St. Paul & St. Andrew's Sermon and Prayercast

‘Then he said to them, “Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.” - Matthew 22:21 This verse has often been used to separate civic and spiritual life and to mandate allegiance to the authority of government on the one hand and the authority of God on the other. This distinction has always been troubling to me. But in times like these, when the cruelty and harm of our government is on such explicit display, this question of allegiance is more ...

Dear Friends, I just read that researchers have found that we spend an average of only 47 seconds looking at a screen before shifting our attention elsewhere. That's down from two and a half minutes in 2004! It makes me wonder what has our attention these days, and how easily we lose sight of what matters most. Of course, our scriptures are full of people who lose the thread, too. People who forget what matters, what grounds them, and who they're called to be in relationship with. This Sund...

Happy Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone Day! (okay, better known as St Francis of Assisi). Sunday will mark exactly 800 years since this most beloved of the saints passed away. What a curious character! We know him as the patron saint of animals and ecology, which is why we honor him with our Blessing of the Animals service. But there is far more to the guy. The thing I like best about St Francis, is that he was not afraid to change his mind, make different choices, or reconsider his path in...

Dear St. Paul & St. Andrew Family, What do we do with the hard places in our lives? The things that feel stuck, immovable, maybe even impossible? This Sunday, we’ll head into the wilderness with the Israelites, where they ask one of the most honest questions in scripture: “Is God among us or not?” And we’ll discover what happens when God meets them right at the rock. Come ready to see where it all flows. And that’s just the beginning of a big, glorious SPSA Sunday! During worship, we’l...

Welcome Back! This is Welcome Back Sunday! Our service will include introducing our new Children & Families Pastor, and new Youth Coordinator, as well as the Blessing of the Backpacks. For the record, EVERYONE is welcome to have your backpacks, or briefcases, or whatever, blessed. Question to ponder: What is it that you carry around with you? We'll explore that together.