Rector's Rambling - April 11, 2010

Remembering that Easter is not just a ‘day’ but a ‘season’, I wish you all a blessed Eastertide! For 40 days we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, leading up to The Feast of the Ascension (May 13th this year). After that we have 10 more days of celebration in Ascensiontide, leading up to the coming of the Holy Ghost on Whitsunday/Pentecost.
After all the glorious worship last Sunday — full choir, brass, and a pretty full Church — today is known in Church circles as Low Sunday. Low because the liturgy seems a bit more subdued, with no brass, and the choir at half strength. And yes, compared with last week, attendance is considerably lower. I wish it weren’t true, but I am writing this on Wednesday morning with the assumption that we will have fewer people in the pews on the First Sunday after Easter than we did on Easter Day (I would love to be proven wrong). But whether pretty full, or not so much, God is still glorified, we are nourished in Word and Sacrament, and we are equipped for ministry.
Having said farewell to Richard Newman last week, our new Edwards Organ Scholar begins his term today. We welcome Aaron Tan as he begins his stay with us.
Finally, Detroit Tiger Baseball is upon us. The parish outing to a game will be May 30th. Be sure to invite our friends and neighbors to join us. Please note that with the exception of May 30th, your membership at St. John’s does not entitle you to park in our lot for Tiger games. We have a contract with Olympia Parking which allows us to use their parking spaces for our services (in addition to our spaces) and entitles them to sell our spaces for games, for which we are remunerated. Your St. John’s Parking window decal is to identify your car during Church events, not for free parking during other events at the stadiums. Please respect the attendants on event days as they manage traffic flow, and benefit St. John’s financially.