Newsletters
From the Rector's Desk:
Dreaming Beyond Ourselves
More than 40 years ago in the summer of 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington DC, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. proclaimed: I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. And almost 2000 years earlier, Jesus Christ dreamed of the Kingdom of God that was breaking in: Where the first shall be last and the last shall be first.
As the winter is now fully here and the season of Epiphany will soon transition to Lent, I have been reminded anew of the challenge that God places before us as a church and individual Christians to look beyond ourselves. This of course runs parallel and in contradiction to the cultural pressure to look solely at ourselves—more and more we have become a fearful people that consider first the bottom line, and how we are individually affected. However we know that this is not the teaching of Christ, nor the will of God. So what are we to do?
As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. (John 17:18) These words of Jesus spoken to his Father are the very challenge that we live with when we say yes to the life to which we have been called by God. The teachings of Christ, if you will, pull us out of ourselves to a Christian spiritual journey of service and love for one another and all of God’s children. These are words that challenge our indifference to the plights which we are seemingly unaffected by, because the Gospel mandates our concern for all of God’s children and creation. We must dream beyond ourselves to make a difference as a people and community of faith.
Two of our baptismal promises to God and one another are to, seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as yourself; and, to, strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being. Where are the places in our individual and corporate lives that we are not putting forth our best efforts to live out these promises for Christ within the church and world? And where can we see these promises acted upon, sharing the love and blessings of God?
Some may look at the feeding and housing of the homeless, the mentoring of children in need, the building of a house hundreds of miles away, the embrace of diversity, or our constant prayers for peace and justice, and ask the church why? We must look to all of those places and beyond, and ask why not? So let us give thanks to God for the ability to dream beyond ourselves and begin to dream anew at St. John’s!
Father Philip+
From the Senior Warden
First of all let me express my profound appreciation to Fr. Linder for choosing me to serve as Senior Warden for 2012 and to the Vestry for validating his confidence in me by approving my selection. I am grateful for the tremendous opportunity to serve not only as a Vestry person and "Rector's Warden," but more broadly to serve the parish , the community, and the even larger Body of Christ.
This opportunity is one of almost intimidating responsibility and trust, especially in light of the current economic conditions and our struggles in recent years as a cohesive body of faith. I am not unaware of, nor insensitive to, the many sacrifices that parishioners of St. John's have made in recent years in support of our church; I am eternally thankful for that response. But we are now called upon to coalesce and increase that support, especially in areas of outreach, stewardship, and expanding our parishioner/volunteer base so that we may accomplish our mission more effectively.
Christianity is not a privilege but an awesome responsibility, both to God and to out fellow human beings. May we work together in harmony in response to the challenge we face. You have my solemn pledge that I will do my very best.
Ned Meekins
Senior Warden
