Update in the parish - Rector's Rambling for March 29, 2020

Between the Bishops of Michigan order that  the parishes be closed until May 10, and now the Governor of Michigan ordering us to “Stay Home, Stay Safe, Stop the Spread” for three weeks, things have gotten pretty quiet at St. John’s Church.

The three week Governor’s Order now puts us past the celebration of Holy Week and Easter, as does the Bishops’ directive.  Even though only a four-person skeleton crew can be present in order to livestream the videos, we will be keeping all the special liturgies of Holy Week and Easter.  But it won’t be the same without everyone here to celebrate together.

The parish office is now closed.  Occasionally one or another staff member may be popping in to get materials or to get something from their computer.  I will be in shortly before the weekday Masses in order to livestream them, and leaving shortly afterwards.  Please be patient with us if we don’t get back to a voicemail left on the church phones.  It is best probably to e-mail us so that we can try to deal with things from home as best we can.

In addition to livestreaming Masses and Wednesday Evening Prayer, our programs associate, Cam Walker, is producing a series of videos on the stained glass windows in the church.  And we are working on other things to put out there, including perhaps a Zoom Conference call so people can see each others’ faces and check in on each other.

These are trying times, and in the midst of them I hope that people will take the opportunity to take some extra time to be prayerful and do some reading of Scripture, so that there is still some semblance of Lent to our routine, even if we cannot worship together at the church.  As I mentioned in last week’s sermon, “never thought we’d have to give up going to Church this Lent!”

As a note, our oldest parishioner John Deaver passed away last Sunday afternoon.  A recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross in WWII, student of Buckminster Fuller and Milton Freedman, Dr. Deaver was the chief economist for the Ford Motor Company, former treasurer at St. John’s, and most importantly a good churchman who loved our Lord and His Church.  Burial will be at Arlington National Cemetery.