After waking New Year’s Day to the news of a deadly terrorist attack in the city of New Orleans and then a second less “successful” attack on the Trump hotel in Las Vegas later in the day, a sense of dread overtook me for a moment, I won’t lie. But many faithful people have…
Well, my sabbatical time is fast approaching, and I am so grateful that our Episcopal Churches make this a priority for their clergy, and that St. John’s has made it a priority, too, by “saving up” over the last several years and inviting special gifts from all of you. While the church as an institution…
As you likely know by now, starting Oct 1 we have a few big changes coming to our weekly Sunday morning schedule: First, our weekly Sunday School program at St. John’s (using the Godly Play curriculum during the 9:30 am church service) will go on hiatus for a year so we may experiment with a different…
The Rev. Philip Zoutendam, Associate Rector and The Rev. Sarah Phelps, Rector First, a message from Fr. Philip: Dear beloved people of St. John’s, I have some bittersweet news, and I’m sorry that the bitter part will inevitably come as a shock. I’ll be moving to New Jersey this fall to follow my wife,…
We’re moving………..the choir pews 😊 Have you noticed how many individuals are sharing their musical talents with the Cantate Vocal Choir at our 9:30 AM Eucharist? The choir pews are filling up and the time it takes us to gather up by the keyboard and altar rail has increased and the risk of choir members…
I am back at St. John’s after 2 ½ weeks of vacation and I’m feeling exceedingly grateful: Grateful for the extended rest and time with friends and family while on vacation; grateful for our Associate “Rev. Drs.”, Lorraine and Jim, who are always so supportive and willing to serve when asked; grateful for Lois Sauer,…
It’s graduation season, and there are signs of celebration all around! There are balloons and flowers, candy bouquets and class parties, yard signs and yearbooks, and caps and gowns as far as the eye can see. Social media platforms are exploding with pictures of little ones now all grown up and moving from one level…
I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent… (p 265, Book of Common Prayer) Next Wednesday, the priests presiding at our Ash Wednesday services will say these words as they have been said for centuries in the liturgical branches of the Christian Church. My hope this…
Priests, I think, are not supposed to have favorite scripture passages or liturgical seasons, kind of like you’re not supposed to have a favorite child. But I do. Advent is my favorite season, and the scripture passages we read in Advent are among the ones I treasure most in all of scripture. (There. You’ve heard…
As Fall settles in, we move from a focus on Creation Season at St. John’s (celebrating God’s gift of Creation and God’s call to steward it well), to a season of reflection on other dimensions of stewardship: First, discerning how we might best serve God and neighbor with our time, and our talents, and our…