Sundays at 10 am · Details

  36 New Canaan Rd., Wilton, CT 06897  ·   (203) 762-7400  ·       Give

St. Matthew's Episcopal Church
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Pub Theology Questions - September!

Join us for Pub Theology on Wednesday (9/18) at 7pm. We'll be at Marly's (101 Old Ridgefield Road).

Here are the questions, each one with a quote from the book:

1) “Paradise is not a place that awaits our arrival but a present we arrive at.” Jesus said over and over again the Kingdom of God is at hand. Where have you found holiness in the ordinary?

2) "See how they love one another.” Not a bad gauge of health. “There was no needy person among them.” A better metric would be hard to find. There is one line that stopped me in my tracks: “And awe came upon everyone.” It would seem that, quite possibly, the ultimate measure of health in any community might well reside in our ability to stand in awe at what folks have to carry rather than in judgment at how they carry it.” How do you think we stand in awe instead of judgement? Can you talk about a time when your judgement proved to be wrong?

3) “Human beings are settlers, but not in the pioneer sense. It is our human occupational hazard to settle for little. We settle for purity and piety when we are being invited to an exquisite holiness. We settle for the fear-driven when love longs to be our engine. We settle for a puny, vindictive God when we are being nudged always closer to this wildly inclusive, larger-than-any-life God. We allow our sense of God to atrophy. We settle for the illusion of separation when we are endlessly asked to enter into kinship with all.” Where have you felt kinship in your own life? What story stood out to you/touched you the most? In your own life where do you think you could find more kinship?

4) “But because I’ve had to bury so many kids — 183 kids, and kids I loved and kids I knew, and killed by kids I loved — boy, if death is the worst thing that can happen to you, brace yourself, because you will be toppled. And the trick is not to be toppled. The trick is to compile a list of all of the fates that are worse than death, but also compile the list of all the things — and so numerous to list — all the things that are more powerful than death. That’s what Jesus did; Jesus sort of put death in its place.” What does it mean to ‘put death in its place’? What things are more powerful than death?

5) “But I also feel like in the end, it is about imitating the kind of — trying to imitate the kind of God you believe in. And it’s natural for us to push back on that. But the truth is, we’re so used to a God — a one-false-move God, and so we’re not really accustomed to the no-matter-whatness of God, to the God who’s just plain-old too busy loving us to be disappointed in us. And that is, I think, the hardest thing to believe, but everybody in this space knows it’s the truest thing you can say about God.” What does it look like to imitate God?



Need a little help and inspiration? Take a look at the reflections our parishioners wrote over the summer in response to the book! Click here and scroll down to take a look.


Never been to Pub Theology before? That's okay! Here's how it works...

This is a special edition of Pub Theology! This time, we're talking about our summer read, Barking to the Choir. What hasn't changed is that the questions invite us to reflect on who God is and how God works in our lives and in the world. You will sit in small-ish groups to have a conversation and answer the questions until about 8pm. You can order snacks, or dinner, or anything else you'd like.

The one "rule" of Pub Theology is that you tell a real story and then make room for someone else's real story. Meaning, share something that matters to you, and then make enough room in the conversation for others to share, too. The questions are always intentionally designed so there are no right or wrong answers. And as long as we're telling our own stories, it is always okay if we disagree. It's the sharing of the story that matters. So, tell a real story. And let everyone else's story be told, too. Something special happens between us when we share our stories.

Then, stay after 8pm and socialize if you want to!

Come as you are. All are welcome.

Tags: Adult Formation / Calendar

Sermons

  • May 29 | The Rev. Marissa S. Rohrbach
    The Last Sunday of Easter.
  • May 15 | Meg Stapleton Smith
    The Fifth Sunday of Easter.
  • May 1 | The Rev. Marissa S. Rohrbach
    The Third Sunday of Easter.
  • Apr 17 | The Rev. Marissa S. Rohrbach
    Easter Sunday, April 17, 2022.
  • Apr 14 | The Rev. Marissa S. Rohrbach
    Maundy Thursday.


St. Matthew's Episcopal Church
36 New Canaan Rd., Wilton, CT 06897
(203) 762-7400

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Service Times

Sundays at 10 am

Holy Eucharist Rite II
Church School & Nursery Care during worship


Location

St. Matthew's Episcopal Church
36 New Canaan Rd.
Wilton, CT 06897

Contact Us
(203) 762-7400

Newsletter Signup

Visit What to Expect Service Times Getting Here

St Matthew’s is a community of disciples and we are on a journey together. We are called to participate in God’s mission. We learn and dream, worship and pray, laugh, cry and serve together. St. Matt’s is a place where we learn about God and learn to be disciples. It’s a place to call home. A place to belong. Wherever you are on your spiritual journey, you are welcome.

As you reach the doors to St. Matthew’s Church you will be greeted by a member of our church. Feel free to ask questions and sign in at our Visitors Book located on your left side just past the name tag table. You will be handed a bulletin as you walk into the sanctuary so you can fully participate in the service if you want. Come as you are! No dress code required.

If you need childcare services, please ask your Greeter for direction.

Sundays at 8:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite II
A quiet, informal service held around the Altar

Sundays at 10:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite II with choir & organ (September–June)
Church School & Nursery Care during worship

Summer (July and August): Sundays at 10:00 am (click here for details)

Learn More

We are located at 36 New Canaan Road in Wilton. After you park your car, walk ahead through the walkway to the courtyard, and we our sanctuary is located on the left side of the complex.

Our parish office is located in the middle building connecting St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church and Wilton Presbyterian Church, and you can enter through the door marked Parish Office in the courtyard.

Directions
Stewardship Pledge Flowers Endowment/Planned Giving Rector's Discretionary Fund

“For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you” (1 Chronicles 29:14, NRSV)

Many Episcopalians know this line of scripture because we say it in our Eucharistic liturgy every week. It reflects our deepest understanding of thanksgiving and stewardship - God gives us everything! When we give to God, others, and the church, we are really giving back what is originally a gift from God. We are all stewards of the resources, abilities, and opportunities that God has entrusted to our care, and s caretakers of these gifts, we support our church and God’s mission by using our time, our skills, and our financial resources.

Donate Now Learn More about Giving

A pledge is a spiritual promise, a commitment to the life of a faith community, a commitment to which God calls each one of us. Pledges help with orderly financial planning and they make possible all the programming and fellowship that we enjoy together, including: children’s and youth ministries, music, building operations and maintenance, clergy and staff compensation, mission engagement, fellowship, and much more. YOU are the heart of St. Matthew's. Your generous gift makes all of our programming possible.

Make a Pledge Pay 2021 Pledge Pay 2022 Pledge

It is the tradition of St. Matthew’s to use fresh flowers at our altar every Sunday for worship as well as other special occasions. Prepared by our Flower Guild, you may sponsor the flowers on a date of your choosing in memory of a loved one, in thanksgiving, or other purpose for a suggested donation of $75. Those named in memory or in thanksgiving are also included in the prayers of the people on that Sunday. Following worship, our Petal Pushers deliver the flowers to members or friends of St. Matthew’s, bringing our prayers from our altar to their home.

Flower Donations

Healthy and vibrant future ministries at St. Matthew’s will be built upon the legacies we leave today. Many of our Episcopal institutions exist because past generations cared so much about the future of the Episcopal Church and expressed their caring by creating planned gifts. Planned giving is a ministry that is vital because it can help ensure the future of our church, but also because it offers you the opportunity to make a final testament about the importance of your Christian faith. Find some ideas how you might give from the Episcopal Church Foundation.

Title III, Canon 9, Section 6(b6), of the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church (2015) is generally interpreted to mean that, at a minimum of one Sunday a month, the loose offering at the Holy Eucharist is designated for the clergy discretionary fund. Congregations may wish to set aside a budgeted amount for the discretionary fund in addition to or as a substitute for the above method. Congregations may designate that all fees or gifts received for weddings, funerals, and baptisms are contributed to the discretionary fund. Individuals may also contribute to the fund with occasional gifts.

Rector Discretionary Fund