The Rector's Page: The Season of Epiphany

Images: A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols

Adult Education and Formation

Passages

Welcoming and Evangelism

A Thank You From Our Organist and Choirmaster

Bible Readings

Images: Rev. Grant Abbott

Vestry Hilights

Morning Prayer and Bible Study on Tuesdays

Safe Church Training Opportunity

Kudos to Our Webmaster

Ministry Forum

The Reverend J Greenlee Haynes

January Birthdays

St. John in the Wilderness Student of the Month

Children’s Ministry

Second Annual Families Inc. All-Parish Valentine Event

The Youth Voice

Images

Lay Ministries Schedule

Calendar

On Epiphany (January 6), we remember the manifestation, or showing forth, of the Christ Child to the world in the account of the Wise Men. The Star of Bethlehem becomes the sign that the Christ, the light of the world, has come. On the following Sunday, we celebrate the Baptism of Christ. On January 8 at 10:30 am, we will also celebrate the sacrament of baptism for three of the Kroesch’s grandchildren.

In the weeks which follow Epiphany, we continue to celebrate other events in Jesus’ ministry. Each story offers us insight into the nature of God in relation to humanity. We recall his first miracle, changing water into wine; his first healing; his calling of the disciples; and his first preaching. Each of these events reveal Jesus as God’s Son and helps us explore more deeply his unconditional love for us and the role he plays in our salvation.

The liturgical texts for this period are very expressive of its meaning and embody many of the symbols, both biblical and cultural, which came to be part of the season:

  “. . .you gave to your incarnate Son the holy name of Jesus to be the sign of our salvation: Plant in every heart, we pray, the love of him who is the Savior of the world” (Collect for the Feast of the Holy Name, BCP, page 213).

  “. . .grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity” (Collect for the Second Sunday after Christmas, BCP, page 214).

  “. . .in the mystery of the Word made flesh, you have caused a new light to shine in our hearts, to give the knowledge of your glory in the face of your Son, Jesus Christ” (Proper Preface of Epiphany, BCP, page 378).

  “. . .grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior” (Collect for the First Sunday after Epiphany, BCP, page 214).

From The Rite Light: Reflections on the Sunday Readings and Seasons of the Church Year. Copyright © 1998 by Michael W. Merriman. Church Publishing Incorporated, New York.

Don’t wait until Lent to return to Church. Venture out in the cold to find the warmth of Christ at St. John’s each and every Sunday in January.

See you in Church.

Fr. Mark

The Gospel of Matthew

On Sunday mornings Jan. 8 and Jan. 29, from 10 to 11 am in the Parlor, we continue our study of the Gospel of Matthew. Our primary references are The Gospel of Matthew (Interpreting Biblical Texts series), Donald Senior, Abingdon Press, 1997; and Reading Matthew. A Literary and Theological Commentary, David E. Garland, Smyth & Helwys, 2001..

On Wednesday evenings from 6 to 7 pm in the Parish Hall, we will have a lectio divina bible study on the upcoming Sunday’s lectionary readings.

On Sunday January 22, The Rev. Rosalie Hall, great granddaughter of two prominent Minneapolis families — Heffelfinger and Peavey — will share with us the journey that finally led her to accept a call to become an Episcopal priest, as described in her new book A River Echoes in My Ministry (Kirk House Publishers, 2005, ISBN 1-886513-87-2).

  Jan 1 No meeting

  Jan 8 The Gospel of Matthew 4: Restoring Life to Others: Jesus the Healer (8:2—9:35). Great Harvest and Great Dangers: The Mission Discourse (9:36—10:42)

  Jan 15 Annual Church Meeting

  Jan 22 “A River Echoes in My Ministry,” with The Rev. Rosalie Heffelfinger Hall.

  Jan 29 The Gospel of Matthew 5: Doubt, Indifference, and Dissent (11:2—12:45). The Mysteries of the Kingdom Revealed (12:46—13:58).

  Jan 4 Lectio Divina Bible Study of the Readings for the First Sunday after Epiphany

  Jan 11 Lectio Divina Bible Study of the Readings for the Second Sunday after Epiphany

  Jan 18 Lectio Divina Bible Study of the Readings for the Third Sunday after Epiphany

  Jan 25 Lectio Divina Bible Study of the Readings for the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

  Feb 1 Lectio Divina Bible Study of the Readings for the Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

www.StJohnAdultEd.Org includes series information, our schedule, and downloadable prior presentation overheads or PowerPoint slides.

Comments, questions or suggestions? Interested in joining the Adult Education and Formation Committee? Contact David Monyak: phone 651/481-8697, or e-mail.

  Victor Lee 11/28/2005

  Susan Lee 11/28/2005

  Lindsey Lee 11/28/2005

  Madeline Lee 11/28/2005

  Brian & Holly James 12/3/2005

The next Welcoming & Evangelism Committee Meeting will be at 6:30 pm on Tuesday, 1/24/2006 in the Caribou Coffee meeting room (corner of Hwy 96 & 35E). We look forward to seeing everyone interested in learning more about Welcoming & Evangelism. Feel free to contact Krista Sullivan at 651/484-2263 with your questions.

Safe Church training is offered Saturday, January 21st from 9 am - noon. Alison Feigh will conduct this important abuse prevention training. Pre-register with Maureen in the office ( or by phone). The materials, training, and background check cost is $10. Please contact Alison at 651/429-5351 ext. 12 with your questions, or if the cost is a problem. Building access codes will change at the first of the year. Per diocesan requirements, only Safe Church trained parishioners may have at will access to the church beginning in 2006.

“I just wanted to say it is very generous of you to make your adult education courses available to folks far away! My family and I have been displaced by Katrina, and it has been a joy to find this web site. Thank you and I look forward to being a regular reader.” Joe Giarrusso, Jr.

Many of you are aware that our Vestry is in the midst of a major transformation. Where formerly members were representatives of specific ministries, each vying for a piece of the budget pie and planning day to day ministry activities, the Vestry will now assume a more traditional and appropriate role as the Church body responsible for finance and property. The transformation is not yet complete, but the Vestry already more closely resembles a governing Board.

I have heard some comments that the Vestry will no longer understand Church ministries; however, this change will actually allow Vestry members to look at the bigger picture of how each of our ministries interrelate to create a vision that links to our mission. The tendency to support a specific ministry will lessen as the vision for the future of the whole Church appears. With God’s help and your prayers we will create something new and wonderful at St. John’s by remaining flexible to explore options for our future.

What will replace the Vestry as the place to go to discuss ministry? The short answer is the Ministry Forum. This is a new venture, with meetings held monthly since July 2005. Currently one of the Wardens is chairing Ministry Forum meetings, but this is a work in progress. This pattern may change as the forum gathers momentum. The Ministry Forum is not an alternative to the Vestry, but a committee designed for the unique purpose of fully developing Christian ministry within our Church and in the community.

The Ministry Forum ideally consists of the chair or a representative of each of the program committees responsible for a ministry at St. John’s. The goal of the Ministry Forum is to provide a setting where committee members:

  share information on upcoming activities sponsored by their committee,

  "cross-pollinate" ideas and plant the seeds for joint activities,

  provide ongoing support for one another as we work on our various ministries.

At October’s meeting the format was discussed, and for the near future the group decided to spend one hour monthly sharing information in an informal setting. Basic notes will be taken at meetings to be sent to each Vestry member, to appear in the Voice and on the Website beginning in February. During the first quarter of 2006, meetings will be held from 7:30 to 8:30 pm in the Parish Hall on three Wednesdays: January 18, February 15, and March 15 .

If you are interested in forming the basis for a new ministry, please come to share plans and ask for ideas or support. All are Welcome!

, Junior Warden

651/653-3601

The Rev. J. Greenlee Haynes made a wonderful gift to St. John in the Wilderness Church. In his will he donated to our church the proceeds of his home in Mesa, Arizona, to be sold after the death of his wife Ruth. Greenlee was the Rector here from 1956 to 1978. He served here longer than any other Rector.

Greenlee Haynes served in the army in Europe during World War II. Before the war, he had gone to college and married his beloved first wife Mabel. After the war, he went to seminary training to become a priest in the Episcopal Church. During college he played saxophone in dance bands, and later, whenever there was a dance at our church, he would join in the music.

Beginning with Christmas of 1956, and for many years during the rectorship of the Rev. J. Greenlee Haynes, the season was made more joyful by a group of bell ringers. The bells were a Haynes family heirloom. Greenlee was very interested in history, and extracted information from the old vestry minutes which he saved with the other church papers. He also wrote a detailed description of the church’s stained glass windows.

Greenlee Haynes was active in community ecumenical events as well as the Chamber of Commerce and Lion’s Club. For one of the Lion’s Club shows he organized a group of bell ringers. He left St. John in the Wilderness in 1978 when he retired. He spent many happy years in Arizona, but made a point of coming back often to visit his friends in White Bear Lake.

1 Stephanie Allen-Davis

2 Grace Carpenter

3 Jackson Skeie

4 John Brunner

4 Bonita Peck

5 Gregory Cottle

5 David Gadbois

5 Carol Plocher

6 Bradford Carpenter

7 John Kissel

8 Susanne Blake

9 Anne Johnson

9 Peter McBride

10 Ashley Gildner

10 Samuel Kelm

10 Kristen LeFevre

13 David Seitz

14 Maggie DeSmet

14 Karl Glander

15 Lucille Popp

16 Rachmat Kasmani

18 Andrew MacNally

19 Lara Delamater

27 R. Eimon

27 Annica Olafson

28 Geraldine Babcock

28 Joshua Hoover

29 Mason Matko

29 Tyler Matko

30 Betty Murphy

31 Ellen Anthony

31 James Johnston

  Name Libby Mahoney

  High School Grade 10

  School/Community Activities Student Leadership Council and French Club

  Church Activities Acolyte, Youth Group, Frets, Northern TEC, and mission trips

  Favorite Song right now Santa Claus is Coming to Town

  Proudest Moment hmm off the top of my head probably when I got on Student Council

  Collections Books

  Favorite St. John’s Memory The San Diego Mission Trip

  Favorite Movie Pearl Harbor and Centerstage

  Last good book you’ve read Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul

  Best advice you’ve been given hmm I'm not sure...wear shoes?

  Where you hope to be in 10 years graduated from college with a job

  If you could have dinner with any person, whom would you choose? Jesus or Abraham Lincoln

  How can church become more youth friendly? It is; more youth just need to be motivated to come and get their homework done before Sunday night.

The 5th Annual St. John in the Wilderness Youth Treasure Hunt is Saturday, January 7th. The Junior High group will defend its title against Senior High. We invite all 6th-12th graders to participate. Sign up on the Youth Board if you plan to compete. All teams require adult drivers. Team Captains are selected at Youth Group Christmas Parties. We hand out lists at noon, but teams may arrive early to strategize. There is also a 1-2 pm church hunt for children. Youth teams return for judging and pot-luck lunch at 2 pm. We encourage parishioners to watch the always-humorous judging in the Parish Hall at 2 pm.

All Confirmation students should attend the Annual meeting, Sunday, January 15th at 8:30 am, as part of understanding the Episcopal Church.

A meeting Sunday, January 22nd after 9 am worship is for all our current 8th—12th grade youth interested in involvement with this summer’s out-of-state mission trip. We encourage youth and parents to attend. We will present trip destination ideas and other details.

We invite all Eighth Graders and their parents to participate in the Rite of Affirmation Liturgy on Sunday, February 5th at 9 am. Liturgy details will be mailed to families of eighth graders in early January. We will pledge our support for each of them as they continue to grow in God’s love.

We will have a Super Bowl party at Rich Oswald’s home for our high school youth on February 5th. We’ll watch the game and make cards for our college students. More details will be available closer to the date.

Our Fifth Annual mini-mission trip to Camp Heartland, a camp for children and youth affected by HIV/AIDS, is set for March 31st-April 2nd. As Camp Heartland is starting earlier this summer to provide opportunities for more campers, an early summer trip wouldn’t work this year. Instead, we will leave Friday after school and come back Sunday evening. Bring homework along for our down-time. If you have never been on a St. John’s mission trip, please participate in the Camp Heartland experience before joining us for our out-of-state trip. This trip is open to youth in eighth grade and up.

The spring TEC dates have been determined. High school youth, please prayerfully consider attending one of these upcoming weekends. Both begin on Friday mornings and end on Sundays.

Northern TEC in Duluth – March 17th-19th

St. Paul TEC – April 21st-23rd

“There are two ways to slide easily through life: to believe everything or to doubt everything; both ways save us from thinking.”

-Alfred Korzybski