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Vestry Minutes(Continued from page 6)“how to”; Creating Group Events andMeetings; Training resources and support. 2.New Website nearly ready to be launched!Working with Treasurer/ECCT/D&B onpaperwork for mobile app development.Looking for people to join thecommunication ministry – photography,writing, creative, video! See Mary Perry orDave Szen. Fitness Ministry - All fourClasses are offered via Zoom currently andwill go back to hybrid. Northwest RegionLeadership Team: Round One of TheEntrepreneurial Fund grants wereannounced. - Working with JerusalemPeacebuilder’s event in August – will beoffering parish-wide for day ofService. - Leadership Team islooking to be a support for regionwide vestries. - A calendar ofactivities in the Region to becreated and distributed to eachparish. - St. Paul’s was representedon a panel on February 3rd FaithfulFutures - Formation for Evangelism. - MaryPerry and Dylan (our Region Missionary) tobe facilitating and hosting zoom Lentenprogram - the Way of Love. See info andsign-up link in Sword Points.ALPHA course is completed in the spring.New Business: Policy Review Committeewill review and update the current Policy andProcedure Manual. Missions PolicyAmendment was developed after thesubcommittee had a discussion of the bestway to manage any changes to budgetingduring the year. The new added statementwas read and discussed. It was approved bythe Vestry. The statement is as follows:Funding of new mission initiatives, asrecommended by the Mission DiscernmentTask Force (MDTF) or anther vestryauthorized committee, may be appropriatedby the vestry at any point in the calendaryear independent from any recommendationof the Missions Committee.Once the vestry authorizes such funding, theline item for the new mission will be placedon the Mission Committee’s budget for thenext year. - Dan presented therecommendations from the MDTF membersand proposed to move to support theRector’s Report: Reported that it is aMcLaughlin family and partner with theprivilege to be here at the Vestry meetingAnglican Frontier Mission (AFM). MDTFand to welcome the new members. Theinterviewed several mission agencies toBishop of Kenya will be here on March 6thdiscern which group best fits with St. Paul’s.to preach; he is a guest of Bill and CathyThe Rev. Chris Royer of AFM came to St.Schrull. The Marriage course is going wellPaul’s to preach and present the mission ofand is halfway complete, with all the couples AFM. The committee felt moved tostill enthusiastically involved. March 30threcommend AFM. AFM is currently sendingwill be the new start date for the ALPHAout a young family, scheduled to go tocourse. The parochial report was discussed, Cambodia in June 2022. The committeeand it was unanimously approved by thewould like to make the recommendation toVestry.support AFM as the agency we work with,and to support individually the McLaughlinOld Business: Disaster relief discussionfamily. The recommendation of support is toensued, and the 5,000 donation will begive AFM 1,500 and the McLaughlingiven to the Episcopal Relief Fund to benefit family 8,500. There were concernsthose who lost so much during the tornadoes expressed for the McLaughlin’s protectionin the mid-west a few months ago. and preparedness for the assignment. TheMissions Discernment Task Force (MDTF) concerns were addressed, and the VestryReport: Dan gave a summary report of theunanimously approved the total expenditurepurpose of the MDTF group to the newof 10,000. The funds will be taken out ofmembers of the Vestry. - The Demographics the Evangelism Fund.Survey is on hold. - Evangelism Workshop:Sharing Our Faith Story - Dan B. and George Closing: The meeting closed by Lois HuntS. have prepared a three-session workshop.with prayer at 9 pm by George Stowell.This may be held on a Saturday, an evening,or even between church services on Sundays. Respectfully submitted,David Williams, ClerkThis workshop will be held when the7

† Helping Our NeighborsHere is an update about St. Paul’s ongoing food-related ministries serving ourcommunity:Drive Thru Food Collection - occurs every other Wednesday from 11 am - 1 pm. Wehave now held 50 food drives since April 22, 2020! Last time our trucks delivered to theJericho Food Pantry, Danbury and the Christian Victory Center in Danbury.Our next food collection will be next Wednesday, March 9th and will support the DailyBread Food Pantry in Danbury and the Jericho Food Pantry in Danbury.Thank you all for your ongoing generosity and to the many volunteers who have helpedto load the trucks and deliver food to the pantries.March 9thIf you would like to request Altar flowers for aparticular Sunday "in Memory of," "in Honor of" or"in Celebration” of' a friend or loved one, please fill out anenvelope located in the back of the church or send an emailrequest to altarflowers@yahoo.com or contact Doug Melody.8

† Do Not Worry!by Steve Hemming“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink;or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food,and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sowor reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.Are you not much more valuable than they?Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”TMathew 6:25-27o say I was anxious, was putting it mildly. I had gotten off the wrong exit on theMassachusetts Turnpike, and was lost. I just noticed the scammer that has beentrying to steal money from me sent another threatening email. I was agonizingover not having found work yet, despite my effort. And aslew of other things were weighing heavily on my mind. Iwas so freaked out at that particular moment, I foundmyself screaming at the GPS app on my phone when itwasn't directing me back onto the Mass Pike.Have you ever felt like you were going to "loseit?" We all have things going on in our lives thatare unwanted, troublesome, sorrowful, andchallenging, and it often feels as though we'regoing to cave in under such a tremendousburden. Jesus told us in this world we wouldhave tribulations like this.1 But since Jesusovercame the world, He exhorts us to becourageous, and receive His peace in the midst oflife's crises. And as we keep our focus on Him whodefeated sin, death, and Satan, we too, will overcome! 2For it is God who leads us in triumph.3 And through Him, we are more than conquerors! 4After foolishly yelling at my phone, I came to the obvious realization I needed help, andcalled upon the Lord. Within moments, He brought a scripture to mind; "Refrain fromanger and abandon wrath; do not fret - it can only bring harm." 5 I took His word to heart,started to calm down, and within a matter of minutes, I was back on the turnpike.I reached my destination, Stockbridge, and found a remote area up on a hill above thetown, where I could spend quality time with the Lord. I asked Him to please give me aword or sign, that everything was going to be all right. As soon as the word "sign" left mylips, I was reminded of recently reading about Jesus' displeasure when the scribes,Pharisees, and Sadducees sought a sign from Him.6 So, I quickly recanted my request for asignal of sorts, and waited in silence on the Lord.After sitting quietly in the car for several minutes, all of a sudden, a robin flew out fromthe woods nearby, and landed gently in the field in frontof me. Seeing this beautiful reddish-orange breasted bird,reminded me of the time when I was a kid, in the midst aparticularly harsh winter I asked my mother when springwould arrive. Mom lovingly told me, "Stephen, when yousee your first robin, then spring will be here very soon."Needless to say, I was overjoyed when I spotted the firstrobin in our front yard, and hurriedly ran into the kitchento share the great news with Mom. Over the years, thefirst robin "sighting" became an annual rite that mymother and I celebrated together.As I sat there, mesmerized as the robin bouncedaround on the ground looking for food, another robin flewby, and then another, and many more followed after that.(Continued on page 10)9

(Continued from page 9)Do Not Worry!Numerous robins were coming out of the woods from where thefirst one appeared. For what seemed the longest time, robinswere flying all around me and landing in the field near my car.There were easily over a hundred of them, in different shapes andsizes.As I fixated on this magnificent ornithological display, I wascalm, and felt God's perfect peace. No longer was I worriedabout my life, for the Lord was near, and I could feel His strong,loving presence.Whenever we feel overwhelmed or fearful, may we rememberthese words from the Prince of Peace,7 our Lord Jesus; "Peace Ileave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives doI give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it beafraid." 8“Anxiety weighs down the heart of a man, but agood word cheers it up .”Proverbs 12:251231 John 16:33Revelation 12:112 Corinthians 2:14456Romans 8:37Psalm 37:8Matthew 12:38-42,78Matthew 16:1-4Isaiah 9:6John 14:27Q: How long was Jesus temptedby the devil in the desert?A: Luke 4:1-2 NIVCOFFEE HOUR HOSTSMar. 6th 8 am - SarversMar. 13th 8 am - MelodysMar. 20th 8 am - Polly Sorrentino10:30 am - Duckett’s10:30 am - Nicole O’Connors10:30 am - Beth & John BeckContact Mary Allen at203-775-6633 orchamla@charter.net.Deuteronomy 26 is all about “first-fruitsgiving.” Moses rehearsed all that hadhappened to the Israelites, and how they werestrengthened and preserved, and tells them,“to set your gifts down before the Lord, [andthen ] celebrate with all the bounty the Lordhas given to you and to your house.” Goodadvice for modern-day believers as well!10

† Transforming Stewardship“I have now brought you the first fruits of the products of the soilwhich you, O Lord, have given to me.”(Deuteronomy 26:10)This line from the Old Testament offers two challenges. First, doyou give to God from your “first fruits”, the best that you have tooffer, or do you give from what is leftover? Second, do you rememberthat everything you have has been given to you by God? Ask God for agrateful and generous heart, every day.Name Tags - Please be courteous to fellow parishioners,to newcomers and guests by extending a warm welcome tothem and by wearing your name tag. And remember towear them to coffee hour as well.† Wednesday ServiceGrowing in PopularityOur mid-week Wednesday morning10 am Holy Eucharist with healingprayer has been growing consistently sincewe’ve been able to meet in person withrelaxed Covid protocols. With live music anda brief homily from Fr. Joe, this service is justwhat you need to sutain you through theweek. Come join us and check it out.† Tuesday Night Ladies Bible StudyThe Tuesday Night Ladies Bible Study meets weekly on Tuesday nights from 7 to 8pm on Zoom. Please join us in March/April as the Ladies Evening Zoom BibleStudy starts a new series. We will be studying the words of Jesus about himself in thegospel of John, starting with two weeks focused on "I am theGood Shepherd." This will be followed by other "I am"statements and related passages. Come and join in the warmfellowship with other women from St. Paul's and beyond. Youare welcome here.To receive the weekly email with the zoom link, send Carolan email at cmeadwheeler@hotmail.com.To join the Zoom Meeting use the following linkhttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/4245653965?11

by Kirsten Peterson, Organist & ChoirmasterGreetings!OGeorge Hunt Smyttanne of my favorite hymns during Lent is "Forty Daysand Forty Nights." This hymn's text, written by anEnglish clergyman George Hunt Smyttan, was first published in1856 in a collection called "Poetry for Lent." Smyttan (18221870) was born in Mumbai, India (his father was serving as aphysician there), educated in England, and served as a rector inNewark-on-Trent, until poor health prompted his resignation in1859. Sadly, while traveling on his own in Germany, he diedsuddenly and buried in a pauper's grave simply marked"Smyttan, England." He was published in several collections ofpoetry during his lifetime.The hymn centers on Christ's fasting and temptation in thewilderness of which we will hear about during our Gospelreading from Luke.Forty days and forty nights thou was fasting in the wild; forty days and forty nights tempted,and yet undefiled.As we begin our own holy Lent, many of us take up the practice of giving up something, sothat we, too, are joining Christ in his abstinence from temptation.Should not we thy sorrow share and from worldly joys abstain, fasting with unceasing prayer,strong with thee to suffer pain?Many of our readings in the coming weeks will remind us that God provides for us in ourtime of need; we are protected from evil.Then if Satan on us press, Jesus, Savior, hear our call! Victor in the wilderness, grant wemay not faint nor fall!I love the exclamation points at the endsof those lines! It's so emphatic! In thefourth verse, we're assured that if we followChrist and trust him, we, too, shall beprotected by angels. In our Gospel lesson,we will hear these words: "He will commandhis angels concerning you, to protect you."And we will sing:So shall we have peace divine: holiergladness ours shall be; round us, too, shallangels shine, such as ministered to thee.As we move through Lent, it isimportant for us to remember to stay nearto Christ so that we can rejoice at his Easter(Continued on page 13)12

(Continued from page 12)Choir Notesresurrection. As we move through life, it is important for us to remember to stay near Christso that we can look forward to eternal, resurrected life as well!Keep, O keep us, Savior dear, ever constant by thy side; that with thee we may appear at theeternal Eastertide.A simple hymn, but a powerful one, indeed. We sing this to the tune AUS DER TIEFERUFE ICH (which basically translates as"Out of the deep I cry to thee," a reference toanother set of words it once appeared with).This German tune was written by MartinHerbst (1654-1681); his early death was aresult of the plague. The tune has been usedand set by many composers from the 17thcentury onwards, including Jane Marsh, thecomposer of this Sunday's prelude. Listencarefully to see if you can find the melody!The video that I've included is a simplesetting of the hymn for voice and guitar. Asyou listen, consider the words of the collectthat we will pray this week:Peace and blessings for a holy Lent, !KirstenI† Friendship Connectionn the past two years, we have all, in one way or another, suffered from the ravages ofCOVID-19. For many of us, our human need for connection and comfort feels greaternow than we can ever remember. And for many of us, the need feels unmet. At the veryleast, it seems we are more aware of these deep human needs, aching our hearts.We, as Christians, have the inexpressible gift of Christ: the Great Connector and TheGreat Comforter. It is our hope and prayer, this new Friendship ministry will be another aidthat St. Paul's provides, to help us to allow Jesus to Connectwith us, Comfort us and by His Grace, guide us, so that we canmore deeply connect and comfort each other. All to His honorand glory.There will be Friendship Connection Slips at the back of thechurch. If you feel this Ministry of Friendship Connectionwould be helpful to you, just fill out the slip and one of themembers of the Ministry will contact you.13

† Final Words from the CrossSpecial Adult Class Lenten series: “Final Wordsfrom the Cross.” Please join us in the Guild Roomat 9:30 – 10:15 am for this powerful and inspiring 6week video series by Adam Hamilton to enrich your Lentenexperience on Sundays from March 6 – April 3. The finalwords that come from a dying person are oftenunforgettable, poignant with meaning, and carry long termimpact. Hamilton provides fresh insights into Jesus’ final words at the cross through theperspective of those who witnessed the crucifixion. We will discuss anew the words thatJesus saved for the last, and how they speak to our lives today.Crocker Hall14

Our Sunday School program for all ages has resumed. Checkin is outside Crocker Hall starting at 10:15 am and students willreturn to the service around the time of announcements. Pleasereach out with any questions to Nicole O’Connors atnmoconnors@gmail.com.† International Justice Missionwww.ijm.orgThe mission committee, on behalf of Saint Pauls, began sponsoring theInternational Justice Mission in 2020. The International Justice Mission is aglobal organization that partners with local justice systems to end violence againstpeople living in poverty. -They rescue and restore victims; finding enslaved people, bringing them to safetyand walking alongside them until they are restored. -They bring criminals to justice; relentlessly pursuing justice in court to ensure thattraffickers and other criminals go to jail so they cannot abuse, exploit or enslave others. -They strengthen justice systems by providing training, mentoring and support topolice, judges and other community leaders to slow down and stop the cycle of violence.IJM gives a voice to those who’ve been silenced.I am so passionate about this ministry because they bring Christ’s rescuing love andrestoration where you and I cannot. Their network can go where we can’t go, they can bringrescue and hope to those that we cannot and our support allows them to make a lastingdifference in the lives of all those that they reach.This ministry always reminds me of an amazing song called Rescue, written by LaurenDaigle. I hope that you will take a moment to listen to it in the video below.The opening lyrics are:You are not hiddenThere's never been a momentYou were forgottenYou are not hopelessThough you have been brokenYour innocence stolenI hear you whisper underneath your breathI hear your SOS, your SOSI will send out an army to find youIn the middle of the darkest nightIt's true, I will rescue youWhile this song powerfully reminds me of how much I need God’s rescue each day, italso makes me think of those all around the world, waiting to be rescued, thinking that theyhave been forgotten. I think about how our church's support each month powers the peoplethat God sends to find those who are trapped, abused and hurting. Our funds make itpossible for others to crash through doors, pull over boats, handcuff criminals and rescuechildren and adults around

T oday, every two seconds, someone's identity is stolen. Costing Americans 25 billion per year, an entire industry of identity theft protection has emerged. While our information age is giving rise to new forms of identity theft all the time, it is really nothing new. Spiritual identity theft has plagued us since the fall, when the serpent led