What does Baptism mean? How does it impact our personal life and our common life as a baptismal community?

At St. John’s, we are blessed with a wide variety of experience with Baptism. Some of us were baptized when we were young, some of us were baptized as older children or even adults, and some haven’t been baptized yet.

What does this event mean to us? Has its meaning changed as we’ve gotten older? What can we learn about Baptism that we hadn’t considered before?

Bishop Mary Glasspool will be with us on December 10 when she will baptize a number of our members, receive some members who are coming to the Episcopal Church from other traditions, and we will all renew our Baptismal Vows.

The season of Advent is a wonderful time to reflect on Baptism as a beginning and a renewal. Join Rev. Michelle on December 3 after worship for a lively conversation and reflection.

Bishop Mary Glasspool: Baptisms and Receptions
And Cookie Exchange!
Sunday, December 10 at 10:00 am

Studying Scripture

Dear Ones,

As Episcopalians, we are a part of the wider Anglican Communion and in our tradition the foundation of our faith in what is commonly referred to as the “three-legged stool.” First and foremost, is scripture – the primary source of God’s inspiration. The other two legs – tradition and reason – are other sources of God’s inspiration that give us insight and perspective. So, scripture is something we take very seriously.

There are so many resources out there for Biblical interpretation that I think it’s important to pay attention to the lens being used for that interpretation. Why? Well, when it comes to faith and what we believe, we human beings often try to confirm our own beliefs by quoting scripture. This practice is called “proof-texting,” using the text to confirm our own biases. It’s a poor use of scripture and bankrupts our sacred texts of the inspiration we can find there.

But we are human and a purely unbiased reading of scripture is impossible. This doesn’t mean that scripture is meaningless. On the contrary, when we learn to see beyond our own biases, we find so much more there than we could possibly imagine.

So, I’d like to offer a resource that I’ve recently been introduced to: Dan McClellan. Dan is a scholar of the Bible and religion and his goal is to increase public access to the academic study of and combat misinformation about both. He is very disciplined at uncovering bias in scriptural interpretation so that he helps open things up like, the concept of hell and homosexuality and the Bible. In all of it, he helps us examine the assumptions that we all bring to scripture.

I find his ministry to be such a breath of fresh air because, rather than to rely on publishing books like so many academics, Dan teaches without walls through his Instagram and Youtube channels. He posts free, short videos in which he demonstrates what it means to look seriously at our Biblical texts and examines common assumptions. He also offers online classes at a pay-what-you-can rate through his website.

Sometimes he uses academic jargon, which can be a bit off-putting, but he is an academic and it’s hard for most scholars to use more common words because they feel the need to be as precise as possible. Most of the time, however, I find him to be rather plain-spoken and engaging.

Interested in learning more? Google “maklelan” and you’ll find all of his work. And let me know what you learn!

In God’s love and mine,
Rev. Michelle

Announcements for November 19
Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

St. John’s Office Hours
Wednesdays 10:00-12:00 noon
Thursdays 1:00-4:00 pm
Phone: 845-331-2252
Email: stjohnskingston@aol.com

Vestry Notes for October

• In her Rector’s Report, Rev Michelle noted that she and Rev Eliacin of Holy Cross Santa Cruz are developing an evening Advent Series that will begin on Thursday, November 30. The theme will be Becoming Beloved Community and we will have an online component for those who cannot drive at night. Stay tuned for more information.
• The 247th Convention of the Diocese of New York is on 11/11/23. Rev Michelle and Paula Wisneski will travel to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in NYC. The day is spent voting on candidates for Diocesan Offices and resolutions for our common life, listening to reports from various committees, and drawing on the power of a people gathered in prayer and praise. Our proclamation: For all that has been done, Thanks! For all that will be, Yes! -Dag Hammarskjöld.
• Please join all people of faith in Kingston in attending the Interfaith Gathering on 11/14/23. We gather in particular to support the well-being of Congregation Emanuel during these heartbreaking days of conflict and peril.
• We are excited that Brian Silver has officially joined the St. John’s family, as he begins his permanent employment with us. Although we are still fine tuning his official job title and responsibilities, Brian has already contributed so much to our parish life: he has enlivened St. John’s Kitchen rentals and we cannot thank him enough for his contributions to the wildly successful Neighborhood Block Party. He will be taking on some vital tasks like overseeing maintenance for the buildings and grounds and assisting with the St. John’s Newsletter.
• The Vestry is starting to put into place plans for Rev Michelle’s 2024 sabbatical that will begin in April, after Easter, and continue through May and June. We are considering the coverage that will be needed and welcome any ideas or concerns you might have.
• The Vestry will be spending Saturday, 11/4/23 conducting a Mutual Ministry Review along with Rev. Michelle. We will be led by the Rev. Allison Moore of St. Andrew’s in New Paltz as we take time to assess St. John’s ministerial goals and what role each of us plays in our common life. We will be sharing the results of this day and asking you to give us your thoughts on where St. John’s is going and how we can nurture the growth of the parish. Our theme: Looking forward not backward.

Submitted by Kathy Burdick
Clerk of the Vestry