The Good News of St. John’s

This time of year is filled with so many opportunities – graduations, picnics, good weather, gardening, travel, etc. But don’t miss out on this year’s celebration of the Feast of Pentecost on June 5!

What is Pentecost?
Good Question!
The Feast of Pentecost is named for the Greek word that means 50 because it is 50 days after Easter. On this day, we celebrate the coming of God’s Holy Spirit in the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 2 where it says,
“1When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. ²And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. ³Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. ⁴All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.”  
In other words, we celebrate the gift of God’s Holy Spirit who comes down to inspire us and make Christ known in the world. As Episcopalians, we look to our Baptismal Vows for concrete ways to do just that.

Baptism!
This year, as we renew our Baptismal Vows, we will be baptizing Frances (Frankie) Flanagan into the Body of Christ and her parents, Angela and Christy are excited to be among us for this sacred act.

Holy Spirit Doves – Help decorate the Sanctuary
We started passing out paper doves last Sunday (which you can download here). Please decorate these doves however you’d like – color them, paint them, write prayers on them… whatever works for you. Then cut them out and bring them to St. John’s. It is ideal for you to bring them this coming Sunday (May 29) so we have time to get them up before June 5. But you can also drop them by the Rectory on or before Friday, June 3 (put them in the mailbox next to our door). Or you can just bring them on June 5, in which case, we’ll give you some tape so you can put your doves up in the Sanctuary yourself.

Wear Red
If you have a red St. John’s t-shirt, wear it! Or… wear anything that’s red because red is the color of the Holy Spirit and we’re hoping to be blessed with a lot of it that day.

A Story Sermon and Special Kids Packets
All the kids will be given special Pentecost packets put together especially for our celebration and, instead of a typical sermon, Rev. Michelle will be telling a story to help engage younger listeners.

Come and celebrate on June 5 and help us baptize Frankie!

______________________________________________________________

God, help us!

At Centering Prayer last night, we were discussing our deep grief and anger over gun violence. And my wife Ana reminded us of a piece by Mendelssohn called Elijah. In Part 1, the entire chorus is, basically, screaming as loudly as they can while still holding some kind of musical pitch: “Help, Lord! Wilt Thou quite destroy us?”

Indeed, “Help, Lord!”
That is my plea. That is my prayer. That is what my whole being is shouting with a sound that is too loud for any ears.

Ever since the massacre in Columbine High School in 1999, when we were all shocked, we’ve been witnessing this violence over and over again, increasing in frequency, for more than 20 years. And yet, here we are. Still. And political leaders are appearing at the NRA convention in Houston, TX this weekend… as you read this… prepared to do whatever is necessary to hang on to their power through the influence and the money of the gun lobby. I’m sickened by this knowledge.

I want to find some way to return to hope. But maybe I’m getting ahead of myself. Maybe my grief and my anger are exactly what I need right now. Not in order to take on a self-righteous stance and throw stones at others whom I find to be “unenlightened,” for that, in itself, is a violent response. But to channel my emotion into a strength so that I can find ways of acting.

The St. John’s Social Concerns Committee will be meeting next week on Wednesday, June 1 at 3:15 over Zoom. We will pray together and then we will discuss what action we can take as a congregation to bring about the necessary policy change toward ending gun violence. All are invited to this meeting.

Here is the Zoom link for the meeting that you can copy and paste into your browser: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/198694790
I’ll also be sending it out via email early next week.

I hope you’ll find the time to join us. And if you cannot come to the meeting and still wish to be involved, contact me via email.

In God’s love and mine,
Rev. Michelle

_________________________________________________________________________

Announcements for the
The Feast of Ascension, transferred: May 29, 2022

NEXT SUNDAY: Feast of Pentecost Be sure to come and worship on Sunday, June 5 to celebrate the Feast of Pentecost, when we’ll all be renewing our Baptismal Vows as we baptize Frances (Frankie) Flanagan into the Body of Christ. Don’t forget to wear your red St. John’s t-shirts (if ya got ‘em) or any other red clothing. And bring your doves to decorate the sanctuary!

Social Concerns Zoom Meeting In response to the mass shootings that have taken place in Ulvade TX and Buffalo NY, the Social Concerns Committee is meeting over Zoom on Wednesday, June 1 at 3:15 to discuss our response of support and activism. See the parish email or the newsletter for the Zoom link to join. All are welcome!

Pastoral Care Team Meeting scheduled for June 12 immediately after worship. All are welcome to attend.

Calling all bakers! Do you like to make things in the kitchen? Our Communion Bread recipe is easy and quick. You bake one batch, deliver the bread to the church, and we keep it in the freezer until we use it. Sign up to bake for a month (or two) this year. The sign-up sheet is on the bulletin board in the Vestibule.

Deanery-wide Book Discussion: Are you ready to crack open the church?  What might that mean?  Come to a five week Zoom discussion group about Stephanie Spellers’ book, The Church Cracked Open.  She reveals the connection of the Episcopal Church in domination and empire building, and shows ways for us to unravel those connections, enliven our faith, and serve our communities.  Five Tuesdays, 10:30-11:30, June 14, 21, 28, July 5, and July 12 on Zoom. Please RSVP to Allison Moore, standrewsrev@gmail.com, by Monday, June 13 (questions welcome ahead of time too).  It would be best if most of us could make most of the sessions, but it is summer!

Flower Ministry: Every week, members of St. John’s honor their loved ones who have gone before or offer a memorial, listed in our bulletin, by supporting the Flower Ministry at St. John’s with a monetary donation. This ministry ensure we have lovely fresh flowers every week on our altar. Please consider signing up for a Sunday. Contact Elaine Lawrence at eslawrenc@aol.com

Page Turners Book Club: The next books are: June 7th: The Book of Hope, by Jane Goodall, July 5th (date might be changed): The Cold Millions, by Jess Walter. Currently the book club is considering the idea of meeting in person again but, as no decision has been reached. Please contact Lynn Dennison for more information if you’d like to join!

Collection Counters: As most of you know, each week, we collect pledges and donations during our Sunday service, along with other monies that come in during the week for rentals, etc. We need volunteers to count the monies immediately after the Sunday service and then make the deposit. You will be paired with one other person, scheduled once/month and will receive full training. Talk to Wes Dangler, Treasurer; Lynn Dennison or Claudette Ford, Wardens; or Rev. Michelle.

Benefit Concert for Ukraine: All are welcome to participate in the planning, just contact Rev. Michelle. The next planning meeting is via Zoom on Thursday, June 2 at 2pm. The Kingston Interfaith Council is hosting the concert at St. John’s on a date to be announced.

Have an announcement for the bulletin?
Please send by Wednesday at noon to stjohnskingston@aol.com.

St. John’s Mission Statement

We are called to know all our neighbors and be a bridge of God’s Love; connecting, inviting, sharing, and serving each other and the diverse community of Kingston. We will do this by: 1) Sharing our physical space and resources; 2) Being stewards of the arts; 3) Advocating for social justice; 4) Participating in inclusive and intergenerational worship; and 5) Affirming everyone has a place at God’s Table.

One of our bullet points, to “advocate for social justice” means that, through our faith, we are working to be Christ in and for the world so we must pay attention to the opportunities where we can step up and advocate for needed change. By doing so, we are recognizing that our Savior Jesus Christ is the one who always stands for those who are oppressed by the greed of the few and, as the Body of Christ, we demonstrate our love by doing the same.

Many of us are aware of the fact that, prior to the pandemic, Kingston was in a housing crisis – not enough housing stock (houses, apartments, duplexes, etc) to ensure that people have a place to live. And most of you are also aware that the pandemic drove people to the Kingston area in large numbers. At one point, we sustained the second highest influx of newcomers in the entire country. This, of course, has driven prices/rents up even further and it has also significantly decreased the number of housing units available. Click here for a good synopsis of the issue.

What can we do in the face of such greed? There are several organizations working on the housing issue – RUPCO, Habitat for Humanity, the Ulster County Housing Justice Collaborative, and the Kingston City Land Bank (by the way, our own Bob Dennison is on the board of the KCLB!). There is no one solution because the issue is complicated and has multiple facets. And while immediate relief is needed, sustained and long-term change also must be addressed.

On this front, there is good news! The City of Kingston has been working on a new zoning code that would remove barriers for some much-needed housing development. And the Director of Housing Initiatives for the City of Kingston (Bartek Starodaj) needs us (yes… you and me) to support this effort. He says that the people who usually show up to hearings on proposed code changes are those who want to argue against it. So those of us who want to see change, must take this opportunity to advocate for social justice and show up to this incredibly important conversation.

You can read more about the new zoning draft code by clicking here. You will also find the schedule of hearings/meetings in the month of June. Please choose 1-2 and show up! The members of the Kingston Interfaith Council have made a commitment to do just that so you will probably see some of Kingston’s clergy leadership.

Be the change you wish to see in the world.

____________________________________________________________________

The Flower Ministry: A Note from the Sacristan Team

One of the things the Sacristans take care of are the weekly flowers in church. After 2 years of not being able to have flowers, it’s great that we’re able to restart this tradition. It is all of you who help us maintain this practice, by remembering or honoring someone important to you with a memorial or thanksgiving intention and a financial donation.

Elaine Lawrence maintains our flower list and when you choose a Sunday or 2 throughout the year that you would like to give the flowers you can tell Elaine. Then, a few weeks before that day, she will send you a reminder. She will make sure that your name and the name of the person, or persons, you are remembering gets into the Sunday bulletin. What makes this all even more special is that following the Sunday service the flowers are given to someone who either can’t be in church for any pastoral reason, or they are given to someone in church who we want to remember in this special way.

For many years, Ron Smith, of the Orchid Shoppe, supplied our flowers. He was great to work with and seemed to know what we needed before we even had to ask. Ron has recently retired, and we are beginning a new relationship with Blooming Boutique Florist, on Albany Ave. Of course, as with most things these days, the cost of fresh flowers has gone up. One change we’ve made with our current configuration for worship, using one vase, seems to work well.

Historically we have asked for a donation of $30 for Sunday flowers and while we will continue to welcome donations of any amount, the cost of flowers has risen to $50. As a consequence, it is my hope that we will have more Sundays where 2 people are offering a memorial for flowers, which would help us continue this tradition, a tradition which both enhances our worship and remembers someone who is unable to be with us in church. What is important is that everyone’s participation is welcome. Choose a Sunday and give what you can.

Speak to Lynn Dennison (lynnsdennison@gmail.com) or Elaine Lawrence (eslawrenc@aol.com ) if you have any questions.

________________________________________________________

Are you exhausted too?

Have you watched the movie Encanto yet? It’s a beautiful movie and I highly recommend it. The reason I bring it up is because of the character Luisa. When Ana and I were watching it, she turned to me and said, “You’re Luisa!”

I sheepishly agreed, unhappy in the truth of it, if I’m honest. Luisa is the character who sings: “I’m the strong one. I’m not nervous. I’m as tough as the crust of the earth is… I don’t ask how hard the work is.” But under the surface, she’s wondering how long she can keep this up.

I’m sure I’m not alone. There are many “Luisas” and “Louies” out there. Perhaps you can identify with this yourself.

As I write this, I’m aware that the exhaustion I feel is less about the actual doing, although that’s a part of it and the pressure “to do” can be enormous. Rather, the exhaustion I feel is one that is born out of grief and anger and sadness. Life always brings so much for us to navigate. And the emotional content of all of the changes and chances of this life seem to have been amplified in the last 2 years because of the pandemic, on top of the last 6 years of political and social turmoil. And, I’m aware that my tendency is to take on more, as if I could carry the world on my shoulders. But, ultimately, I have nothing left to give.

So, I’m working to turn down the volume of several voices in my head:

• The voice that tells me to pay attention to so many things. I’m turning it down so I can focus in on the things that truly matter to me and my family and to the vows I have made as a priest.
• The voice that tells me I need to do everything that everyone expects of me. I’m turning that one down which means I have to be willing to disappoint people sometimes in order to keep the commitments that truly matter.
• The voice that tells me I have no time for self-care. I’m turning that one down so I can rest and have enough to give to others which means I need to be better about scheduling time off and holding myself to it.

I wonder… what are the voices you have where you need to turn down the volume? Maybe you’re exhausted by the same things I am. But maybe you’re exhausted by other things.

We can bring this to the Eucharistic Table as we come for nourishment. We can offer these voices to God and be renewed in our commitment to Love every week. In this, we can come to know more intimately the truth of Christ – that we are whole and we are beloved children of God.

I’ll see you at the Table this Sunday where we can all refresh ourselves in God’s Love.

In God’s love and mine,
Rev. Michelle

____________________________________________________

Announcements for the
Sixth Sunday of Easter: May 22, 2022

RESCHEDULED! Pastoral Care Team Meeting has been rescheduled to June 12. All are welcome to attend.

Calling all bakers! Do you like to make things in the kitchen? Our Communion Bread recipe is easy and quick. You bake one batch, deliver the bread to the church, and we keep it in the freezer until we use it. Sign up to bake for a month (or two) this year. The sign-up sheet is on the bulletin board in the Vestibule.

Deanery-wide Book Discussion: Are you ready to crack open the church?  What might that mean?  Come to a five week Zoom discussion group about Stephanie Spellers’ book, The Church Cracked Open.  She reveals the connection of the Episcopal Church in domination and empire building, and shows ways for us to unravel those connections, enliven our faith, and serve our communities.  Five Tuesdays, 10:30-11:30, June 14, 21, 28, July 5, and July 12 on Zoom. Please RSVP to Allison Moore, standrewsrev@gmail.com, by Monday, June 13 (questions welcome ahead of time too).  It would be best if most of us could make most of the sessions, but it is summer!

Social Hour Hosting: You are invited to sign up on the bulletin board in the Vestibule to be a social hour host! Talk with our Hospitality Coordinator, Barbara Johnston for more information.

Flower Ministry: Honoring Loved Ones – Every week, members of St. John’s honor their loved ones who have gone before by supporting the Flower Ministry at St. John’s with a monetary donation. This ministry ensure we have lovely fresh flowers every week on our altar. Please consider signing up for a Sunday. Contact Elaine Lawrence at eslawrenc@aol.com

Page Turners Book Club: The next books are: June 7th: The Book of Hope, by Jane Goodall, July 5th (date might be changed): The Cold Millions, by Jess Walter. Currently the book club is considering the idea of meeting in person again but, as no decision has been reached. Please contact Lynn Dennison for more information if you’d like to join!

Benefit Concert for Ukraine: All are welcome to participate in the planning, just contact Rev. Michelle. The Kingston Interfaith Council is hosting the concert at St. John’s on a date to be announced.

Have an announcement for the bulletin?
Please send by Wednesday at noon to stjohnskingston@aol.com.

Come one, come all!

Saturday, May 14 from 9:00 – 12:00

Bring your rakes and your gardening gloves and wear your hats and your old jeans. We’ll be spending the morning outside around the St. John’s property to get some tasks done and get us ready for summer. Raking, planting, cleaning, weeding.

Be sure to dress appropriately for a warm day as it looks like it will be in the 70’s on Saturday morning. Much of the work we have to do is in the shade but there is plenty to do out in the sun too. We’ll have plenty of water on hand.

Masks are not required for working outside. We will have some small indoor tasks for those who cannot work outside.

Come and join in community and get to know the other folks at St. John’s. These Parish Work Days are always a lot of fun as we all work together for a common goal.

See you Saturday morning!