“Everybody’s out on the run tonight but there’s no place left to hide” – Bruce Springsteen
I was a student at the University of Buffalo when I first heard BRUCE. New Jersey folks and probably folks around the world know who is being referred to through that simple BRUCE!
I have had the good fortune of seeing him perform numerous times including once with a small group of young people at Asbury Park’s ‘Stone Pony.’ Bruce’s anthem remains, ‘Born to Run.’
As we head into the autumn season of 2024, it’s his song that is resonating with me, both as the pastor of St. Paul’s but also as an individual. We were born to run … not to sit back, not to gather dust, not to withdraw— but to be faith activists in life as long as we can energetically go out into the world using the skills and abilities we are gifted with.
The photo above comes from Kampala Uganda, which has the worst traffic realities I have every seen in my life. But somehow drivers navigate that traffic every day, even though vehicles are inches away from cars, vans, buses, and motorcycles that might be going in a totally different direction.
On November 18th we will celebrate St. Paul’s at our annual Church Conference with our District Superintendent, Rev. Glenn Conaway. We will have a potluck dinner. We will be looking forward while reflecting on our past achievements. But we need people like you… to not only come to the dinner and bring a dish to pass but also to share your vision, to share your ideas, to share your talents, and to share your energy for our church and for God and Christ!
I look back at all that this church has done since I became your pastor. The Ukrainian candles are lit each week because Ukrainians said thank you, St. Paul’s. The medical clinic in Sierra Leone has battery power. People in Kentucky have homes that are more livable than they were before St. Paul’s teams arrived. Hungry people in Gloucester County have been fed, and each year an incredible number of kids have discovered God at our Vacation Bible School! It has taken people with ideas, people willing to step up in leadership roles, and people willing to share some of their time.
We celebrate the church on September 8th with Rally Day! We celebrate the church on November 18th at our Church Conference! What role are you willing to take on to add to the celebrations over the next year? I will be talking more about these challenges on Sundays, but why not be the one who comes to talk with me? We need each one of you to ensure that St. Paul’s is as vital and energetic in 2035 as it is in 2024!