Palm Sunday (March 28): The Blessing of the Palms begins at St. Paul’s at 9:30 a.m. We will process to the square and meet with other churches for the blessing and then process back to St. Paul’s for the remainder of the service.
Maundy Thursday (April 1): Service begins at 7:00 p.m. and will include a sermon, the washing of feet for those who wish to participate, Eucharist, and the stripping of the altar in remembrance of Gethsemane.
Good Friday (April 2): Service begins at 7:00 p.m. and includes the reading of scripture, sermon, the Solemn Collects and prayers for the world, and concludes with communion from the reserved sacrament.
The Great Vigil of Easter (April 3): We will join the regional celebration at St. John’s, Hagerstown at 7:00 p.m.
St. Paul’s Church, Sharpsburg, MD, is a traditional, high-church congregation of 259 members, of whom 85 are active communicants (see full profile here). We seek to call a part-time Rector who will work on average 20 hours per week, including Sunday activities. St. Paul’s requires a leader as church pastor, priest and teacher, who will help us to work together to share the Gospel in our community.  Continued
I knew that the news wouldn’t stay under wraps for very long when I saw Charlie at the Post Office the day after a made the announcement to the congregation. “When will you be leaving town,” he asked, “we’ll be sorry to see you go.” It didn’t take me long to learn that most news in Sharpsburg passes in and out of the post office. It’s our most central meeting place, the one location where you are most likely to see the folks you know. We have enough options to allow people to differ about the best place to buy their morning coffee or to sit down for dinner, but there’s only one place to pick up your mail if you live in town. Rome had its forum, Washington has the Mall and Boston its Common-here in Sharpsburg, we have the Post Office.   Continued
In our Church calendar, the three days prior to the annual observance of the Lord’s Ascension into Heaven we recognize the minor Rogation Days. Rogation comes from the Latin word “rogare” which means “ask. During Rogation season we ask God through ours prayers for a bountiful harvest, a good growing season, a blessing over our planted fields, etc. But there is more to rogation than this Continued
We follow a donkey waving our palm branches. We wash the feet of our neighbors and kiss the cross and wait in darkness for the new flame of Easter. The liturgies of Holy Week are unique in the Christian Year. Their vibrancy and power help us each year to rediscover anew the events of Christ’s passion, death and resurrection, and the saving power of God’s love revealed through them. At Saint Paul’s again this year we have a variety of worship opportunities in Holy Week which help us to engage with the mystery of salvation. Continued
Lent, the forty days of preparation for the Great Feast of Easter, is a time for fasting, prayer and study. We are offering a number of services and programs to help you renew your faith in this important season.
Shrove Tuesday, February 24, will be celebrated at Saint Paul’s with a festive pancake supper from 5:00-7:00. You may also be “shriven” through the Sacrament of Penance by Fr. Mark in the church from 4:30-5:30 and 6:30-7:30.
Lenten Services: Once again, Saint Paul’s will be participating in the Route 34 Community Lenten Services. We will be hosting the Ash Wednesday Eucharist on February 25 at 7:00. The service will include the traditional penitential rite and the imposition of ashes. Continued
Deacon Steve will be convening a Social Ministry Commission in the new year to formulate a strategy for helping us share God’s love with our community and with the needy around the world. The Commission will work according to the pattern used for the Evangelism Commission in 2007 and should produce a three year strategic plan to coincide with Deacon Steve’s tenure at Saint Paul’s.The Commission will study the Biblical and theological mandate for social outreach, assess community needs, interview leaders from parishes with successful programs and develop a list of short and long term goals. It will consider targets for benevolence contributions and hands-on projects to be pursued by different parish groups. The Commission will meet monthly, for a total of four or five sessions. If you are interested in serving on the commission, see Deacon Steve or Father Mark.
Join us for a special celebration of the Feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord on Tuesday, January 6 at 5:30. This feast celebrates the visit of the wise men to the Infant Jesus, and marks the end of the Christmas season. The Eucharist will feature the singing of Epiphany Carols and will use incense, as we recall the gift of frankincense to the Christ Child.
We invite all to join us for our special services during the Christmas season. These include:
Christmas Eve Family Eucharist. This service at 4:00 is designed especially for families with children and will include carol singing, a Christmas story and the blessing of the Christmas Crib
Christmas Eve Festival Eucharist. This Sung Eucharist at 11:00 features music by our choir and will include the Rector’s Christmas sermon.
Christmas Day Eucharist. This simple, traditional service is at 9:00 Christmas morning.
Christmastide Lessons and Carols: This service of Scripture readings and carols is patterned on the service used at King’s College, Cambridge and will include communion from the Reserved Sacrament. January 4 at 10:00
Christmastide Holy Days: The Holy Eucharist will be celebrated at 5:30 on St. Stephen’s Day (12/26), Holy Innocents Day (12/29), the Feast of the Holy Name (1/1) and the Feast of the Epiphany (1/6) and at 4:00 on St. John’s Day (12/27).
Confessions: Father Mark will hear confessions in preparation for the Christmas season from 5:30-6:00 on Christmas Eve and at other times by appointment.
Joseph and Justin Rose have lots of things in common. They are identical twins, to begin with. Both of them are Sharpsburg natives, students at Hagerstown Community College, and both work at the Weis’ in Boonsboro. They’ve both been involved in scouting since the first grade, and have served in most of the same leadership positions and earned many of the same merit badges as they rose up through the many ranks in Troop 51. Continued
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