Thank you for being here. This is an important part of our life together, and I think combining our Annual Parish meeting with food and fellowship makes it much more fun and reflects a lot of what we’re about— food and fellowship.

I’d like to start by thanking some folks, telling you some things that are not in the reports, and then giving you my impression of where we stand. This is my once-a-year chance to stand before you and give a sort of “State of the Parish” talk. I hope you will share with me any thoughts or impressions you have was you reflect on what I say. This will, by the way, be put in the back of the church like a sermon, so you will have a chance to read it at your leisure.

First, some thanks. I hope it goes without saying that I am grateful to everyone listed in all the reports you have before you and everyone who makes those ministries possible. I hope you will thank and congratulate your sisters and brothers as well.

I am also very grateful for the skill and devotion of my staff. Ruth Healy is a valued colleague. In addition to worship roles, she teaches and cares for our sick and shut-ins. Ruth also ministers to our Thursday morning group and our speeders group. They love her because they know that she loves them. I am so appreciative of her friendship and her ministry among us.

I spend more time with Carol McGittigan than I do with my wife. Lest I start any rumors, I want to assure you that it’s not the same! Carol is a friend; she cares about the parish; she gives me uniformly good advice which I sometimes even follow, and she brings great skill to the many, many tasks of administering the parish, getting our publications out, and, especially, dealing with me which is, I know, often frustrating. I appreciate her skill and patience.

Carol was out on medical leave this summer, and Mark Robertson saved my life by filling in. As we were both trying to figure out how Carol did things we didn’t even know had to be done, and how Microsoft Publisher (written by the devil) works, the scene in the office was often comical, and occasionally we could even see it that way (mostly not!). Mark learned a lot in a hurry about how much it takes to run a church, and for his friendship and assistance, I am deeply grateful.

Marion Tillman often comes in to join us for Morning Prayer and help in the office. I want to thank her for her assistance.

Jon Marc Rutherford is a great gift to St. John’s. Often even with my untrained ear, I can hear that he is doing something musically that is wonderful and is his own creation and that he probably ought to get published. Since I can’t comment on it in the middle of a service, often the moment passes and I don’t tell him enough how much I appreciate him. I want to tell him now, in front of God and everybody. I also appreciate very much that he works with the children at 9:15 on Sunday mornings. How wonderful it was to have our kids singing on Children’s Sabbath. Thank you, Jon Marc.

Ernie Radaker is not part of the paid staff, but he probably deserves to be. As our treasurer, however, Ernie knows better than most that we can’t pay him! But he works very hard in ways most of you never see to ensure that we continue to be good stewards of God’s money. We have gotten Ernie some help by hiring Mark Barnes as a part-time bookkeeper. I hope that’s giving you some small measure of relief, Ernie, and I hope you know how much we appreciate your often unseen efforts.

This year Calvin Fields retired as our sexton. I want to thank him for his service to these old buildings for so many years. We replaced him with two part-time folks. Our own John Brady does a wonderful job. Thank you, John. John’s birthday was this week. Happy Birthday, John.

Dennis Luck also cares for our buildings. Dennis is a very hard worker whom I knew from All Saints’, and we are lucky to have him. Please keep Dennis in your prayers; this week while working somewhere else, a power saw kicked back and he cut the end of his little finger off. I know you’ll keep him in your prayers as he heals.

I would also like to thank Gwen and Calvin Fields for making our Wednesday night suppers. Each week we gather at 6:00 for a delicious meal which is a great blessing. It’s a big job, but it has made a tremendous difference for us to be able to break bread together before we begin Ruth’s class or DOCC. Thank you, Gwen and Calvin.

Speaking of Disciples of Christ in Community, or DOCC, I want to thank the small group facilitators. They had responsibilities each week and stay for a meeting after everyone else leaves. Thanks to Martha Spring, Jon Tolhoek, Robbin Iddins, and Angela Joyner. (Stand) Would everyone in the DOCC program stand? Please keep these folks in your prayers as they meet together for the rest of the school year.

Martha McLeod has begun a new ministry among us as a verger. Thank you, Martha.

If you:

Work at the Bargain Shop

Are a Eucharistic Visitor

Are a reader or chaliceer

Are a member of Daughters of the King

Are a member of the Centennial Celebration Committee

Teach Sunday School

Are an acolyte

Work with our youth

Are in the choir

Are on the altar guild

Participated in the Via Media program

Have served as a greeter or usher

Have come to a work day

Have helped with a Second Sunday brunch

Helped with the yard sale at the Animal Blessing

Helped with the Shrove Tuesday pancake supper

Helped blow up balloons for Pentecost

Work with Begin Again

Work with Family Life Ministries

would you raise your hand? Thank you! Your service has meant a great deal to this parish

There are lots of others. If I didn’t thank you and I should have, thank you, and please forgive me.

Now I’d like to share my impressions of the parish. This time last year, I was just returning from a three month sabbatical. I think there was a bit of turbulence surrounding my re-entry that we had to work through. Many of you, maybe most of you, might have been blissfully unaware of it, but some of you told me that you didn’t expect me to return from my sabbatical. For those of you who didn’t think I was coming back, that set up two possibilities: either you were glad I wasn’t going to return and were disappointed when I did, or you might have wanted me to stay and felt perhaps some anger or sense of abandonment when you thought I was leaving. Either way, when I came back, for some of you there were some feelings, often unspoken and even unrecognized, that we had to work through.

For my part, I was dealing with the fact that I was back, and that on my sabbatical the Angel Gabriel had not appeared to give me a grand new vision for St. John’s. I was about to complete my seventh year. It felt like the beginning of a new chapter in our life together, and I wondered how it would unfold. It seemed to me that we needed to do something different, even if it was for no other reason than not to always do everything the same way, but I was frustrated that I didn’t know what that should be.

A year later, as I prepare to complete my eighth year, I can say that I think we’re in a different place. My sense of this is very subjective, and I would welcome your take on it. But from my rather peculiar perch, the re-entry turbulence seems to have been resolved, and my sense is that, for reasons I can’t entirely explain but gladly celebrate, we have a renewed sense of the Holy Spirit at work in and through St. John’s. Attendance is up; you’re singing well (which I think is an indicator of community and joy); we continue to attract new families; our Sunday School is full of children; we have lots of programs; we are enjoying one another, and we are working hard and well to serve the community.

Our diversity continues to be our strongest feature. I believe that people detect in it an authenticity. We are not diverse because it is politically correct to be diverse. We are diverse because we want to invite everyone to join us in worshipping God. We are diverse because we believe that the kingdom of God will reflect all of the wonderful variations of human beings God created. St. John’s parade includes black people and white people; rich people and poor people; well-educated people and less well-educated people; gay people and straight people; Republicans, Democrats, and at least a few Libertarians; recent immigrants and people born here; people who wear suits to church and people who wear jeans and (thank God!) people who wear the beautiful attire of their homeland. We are little children and senior citizens; married, partnered, and single people; Rite I people and Rite II people.

We certainly don’t agree on everything. (I think God would be disappointed if we did.) But we agree on one thing — that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and our way to the Father and is alive in this place now — and that is enough. That is more than enough.

We have lived that belief out this year as we have engaged in the ministries reflected in the reports you have been given. As I read through them, I was tempted to want to give you a recap. There is so much being done by so many reflecting so much dedication and commitment. But I decided that you can read them for yourselves. I hope you will. And I hope you will feel, as I do, the Holy Spirit moving through us. Something new is happening at St. John’s. I don’t know exactly what it is or where it is going, but my sense is that a new era has begun.

I have a theory as to why. There was a time when this parish spent a significant portion of its energy dealing with conflicts within the parish family. Our newer members might not know about that, but older members will. The last eight years have not been free of any conflict; we are, after all, human beings trying to work together. But I’ve been to church war, and this is not it! We have had eight years of peace and stability. We feel good about ourselves; we are working hard for our Lord, our worship is meaningful and joyful, and our community cares for one another. I don’t mean to imply for a moment that we’re perfect in any of this, but I think it’s a fair description.

And that means that I have accomplished what I came to St. John’s to do. Those were the things I hoped to accomplish when I got here. Stability, morale, service, affection, lively worship. And here we are. Thanks be to God.

So the question becomes, what next? That’s what I was frustrated in not knowing after my sabbatical. I had assumed that God would reveal what was next. God did not. I find that God is very unreliable when I set the schedule.

And, of course, that was a good thing. After eight years of peace, we have a new energy we haven’t had before. I think in part it’s the savings that comes with not waging war with one another. What seems clear in hindsight is that this isn’t about me providing you with the answers. I think my leadership now is to hold before you the questions. The questions are, how can we use this wonderful energy? How can it use us? How can we hold onto the things that make us who we are and at the same time do new and creative things that expand our appeal, that reach new people who are not here — and new places in the hearts of those who are here?

This isn’t about me telling you where we should go; this is about us claiming together this energy, this Holy Spirit. This is about us claiming a new day and being leaders — and followers — evangelists — and disciples — as we turn our faces to the rising sun, not knowing what this new day will bring, but thanking God for the sunrise, and for one another.

As I stand before you without answers, I thank God that these are our questions. I am tremendously excited by the dawn of new hopes and new possibilities at St. John’s. And I am tremendously grateful that I face that sunrise with you. May God bless you.