Piety Hill Musings

The ramblings of the Rector of St. John's Episcopal Church of Detroit. Piety Hill refers to the old name for our neighborhood. The neighborhood has changed a great deal in the over 160 years we have been on this corner (but not our traditional biblical theology) and it is now known for the neighboring theatres, the professional baseball and football stadiums and new hockey/basketball arena.

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Location: Detroit, Michigan, United States

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Rector's Rambling - January 22, 2012

New Year’s resolutions have come, and many already gone. A friend of mine once said that he counted himself lucky to have half of his resolutions in place by the 4th week of January. I wonder how he is doing this year.
There is one resolution which has eternal consequences is most important, and that is to be in Church every Sunday, assuming you are not hindered by travel or illness (and when traveling you can, and should, worship on Sunday as well).
In addition to being present at worship and participating in it, I would also hope the people of St. John’s will become involved in the life of the parish. This “Life” includes the spiritual, such as the Daughters of the King, Brotherhood of St. Andrew, Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament, Sunday Christian Education, home Bible study and prayer groups, weekday worship, and the like.
There is also a service component to this “Life” such as volunteering at Coffee Hour, participating with the St. Catherine’s Guild chapter of the ECW or the Armitage Men’s Club, or assisting with work/clean-up/planting days, and various outreach ministries.
And let us not forget the social aspect of this “Life”, which overlaps all of the activities and groups above, as well as the new social opportunities being planned for parishioners to get to know each other and enjoy each others’ company. Just in the next few months we have outings to the Detroit Institute of Arts, Charles H. Wright and Holocaust Museums. Check the Chronicle and bulletin boards for more information.
Let us all go deeper into the “Life” of the parish as we grow in the “Life” that Jesus Christ desires for us. After all, He came that we may have life, and have it more abundantly (John 10:10).