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UPCOMING EVENTS
JANUARY 21
STJES Lower School
Fun Day 10-11:30am
JANUARY 22
Choir Rehearsal @ 9am
Handbell Ringers
@ 11:30am
STJEC TOWNHALL Meeting @ 9 & 11am
Sunday School @ 9:40am
JANUARY 24 & 26
African Palms Packing
Parish Hall 9-11am
JANUARY 25
Staff Meeting @ 10am
JANUARY 27-28
Boy Scouts Camp Out
Parish Hall
JANUARY 28
EDOW Convention
JANUARY 29
Choir Rehearsal @ 9am
Handbell Ringers
@ 11:30am
CELEBRATION of
AFRICAN PALMS
JANUARY 31
African Palms Packing
Parish Hall 9-11am
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ALTAR FLOWER MEMORIALS
Help beautify our altar
with flowers. Make a dedication to or in memory of a loved one, in honor of a birthday, anniversary, baptism, wedding or any other celebration you may want to share.
Reserve your Sunday by signing up. Sign-up form for the year is posted on the bulletin board outside the Rector's Office.
The cost for Altar flowers is $50.
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STJES INTERNATIONAL
FESTIVAL
showcasing students performing dances from around the world.
Friday, February 3
10:15am & 7pm
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Grace and Peace,
I was asked recently about one of the most powerful ministries in our church, a ministry that is in need of growth, the ministry of Eucharistic Visitor (EV).
The simple logistics of this ministry is that a layperson takes the elements of Eucharist, the bread and the wine, to someone who is not able to attend church. These holy elements are shared, prayers are said, and the process is complete. That description, however, merely represents the process and fails to capture what truly occurs.
Prior to my ordination this ministry caught my attention. I was trained in the process, accompanied and observed another EV on one of their visits, and was sent on my own to visit Andy. I knew Andy to say hello but little more than that. Andy had just received a liver transplant and his immune system was so compromised that he was not permitted to attend worship. Aside from his wife and daughter I was his outside contact with the world. But more significantly, I carried with me his connection to the church and to God; in a little box I carried the bread and the wine of Holy Communion that had been consecrated at the altar of the parish. And as we shared this holy meal Andy was fortified in a manner that permitted him to cry, to talk, and to laugh.
There were visits where Andy did not look well, he was tired and drawn; however, as we shared the Body and Blood of Christ Andy was strengthened and invigorated. For a period he became more animated and energetic, even if only for a short period of time it was a reminder of his health that was to come.
The process that the EV follows may end as they leave someone's home but the effects continue. It has been many years and miles since Andy and I have sat together on his back porch; but my life has never been the same since then. Though separated by time and distance, through social media, I still can see his passion for motorcycles and his continued health.
On a day when the nation recognizes the peaceful transfer of power, regardless of political view, few would argue that the nation has seldom been as divided as it is today. Most seek out news sources that reinforce their own views and seek the company of others who share these same views. There is little energy spent on listening to others. We are simply holding up in bunkers of our own making. In the ordinary course of life, Andy and I would not have found ourselves sitting on his back porch laughing and crying and talking as we did. But we did laugh, cry, and talk because we shared one thing in common; we shared a love of Christ and the desire to be in communion with Christ and each other. Never underestimate the power of the love of Christ. Remember, "We love because he first loved us" (1John 4:19).
Peace,
Henry+
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HEAR OUR STORY, SEE OUR PRODUCTS,
MEET OUR VOLUNTEERS, BECOME A VOLUNTEER!
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ADULT FORUM & Café
Join us Sunday mornings at 9am in the Parish Hall for an ongoing honest conversation on
"Making Sense of the Bible". Copies of the book are available in the Rector's office. A $10 donation is suggested to offset the cost, however is not required.
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VALENTINE LUNCHEON
The annual Valentine Luncheon, sponsored by the Women of St. John's, will be held on
February 16th,
at noon at the Norbeck Country Club,
17200 Cashell Road, Rockville, MD 20853. This year we are inviting men and women to join us for lunch.
The cost is $30 per person, which includes entree, dessert, coffee, tea, lemonade, wine or beer.
The sign up sheet with full menu is on the bulletin board in the Parish Hall. Please indicate your entree and dessert choices on the sheet.
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