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Dear Beloveds in Christ,

Every Independence Day, I try to contemplate the freedoms I have and those I take for granted. Like being able to vote the candidates of my choice and express my views to a legislator without fear of arrest or reprisal. And to worship in the church of my choice. In these times where we have so many challenges with how we express ourselves on social media and in the public square, I need frequent reminders that as followers of Jesus, we have the freedom to choose to respond with kindness when we don’t disagree. 

Naomi Shihab Nye is an Arab-American poet with a Palestinian father known for her poetry that frequently addresses the international and what divides us. She wrote this poem in response to her deep belief in the need for compassion. You can read the poem here.

May you be filled with the peace of Christ when you need it the most,

Kate+

Kindness

Before you know what kindness really is

you must lose things,

feel the future dissolve in a moment

like salt in a weakened broth.

What you held in your hand,

what you counted and carefully saved,

all this must go so you know

how desolate the landscape can be

between the regions of kindness.

How you ride and ride

thinking the bus will never stop,

the passengers eating maize and chicken

will stare out the window forever.

Before you learn the tender gravity of kindness

you must travel where the Indian in a white poncho

lies dead by the side of the road.

You must see how this could be you,

how he too was someone

who journeyed through the night with plans

and the simple breath that kept him alive.

Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside,

you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.

You must wake up with sorrow.

You must speak to it till your voice

catches the thread of all sorrows

and you see the size of the cloth.

Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore,

only kindness that ties your shoes

and sends you out into the day to gaze at bread,

only kindness that raises its head

from the crowd of the world to say

It is I you have been looking for,

and then goes with you everywhere

like a shadow or a friend.

St. Peter's Community Prayers

We pray for the people on

our parish prayer list:

~

Cathy, Gerri, Penelope, Maryann, Judith, Valerie, Joan, Walter, Helen, Chip, Harry, Adam, Rev. Kate, Sarah, Margo, Jean, and Sharon

Mark Your Calendars!

• Friday, July 12th - B-SAFE Outing (see below for details)

Why Pray? Gatherings

The St. Paul Center for Theology and Prayer warmly invite clergy, lay leaders and members of congregations from across the Diocese to join a day of reflection and engagement, as we ask 'Why Pray?' 

Gatherings will be hosted at St. Paul's Newburyport, St. Thomas' Taunton, and the Cathedral Church of St. Paul Boston, July 27th, 10am to 2.30pm. 

Click here for more information and to sign up!

Why Pray? — St. Paul's Cathedral, Boston

The Rt. Rev. Sean Rowe is elected the next

Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church!

Rowe was elected as the 28th presiding bishop on Wednesday, the 26th, during this week's General Convention. He will begin his nine-year term on November 1st. Please see the Episcopal News Service's article on the recent news:

https://episcopalnewsservice.org/2024/06/26/breaking-sean-rowe-elected-28th-presiding-bishop-will-begin-nine-year-term-nov-1/

https://www.diomass.org/general-convention

Welcome our new Priest-In-Charge, the Rev. Dr. Paul R. Kolbet, in September! 

The Rev. Dr. Paul R. Kolbet, our new Priest-In-Charge, will begin his role on September 3rd and his first celebration of Eucharist will be on September 8th for our Welcome Back Sunday event.

We hope you will join us in offering a warm welcome to Paul when he arrives in September!

B-SAFE Program 2024 on Friday, July 12th

Date change: The BSAFE field trip is Friday, July 12th.

St. Peter’s and St. Elizabeth’s will be sponsoring a trip to Launch Trampoline Park in Woburn. After a few hours of jumping the kids will be coming to St. Peter’s for a pizza lunch. If you can help out by providing some cookies, paper products, chips, fresh fruit and/or welcoming the kids on-site, please contact Karen Montague kdm55@verizon.net.

Exact time for lunch is being finalized, probably around 12:30. In partnership with St. E’s we will also be providing BLOVE Market Basket gift cards for each family to use to purchase some much needed groceries. In addition, if there is money remaining we will help fund the parents who get paid to cook the lunches every camp day for the kids and a stipend for counselors in training. The Outreach Committee thanks Ines Palmerin, newly appointed Executive Director of St. Stephen’s Youth Programs, for sharing her story and the heartfelt mission of providing a safe haven for inner city neighborhood children through the five week academic and enrichment program. This year marks the 25th year of the program. St. Peter’s has been a partner since the beginning. 

Afghan Ministry Update

Eid Celebration and Observances - Muslims around the world and within our Manchester community celebrated Eid-Al-Asha, commonly translated as the Feast of Sacrifice, the week before last. Common observances include prayers, animal sacrifice, charity, social gatherings and festive meals. And once again Muslims of means helped those in need. A woman from the Wayland Mosque conducted a drive in Needham and raised enough money to provide 20 families with WalMart gift cards so they could buy something new for the parties and celebrations. Shortly after the families had first arrived in Manchester in the fall of 2021, Hansi met a woman who is an invaluable resource not only to our families but Afghan evacuees throughout the Merrimack Valley. Melissa is married to the head of the Andover Islamic Center. Two college students connected with the Center raised over $10,000 and delivered enough freshly slaughtered meat and very large (and very heavy) boxes with the rest of the feast fixings for 70 families. The Center also invited our families to join their Iftar, the breaking of the fast that leads into the holiday. We distributed the meat and food along with clothes, toys, household items etc., at her house at 10:30 at night! The slaughter took longer than expected and the college students who were driving up with a trailer were two hours late so you can imagine the absolute bedlam when everyone arrived at the same time from the Mosque kids in tow, excited to pick up their treasure. Cars could hardly fit the boxes but fortunately no one was ticketed on their drive back to NH. It was an experience we won’t be forgetting soon. 

Karen & Hansi

Updates to Prayers of the People

If you would like to include a family member or loved one on the prayer list, please contact Emily at office@stpetersweston.org

or call the office at 781-891-3200

Do You Have a Pastoral Need?

For pastoral support or emergencies or for any other church matter, please call the Rev. Kate Bast at 360-379-9803. We encourage you to let her know if you are in the hospital or have some other need that calls for pastoral support.

Did you know you can give to St. Peter's securely through our online giving site? Make your pledge, give one-time or designate a special gift to one of our ministries.

St. Peter's Episcopal Church | 320 Boston Post Road | Weston, MA 02493

www.stpetersweston.org