We've Moved!

The St. John's Blog has now been combined with the St. John's web site. Look for it here.

All the past blog posts have been moved (though we'll keep them here, too – at least for a while) and future blog posts will appear only at the new site.

Down By the Bay St. Louis

On July 30, 16 people from St. John's headed down to Bay St. Louis Mississippi to help rebuild homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina that hit the gulf coast 5 years ago. 83 people from the Diocese of Chicago participated on the mission trip. Needless to say we were a pretty loud group on the 18 hour train ride down to the gulf coast!

There were 12 different van groups that split up into 5 different work sites. Some sites did painting, insulating, caulking, drywalling, flooring, roofing, and so much more! Here are some shots from the trip:

Putting up insulation

Painting

Stopping for a bite to eat

Taking a break for rest and hydration

A group shot

The newest member of St. John's

The newest member of St. John's! Anna Morgan came to church and slept peacefully all through the service. Just wait until we pour water on her...then she'll have something to say!

New Lights Shine at St. John's

Hugh & Carol Colburn and friends donate a new votive candle stand which was blessed on June 20.
The big question is: Do we have to pay to pray?
The answer is: NO!
(but if you really want to make a donation you can!)

If Jesus Were Here Today

Parish Photo 2010

8:00 o'clock

10:30 wide angle!

Our newest member!

Cristina is received into the Episcopal Church on June 12 at St. James Cathedral.
Here with Bishop Lee & Bishop Scantlebury and The Rev. Kara Wagner Sherer

The Beatles Mass

On a hot and humid night the crowds came from all over Chicagoland...

The singers warmed up.

The guitarists kept cool

The programs were psychedelic colors of course!

Paul wrote to the Romans "love is the fulfilling of the law."

The brass got chops for "All you need is love"

The gospel reading was "all you need is love" by Jesus of Nazareth.

The great band played In my life, Help, Yesterday,
All you need is love, Tell me what you see,
Hey Jude, The Word, and Let it Be.
WOW!

Strings sang!

130 people sang their hearts out ...and gave generously, $1,000 for Episcopal Peace Fellowship.

Hey dude, why'm I wearing a pink headband with peace signs on it to go to church?

The love feast is bread and wine

"And in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make."

dj and dinner!

Sunday School Picnic

On Sunday June 6 we had our end of the year celebration, an indoor picnic, games, and songs.

Pharoah, Pharoah, ohhh baby, let my people go, huh!

Batman Grace

"nah, nah, nah, nah,

nah, nah, nah, nah,

PRAISE GOD!"

Lots of food, of course!

Thanks everyone for a great year!

Immigration Walk

I was asked to bless these pilgrims who were walking from our neighborhood in Chicago to Woodstock to protest counties' and suburbs' access to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement database to find undocumented immigrants. Along with other community leaders I gave a blessing and then walked a few blocks with them. My friend Ere walked the whole way. Her reflections are below:

"I just came back from a 3-day pilgrimage to McHenry County jail; we left on Friday at 10am and arrived Sunday at 6pm. For three days we walked to arrive at a place that for many of us represents the end of a life we have built in America, it’s a scary place, it’s a place we never want to be in and we pray our loved ones will never have to spend a night there. But, even though we hate this place, we walked there for the 400 people awaiting deportation in this detention center, so they could hear us, so they could know they were not alone, and so we could pray for them.

I am exhausted, tired, and beat-up. Walking 54 miles in 3 days is not easy; the 90-degree weather did not help either. The whole time I was walking, I kept thinking that this represented the walk that people must go through to reach a place that has jobs, a place where children can go to school and college, where you can buy a home, and send money back to help the extended family. But actually, at the end, I realized that this was not journey I was taking. The journey I took represented the life I live right now, the life that millions of people live every single day.

I am exhausted, tired, and beat-up- because I am undocumented every single day. I am so exhausted of taking every precaution I have to take because of my status, of the feeling I get every time I see a cop, and the feeling I get every time I call my brother and he does not pick up his phone. I am so exhausted of thinking of what am I going to do if CIR does not pass, what am I going to do if my mom is pulled over, how can I apply for grad school, and of how I am going to build a life and set roots in a place where I don’t always feel welcome. I have come to realize that I process many daily activities in a very different ways than my friends. A couple months ago, I was watching Planet Earth and I kept hearing- “I cannot wait until I can go there.” I never think that, traveling is so far removed from thoughts. What does it feel like to be able to think about seeing the world? What does it feel like to not have your heart skip a beat when you see a cop? What does it feel like to have a driver’s license? What does it feel like to be able to think about what I will be doing 10 years from now? All these thoughts beat me up every day.
This pilgrimage allowed me to understand why my faith is so important to me. It was the church that gave us food, shelter and blessings, and it was the church that walked and prayed for all detainees and for me. It is in my faith and the action of compassionate, passionate people that allows my exhaustion to not be overwhelming. My faith and all the people who fight for our dignity keep me going. This is why I am able to not give up and keep on fighting and hoping and praying. I hope that this pilgrimage allowed all participants to reflect, recollect, and recharge. Just like this long trip, our fight for comprehensive immigration reform will be a tough one, one filled with exhaustion."

T's Bar Benefit

Thanks to T's Bar and Grill ...they donated 10% of the bar take from the party room towards our Mission Trip to Mississippi. Thanks to all the St. John's folks and friends who showed their spirit.

How dem Hawks doing?

The red team!

We raised just over $500 on the raffle & bar take. Thanks everyone!

The Woman at the Mosque

The Woman at the Mosque from Recycle Your Faith on Vimeo.

Christina Calvit receives the Bishop's Award

Christina's fan club gathers at the Union League Club...gosh they clean up well!
(the people that is, the club was already clean!)

The bishop lists all her great accomplishments, her playwriting for Lifeline Theatre (she adapts novels for theatre), her Jeff awards, her professional life. She is so talented!

The bishop says more nice things about Christina...her contributions to St. John's through work on the altar guild and coordinating the flowers, decorations, and "set design" for St. John's.

All that embarrassing attention deserves a hug!

And a beautiful proclamation with the bishop's seal on it!

More admiration from fans
A good time was had by all!

Solemn Communion

Five Children spent Lent learning about the meaning of the Eucharist and then celebrated Solemn Communion with the whole congregation. For one child, it was a first communion.

They learned about the four parts of the Eucharistic Prayer:
Offer, Bless, Break, and Share

They showed the congregation the ancient prayer position, orans,
which the people can do along with the priest during the prayers.

So holy!

 

The Body of Christ, the Bread of Heaven

The Blood of Christ, the cup of Salvation

From the Heart

From the Heart

a concert of original music by composer

E. Rawlings Thurman

Seventeen fabulous pieces in several styles featuring Rawl Thurman, piano, voice, and accordian. Dawn Bach, voice and violin, Jason Martin, voice and clarinet, Angela Yorath on cello.

from the heart
lyrics by David Brewer, composed for the wedding of a mutual friend

in my heart

When I began writing this song I quickly realized that it belongs in a musical.

Perhaps someday someone will write that musical.

janet coming through the door on an afternoon

nogy- duet for violin and piano

vignettes

This is a weaving of three separate pieces: Diff'rent Word, Old Souls, and Catherine's Wheel.
And it's really fun to play

you swoon me

This was my attempt to write something for a crooner.
Feel free to imagine yourself with a cocktail and cigarette.

Afterwards tea and a fabulous cake created by Dawn!