Home Alone - The Rector's Rambling for January 12, 2025

     Reprinted from 2020.  It is hard to believe it has been 5 years since we were just learning about a virus that was about to upend the country!

Over the holiday season I had a chance to watch portions of the original Home Alone movie.  Hard to believe that the movie was released nearly 30 years ago (1990).  It has spawned several sequels, and the original has most definitely stood the test of time and has become a Christmastime television staple.

Home Alone comes to mind every time I hear today’s reading for the First Sunday after Epiphany.  In the movie, Kevin is left home in the chaos of a large extended family’s rush to get to the airport for a Christmas vacation, and then has to fend for himself as the house is targeted by thieves who assumed that the house would be empty over the holidays.

Extended family is most likely the excuse for Jesus being left behind in Jerusalem.  Traveling in a large pack to celebrate the Passover in the holy city, he tarries behind and his parents assume that he is among the group as they head back home.  It happens.

Of course, once Mary and Joseph realize he is not with them, they turn about and head back to find him, and they find him in the Temple.

The Bible tells us that this was a yearly pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and we know that historically the city was swollen with pilgrims for the Passover celebration.  The city would be just as densely packed with people from surrounding cities and towns 21 years later for the Passover, when some would be proclaiming him Messiah on Palm Sunday, and others would be calling for his crucifixion on Good Friday.

The terror and chaos of a lost child is summed up in the frantic greeting of his parents in that they basically say, “where were you?  We were worried sick about you.”

Jesus, not meaning any disrespect, is a bit stupefied that his parents wouldn’t assume he would be in the Temple attending to the things concerning God.  But at 12, it wasn’t really his time for public ministry and he submitted to his parents and returned home.

This is all we hear about Jesus until the time would come at the age of 30, when he would be all about his and his Father’s business for us and for our salvation

 

Epiphany Eve - Rector's Rambling for January 5, 2025

     Today is the 12th Day of Christmas and tomorrow we begin a new Church season with the Feast of the Epiphany.  Tomorrow’s feast day has two names, but both mean the same thing.  To have an “epiphany” is to have something made manifest, or to have something shown to you.  In the 1928 Book of Common Prayer the title for tomorrow’s feast is The Epiphany, or the Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles.

In the Christmas story we hear that the shepherds in the fields heard, by the proclamation of the Angelic Hosts, the good news of Jesus’ birth.  The shepherds represent the people of the Jews, since there would surely have been Jews in that region.  They come and adore Jesus.

The Magi (Wise Men or Three Kings) are not Jews, but Gentiles.  We hear in scripture that these wise men came from the east, having seen in the stars an amazing, celestial event which they understood to be the portent of the birth of a new king.

So, they went to Herod, assuming that this would foretell the birth of his heir, but of course there was no baby there.  Herod, whom secular history confirms was a man of great jealously and wrath, tries to convince these men to let him know when and where they have found this king (“…bring me word again, that I may come and worship him”).  Obviously Herod had a poisonous intent; not to worship but destroy him.  However, the Magi were warned of God in a dream and Herod’s plan was thwarted.

As the shepherds represented the people of the Jews coming to worship Jesus, since it is the fulfillment of the promise to them to send a Saviour, so the Magi represent the rest of us.  Gentile basically means, “not Jew”.

Jesus’ birth is Good News not only to the Jew, but the Gentile as well.  He is Lord of all, and all are included in the New Covenant sealed in His blood on the cross.  He was made manifest to the Jews in the persons of the shepherds, and to the rest of us through these wise men who also came to worship.

And the wise still come and worship Him!

 

So very close.... - Rector's Rambling for December 22, 2024

     Two days!  Can you feel the excitement?  The anticipation?  So close and yet the 4th Sunday of Advent cannot seem further away from Christmas Eve and Day as well!  We have a short week before the Christmas celebration begins. 

This week we have a great opportunity to finish our last spiritual preparations for the coming Feast of the Nativity, as well as Jesus’ return (it could happen beforehand).  If you would like to make a private confession this week, please call the office to make an appointment, or plan on being at a weekday Mass and we can do so before or after Mass.

The other thing we can do these days between Advent and Christmas is to spend time inviting people to join us for worship at St. John’s.  Christmas is a time when people are looking for a place to come to church.  Your invitation could be how God will reach the heart of someone searching!  Invite them to a Christmas service and even offer them a ride if they are unsure of driving downtown.  The fear of the unfamiliar can be overcome by your hospitality.  It is a great chance to introduce people to St. John’s and to have them join us for worship and fellowship in the Lord.

Today after the 10 AM Service we have to finish Greening the Church for Christmas.  Yesterday we got much of the nave (seating area of the church) decorated and today we have the choir and altar areas to complete. After a bowl of soup in the undercroft come on back upstairs to pitch in.  Many hands make for light work.  And thank you to those who helped yesterday.

 

Gaudete! - Rector's Rambling for December 15, 2024

     We are over the mid-point of our Advent observance, which means we have come to Gaudéte Sunday, sometimes known as Rose Sunday.  It is a chance for us to “lighten up” in the heaviness of a penitential season, which is signified liturgically by the use of the rose colored vestments and altar hangings in the place of the “heavier” purple.

In recent years there has been a push to make Advent less penitential in nature.  Lent is the grand penitential season of course, with its precursor “-gesima” Sundays.  There was a third penitential season, observed by the devout, centuries ago.  It was from early August to September 14 (Feast of the Holy Cross), but it was not universally observed.

One way that portions of the Church has differentiated the penitential aspect of Advent from Lent is to replace the purple with blue.  I see this frequently in Episcopal and Roman parishes.  Blue for Advent is said to be an adaptation of the color scheme for the season from the Sarum Rite.  But mixing Rites is generally discouraged, and I certainly wouldn’t want to wear the burnt brick orange of Trinitytide from the Sarum use from June to November.

We need to be penitential.  Not only do we have to frequently (even daily) acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness, but we also need to spend extended periods (a season) in a penitential mode in order to be prepared for the glories of the great gift of Holy Days like Easter, and of course Christmas.  But of course being in a state of repentance for our sins is also important as we look forward to the return of Jesus Christ at the end of time to judge the quick and the dead.  We may be lightening up today with rose vestments and hangings, but in the bigger picture, we are still preparing through repentance and amendment of life for that which is to come.

 

Advent 2 and Conception too - Rector's Rambling for December 8, 2024

     Today we have two overlapping “Feasts” to celebrate on Sunday.  First, and primarily, today is The Second Sunday in Advent.  

    In the Book of Common Prayer there is something called the Tables of Precedence (p. li) which spells out for us which Holy Days always take precedence and can’t be bumped by another Feast Day occurring on the same day. If the Feast of St. James (July 25) occurs on a Sunday then that it the primary celebration that Sunday (Collects and Lessons) rather than The Sunday after Trinity. However, the Sundays in Advent always take precedence

Today is one of those days that overlap.  December 8 is the Feast of the Conception of St. Mary, but because it occurs this year on Sunday we observe the Second Sunday in Advent instead.  Today’s other Feast Day will be observed tomorrow at the 12:15 Service.  This holy day celebrate the conception of Mary by her parents St. Anne and St. Joachim.   Her birthday is celebrated on September 8th (9 months later).   St. John the Baptist’s conception is mentioned in scripture too, and of course Our Lord’s miraculous conception is celebrated on March 25th as the Feast of the Annunciation.

Each of these conceptions have different but interrelated theological implications.  John the Baptist’s conception is in preparation of him being the forerunner of Christ and occurs to a woman beyond childbearing years.  Mary’s conception is celebrated because it will be from her flesh, through her own womb, that the second person of the Trinity will take human flesh to dwell among us.  And of course Jesus’ conception by Holy Ghost is the incarnation of God.

These feast days are also an important reminder that from the moment of conception we are the Lord’s and therefore every life is sacred.

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Next Sunday we have our official visitation by our Diocesan, required by Canon Law every 3 years.  The Rt. Rev’d Bonnie Perry was last with us in 2021 when she preached at Choral Morning Prayer. This time she wants to do the Holy Communion Service.  She will be leading and preaching at the 10 AM Service and will be present at coffee hour as well. 

 

The Advent Eagle - Rector's Rambling for December 1st, 2024

     Happy New Church Year!  Although the secular calendar New Year begins January 1, we begin our church year with the First Sunday of Advent, which this year falls on December 1st.  We begin once again the rotation of Church seasons; Advent, Chrsitmastide, Epiphany, Pre-Lent (gesima Sundays), Lent, Easter, Ascensiontide, Pentecost and then back to the long Trinity Season once again.  This year Easter is on April 20th so we will have a longer Epiphany season than last year, and a shorter Trinitytide.

December is busy at St. John’s. Right now the Holiday Bazaar is underway with homemade gifts for sale in support of the ministries of the St. Catherine’s Guild.  In the ministry center the Gift Giving Tree awaits your unwrapped gifts for the children of the Georgia Street Community Collective.  Tags are hanging on the tree as suggested gifts. 

On Saturday, December 7th Women’s Advent Tea will be offered by the Daughters of the King.  All women of the parish are encouraged to invite friends to join us this day. On Sunday, December 8 we have our Garden Tree Lighting where we pray Evening Prayer, sing Carols, and enjoy hot chocolate and treats together.

On Sunday, December 15 we have our triennial Official Diocesan Visit with the Rt. Rev’d Bonnie Perry at the 10 AM Service.  On that day will also be having our annual Cookie Walk, as well as the final day of the Gift Giving Tree.  That Tree then morphs into the Warm Fuzzy Tree collecting hats, mittens, scarves and sweaters.

The 4th Sunday of Advent on December 22 will see our Advent Soup Sunday and the completion of the Church Greening for Christmas that was begun the day before on Saturday the 21st. 

Almost all of those things listed above are on Sunday when you are already here in church for worship (hint hint) so you can participate in all of them!

Christmas Eve, Tuesday, December 24 we will have our Family Pageant Service at 4 PM, Carol Prelude Service at 8:30 and Festive Candlelit Holy Communion at 9 PM.  Christmas Day Low Mass with Carols is at 11 AM.

Now is the time to start inviting friends, neighbors, and family to join us on Sunday and for Christmas worship as well!  See you in Church.

 

Thanksgiving Week at St. John's - Rector's Rambling for November 24, 2024

     We have a busy week ahead here at St. John’s, leading us into a busy December as well.

This week we have our Thanksgiving Festivities at St. John’s.  Wednesday, November 27th we will have our Thanksgiving Eve Holy Communion Service at 7 PM.  I suggest arriving a bit early since there is also a 7:30 Red Wings game that night across the freeway from us.  After the Service those  parishioners and their friends who would like to stay overnight are welcome to - BYO bedding/cots/air mattress.

Thursday Morning, Thanksgiving Day, we start early with a pancake breakfast in the Undercroft as well as donuts, coffee and hot chocolate  sale at our Front Door Canteen.  Scaffolding will be set up in the garden for watching America’s Thanksgiving Day Parade as it passes in front of our Church.  When Old St. Nick arrives at the tail end of the parade the children of the parish will greet him by ringing the big bell in the tower!

On Friday at 11 AM we will have the Burial Office for the repose of the soul of Virginia Burton, who passed away in early September.

Next Sunday for the beginning of Advent, we  have scheduled the baptism of Virginia Medlow, the daughter of Joan and Connor.  She is also the great-granddaughter of Virgina Burton!

December is busy with our Holiday Bazaar, Gift Giving Tree, Women’s Advent Tea, Garden Tree Lighting, Diocesan Visit, Cookie Walk, Warm Fuzzy Tree, Advent Soup Sunday and Church Greening, and of course the celebration of Christmas.

Almost all of those things are on Sunday when you are already here in church for worship (hint hint) so you can participate in all of them. 

And now is the time to start inviting friends, neighbors, and family to join us on Sunday and for Christmas worship as well!.

 

165th Anniversary - Rector's Rambling for November 17, 2024

     

Today is the 165th Anniversary of the dediction of our Chapel, the first building completed for St. John’s. 

November 17, 1859 was a Thursday that year.  Our 50th Anniversary book records that day for us. 

(A)nd on Thursday morning, November 17, 1859, the congregation assembled for the first time for their common worship, on the occasion of the Consecration of St. John’s Chapel.  With the Bishop and the Rector were twelve other clergy; the Senior Warden presented the “Instruments of Donation and Request to Consecrate,” the Rector read the “Sentence of Consecration;” the Bishop preached from Ephesians 5:32, “I speak concerning the Church;” in the Holy Communion, the first of so many celebrations at that beloved altar, the Bishop was assisted by the Reverend Rufus Murray of Mariners’ Church.  At Evening Prayer the same day, the Rector ministered the first Baptism in the parish, to Louis Alden Grelling.  Thirteen boys had been trained and organized into a choir, which sang at both these services.

St. John’s was off to a rousing start, having been built in what was a rural area outside of the City of Detroit (hard to imagine this corner being described that way back then).  Sunday worship was very well attended, and then on Monday night a parish meeting was held to re-elect the wardens and vestry and to assess pew rents.  Yes, in those days the pews were rented for the year rather than the collection plate passed around.  They ran into an immediate problem...too many people wanted to rent pews in the chapel which they thought would suffice for 5 to 10 years before having to build the larger church!

Our parish historian continues,

With the same characteristic promptness that had marked the enterprise thus far, at a Vestry meeting the following Monday night, November 28, these resolutions were adopted: “Resolved that in view of the fact that every seat in the Chapel is already rented, and that there is a large demand for additional seats, it is desirable that efforts should be made for the immediate erection of a Church seating about one thousand persons “resolved that a subscription paper for this purpose be prepared and circulated and that as soon as $10,000 in addition to the $17,000 offered by Mr. Baldwin, be obtained, the Vestry will feel authorized to take steps for the erection of the Church”  As the estimates came in for the building and furnishing of the Church, Henry Porter Baldwin and the Vestry doubled their pledges, and the total cost to build the Church was just under $49,000 which is worth $1,860,000 today.