Distracted from the big picture - Rector's Rambling for September 15, 2019

In my first year in seminary we had a transition in leadership; a new Dean was appointed.  With him came some changes, some for the better and others based on his own predilections.  Two faculty members objected to how things were to be done, but had different reactions.

One faculty member asked us all to write letters to the trustees and complain, distributing to us a mailing address list.  Several of us, uncomfortable with this suggestion, went to the other faculty member to ask his counsel.  A holy priest, his eyes twinkled as he advised, “Let us go the chapel and sing a Te Deum Laudamus in thanksgiving to Almighty God”.

We were a bit befuddled by this response.  After a pause he cleared up our confusion.  “We should give thanks to God because this kind of thing is proof the devil hates this place and wants to sow discord and disunity to stop us from holiness!  We must be doing something right so he is trying to distract us.”

I don’t want us to become obsessed with looking for the devil and his distractions, but we do need to be aware of him and them.  Anytime we as a church, or individuals, find ourselves getting worked up we should pause to ask ourselves is this the devil trying to distract me from the good that God is doing, and trying to do in me and through me?

Many times in my own life I have had to pause and take a deep breath to evaluate just such situations.  It is easy to get distracted and lose sight of the bigger good that God is accomplishing.  Instead of looking up and seeing all that is working so well, or planning forward, I want to dwell on the minutia, grovel in mine and others real or perceived failings, which then takes away my joy and enthusiasm.

St. John’s is at a remarkable point in her 160-year history.  Our Lord is doing great things here, and we are about to start a new chapter with our completed ministry center and undercroft.  We are poised for improved ministry to our members, future members, and neighbors in the community, without scheduling around construction crews and almost completed aspects of the construction.  Let us focus on looking forward with hope and gratitude for all that God is doing, and will be doing, through this place!

Let the programming year begin - Rector's Rambling for September 8, 2019

Our programming year gets off to its start this morning.  Although our primary calendar is ecclesiastical, following the church calendar for the various seasons and feasts, we also have the overlapping “school” calendar from September to May.  It is known in churches as the “programming year” since most of our classes, groups, and ministries tend to take place during the same time as the school year.

Speaking of school, we resume our Sunday School today.  The children meet right as the 10:00 AM service starts.  This month they will meet in the basement of the ministry center, but will move into the newly renovated undercroft space next month.  Please bring your children/grandparents right down there for the beginning of class.  They will join us upstairs later during worship.

Also making its return today is the full choir.  After a summer of wonderful quartets it is nice to have them back at full strength (or close to it as Dr. Lewis fills a last few positions).  Labor Day weekend Sunday, one of two per year without any choir accompaniment, was a nice reminder of how having them here helps us to sing better and greatly enriches our worship!

Also resuming this month, Saturday, September 14, is the regular monthly gatherings of the Daughters of the King.  If you are interested in this vital ministry of the parish, please contact any Daughter, easily recognized by their member pin.

Next week we have a Sunday outing, an afternoon of fun – BOWLING!  We will be heading a mile up Woodward to the Garden Bowl, the oldest bowling alley in the USA.  In October we will have a tour of historic Elmwood Cemetery, replete with the beautiful fall foliage.  Our founders, and most early parishioners from St. John’s, are buried in this cemetery on the east side of Detroit, near Martin Luther King Jr. High School.  It is also a lovely arboretum.

And of course, most importantly, just as you wouldn’t miss work or school except for the most grave circumstances, you should feel and act the same way about attending Church every Sunday.  You need to be here, and we need you here, for the greater glory of God.

Construction Update - Rector's Rambling for September 2, 2019

We have made it to September of 2019, and the end of our construction project is in the homestretch.  I have been told that as of this writing, the project should be done by the end of this month.

First, let me share that I share your frustration in how long this project is taking.  As I have mentioned, when we packed up the old office building in January of 2018 to begin the project, we were told the entire thing, ministry center and undercroft, should be done by September.  I assumed they meant 2018.

Now here it is September of 2019.  But each month brought a different delay; unable to get steel support beam, changes by the permit department, delays in getting skilled tradesman because of the over abundance of work in the area.  A few delays were due to changes on our part, mostly decisions on ways to save money that meant plans had to be tweaked and workers rescheduled.  And at other times, as the demolition work began, hidden problems with the building were exposed and had to be repaired before we could move forward as planned.

As I sit here and write, the construction crew is busy at work in the undercroft mudding the drywall.  Another team of workers is finishing off the awning for the ministry center (delayed due to a change of specs to save money), and landscaping work around the new building is in its finishing stages.

The other frustration has been chasing down subcontractors to repair things that were not installed correctly like the fire door between ministry center and chapel, and having to repair other problems such as the leaking flue to the new fireplace, causing water to enter the building on the first floor library  rug and into the ministry center basement.

Thank you for your patience.  It will be worth the inconvenience as we come out on the other side of this work.