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O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

I invite every member of St. John’s to a holy Lent through prayer, study, and worship. Our Alpha program will be on Tuesdays at 5:30 PM with Stations of the Cross. Dinner is at 6:00 PM followed by our program and a discussion. Monday to Friday at 9:00 AM, we have Morning Prayer on zoom. On Wednesdays, we have Noonday Prayer in the church. Our children and youth are preparing for Confirmation and First Communion. First Communion will be held on April 27th at 10:00 AM. Confirmation and Reception will be held on June 14th at 11:00 AM at Trinity, Northport. 

Lent is a time of preparation, when we teach our confirmands, newcomers, children, and youth to draw closer to the one we love. It is by our example of worship, study, prayer, and outreach that they will see that Jesus Christ came that we might have life and live it abundantly. Jesus Christ came that we might be transformed from sin to the beautiful children of God that we were created to be. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Eternal life begins today and never ends. Please use these next few weeks of Lent to draw closer to the one who loves you deeply. The most significant preacher in a congregation is not the person in the fancy vestments in the pulpit, but the people in the congregation going out into the world. Apostles have been transformed by the bread of our Lord, to do the will of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit. The fact of the matter is that priests come and go, but the power of the Holy Spirit to transform the lives at St. John’s goes on from generation to generation. God loves us so deeply that Christ, God’s Son, suffered on a cross that we might be forgiven of our sins. 

We have the power to transform the nightmare that the world can be into the blessing of the Kingdom of God. We are transformed through the bread of life and we become the transforming power in the world. The world seems more chaotic than usual this spring and you might feel anxious or even fearful of what is ahead. Have faith that you can come to the altar at St. John’s and receive the bread of life that has the power to transform us all to righteousness. Please join us at St. John’s this Lent. Join us on Sundays at 8:00 AM or 10:00 AM and stay for coffee and breakfast after the service.

In Christ,
Fr. Duncan

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“Lead us not into temptation” is the most common way people pray that line in the Lord’s Prayer. Perhaps you’ve noticed that it sounds like we are asking God not to lead us into temptation which makes us wonder why God would lead us into temptation. For doesn’t the Epistle to James say, “For God cannot be tempted by evil and does not himself tempt anyone” (1:13). So we know that God wants what is best for us and our temptations are sure bets down a path of self-destruction. So this line, rather, is a plea for the saving work of God in our lives.

Temptation is all around us. Most of us, thankfully, have some level of self-control. But perhaps we know the pains of addiction in which the temptation to indulge in whatever that addiction is rears its ugly head. But non-addicts too experience temptation. Road rage, gossip, anger, the list can go on and on in which our everyday lives are confronted with experiences that tempt us to be less than who God is calling us to be. And sometimes, we fall.

But listen to the words of the Psalmist this weekend,

“Because you have made the Lord your refuge,

and the Most High your habitation,

There shall no evil happen to you,

neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.”

Fleeing temptation going to our refuge, our God, is the sure-fire way in which to combat temptation and sin. When we focus our eyes and our minds on Christ Jesus, then can we find the deliverance from evil that we pray next in the Lord’s Prayer.

I pray that this Lent, us here at St. John’s can learn how to renew our minds, seek the shelter of the Most High, and gaze our eyes upon the one who was tempted in every way like we are (Hebrews 4:15), Jesus Christ, and through these things rest in the hope and joy of the One who loves and saves us.

Yours in Christ,
Fr. Zach

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O God, who before the passion of your only ­begotten Son revealed his glory upon the holy mountain: Grant to us that we, beholding by faith the light of his countenance, may be strengthened to bear our cross, and be changed into his likeness from glory to glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Sunday’s Collect)

God sustains us with an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus wants us to walk none other than the way of the cross. The way of the cross often begins in Lent. Lent is the time when we ponder the work that God has called us to do. We realize that the distractions of the world have kept us from God’s purpose in our lives. If we want to be an authentic expression of Christ’s light, we need to pray, study, listen, and make God the center of our world again. For this season of Lent, please consider listening to God. We come together to give thanks and pray that we might recognize God in our midst and follow this path of healing and wholeness. God is working in the life of our congregation in ways that we cannot ask for or imagine.

Join us for Shrove Tuesday on Tuesday March 4^th at 5:30 pm. Dave Lasek will cooking all your favorite pancakes! Ash Wednesday services will be held at 8 am, 12 pm, and 7 pm on March 5th. Please join us on Tuesdays at 5:30 pm for Stations of the Cross starting on March 11th. We begin our Alpha program on Tuesdays in Lent at 6:00 pm with dinner, a video at 6:30 pm, and an interesting discussion at 7 pm. You are asked to bring guests. Join us for an Alpha retreat on March 14^th and 15^th. There will be a Celtic Mass at 5:00 pm on March 16^th with Leslie Valentine as our soloist, Alex on the piano, and Deborah on the flute.

Our children and their parents will be planting seeds for the Garden of Grace on Sunday March 16th during Sunday School. We will watch these seeds sprout up, and we will transplant them to our three organic gardens. The vegetables will be given to local food pantries all summer.

Our Thrift Shop is doing great things in the community, but we need more help. Please volunteer to sort the donations or work on the sales floor. The Thrift Shop is open Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 12-3 pm. Please look through your closets and bring down some clothing or jewelry that you do not need. You can help our community and our church.

HIHI will be feeding the homeless on March 7^th and 21^st. Join us at 3:00 pm in the kitchen. Children and Youth are always welcome.

The point of this week'spassage is that although we cannot see God, God is always nearby. When we love God with all our heart, mind and soul, we begin to see the edge of God’s robe. When we truly listen to the Word of God, we are slowly transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ. Although many churches are decreasing or even closing, St. John’s remains strong because you see Jesus Christ as someone that can lead us to a better place. We can love our neighbor despite all the crazy things going on in the world.

Our prayerbook invites you to the observance of a Holy Lent by participating in the activities and services at St. John’s. We will be preparing children for First Communion and Young Adults for confirmation during this Lenten Season. I ask you to rededicate yourself to the mission of the God’s church and to make a special effort to attend services and give of yourself for the sake of those in need.

In Christ’s love,
Fr. Duncan 

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Instead, love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. (Luke 6:35-36)

Jesus asks us to love our enemies. When we disagree with “the other,” the situation can deteriorate to a tipping point. Once words are said or actions are taken in anger that cannot be taken back, hatred grips the very core of both parties. Hamas did things to Isreal in October 2023 that caused swift retribution. Eventually both sides see their only option as the total annihilation of the other. The situation in the Middle East doesn’t look like it will end well. Yet South Africa showed us the method of truth and reconciliation that ended the hostilities through forgiveness. Martin Luther King Jr. taught nonviolent resistance. Injustice needs to be dealt with, but violence and hatred are never the path of the Kingdom of God. Jesus teaches forgiveness through his own sacrifice and standing up to oppression through truth and love. We know there are people in the world that want to do harm to us. Jesus was a pacifist who said that we should never strike back in revenge. Jesus asks us to repay evil with generosity and kindness. He does not say that there isn’t a price to pay but leaves it to God to administer justice. This is a hard lesson for us to comprehend. Mother Teresa had a saying on her wall to try and keep these ideas in focus: 

          People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. 

Forgive them anyway.

           If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. 

Be kind anyway.

           If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. 

         Succeed anyway.

          If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. 

Be honest and sincere anyway.

           What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. 

Create anyway.

           If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. 

Be happy anyway.

           The good you do today, will often be forgotten. 

Do good anyway.

        Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. 

Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.

It was never between you and them anyway.

If you find yourself at odds with another group of people and it is creating anger and anxiety, may I suggest using your energy to help those in need instead of fighting with those you hate. Social media is a breeding ground for division and really solves very little. Loving your family and friends and helping those in need helps you get through difficult times. Fighting for injustice can be done in nonviolent protest, and when you travel the high road, you find your team back in power before you know it. We need to ask others to behave with kindness and love. We can ask for others to love their neighbors. We are allowed to ask that others show mercy. But can we do that if we are not willing to be kind and merciful? If you are hurting from what is going on in the world, my suggestion is to breath, speak the truth, and act in loving ways. I join many of you in worrying where we are going in this world. I have been a pacifist since I was in the seventh grade. Our class may not have accomplished much by refusing to participate in music class until the United States got out of Vietnam, but we eventually ended that war. I believe that peace is possible between any two groups of people. Maybe I am totally ignorant, but I follow in the path of folks like Martin Luther King Jr., Archbishop Tutu, and Jesus. They all achieved results with truth, forgiveness and love. Maybe we can too.

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Duncan

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“Holy, holy, holy!” cry the angels!

What does it take to be holy? Does it take perfection? Does it take our good works? Does it take only our faith and we can move on thinking, “Well, at least I believe!” Holiness can sound like a daunting word. Only God is holy, yes, and yet He tells us that we are “to be holy, as I am holy” (Leviticus 21:8; 1 Peter 1:16). “To be holy” is to be set apart by God for a special purpose. The people of Israel were set apart from rest of the nations in order that through them the power of God might be revealed. The light shown to us in Epiphany is a holy light because it is the light of the One set apart to reveal God’s power in human flesh.

One of my favorites pieces of Scripture is Psalm 119:105. “Your word is a lamp before my feet, and a light to my path.” This light guides us into holiness. It guides our life so that it may be set apart to reveal to others Jesus Christ in the world today. Through our faith, through our actions, through our very lives, the holiness of God can be revealed.

But perhaps you don’t feel very holy. That’s ok, I, too, don’t feel very holy much of the time. Leading you through service, or Bible study, or prayer, doesn’t make me holy, per se, though they are holy things. God doesn’t expect perfection. That’s why we have Jesus Christ. That is the well we will always go to in order that we can perceive what holiness is and learn from Him and grow in sanctification. Jesus Christ bestows His holiness upon us so that we may live with purpose and in the abundance of His blessings.

Let us pray that God’s light may shine in you and lead you grow in holiness. Amen.

Fr. Zach

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Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, 

and your faithfulness to the clouds.

Your righteousness is like the strong mountains,

your justice like the great deep; 

you save both man and beast, O Lord.

How priceless is your love, O God! 

your people take refuge under the shadow of your wings.

They feast upon the abundance of your house; 

you give them drink from the river of your delights.

For with you is the well of life, 

and in your light we see light.

Continue your loving-kindness to those who know you, 

and your favor to those who are true of heart. (Psalm 36:5-10)

Epiphany is the season that manifests the divinity of Jesus. This season is filled with powerful Gospels that bring us closer to God. The season starts with the recent birth of Christ and the coming of the Magi who follow the light in the sky on the day of the Epiphany. The Baptism of our Lord was observed last Sunday. We baptized three young men and celebrated the diaconal ministry of Deacon Claire Mis. Jesus was baptized and as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:21-22).

The gospels for next three Sundays of the Epiphany season describe the wedding at Cana, the reading of Isaiah in the temple by Jesus, and the opposition to Jesus in Nazareth. The next group of Gospels will describe the calling of the fishermen and the beatitudes. On the last Sunday of Epiphany we will experience the transfiguration. Jesus' identity as the Son of God will be dramatically revealed in the Transfiguration gospel. 

The prophet Isaiah speaks of the coming of the Kingdom of God in today’s lesson. He says that you will no longer be forsaken and you will no longer be desolate. You will be blessed and loved by God. So God sent his only Son so that everyone would know that God rejoices over them and brings about righteousness and justice so that we all will know that we are loved and blessed by God. When we affirm that Jesus is God’s son, our mission becomes spreading God’s love to the world. That mission is blessed by God and we are loved as Christ’s own. I ask each member of our congregation to listen to the word of God this Epiphany season as we prepare a new mission statement for our annual meeting on February 2nd. 

This weekend we celebrate a modern day prophet. Martin Luther King Jr. once said that he had a dream. God’s righteousness and justice were needed to change the way people were treating each other. “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.’" He said that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. The evidence is massive that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. God does have a dream that we can live together and respect the dignity of each other.

In Christ’s light of love,

Fr. Duncan

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This weekend we will be commemorating the Baptism of our Lord for the First Sunday after Epiphany which was this past Monday. It is one of the days that our Book of Common Prayer lists as special days in which baptisms can occur (though every Sunday outside of Lent allows for baptisms). This Sunday, we will be baptizing three young men, brothers, Casey, Grant, and Leo Poinelli, who recently started attending with their father, Les. The eldest son told me due to a TikTok challenge, he started reading the Gospel of Luke, reading a chapter day in December leading up to Christmas, as the Gospel has 24 chapters. I guess the Holy Ghost can use technology.

Also, we will be sending off Deacon Claire to her next chapter. Clergy departures are never easy, and I know this has greatly affected many people who have found inspiration, comfort, and connection from her and her ministry. Still, I find great symbolism in the fact that Claire’s last day with us is also a day of baptism. Such can be our Christian life, a life in which we allow for God to guide our steps and open up for us new adventures and new possibilities. 

This was a purpose of Jesus Christ being baptized, as you might be wondering why Jesus needed to be baptized at all. He had to submit to the Father in all ways and baptism, even in the pre-Chrisitan rite found in Judaism, was a symbolic way of doing that. As Jesus is also fully human, and Jewish, the rite of baptism was an act of repentance and ritual cleansing. No, Jesus did not sin and therefore had truly nothing to repent for, but he needed to mark his humanity in the same way as us.

Claire’s departure is a sign of the Holy Spirit in her life, which goes back to her baptism. If you’ve studied Acts of the Apostles, you know the movement of the Holy Spirit throughout the book and how it helped grow the early church. The Holy Spirit is the key to church movement and growth. And now as we bring in three new Christians into the fold, I rest in the fact the Holy Spirit is at work in the world today gathering in those who seek Jesus. And through others, helping them to disciple and minister. I pray that this year, we can seek deeper understandings of the Holy Spirit in our lives individually and as a parish to help us on this adventure of the Christian life. God bless!

In Christ,

Fr. Zach