Sunday worship service 8:00am; 10:30am with music Weekday evening service 5:30pm on varying days The 10:30 Sunday service and weekday services are livestreamed and recorded for later viewing at FaceBook.com/StPaulsCorinth NOTE: We've been having some glitches recently that disconnect our livestream camera. We're troubleshooting the problem but cannot predict which services will air.
- Sunday, January 21, 10:30am, Holy Eucharist, Rite II, 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany, Annual Parish Meeting, Potuck Lunch
- Sunday, January 28, 8:00 & 10:30am, Holy Eucharist, Rite II, 4th Sunday after the Epiphany
- Sunday, February 4, 9:30am, Morning Prayer, Rite II, 5th Sunday after the Epiphany
- Sunday, February 11, 9:30am, Holy Eucharist, Rite II, Last Sunday after the Epiphany
- Tuesday, February 13, 6:00pm, Shrove Tuesday Cajun Fare Supper
- Wednesday, February 14, 6:00pm, Holy Eucharist, Rite II, Ash Wednesday
- Sunday, February 18, 9:30am, Holy Eucharist, Rite I, 1st Sunday in Lent
- Sunday, February 25, 9:30am, Holy Eucharist, Rite I, 2nd Sunday in Lent
Season after the Epiphany
The 10:30am Sunday service and other services at St. Paul's are livestreamed on our Facebook page linked here. You may also watch videos of previous services at the same link. You do not need a Facebook account to view services.
The bulletin for Epiphanytide is linked here.
The collect and scripture lessons for Sunday services:
1st Sunday after Christmas Dec 31
1st Sunday after the Epiphany Jan 7
2nd Sunday after the Epiphany Jan 14
3rd Sunday after the Epiphany Jan 21
4th Sunday after the Epiphany Jan 28
St. Paul's Prayer List Please email any updates or additions to sbadvm@msn.com.
We are delighted you visited our church's website. We hope you will join us in worship, either in person or virtually on our Facebook livestream. If you would like further information about St. Paul's, have private prayer requests, or would like to meet with a priest, please fill out our digital visitor card.
Meet the Candidates for the Next Bishop of Mississippi
During the week of January 15th through 20th, the Candidates for the XI Bishop of Mississippi will be traveling through the Diocese and participating in four scheduled Meet and Greets. The closest one for us will be at All Saints' Tupelo on Thursday, January 18 at 6:00pm.
At these Meet and Greets, the Candidates will be answering questions submitted by the laity and clergy of the Diocese, along with having more informal time to visit with attendees after the room rotations. Also, each Meet and Greet will be live-streamed for those who may not be able to attend.
In order to prepare for the Meet and Greets, the Transition Committee and the host sites are asking that those planning to attend to please RSVP by Friday, January 12, via the RSVP form linked here. More information about the five candidates and the bishop search may be found in recent issues of the Mississippi Episcopalian and on the bishop search webpage.
Annual Parish Meeting and Potluck Lunch on January 21st
Save the date for St. Paul's annual Parish Meeting on January 21st. The meeting starts with the Rector's Address from Fr. Josh during the sermon time for the combined 10:30am Sunday service. After a brief business meeting following the service, we will elect two vestry members and a warden for 2024. Then we'll adjourn for a potluck lunch and fellowship in the parish hall.
A Letter from Fr. Josh about Changes in Service Times & Rector's Schedule Discussed and Approved at the December 18th Vestry Meeting
1/8/2024 (Feast of Harriett Bedell, Deaconess & Missionary)
Dear Members and Friends of Saint Paul’s:
There is a passage in Deuteronomy that has always caught my eye. Moses has given the Israelite people the Law, and he explains that they have a choice:
"See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. (30:15 NRSV)."
Moses continues: "Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the Lord swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob (30:19b-20)."
You know that I don't support proof-texting in this way, but the passage comes to mind because we, as a parish, have arrived at a fork in the road. As I have mentioned in numerous sermons over the past few years, the Episcopal Church (and most other mainline denominations) are in decline. A changing religious landscape, a love of the status quo ("We've always done things that way!"), and aging congregations mean shrinking budgets and less of a religious "footprint" in communities across the U.S. Did you know, for instance, that a majority of Episcopal Churches are served by part-time rectors?
If Saint Paul's is to thrive, despite shrinking resources over time, we must make some changes--some that may not be popular with everyone, but ones that are no less necessary. The first change, based on the current year's budget, is that I will be going to a four day work week (Sunday-Wednesday), beginning in February of 2024. This move allows us to run a balanced budget for the 2024 fiscal year without completely sacrificing pastoral and sacramental services. This is a first step toward choosing life/vitality for the congregation.
Another step toward choosing life in the congregation is that we have decided to return to one service on Sunday mornings. Two services in a congregation of 40+ people is not sustainable. It divides our already small community, and it almost always means that one service or another is poorly attended. For instance, on a recent Sunday we had about 5-6 people in the pews at a 10:30am service. An abundance of empty pews sends a certain kind of message to visitors about our vitality and sustainability. With this in mind, I have created a survey for you [available online through the E-news Special Edition link] and paper copies will be provided at St. Paul's. The choice is between a 9am service or a 9:30am service, with education hour following. Please fill out the survey in a timely manner so we can announce the new service time in the next few weeks. We will implement this new schedule on the first Sunday in February.
Finally, I heard a great sermon this past Sunday from my friend Pastor Geoff Mitchell at Lindenwood Christian Church. He based his sermon on the text of Moses aiding Joshua in battle by lifting his hands and staff and assuring victory (Exodus 17). However, after awhile Moses' arms grew weary from being lifted, so Aaron and Hur helped Moses by providing a rock for him to sit on and by standing with Moses and helping hold his tired arms up.
We sorely need people with a gift for planning/organizing to help lift up the weary arms of this parish, whether they be coffee hour volunteers, office volunteers, people to run for vestry, people to help me plan/organize activities and the like. It takes a village to run a parish, but right now we have a very small handful of dedicated, but tired/overwhelmed volunteers. We need to spread out the work of ministry if we are to thrive.
We can no longer take it for granted that St. Paul's will always be around, waiting patiently like an old friend on us to show up for Sunday morning worship. It is time to put our hands to the plow and carry on in our work of sharing God's inclusive love with this community. This work goes on beyond Sunday mornings.
Which fork in the road will we choose?
Peace,
Fr. Josh+
Participants Invited to Group Study on Depression and Anxiety
It is time for Fr. Josh to implement his D.Min project on Depression and Anxiety, and you are invited to participate! Beginning Tuesday, January 30th at 5:30pm, people who self-identify as having depression and/or anxiety are invited to join a circle and learn about mindful/meditative treatments for these conditions. The group will meet for 6 weeks and keep journals of their meditative practices. Each week Fr. Josh will introduce a practice (or two depending on need) and allow time for discussion of how practices are going. You do not have to be clinically diagnosed with a depressive or anxious disorder to participate. We may be able to provide a Zoom option for those who cannot travel to the church on Tuesday nights. If you would like to participate in this study, CLICK HERE. A simple Meal will be provided.
Depression/anxiety can be situational, grief related, existential (the state of the world), etc. Fr. Josh will meet you and provide resources for wherever you are on your journey.
January Outreach for Our Daily Bread and A.M.E.N. Food Pantries
During January we will be collecting canned soup and dry pasta for Our Daily Bread food bank in Savannah, TN. You may place items in the bins by the baptismal font when the church office is open or leave them on the porch bench by the front door as long as you let someone know they are there.
The January monetary collection continues our tradition of collecting funds for the A.M.E.N. 
Food Pantry around the time of the Super Bowl football game. Though donated locally, the amount we collect is reported to the Souper Bowl of Caring organization which tallies the total collected for food banks in their name by participating groups nationwide. You may bring monetary donations to the church on or before Outreach Sunday, January 28, or mail a check for the monetary collection to St. Paul's, P.O. Box 1225, Corinth, MS 38835. Please write "Outreach" on the check memo line.
Thank you to all who give generously to outreach!
Death and the Simpsons: Join Us for the Sunday Forum Starting February 11
The Sunday Forum sessions resume February 11. The adult formation discussions for spring cover topics ranging from death and the afterlife to the Simpsons. Led by Tim Inman, the group will meet in St. Paul's library following the worship service on Sunday mornings.
Session I: Death*
Feb. 11: Theologies of the Afterlife: Perspectives from World Religions
Feb. 18: Near-Death Experiences: John W. Price, Revealing Heaven
Feb. 25: Communing with the Dead: James A. Pike, The Other Side
Mar. 3: Facing the Inevitable: Ernest Becker, The Denial of Death
Mar. 10: Psychedelic Therapy & Overcoming the Fear of Death
Session II: The Simpsons & Theology**
Apr. 14: [TBD]
Apr. 21: [TBD]
Apr. 28 [TBD]
May 5: [TBD]
May 12: [TBD]
*This series will utilize readings from various texts on the subject of death and the afterlife. (No homework is required.)
**This series will involve viewing selected episodes from The Simpsons with an eye to their theological implications. The source text is Mark I. Pinsky’s The Gospel according to The Simpsons.
Monthly Taizé Service is on the First Sunday of the Month at 5:30pm
Our next Taizé service at St. Paul's will be on Sunday, February 4, at 5:30pm. This refreshing service with candles, a prayerful form of music, and centering prayer, is a great way to start your month. All are welcome!
Triple G Meets Next on January 30 at Noon
Triple G will gather this month at noon on Tuesday, January 30 in St. Paul's library. You are invited to join Dcn. Mary Howard for conversation followed by "A Liturgy for a Time of Widespread Suffering" from Every Moment Holy, Volume II: Death, Grief, and Hope. Come join the conversation, to lament, to pray, to support one another, to listen, and to build up hope. Bring a lunch, if you you'd like to eat and discuss.
Updated Church Door Policy
In his June 24th special edition email, our rector encourages us "to help make St. Paul’s a safer place by keeping the outside parish hall door locked during worship services, and to keep the kitchen door locked at all times. We need to work harder on keeping a single point of entry to our building open, rather than multiple ones." He continues in his letter, "Additionally, I have decided, given our rural and somewhat isolated setting, to keep the building doors locked during office hours. This is not unlike keeping your doors locked at home, of course. The only change is, you’ll need to knock or call the church office to gain entry."
Anti-racism Resources
Deacon Mary Howard's Pentecost sermon, in the wake of the George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery killings, called us to do our part to end racism. She discussed ways we might take action to fight discrimination aimed at our sisters and brothers of color. Resources on the list below offer ways to more fully live into our Baptismal covenant, “Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself? Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?”
The Episcopal Church: Racial reconciliation resources
The Stacks: Antiracist reading list
EmbraceRace: 31 Children's books to support conversations on race, racism and resistance
Corinnne Shutack 75 Things White People Can Do For Racial Justice
Sarah Sophie Flicker, Alyssa Klein List of Anti-racism Resources for White People
Center for Racial Healing website
Equal Justice Initiative website
Bible study on Wednesdays at 10:00am
For those who would like to join us, in-person, we will meet in the church library on Wednesdays at 10:00am. Our studies involve learning about the historical background of the books and authors, reading an Old Testament book, one from the New Testament. We use textual notes to aid in our understanding of difficult passages. There is no canned curriculum. We read for understanding and edification, with an eye on how these ancient texts still speak to us today. It is the group's custom to close each session with a brief Noonday Prayer service.
Chair yoga on Thursdays at 10:00AM
Certified yoga instructor Karen Beth Martin leads a chair yoga class in our parish hall. The gentle exercises in the class, using a chair for standing and seated yoga-based positions, are geared toward seniors and tailored to the abilities of those attending. The classes are open to all in the community who want to improve strength, flexibility and balance. A $5 donation is suggested but not required. For more information, contact Karen Beth at 662-322-5004.
Eating Disorders Anonymous
An Eating Disorders Anonymous (EDA) group meets at St. Paul's on Saturday mornings at 10am in the Gathering Room. "The only requirement for membership is the desire to recover from an eating disorder. There are no dues or fees. There are no diets or food plans. Balance - not abstinence - is our goal. We focus on solutions to issues so we can lead happy and purposeful lives." For more information, contact corinthEDA@gmail.com.
A Prayer for St. Paul's
O Lord, we ask your blessing on us as a community of faith. Guide us as we search for right paths in our common journey. Challenge us always to be open to the views of others, for it is only with tolerance and understanding that we grow. Fill us with a generous spirit that through our abundance we will share with those in need. Inflame our passion to discern the ministries to which you call us, and give us the courage and determination to live our call. As we gather in your name, remind us never to hold each other's hand so tightly that we cannot make room for others in the circle, and, dear Shepherd, grant us the love and grace to face our tomorrows without fear by always entrusting our todays to your care and guidance. Amen.
Prayer composed by the Rev. Dr. Nicholas Phillips
