Pastor's Corner
February 2012
Greetings, my sisters and brothers, in the name of the risen Christ!
If April is the cruelest month, as the poet T.S. Eliot observed, then February certainly is one of the busiest months - especially at St. John United Church of Christ.
While we are installing our new Church Council on the 5th, and welcoming six new members to the congregation on the 12th, we are also coming to the end of the first of several rounds of our five prayer groups - those faithful members who are praying, listening and discerning intently about what it is that God is calling us to do in the areas of welcoming, worshipping, nurturing, serving and giving. I know I can't wait to hear what the Spirit has in store as new ministries and new ways of being await!
And on top of all this, we are coming to the end (Feb. 26) of our first round of small group study on the Gospel of Mark (we may pick back up after Easter). And more important, we are beginning preparations for another season of Lent leading up to a glorious Easter on April 8.
Ho-lee anticipation! When the Spirit gets to whirling, ‘tis a sight to behold!
In the midst of so much spiritual activity, your new council will also be hard at work looking at new models for church governance as we look at shifting our emphasis from operational needs to ministry calling. The council will also be tackling such nagging operational issues as our outdated sound system and ways to move St. John more aggressively into the digital age.
While you're catching your breath from all this activity, here's a sneak peak at our Lenten schedule:
Feb. 22 - Ash Wednesday, noon and 7 p.m. Two brief services for imposition of ashes, with the mid-day service designed for those who may have difficulty coming out at night in the winter.
Feb. 26 -- First Sunday in Lent.
Mar. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 - "Praying the Psalms," a brief mid-week Lenten devotional time at 6:45 p.m. on Thursdays. No preparation required. We may shift back and forth from the sanctuary to the parsonage, depending on attendance. A small, intimate time for prayer and reflection.
April 1 - Traditional pancake breakfast followed by Palm Sunday worship.
April 5 - 7 p.m. Maundy Thursday service with special observance of Holy Communion in L Room.
April 6 - 7 p.m. Good Friday service.
April 8 - 6:30 a.m. Easter Sunrise service at Lakeview Cemetery; I'll be preaching, as well as at the 10 a.m. worship at St. John.
There you have it -- a full and vibrant schedule for a growing and vibrant church!
Praise God!
Pastor Jim
January 2012
To my Sisters and Brothers in Christ:
May God's shalom be upon you in the New Year!
As part of our morning routine, along with coffee and oatmeal and two newspapers, Cami and I like to spend about 10 minutes in morning devotion with the Book of Psalms. Since it's a new year, we've been starting over with the beginning of the book. It's been truly amazing to me how clearly God speaks when you make time to listen and then share what you hear with another believer.
For instance, the first couple of psalms spell out this spiritual equation: trust in the Lord leads to true happiness. We discussed how, knowing God's "got you" is like being on the receiving end of a deep and lasting hug or embrace. What warmth! Or how, at the end of a difficult day, the peaceful sleep that can result when you just turn over the mess of the previous hours to God's care.
I mention all this as we prepare to embark as a congregation on a period of deep listening to God as we experience His Word by reading and sharing together how key verses in the Bible can impact our thoughts and feelings, and in turn how that sharing can lead to a new vision for the faith community we call St. John.
What the green stickers with the number 5 symbolize is our intention, as part of the Body of Christ, to spend a minimum of 5 minutes a day in prayer and Scripture reading to discern how practicing five spiritual disciplines can transform St. John into a "new" church.
What are those disciplines? By now you should know them by heart: welcoming, worshipping, nurturing, serving and giving. Most of us practice some form of these disciplines now, but our calling from God is to delve ever deeper into each practice until they become a lifestyle instead of something to check off our "to do" list.
If we are to survive the test of being a faith community in the 21st century, our challenges are clear - attracting younger families and raising our visibility in a neighborhood in transition; we must grow where we are planted. Our solutions lie in prayerfully listening to the Word of God and then acting on what we hear. God's up to something in Fairview Heights.
To hear what God has in mind, I'm asking for the dedicated faithful to form into five prayer teams - one for each discipline - who will meet weekly from now until the beginning of Lent. From these sessions will emerge a clear list of 3 to 5 things in each category that we are not now doing. Then it will time to get to work.
Friends, I'm not asking you to buy into some dreamy fantasy. Rather, I'm saying that if you believe what we profess, then the time to take God at His word is now.
The new year of 2012 can be the most invigorating, transformative time to be "alive" in the Body of Christ at St. John; that is, if you allow yourself to surrender doubts and skepticism and give your heart to the author of the promise of eternal life. So, believe good things can happen - and then watch out!
Our Holy Adventure is about to begin, so give me 5!
Pastor Jim
December 2011
To my sisters and brothers in the faith community of St. John, greetings in the name of the Incarnate Jesus, our Risen Savior!
I am amazed at how quickly the rest of November has flown by! Cami and I are settling into our new church home - both the parsonage and church itself - and we've commented how it feels as if we have been here all our lives. We are so grateful for the warm, welcoming response!
It is especially gratifying to be joining our hearts to yours at the beginning of Advent, that unique time in the Church Year where we pause to reflect on the meaning and true purpose of the coming of the Christ child.
To that end, I would remind everyone to set aside time on Thursdays at 6:30 p.m., beginning Dec. 1, for a simple soup and bread meal together as we share reflections on the Advent themes of hope, love, joy and peace. No special preparation is required - unless of course you want to bring your special crock pot recipe - just come with an open heart eager to experience what God may be saying to us as a faith community.
Continuing in the pre-Christmas spirit, Cami and I want to invite everyone to a parsonage open house on Sunday, Dec. 18, from 4 to 6 p.m. We will furnish food and holiday cheer and an opportunity to see the marvelous work you have accomplished in restoring the pastor's home.
In addition, bring your hearty Christmas carol voices that same Sunday. Join us at Charles Gardens at 3 p.m., for some caroling to the residents, then come to the parsonage for nourishment, and then we will leave about 6 p.m. to do more caroling up and down Pleasant Lane. We'll end up back at the parsonage for some hot drink before ending our evening.
And, for all activities, children are most welcome!!
Season's Blessings!
Pastor Jim