Keeping an Holy Lent - suggested disciplines and devotions

1. Fasting – The weekdays of Lent are

fast days, meaning that the amount of food

is reduced. A good (if modern) suggestion

is no snacks, no seconds, no desserts, and

no alcohol. If you don’t normally eat

snacks or drink, you may consider giving

up some favorite food. The idea is to

undertake something sacrificial, yet not

overwhelming. Ash Wednesday and

Good Friday are strict fast days: one full

meal in the evening, a very light one in the

afternoon, and for some, nothing before

3:00 PM. Those who are ill, elderly,

pregnant or nursing are excused from this

discipline. (Page li, 1928 B.C.P.)

2. Abstinence – Abstaining from flesh

meat on Fridays (as required by the Prayer

Book) is a common discipline for Lent.

An ancient custom is to abstain from flesh

meat on Wednesdays as well as Fridays.

Flesh meat includes all meat except fish.

Going vegetarian these days is also an

option. (Page li, 1928 B.C.P.)

3. Holy Communion – Lent is a good

time to add a weekday Service to your

usual Sunday attendance. Weekday

Services are about 30 minutes and are of a

rather more intimate and quiet nature than

those on Sunday. The Wednesday Service

also includes the Sacrament of Healing

(Holy Unction).

4. Daily Office – If you do not now

read Morning and/or Evening Prayer from

the Prayer Book, Lent is a good time to

begin doing so. It takes some effort and

discipline to get the habit established, but

once accomplished, it can bear great fruit

in your spiritual life. Each Office takes

15–20 minutes a day. Ask the Clergy if

you need help in how to do it.

5. Spiritual Reading – An ancient

custom is to take a spiritual book for

regular reading during Lent. This can be a

book on the Scriptures, or one of the

spiritual classics. Many are available in

the parish library, and the clergy would be

happy to make suggestions as well.

6. Confession – A sacramental

confession, in private to a priest, is not

only an opportunity for a thorough self examination, 

but also a powerful weapon

against the temptations which come our

way in Lent. The Parish Clergy are

available for this sacrament, as are other

priests in the area. Although the Anglican

Communion does not require Sacramental

Confession, it is permitted, and helpful.

More individuals should take advantage of

this sacrament.

7. Self-Denial – You may want to give

up some special pleasure or recreation for

Lent (smoking, sweets, television), and

perhaps give what you would have spent

on it to charity. This can be done in

conjunction with other practices: if, for

example, you give up an hour of TV every

day, you might use it to read Evening

Prayer and some Scripture.

8. Service – As well as “giving up”

something in Lent, some wish to “take on”

some special service, such as visiting a

shut-in parishioner, volunteering at a

hospital or nursing home, running errands

for an elderly neighbor, or some special

project at the church or in the community.

9. Scripture Reading – Delving into

the Word of God is never out of season.

Lent is a good time to establish (or reestablish) the discipline of a daily time of

Scripture reading at home. Using the

lectionary (the appointed readings) for the

daily office is a good starting point.

10. Educational Opportunities –

Take the opportunity in Lent to join the

 Adult Ed. Classes – Anglican Theology.

11. Corporate Special Devotions –

There are numerous opportunities for your

spiritual growth throughout Lent. In

addition to Communion and Daily Offices,

on Thursdays we have Adoration and

Benediction, and on Fridays at noon the

parish will gather at the church for

Stations of the Cross following Mass.

12. Evangelism – Lent is a good time

to renew one’s commitment to sharing the

good news of Jesus Christ with friends and

neighbors, and to invite them to worship

with us here at St. John’s.

Brochure originally written by the late Ann Marie Shuster,

and revised by Fr. Steven J. Kelly

25 years at St. John's! - Rector's Rambling for February 15, 2026

Welcome back, Bishop Gibbs!  We are honored to have you back with us to celebrate and preach at the 10 AM Mass today.

The Bishop is here today because he is a part of the reason I am here today!  Back in November of 2000, I had already had a phone interview with the search committee for St. John’s, and they asked me to come out to Detroit for an interview.  I sat down for a chat with my then bishop in the Diocese of Pittsburgh to discuss it with him.  He encouraged me to also meet with Bishop Gibbs while in town, to get a sense of whether this newly enthroned diocesan bishop and I would be able to work together.  I called Bishop Gibbs’ office to make that appointment, which we had the morning before I met at lunchtime with St. John’s Search Committee.

Apparently my being interviewed was a surprise to the diocesan offices, surprised that St. John’s was beginning to interview candidates already. But Bishop Gibbs was open to the possibility that I might be the right man for the job, and as we see now, 25 years later, things seem to be working out.

Let me start by expressing my gratitude not only for Bishop Gibbs’ willingness to allow my application to go forward, but more importantly to Almighty God for calling me to be here at St. John’s.  When I moved to Philadelphia for college in 1984 I never thought I would live in Michigan again.  But 16 and a half years later I was moving back home with Jennifer and our first three children, all under the age of 5.  It is all by God’s grace that my heart was opened to this call. And it is also by His grace that the Search Committee and Vestry discerned this call for me to be here. 

But the gratitude does not stop there.  I am so grateful for the people of this parish, those who were here when I came, for those here now, and everyone in between. 

The most wonderful thing about St. John’s isn’t the building, location or history, but the parishioners!  I am so grateful for everyone here for worship, and for all who pitch in to make this parish such a warm, inviting, and faithful church.  Whether in the kitchen, ushering in the narthex, organizing in the sacristy, serving at the altar, reading the lessons, singing in the choir, serving on the Vestry, working in the office, or joining in for a volunteer work day or outing, the people of this parish are wonderful and I am so grateful to be a part of what God is doing through everyone here.

Since my arrival in 2001 we have had 275 baptisms, 138 burials, and 96 weddings.  Flipping through the parish registers at the names of those recorded therein, memories come flooding back of all the people now departed, moved away or moved on.  And then I look out into the pews on Sunday at the many long time parishioners as well as the new people who have joined our ranks in the last few years and I am humbled that Our Lord has called me to be a part of this all!

Thanks be to God, and Thank You!

  

Sexagesima Sunday - Rector's Rambling for February 8, 2026

     We are now in the middle of our gesima season, these three pre-lent Sundays before we get into the fullness of our Lenten Discipline.  Ash Wednesday is February 18th, with our Shrove Tuesday Pancakes, Paczki and Trivia night the night before.

We received the good news that our own Fr. Cam Walker will be heading to Appleton, Wisconsin to serve as their priest at All Saints Church.  We are so grateful that the Diocese of Long Island adopted him and ordained him to the deaconate and priesthood, but are also glad to have him back in the Midwest.  St. John’s and the Diocese of Wisconsin have a long history together.  Their first bishop, Jackson Kemper, preached here several times, as did two other notables from the Episcopal Calendar from Wisconsin—James Lloyd Breck (first Dean of Nashotah House Seminary) and James DeKoven (rector of the old Recine College).  Our first rector here at St. John’s, William Armitage, became the second bishop of the Diocese of Wisconsin!

Next week we are giving thanks for my 25th anniversary as Rector of St. John’s Church.  My first Sunday here was Quinquagesima Sunday in 2001.  We have a guest celebrant and preacher with us next week, the retired bishop of our diocese, The Rt. Rev’d Wendell Gibbs.  It was he who allowed and confirmed my election by the vestry, and who then formally installed me as rector a few weeks later.  A luncheon is being planned and we hope that everyone will be here next week, and will stay after for the meal as well.

The Anglican Theology class meets today but will not meet next week because of the luncheon.  If you have not joined this  class yet, meeting after 10 AM coffee hour, you can join in at any time.  We have a good group of people and at times a lively discussion.  Fr. Louis Tarsitano’s book is our basis for the class but we go off on tangents as necessary (or as Fr. Kelly’s A.D.D. mind takes us).

Thanks be to God for the opportunity to worship together!

 

Septuagesima Sunday - Rector's Rambling for February 1, 2026

     We are having quite the winter this year, with bitter cold and snow.  And worse than just snow, but snow on Saturday and Sunday which has impeded travel for many parishioners.  Some years we have a mild winter, but this one is not one of them!  Thankfully some have been able attend on snowy days, and by God’s grace worship has continued unimpeded. 

Last week was one of those snowy Sunday.  And although the 8 AM Service was very sparsely attended,  about half the regular number of people were able to make it to the 10 AM Service, and attendance at the Annual Parish Meeting following was 2/3 what we anticipated—not a bad turn out for a snow day!

At the Annual Parish Meeting we elected three new members of the Vestry: Durene Brown, Renee Peck, and Charles Roby.  The financial reports were reviewed for 2025 and we glanced to the forecast for the coming year, which overall continues to be positive.  Thank you to all who were able to attend, and the booklets containing the financials and reports from the various committees and ministries is available from the parish office.

February has several big events to note.  Friday we are heading to see the play at the Detroit Players Theatre.  Please be sure to get your reservation into the office today.

On Sunday, February 15th we welcome  Bishop Wendell Gibbs to the 10 AM Service to preach and celebrate.  We will be commemorating my 25th Anniversary at Rector here at St. John’s.  A luncheon will follow.

February 17th is Shrove Tuesday.  We will be having our Pancake, Paczki and Trivia Night starting at 6 PM.  This is a last Feast before we start our Lenten Fast.

Lent begins with Ash Wednesday on February 18th, which Mass and Ashes at 12:15 and 6 PM, and Evening Prayer with Ashes at 4 PM.  If you can’t make it downtown that day then get your Ash in a church nearby.

Thanks be to God for a new month.

 

Conversion of St. Paul - Rector's Rambling for January 25, 2026

     Today we have a special feast day in the midst of our short Epiphany Season.  Today we are celebrating the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle.  Certain Holy Days, such as this one, take precedence over the regularly assigned Sunday lessons and observance (such as the 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany, which today is otherwise).

Paul is an apostle, but unlike the other apostles commemorated, his feast day is kept on the day of his conversion, rather than the day of his death.  A person’s day of death is considered one’s “heavenly birthday”, since it is through earthly death that we pass to eternal life.  And in the case of all the apostles, except St. John, their death was by martyrdom – being killed because of their faith in Jesus Christ.  St. Paul was also martyred.  The church believes that under the general persecution of Nero in 64 and 65, both St. Peter and St. Paul met their deaths for being followers (and promoters) of Jesus Christ.  Peter, not being a Roman citizen, was crucified (tradition says head-down) and St. Paul, being a citizen, was given the quicker execution of being beheaded.

But today the church commemorates St. Paul’s conversion to the faith.  It is one of those stories that is powerful because he was not just a non-believer in Jesus, he was an active persecutor of those who believed that Jesus Christ is Lord.  He consented to St. Stephen’s stoning, his executioners laying their jackets at his feet. (Acts 7:58, 8:1)  His journey to Damascus was to arrest followers of Jesus and bring them to Jerusalem for trial. (Acts 9:2).  Paul’s conversion is unique, but gives us hope that no matter what our, and others’, spiritual condition may be, God can intervene!

——————————————

After today’s Service join us downstairs for lunch and for the Annual Parish Meeting.  We will go over the financial reports for 2025 and forecast for 2026, elect new members of the Vestry, and receive reports from the various organizations, committees, and ministries of the parish.

 

Short Epiphany and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity - Rector's Rambling for January 18, 2025

     Today is our one and only green Sunday for the season of Epiphany in 2026.  Because Easter is set by a lunar calendar, this year it is relatively early, occuring on April 5th.

Once Easter is set, we then start counting backwards.  40 days for Lent and Holy Week, three Sundays of pre-Lent before that (the quesima Sundays) and the Season of Epiphany is only three Sundays.  But on top of that next week is a Prayer Book Holy Day, the Conversion of St. Paul, which takes precedence to be celebrated on Sunday instead of the 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany.

This week is also the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.  Starting today through next Sunday the church prays with special intention for the unity of the Church.  Jesus prayed that we all be one as He and the Father are one, but we are divided because of human sinfulness.  May God have mercy upon us.  More information on this week of prayer is found in the teaching note on page 4.

The holy water stoups have now had a full week of use and it has been interesting to see folks, myself included, walk past one, pause when we see it out of the corner of our eye, and reach back to dip a finger in it and make the sign of the cross with it.  It will take time to develop the new habit  here in our church that I and so many other do in other Episcopal and Romans Churches.

 

Holy Water - Rector's Rambling for January 11, 2026

     You may notice that there are now Holy Water Stoups installed at the entrances to the chapel and the church.  This ia an ancient custom of the Church to have a receptacle at the entry of the place of worship containing water that has been blessed.  As you see pictured here, the new stoup  has a celtic cross on it, a reoccurring theme here at St. John’s.  The cross outside the ministry center, the beautiful cross on the wall inside the ministry center were both obtained based on the processional cross we use every Sunday.  The new stoups continue that theme.

So what is it for?  Holy Water is what is known as a sacramental, These are objects that help point us toward the sacraments themselves, which are an assurance of God’s grace/blessings.  Things like icons, crucifixes, and holy water are reminders of the abundance of God’s blessings toward us and draw us to holiness.

Holy Water at the entrance of a church beckons back to the ancient Jewish tradition of ritual purity, where one wahed the feet and hands before entering worship.  Remember that Jesus did a similar thing to his apostles at the last supper when he washed their feet. (John 13: 1-17)

We have been cleansed in the waters of baptism (a sacrament) and holy water at the entrance of the church is a tangible reminder of that being born again in water and the Holy Spirit (a sacramental).

Of course this is optional, but if you would like you dip your finger in the water and make the sign of the cross, asking that God cleanse your heart and prepare you for worship. 

Also, in the sacristy will be a container pictured below.  This contains Holy Water, water that has been blessed by a priest or a bishop.  It is there in order to fill the stoups around the church.  But it is also available for you if you would like some Holy Water for your home.  Some people like to have a stoup in their house.  Small ones for home are available online or at a religious supply store. 

Having sacramentals such as these can be an aid to us in our spiritual life, reminding us of the blessings available by God’s Grace.