May 1, 2002

FROM THE DEACON’S BENCH 

As I write this, it is the middle of April.  Just 2 weeks ago we had snow. Today, forecasters are predicting a high of 81.  Walking my dog early this morning, I could smell the loamy dampness of thawing soil and newly raked gardens.  I could hear birds singing and woodpeckers hammering for insects.  I could feel that the air, while still somewhat chilly, carried the promise of warmth.  These senses – smell, hearing, and touch – told me it was spring.

But seeing….  If I had only my eyes to rely on, I might have been confused.  What I saw looked just as much like November as April.  The trees were bare, except for the red oaks, which still held their dead, brown leaves.  The woodsy path I walked on was covered with dead and decaying leaves.  There was a thin sheet of ice on part of the lake.  The sky was slate gray with low clouds.

Even as spring is preparing to burst forth, the signs of winter are still around.  It takes a combination of senses to give a full picture.  What might be perceived by sight alone as signs of decay and preparation for winter, are understood instead, through all the senses, as the setting for a new beginning.

Jesus said, “Unless a grain of wheat dies, it remains just a single grain of wheat.  But if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24).  Just as spring follows winter, and begins even while signs of winter are still around, so new life springs up in communities that have experienced a kind of winter.

Using all your senses, look around you at St. John’s, and see the signs of new life, even as the evidence of winter lingers. Just a few of these signs are:

• The wardens and vestry are working very hard, asserting strong lay leadership in all areas of parish life, to keep the ministries within St. John’s and to the greater community strong and vital.

• There is increased participation in the ministry of visiting our homebound parishioners.  Lay Eucharistic Visitors are assisting me in taking Holy Communion to those who can’t get to church.

• Nine of our teenagers participated in TEC (Teens Encounter Christ) weekends in March and April. In May, six young people will be confirmed and one will be received, at St. Mark’s Cathedral.

• The Evangelism Committee is making plans for improved signage around the building, and for helping us to be an even more welcoming community to those who visit us looking for a church home.

• The Liturgy and Music Committee is exploring ways to include children and youth more fully again in the 9:00 service.

• Our parish website is up-to-date and chock-full of information.

By the time you read this, the trees will be budding, lawns will be green, and there will be no question that spring is here.  I encourage you to be a part of springtime at St. John’s, by being present regularly at Sunday worship, welcoming the stranger, and participating in the ongoing ministries.

Faithfully yours,

Lydia Huttar Brown, Deacon