Genesis 1:1-5 In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw that the […]
The services of worship we use are very few: Eucharist, Morning & Evening Prayer, Compline, Marriage, Burial, Ordination. These are ancient rites whose forms have stood the test of sanctity over long expanses of time because of the meaning they convey. Their meanings are only experienced by those who participate in them and are […]
During Advent, the Rector’s Forum is discussing holiday movies. Last week we shared our favorite lines from It’s a Wonderful Life. One of the participants emailed me and shared this as the most impactful line, “Each man’s life touches so many others.” Just as this line is important for others, I am mindful and moved […]
Advent and Our Liturgy As many of you know, I have been conducting a class during the Fall called “Liturgy: The Work of the People.” The choice of that topic was not arbitrary. I thought it was important to have an adult formation class focus on the service of Holy Eucharist Rite II for […]
Recently, I have been spending more and more time with individual church members and their families. Sarah has joined me for a few of these conversations. In any year other than 2020, we would have hosted larger gatherings as a way of getting to know one another. However, to be as safe as possible such […]
As we have settled in our new home, we are learning all the nuances that come with such transition. We are discovering which light switches operate which lights, which keys go to which door and which rooms run hot and which rooms run cold. In other words, lots of everyday experiences still feel new with […]
“We have a God-given commission, but it is not a commission to be self-righteous know-it-alls- quite the contrary. Our work in God’s world begins with the acknowledgment that we are not God, and that our most bitter rivals are made in God’s image. “ Senator John C. Danforth John Danforth was a United States Senator […]
Friends, On All Saints’ Sunday, November 1, we will begin offering services of Holy Eucharist; Rite 1 at 7:30 AM and Rite II at 10:30 AM. In order to do so as safely as possible, we are following: Guidelines from the Bishop Guidelines from the CDC Guidelines from local public health officials Advice from […]
St. John’s has been my home for almost eighteen years now. I have gone from Sunday morning daycare as a baby all the way up to EYC (Episcopal Youth Community) as a senior in high school and I have loved every second of it. St. John’s, and the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama as a whole, […]
Dear Friends and Parishioners of St John’s, As your Junior Warden, I cannot tell you how excited and energized I am regarding this year’s Stewardship Campaign. We all truly have been and are in “unchartered waters” in all aspects of our daily lives due to the Covid-Sars pandemic. Every day routine tasks including worshipping and […]