Resources
We're excited to announce the date for the annual "That's My Farmer" fundraising dinner. We hope that you will join us on Monday, October 14th, and take home one of the delicious dinners prepared by Party Downtown chefs Tiffany and Mark. The participating CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farms donate meats and vegetables, and Party Downtown creates an amazing 3 course menu to share with you all.
Click "Read More" to read more about the dinner and its history!
EfM, Education for Ministry, is a college level, adult-learner course designed to increase the lay person’s knowledge of the Bible, the history of the Christian church, and the history of the Episcopal church in particular. It is held in a seminar format, with groups ranging from 6-12 people. The first year is a study of the Old Testament—it’s history and the environment in which it was written. Some of what the course entails is a look at the ancient sources of the Bible. The second year is devoted to a study of the New Testament, again looking at the history of its writing and the environment from which it came. The third year looks at the whole history of the Christian church (The name of the text is The First 3000 years of Christianity). The fourth year concentrates on the history and development of the Episcopal Church and dives into a look at some of the other faith traditions around the world.
The women of St. Mary’s are excited to announce a can’t-miss opportunity to hear from Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer, a theological scholar who happens to have been baptized right here at St. Mary’s. On Sunday, August 11, 2024, St. Mary’s will host Dr. Schrader Polczer in the sanctuary at 3:30 PM. Cost will be $20 or a sliding scale fee. She will talk on her research into Mary Magdalene and her findings after researching early Christian copies of the Gospel, especially John chapter 11.
Dr. Schader Polczer is a graduate of Duke University, and her groundbreaking research has uncovered new evidence about Mary Magdalene. Her peer-reviewed articles have been included in the Harvard Theological Review (2017) and other prestigious publications.
Read more about this exciting event by clicking “Read More.”
We make much ado about Christmas. Even after stripping away all the hoopla that the secular world has piled onto our Feast of the Nativity, we celebrate the birth of Jesus in myriad ways, not least of which is giving unearned gifts to the people we love, commemorating the ultimate unearned gift to the entire world, that of Jesus himself. The Day of Pentecost, on the other hand, though listed along with Christmas as one of the Principle Feasts of the Church Year, draws much less attention. This is unfortunate, for the gift of the Holy Spirit is critical to our lives as Christians.
Read Sharon’s full reflection on Pentecost and the Holy Spirit by clicking “Read More.”
Another Renovation Update – Construction begins in March!
Demolition is scheduled to begin the first week of March! With the exception of the roofs, we hope to have most of the project completed by July! Availability of supplies and lead time on items like the lift (elevator) will impact some of the timing.
The demolition, asbestos abatement, and installation of new flooring, carpentry, etc. is being phased by area to attempt to ensure the least amount of disruption possible.
Staff are beginning to reach out to impacted ministries as the timeline becomes clear.
Our number one priority is to keep handicap accessibility to the sanctuary on Sundays throughout the project.
Questions? Reach out to a committee member to chat: Terrie S, the Rev. Bingham Powell, Flossie B, or Louise Fortuna.
One way to overcome a sense of abandonment is to genuinely grow closer to God which is what I believe the disciplines and self-denial of Lent are all about. We’re asked to clear away some of the clutter of our lives, be it our fixation on food, our phones, or our incessant busyness, in order to reflect on what really matters, our relationships with God, with each other, and with ourselves.
Read Sharon’s entire article by clicking “Read More.”
Main Level Renovation project continues to move ahead. Some of the milestones met and upcoming are listed below.
The Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) contract has been submitted to St. Mary’s and signed off on
Construction permit obtained for the project
The sub-contractors are in the process of ordering materials and obtaining timelines for their delivery
McKenzie Commercial is putting together the project time line and once the lead time on material and equipment is obtained, they will be working with St. Mary’s remodel committee to determine the best timing and least disruptive way to begin demolition.
Feel free to contact any of remodel committee with any questions; Flossie B, Louise F, Bingham+ and Terrie S.
Now that we have successfully completed our fundraising, we are getting close to the start of construction. We do not have a schedule yet; the contractor is working on that.
From this point forward, expect regular updates on progress as we get closer to construction. Here are a few updates:
To read the update, click “Read More.”
Yoga is not about putting your body into impossible positions or performing semi superhuman stunts. Yoga at its best is about becoming aware of the body, tending the body, and learning to connect with it and with the divine energies moving through it at deeper and deeper levels.
This breakout session will involve no “down dogs” or full lotus positions. Depending upon the interest and abilities of those who attend, we may not even use yoga mats. We will explore, through breath work and simple, but profound movements, how simple presence brings us closer to God in the present moment.
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
—1st Corinthians 6:19-20
Welcome Home Sunday is more than just an invitation for those who have been away to come back to church; it is an invitation for all of us to come home to God. St. Augustine said “our hearts are restless until they rest in you, O God.” Welcome Home Sunday is not just about joining us physically or virtually for a worship service and some fellowship time; it is a day set aside to reflect on our spiritual lives and to try and rest our hearts in God.
Read Bingham’s entire reflection by clicking “read more.”
Are you looking for a meaningful, small group? Would you like to have the companionship of people who enjoy spiritual and theological conversations? Are you hungry for Biblical and church knowledge, as well as needing more information about your church and your own theology? EfM (Education for Ministry) can provide all that and more.
Of course, I don’t really believe that it was their hair, but rather their hearts, that the Holy Spirit set ablaze that day. After seven weeks of living in the shadows, afraid to be seen or heard by much of anyone, the apostles were suddenly on fire with the desire to share the Good News about the friend and fellow Galilean whom they’d come to know as the Face of God.
Read Sharon’s entire reflection on Pentecost by clicking “Read More.”
St. Mary’s Women’s Retreat—Spring 2023
Brave and Bold Biblical Women and What They Teach Us
Saturday, June 3, 10 AM to 3 PM
(Gather as early at 9:30 AM; Optional no-host dinner follows at the Public House in Springfield)
Eugene Yacht Club, Fern Ridge Reservoir
Click “Read More” for details and a link to register.
I encourage you to celebrate Easter as profoundly as you embrace Lent. It is quite common to take on a Lenten practice or two. These practices in Lent help us to fulfill the invitation at Ash Wednesday to observe Lent “by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word.” These practices are wonderful; I have been spiritually nourished by them over the years. I wonder sometimes, though, if we should consider adopting Easter practices. Not practices of fasting, but of feasting. Not practices of asceticism, but practices of flourishing. Not practices of inward self-examination, but ones that make us look outward, reaching out to one another, connecting and deepening relationships, seeking new life through Christ’s resurrection.
Read Bingham’s entire reflection by clicking “Read More.”
Lent is upon us. The forty days of Lent are modeled on the Jesus’ 40 days in the desert, preparing himself for ministry. We take these 40 days to prepare ourselves for the central moment of our faith: Easter. Early in the life of the Church, Christians would set aside this time before Easter to prepare themselves with acts of fasting, charity, prayer, and study. In other words, to work on their “holy habits.”
To read Bingham’s entire reflection, click “Read More.”
