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

Tuesday, January 17, 2023

Back in the green, and Alpha - Rector's Rambling for January 15, 2023

     
Back in the green for this week and the next two as we continue our way through Epiphanytide, the Sundays after Epiphany.  As noted, the length of this season is dependent on the timing of Easter, which is dependent upon a lunar calendar.  This year Easter is April 9th, so we begin the Gesima pre-Lenten season (purple) on February 5, and Lent formally begins on Ash Wednesday, February 22nd.

Our next installment of the Alpha Course is scheduled to start on Monday, January 23rd and runs until April 3rd.  It sounds like a long commitment (11 weeks), but experience has proven that it is a worthwhile investment of your time, learning and building up your faith. 

An Alpha evening begins at 6:30 with dinner, followed by a videotaped teaching and a discussion afterwards.  We are usually done by 8 PM.  Topics include, “Who is Jesus?”, “Why did Jesus die?”, “Why and How do I pray?” and Does God heal today?” just to mention a few.  And the cost, including dinner, is FREE.

If you are unsure about taking Alpha, or unsure of the 11 week commitment, my advice is to sign up and plan on attending the first couple of weeks.  If it isn’t for you, you are always able to bow out at any time.

We are now advertising Alpha on social media. The course is written as an introduction to Christianity for those who are not yet members of the Church.  We are praying not only that St. John’s folks will attend, but that God will use this as a vehicle to introduce Jesus Christ to those who do not know Him.  Afterall, that is a primary purpose for the church - bringing people to Jesus Christ.

Our parish motto is “to know Christ and to make Him known”.  Alpha accomplishes both sides of that equation!  We come to know Christ better as members, and offering the course both equips us for ministry and is an vehicle to make Him know to others as well!