📄Newsletter📄

Today’s first reading is a passage about the martyrdom of Stephen. Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, has been chosen to help distribute food to the faithful. Jealous factions among the Jews in Jerusalem accuse him of blasphemy and instigate false witnesses against him. His rebuttal, a sermon about Israel’s history of persecuting prophets, infuriates the high priests and they drag him outside the city to be stoned to death. Thus, Stephen becomes the church’s first martyr.

Stephen bears witness to Christ with his dying breath, a message of faith and grace. Yet it is impossible to overlook the violence perpetrated by religious people in this passage. There are many examples in recent news stories, young black men or gay and transgender people shot or beaten to death, mass shootings in schools and synagogues. Certainly, the Easter story of redemption has not ended the cycle of violence. Yet we as Christians continue to trust in the message of the Holy Spirit – to witness to the gospel message of hope and to commend our spirits to God in the hour of death.

Today’s gospel passage from John contains Jesus’ words that are meant to inspire hope and trust: “My Father’s house has many dwelling places.” Here is some of John’s most beautiful poetry, revealing Jesus as the source of life, abundance, and grace, indeed revealing Jesus as the incarnation of God. “I am the way and the truth and the life... If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” Words that encapsulate John’s message to his community: Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God. Words that reiterate Jesus’ message to his followers: You have known me; you have known God; we are one and the same. Words that inspire trust and confident faith.

Let us close with a prayer from the Taizé community: Living God, at times we are strangers on the earth, disconcerted by the violence, the harsh oppositions. And you breath upon us the Spirit of peace like a gentle breeze. Transfigure the deserts of our doubts and so prepare us to be bearers of reconciliation wherever you place us, until a hope of peace arises in our world. Amen.

Susan Butterworth, M.A., M.Div, is a writer, teacher, singer, and lay minister. She leads Song & Stillness: Taizé @ MIT, a weekly ecumenical service of contemplative Taizé prayer at the interfaith chapel at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She teaches writing and literature to college undergraduates and writes book reviews, essays, and literary reference articles.

Moon River Opera,
based at St. Paul's,
presents the following programs.
Come out and support local singers and artists!

The Vestry has held its final meeting on the search for our Interim Rector, and the Wardens have made the final decision to call one of the candidates to serve as our pastor during this critical transition period. Once the Letter of Agreement is complete between St. Paul's and the Interim Rector we look forward to introducing you!

Transition prayer: “O God, by whom the meek are guided in judgment, and light rises up in darkness for the godly: Grant us, in all our doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask what you would have us to do, that the Spirit of wisdom may save us from all false choices, and that in your light we may see light, and in your straight path may not stumble; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

**SPANISH LANGUAGE NEWSLETTER**
Father Polanco has developed a Spanish language newsletter that he sends to the Latino members of St. Paul's. In the spirit of learning and sharing from one another in our differences and in our common faith, worship, and community life at St. Paul's, everyone on the mailing list will begin receiving Father Polanco's weekly Spanish language newsletter.

**DRAFT PARISH DIRECTORY**
New draft parish directories are available on the piano. Please make any corrections and submit to the office.

**ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE CLASSES**
ESL every Saturday at 5 pm in the Parish Hall! Anyone is welcome with an interest in learning a new language, teaching English, participating in conversation with those who speak a different language, and building Beloved Community with our non-English speaking parishioners and neighbors.

**DIOCESAN YOUTH EVENTS**
Registration for summer camp at Honey Creek is now open! Three sessions will be held in June. One for high schoolers (grades 9-12), one for middle schoolers (grades 6-8), and one for children who have completed 3rd grade through 5th graders. This is a fantastic way for youth to meet friends across the area and in nearby parishes but they are also welcome to bring friends. Find out more and register here: http://honeycreek.org/camps/

For questions contact Rev. Canon Joshua Varner at JVarner@gaepiscopal.org

SUNDAY MUSIC

Entrance:
Sprinkling Rite: Vidi aquam
(I saw water flowing from the temple)
H410 Praise my soul, the King of heaven

Gradual Hymn
H200 Come, ye faithful, raise the strain

Offertory Anthem:
If ye love me (Tallis)

Offertory Hymn:
H477 All praise to thee

Processional Music:
H193 That Easter day with joy was bright

Gloria, Sanctus and Agnus Dei: William Mathias

Music Notes: If ye love me (Tallis)

The life of the great English composer Thomas Tallis (c. 1505-1585) is a testament to this idea. While Tallis remained an “unreformed Roman Catholic” throughout his life, he adapted professionally to serve the monarch of the time. He wrote for the Latin Catholic Mass until Henry VIII’s break with Rome. After writing Anglican music, he returned to the Catholic Mass to accommodate Queen Mary. Under Elizabeth I, he returned to the Anglican tradition.

The brief four-part motet, If Ye Love Me, was published in 1565 during Elizabeth’s reign. It is a setting of a passage from the Gospel of John (4:15-17). Tallis’ writing conforms to the pure, homophonic style of the time, employing “to each syllable a plain and distinct note.” Yet, while generally staying within these parameters, Tallis seems to push the boundaries, allowing intimations of glorious imitative counterpoint to blossom. If Ye Love Me is still a standard motet of the Anglican tradition, with performances at the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and during Pope Benedict XVI’s 2010 visit to Westminster Abbey. Surviving the winds of change over the course of 400 years, it comes to us as pure music.