Parish Letter July 18, 2024
Dear Friends of St. Paul’s,
It’s no secret that I am a big fan of Lake Superior. Living next to this great body of water, with its moods and its colors and its secrets and its ice, has been a transformative and deeply spiritual experience for me. I have learned about the changeability of winter, the way in which wind and water can do away with all plans, and the awe that one can only experience when realizing how small one really is. This place is a sacred place where God is more visible and easier to hear for me, and I know for many of you this is also true. This lake is holy to many of us, one of the many ways that the Holy Spirit makes herself known to us.
On the third Sunday in July, our whole community in the Twin Ports celebrates Lake Superior Sunday. This is a secular celebration conceived of and hosted by the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve, which draws attention to our common love of the lake, and our need to preserve, keep, and study it. Over the years, the Episcopal Churches in Duluth have taken to celebrating this day with a special worship service on the lake.
This Sunday, therefore, we will be having our 10 am worship service on the beach! St. Andrew’s on Park Point is hosting a joint service where we will get to worship outside and by the water. Though we had to go indoors last year, the weather is so far looking clear (and not too windy) for this year’s celebration! Music will be shared jointly with St. Andrews and St. Paul’s own Brad Brunfelt and Olivia Morin-Swanson. So please take note:
- This Sunday, our 10 am service will be at St. Andrew’s by the Lake, not St. Paul’s, located on Park Point at 2802 Minnesota Ave, Duluth, MN 55802. The beach is accessible by a small, sandy trail behind the church.
- Please bring a camp chair or blanket to sit comfortably.
- The beach is not accessible for those with limited mobility, so if you need an accessible service, you have two options:
- A group will also be meeting inside St. Andrew’s, which is fully accessible.
- The St. Paul’s 8 am service will be meeting as usual, in the chapel, which is also fully accessible.
- Parking on the Point can be a bit tricky during the summer, so we encourage you to consider this and either carpool from St. Paul’s or arrive early and plan to walk a bit.
- Like we did last year, the sermon will be a time of sharing during which we will invite the congregation, as they feel moved, to come forward and share a thanksgiving for the gift of water. You may want to think about that over the next few days. What is one way in which water has made a significant impact on you? What prayer of thanks would you like to share during worship?
I look forward to this day each year, because I love the opportunity to worship outside and try something new. I hope you’ll join us and show our support for St. Andrew’s! During the service, we will take a special collection for the Seafarer’s Ministry, which helps those who work on the ships in myriad ways. See you on Sunday!
Peace,
Maggie