I recently spent a long weekend camping with my son on a remote beach at Cape Lookout National Seashore. Beyond the priceless time I spent with him and some excellent surf fishing, one of the things I will remember most from this trip was the opportunity to see the Milky Way. I cannot recall the…
I am so pleased and thankful to have Fr. Stephen Mazingo joining our staff part-time as Sr. Associate for Family Ministries at the end of this month. (He’ll be ¼ time through Nov/Dec, then goes ½ time in January.) While some internet issues interrupted our “Meet and Greet” with Stephen this week, those who attended…
Growing up in a predominantly first generation Irish and Italian Catholic neighborhood outside of Philadelphia, Christopher Columbus Day was celebrated in my parochial school and the Columbus Day parade was televised on our local TV stations. I loved this holiday that corresponded with my birthday because it meant an extra long weekend! Then I earned a…
Our Season of Stewardship Camille Stell, Stewardship Committee Stewardship is an ethic or a moral principle that guides our behavior. In the Christian tradition, stewardship manifests itself in the way we use our time, talents, and material possessions for serving God. At St. John’s, we are entering our Stewardship Season. Our Walk in Love stewardship…
I recall that in one of my earlier articles last spring, I mentioned that one of the things I really missed during Covid was hearing the “squeals of children laughing and playing” and the observation that “young children are such exuberant learners and always in awe of the many gifts from God”. Well, they are…
As we approach this Labor Day weekend, I’ve had some interesting thoughts pop into my mind. A quick search on Wikipedia tells me that the first Monday in September was designated as a Federal holiday in 1894, to “honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development…
Well, we had a brief moment this summer when it seemed life might return to some version of pre-pandemic normal – at least for those who are vaccinated and not seriously immuno-compromised. But sadly, with case numbers rising rapidly once again, that moment appears to be passing. At this point, our diocese has reinstituted an…
In a few weeks, St. John’s will have our second PRAYground service. PRAYground is a monthly worship service for all ages, and it will be an essential part of our worship and formation life together this fall. The concept is simple: to host a time of fellowship and outreach, concluded with the Eucharist. In July,…
In my last column, I shared that the Vestry would be working to identify candidates willing to serve on the “Strategic Design Team” that will lead the Ministry Architects report implementation process. Today, I am thrilled to announce that this group has been named and will soon begin its important task. In addition to Mo.…
“Christians Taking Seriously What Jesus Took Seriously” On Saturday evening over 200 people gathered at Wellington Mobile Home Park to listen to the stories of and show support for the residents there who face losing their homes in the impending sale of the land their mobile homes are on. Residents diverse in age, ethnicity and…