Christmas Sermon 2011: Joy to the World

http://sermon.net/spoth/sermonid/119782226

Merry Christmas!

The St. Paul's on-the-Hill Altar set for Christmas services.

Christmas Sermon 2011 Previews

Joy to the World

Sermon for Advent 4; December 18, 2011

Mystery Disclosed
http://sermon.net/spoth/sermonid/119777706

Sermon Preview for the 4th Sunday of Advent

Sermon for this weekend: "Mystery Disclosed"

As we get closer to Christmas perhaps we are looking around for some
sign, some indication that miracles are possible and that mysteries
contain the stuff of salvation.

Celtic Eucharist in Advent

Saturday December 10th in the evening.

Youth Group Caroling

Our Youth Group spread a lot of joy today! We went caroling to three retirement/rehab/nursing homes today where members of our church are living. We also sung at K-Mart because we have a connection there and they needed some cheer too! Our youth group has been growing and we have a wonderful group of young people who are great members of our parish community.

Sermon for December 4, 2011; the 2nd Sunday of Advent

Knowing God's Comfort
by the Very Rev. Dr. Hilary B. Smith

http://sermon.net/spoth/sermonid/119766425

Sermon Preview for the 2nd Sunday of Advent

Knowing God's Comfort

Sermon from the 1st Sunday of Advent

Wait for the Lord
by the Rev. Dr. Ellen Richardson

http://sermon.net/spoth/sermonid/119764778

Thanksgiving Sermon: Lepers of the Field

Preached without notes and some of the points in this sermon could have been developed a bit more but I hope it will be a good jumping off point for your own reflections. So much can be said about what "thankfulness" means in the Christian context. Ultimately life itself is God's greatest gift to us...come what may...and all of life can be devoted to praising and thanking God.


http://sermon.net/spoth/sermonid/119757563

Bishop Ted Gulick's sermon for Christ the King Sunday

November 20, 2011

Powerful preaching!
http://sermon.net/spoth/sermonid/119754883

Youth Group is Growing!

What a great youth group we had today! Thanks to a member who invited her new neighbors' kids to come to youth group, we had 7 in youth group this afternoon when we met at 4pm. Matt and Amber, two college students who grew up in our youth group, are now leading the group with me, and they are the best! Do you know middle school or high school kids in your neighborhood who might enjoy/benefit from our youth group? Invite them/their parents to come caroling with us on December 11th; we will meet at church that Sunday at 3pm. (Snow date, Dec. 18th). Pictured here are the bags and the "thanksgiving" flags we made during youth group.

Pictures from Sunday, November 20, 2011

We had a wonderful celebration with Bishop Ted (Gulick) today. Pictured with Bp. Ted and me are Daria, who was received into the Episcopal Church, and Matt who was baptized (and confirmed as he received the Episcopal laying-on-of-hands as part of his baptism). We also had five persons who reaffirmed their baptismal vows: Alisha, Bill, William, Lee, and Glen. Over 100 attended the service, and many stayed for the Parish Thanksgiving Lunch. We gave Bp. Ted a SPOTH Labyrinth T-shirt, which you see him wearing during the lunch. Also attending the lunch were the Rev. Ralph Bayfield and the Rev. Maeva Bayfield, who are now part of our community. Lokie and Grace Voight received a special blessing from the bishop during the service in celebration of their 62nd wedding anniversary.

Sermon for November 13, 2011: Talents in Need

An excellent and thought provoking sermon from the Rev. Dr. Ellen Richardson, priest-in-residence at St. Paul's on-the-Hill

http://sermon.net/spoth/sermonid/119748724

All Saints' Sunday Sermon

Life with God, Now and Forever

http://sermon.net/spoth/sermonid/119742398

All Saints' Sunday Sermon Preview

wordle.net

All Saints' Day, which we are celebrating during our services this weekend, is a great day to come to church to connect with God who loves us so much that God will never let us go. We remember all those we love but see no longer, knowing that God cares for them and that we are still connected to them as members of the Body of Christ and the communion of saints. All Saints' Day can put all of life in perspective if we are open to being so transformed by God. This day helps us to see beyond our immediate circumstances as we look to the life promised to us by God, the life we are able to living into in part now, and the life we will know fully one day.

Sermon from October 30, 2011 - the Rev. Bruce Gallup

http://sermon.net/spoth/sermonid/2820798

Bruce is a UMC pastor who is licensed to preach at SPOTH. This sermon is entitled "The Jewish Jesus."

Busy Weekend at Church! Oct. 28-30

Even with the snow, we held our Trick o Truck parish life event; our Winter Clothes Drive; and the Girls in Trouble Concert. The Band featuring Alicia Jo Rabins and Aaron Hartman, performed original music about women in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), and did story-telling as part of the performance. It was great to welcome visitors from St. David's Episcopal Church in Ashburn, St. James' Episcopal Church in Leesburg, and Beth El Congregation in Winchester. Rabbi Scott Sperling of Beth El Congregation welcomed the band with Hilary...a great interfaith event.

And the music was wonderful! http://www.myspace.com/girlsintroublemusic

Sermon from Oct. 23, 2011 : Love God, Love Neighbor

Sermon Network - St. Paul's on-the-Hill Episcopal Church : Love God, Love Neighbor:

'via Blog this'

Welcoming New Folks to SPOTH

On Sunday October 23, 2011, we welcomed 12 persons to St. Paul's on-the-Hill. Here are six of them. More details will be given in the November newsletter. This is prayer used during the 10:30am service to welcome the people:

Loving God, we give thanks for these people who have found St. Paul's on-the-Hill to be the right faith community for them. We know that every person who comes to church here and takes part in our ministry contributes to all that we can do for you and our world. Bless them as they continue to become part of this church, and help us who have been here for a longer time to welcome them and support them in their faith journey. All this we ask in the name of your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Sermon Preview for October 23, 2011

Love God, Love Neighbor

Jesus is asked what is the greatest commandment, and he says, quoting Deuteronomy 6:5, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' (Lev. 19:18)" In many ways, the directive to love God and love our neighbor is so basic to our Christian faith...and, yet, it is not simple. We could reflect for a long time on what it means...and, in fact, I think God wants us to reflect on this for our whole lives...being open to how God calls us to love each day.

Link to the Sermon for October 16, 2011

http://sermon.net/spoth/sermonid/2807925

Welcoming Newcomers and New Members

Next Sunday during the 10:30am service, we will welcome newcomers and new members with prayer and the pledge of our support of them. What a joy it is to welcome people to the church! Everyone who joins our church makes a difference in the ministry God has entrusted to us. We thank God that the new people have found our church to be the right place for them. May we all grow as a community of faith for our benefit, for the benefit of others, and to God's glory.

Sermon for Sunday October 16, 2011

The "Why" verses the "What." Jesus helps us see beyond the immediate to the deeper and more life-giving questions of life.

Sermon for Sunday October 9, 2011

Invite Everyone!

Shrine Mont Parish Retreat

We had a wonderful parish retreat at Shrine Mont. We arrived by 5:30pm on Friday and left today after lunch around 1:30pm. Our retreat leader was Bettina Schuller, who led us in a retreat entitled, "Listening with Contemplative Hearts."

Welcome Back from Sabbatical

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Letter to my Parish in Preparation for my Return

Here is the letter I wrote to my parish in preparation for my return. I wrote this for the September newsletter before I went to Richmond Hill.

Rector’s Message from Sabbatical

Dear Friends and Companions in Ministry,

On Wednesday September 7^th, I will be back! I am really looking forward to getting caught up with you. The celebration of the Holy Eucharist that night and the social time to follow will be our first opportunity to reconnect.

The hope of a sabbatical time is that it will be one of renewal, for the priest and the congregation. From my side, I can assure you that I have been exceptionally blessed and am renewed and excited about our ministry. In all that I have done this summer, God has been very present to me. I hope to be able to share my sense of God’s grace and hear how God has been working with you this summer. I continue to grow in my awareness of the blessing of having Ellen as priest-in-residence and having Bruce as preacher-in-residence. I have been able to rest easy knowing that SPOTH is being well led by Ellen and our vestry members­­ during my sabbatical. I wish to thank Ellen, Bruce, and the vestry, and especially to our senior warden Alisha and junior warden (Labyrinth builder/overseer) Cindy. I also want to thank Kat, our parish secretary, and those who helped with the office and administration. Thanks to everyone for the ways you have supported St. Paul’s on-the-Hill while I have been on sabbatical.

­­

I spent most of August in New Mexico attending a class and also visiting with my family, father David, step-mother, Zita, sister Miranda, and dogs, Gracie and Sophie. Zita and I attended a class taught by the Jesuit priest John Dear at the Ghost Ranch (a Presbyterian retreat center). John’s class was entitled: “Jesus and the Way of Peace, Hope, and Love.” We had class from 9am to noon and then for an hour and a half in the evening for seven days. John did Bible study with us the entire time, and it was exciting to hear his enthusiasm for Jesus, the Bible, and peace. In the months to come, I look forward to sharing more of his perspective with you during a Rector’s Read or perhaps during adult education on Sunday. In the picture with the Jesus mural, sited next to me are Zita, John, and others in the class. This photo was taken when some of us made a trip from the Ghost Ranch to the Christ in the Desert Monastery. That monastery is really in the desert, far from anything or anyone else.

For my last two weeks of sabbatical, I will be in Richmond seeing my mother, Rosemary, and spending five days at the Richmond Hill retreat center on Church Hill, which overlooks downtown Richmond. The time at Richmond Hill will be a chance for me to review my experiences of the summer and be with God in prayer as I envision reentering to my usual life. When I was first ordained and working at St. Paul’s in Richmond, I would go to Richmond Hill regularly for prayer and worship. They have a Wednesday night Eucharist open to all, which I often attended. By finishing my sabbatical at Richmond Hill, I will be connecting with the very beginning of my ordained ministry even as I reflect on where God has called me to be now.

See you soon!

Faithfully yours,

Hilary+

Last Day of Sabbatical - Week at Richmond Hill

Today was my last day of the sabbatical! I spent it with my dog Maggie, just having some time together after being apart for three months. Last week I was at Richmond Hill, the ecumenical retreat center in Richmond VA. I spent the week reviewing my journals from the summer...praying with what seemed to be speaking to me and preparing to come back to Winchester and parish ministry. It was a very good week. I lived in Richmond after seminary, from May of 2000 to September of 2003, before moving to Winchester. During those first years of ordained ministry, I went to Richmond Hill often for the weekly community Eucharist they hold. Being back there enabled me to reconnect with those first years of ordained ministry as I look to the future. Here are some pictures of Richmond Hill.