Author Archives: Saint John's Episcopal Church

From Our Rector

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Dear Friends,

“Everything is already all right.” Those were words of wisdom a mother used to offer her daughter when her daughter was facing challenges of one sort or another. Years later, when that daughter was grown and suffering with cancer, those words gave her strength.

Of course, when one is facing a life-threatening disease, everything is not all right.  The words could be understood as offering a hopelessly naive take on life. Is everything ever all right in our lives, let alone in our communities, and in the world? As I read the morning news, the first words that come to mind are not that “everything is all right.”

Yet in this Advent season, we continually hear words of hope, encouragement, and an invitation to look beyond the present moment.  As Christians, we believe that in Christ’s resurrection, death and the powers of evil have been overcome. No matter the circumstances we face, be they personal illness or structures of society that seem to crumble around us, we act with a quiet but confident assurance that, as Julian of Norwich once wrote, “All shall be well again, and all manner of things shall be well.”

The words a mother offered her daughter were not meant to deny the sufferings of the present. Instead, I hear in them a reminder of the underlying reality of our lives, the gracious God who will work through all manner of things and all kinds of persons for the healing of our lives and the world.

Faithfully,

Tom

 

From Our Priest Associate

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It’s Not Easy Being Me, a City Tree

Most days, if I’m honest, there’s just too much to pray for, too many things and people who need care, too much mail—asking, asking, asking. But several Sundays ago I saw this one small thing that made me say: Hey, why not?

It was perspective piece in the Boston Globe’s Sunday Magazine, November 12, 2017, by Amy Sutherland of Charlestown: “I Speak for the Trees: Water Me (and Keep Your Dog Away From My Trunk)”  http://tinyurl.com/yd47zg76

Trees speak to me of God’ creativity and beauty. Some people admire trees in leafy dress, but I am drawn to naked winter trees. In their nakedness, I can see their real shape—elegant and true down to the tiniest twigs —all by divine design.

Amy Sutherland has lived in Charlestown for thirteen years. She is a prize-wining author in love with saving lives—of animals, and now of city trees, especially young struggling ones who thirst. Her research indicates that Charlestown trees are thirsty. Like all living things, they need care and love to survive. Is that our business?  Oh no, it’s too much.

I, like Sutherland assumed that the city took care of its trees. They do, and still, they need all the help they can get. Being a tree on a city street is like living in a foreign environment. We take loving care of trees in our own garden.

What if St. John’s adopted a tree or two outside its own garden?  What if we worked with the city and other local organizations to extend ourselves beyond ourselves and our needs, as important as these are?  It’s not as overwhelming as it may seem at first. All you need is a hose, a water bucket, a bag of mulch, a watchful eye, and others who love our city trees too.

The itchy question always is who will do this? The answer is: whoever is inspired. Read Sutherland’s piece, think, wonder, and pray. I will too.

The Rev. Lyn G. Brakeman, Priest Associate

 

 

 

 

 

From Our Rector

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Dear Friends,

Wherever you may be tomorrow, you will be included in my prayers of gratitude as I gather with family at the Thanksgiving table. And if you just happen to be at a table where you are asked to offer the grace, you might offer the following prayer from The Book of Common Prayer.   A blessed Thanksgiving to you all!

Faithfully,

Tom

Accept, O Lord, our thanks and praise for all that you have
done for us. We thank you for the splendor of the whole
creation, for the beauty of this world, for the wonder of life,
and for the mystery of love.

We thank you for the blessing of family and friends, and for
the loving care which surrounds us on every side.

We thank you for setting us at tasks which demand our best
efforts, and for leading us to accomplishments which satisfy
and delight us.

We thank you also for those disappointments and failures
that lead us to acknowledge our dependence on you alone.

Above all, we thank you for your Son Jesus Christ; for the
truth of his Word and the example of his life; for his steadfast
obedience, by which he overcame temptation; for his dying,
through which he overcame death; and for his rising to life
again, in which we are raised to the life of your kingdom.

Grant us the gift of your Spirit, that we may know him and
make him known; and through him, at all times and in all
places, may give thanks to you in all things. Amen.

 

Advent Approaches

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Dear Friends,

I have been eagerly hearing your stories of all that has been accomplished while I was away on my sabbatical. At the same time, I find myself looking forward. Advent approaches! For the Christian community Advent means, among other things, the beginning of a new liturgical year.  On the first Sunday of Advent, December 3, we will begin a new cycle of scripture lessons in our Sunday liturgies. Our gospel lessons will be drawn primarily from the Gospel of Mark.

Advent is also considered a season of preparation. Familiar to many of us is the idea of preparing for the celebration of the birth of Jesus. The readings and hymns of the season, however, will also ask us to anticipate and prepare for the return of Christ, not as an infant, but as the one who comes to fulfill God’s reign, addressing us all with his profound and mysterious combination of judgement and mercy.

For me, a longstanding tradition of the Advent season is the creation of an Advent devotional calendar, which has been a collaborative project with my friend and colleague, Merry Watters, for over 25 years. You can find and download this year’s calendar at my website here.  It will also be available on cardstock at the church over the next several weeks.

As I have done for the past several years, I will be sending out  by email a daily reflection on each day’s scripture and suggested devotion. If you have received it in the past, you will be getting it this year, and I will be sending out the parish email list as well.  My hope is that it will be one way in which we can make the Advent journey together. On that journey, we will approach both the babe in the manger and the one who, “in such form as none would guess, will surely come to judge and bless.”

Faithfully,

Tom

 

Support The Harvest on Vine Emergency Food Pantry Thanksgiving Basket Distribution

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Harvest on Vine, Charlestown’s Emergency Food Pantry, will be distributing all the fixings for  Thanksgiving dinners to families in need on Tuesday, November 21 at 2 pm.  It costs $35 to create a dinner, and you are welcome to make contributions to Harvest on Vine for these dinners.  Donations of any amount are welcome, and checks can be mailed to: Harvest on Vine, 46 Winthrop Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129.