“I want to walk as a child of the light.” This simple song we sing every Sunday as the children of St. John’s process to Godly Play grounds us and reminds us of Isaiah’s vision of the peaceful kingdom, which states, “and a little child shall lead them.” As we have entered the Season of…
My favorite memories as a child were back to school shopping for new school supplies, new school clothes, and of course the change of the seasons. We are back to a new year at the preschool with 65 students attending. We have 31 families that are new to St. John’s Preschool this year, many of which…
Over the years I have heard hundreds of times that our congregation cares deeply about food security. Our faith in action has made St. John’s known in the community as a church that works to feed the hungry. Historically and currently, our time, treasure and talents support our deep conviction to feed the hungry and…
To mask or not to mask? (This is NOT the only important question.) Since March of 2020 – going on two and a half years now – this has been a major question; but interestingly, I find the current moment the hardest to manage from my position as a decision-maker on these matters for St.…
The power of nature… where God’s creation surrounds us daily… and we are grateful for this world. Nearly three decades ago, a movement extolling the virtues of experiencing the great outdoors emerged from Japan. Shinrin-yoku (translated as “taking in the forest atmosphere”), promoted the therapeutic benefits of truly observing and experiencing the…
We have begun our “Bury the Debt” campaign to pay off our mortgage on the Education Building. We owe approximately $50,000 and we would like for that to be paid off by November 1st so that this account will not have to be considered when formulating next year’s budget! In addition, we are selling…
“What are you looking for?” That is Jesus’s question to his first disciples in John’s Gospel (Jn. 1:38), and that is my question to you, the people of St. John’s: What are you looking for? My focus as curate at St. John’s this year is discipleship — that is, supporting, initiating, and cultivating…
“GO!” has been one of the guiding principles of Outreach at St. John’s over the last several years. The Episcopal Church has a beautiful way to describe the Way of Love practice “GO:” To GO is to “cross boundaries, listen deeply and live like Jesus. He sends us beyond our circles of comfort to witness…
Won’t you be my neighbor? Recognized by generations throughout the world as a question posed by the infamous Fred (Mister) Rogers, this quote came to mind as this Sunday’s Gospel lesson (Luke 10:25-37), shares the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Reading through this lesson, verse 29 poses the question: “And who is my neighbor?” When…
This past Sunday, Bishop Sam preached on the nativity of St. John. His sermon was inspiring; more than once, he referenced the prophetic voice of the people of our beloved church. Celebrating our patron saint is an integral part of our identity. However, as Bishop Sam pointed out, while we tend to think of the…