Homecoming 2024 - Rector's Rambling for October 13, 2024

     Happy Homecoming Sunday at St. John’s.  We started this tradition in 2001 as an additional excuse to get those Christmas and Easter visitors to come a third time a year. 

When I first arrived here 23 years ago we had many former parishioners who moved the suburbs in the 1970s and 1980s and continued to attend St. John’s for the big holy days, bringing their children with them.  Those children grew, married, and many continued the family tradition of returning to St. John’s for the big celebrations.

But time, and the change in our culture, has interrupted that pattern.  Those ‘kids” now grown have either settled into their suburban parishes and want to spend the holidays there, or tragically have stopped attending church at all.  Nationwide church attendance is down.  Those kids’ kids now grown, do not have the emotional attachment to St. John’s.  Best case is that they just don’t feel drawn to make the trip downtown for worship. Worst case is that they do not practice the faith at all. 

But we continue Homecoming for those who continue in the faith and want to join us, as well as for our own fellowship.  I am so grateful to the women in our parish who coordinate our September Welcome Back Luncheon, this Homecoming Potluck, and the other food-related events coming up in November and December including the Front Door Canteen for Thanksgiving and Advent Soup Luncheon.  All this in addition to the events such as craft days, monthly themes (school supplies in August, Coats/Blankets and Food collection in October), bake sales, Advent Tree lighting reception, the Christmas Bazaar, and The Advent Tea . These are the result of the dedication of the St. Catherine’s Guild and Daughters of the King. THANK YOU for all your hard work!

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Please note - THE ALPHA COURSE will now begin on November 7th.  We are grateful that we had to move the schedule because of the Detroit Tigers playoff run.  

 

Dante, Alpha, and the neighborhood - Rector's Rambling for October 6, 2024

Last week we started our Adult Education Class on Dante’s Inferno.  Elizabeth Savage is leading this class, and on the first week we had 17 people in attendance, with a few more people planning on joining us this week.  Last week we did an introduction to Dante, and Canto 1.  Today we plan on discussing Cantos 2 through 4.  We are using two translations, by Mark Musa, and Robert and Jean Hollander, to help us look at not only the small translations differences, but the differing notes that the authors feel are pertinent about the text.  Just as Virgil is guiding Dante on his way through this epic poetic journey, Elizabeth is guiding us through the class!  Interested?  Come sit in on the class after the 10 AM Service to give it a try. 

Note - with the Tigers Playoff Schedule now announced, we have pushed back the start of ALPHA to November 7th.

On Thursday we begin The Alpha Course.  HOWEVER...as of the writing of this article which we have to send to the printer Wednesday morning, so therefore we do not know if the Detroit Tigers will be hosting a home playoff game that evening at Comerica Park.  For the good of the community I hope that they win the wildcard series and at least one of the first two games of the American League Divisional Series so that they will have game scheduled at home on Wednesday and Thursday.

If this turns out to be true then we will have to pivot on when/where the class will start because of traffic issues in the neighborhood.  This would be a great problem to have (or may not be a problem at all—we will have to see).

All that above being said, let me encourage you to sign up for the Alpha Course.  The evening begins with dinner at 6:30 PM, followed by an entertaining video teaching and then a discussion.  We are generally finished by 8 PM.  And the course is FREE. 

Alpha is not only for those of us in the Church who would like a refresher course on The Faith, but also a class for those discerning a relationship with Jesus Christ, or even those who are just curious about Christianity. Know anyone like that?  Invite them to join us for this free meal, class, and discussion.