Baseball Sunday @ St. John's - Rector's Rambling for May 24, 2015

We are going from glory to glory here at St. John’s!  Last weekend we had the great grace to host the 103rd Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord George Carey, and his lovely wife Eileen.  It was a remarkable blessing to have the retired head of our worldwide Anglican Communion to connect us to the larger church, and more importantly to remind us that in all the changes and chances of life (and our own Episcopal Church) it is vital for us to keep First Things First - Jesus Christ!  

Today we have our largest, single attended service of the year.  Christmas and Easter have a variety of services to attend, but it is on Baseball Sunday at St. John’s that we have more most people in the pews for a single service (other than an occasional funeral).

We are so glad to have our many friends and visitors with us this Sunday!  St. John’s is certainly in an unique position to host such an event, with Comerica Park located right across the street.  And perhaps in a few years we can arrange a Red Wings Sunday with the new arena under construction across the street the other direction.

This neighborhood has certainly undergone quite a few changes.  It started out as farmlands and orchards, with a few country houses surrounding, when the parish began worshipping here in 1859.  Later on Victorian Mansions surrounded us, then small and then large business.  The Fox Theatre opened in 1928 and by then the neighborhood was completely commercial.  The 1960s through the 1990s saw a decline in this neighborhood, with a reverse beginning with the renovation and reopening of the Fox Theatre and the eventual construction of Comerica Park and Ford Field.

Neighborhood development plans include more residential units nearby, and we look forward to adding more ‘walking’ parishioners to the many who drive from further away (some as far as South Lyon) every Sunday.  We hope you will join us here regularly for this renewal.

Welcoming Archbishop Carey - Rector's Rambling for May 17, 2015

It is with great joy that we welcome The Rt. Rev’d and Rt. Hon. Lord George Carey of Clifton, the 103rd Archbishop of Canterbury, and his wife, Lady Eileen Carey, to St. John’s Episcopal Church.  Today is their last day with us, and we have been blessed by their presence.  Below is his biography.

Lord Carey retired as Archbishop of Canterbury in 2002.  He has a busy and active Christian ministry to the present day.  His primary interests are in education, development and a continuing engagement in public life through writing, lectures and debate in the House of Lords.  Together with, his wife Eileen, he continues to serve churches and many charitable interests.

By the time he was twenty, he had decided he wanted to be ordained as a minister into the Church of England.  After graduating from London College of Divinity (ALCD) and King’s College London (BD. Hons) he served as a curate in Islington, London.  During this time he went on to research the early origins of Christian ministry and earned both M.Th and Ph. Degrees.  He then taught at two Colleges before becoming a parish priest at St.Nicholas’ Durham.  In 1982 he became Principal of Trinity Theological College in Bristol and, in 1987, Bishop of Bath and Wells.  In 1991 he was invited to take up the post of 103rd Archbishop of Canterbury to serve 80 million Anglicans around the world until his retirement in 2002.

In 2002 George Carey was made a life peer as ‘Lord Carey of Clifton’.  Lord Carey is Presentation Fellow of King’s College London, Fellow of Christ’s University College, Canterbury and Fellow of the Library of Congress.  He is also the recipient of some 12 Honorary Doctorates and author of 14 books.  He and Eileen are Vice Presidents of Tearfund, a Relief Agency and Patrons of The Foundation of Relief and Reconcilation in the Middle East, which supports the work of Canon Andrew White.

 Lord Carey is Chair and co-Founder with Jim Wolfensohn, former President of the World Bank, of the World Faiths Development Dialogue.

He was until recently Chancellor of the University of Gloucestershire and President of the London School of Theology.  In 2010 he stepped down from the Foundation Board of the World Economic Forum and from being co-Chair of the Council of 100, which seeks to bridge the gulf between the West and Islamic worlds.

He is also President of the United Church Schools Trustand United Learning, a Group of 46 schools, both State and Independent.

Lord Carey married Eileen Harmsworth Hood in 1960, and they have four children and thirteen grandchildren.  Eileen was a nurse and still retains a great interest in medical matters.  She was co-Chair of St.Luke’s Hospital for the Clergy Appeal and has also raised many thousands to aid the homeless on behalf of Church Army.

~ From glcarey.co.uk

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A reminder – next Sunday, May 24, is our Tiger Baseball Outing!  Be sure to let those who are coming with you know that they are expected to join us for the 10:00 AM service, and are most welcome to stay for the hot dog lunch afterwards (free will offering for the cost of the meal).  If they do not arrive by 10:30 AM we cannot guarantee nor offer them parking in our parking lot.

After lunch we will head off to Comerica Park to hear the choir sing the national anthem (14th year) and cheer on the Tigers to another victory.

As with years past, this is always a fun Sunday.  Game attire is most welcome for the 10:00 AM service.  And if you have other friends going to the game, but not through our event, invite them to join us for church and lunch.

The week ahead with the 103rd Archbishop of Canterbury - Rector's Rambling for May 10, 2015

Busy, busy, busy!  Things are getting busy for St. John’s!  And it is all good!

First of all, a Happy Mother’s Day to our mothers in the congregation, for those near and far, and we remember with thanksgiving those who have gone on to greater life with the Lord.  Thank you for raising us and, like St. Monica did for her son St. Augustine, praying for us.

The BUSY of this week involves our visit from the Archbishop of Canterbury.  He arrives late Tuesday and his activities begin Wednesday.

Among the events in which he will be participating:

Wednesday – Invocation before the session of the Michigan Legislature in Lansing.

Thursday – The Michigan Chapter of the Daughters of the British Empire are hosting the Archbishop and his wife for an afternoon tea.  At 5:30 PM, there will be a gathering with our small group and young adult group.  See John Gardner for information and to join us.  In the evening we have our special celebration of the FEAST OF THE ASCENSION at 7:30 PM, with the Archbishop preaching and celebrating.

Friday – At noon there will be a luncheon for clergy at St. John’s, and at 6:00 PM, we will have our Grand Banquet and Silent Auction at the Detroit Athletic Club with the Archbishop giving an address, Hope Is Listening to the Music of the Future: Faith Is Dancing to it Today.

Next Sunday he will be speaking during the Adult Education hour (9:05 AM) with time for Questions and Answers, and will be the preacher at the 10:00 AM service.  After the service there will be a reception in the undercroft in his honor.

I sincerely hope that ALL MEMBERS of St. John’s will be at the worship services on Thursday and Sunday!  As a prayer book Holy Day, and a Sunday, we should be in Church anyway!

And our deadline is upon us to order your Detroit Tigers tickets for our outing to the ball park the following Sunday (May 24).