October2014 epistle

S T . P A U L ’ S E P I S C O P A L C H U R C H • M U R F R E E S B O R O • S T P A U L S M B O R O . O R G

October 2014

“You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” 2 Corinthians 9:11

This issue of The Epistle is filled with amazing testimonials from p a r i s h i o n e r s about how St. Paul’s dramatically changed their lives and the lives of others.

There is even an historical perspective taking us back to our founders and the obvious impact they had on the wider community. Included is a well-written summary of how St. Paul’s budget is structured. Thank you to all who shared their stories.

So why is this important? I read recently that it is important for us to examine our relationships in four dimensions: with God, with ourselves, with one another and with our treasure. This got me to asking a few questions. How am I living out my Baptismal Covenant in my relationships? What role does money play in my relationships, behaviors and decisions?

It’s all about God’s economy. In God’s economy, in all things God works for the good. It’s not that everything we have

James K. Polk Van Zandt Rector

belongs to God – it’s that everything God has belongs to us! We are stewards of those gifts. I absolutely believe in God’s economy. So how does this affect the four relationships mentioned above? It has to do with what the 12-Step communities call an “attitude of gratitude.” It sharpens our focus on what, exactly, God has given us. It gives us moments when we can see with Jesus’ eyes and more clearly recognize the bountiful skills and resources with which God blesses each of us. It’s all a gift, and we discover that by partnering with God.

Stewardship in the broad sense is how we respond to what God is trying to show us and tell us and teach us. Our response can open the door to multiplying our gifts, allowing them to

bear life-giving fruit in the lives of others, in ways we may never be privileged to see. In the words of the old saying, “Stewardship is everything we do after we say ‘I believe.’”

Here at St. Paul’s we are growing in our relationship with God, we are changing people’s lives, but we can do more. Won’t you join me?

Blessings,Polk+

Stewardship Prayer 2015Heavenly Father, giver of all that we have, we praise and bless you for equipping us bountifully that we may participate in your work of creation by sharing your gifts with our neighbors. As you generated life in us, give us generous hearts that through these gifts we may enrich life for them and lead them to sing your praises to the glory of your Name and the unfolding of your Kingdom. We ask this through your Son Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The firewall, a new doorway that will lead from the narthex into the new parish hall, and the shape of the new rear wall of the narthex is visible here.

Building Committee Update October 14, 2014

The Building Committee wanted to update the congregation on the Parish Hall’s progress. To date, the fire wall, the big block wall clearly visible in the back of St. Andrews Chapel, is complete. The next step will be to pour the concrete pad sometime in the next week or so (if the weather holds) and then the steel structure will be erected. This will be a very exciting step.

We continue to meet weekly with the General Contractor to monitor the progress and are still on schedule to be finished by Easter. Please pray for the workers and their safety as they build our new Parish Hall.


Stewardship:A joyful endeavor!

First of all, – thank you! – for all you have done and are doing to bring your individual relationships with Jesus Christ to light with your joyful expressions

of stewardship, past and present.

As the people of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, you are vibrantly present in so many expressions of the gifts of time, talent and treasure. This is a joyful, thankful place to be in 2014!

And, I am totally confident you will continue. And, all will continue to be well.

To me, the foundation of stewardship is the gift of time. Without it, we never ponder, pray, discuss and…..pray some more about our walk with Jesus Christ. And, then, at times, we are moved to act.

I was profoundly reminded of this recently when our Newt Molloy asked for help with a Habitat for Humanity project in La Vergne.

Well, I do not have a heathy list of talents to offer when it comes to house building, but I do have time.

So, the foundation of my gift of stewardship was rolling out of bed early on a beautiful summer Saturday morning and committing a day to help a St. Paul’s friend, a deserving community organization and a very thankful soon-to-be home owner. Joyfully, a dozen other St. Paul’s folks from Ken to Robbie, to Carole to Paul and on and on made the same gift of time that day.

As Bill Emory and I laughed at some of my calking efforts and Newt mused about my lanky frame up on a ladder, it all came back to time. My talents did not make a measurable difference and the topic of money did not come up. But we all gave of our time. It helped, even if ever so slightly. It helped.

As we move toward our annual Stewardship Sunday on Nov. 2, we are going to take time to shine a bright light on your gifts of time and talent that have made everything possible here on East Main Street. Without them, we would not have the firm foundation we enjoy – especially your many gifts of time.

Thanks be to God! And, that’s thanks be to you, and you, and you!

Have ideas for articles about life at St. Paul’s? Photos from a group event? Send them to: [email protected]

Ed Arning

Sa’Mia Mosley, prospective homeowner

The crew


There’s a fire here.“You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.”

And I speak to you in a parable saying, “The kingdom of God is as if a family’s home was destroyed by a tragic fire. Their

hearts beat terribly in their chests racing to see what had become of all their stuff. They wondered how the peace of God seemed to have shrunk and passed miles above their understanding. But you were already there. You were there when you came down the street when you heard the sirens. You were there when you organized meals to be

delivered. You were there when you gave the children toys to play with and spent time with them while parents rushed to find a place to live. You were there when you passed an envelope around. You were there when you bought clothes and delivered them to a small hotel room full of shaky gladness and a burgeoning singleness of broken hearts.”

In case you didn’t know, parables can be a little obtuse sometimes, that was me, my family. Last year our house burned on Thanksgiving Day. The days and weeks following brought an experience of the lavish giving and generosity of God’s people at St. Paul’s that was at times almost embarrassingly over and above what we thought we could take. We learned that the family of St. Paul’s is more than dependable. Through all the changes, some still ongoing, this community, rooted in the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit remains our anchor.

The emerging truth of the parable as I have lived it out for nearly a year now is that really we didn’t need all of our

stuff. And really we didn’t need your stuff, either. I don’t want to sound ungrateful, and I hope the above sentiments can affirm that. But stuff is not the issue. The miracle that happened for us, was that we were all committed at St. Paul’s to experimenting with the Kingdom of God. And the experiment worked, not because we now have stuff again, but because our relationship to our stuff changed. And you had an opportunity to change your relationship to your stuff through giving it away. My new blue jeans will probably have a hole in them soon. Samson and Vera’s toys will get lost or broken. All the fantastic meals and gift cards are eaten and spent. But the certainty of the unfailing grace of

God in our hearts is stronger than ever, because we share the same cup week in and week out with our friends.

Moving away to Sewanee has given me opportunities to introduce myself to new people on almost a daily basis it seems. I have a hard time explaining how we got here without starting with Thanksgiving Day, 2013. When I get to the part about our house burning, the air goes out of the room or at the very least there is an audible sigh or groan. I have to stop right there and say, “No no no, you don’t understand… this is probably the best thing that ever happened to us.” My life story, at least this chapter, somehow begins and ends with Thanksgiving, but there is a fire in the middle. I think that is a pretty good summary of our life together at St. Paul’s, and for that… Thanks be to God.

Charlie McClain


The gift of treasure, along with the gifts of time and talent, is vital to the continuing work of St. Paul’s. These gifts literally keep the lights turned on and the roof over our heads-but they of course do so much more. They provide the resources necessary to properly staff our church and to maintain our facilities. And they provide the means whereby we are able to provide the high quality programming that we enjoy at St. Paul’s.

The 2014 expense budget for St. Paul’s is $924,585, and can be summarized into broad categories as follows: Personnel $544,785 Worship and Spiritual Growth 26,275 Outreach 91,732 Facilities 59,025 Hospitality and Fellowship 12,100 Administration 58,932 Debt Service 131,736

Personnel costs are our largest line item, and include compensation for the Rector, Associate Rector, Organist and Director of Music, Youth Minister, Office Administrator, Administrative Assistant, Children’s Church Coordinator, Nursery Director, Communications Director, sextons and nursery workers. All related expenses-payroll taxes, pension, health insurance and allowances-are included in this category.

Worship and Spiritual Growth includes outlays for our music programming, including guest musicians, the Flower and Altar Guilds, Christian Education curriculum, youth leader and Sunday School teacher training, EFM and other programs.

Outreach includes our giving to the Diocese of Tennessee to support the work of the church. Our contribution to the diocese provides support for the Bishop, the diocesan staff, and major outreach efforts within the diocese, such as Cumberland Mountain Ministries. Our outreach budget also includes grants totaling $15,000 to local not for profit organizations. For 2014 a portion of these funds were provided from resources outside the operating budget.Facilities include the cost of maintenance, utilities, insurance and supplies required to maintain our campus buildings and grounds.

Hospitality and Fellowship includes our pantry expenses as well as the costs associated with a wide variety of activities, such as Pentecost-in-the-Park, Fellowship of Older Friends and Funeral Food Ministry.

Administration includes the costs necessary to run the church office, such as office supplies, postage, copier expense / maintenance and computer maintenance. Also included in this category is the cost of the annual audit, bank fees and communications.

Debt Service includes the cost of principal and interest payments on our outstanding debt.

Parishioner contributions fund approximately 94 cents of every dollar of this year’s operating expenses. Every gift of treasure, no matter the size, matters. It is through our combined gifts that we meet both our needs and our goals.

LearningTo answer how I have been enriched (“supplied abundance of anything desirable”*) by St. Paul’s is not an easy task! I would have to say that it all lies in learning. This doesn’t necessarily mean attending every class taught, but looking at everything going on as a “class”; a lesson. There is so much to see, and so many to learn from, especially by example. My community/family at St. Paul’s is the best gift I have allowed myself to receive! And, the greatest thing I have learned through the strength and courage of St. Paul’s is to not ask “Why”, but instead ask “How”. Turning the “why” into “how” is like turning a negative into a positive. The “how” is the way to following up with enriching/being generous to others, which always results in thanksgiving to God!

How can I pray better? I have seen the wonders prayer does! How can I pray that way? I must remind myself not to consider myself so small that perhaps, in some minute way, I might make a difference/enrich the life of another. How can I do that? Prayer!! Learning to Hear! Learning to Listen! Learning to Look! Learning to See! Learning to Act! Learning to remember to give thanksgiving to God for life…and St. Paul’s!

Mary Probert

*The Random House College Dictionary, 1st Edition

The Gift of Treasure


Finding a home.I was a church shopper for most of my life. Neither parent was particularly excited about the thought of compromising a sleep-in Sunday morning, so we went when we had to go. That meant I had a light understanding of what Presbyterian, Southern Baptist, Church of Christ and Methodist services were like, but they all seemed a little lacking. I did not have a place I wanted to build my spiritual house. When I moved to the Big City for fame and fortune, I decided to make the biggest church building in town my church – it just happened to be Episcopal. What I discovered was that exalted space had a surprisingly small, struggling congregation. They did what they could, but it was hard to keep up. I also found that the middle way offered by Anglicanism had a deep resonance for me. I was baptized in

that big church. Pouring water over my head was pouring the concrete for the spiritual foundation I wanted so dearly. Without a good bit of fortune, one does not stay in the Big City very long. I came back to Murfreesboro and went straight to St. Paul’s. Here I found a small church building with a spiritually active congregation. They asked the tough questions, worked together, and sought the best for everyone’s spiritual life. Soon that small church building added a larger, inviting nave, which was regularly filled with a vibrant spirit. On Sundays, you will generally find me in the choir. I like singing bass because I get to sit on the back row and rest my head on the wall. It might look like nap time, but it is really a time of utter comfort. Within those sturdy walls and strong rafters I have found a nurturing family and a center for my spiritual life. I have found home.

Mason Smith

teaching careers. Family needs brought us back home to Tennessee, so we retired here. We attended several area churches including St. Paul’s over the

first five years we were here, but last year we joined St. Paul’s and have been regular church goers since. Why St. Paul’s? We truly respect and enjoy the job Polk and Colin do, including the willingness to allow many voices to be heard on sermons. This is our second year in Pilgrimage, and David Rowe and Joyce Adkins have helped us grow in our understanding and application of our faith more than we can truly describe. Angela Tipps is simply the bomb, leading an amazing choir and producing an environment that inspires us spiritually and motivates us to be in our pew early! There is a welcoming attitude at St. Paul’s that allows each of us to feel our faith journey is accepted and appreciated.

Rick and Pam Burcham

Pam and I moved to Murfreesboro in the summer of 2008. We had been teaching Army kids on a base in Heidelberg, Germany for the final 6 years of 30+

Feeling Welcome


My journey through life has had its twists and turns--- as it does for each and every one of us; St. Paul’s is a thread that thankfully I reached out and grasped again.

I was so fortunate and blessed to have moved to and grown up, during my formative years, in such a special and lovely town as Murfreesboro, Tennessee. St. Paul’s was a special place then, as it is now, and is truly a haven and repository of love and faith. I made lifelong friends, as did my family, at St. Paul’s; the church was a foundation for me during that time. I consider those friends as family to this day.

When I was living away for over 20 years, starting my career in Nashville in nursing, I did not attend any Church on a regular basis. I attended with friends on occasion but did not get involved per se--telling myself that as a RN, I was ministering to the sick or too busy when the weekend was upon me. After I met Joe and was

ready for marriage---Joe and I chose St. Paul’s. We came and met regularly with Gene Wise, and this October we will be celebrating our 20th Anniversary! We knew how fortunate we were to have such a special place to make our vows and to start our life together---and Gene was so gracious and wise in preparing us for this major step.

After several years of marriage, Joe agreed to move with me back to my “hometown” of Murfreesboro after family needs were upon us and our lives took major turns - career changes, major family illnesses etc.

On his own—Joe chose to embrace St. Paul’s and after attending Pilgrimage, went to Cursillo and has found his strength through his Episcopal Faith. I chose another path---of retreat, anger and yes—loss of faith. As a nurse, I know you cannot help someone who does not want to help themselves.

St. Paul’s has been a lifeline for me, bringing me back to an active, full life after a fugue state. I liken it to a fog, years of depression that I experienced after normal life events; events that I, looking back, should have handled better. I lived a reactive and not proactive life for several years, only going through the motions. My deepest thanks to each and every one at St. Paul’s who has been a beacon of light for me!

Kathy Reeves

St. Paul’s in my life.

Like us and share events and photos with your friends.


Hodge was the first person confirmed at St. Paul’s. And Mary Noailles Murfree was one of the two sisters who lead

the fundraising effort to build what is today the chapel. She was one of the best-known “local color” writers of the early 20th century, publishing under the name Charles Craddock because it was thought improper for a woman to write and speak in public. The windows affirm St. Paul’s teaching in 2 Corinthians 9:11 that giving not only blesses the giver but inspires thanks to God and builds faith in the recipients. For decades the people of St. Paul’s have worshipped God and been strengthened for service by their generosity. Now we get to inspire those who come after us, not only by preserving and enhancing these gifts to us but sacrificing so others can be led to praise God as well. What a great way to pay it forward.

Historic windows get faceliftDavid Rowe

Construction of the new fellowship hall has suddenly focused our attention on St. Andrew’s Chapel, the original church building. Preparing to add the new firewall directly behind the chapel raised concerns about the safety of the three windows that have beautified the “east” end of the church since 1929. What if a concrete block were to fall through them? And, how are we going to backlight the windows once the solid firewall is in place? Emmanuel Stained Glass Studios of Nashville, who designed and produced the windows in our current worship space, provided the

solution. They have removed the panels temporarily and will clean them and make any necessary repairs. Once the firewall is complete, they will put the windows back but with hinges on the frames so they can be opened to easily replace bulbs that will backlight them. Three families gave these windows in 1929 to honor church founders and to remind us always of their legacy of sacrifice and service. Tempe Darrow’s family that spearheaded creation of the congregation donated one of these windows (George Darrow served as Treasurer of the Diocese of Tennessee from 1896 to 1927 and is memorialized in the brass lectern). Samuel Henry

Mary Noailles Murfree

A worker removes the windows behind the chapel altar to clean,repair and protect them during construction.


The mission of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church is to worship God and to bring all into a loving relationship with Jesus Christ.

116 North Academy StreetMurfreesboro, Tennessee 37130stpaulsmboro.org

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Anglican Heritage Tour of EnglandMay 1-10, 2015

Have you ever wanted to eat fish and chips in an English pub? Experience a real English high tea? Watch red-coated troops marching at a royal palace? Contemplate the mysteries of Stonehenge? Attend a high choral eucharist at Canterbury Cathedral? And do all this in the company of old friends and fellow Anglicans? Well, now’s your chance.

David Rowe and Joyce Adkins, who have led the Pilgrimage Program at St. Paul’s for many years, will be the tour leaders, shepherding the flock and doing some teaching along the way. Our tour company, Worldwide Pilgrimages, will provide a tour guide, and we’ll enjoy the company of specialized guides at important sites.

The cost of the trip will be $4225 per person for double occupancy. This includes round trip airfare from Nashville to Heathrow, London. All breakfasts and most dinners are included. Additional costs will be lunches, three dinners, and tips for the tour guide and bus driver.

We will be staying at two quintessentially English hotels, the Howfield Manor in Canterbury http://www.howfieldcanterbury.co.uk/ and the Red Lion in Salisbury www.the-redlion.co.uk, Our London hotel is the Marriott Hotel West India Quay that earns a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars http://www.marriott.co.uk/hotels/travel/loncw-london-marriott-hotel-west-india-quay/. Have a look. Brochures are available on the bulletin board in the Nursery. Come with us for a trip of a lifetime.

If you have questions, please ask David Rowe ([email protected], 631-1088).

October2014 epistle

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