The St. John's Blog

one question (and this is me being a wiseacre) wha...

2010-01-15T22:15:01.206-06:00

one question (and this is me being a wiseacre) what did the theatrical lights do that was so theatrical?

Just to let you know, I think the bulletins for th...

2010-01-07T11:37:44.465-06:00

Just to let you know, I think the bulletins for the Christmas season have been lovely -- thank you for the extra time & work. The photos are beautiful and the color touches inside said "today is special"...

Filmed by our own Jess Elfring Roberts!

2010-01-03T17:41:58.436-06:00

Filmed by our own Jess Elfring Roberts!

Thank you for reminding us of our rich history. It...

2010-01-02T14:57:32.213-06:00

Thank you for reminding us of our rich history. It is great to have the font of all knowledge in our parish!

The blog and photos are terrific. It's great t...

2009-12-30T08:59:23.676-06:00

The blog and photos are terrific. It's great to see the growth and diversity of events and outreach at St.John's. Every time I log on, there is more to learn about the parish history, the church traditions, and examples of living the Word of God in the world. It's fun sharing the beautiful church of my childhood with friends here in Florida. Thanks for everyones efforts to maintain this blog. It is touching other people more than you may realize.

No need to share the misery!! Merry Christmas, Ka...

2009-12-28T09:27:27.250-06:00

No need to share the misery!!

Merry Christmas, Kara!

Suellen

Again, Bob's stunning photography makes everyo...

2009-12-28T07:00:46.578-06:00

Again, Bob's stunning photography makes everyone look happier and holier! Thank you for sharing this wonderful gift with me.

I was so sorry to hear about the nightmare...but s...

2009-12-28T06:57:54.571-06:00

I was so sorry to hear about the nightmare...but so glad I didn't hear about it until after the Mike the Christmas Miracle came...thanks Bob and Suellen.

Bless you for this, one of the most precious hymns...

2009-12-26T07:52:50.334-06:00

Bless you for this, one of the most precious hymns, and a very Merry Christmas to all my Family at St. John's.

Those are great pictures! Thanks, Jim Steen

2009-12-08T12:54:09.614-06:00

Those are great pictures! Thanks, Jim Steen

It was such a nice service!

2009-12-03T10:03:20.679-06:00

It was such a nice service!

Thanks Leanne for this great post, and all your wo...

2009-10-27T20:39:57.625-05:00

Thanks Leanne for this great post, and all your work. It was a great day!

This is a great discussion; it's one that need...

2009-09-17T12:37:29.835-05:00

This is a great discussion; it's one that needs to happen so we can begin to understand where our differences truly come from!
I want to commend Rev. Kara for taking a bold step in giving a sermon that can spark so much controversy! And I think that there is no better time to do it then on the Sunday before Labor Day when we celebrate the workers, the ones who wake up at the crack of dawn and come home after sunset just to make sure there is enough money to put food on the table.
Although I understand that for a person whose parents came here legally it is difficult to understand why some people cannot wait until they can enter legally. I mean it seems like the fair thing to do! The problem with this is that there is no line to wait in and there is, for many people, no hopes of ever entering legally with the current laws! There is a lottery, and every year about 3 million to 5 million people around the word apply, but only 50,000 are granted! That means that only 1% of applicants are granted legal entrance to the US! Otherwise, the only other way of obtaining residency before entering the country is through family based immigration. A father can petition for his under-aged child after he has become a citizen, but it takes 5 years to become a citizen, a wife can petition for her husband, or her mother, but only after being separated for at least 6 years since it takes 5 years before you can apply for citizenship (4 yrs. 9 mon.) and then you have to wait for the application process for the family member. If however, you want to sponsor a sibling, you will be waiting anywhere from 14 to 21 years!
At the end of the day, for many people around the world, immigration becomes about survival and about family. I could not wait 6 six years before being able to live with my mother or father, if they are so lucky enough to have legal status in the US, which is almost impossible for a person of low means with no hopes of obtaining work visas. I could not wait for the slight 1% to be able to come to the US in hopes of obtaining a job so I can feed my family and give my child an education.
Immigration is a reality that needs to reformed. We cannot continue to just say they broke the law when the law is unjust and does not give actual, real, feasible, solutions so that people can come in without breaking the law. Furthermore there are already 12 million people here. 12 million people with children, siblings, friends, and mothers and fathers- and as Christians we are obligated to see them in such light. And as for Rigo Padilla, the young man Kara spoke about, he did break the law, he broke 2, one at the age of 6- and I am sure nobody can blame him for that. The second was as a young adult, but I think the connection that Kara made with herself is excellent! We all break the law now and then when it comes to traffic violations; I will admit that this morning as I was running late to work I drove over 30 mph down Milwaukee which is 25 mph. Many us are lucky because we are not one traffic violation from being separated from our families and taken from the only country we know!

Thank you so much for your thoughtful response. Th...

2009-09-17T10:26:24.687-05:00

Thank you so much for your thoughtful response. This was the most “political” sermon I have preached at St. John’s and there is always a risk that I am not clear with my message. I guess I wasn’t!

I agree that the immigration laws should be followed, as your parents followed them, and as did many Mexican and other immigrants who came 20 or more years ago. The problem, as I see it, is that the laws were written for a different time, and now the system is so backlogged that we, our government, are putting people in inhuman situations because we haven’t followed through in enforcing those laws. The system is broken.

As I’ve talked to lawyers and immigrants I’ve discovered that enforcement is random. Deportation breaks up families, puts people on the streets or leaves them jobless. We, as private citizens can chose to help or ignore. As citizens we should report them, not hire them, send them away. As Christians, we have a responsibility to try to help them with food, shelter, basic human dignity. I think the broken system puts us between a rock and a hard place. So I think the system needs to be fixed. That will not mean that everyone gets amnesty…but there should be a fair way to deal with those who have been here a long time, have waited years for citizenship (I met one man who was still waiting after 11 years), and who have been paying taxes, but will receive no benefits (like social security) on the taxes they’ve paid.

I don’t know if the young man is trying to become a citizen. He certainly must have known he couldn’t drive without a license. I think of him as an innocent victim because he didn’t chose to live here, his parents did, and now if he goes back to Mexico he has no close family to live with, and he might never have the case to return to school.

I hope this clarifies what I was trying to say, I am certainly not an expert, and I know it is a very complicated issue. I appreciate your willingness to challenge me; it makes me a better preacher and a better person.

Thanks you,
Kara

Dear Rev. Kara, I wanted to express my thoughts re...

2009-09-17T10:24:50.678-05:00

Dear Rev. Kara,
I wanted to express my thoughts regarding the sermon last Sunday. It troubled me and I wanted to voice a different opinion. I understand the problems of illegal aliens is something that you feel passionately about. It has been mentioned several times in sermons over the past few months. I am very compassionate for the plight of people trying to legally become citizens. I am a first generation American. My mother waited in Germany several years after World War II until someone work sponsored her to enter into the United States legally. My father worked for the United States Army in Belgium and was allowed after time in the Army to come to the United States legally. I remember my parents filling out the yearly "Legal Alien" forms required by the United States until they were finally able to become citizens. My older brother was born in Germany, came over when he was about four and became a United States citizen when he was able. I feel blessed that I was born here.

I believe in immigration laws. Today, they may not be what you like, certainly some laws need to be changed, but the law is the law. The traffic incident which precipitated your friend being deported is not the point. (Although, I'm sure the trafic incident brought out some other legal issues, which actually precipitated the deportation.) The issue is that this person broke the law. They were in this country illegally. This is a person of driving, college age, not a child. After being here so many years, I am sure he knew the laws of this country. I did not hear in your sermon that this person was in the process of becoming a United States citizen or of becoming a Legal Alien for that matter.

I have some dear friends who are illegal immigrants. Maria was caught and sent back. She chose to sneak back in through Canada and now lives illegally in California. I'm not sure if she was shackled, or not, but, she was put on a plane and sent back to her country of origin. People who have lived here illegally for many years usually work and have their own funds. That is the reason for coming to the United States. People come for a better life.

I know it is heartbreaking to want something or be somewhere and not be allowed. But, until a person can legally be in a country, it is not their right. It makes me wonder about the respect they have for the county, if the first thing they do is break the law. Are imigration laws are broken? Yes, to an extent that is true, but I also believe that these people have chosen to break the law and are now caught in a circumstance of their own making. The US granted amnesty in the past and now it is expected. You stated that the US had ruined this persons life. What about all the good the US provided for the time he was here? Could it be God's will to have him sent back to do some good in his own country?. Perhaps there is a greater purpose.

I don't usually comment on sermons, but I felt the need to express my opinion.

Thank you,
name withheld

Thank you for the great history Angela! I can'...

2009-09-11T18:00:42.650-05:00

Thank you for the great history Angela! I can't help but comment that this is a pivotal year for me - I was born in 1969! That was before women could be priests in the Episcopal church and I think women were only allowed on vestries in 1967? but I can't verify it...

Very nice, Mom!

2009-08-31T08:10:50.998-05:00

Very nice, Mom!

2009-08-28T14:42:21.611-05:00

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

It was a beautiful day! What a wonderful way to we...

2009-07-31T21:15:01.628-05:00

It was a beautiful day! What a wonderful way to welcome Hideo into the faith! We are so blessed to have found St. John's and really appreciate how warm and welcoming everyone has been. The Garden on the Green band was fantastic! Thank you for the post.

Great photograps... But did you ever find out wha...

2009-07-23T09:51:16.299-05:00

Great photograps...
But did you ever find out what the translation of the words were that they were using in their songs? I'm assuming they were in one of the Ugandan languages.

As a former parishioner, acolyte, brass polisher, ...

2009-07-06T21:03:34.600-05:00

As a former parishioner, acolyte, brass polisher, food server, dishwasher, babysitter, organizer, and all around troublemaker of the 70's and 80's generation of St.Johnites, it is such a pleasure to see St.John's flourishing and doing so well. I love the diversity of the congregation and the activities -- don't take that for granted. It is still a rarity in many parts of our nation. The blog is a fantastic tool - nice work everyone! God is clearly visible in the smiles and joy that are abundant through these photos.

~Linda McCormick
(Angela's daughter)

What a hoot!I think the woman are covering their h...

2009-06-12T10:46:55.549-05:00

What a hoot!I think the woman are covering their head in deference to St. Paul. Why mortar boards? The Protestant version of Roman Catholic lace hankies? I choose to believe it was a liberal statement about their intelligence. They wouldn't have all fit in the choir stalls at once, but they probably sang different services - the women at 9 and the men and boys at 11 (Yes we did have 3 services back then). And we still have that processional cross (minus the doodad hanging from it). But what about the priest's lovely headgear. I think someone should buy one for the current Rector so she can look smart and pretentious too!

Until Kara said so, I had no idea the service ...

2009-06-08T19:18:25.693-05:00

Until Kara said so, I had no idea the service was that long. Really. It was a beautiful service.

Afterwards I overheard two diocesan participants – Cathedral old hands – say it was the best ordination service they'd had in a long time. One called out to the Thurifer, "Good Smoke, Mark!" And it was.

Bob tells the story so well, you'd never know ...

2009-06-08T16:41:35.100-05:00

Bob tells the story so well, you'd never know the service was a breezy two hours, and the party at lunch just as long! It was a honor to participate. God's Blessings Julianne!

I loved seeing all these photos one year after the...

2009-06-02T15:19:24.482-05:00

I loved seeing all these photos one year after the other. I like the way it gets REDDER each year. I am so very glad we are a part of this family.
Karen Hoyer