Dear Friends,

In third grade, I was taught that if March came in like a lion it would go out like a lamb. Years later, I heard an even better description of the month of March, when the swings in weather seem to suggest that spring is anything but inevitable.  “Don’t you know,” a Vermont farmer once said to me when I was complaining about winter like weather, “March is the month of reviews and previews.”

Reviews and previews: we are reminded of what has been, even as we catch glimpses of what will be. This year, the month of March at St. John’s feels like a month of reviews and previews in more ways than one. As we prepare to say “farewell,” we can’t help but remind ourselves of all the places we have been together and the ministries we have shared. At the same time, we are all looking ahead, wondering what is in store as the parish goes through this transition.

I know that I sometimes feel I am  going back and forth experiencing a variety of emotions – and it is all a bit dizzying. While that may not always feel comfortable, I do recognize that we are in a unique season right now.  The weather and the circumstances of our lives may be changing, but God is faithful.  In God I place my trust, and then smile to myself and say, “Ah, yes, it’s a season of reviews and previews, and that is alright.”

Faithfully, 

Tom

Dear Friends,

This Sunday I will be with you to preach and preside, and I give thanks to God that we will be together in that way.  After the 10 am service and a brief coffee hour, we will gather in the nave for our annual meeting. We will elect new officers for 2019, and receive the 2019 budget that has been approved by your vestry.

We will also take a few moments to look back over the past year, giving thanks for all the ministries that have been a part of our life together.  We look back, but do so to look ahead.

I have used before the metaphor of rowing a boat for moving ahead in faith.  When rowing a boat, one has one’s back to what is ahead.  You can not see what is in front of you.  What you can see are all the landmarks on shore – all that is behind you – to guide you.

As a parish, you  do not know that the year ahead will bring. You know it will be one of change for the parish, as I leave and you engage in the search for new leadership.  But you do know where we have been. You can use all that we have learned, all that we have done, and all we have accomplished as landmarks to guide your route, taking you into the future where God is calling you as part of the Body of Christ.

I look forward to some strong rowing this Sunday.

Faithfully,

Tom

Dear Friends,

I sometimes describe the summer months as a quiet time in the life of St. John’s.  But as I worked on this week’s issue of  News and Notes, I was reminded that even in “quiet times,” people are hearing the Spirit, seeing God’s beauty, and acting in love. Certainly our summer campers at the Barbara C. Harris Camp saw God’s beauty around them, as they were encouraged to act in love.  I know our children hear the Spirit everytime they meet with Rachel Pfost in the Godly Play room, as a number of them did this past Sunday. On Monday evenings or at other random times, you will find faithful gardeners helping the Cutler Memorial Garden to flourish, even in the extreme heat. Attendance may be lower in the summer, but oh, how delightful it is to welcome persons joining us in worship for the first time! Though spring is the time for seed planting, seeds were planted this week for our fall Harvest Fair- and yes, November will be here all too soon. Other faithful servants met last week to begin the work of our fall stewardship campaign. Beyond our church, this issue’s prayer for agriculture and laborers from The Book of Common Prayer reminds me of how much the labor of others makes my life possible, even when I am looking for “quiet” on my vacation.

A quiet time? Perhaps. As in every season though,  seeds are being planted, people are being welcomed, and in ways seen and unseen, the gospel is being proclaimed.

Faithfully,

Tom

“The one who sings prays twice.”

— St. Augustine

Dear Friends,

Although the words above are attributed to St. Augustine, it is not entirely clear that he wrote them. But whoever the author was, I agree!  Singing has always been an essential part of worship at St. John’s, and we look to our choir and Music Director to lead us in that endeavor.

The whole “choir” in church, however, includes all of us. With our choir on their summer sabbatical and Douglas having one more week of vacation,  we will discover that truth this Sunday. I will be leading us in hymn singing – some of it acapella and some accompanied on the piano, and my sermon will focus on how the singing of hymns is a means of both offering our praise to God and hearing God’s word for us.

There may even be a chance to answer some of your questions about the music we sing and why we sing it. You’ll have a chance to jot down a question as you arrive on Sunday; or you can reply to this email if there is a question you have always wanted answered about music in our worship. I can’t promise to answer them all, but I can promise to immerse us in the rich heritage of hymnody that is so central to our worship. I hope to see you on Sunday

Faithfully,

Tom