Founders Day - Rector's Rambling for July 27, 2025

Over 166 years ago St. John’s Church came into existence through the dream and desire of Henry Porter Baldwin to start a parish in the countryside outside Detroit.  He did so on the assumption that the city would grow to the north and not just along the river.  It may have seemed madness to those living downtown, but it was obviously prophetic as the apple orchard he purchased to raise this edifice soon found itself surrounded by housing, then commercial buildings, and now theatres and sports venues.  I am sure that Governor Baldwin, and the women and men who participated in starting this parish and in her ministry all these years, could not have envisioned the changes to come, just as in our own time we probably didn’t imagine the scope of the revitalization that has occurred in the past 10 years, and what may occur, God willing, in the years to come!

Today we celebrate the “goodly heritage” that is the prologue to what God is now doing here in this place.  The ministry of the church has evolved and changed, but the biblical faith in Jesus Christ as expressed in our Anglican formulary of Common Prayer has not changed, by God’s grace.  And by that same grace, and God willing, will continue to shape and form followers of Jesus Christ for generations to come.  May God continue to bless us as we seek to share the good news that Jesus is Lord.

 

 

Fr. Cam Walker celebrating at St. John's - Rector's Rambling for July 20, 2025

     Today we have the great blessing of Fr. Cam Walker as our guest celebrant and preacher at St. John’s!  Although Fr. Cam has preached here many times -  while he was a layman on staff at St. John’s, while a seminarian at Nashotah House, and while a deacon -  today will be the first time he will celebrate the Holy Communion here since being ordained a priest last fall.

A native of Fenton, Michigan, Fr. Cam discovered The Episcopal Church and the glories of Anglicanism while in college.  Moving to Detroit to attend law school, it became clear pretty quickly that his vocation was not to practice law but to be a priest in the Church.  We are grateful to have had the opportunity be a part of his discernment process, and to support him while he was studying at Nashotah House Theological Seminary in Wisconsin.  He currently serves as the curate (a position generally for a newly ordained priest to learn and do parish ministry) at the Cathedral Church of the Incarnation in Garden City, Long Island.   Welcome back Fr. Cam!

Next week we have our Founders Day Sunday.  We will be celebrating the Holy Communion on that Sunday from the original prayer book used in the Episcopal Church, which was in use when St. John’s opened her doors for worship on November 17, 1859.   Remarkably, the liturgy will be very recognizable since the basic form and theology of prayer book worship changed little from the then until now, even though the 1928 Book of Common Prayer is the 3rd edition in the Episcopal Church in the USA.  An Ice Cream Social will follow in the parish garden.

 In August we will have another guest preacher and celebrant, God willing, Fr. Bob Hennagin, Rector of Holy Trinity Church in Midland, Texas, will be with us.  Fr. Hennagin grew up at St. John’s, and credits our late rector Fr. Tom Frisby with the inspiration to discern a vocation to the priesthood.  A graduate of Highland Park High School, he is in town for his 50th reunion.  He has never had the opportunity to celebrate the Holy Communion at our altar so we look forward to welcoming him on August 10th. 

 

St. Mike's, Organ Scholar, and upcoming Cam - Rector's Rambling for July 13, 2025

     I am most grateful to have had a wonderful week at the St. Michael’s Conference for Youth.  Once again the Lord has been glorified in worship, the confreres instructed and encouraged, and a good time had by all.  And you have this morning a rector who is both renewed and pretty tired from the long days that the staff spends making sure the Conference runs to His greater honor and glory. Year 27 on staff at this Midwest version of the Conference is in the books, and already I am looking forward to next year’s gathering.

Today we say farewell to Grace Jackson as our Edwards Organ Scholar.  She has completed her two years with us, and her course work for her PhD at the University of Michigan, and she is now moving on to St. John the Divine in Houston, Texas, having been awarded the Anglican Association of Musicians Gerre Hancock Internship.  Not only will we miss her fine skills at the organ and with the choir, but also her glowing joyful presence among us.  Be sure to join us downstairs at coffee hour for a reception in Grace’s honor.

Next Sunday we have a special celebrant and preacher at the 10 AM Service at St. John’s - Fr. Cam Walker.  Although he has preached here many times, this will be the first time since his being ordained a priest that he will celebrate the Holy Communion.  We look forward to having him with us. 

Our weekday Service Schedule Monday through Wednesday resumes after my week at. St. Michael’s Conference. 

On Thursday, however, I will be in Ypsilanti to compete in the USRowing Masters National Championship Regatta.  After 33 years off from rowing I resumed the sport in 2020, and have raced once or twice a year in the fall in what are called Head Races - 4 or 5 kilometer races with a staggered start where you try to catch the boats in front of you, and hold off the ones starting behind you. 

Until this week, I have avoided the spring/summer sprint racing season where we line up side by side and race in a furious sprint 1 kilometer to the finish line. But with the National Championship regatta happening 40 minutes away from here, I gave in and registered. I am just hoping not to embarrass myself too badly.  My son Andrew is racing as well.  Wish us luck!

 

Summer in full swing - Rector's Rambling for July 6. 2025

     Our warm summer continues, and I am grateful for everyone’s understanding that we are doing our best, opening windows overnight, etc., to keep the church temperature tolerable.  If history is any predictor then at the worst we will have 3 or 4 more very warm Sundays.  We have become people accustomed to being air conditioned this time of the year, but here we have to adjust with comfortable, looser fitting clothing, and to being in the breeze path of a fan’s oscillation to help to keep us cooler during the worship. 

Today we begin in earnest the long Trinitytide Season.  This ‘ordinary’ season lasts until November 30th when we reset the church liturgical year with the beginning of Advent.  The color appointed for the season is green, which is an appropriate choice for this long season of growth in the faith of Jesus Christ. 

We also give thanks this weekend for the 249th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, when we formally began our separation from England to become an independent nation.  I say ‘began’ because between July 4, 1776, and the formal adoption of our US Constitution on September 17, 1787, there was still a lot of blood shed on the battle field to gain that independence, and a failed attempt at self-governance in the Articles of Confederation.  We are grateful for God’s continued Providence for our nation, as well as His Mercy, as we have strived to live as one nation under God with varying degrees of successes and failings. 

This afternoon the St. Michael’s Conference for  Youth begins, my 27th year on staff at the Midwest Conference after 2 years on staff at the East Coast Conference.  Lovingly referred to at Anglo-catholic bootcamp, the students and staff live a week of intentional and intensive prayer and worship, study, and recreation.  It is a great blessing to the students AND the staff!  Please keep us in your prayers this week as we seek to glorify God and deepen our relationship with Him.  The Conference ends on Saturday.  I look forward, God willing, to being with you here next Sunday exhausted but elated from a good week!