Stories from the HILL

New Members of SPOTH

2012-01-22T22:21:00.001-05:00

Welcome Mark and Drew!

Youth Group goes Bowling

2012-01-22T22:20:00.000-05:00

We had a great time today at Northside Lanes. Our Youth Group is growing and bonding and it is great to see. We also have some wonderful adults helping me (Hilary) with the mentoring of this group.

Sermon from Sunday January 15, 2012: Known of God

2012-01-20T20:38:00.002-05:00

By the Rev. Dr. Ellen Richardson.
An excellent sermon, as usual, from Ellen.

http://sermon.net/spoth/sermonid/119803987

Sermon for January 8, 2012: Meeting God

2012-01-08T22:44:00.001-05:00

The 1st Sunday after the Epiphanyhttp://sermon.net/spoth/sermonid/119792922

Sermon Preview for the 1st Sunday after the Epiphany

2012-01-07T19:58:00.002-05:00

Sunday's sermon, for January 8, 2012, focuses on Jesus' baptism, our baptisms, and what it might mean to "meet God" often in the midst of life.

image created at wordle.net

Preparing for the Food Pantry

2012-01-07T11:18:00.001-05:00

At 4:00pm today, January 7th, we are packing bags for our Food Pantry tomorrow. Anyone who would like to help is most welcome...a fun and meaningful activity for children. No Saturday service tonight and that's why we are packing the bags earlier in the day.

Epiphany Sermon: Another Road

2012-01-07T10:43:00.003-05:00

For some reason, I felt called to quote a number of people in this sermon, which I don't tend to do in my sermons these days. But Shane Claiborne's book, The Irresistible Revolution; and Jonathan Wilson's book, Living Faithfully in a Fragmented World, were both on my mind as I considered Epiphany.

http://sermon.net/spoth/sermonid/119790626

Join Us to Celebrate the Epiphany Tonight

2012-01-06T11:07:00.000-05:00

Join us tonight, Friday January 6th, to celebrate the Epiphany: Holy Eucharist Rite II at 6:00 pm, followed by a party with pizza and refreshments. My sermon tonight focuses on the Wise Men who followed the star to find the baby Jesus and that they had to go home by another road following their encounter with Christ. Jesus changes everything for the person who knows Him to be the Son of God, the Savior of the world.

image created at wordle.net

New Sign to Welcome All

2012-01-04T08:50:00.003-05:00

Our new sign is at the end of our parking lot facing Senseny Rd. The sign looks even better in person. I love this sign.

Holy Name Day Sermon

2012-01-02T19:08:00.001-05:00

The Joy of Jesus by the Rev. Dr. Ellen Richardson

http://sermon.net/spoth/sermonid/119786882

image by wordle.net

Christmas Sermon 2011: Joy to the World

2011-12-25T13:25:00.001-05:00

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

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T12:09:00.000-05:00

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

Christmas Sermon 2011 Previews

2011-12-25T12:08:00.001-05:00

Joy to the World

Sermon for Advent 4; December 18, 2011

2011-12-18T17:06:00.001-05:00

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

Sermon Preview for the 4th Sunday of Advent

2011-12-17T21:16:00.000-05:00

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

2011-12-12T12:18:00.002-05:00

Saturday December 10th in the evening.

Youth Group Caroling

2011-12-11T20:16:00.001-05:00

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

2011-12-04T20:43:00.001-05:00

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

2011-12-04T15:50:00.001-05:00

Knowing God's Comfort

Sermon from the 1st Sunday of Advent

2011-12-04T15:49:00.001-05:00

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

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

Thanksgiving Sermon: Lepers of the Field

2011-11-23T23:11:00.001-05:00

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

2011-11-20T21:45:00.001-05:00

November 20, 2011

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

Youth Group is Growing!

2011-11-20T19:57:00.001-05:00

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

2011-11-20T19:41:00.001-05:00

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

2011-11-13T21:43:00.001-05:00

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

2011-11-07T10:50:00.000-05:00

Life with God, Now and Forever

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

All Saints' Sunday Sermon Preview

2011-11-05T13:09:00.000-04:00

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

2011-10-30T23:09:00.001-04:00

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

2011-10-30T21:21:00.003-04:00

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

2011-10-24T12:01:00.001-04:00

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

'via Blog this'

Welcoming New Folks to SPOTH

2011-10-23T13:01:00.003-04:00

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

2011-10-22T15:21:00.000-04:00

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

2011-10-16T19:52:00.001-04:00

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

Welcoming Newcomers and New Members

2011-10-16T17:48:00.003-04:00

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

2011-10-15T22:18:00.000-04:00

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

2011-10-08T22:04:00.000-04:00

Invite Everyone!

Shrine Mont Parish Retreat

2011-09-18T21:32:00.000-04:00

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

2011-09-08T15:36:00.001-04:00

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Letter to my Parish in Preparation for my Return

2011-09-06T22:58:00.003-04:00

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

2011-09-06T22:40:00.004-04:00

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.

Ghost Ranch Retreat Center

2011-08-15T01:36:00.001-04:00

We just finished our class with John Dear, SJ, on "Jesus and the Way of Peace, Hope, and Love." My step-mother, Zita, and I took the class together along with 17 others. John took us on an exciting and insightful journey through the Gospels looking at the nonviolent Jesus who calls us all to be peacemakers as children of God. The class was great. The Ghost Ranch retreat center was wonderful. Once a private ranch and home to Georgia O'Keeffe, and now a Presbyterian retreat center. The landscape is amazing and inspiring. We also had the chance to go to the Christ in the Desert Monastery one afternoon. The painting of Christ is found at the monastery.

Going to New Mexico

2011-08-03T18:39:00.001-04:00

Leaving today to see my family and on Sunday going to the Ghost Ranch for a seminar for a week with John Dear. He is a Jesuit priest and his class is called "Jesus the Way of Peace."

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St. Ignatius and Hilary

2011-07-19T20:00:00.001-04:00

At the Jesuit Center in Wernersville PA.

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St. Ignatuis

2011-07-19T15:36:00.001-04:00

Statue on the grounds of the Jesuit Center in Wernersville PA where I am doing the 30 Day Exercises (a silent directed retreat) created by St. Ignatius.

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Jesuit Center for Spiritual Growth, June 27-July 31

2011-06-26T21:40:00.004-04:00

Tomorrow I leave for the Jesuit Center for Spiritual Growth in Wernersville, PA. I will be doing the 30-Day Exercises of St. Ignatius, which is a silent retreat. I will meet with a spiritual director daily to talk about how my prayer is going and to receive his guidance, and there will be a worship service every day. But other than that, and the initial orientation days and break days during the time, I won't be talking or listening to anyone except God. I won't have computer access there; and won't be able to blog (except maybe on the break day). So if you don't hear from me for awhile, that's why.

Candlelight Service at St. Thomas' Episcopal Richmond

2011-06-26T21:02:00.003-04:00

Between June 17th and June 26th, I've been spending time with my family in Charlottesville and Richmond. While in Richmond this past week, I attended the Wednesday Night 5:30pm service at St. Thomas' in Richmond. My family has had a home in the Ginter Park area of Richmond, on the "North Side" since the 1940s. My mother lives there now. So St. Thomas' is our neighborhood church. On Wednesdays this summer, St. Thomas' is having what they call a Contemplative Eucharist that features candlelight. I really enjoyed it and, if you live in Richmond or visiting on a Wednesday, I recommend that you check it out. The altar and other areas features votive candles, and in the center of the central aisle were candles, from which one can light a thin tapper candle and then place it in a bowl of fine black sand so that it stands up, as one says a silent prayer or offers an intention. At the beginning of the service, time is given for this lighting of a candle for those who wish to do so. The other feature of this service that I found particularly interesting and distinctive is the time of the response to the readings. Instead of a homily or sermon, we did a lectio divina practice. The priest reads the lesson three times and, after each time, all present have the opportunity to offer the word or phrase that speaks to them (how the Spirit is speaking to them), after each reading we are encouraged to go deeper in our reflection, moving from just a word to what it means to us and then to the challenge or encouragement it presents to us as we seek to follow God and be Christ's people in this world.

This picture is not from St. Thomas' but it gives you an idea of how the candles look, the ones you can light at the start of the service. I had a great experience there.

Reflections on the Centering Prayer Retreat, June 7-16

2011-06-19T23:08:00.006-04:00

Usually the words "Centering Prayer" and "Intensive" don't go together, in my mind. But the "10-Day Intensive Centering Prayer Retreat" at Snowmass CO is correctly named! It was a very intense experience. In my previous post, I have given you the schedule for the retreat. I actually got up most days at 4:00am, not 4:40am, because I was staying at the gate house about 3/4 of a mile from the main retreat house. I was in the gate house with two women from Ireland. We hiked up the gravel road every morning in the 30 degree weather (it is a lot colder in Colorado at this time of year), got a cup of coffee, sat for a bit, and then joined the others, 21 of us altogether, for the first "sit" of the day. As you can see from the schedule, we would pray for 20 minutes and then do a meditative walk and then pray again for 20 minutes, walk, and then the final 20 minutes. We had three one-hour prayer periods a day. Having the structure and support to pray this way was a great experience for me. I have always enjoyed and gotten a lot from this sort of prayer, but I had never done so much of it at one time before this retreat.

The basic method of Centering Prayer is as follows: choose a word to be your "sacred word" and as you settle down to begin the prayer, bring that word to mind. The "sacred word" is sacred simply because it signals your openness to connect with God on this deep level. The meaning word itself is not really important. The word leads you into the silence. As we center, it is natural for thoughts to come into our minds, and when that happens, we are supposed to return to the sacred word as a way back to total focus on God...a focus that has no words or thoughts, just a "being" in the presence of God. One of the things I learned on the retreat was that the thoughts that come are not to be resisted, but we are to simply let go of the thoughts. And that letting go of the thoughts in the prayer can make it more possible to let go of thoughts and feelings as they arise in our daily lives. For me that means being able to hold issues more loosely, not being as "gripped" by something but just give it to God.

As part of the retreat, we also had DVD presentations by Fr. Thomas Keating on what might be called the practical benefits of Centering Prayer. He has based his teaching on the Spiritual Journey on the ways that Centering Prayer helps us become more fully the persons God has created us to be by letting go of the "emotional programs" for happiness that we learned as children as the result of not getting what we needed or wanted as children. Keating's main teaching on this topic can be found in his book, Open Mind, Open Heart: The Contemplative Dimension of the Gospel, which I plan to read with you as one of the Rector's Read books in the Fall. All that we do as the church, all of our spiritual practices, are means by which God transforms us. Because Keating has put such religious truth in psychological terms, I think some people might be more able to understand what such transformation can look like. On the last full day of our retreat, we had the privilege of meeting Fr. Keating and asking him questions. I asked him to reflect on the relationship of the sacraments, especially Holy Communion, to Centering Prayer. He said that the sacraments and Centering Prayer are all leading to the same end and that they complement each other (the end being close personal relationship with God).

I benefited personally and professionally in many ways from this retreat. It was a special experience. In addition to the two women from Ireland, who were my housemates, there was a man from Australia, and people from all over the US including Alaska. We enjoyed a wonderful retreat facility and a retreat staff who in addition to leading our prayer periods, cooked all of our meals, and attended to any needs we had. They were really great. I recommend this retreat highly. It was a fantastic way to start my sabbatical.

The Snowmass Centering Prayer Retreat Schedule

2011-06-19T23:06:00.000-04:00

Snowmass Intensive Retreat

OPENING EVENING SCHEDULE

5:00 pm - Registration and final payments

5:30 pm - Supper

6:45 pm - Opening and Orientation

WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE: First day

5:30 am - Rise

6:00 am - (1) 20 minute period of Centering Prayer

6:30 am - Breakfast in silence

7:30 am - Mass at the Monastery

9:30 am - Conference: review method of CP – Beth Berkeley

12:00 pm - Lunch in silence

1:30 - 4:00 pm - Break / Walks & Talks with Staff

4:00 pm - (2) 20 minute periods of Centering Prayer separated by a meditative walk

5:00 pm - Q & A about method of CP – Beth Berkeley

6:00 pm - Supper with talking

7:00 pm - Vespers at the Monastery

SCHEDULE FOR REMAINDER OF RETREAT (EXCEPT SUNDAY & MONDAY)

4:40 am - Rise

5:00 am - (3) 20 minute periods of Centering Prayer separated by a meditative walk

6:30 am - Breakfast in silence

7:30 am - Mass at the Monastery [on Thursday it is just Lauds, with Mass in the evening]

9:15 am - (3) 20 minute periods of Centering Prayer separated by meditative walk

10:45 am - Conference (video)

11:45 am - Small group discussion of tape if desired, no staff

12:00 pm - Lunch in silence

1:30 - 3:00 pm - Private interviews with retreat staff

3:15 pm - (3) 20 minute periods of Centering Prayer separated by a meditative walk

4:45 m - Conference (video)

5:45 pm - Small group discussion of tape if desired, no staff

6:00 pm - Supper with talking

7:00 pm - Vespers at the Monastery Wednesday, Friday, Saturday & Monday. *

*Thursday: Sit-down Mass at Monastery.

*Sunday: Lectio Divina with Fr. Micah at the Retreat House

continued

Sunday schedule only

5:25am - Rise

5:45 am - (3) 20 minute periods of Centering Prayer separated by meditative walk

7:15 am - Breakfast in silence

8:15 am - Mass at the Monastery

10:15 am - (3) 20 minute periods of Centering Prayer separated by meditative walk

11:40 am - Conference (video)

1:00 pm - Lunch in silence

2:00 - 3:00 pm - Private interviews with retreat staff

3:15 pm - (3) 20 minute periods of Centering Prayer, separated by meditative walk

4:45 pm - Conference (video)

6:00 pm - Supper with talking

7:00 pm – Lectio with Fr. Micah (Opportunity to take lectio passage into Retreat Day)

Monday schedule only (silent retreat day)

On your retreat day, all three prayer periods will be two half-hour blocks of time with a walk in between rather than three 20 minute periods. There will be no readings at meals, no conferences and no talking at supper. This is your one day of the entire retreat for total silence. The silence has the potential to stretch from Sunday evening to Tuesday evening if you wish. Mid-morning and mid-afternoon prayer periods change in order to have a longer stretch of private time on this day.

5:00 am - (2) 30 minute periods with walk in between

10:45 am - (2) 30 minute periods with walk in between.

4:45 pm - (2) 30 minute periods with walk in between.

TUESDAY MORNING

5:00 am – (2) 30 minute sits with walk in between

Rest of day same as normal schedule

wednesday schedule: last full day

4:40 am - Rise

5:00 am - (3) 20 minute periods of Centering Prayer separated by a meditative walk

6:30 am - Breakfast in silence

7:30 am - Mass at the Monastery

9:15 am - (2) 20 minute periods of Centering Prayer

10:15 am - Conference: 1 hour 20 minutes with (2) 5 minute breaks

12:00 pm - Lunch with talking

1:30 – 3:00 pm - Private interviews with retreat staff

3:15 pm - (1) 30 minute period of Centering Prayer

4:15 pm - Conference (video)

5:15 pm - Small group discussion of tape if desired, no staff

5:30 pm - Supper with talking

6:30 pm – Closing

Thursday schedule: final morning

5:30 am - Rise

6:00 am - (1) 30 minute period of Centering prayer

6:35 am - Breakfast

7:30 am - Lauds at Monastery (optional) >>Shuttling for departures as scheduled by retreatants.

Pictures from Snowmass

2011-06-17T13:58:00.001-04:00

More pictures from Centering Prayer retreat.

Snowmass Centering Prayer Retreat

2011-06-16T13:31:00.001-04:00

This is a picture of the prayer room window looking out that the beautiful mountains! More on the retreat later. Writing this at the Aspen airport. First chance I've had to be online in 10 days. It has been a great experience of prayer and community with the others on the retreat.

Knowing the way home

2011-06-05T21:59:00.001-04:00

My parish members gave me this great compass as a gift today...to make sure I find my way back to them. :)

More pictures from Sunday celebration

2011-06-05T13:00:00.001-04:00

We also celebrated the end of the program year by honoring our high school grads, acolytes, choir, youth choir, and Ellen who just graduated from seminary! We all sign a book that we gave to Ellen. And it was also the day of our monthly food pantry.

Celebration at Church

2011-06-05T12:54:00.001-04:00

We had a great celebration at church to start our sabbatical/parish renewal time. 112 of our church members attended...27 on Saturday and 85 today.

Testing posting from cell

2011-06-03T15:49:00.002-04:00

We have an article in the local paper today, The Winchester Star about the parish renewal program, of which my sabbatical is a part. A big part of the renewal is the. Labyrinth we will build at SPOTH this summer.

Ascension Day Reflection

2011-06-02T16:36:00.002-04:00

You never know when a day will touch you. Ascension Day 1992, I was walking to the library at the University of Leicester (in England). I was totally focused and stressed about my MA Thesis, on the butchers and tanners of Leicester in the 16th century. I was finishing a year of study in the English Local History department, all funded by the Rotary Foundation (thank you!). I was going to be leaving England in about a month and I was frantically trying to get all of my research done for the thesis. I happened upon the vicar of the Anglican Church I was attending. He said, "are you coming to the Ascension service tonight?" I thought, "no, I'm much too busy for that." But I said, "I would try to be there." And then I realized, I knew, that my life had been changed forever because I really wanted to go to that service, to be in the church that night, every night. Just two months before I had started going to church for the first time in my life at the age of 24. I experienced God's love and came to know something about Jesus Christ and to feel the power of the Spirit.

Stations of the Resurrection Preview from wordle.net

2011-05-07T10:17:00.001-04:00

Stations of the Resurrection

During our services this weekend, we will offer in response to the readings the Stations of the Resurrection. Join us for this opportunity to consider Resurrection moments that we hear about in scripture and have seen in history. See how you might come to understand the Resurrection moments of your life as you hear the poetic words of the Stations being read. The congregation joins in by saying responses. The leaders will walk from one Resurrection Station to the next. The Stations themselves are works of art, and will be displaying in the church during the entire Easter season. Invite your friends to join us this weekend for this special liturgical experience.

Sermon Preview for May 1, 2011

2011-04-30T14:58:00.000-04:00

Ever wonder about your faith or what faith is? Have you ever felt guilty for "doubting" God? Come to church this week for some insight into what a life of faith actually is and what it is not. What does Thomas have to teach us? Where is the grace?

Collage of Easter Sunday Pictures

2011-04-24T21:52:00.000-04:00

2011-04-24T15:55:00.001-04:00

Flowers around the Altar

2011-04-24T15:36:00.000-04:00

Easter Sunday 2011

The Altar with Easter Flowers

2011-04-24T15:35:00.000-04:00

Easter Sunday, April 24, 2011

The Rev. Dr. Ellen Richardson, Priest-in-Residence

2011-04-24T15:33:00.000-04:00

Easter Sunday, April 24, 2011
St. Paul's on-the-Hill

Easter Sermon Preview 2011

2011-04-24T12:14:00.000-04:00

The Risen One, the Risen Life

2011-04-23T00:25:00.001-04:00

Good Friday Sermon Preview

2011-04-22T10:46:00.000-04:00

creation of wordle.net

Why does Jesus die?
How does God save us through the cross?
What is the character God and the depth of God's love
known through the cross?

Maundy Thursday Sermon preview

2011-04-22T00:31:00.000-04:00

wordle.net creation

Maundy Thursday: Today and Forever

Wednesday in Holy Week; April 20, 2011

2011-04-20T12:38:00.000-04:00

Lord God, whose blessed Son our Savior gave his body to be whipped and his face to be spit upon: Give us grace to accept joyfully the sufferings of the present time, confident of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Isaiah 50:4-9a

The Lord GOD has given me: the tongue of a teacher,
that I may know how to sustain: the weary with a word.
Morning by morning he wakens--: wakens my ear; to listen as those who are taught.
The Lord GOD has opened my ear,: and I was not rebellious,; I did not turn backward.
I gave my back to those who struck me,: and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard;
I did not hide my face: from insult and spitting.
The Lord GOD helps me;: therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like flint,: and I know that I shall not be put to shame;; he who vindicates me is near.
Who will contend with me?: Let us stand up together.
Who are my adversaries?: Let them confront me.
It is the Lord GOD who helps me;: who will declare me guilty?

Psalm 70 Page 682, BCP

Deus, in adjutorium

1: Be pleased, O God, to deliver me; *
O LORD, make haste to help me.
2: Let those who seek my life be ashamed
and altogether dismayed; *
let those who take pleasure in my misfortune
draw back and be disgraced.
3: Let those who say to me "Aha!" and gloat over me turn back, *
because they are ashamed.
4: Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; *
let those who love your salvation say for ever,
"Great is the LORD!"
5: But as for me, I am poor and needy; *
come to me speedily, O God.
6: You are my helper and my deliverer; *
O LORD, do not tarry.

Hebrews 12:1-3

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart.

John 13:21-32

At supper with his friends, Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, "Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me." The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking. One of his disciples-- the one whom Jesus loved-- was reclining next to him; Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So while reclining next to Jesus, he asked him, "Lord, who is it?" Jesus answered, "It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish." So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. After he received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, "Do quickly what you are going to do." Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. Some thought that, because Judas had the common purse, Jesus was telling him, "Buy what we need for the festival"; or, that he should give something to the poor. So, after receiving the piece of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.

When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once."

Tuesday in Holy Week, April 19, 2011

2011-04-19T15:37:00.002-04:00

Collect for the Day

O God, by the passion of your blessed Son you made an instrument of shameful death to be for us the means of life: Grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ, that we may gladly suffer shame and loss for the sake of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Readings for the Day

Isaiah 49:1-7

Listen to me, O coastlands,
pay attention, you peoples from far away!
The LORD called me before I was born,
while I was in my mother's womb he named me.
He made my mouth like a sharp sword,
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me a polished arrow,
in his quiver he hid me away.
And he said to me, "You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will be glorified."
But I said, "I have labored in vain,
I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;
yet surely my cause is with the LORD,
and my reward with my God."
And now the LORD says,
who formed me in the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him,
and that Israel might be gathered to him,
for I am honored in the sight of the LORD,
and my God has become my strength--
he says,
"It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to restore the survivors of Israel;
I will give you as a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth."
Thus says the LORD,
the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,
to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations,
the slave of rulers,
"Kings shall see and stand up,
princes, and they shall prostrate themselves,
because of the LORD, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you."

1 Corinthians 1:18-31

The message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,

"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart."

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength.

Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, in order that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."

John 12:20-36

Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.

"Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say-- `Father, save me from this hour'? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him." Jesus answered, "This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die. The crowd answered him, "We have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?" Jesus said to them, "The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light."

Psalm 71:1-14 Page 683, BCP

In te, Domine, speravi

1

In you, O LORD, have I taken refuge; *
let me never be ashamed.

2

In your righteousness, deliver me and set me free; *
incline your ear to me and save me.

3

Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe; *
you are my crag and my stronghold.

4

Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, *
from the clutches of the evildoer and the oppressor.

5

For you are my hope, O Lord GOD, *
my confidence since I was young.

6

I have been sustained by you ever since I was born;
from my mother's womb you have been my strength; *
my praise shall be always of you.

7

I have become a portent to many; *
but you are my refuge and my strength.

8

Let my mouth be full of your praise *
and your glory all the day long.

9

Do not cast me off in my old age; *
forsake me not when my strength fails.

10

For my enemies are talking against me, *
and those who lie in wait for my life take counsel together.

11

They say, "God has forsaken him;
go after him and seize him; *
because there is none who will save."

12

O God, be not far from me; *
come quickly to help me, O my God.

13

Let those who set themselves against me be put to shame and be disgraced; *
let those who seek to do me evil be covered with scorn and reproach.

14

But I shall always wait in patience, *
and shall praise you more and more.

Monday in Holy Week, April 18, 2011

2011-04-18T10:42:00.002-04:00

Collect for the Day

Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Readings for the Day

Isaiah 42:1-9

Here is my servant, whom I uphold,

my chosen, in whom my soul delights;

I have put my spirit upon him;

he will bring forth justice to the nations.

He will not cry or lift up his voice,

or make it heard in the street;

a bruised reed he will not break,

and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;

he will faithfully bring forth justice.

He will not grow faint or be crushed

until he has established justice in the earth;

and the coastlands wait for his teaching.

Thus says God, the LORD,

who created the heavens and stretched them out,

who spread out the earth and what comes from it,

who gives breath to the people upon it

and spirit to those who walk in it:

I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness,

I have taken you by the hand and kept you;

I have given you as a covenant to the people,

a light to the nations,

to open the eyes that are blind,

to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,

from the prison those who sit in darkness.

I am the LORD, that is my name;

my glory I give to no other,

nor my praise to idols.

See, the former things have come to pass,

and new things I now declare;

before they spring forth,

I tell you of them.

Psalm 36:5-11 Page 632, BCP

Dixit injustus

5

Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, *
and your faithfulness to the clouds.

6

Your righteousness is like the strong mountains,
your justice like the great deep; *
you save both man and beast, O LORD.

7

How priceless is your love, O God! *
your people take refuge under the shadow of your wings.

8

They feast upon the abundance of your house; *
you give them drink from the river of your delights.

9

For with you is the well of life, *
and in your light we see light.

10

Continue your loving-kindness to those who know you, *
and your favor to those who are true of heart.

11

Let not the foot of the proud come near me, *
nor the hand of the wicked push me aside.

Hebrews 9:11-15

When Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation), he entered once for all into the Holy Place, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, with the sprinkling of the ashes of a heifer, sanctifies those who have been defiled so that their flesh is purified, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God!

For this reason he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, because a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions under the first covenant.

John 12:1-11

Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?" (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) Jesus said, "Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me." When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus.

Holy Week, An Invitation to an even Deeper Relationship with God

2011-04-15T19:45:00.002-04:00

Dear Friends,

This weekend we begin Holy Week with Palm Sunday (our Celtic Eucharist on Saturday will also contain the main features of the Palm Sunday service). As Episcopalians, we love to worship together...that is a hallmark of the Anglican tradition of which we are a part. In fact, we say that "praying shapes believing," which could not be more true than during Holy Week. I know that it is hard to go to church during the week, but try to come to at least one of the special services we will be offering. Maybe you have never been to a Maundy Thursday service, or to the Good Friday liturgy, or to the Easter Vigil service...if you can't come to all of them this year, choose one for this year and try another next year. It really is that important to experience these services, as well as Palm Sunday of course. I pray that God will bless you in a special way during Holy Week...may it be for you all that God desires.

Wishing you God's Peace,

Hilary+

April 17 - Palm Sunday

8:00 a.m. & 10:00 a.m. Services

Holy Eucharist with the Liturgy of the Palms

April 20 – Wednesday in Holy Week

7:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist Rite II

April 21 – Maundy Thursday

7:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist, Foot Washing, Stripping of the Altar

Come and relive Jesus’ gift of love known to us in the Holy Eucharist.

at does it mean to serve one another as Christ served us?W

April 22 – Good Friday

Noon, 12:00 p.m. Liturgy for the Day

6:30 p.m. Stations of the Cross

7:00 p.m. Liturgy for the Day with music

8:00 p.m. sitting vigil begins and ends at 8:00 p.m. Saturday

at does it mean to say that the Cross is at the center of our faith?

April 23 – Holy Saturday and The Great Vigil of Easter

8:00 p.m. The Great Vigil of Easter

spend the day waiting. How might Jesus touch us as we wait with him? In the evening, wecelebrate the first service of Easter with the Easter Vigil.W

Come and experience the lighting of the paschal candle from the newly kindled fire.

April 24 - EASTER SUNDAY

8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist II with hymns

10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist II with choir, Flowering of the Cross for Children

Service followed by an Easter Egg Hunt.

Tombs and Triumphs

2011-04-09T13:27:00.004-04:00

The Raising of Lazarus is the Gospel reading from John this weekend. Come and hear about Jesus and how he cares for Lazarus as a friend...he grieves the loss of his friend. Jesus also goes to Lazarus as the Christ who has the power to bring him back to life. As I think about Lazarus and Jesus, I can't help but think about my friend Russ who died this week. Come and hear the sermon this weekend to learn more about all this or listen to it online later, at www.sermon.net/spoth

Sermon Preview March 27, 2011

2011-03-26T20:34:00.000-04:00

I love this Gospel reading. Jesus is breaking down all the barriers to relationship with God. Jesus knows the woman at the well, and he helps her to know him...that Jesus is the Living Water that gushes up to Eternal Life. What is really important about religion? The Samaritans and the Jews hated each other and argued for a number of reasons but primarily about where God could be worshipped. Jesus names that conflict for what it is, ultimately pointless. Come to church on Sunday March 27th to hear more!

Finding God at General Convention 2012: From ENS: Deputies leave historic meeting eager to...

2011-03-22T10:42:00.000-04:00

Finding God at General Convention 2012: From ENS: Deputies leave historic meeting eager to...: "For the Diocese of Virginia, we were represented at the meeting by the Rev. Lynne Washington and Ms. Cindi Bartol. *************************..."

A Holy Lent

2011-03-12T23:33:00.000-05:00

Sermon preview for March 13, 2011, The 1st Sunday in Lent
What is a Holy Lent? How can we really live into Lent? What is the gift of Lent?

Lenten Meditations from St. Paul's Memorial Church: Thursday After Ash Wednesday

2011-03-10T16:51:00.000-05:00

Lenten Meditations from St. Paul's Memorial Church: Thursday After Ash Wednesday: "Psalm 37:1-18 • Deuteronomy 7:6-11 • Titus 1:1-16 • John 1:29-34 We enter the season of soul searching, reflection and repentance. Lent is ..."

Choosing Life, sermon for Feb. 13, 2011

2011-02-12T22:06:00.003-05:00

The Gospel reading this Sunday is not one I would have chosen for Scouting Sunday, but maybe this is a blessing that took some time for me to discover. Tomorrow I will have a chance to discuss how we interpret the Bible, still knowing the Bible to be the Word of God, but also knowing something about the context in which it was written and the context in which we now live. For example, emotions such as anger and desire are natural human emotions. The choice for a person seeking to live a life of faith and a life in accord with God's hopes for us comes after the initial feeling. What do I do with this anger? Or, what do I do with this desire for another person? What we do next is important and it is clear from everything Jesus did and said that we are called to respect the dignity of every human being. Knowing that can help one make good, faithful choices.

G-Cast

2011-02-11T20:49:00.001-05:00

G-Cast has great info/education about the Hebrew Scriptures and the Jewish faith tradition.

Sermon Preview: Salt and Light

2011-02-05T23:00:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow, Feb. 6, 2011, is the 10th anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood. That was an amazing day! Bishop Lee ordained me and others at the National Cathedral on that Tuesday evening. What got me to that day was God's love and call, and that is what has led me and strenthened me since to be a priest in this world. This world, which is, in the US anyway, dominated by consumerism and very narrow definitions of success. Being a priest is so counter-cultural that to be a really good one, one that stays grounded in God and focused on God, is not easy. It is not easy, but it is a joy. Serving God's people as a parish priest is a great joy. For the people I serve, and serve with in our shared ministry, are the salt of the earth and the light of the world.

Sermon from January 23, 2011

2011-01-29T22:39:00.002-05:00

Sermon Preview: Paul's Experience of Grace

2011-01-29T22:31:00.000-05:00

Join us as we celebrate our paton, Paul.
The Conversion of St. Paul, transferred from Jan. 25.
The 10am service will be followed by our Annual Parish Meeting.

The Baptismal Certificate we use at SPOTH

2011-01-28T23:25:00.000-05:00

Marked as Christ's Own Forever!

Finding God at General Convention 2012: The Diocese of Virginia Deputation

2011-01-25T15:23:00.000-05:00

Finding God at General Convention 2012: The Diocese of Virginia Deputation: "General Convention Deputies Clergy Deputies The Very Rev. Dr. Hilary B. Smith, St. Paul's on-the-Hill, Winchester, Chair The Rev. Dr. Bo..."

Finding God at General Convention 2012: Getting Started

2011-01-23T20:36:00.000-05:00

Finding God at General Convention 2012: Getting Started: "As promised, I'm writing a blog about General Convention (GC) 2012. I know what you are thinking, calm down, it's more than a year away. But..."

2011-01-14T22:10:00.001-05:00

My Facebook Status for 2010

2011-01-11T16:15:00.000-05:00

This does about sum it up!
There wasn't room for all of my status updates,
nowhere near enough room,
so these are just some but a good representation.

Baptism: Life Transformed sermon preview for January 9, 2011

2011-01-08T23:58:00.000-05:00

The 1st Sunday after the Epiphany; the Baptism of our Lord

2011-01-02T19:50:00.001-05:00

2011-01-01T23:04:00.001-05:00

Sermon Preview for Sunday January 2, 2011

2011-01-01T22:40:00.001-05:00

Gifts Given

Sermon for the 2nd Sunday after Christmas

January 2, 2011

8am Holy Eucharist Rite II

10am Holy Eucharist Rite II

wordle.net creation of sermon preview

Holy Name Day Sermon Preview

2011-01-01T22:38:00.000-05:00

Sermon given on January 1, 2011
SPOTH
Holy Eucharisth Rite II, 5:00 p.m.

wordle.net creation
of preview

Christmas Sermon 2010

2010-12-26T16:51:00.002-05:00

God's Annunciations

2010-12-18T14:09:00.000-05:00

This Week's Sermon for the 4th Sunday of Advent
What is the mystery of the Annunciation, and how can we live that mystery in our lives?

St. Paul's on-the-Hill Sermons: God's Saints

2010-11-07T17:42:00.001-05:00

St. Paul's on-the-Hill Sermons: God's Saints: "The Very Rev. Dr. Hilary B. Smith Sunday, November 07, 2010 10:00 am"

St. Paul's on-the-Hill Sermons: To Seek and To Save

2010-11-07T17:42:00.000-05:00

St. Paul's on-the-Hill Sermons: To Seek and To Save: "The Very Rev. Dr. Hilary B. Smith Sunday, October 31, 2010 10:00 am"

2010-10-30T22:56:00.000-04:00

2010-10-30T22:55:00.000-04:00

2010-10-30T22:53:00.000-04:00

St. Paul's on-the-Hill Sermons: What is Prayer?

2010-10-19T12:21:00.000-04:00

St. Paul's on-the-Hill Sermons: What is Prayer?: "The Very Rev. Dr. Hilary B. Smith Sunday, October 17, 2010 10:00 am"

New Life in Christ

2010-09-26T17:53:00.002-04:00

On Saturday September 25th, we baptized an adult man, a five-year-old girl, a baby boy, and a baby girl. Baptism is the start of a new life. In some ways, life is pretty much the same...you look the same the next day, there are the same activities, there are the same challenges as the day before. Sure in a week or two, an adult who is baptized might start doing something new with his or her church because of the commitment he or she has made. A baby is probably going to be doing the same things as the previous week. In the case of every person who is baptized, their lives have changed for ever. They are living a new life in Christ. Christ is living in them, we say. They have been sealed by the Holy Spirit in baptism and marked as Christ's own forever. God always loved them and cared for them. Through baptism, we are able to enter into the life of God in a new way. A visible sign of that new life is one's membership in the church, the Body of Christ. Once the water has dried, we need to be reminded of the awesome change that has occurred. As a family of faith, we nurture each other; we are on this journey deeper and deeper into the life of Christ together.

Sermon preview: The Wrong Kind of People

2010-09-11T21:17:00.004-04:00

Growing up, many people are cautioned about hanging out with certain kinds of people, the wrong kind of people: people who look different, act different, live in a different part of town, have more, or have less than they did. Jesus was judged for eating with the wrong kind of people: the sinners and the tax collectors. The Pharisees had the facts right...Jesus did eat with the wrong people according to their culture. But what the Pharisees did not understand was the grace of God being reveal through the words and actions of Jesus. God searches for everyone. God will not give up on anyone...even people we might think of as a lost cause or a terrible person. The lesson we have in this week's Gospel, Luke 15:1-10, is really for those who consider themselves to be better than others and therefore remove themselves from the fullness of God's grace.