The neighborhood coming back to life! - Rector's Rambling for December 17, 2017

Yesterday was a VERY busy day at and around St. John’s!  It is a joy to be a part of our new reality in the surrounding neighborhood.

Back in the spring, a couple called inquiring about being married at St. John’s.  They are Episcopalians living in Boston, the woman being from the Metro Detroit area.  As we do with out of state inquiries, particularly those already Episcopalians, is to make sure they are connected to a good parish where they can do the pre-marriage preparation.

However, from the moment they inquired I warned them that because of the upcoming opening of the new arena, and because we were waiting on the Lions and Fox Theatre schedules, I couldn’t promise them parking availability.  We just didn’t know what might be happening in the neighborhood on December 16.  But they were able to make prior arrangements through their reception venue (the Colony Club, a block away on Montcalm and Park), and they prepaid for parking for their guests in the Fox Garage.

Since those initial inquiries, all the schedules converged into one very busy Saturday.  At Little Caesars Arena, the University of Michigan played the University of Detroit Mercy at noon, followed by Michigan State University playing Oakland University – a basketball doubleheader.  On this side of the freeway the Detroit Lions had a 4:30 PM game at Ford Field, bringing their tailgaters.  The City Theatre (in the Hockeytown Café) had a 3:00 PM show, and The Fox Theatre had Mannheim Steamroller later that evening.

In the middle of all of those events, Chris and Emily were united in Holy Matrimony here at St. John’s and have begun their new life together as husband and wife.

Thankfully, we don’t have too much overlap for our Sunday morning worship, with the exception of an occasional Fox Theatre Show, or early-arriving Lions fans five or six Sundays a year.  But as we schedule Holy Day services, speakers, quiet days, hymn sings, and other events, we are learning the new rhythm of the neighborhood to work within.

Thanks be to God for the beginning of the renewal of our neighborhood!