Four years ago Roxanne Johnson and I led a weekly Lenten study entitled “Becoming Beloved Community.” This was a relatively new term for us at St. John’s but we were guided by the Episcopal Church’s structure for a Lenten study by the same name. We provided weekly readings, videos and centered content from the podcast series…
“I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word.” Prayed during the Ash Wednesday liturgy, these words bid the church enter into Lent’s season. They are both beautiful and…
The season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, on March 2. While our staff and other leaders were busy making plans a few weeks ago, someone jokingly asked, “Can’t we just skip Lent this year?! It feels like we’ve been in Lent for two years straight!” To the extent that Lent is about self-denial –…
Dear members of St. John’s, The weather is improving and Lent is just around the corner! Many of us pay homage to Jesus fasting for forty days in the desert by giving up a particular food. After practicing that ritual myself for many years, I decided to make Lent more of a inspirational practice towards…
No matter where you fall on the Valentine’s Day enthusiasm continuum: binging on chocolates bemoaning the commercialization of a mid February pointless holiday OR extravagantly celebrating the romantic love of your life all decked out in red for the whole world to see- I suspect we all can agree that the Feast of St. Valentine’s has…
No matter where you fall on the Valentine’s Day enthusiasm continuum: binging on chocolates bemoaning the commercialization of a mid February pointless holiday OR extravagantly celebrating the romantic love of your life all decked out in red for the whole world to see- I suspect we all can agree that the Feast of St. Valentine’s has…
A strummin’ summer comin’ your way… In Fall 2021, multiple conversations were taking place about the direction ministries might be headed as St. John’s envisions the future. One idea that came from my dialogue with members of the Strategic Design Team, was a three-year goal for the creation of a school of the arts that…
Several years ago, I helped lead a youth group on a pilgrimage to Greece and Turkey. It was a part of a process these young people went through, which included biblical preparation, learning about what pilgrimage means, and fundraising. Traveling to Greece for pilgrimage meant that we had to take a cruise ship to visit…
As I reflect on the last two years of pandemic impacts on our parish life, it’s the impact on our relationships that I most lament. We’ve managed to figure out how to worship online or outdoors when we need to. We’ve come together to serve neighbors in our community, to bless gardens and plant trees,…
This will be my final newsletter article as your Senior Warden. My term will expire at the end of this month, as will my tenure on the Vestry, and I simply want to say how thankful I am for having this opportunity to serve you and our parish. The past three years have been a…