Rector's Rambling - August 8, 2010 - Weekday Communion

Other than Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday, I would suspect that less than 15 percent of the parish has ever attended a weekday celebration of The Holy Communion at St. John’s. This is probably an above average number for a parish of our size, especially since the congregation is spread from Algonac to Ann Arbor and beyond.
I wish that more people would make this a part of their spiritual discipline (attendance increases during Lent when extra discipline is understood). I know for me, the beginning of my new life in Christ and the decision to actively participate in the Christian Faith began with my stumbling upon a weekday celebration of Evening Prayer and Mass, and was fortified the following Lent by beginning the discipline of daily weekday Mass attendance. Living in Philadelphia, I had a schedule of at least 5 other parishes offering Holy Communion on any particular day, at various times, and would be sure that no matter what my schedule was I would get to one of those services. We don’t have the preponderance of Episcopal churches in the Detroit Area that Philadelphia does, nor the options of various weekday Mass times, but there are Masses available here at St. John’s and at some other parishes. We have many “regulars” at our weekday services; not only parishioners, but also people who live and work in the area around the church, and even have visitors from out of town.
Having said all that, I would like to point out not only that we have Holy Communion Tuesday through Thursday at 12:15 PM at St. John’s, but on special holy days in the evening as well.
You may pray Morning and Evening Prayer at home, but you need a priest and congregation to receive the Blessed Sacrament. And whether two or 20 people are here, we are lifting up the entire parish in prayer. Please join us!