Pastor Don’s Corner . . .  

There it was, just like a butterfly in the wind, the song of a bird slicing through the cold, blue sky of a winter’s morning. It wasn’t the annoying sound of a sparrow or a starling, and it wasn’t the heavy insistent sound of a crow or a bluejay, rather, it was the light, lilting sound of spring come early. Drifting down from some distant tree or rooftop, heralding God’s hope in the midst of the cold with one high note and one low note, a C and a G, this feathered angel of God’s grace called to those who listened and said, “Look up, listen, God is with you. The winter will not last forever, nor the cold, nor the wind. Hold on and be glad. We are moving towards better days.” One high note and one low note said all that . . . honest! I heard it.

And I believed instantly, though I don’t know why. Maybe I was just tired enough of winter, or maybe I was just ready to hear a word of hope, or maybe . . . maybe it was just what I needed to hear in that one moment: Spring. God knows I need to hear ‘Spring’. The drabbiness of winter, the starkness of trees standing naked against the sky, the stinging of snowflakes as they splatter against flesh, the gray of early evenings and the darkness of late morning sunrises: they conspire against our human nature and make us like them . . . cold. Our souls yearn for something greater and God sends a most unlikely herald: a Spring-bird.

Not everyone heard it, I’m sure. Not everyone was where I was, but, I was there. I walked out the door and, just as winter prepared to envelop me, I heard ‘spring’, one high note and one low, and winter was no more. Oh, there may be cold days yet to endure, there may be days of snow yet to shovel, but I’ve heard the word of hope and winter has no more power over me. Spring is approaching. God has spoken.

You say you haven’t heard it? Listen. Let me tell you the story again. One high note, one low. C/G. Winter/Spring. Despair/Hope. Death/Life. Cross/Resurrection. There it is in one bird’s song. Every word of it true and to be trusted. God’s gift to the simple, please don’t make it difficult, lest it become an institution. Just listen and believe: one high note and one low. Tweet, tweet. Amen. So be it. Spring.  

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Thank You . . .

Since coming to the St. Paul U.C.C. family in 1993, each succeeding Christmas experience has been greater and more humbling than the one before it. Christmas 2000 was no different and, maybe even more definitive. This family of faith is so generous. Your care for our family, your attention to detail, your respect of our time, your gifts of all sorts . . . each speaks of a noble and humble approach to being a community of faith. You have blessed our family mightily and, as your pastor, you have cared for me tenderly through a most difficult Advent and Christmas season. Thank you seems so little to offer, but it is what I have to give. Please know that each of you has a place in my heart and that your names are on my lips in prayer. May God prosper the work of the Spirit in this place and in each of you as we seek, together, to live the mission to which we are called.

                                                                                                                        Your servant in Christ,  

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NEW MEMBER CLASS 

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2001, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
CONFERENCE ROOM  

Everyone desiring to learn more about the United Church of Christ and, in particular,  
St. Paul United Church of Christ are encouraged to attend.  

RECEPTION OF NEW MEMBERS
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2001 in both services  

If you plan to attend, have any questions, or need further information, please talk to Pastor Don. See you there!  

LENTEN SCHEDULE 2001 

Wednesday, February 28, 2001 ~ Ash Wednesday, Service of Word & Sacrament with Imposition of Ashes, 7:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary. 
            8:30 a.m. ~ Women’s Fellowship Prayer Breakfast in Fellowship Hall  

Wednesday, March 7, 2001
            Focus: Faith               Short Play: “One More Miracle” ** 

Wednesday, March 14, 2001 ~ Midweek Lenten Service, 7:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary. 
            Focus: Hope                Short Play: “Hang in There” **  

Wednesday, March 21, 2001 ~ Midweek Lenten Service, 7:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary. 
            Focus: Love                Short Play: “The Ninth Inning” **