St. Paul's Episcopal Church Paterson NJ

11/06/2024

We 🙏 shall 🙏 overcome.

10/31/2024

Thank you Bishop Curry for your leadership and pastoral care of the Episcopal Church. Enjoy a well deserved retirement.

10/22/2024

I will not be reading Compline tonight.

10/13/2024

07/24/2024

One of the many gifts of my ministry at St Paul's Paterson has been to work with awesome colleagues. Pictured here is my dear friend and a mentor the Reverend Dr. Beth Faulk Glover, and a priest whom I have admired since her time as the associate of Christ Church Ridgewood, The Very Reverend Tracey Lind.
The grace of God has seen to our intersection at St Paul's a place where many clergy have formed their ministries and commitment to the social justice Jesus taught.

07/21/2024

President Joe Biden a true leader and statesman. God bless him now and always. I trust this gratefulnation will honor him.

06/01/2024

I received the Champion of Equality Award from the Hawthorne Pride Alliance in 2022 for Outstanding service in Spirituality. When I was ordained I vowed to respect and secure the dignity of all people. To share and proclaim God's love as modeled by Jesus Christ.

This award hangs prominently in my office as a reminder of the work we are called to do.

Love wins and conquers all. Happy and blessed Pride!

05/30/2024

Almighty God, who sits in the throne judging right: We humbly ask you to bless the courts of justice and the
magistrates in all this land; and give unto them the spirit of wisdom and understanding, that they may discern the truth, and impartially administer the law in the fear of you alone;
through Jesus the one who shall come to be our Judge, your Son our
Brother and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

02/12/2024

SOMETHING TO PONDER
Weekly e-news column

The celebration of Black History Month is underway, and many Christians are focusing on the Season of Lent. The Christmas season just ended and the remnants of outdoor decorations and the poinsettias that filled our churches are now fading as the leaves fall from the plants. The Feast of the Epiphany has almost been forgotten as we struggle to create a new routine that includes interacting with others while maintaining a safe distance to limit our exposure to viruses and other air-borne diseases. The season of Epiphany is being crowded out and forgotten.

The sun has been bright against the blue sky after weeks of gray, sunless, often rainy, days. Seasonable temperatures fill the air with a strong chill that fights with the sun and denies its promise of a warm spring to come. All of this gloom and chill feeds into despair and depression, giving away to feelings of anxiety, fear and abandonment. In all of this Black History month reminds us that we must face the reality of white supremacy and racism.

To many people Black History is all about oppression and the African Slave Trade. However, it is about much more than the despicable and horrific practice of slavery. The culture that was developed by enslaved African people is one of liberation and hope. There is an intricate and beautiful expression of Black Culture in this country found in Negro Spirituals and in the needlework patterns and cloth used for quilting. A long and rich heritage of storytelling and poetry recounts not only the struggles but also the celebrations these enslaved people experienced.

Black History Month also shines the light of the Bethlehem Star on the dark recesses of the insidious practices of racism. The Emancipation Proclamation and the end of the US Civil War did not free people of color in our country from the practice of racism. Freeing slaves without a comprehensive plan of reconciliation and reconstruction has led to more than fifteen decades of increased systemic racism.

Our faith is founded on the gift of freedom and the ability to share that freedom. The gift of Free Will is our choice to exercise. However, when we do not share what God has given us we become brittle and stagnant, whither and cease to live. That is why the Prophet Amos declared; “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream”. (Amos 5.24)

Black History and Epiphany blend well and provide a perfect introduction and transition to the season of Lent. Join with me and others as we live into God’s gift of Compassion, Jesus Christ. Jesus lived with us to deliver us from all injustices and inequalities. He created and modeled for us new hearts and enlarged visions -- seeing the image of God in every person regardless of background, race and ethnicity. Jesus’ message was and is that we are to love others generously as we work to end misunderstanding, racism and injustice, and thereby create communities where all God’s children flourish. Let our Lenten Commitment be to practice and share God’s love in all that we do in the name of Jesus, who loved us to his mortal death and beyond.

01/03/2024

Hello 🔵 It's official. Signed at 7:20am It even came on tv.
Mine really turned blue. Don't forget, the new Facebook rule starts tomorrow (aka... new name META) where they can use your photos. Dont forget the deadline is today!!! I do not give Facebook or any company affiliated with Facebook permission to use my past and future photos, information, messages or posts.
With this statement, I inform Facebook that it is strictly forbidden to publish, copy, distribute or take any other action against me based on this profile and/or its contents. The violation of privacy can be punished by law.
NOTICE: Facebook is now a public entity. All members must publish such a note.
Whoever wants can copy and paste this version. Failure to post a statement at least once will be tacitly allowing the use of your photos, as well as information in profile and status posts.

Hold your finger anywhere in this message and copy will pop up. Click the copy button. Then go to your page, create a new message and put your finger anywhere in the blank field. "Paste" will appear and click Paste.
This will bypass the system....
He who does nothing agrees.

(Better to be safe and post this than be sorry later).I GIVE NO ONE ANY PERMISSION TO USE MY PHOTOS OR INFORMATION Hello 🔵 It's official. Signed at 7:20am It even came on tv.
Mine really turned blue. Don't forget, the new Facebook rule starts tomorrow (aka... new name META) where they can use your photos. Dont forget the deadline is today!!! I do not give Facebook or any company affiliated with Facebook permission to use my past and future photos, information, messages or posts.
With this statement, I inform Facebook that it is strictly forbidden to publish, copy, distribute or take any other action against me based on this profile and/or its contents. The violation of privacy can be punished by law.
NOTICE: Facebook is now a public entity. All members must publish such a note.
Whoever wants can copy and paste this version. Failure to post a statement at least once will be tacitly allowing the use of your photos, as well as information in profile and status posts.

Hold your finger anywhere in this message and copy will pop up. Click the copy button. Then go to your page, create a new message and put your finger anywhere in the blank field. "Paste" will appear and click Paste.
This will bypass the system....
He who does nothing agrees.

(Better to be safe and post this than be sorry later).I GIVE NO ONE ANY PERMISSION TO USE MY PHOTOS OR INFORMATION