to weave attention to creation throughout their worship and parish life, attending to those five aspects of liturgy. You can find out more about the great Creation Care work at St. Andrew’s, here.
How shall we preach in a time of climate crisis?
An innovative Anglican congregation in British Columbia, Salal & Cedar, offers the Wild Lectionary to help preachers do just this. Scholars, pastors, and lay preachers from around the Anglican Church of Canada and the Episcopal Church write the commentary, lifting up themes, images, and possibilities for expanding our gaze beyond the human to embrace the whole of the holy and interconnected created order.
TSPC’s guest speaker event this Fall will be on the topic of Sacred Creation; stay tuned for more news on that! Meanwhile, you may like to join a ‘Celebration of Creation’ at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston on Sunday 1st September, 10am.
THIS WEEKEND - The Holy Fool Players present ‘We Say Various Things About Sleep’
TSPC committee member the Rev. Rita Powell (Episcopal Chaplain at Harvard) has written a play, inspired by the writing of early theologian Evagrius. Directed by TSPC Coordinator Kirsten Cairns, the piece will be presented outdoors (in Cambridge and in Fitchburg), with live music, on August 23, 24 and 25.
How does the body experience the spiritual? Do we know our own souls? How do we encounter the divine: through music, text, movement, nature? Evagrius was transformed by his time spent in reflection in the wilderness; we seek our own miniature transformations, spending an evening together in nature and art. What better way to celebrate Sacred Creation?
Enjoy a New England summer evening with theatre and music! You are invited to come early and bring a picnic. (Also, bring something to sit on! At Longfellow Park in Cambridge, you’ll need a picnic blanket or a folding chair. At Coggshall Park in Fitchburg, there will be stone seats – but bring padding to sit on!) The Cambridge performances begin at 7pm; the show begins at 5.30pm in Fitchburg.
Tickets are FREE. You can find all details for We Say Various Things About Sleep at an Eventbrite page here
* * * * *
Recent Happenings
Why Pray? July 27th, 10am - 2.30pm, in Newburyport and Boston
Each Summer, The St. Paul Center for Theology and Prayer hosts an in-person day to tackle a 'Big Question'. This year we asked 'Why Pray?’
The event was hosted at St. Paul’s Newburyport and the Cathedral Church of St. Paul Boston, lead by TSPC’s the Rev. Dr. Jarred Mercer and the Very Rev. Amy McCreath respectively. Both venues enjoyed a good turn out, with participants actively engaging and seeming excited to explore this question together. Feedback - and remarks on reasons for attending - included comments such as:
‘In my family, we have always prayed, but we never talked about why. As Christians, there was just an expectation for praying, but never any dialogue about praying. I was missing the conversation.’
‘I enjoyed hearing other attendees’ experience of prayer.’
‘As a new church member, I am constantly seeking ways to grow closer to God and this seminar was very helpful. I have reread the booklet and shared it with a friend. It is a great resource!’
‘I enjoyed hearing why/how [to] pray, and hearing the wide wide range of personal answers, not duplicated, not authoritative, not all-sure, not doctrinaire.’
‘I enjoyed the many opportunities we had to interact in small groups with each other and to discuss our thoughts and experiences. I got to know a few people I had not known before.’
The Rev. Brett Johnson, Rector of Emmanuel Church, Wakefield, wrote:
‘TSPC has done it again! With profound gratitude, I brought several of my parishioners to “Why Pray?” hoping it would be as life-changing as “Why Go to Church?” It was! Masterfully crafted, the program invites the learner to open to the practical mystery of prayer through information and practice.
For so many of our parishes in Massachusetts, we have limited resources to offer rich formation at this level. We left the day inspired personally and with a heart to share what we learned with our parish. Thanks be to God for the faithful work of TSPC!’
Attendees were given a booklet to take home, for their personal use and also to share with their churches. Several have let us know of plans to use it in their parishes, and many have said they are sharing with friends. One participant wrote, ‘I will keep the booklet nearby — read it often.’ If YOU would like to have a copy of the booklet - and perhaps use it for study of prayer with your own church community - you can download it from our website, here.
Gathered at the Catherdal, to ask ‘Why Pray?’
* * * * *
Happening now!
Clergy are invited to join TSPC regional Learning Communities
We all know that clergy people, be they full or part time, have many demands on the hours in their days. Life can be hectic, with so much to do, and clergy may sometimes feel unsupported, or alone. The St. Paul Center for Theology and Prayer aims to counter that feeling, by giving the hardworking clergy of the Diocese of Massachusetts opportunities to gather; to share ideas or concerns; to support one another.
We have created three Learning Communities: one for the Northern and Western Region of the Diocese, one Central Region, and one in the Southern Region. These Communities will gather via zoom every six weeks or so, focusing on a particular topic each session. The sessions will be hosted by the Communities' co-leaders, but the format will be discursive and open, rather than being led by one person. It is our hope that priests and deacons will be nurtured by this time to share resources, discuss problems, and explore aspects of faith and formation.
There will also be two in-person gatherings each year - the first of which took place this summer. But it’s not too late to join the group! If you are a member of clergy and have not received an email invitation to your regional group, please do contact us at tspc@diomass.org - we do hope you’ll consider being a part of your local Community.
Northern and Western Region Learning Community - co-hosted by the Rev. Dr. Jarred Mercer and the Rev. Jacqueline Clark
Central Region Learning Community - co-hosted by the Very Rev. Amy McCreath and the Rev. Greg Johnston
Southern Region Learning Community - co-hosted by the Rev. Joseph Mumita and the Rev. Dr. Maggie Arnold
* * * * *
Closing with … thoughts on sacred creation
TSPC Curation Team member the Rev. Deacon Mary Beth Emerson suggests these resources:
Becoming Rooted, One Hundred Days of Reconnecting with Sacred Earth
by Randy Woodley
Beautifully written, super accessible invitation to spend 100 days remembering what a gift our planet is. Pastor, activist, scholar, author, teacher, wisdom-keeper and Cherokee descendant Randy Woodley crafts stories, offers meditations and paints holy images of our "fragile island home," and how to honor it.
"Naturally Curious, Day by Day -- A Field Guide and Daily Visit to the Forests, Fields and Wetlands of Eastern North America"
By Mary Holland
365 introductions to our sisters, brothers and neighbors in nature. A wonderful addition to daily prayer and meditation.
Where or how do you like to reflect on and honor Creation? Please share your thoughts, reflections and questions with us - our email inbox is always open! tspc@diomass.org