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It’s getting colder, and quite a few snowflakes fell in the Quad Cities on Sunday. Christmas carols are beginning to play in homes and cars, shops and offices. We all know people who prefer to hear absolutely no Christmas music before Thanksgiving. S…
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“Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” This is what Jesus says in John 6, the day after he has fed the multitude, when a crowd comes after him looking for more to…
One of the simple gifts given to each person – infant through adult – baptized at St. Paul is a handmade baptismal napkin created from linen. On Thursday, Nov. 16, artists Sheila Mesick and Terre Klipsch will lead a drop-in workshop from 3-6 p.m. at…
The tapestry of God’s love is deep and richly colored. At St. Paul, we embrace how each strand God twists and winds together helps us move toward a kinder, generous, and just world. On Joy Weekend, Nov. 11-12, come and be wrapped with goodness and gr…
One night, Ashanti Kolwey had a dream about helping a teacher at her school who is fighting a really difficult battle with cancer. A fifth-grader at Walcott Elementary, Ashanti had never had Renee Sinksen for a teacher, but her friends did, and she k…
Editor’s note: The Quad-City Times and Dispatch-Argus recently ran versions of these words from St. Paul member Paul Olsen. He is a professor and coach at Augustana College. The recent massacre in Las Vegas took me back to an October Saturday long ag…
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Over the years, I’ve acquired a collection of bibles. Not really on purpose. And yet there must be close to 30 or so that sit on the shelves in my office. Some received as gifts, others purchased to use with preschoolers or our confirmation class. Ea…
Tom Gjelten, an NPR News reporter who covers issues of religion, faith, and belief is St. Paul’s 2017 Faith & Life Series speaker. On Sunday, Nov. 12, 10:45 a.m. and 4 p.m., Gjelten will present at St. Paul. Every fall, the church brings individu…
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On Saturday morning, four St. Paul women traveled by church van to Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Their cargo was 100 school kits, bound for children worldwide. For the past three months, women of the congregation have decorated and packaged school supplies in…
The Open Spirit Ensemble, which leads contemporary worship each week at the 11:45 a.m. service, will celebrate 10 years of helping people connect with God. A concert will be held on Sunday, Nov. 5, at 6:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary. The group, led by Bil…
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In preparation for this coming weekend, a member of our communication team asked me for my favorite Martin Luther quotes. We will be commemorating the 500th Anniversary of the day the Luther, a monk in Germany, nailed 95 Theses to his town’s church d…
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I didn’t sleep well last night. Monkey mind was in high gear, swinging from branch to branch, project to project, and person to person. I’m grateful we’ve evolved past most primate behaviors, though I wish monkey mind would disappear into oblivion. I…