Grace and peace to you.

St. John's is always a busy place and this past year is no exception. We continue to minister both to each other and to others beyond our doors. It is a delight to observe God working among us and in the whole of the world.

On an ongoing basis we are called to discern just what we think God is doing and what we are being asked by God to do. It is an intense process; God often surprises us. We continue to be challenged and we continue to rise and face those challenges.

The building itself continues to be a challenge. It is an aging building whose needs we cannot ignore. There have been wonderful, life-giving renovations in the near past, but we also have less "exciting" but vastly important issues like roofs, plumbing, boilers, windows, office equipment, and so on.

The interior space has been altered recently, the result of many years of reflection and a focused year of discussion and planning by the very hard working Architectural Renewal Committee. The current configuration of our worship space is one attempt to explore ways we can be with each other in the liturgy and how we may be able to joyfully express different ways of worshipping God. It is also about the use of the space outside of the liturgy. Nothing is set in stone.

I commend the Architectural Renewal Committee under the leadership of Gay Richardson for its work and its faithful understanding that it is OK to try something and not be ashamed --or angry-- if it doesn't work. The committee has been very adept at taking comments and suggestions from the congregation and incorporating them into the test.

The Stewardship committee, under the leadership of Jane Scanlon, has struggled to bring the reality of our financial situation to our attention. We understand that people have been made anxious because of the economic situation at home and abroad, but no one else is going to look after our own home. We are in this together.

Many of us at St. John's were excited when the parish was designated to do blessings of gay marriages. On the 13th of December we did just that! There was a long-standing ovation for Debbie Walsh and Deanna Schofield, Craig Hinman and Jaques Bourgignon, and Frank Kajfes and Bryan Wannop. We will never forget the joy of that day.

We continue to love God and each other in a world where many are lonely, rejected and condemned. All are welcome here as all are welcome in the heart of God.

Pax,
Dana+