Welcome to
The Church of St. Paul and Incarnation!
in the Heart of Jersey City
“Remember”
In June of 1982 I convinced my father
and my sister to come with me to the Loew’s Jersey at Journal Square to see Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. I was
determined to not miss the second big screen adventure of Kirk and Spock and
the rest of the crew, and glad to share the experience. (I’m guessing that my
mother was grateful to get a few hours of peace and quiet while the three of us
were out of the house!)
I loved the movie from the very start –
those first familiar notes of the TV theme music – and was swept along by the
story of an enemy from the past seeking revenge on Kirk. In the years since,
I’ve seen Star Trek II many, many
times and have often reflected on its themes of aging and regret, parents (or
parental figures) and children, friendship and sacrifice – themes that have
become only more meaningful as I’ve grown older. But, right after that first
viewing with my father and sister, I could really only think about one thing
(I’m not sure if a 38 year-old movie needs a spoiler alert but consider
yourself warned):
Spock was dead.
The most beloved Star Trek character of them all died a noble death, dying to save
the ship, to save the lives of his friends.
After we left the theater, I remember
walking back to the car feeling very sad about Spock’s death. I enjoyed the
movie but this was pretty shocking, especially for someone who had not yet
experienced the death of a loved one. As the three of us were talking about the
movie, my father said something like, “Well, they did leave the door open if
they want to bring him back.” I must have looked puzzled. My father reminded me
that just before Spock took the steps that led to his death, he placed his hand
on the side of Dr. McCoy’s face and said, “Remember.” It was just a few seconds
and in all the excitement I must have missed it or not realized what it could
possibly mean. As it turned out, my father was right. But, although we would
indeed see Spock again, his death scene always reminds me of the power of
memory.
“Remember.”
Memory is powerful. It can haunt us,
reminding us of old wounds or mistakes made or roads not taken.
Memory can be used to intimidate
people. In recent weeks, there has been a debate about statues honoring
Confederate leaders and soldiers that can be found in many Southern (and,
amazingly enough) even some Northern communities. Most of these statues and
memorials were erected decades after the Civil War, in an attempt by white
people to remember their version of the past and honor their dead, but also to
intimidate and reassert control over formerly enslaved people and their
descendants, part of the decades-long effort to take away the rights and
dignity of Black people.
Memory can also inspire us. Over the
past week, I’ve been moved by the tributes to Representative John Lewis. I’m in
awe of his courage and persistence, from Bloody Sunday on a bridge in Selma in
1965 to serving as the “Conscience of the U.S. Congress” for the past few
decades. One thing I didn’t know is that for several years he attended
Comic-Con and cosplayed not as some fictional superhero but as his younger
self! Wearing the same kind of raincoat and carrying the same kind of backpack
as he did in Selma, he led the children in a march around the convention
center, using memory to teach that superpowers are not needed for heroism. John
Lewis got into “good trouble” his whole life and now his memory inspires us to believe
in our own God-given ability to stand up for justice and truth.
“Remember.”
The power of memory should not be news
for us Christians. We are people of memory. We recall and maybe even imitate
the examples of holy women and men from the past. Most of all, our central act
of community and worship is an act of memory, remembering the Last Supper of
Jesus and his closest followers and friends. Our gathering at the Lord’s Table
(yes, even on Facebook) is such a deep and profound act of remembering that the
usual boundaries between past, present, and future get broken down. At the
Lord’s Table the curtain between heaven and earth is parted and Jesus is as
present with his friends in Jersey City today as he was with his friends in
Jerusalem long ago.
These are hard days, for sure. And, unfortunately,
I am certain that there are more difficult days ahead. So, it’s especially
important to remember our good times, like the afternoon I spent watching Star Trek II with my father and sister.
It’s important that we remember our holy history, remembering the ways that God
has guided us through other tough times. It’s important that we remember that
God calls us in our own day to make some good trouble, doing our part to resist
and defeat injustice and make earth a little more like heaven. It’s important
to remember that it’s natural to be afraid when disease, oppression, and hatred
are on the loose, but life, justice, and love will get the last word. It’s
important to remember that we get a glimpse of that last word at the Lord’s
Table, when we remember and encounter Jesus, who always leads us from death
into new life.
“Remember.”
Prayers:
Please
pray for all those on our parish prayer list, especially Jean, Andy, Angelo, Richard,
Kit, and Anthony.
Please
also remember in your prayers those who have died, and those who grieve their
loss:
Veroni
“Roni” Florento, a volunteer at the Triangle Park Community Center
All of
those who have died as a result of Covid -19.
Supporting Our Church:
We are
aware that, unfortunately, some parishioners have been laid off or furloughed
and others are in danger of losing their jobs. Please know that you are in our
prayers and we are here to help any way we can. In these extremely challenging
economic times, we are especially grateful to those of you who have been able
to keep up with your pledges. You can still mail checks to the church or you
can use online giving. Visit stpaulsjc.org and click on "Online
Giving." We also have a Venmo account. Call the office or email me for
more information.
Worship Schedule:
Monday through Friday: "Church By Phone"
Morning
Prayer, 7:30
Noonday
Prayer, 12:00
Evening
Prayer, 5:30
Call: 201-433-4922 for ore information.
Sunday at 10:00am
Join us
on Facebook Live for a celebration of Holy Eucharist
www.facebook.com/StPaulsJC
First Sunday Parish Get-Together:
You are invited to our monthly parish get-together
on Zoom! Join us on Sunday, August 2, at 1:00 for a chance to catch up with
each other. Here are the details:
Contact Fr. Tom for log-in information.
From the Diocese:
Read
The Voice Online for all the latest news, including words of encouragement
from Bishop Hughes and Summer Regional Zoom calls focusing on our mental health
(our region meets on Thursday, July 30, at 6:00pm.)
https://myemail.constantcontact.com/The-VOICE-Online--Encouragement-from-Bishop-Hughes--Mental-health-focus-for-summer-Regional-Zoom-meetings--Upcoming-ordinations.html?soid=1102692382496&aid=t766WZh2DlA
BIG NEWS from
New Jersey Together!
Over
the last few months, faith and non-profit leaders from across New Jersey, working
with New Jersey Together, have been meeting to talk about this current moment
and the deep racial inequities we see across our state. New Jersey has some of the worst racial
disparities in the country…around wealth, prison population, and more.
THIS
Monday (July 27th), we’ll lay the groundwork for action as 300+
people from across the state come together virtually to ratify a non-partisan
agenda focused on racial equity and criminal justice. We’ll lay the groundwork
for a virtual action in August with 1000+ across the state.
We’re asking at least FIVE of
you from our congregation to be part of our team on July 27. All you need to do
is let Fr. Tom know and register at www.njtogether.org/july27.
COVID-19 Testing
NJ Together
is co-sponsoring FREE Covid-19 testing at Mt. Pisgah AME Church (354 Forrest
Street)
Tuesday, July
28: 10am-3pm
Thursday,
July 30: 1pm-6pm
Pre-registration
is requested: www.njtogether.org/testing
North Porch at
Triangle Park Community Center
As many of
you know, North Porch offers diapers, formula, and other assistance to families
with infants and young children. Since the need continues to grow, North Porch
is asking for financial donations through a GoFundMe campaign. Please consider
supporting this beautiful ministry:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/north-porch-mom-amp-infant-program?utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link-tip&fbclid=IwAR2tibm9cDTU2k9BqFh-dtWMCn77qrsNaNBpNeMh7gcaW_M_reC03IdJpi4
DJ’s Free Market
Subscribe to
the DJ’s Newsletter to stay informed about this exciting new ministry led by
Deacon Jill:
The Arts at St. Paul and Incarnation
The virtual opening
of ASPI’s new show “UpRooted” was a big success! Many thanks to all the members
of the Arts Council, especially Amy Neufeld and Sarah Ibrahim. If you missed
the opening, you can visit the virtual gallery to see the beautiful art:
http://www.aspi-jc.org
Help for Renters and Homeowners:
There
is help available for renters and homeowners suffering because of the pandemic.
One is the website for the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency: www.njhousing.gov. You can also call
1-800-NJ-HOUSE (1-800-654-6873).
Helpful Resources:
State
of New Jersey Covid-19 Information Hub:
https://covid19.nj.gov
The
Diocese of Newark posts Covid-19 resources here:
https://dioceseofnewark.org/covid-19
You can
subscribe to diocesan newsletters here:
https://dioceseofnewark.org/subscribe
The
Episcopal Church has collected Covid-19 resources here:
https://episcopalchurch.org/concerning-covid19
"Habits
of Grace," weekly reflections from Presiding Bishop Michael Curry:
https://episcopalchurch.org/habits-of-grace
The
Church of England has some wonderful prayers and other materials here:
https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/coronavirus-covid-19-liturgy-and-prayer-resources
Fr. Tom's sermons can be found here:
http://tommurphe.blogspot.com