>>>CLICK HERE FOR FULL EMAIL VERSION

Be joyful in the LORD, all you lands; *

  serve the LORD with gladness

  and come before his presence with a song.

Know this: The LORD himself is God; *

  he himself has made us, and we are his;

  we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.

Our Psalm this Sunday points us towards our vocation for joy. We sing joyfully for the good news that we belong to God and each other. Last week, we looked at our inheritance through faith as the children of Abraham. God's mercy has claimed us and made us his own. The psalmist is correct that God has created us and made us his people. Belonging to God also means belonging to each other as a community. 

As a newcomer to St. John's, I am struck by the sense of loving care everyone in the congregation shows in raising the children in the faith. It truly is a communal experience. All the people of St. Johns are involved in the love and care of the youngest members of the community. That is one reason why we will honor all the men of the congregation during the prayers of the people on this coming Fathers Day. The vocation of fatherhood is wide and doesn't refer only to biological fathers. Any man who has been a foster father, an adoptive father, an uncle, a teacher, mentor, or coach shares in the vocation of fatherhood for children.

Part of Sunday's celebration will also be remembering Juneteenth and we will be using hymns and prayers honoring the experience of the African American community. I look forward to joining with you as we joyfully come before the Lord's presence with a song.

Blessings,

Fr. Dan