Labor Day Weekend - Rector's Rambling for August 31, 2025

As August comes to a
close we look back at a month full of fun and wonderful ‘extras’, including two wedding anniversary celebrations, two baptsims, and a guest celebrant and preacher who grew up at St. John’s but until this past month hadn’t have the opportunity to say Mass at our altar where his vocation to the priesthood was awaked under the tutelage of Fr. Thomas Frisby.  Each of these occasions brought many guests to worship with us at a time when many of us were away on vacation and attendance is usually at it’s lowest for the year.

St. John’s is in a prominent location.  We are easily recognized in reference - “the corner of Woodward and I-75 next to Comerica Park and across from Hockeytown Café”. We are very recognizable to those who come downtown or drive by on the freeway.  They know the building, but  are less likely to know the name of the Church since they glance at us in passing as they head to the ballpark, stadium, arena, or theatres. 

One of the projects the vestry has been working on this spring and summer has been to improve the signage, to put a name in people’s heads when we are refenced in conversation. 

We now have our two halo-backlit  St. John’s installed on the Burton Ministry Center.  This is a remarkable addition!  People walking or driving on Montcalm Avenue to the south cannot miss the name of the church.  The north side sign is visible from the freeway and the housing on the other side. 

The updated historic sign in the front of the Church has been installed and a replacement “St. John’s Chapel” entrance sign has arrived and will be installed shortly. 

There are three more signage upgrades to come soon.  On the Fisher Freeway Service Drive side a sign will be installed with the name and our service times for those walking toward the stadium or from the arena toward parking.  Over the tower door will be another St. John’s sign prominently visible for those on the Service Drive or walking on Woodward.  The large electronic pedestal sign will be removed for 2 weeks, repainted, and re-installed with an upgraded electronic screen.

Of course, the most important part of a visibility project is getting the parishioners to share their love for St. John’s with friends, family, and strangers. Folks will know the building and will know the name - your invitation may be how our Lord is bringing them into His fold.

  

St. Bart's Day Baptisms and Wedding Anniversary - Rector's Rambling for August 24, 2025

     Today we celebrate 50 years of marriage for Ralph and Sarah Babcock, and new life in Jesus Christ for Charlie and Leo!  What a great day at St. John’s! 

In 1975 Ralph and Sarah stood before God and in front of Sarah’s dad, Fr. Thomas Frisby (11th Rector of St. John’s) and promised to love, comfort, honor, and keep each other in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others keep only to each other as long as they both shall live.  50 years of this promise kept with prayer for many more years!  And yes, Dr. Huw Lewis was the recently appointed organist of St. John’s playing that day!

Leo and Charlie are making their official beginning.  Baptism is most generally appreciated as the gateway to membership in the Church.  It is the outward public statement that you belong in this group of believers that claims Jesus Christ as Lord.  It is public in the sense that in the last generation or two the Church has reclaimed the ancient practice of having baptism done either during, or immediately proceeding, the primary worship gathering of the community.  The baptism service is a public statement that this child (through their sponsors) or adult is making promises in a community.  The community witnesses the promises and itself promises support to the newly baptized.  In the case of infants and young children the parents and godparents promise to be sure the children “learn the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Ten Commandments, and all other things which a Christian ought to know and believe to his soul’s health”.  And not only the parents and sponsors, but all in attendance at the baptism do their part in prayer, fellowship, and support of the Sunday School ministry of the parish.

But something deeper than a public affirmation of belief occurs in the waters of baptism.  We are all born into the Body of Adam and therefore are inheritors of sin and death (known as birth sin or original sin).

But by the grace of the Sacrament of Baptism we are BORN AGAIN of water and the Holy Spirit; we are taken out of the body of Adam and grafted into the Body of Christ.  This is called Baptismal Regeneration.  More than just a public promise or membership ritual, it is God changing people!  And changed we are!

By the end of this day, 7402 people will have been baptised at St. John’s.  Ralph and Sarah were marriage number 3199 at St. John’s, and we have marriages 3451 and 3452 scheduled in the coming weeks. Thanks be to God!

 

Anglican Office Book - Rector's Rambling for August 17, 2025

     One of the glories of Anglicanism is the Daily Offices of Morning and Evening Prayer. When the first English Prayer Book was published (1549) it included the form for Morning and Evening Prayer so that not only the clergy could pray it, but so were those who are members of the congregation.  The previous expectation was that the Daily Office was to be prayed by the clergy and monks/nuns, in latin with instructions that could be intimidating. 

The 1928 Book of Common Prayer continues the Prayer Book formulary of the Daily Offices.  But even in this form finding the proper reading assigned for the day depends on knowing what week of the liturgical year we are currently doing.  This is one of the reasons we republish the lectionary for each week  in this publication (page 3).  Morning and Evening Prayer requires a prayer book and bible, and takes about 15 to 20 minutes prayed alone.

There are also what is known as the minor office, 5 minute moments of prayer which can prayed throughout the day in addition to Morning and Evening Prayer.  They are not in the regular Book of Common Prayer, but available in supplemental texts.

One of those supplemental books is called The Anglican Office Book.    The printed version, available at  https://store.standrewsalmanor.org/collections/books 

This includes the Daily Offices of Morning and Evening Prayer, the Authorized (King James) Version of the Bible, and the minor Offices, also known as The Hours, of Prime, Terce, Sext, None, and Compline.

Additionally, they now have a free website www.anglicanoffice.com where it automatically knows what day it is, loading up Morning and Evening Prayer for that day with all the appointed psalms and readings for that day.  Just start at the top and pray - no need to go flip back and forth between the office, psalm, and bible readings.  And at the top right corner you can click on the Hours tab and get the minor office for that time.  It is a very convenient way to pray using your laptop or phone.

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 Today we rejoice in the 55th Wedding Anniversary of Andy and Alice Baetz with a blessing before the final blessing at the 10 AM Service. 

 

Welcome Fr. Bob Hennagin - Rector's Rambling for August 10, 2024

 Today we welcome Fr. Fr. Bob Hennagin, Rector of the Episcopal Church of the Holy Trinity in Midland, Texas (Diocese of Northwest Texas).

Last month Fr. Hennagin introduced himself to me via email.

               I was born in Highland Park and attended St. John's from the time I was 8 (that would be 1965). My parents were very involved.  My father was on the vestry, as was I many years later. Fr. Tom Frisby is still one of the most influential people in my life.  He is the reason for me pursuing my call to ministry. When I graduated from Albion College, St. John's and the diocese were not in a good relationship and members were summarily excluded from the discernment process.

I moved to Dallas, as a banker, in 1982, married, went through the discernment process, went to Seminary of the Southwest in Austin and was ordained a deacon in 1992 and a priest in 1993. 

 Fr. Hennagin is in town for his 50th high school reunion, and asked to celebrate today.  He has never had the opportunity to do so here at St. John’s, at the altar where he was formed for that vocation to the priesthood.  I am so grateful that he asked and that we could provide that opportunity for him to do so today.

A few weeks ago we had Fr. Cam Walker, our parishioner who went to seminary through the Diocese of Long Island and now serves there.  In 2010 Fr. Alex Quick did an internship at St. John’s, and Fr. Zachary Baker in 2015  did one as well as they both discerned their vocations.

In 2003 we welcomed Canon William Blewitt back to St. John’s for the 50th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood, which took place here at St. John’s were he served as curate. 

Going back to our early years, one of the first Episcopal nuns in the Community of St. Mary was from our parish, and some of you will remember Louise Sutton who tried her vocation with the Sisters of the Holy Nativity, only to have it derailed by having to come home to help support her family during the depression. She never went back, and said that not a day went by that she didn’t say her daily prayers in unison for the sisters in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

It is gratifying to hear about how God has used St. John’s to inspire men and women to ordination or the religious life, and we give thanks today not only for that, but for those God may be calling now and in the future. 

 

Our New Organ Scholar - Rector's Rambling for August 3, 2025

 Today we welcome our new Edwards Organ Scholar, Chanmi Kim.  She provided the following introduction.

Chanmi Kim, originally from South Korea, studied piano, psychology, and child development during her undergraduate years. She was first introduced to the pipe organ in college and was deeply captivated by its wide range of tone, colors and expressive potential. This led her to begin private lessons and later pursue formal studies in the United States.

 She recently completed her Master of Music in Church Music with an organ concentration at Baylor University, studying under Dr. Jens Korndörfer. During her time at Baylor, she served as organist at both St. Peter’s Catholic Student Center and Calvary Baptist Church in Waco, Texas. In 2024, she won the Semper Pro Musica Organ Competition at Baylor and had the honor of performing at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City.

 Beginning this fall, Chanmi will pursue a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Sacred Music at the University of Michigan. She is also looking forward to joining the worship and music ministry of the community at St. John’s Church in Detroit, where she will serve as Organ Scholar.

We welcome Chanmi, and look forward to getting to know her in the coming weeks as she settles into the position.

A reminder that Fr. Bob Hennagin of Midland, Texas will be with us next Sunday, God willing.  Fr. Hennagin grew up and St. John’s and next week will be his first opportunity to say Mass at St. John’s.  I look forward to welcoming him and serving as his acolyte.

I know that lots of folks are traveling in the month of August, and we look forward to hearing about people’s adventures, and the parishes they worshipped at while away (hint, hint).  The church’s expenses do not take a holiday, unfortunately.  We would appreciate it if people could stay current with their pledges by either mailing it to the office (your offering envelope can be mailed, just add a stamp) or contribute electronically via the QR code. 

 

Founders Day - Rector's Rambling for July 27, 2025

Over 166 years ago St. John’s Church came into existence through the dream and desire of Henry Porter Baldwin to start a parish in the countryside outside Detroit.  He did so on the assumption that the city would grow to the north and not just along the river.  It may have seemed madness to those living downtown, but it was obviously prophetic as the apple orchard he purchased to raise this edifice soon found itself surrounded by housing, then commercial buildings, and now theatres and sports venues.  I am sure that Governor Baldwin, and the women and men who participated in starting this parish and in her ministry all these years, could not have envisioned the changes to come, just as in our own time we probably didn’t imagine the scope of the revitalization that has occurred in the past 10 years, and what may occur, God willing, in the years to come!

Today we celebrate the “goodly heritage” that is the prologue to what God is now doing here in this place.  The ministry of the church has evolved and changed, but the biblical faith in Jesus Christ as expressed in our Anglican formulary of Common Prayer has not changed, by God’s grace.  And by that same grace, and God willing, will continue to shape and form followers of Jesus Christ for generations to come.  May God continue to bless us as we seek to share the good news that Jesus is Lord.

 

 

Fr. Cam Walker celebrating at St. John's - Rector's Rambling for July 20, 2025

     Today we have the great blessing of Fr. Cam Walker as our guest celebrant and preacher at St. John’s!  Although Fr. Cam has preached here many times -  while he was a layman on staff at St. John’s, while a seminarian at Nashotah House, and while a deacon -  today will be the first time he will celebrate the Holy Communion here since being ordained a priest last fall.

A native of Fenton, Michigan, Fr. Cam discovered The Episcopal Church and the glories of Anglicanism while in college.  Moving to Detroit to attend law school, it became clear pretty quickly that his vocation was not to practice law but to be a priest in the Church.  We are grateful to have had the opportunity be a part of his discernment process, and to support him while he was studying at Nashotah House Theological Seminary in Wisconsin.  He currently serves as the curate (a position generally for a newly ordained priest to learn and do parish ministry) at the Cathedral Church of the Incarnation in Garden City, Long Island.   Welcome back Fr. Cam!

Next week we have our Founders Day Sunday.  We will be celebrating the Holy Communion on that Sunday from the original prayer book used in the Episcopal Church, which was in use when St. John’s opened her doors for worship on November 17, 1859.   Remarkably, the liturgy will be very recognizable since the basic form and theology of prayer book worship changed little from the then until now, even though the 1928 Book of Common Prayer is the 3rd edition in the Episcopal Church in the USA.  An Ice Cream Social will follow in the parish garden.

 In August we will have another guest preacher and celebrant, God willing, Fr. Bob Hennagin, Rector of Holy Trinity Church in Midland, Texas, will be with us.  Fr. Hennagin grew up at St. John’s, and credits our late rector Fr. Tom Frisby with the inspiration to discern a vocation to the priesthood.  A graduate of Highland Park High School, he is in town for his 50th reunion.  He has never had the opportunity to celebrate the Holy Communion at our altar so we look forward to welcoming him on August 10th.