Becoming Flame

There is a story from The Sayings of the Desert Fathers that has stuck with me over the course of my spiritual journey...

"Abba Lot went to see Abba Joseph and said to him, 'Abba, as far as I can I say my little office, I fast a little, I pray and meditate, I live in peace and as far as I can, I purify my thoughts. What else can I do?' Then the old man stood up and stretched his hands

towards heaven. His fingers became like ten lamps of fire and he said to him, 'If you will, you can become all flame.'"

The story is a reminder to me that there is much to faith that exists beyond our rites and rituals and disciplines. If you know how much I love liturgy, then you know that I'm making a pretty bold claim when I write that.

The story is also a reminder to me that we should not settle in how we live out our faith. We are always called forward by the Holy Spirit to deepen our walk with the risen Christ. God loves us as we are, and celebrates each step forward we take...but is never satisfied with where we are. That same stirring in the heart of Abba Lot, "What else can I do?", stirs in our hearts as well, when we quiet ourselves enough to hear it.

So do not settle for where you are on your faith journey, my friends. Listen to that stirring in your heart, that whisper - 'What else can I do?'. If you let yourself, you can become on fire for the Gospel - a source of heat and light that blazes like a beacon in the world to those around you. If you will, you can become all flame!

[translated by Benedicta Ward ; foreword by Metropolitan Anthony. (1975). The Sayings of the Desert Fathers : the alphabetical collection. London : Kalamazoo, Mich. :A. R. Mowbray ; Cistercian Publications,]

Our Newest Ministry: a Little Free Pantry

Living in a town like Southington, many of us can easily forget about food insecurity. Although many of our neighbors struggle to make ends meet, access to food feels like a “given” for many others.

Yet, food insecurity is an ever-present reality for too many in our town. In Connecticut, the percent of school-age children who qualify for free or reduced-price lunches grew from 25.4% in 2001 to 37.9% in 2015. Experts say that these numbers are almost certainly worse due to the financial crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Southington has many services addressing food insecurity. Bread for Life offers hot lunches six days a week and take-home bags for dinner, family dinners on Wednesday evenings, meal deliveries, food pantries, and snacks and meals for schoolchildren. Southington Community Services stocks a food pantry, where we at St. Paul’s have adopted a shelf.

In July, St. Paul’s launched our own addition to these services: a Little Free Pantry. Like the Little Free Libraries, people leave and take donated food whenever they want. Our pantry is open 24/7 to everyone! More information about the pantry is available here.

Ceremony to install the Little Free Pantry at St. Paul's

On Tuesday evening this week, we celebrated this new ministry with Bishop Laura Ahrens and Maggie Breen, North Central Region Missionary. It was a blessing to be together with them to recognize the ongoing need for food access in our area.

Our church’s driveway is already a prominent turnaround point in town. Now, people turning around can also quickly drop off a donation or pick up one of the provisions already in the pantry.

Please spread the news that our pantry is open for business. There are no requirements people need to fulfill before using it. That’s why the motto is, “Give what you can, take what you need.” This week, I'm offering this prayer:

Almighty God, we thank you that you have put it into the hearts of your people to make offerings for your service. Be with us now as we set apart this Little Free Pantry to your praise and glory. Bless all who provide for this pantry, and all who are fed by it. We pray this will be a sign of the nurturing of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

St. Paul: Man of Mystery!

St. Paul might seem bookish, workmanlike, and no fun at parties. But the truth is that there are several mysteries swirling around this most well known apostle. For instance, what WAS the thorn in his flesh that he prattles on about in 2 Corinthians?

Today, however, we consider another mystery: did Paul go to Spain? He announced his intention to do so in his Letter to the Romans. Yet the Book of Acts finishes with Paul in a house in Rome, receiving guests for two years (Chapter 28).

So he didn't go to Spain, right? Well, not so fast. Some early sources suggest that Paul did, in fact, make it to Spain. For example, Pope Clement I, in his letter to the Corinthians around the year 96, notes that Paul went "to the extreme limit of the west".

Perhaps most mysteriously, in 1871 a 29th chapter of Acts surfaced, which details Paul's trip to not only Spain, but Britain as well. Curious about what it says? Read the attached PDF! But reader beware...it is most likely a modern fraud. :)

Long Lost Chapter of the Acts of the Apo.

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