Dear St. Paul’s Family,
Remember?
You probably learned as a kid the name “Roy G. Biv” as a helpful way of remembering the colors of the rainbow. How about “Every Good Boy Does Fine” as a helpful memory aid for the musical notes of the treble clef? And then there are the poems: “In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” Or, “I before E, except after C.” These tools were helpful in collecting and retrieving facts that would be helpful throughout our lives.
But something has happened. With the emergence of cell phones, palm pilots, blackberries, computers, and other equipment designed to store more and more personal information, our ability to remember has actually decreased. In a study released over the summer by Trinity College in Dublin, our dependence on such devices to “remember” birthdays, phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and other important data has diminished the memory capacity of our brains!
Trinity professor Ian Robertson said,
“People have more to remember these days, and they are relying on technology for their memory. But the less you use of your memory, the poorer it becomes. This may be reflected in the survey findings which show that the over 50s who grew up committing more to memory report better performance in many areas than those under 30 who are heavily reliant on technology to act as their day to day aide memoir.”
Here’s the lesson: True remembrance takes intentionality and effort. And it’s as true of spiritual matters as it is of dates and numbers. It’s one thing merely to recall central elements of our faith. It’s quite another to allow those memories to shape our conscience and inform our behavior.
On over ninety occasions in the Bible, God called the people to remember God’s saving activity throughout history, through rituals, prayers, and symbols. From the Psalms to the seder, from the Ten Commandments to the Beautitudes, the Bible is filled with reminders of our identity and calling as kingdom people.
ALL SAINTS’ SUNDAY
This Sunday, there will be a convergence of reminders – each one with a unique invitation for the Spirit to call us to a life of gratitude and commitment. We will begin the service with the commemoration of those in our church who have died since last November’s All Saints’ Day. We will celebrate their ongoing influence on our lives with thanksgiving. We continue in our Stewardship Series with a sermon titled “Remember! What Has God Done for You Lately?” based on Psalm 77 and its sweeping reminder of God’s love revealed throughout history. And, we will conclude the service by gathering at the Lord’s table, remembering our past and our future in Christ through the breaking of bread and the sharing of the cup.
May it never be said that the people of this church suffer from poor memory!
Grace, Peace, and Remembrance,
Magrey
Psalm 77
77:1 I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, that he may hear me.
2 In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted.
3 I think of God, and I moan; I meditate, and my spirit faints. Selah
4 You keep my eyelids from closing; I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5 I consider the days of old, and remember the years of long ago.
6 I commune with my heart in the night; I meditate and search my spirit:
7 "Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable?
8 Has his steadfast love ceased forever? Are his promises at an end for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?" Selah
10 And I say, "It is my grief that the right hand of the Most High has changed."
11 I will call to mind the deeds of the LORD; I will remember your wonders of old.
12 I will meditate on all your work, and muse on your mighty deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holy. What god is so great as our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders; you have displayed your might among the peoples.
15 With your strong arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16 When the waters saw you, O God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid; the very deep trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water; the skies thundered; your arrows flashed on every side.
18 The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind; your lightnings lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way was through the sea, your path, through the mighty waters; yet your footprints were unseen.
20 You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
STEWARDSHIP DEVOTIONAL BOOKLETS
Thanks to the strong attendance at last Sunday’s worship service, a number of you picked up your stewardship devotional booklets. The rest were mailed today. If you misplace your booklet or would like another for a friend, extra packets are available in the church office. These booklets contain Scripture readings and writings by Christian authors relevant to our stewardship themes. A team of people last week said a prayer of blessing on your packet and the name of you and your family. As you read each day’s selections, we pray this will be a spiritually transformative experience for you.
COMING SOON! SANCTUARY VIDEO SCREENS
The church recently received a generous designated gift for the purpose of enhancing the sanctuary with video screens, projectors, cameras, and other video equipment. At a meeting on Monday, October 29, the Administrative Board and Trustees voted to approve the project and move forward. Here are some answers to some questions folks may have:
Q. What will this new equipment enable us to do?
A. The video equipment will enable us to complement the worship experience with images and video in an unprecedented way. We will be able to have words for hymns, prayers, and liturgies for everyone to see. It will be possible to have clips of videos and videotaped interviews to complement the themes of the service, as well as have live camera projections of things happening on the chancel.
Q. Will we stop using our hymnals or pew Bibles?
A. No. We will still have hymn numbers and Bible references printed in the worship bulletin. And we will introduce the new video elements with sensitivity to people’s overall worship experience.
Q. Where will the equipment go?
A. The main screen will be retractable and mounted in a housing unit that will blend into the molding above the chancel choir. There will be a large screen on the back wall of the sanctuary visible to those in the chancel. That screen will be painted on the wall. Projectors and cameras will be placed unobtrusively throughout the sanctuary. Installation will begin soon. We will let you know when you can expect to see work done in the sanctuary.
Q. How will the screens look?
A. Great care is being taken to assure that the screens will blend as well as possible with the beautifully remodeled sanctuary. Both the Ad Board and Trustees feel this direction is the right balance between aesthetics and functionality.
Q. Where will the new video booth go?
A. With all of the new necessary video equipment, we will need a new audio/visual booth put in the back of the sanctuary. We will be removing the back half-pew to the left of the center aisle and having a new one built there.
Q. How much will this project cost the church?
A. Aside from the cost of running conduit for the hardwiring and building the video booth, the donor gift covers the entire expense.
Q. Will this help the mission of the church?
A. The core of the church’s mission is to communicate the gospel in effective ways for current and future generations. This will enable us to do just that.
Q. If I have more questions, who can I ask?
A. Members of the sound committee are Donna Lucas, Keith Willis, Jeff Blum, Bob Simonsen, and Chuck Tolzin.
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