Rector's Rambling - May 9, 2010

Today is a day chock-full of events. First, it is Rogation Sunday, the Sunday before Ascension Day (Thursday, May 13). We will have a symbolic “beating the bounds” of the parish at the 10am Service by singing the Litany Hymn in procession around the outside perimeter of the Church building.
We will also be inducting five new members into our Chapter of the Daughters of the King, have our Spring UTO ingathering - and also celebrate the secular Mother’s Day
We also introduce and welcome our Summer Intern, Mr. Alex Quick. A native of Saline, Michigan, Alex is a graduate of Hope College. He is currently studying for a Masters degree in Divinity (MDiv) at Wycliff College at the University of Toronto, and hopes to be ordained a priest. Alex is not a stranger to St. John’s. He has been a regular visitor to our parish since last summer. He is a college and larger church friend with people currently or formerly at St. John’s, and has also met many parishioners in his visits here during school breaks.
The purpose of this summer internship is to immerse the intern in all aspects of parish life and work in preparation for professional pastoral ministry. In other words, Alex is getting an introduction into the life of being a parish priest, although he is not yet ordained.
Alex will be with us on Sundays learning various aspects of how the parish functions on its primary day of worship and education. He will also be at St. John’s on Tuesdays and Thursdays, as well as other weekdays occasionally, to participate in pastoral hospital and home calling, administration and vestry meetings, the Alpha Course, and other projects inside and outside the parish.
It is a privilege for our parish to be able to mentor future priests and to help to train up the next generation of leaders in His Church.