Save the date of Jan. 26 for our Annual General Meeting!
Please plan to attend after church for a light lunch, hear about highlights of the year, plans for next year, elect vestry members, and approve next year’s budget.
What to do with the kids? Not to worry: we have Munsey’s Magic coming to entertain them in Lower Weld! Reviews of Jim Munsey are fantastic, people say “he’s awesome,” “a must-see” and gets “lots of laughs and wows.” It should be a great experience!
Please join St. John’s in supporting School on Wheels in Massachusetts for this year’s MLK Day of Service! School on Wheels provides educational support—including tutoring, mentoring, and school supplies—to Massachusetts students facing homelessness and poverty. Over 11,000 students in the Bay State have received backpacks and school supplies from School on Wheels. More information about the organization can be found at sowma.org.
You can help in two ways:
Sign up here to volunteer January 20th at their site in East Bridgewater; and/or
Donate NEW books and school materials. Books for children grades 5 and higher are particularly needed. (Buttonwood has a wonderful selection!)
Donations can be left in the bin at the side entrance or in the donation bin in the narthex.
Thank you for your support!
Christ Healing the Blind Man (Eustache Le Sueur, c1645)
Dear St. John’s familes,
In Sunday School over the next few weeks, we follow Jesus’s life and learn his teachings through miracles he performs and parables he tells.
In the 3-4-5 classroom, the children will hear about Blind Bartamaeus. These supernatural acts of love and power drew people to Jesus, revealed His divine nature, opened hearts to the message of salvation and caused many to glorify God. They also demonstrated Christ’s absolute authority over nature and his limitless compassion. Altogether, they proved that He was, indeed, the promised Messiah.
In our Godly Play classrooms, the children will be learning the parable of the Good Samaritan.
Here’s some interesting information I found about one of the reasons Jesus spoke in parables:
When we ask a question, maybe the answer isn’t as important as we think. Jesus often sidestepped the questions that were asked of him. Rather than answering the question he tells a story about something seemingly totally different. Why? Because he’s more concerned with our heart than adding to our knowledge. Our heart is what brings about change; our head just fills with facts. Sometimes the answers we think we need won’t bring us what we hoped. Sometimes the questions we ask aren’t really what we are after. More information rarely leads to life change. But when our heart is addressed life change is soon to follow. God gives us what we need, what we are really after. But he doesn’t always give us the answers we are seeking. Jesus knew that the answer wouldn’t bring comfort, hope, or create life change. But a story could. (Jeffrey Curtis Poor)
It occurred to me that Godly Play follows this method of teaching as well by telling stories and asking “wondering questions.” Instead of just giving the children what we think the meaning of the story is, the wondering questions invite them to explore their own heart for what the answer might be. I do think lessons resonate more fully when you’re allowed to make connections and draw your own conclusions. Food for thought ...
Warm regards,
Alexis
Alexis MacElhiney
Sunday School Director & Youth Coordinator
Elisabeth “Buffy” Gray was celebrated Jan. 5, 2025, on the occasion of her retirement as Organist and Choirmaster of St. John’s. She has served in the role since 2015.
The Rev. Ed Thornley recognized her contributions to St. John’s during announcements, presenting Buffy and her husband Nick with an icon of St. John the Evangelist, and a copy of ancient music for the Mass of St. John the Evangelist.
For her final service, Buffy chose a personal favorite, “No Small Wonder” by Paul Edwards and Paul Wigmore, for the communion anthem. The entire congregation remained for her postlude, J.S. Bach’s “In dir ist Freude (In Thee is Joy),” and gave her a rousing ovation when she turned the organ off for the last time.
Buffy encouraged the congregation to sing in church. “God loves to hear your voice, even if you don’t!” she quipped.
During Coffee Hour, Buffy was, appropriately, honored in song by the choristers (and alumni) and the adult choir, which each sang a hymn adapted for the purpose.
On Saturday evening, Buffy was feted by both choirs at the Fickes home, and showered with many gifts befitting her vocations and avocations.
Before coming to St. John’s, Buffy served at St. Anne’s in-the-Fields in Lincoln, Mass., and Church of the Redeemer in Chestnut Hill. She also served as Interim Music Director at Christ Church, Cambridge as well as at All Saints, Ashmont. Before moving to Massachusetts, she served as Organist and Choir Director at St. George’s-by-the-River in Rumson, New Jersey.
Brian Locke has been appointed interim organist and choirmaster, starting Jan. 6.
Photos and story by Matthew Ginn
It’s hard to watch the news these days and not feel helpless and heartbroken about the state of race relations in America. Yet this is not a new story. Indeed, the current divisiveness and fissures across lines of perceived difference in our country have resulted in fear, indifference toward one another rather than understanding and acceptance.
This year, we invite our siblings in the South Shore Deanery to participate in a journey over the sacred ground of racial introspection and reconciliation. It won’t be an easy walk, but it will be a transformative one. We hope you will give serious consideration to participating in Sacred Ground, a film- and readings-based dialogue series on race.
We will walk through the chapters of America’s history of race and racism, while weaving in threads of family story, economic class, and political and regional identity.
This 11-part series, put together by the Episcopal Church and co-led by St. John the Evangelist parishioners Dr. Holly Carter and Dr. Caitlin Slodden with facilitated small group discussions, is built around a powerful in-person and online curriculum of documentary films and readings that focus on Indigenous, Black, Latino, and Asian/Pacific American histories.
This is not intended as a series to make white people feel bad about themselves. Rather, it is a chance to look at hard, often minimized truths about race and culture in a world that so desperately needs racial healing and understanding. Participating in Sacred Ground is a tangible way to engage our continuing struggle with racial identity and difference in the context of our lives as fellow children of God.
We won’t leave with all the answers and perhaps it will only raise more questions. But when we view such an educational opportunity as a first step towards greater reconciliation, God is praised and our potential to serve agents of healing is realized.
Our Sacred Ground series will be offered in hybrid format with in-person sessions held on Sundays at 12:30–2 p.m. at The Parish of St. John the Evangelist (172 Main St., Hingham), beginning on Feb. 9. The virtual sessions will be held on Monday evenings 7–8:30 p.m. beginning on Feb. 10. Both the in-person and virtual series will begin with a brief presentation followed by small and whole group discussions. Recognizing that schedules are complicated, we are asking those participating in this program to attempt to attend all 11 sessions, as the group aspect is an important component. If you are interested in serving as a facilitator for the small group discussions, training sessions will be scheduled during the weeks of Jan. 26 or Feb. 2.
For additional information or questions about this program, and, most importantly to sign up for the in-person or virtual Sacred Ground series send an email to sacredgroundsouthshoredeanery@gmail.com or contact Holly Carter at 617-610-8508. We ask that you sign up by Jan. 19, 2025. There is a 40-person limit for the in-person sessions and a 30-person limit for the virtual sessions.
Dear friends,
Audrey Farrell carries the Christmas Star down the aisle.
A very Happy Christmastide and New Year to you all. I trust that this note finds you well and sharing a good Christmas season as we move into the new year. It has been a good Christmas at St. John’s. Our worship throughout the season so far has been immensely joyful and full of hope; from our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Eucharists, from tots and toddlers to pageants, from midnight mass to baptisms, from joyful singing to the holy tarantula … Yes, I finally saw it, and I am very grateful. And for those who may be wondering what I am referring to, please see the photos and video of our pageant and the star which the shepherds and magi followed … It was very special, I must say.
One of the memories that I will take with me following our Christmas Eve worship was the final “scene” of our pageant. Again, if you watch the service again online, you’ll notice that during the hymn the whole “cast” gathers around the manger, featuring one of our parish family’s newborns! And as the characters gathered, the baby smiled, the tarantula-star hovered over, and the singing rang out, I had this wonderful realization of what makes this parish what it is, and what a gift it is to be here. There so much quirky (yet incredibly well controlled!) chaos, with so much laughter, smiles, and over four hundred people all zooming in on this one moment. It was not only one of the most worshipful moments I’ve witnessed in a pageant (that wasn’t a comment on the chaos, by the way), but one of the most delightful I’ve seen in such a service. It was pure joy. And, furthermore, there was hope.
Moments like this are significant for all of us. Indeed, as I’ve said elsewhere in this season, Christmas is not always the happiest or easiest time for everyone. In fact, for some it can be an unbearable season, and for important reasons. Without boring you with my life story (again … you’ve heard my sermons), Christmas isn’t the easiest season for me either. But what caught my attention the other day in church, as the pageant came to an end, was that this moment of jubilation didn’t distract from or water down the importance of the serious side of Christmas. If anything, it was a gentle, quirky sign of hope. Essentially, it helped me stop for a second and think, “Now I can see something new worth striving for.”
Brian Locke
And so, here we are: 2025, a new year, and a lot of joy and change ahead. This Sunday, we will say farewell to Buffy Gray on the occasion of her retirement. On Monday, Brian Locke will begin as our interim organist and choirmaster. Over the next few weeks, we will also prepare for our annual meeting which will take place on Sunday, Jan. 26 after the 10 a.m. Eucharist. And from there, we will launch fully into the new year with a renewed vestry, and many plans and hopes for our future ministry. Wherever you are on your journey, I pray that you will find what you are looking for in this new year, and I hope that you will share your journey as part of this parish’s life.
Devon and I (and the cats!) send you all our greetings, prayers, and blessings for the new year.
With prayers for peace this Christmastide,
Ed.
The Rev. Edward Thornley
Rector of The Episcopal Parish of St. John the Evangelist
Happy New Year, St. John’s families!
I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday break! I want to thank all of our pageant participants for doing such a fabulous job with our brand new pageant, called Good News of Great Joy. It truly was a joy to watch our children re-tell the story of Jesus’ birth with such enthusiasm. I am so proud of their effort and confidence in performing in front of so many people! It is such a great way for them to learn the story. A special thanks to all of our helpers who made this pageant possible!
We are back to routine this Sunday and will be learning about the Epiphany! This is the feast day that celebrates the arrival of the Magi to see Jesus after his birth and marks the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas.
Warm regards,
Alexis
Alexis MacElhiney
Sunday School Director & Youth Coordinator
The children of St. John’s debuted a new Christmas pageant production called “Good News of Great Joy” at the 4 p.m. service on Christmas Eve. The play, written by Alexis MacElhiney and co-directed by Alexis, Erin Farrell, and Tracy O’Sullivan, was well performed, and well received by the congregation that packed the sanctuary and overflowed into Upper Weld Hall.
Angel Madeleine Potts waits backstage.
Animals wait patiently in the wings.
Gracie Murphy, as Mary, scans the set.
Annabella Pimental was the first narrator.
Gabriel (Daphne Ginn) delivers the good news to Mary (Gracie Murphy).
An innkeeper (Juliette Larocca) refers Joseph (Louisa Murphy) and Mary (Gracie Murphy) to a colleague who might have room for them.
Shepherds hear that a wonderful thing has happened and decide to check it out for themselves.
The angel of the Lord (Audrey Farrell) addresses the onlookers.
A host of angels sings glory to God.
The baby Jesus (Mackenna Ridill) is laid in the manger.
Addie Hulme narrates.
The star (Holy Tarantula) leads the wise men to Bethlehem.
Three wise men (Aaron Baker, Fox Clarke, Kyler Pimental) follow the star to find the newborn King.
All worship the newborn King.
Photos by Matthew Ginn
Dear friends,
The eighteenth-century philosopher Immanuel Kant once coined the term “disinterestedness.” Among his writings on aesthetics, Kant contemplated what it meant to appreciate something that we find to be beautiful. For Kant, when we not only pass a judgment on something but truly appreciate something’s or someone’s beauty, we find ourselves being disinterested. Not uninterested, as in not having any desire or curiosity about something. But dis-interested. In other words, you have an interest, but it is somewhat disassociated from one’s individualistic desire, or, put another way, you are interested in something but not with a fixed agenda that you seek to fulfil, particularly an agenda you had prior to encountering the person or thing you find beautiful. You simply appreciate or perceive beauty in someone or something for the sake of it, for the sake of them. You like them for who they are, not what you would prefer them to be.
Immanuel Kant (1724-1804). Portrait painted c1790.
I have often thought that the more penitential and reflective seasons in the church’s year help us with precisely this commonly shared conundrum. What does it mean to like or even love someone or something purely for who or what they are? Of course, for many of us, we may already find ourselves in relationships or circumstances where we know the answer to this. Nevertheless, I would hazard a guess that there might still be some areas in our lives where this notion goes unchecked. That’s not to sound judgmental or presumptuous, but simply to say that there are always things in our lives which are unfinished; things which we might want to control, or even let go of, yet where the letting go is itself another means by which we try to control something.
In many respects, this question brings us to Mary. At this time of year, and on the Fourth Sunday of Advent specifically, we are invited to contemplate who Mary is, and the part she plays in the Nativity of Our Lord. At first, this may seem obvious, but a closer inspection of our readings this coming Sunday provokes a particular kind of wondering. As we will hear on Sunday, Mary is someone who we know very little about, if anything. And while some traditions within the church have deeply held beliefs around her early life, her perfections (or imperfections), and the circumstances of her life beyond the pages of scripture, still she is someone who in so many ways captures the essence of what it means to simply be present to God. Regardless of history, circumstance, or desire, Mary appears in the story, she is called by God to do something, and she follows. She is indeed a disciple, and long before others.
This openness to God’s call and how we might embrace this rests at the heart of our worship, and not only in Advent. I am overjoyed at the prospect of gathering with you all this Sunday, and excited to see where our journey leads.
With every prayer and blessing,
Ed.
The Rev. Edward Thornley
Rector of The Episcopal Parish of St. John the Evangelist
Good Morning, St. John’s.
Thank you to everyone who has responded to the call to submit your 2025 pledge of support to St. John’s. We are very pleased with the progress we have made during this Stewardship Season.
We are reaching out today to update the Parish on Stewardship efforts.
Our Annual Meeting is scheduled for 11 a.m. on January 26, 2025, in Upper Weld Hall, at which time we’ll vote on the 2025 budget.
Our Stewardship Season began in October, and during the last ten weeks, we have sought to provide available information to the parish, through three pairs of Stewardship Sermons, four announcements (every three weeks) from our Stewardship Chairs, and weekly email updates.
We’ve seen such generosity these last few months. It also brings into focus limitations on financial resources.
Together, we have a chance to answer that question. Throughout the Stewardship Season, we have mentioned that:
A budget encompassing our current activity level (with a single full-time Priest) is expected to require pledges of approximately $625,000—compared to last year’s total pledges of $540,000.
A full-year of more “programmatic” activities (with two full-time Priests) is expected to require pledges in the range of $750,000.
We believe we will meet or somewhat exceed the initial $625,000 goal. New pledging families or additional increases from existing pledging families are needed to achieve our Program Level goal of $750,000, and fund a second priest in 2025.
We are so pleased that have received 38 pledges from new families this year, and over 95% of last year’s pledgers have pledged again.
In total, about 60% of this year’s pledges are from either new pledgers or families who have increased their pledges from last year.
As we know, life doesn’t always allow us to increase our pledge each year—about 30% of this year’s pledges remained the same as last year and about 12% declined. Our stewardship campaign reflects what is happening in the broader community and in our own financial lives, and we are grateful to have this continued support.
The important work of Stewardship is supported this year by a corps of three dozen “Ambassadors” who have helped us reach out to families for the last 3 months. And so we do expect some additional pledges in the coming days.
We have reviewed these figures, discussed with many of you, and considered our opportunities. We are energized—as you can see—by Father Ed’s arrival, and there is indeed widespread support for being in a position to have two full-time priests.
But, again absent a substantial additional increase from pledges, we do not see an opportunity to fully fund a second priest in 2025.
To get to the $750,000 figure (for 1-year of an additional full-time priest), we would need an additional $700 on average from every family that has already pledged, or new pledges.
Hiring a junior position (a curate) would be a savings of only $20,000 per year.
If we were to bring on a second priest, even if only later in the year, we would also want to be sure that we can sustain giving at the higher level to support the full-year position, without facing the painful choices that come with over-shooting our financial resources.
Whether we pursue an associate rector (a senior position) or a curate (a junior position), there is a long lead time associated with that. Based on the strength of your support so far, and with expectations for strong financial support into 2026 and beyond, we plan to begin the process now of preparing a search process that would conclude with hiring a second priest in the beginning or middle of 2026.
Thank you to each of you who have made our Stewardship Season a success; we look forward to this opportunity in 2026 that your support makes possible.
Every pledge matters, in any amount. All of our pledgers have helped our Vestry and Finance Committee develop a budget that will support our parish next year—and every single pledge contributes to this process.
Our Parish has done what we set out to do at the beginning of the season: to prayerfully consider what we can share together for a vibrant and active parish in 2025.
It is very important to us that you have access to this information, so that you can consider for yourselves what comes next, and discuss that with members of the Vestry if you would like to explore other opportunities.
There is indeed support for a second priest, in time, and all that we have heard is a commitment to continue to grow and be a part of our Church community in the coming year.
We are grateful for your generosity and participation in this process. Thank you!
Thank you.
Faithfully,
Andy Strehle, Stewardship Chair
Jody Jones Turner, Senior Warden
Perrie O’Tierney-Ginn, Junior Warden
Dear St. John’s families,
It’s almost pageant time! We had a great rehearsal this week and the kids are excited to showcase their talents telling the story of our Savior’s birth.
This Sunday we will be in Lower Weld (all together as one group) reviewing the Godly Play Advent lessons, rehearsing the pageant, and enjoying some festive snacks. Please note, we will stay downstairs during communion so we have more time to practice. You may pick up your children in Lower Weld after church.
We are also offering one more quick run-through (20–30 minutes) in the sanctuary after church for those kids who are interested in a little more practice in the actual space. Everyone should have a costume by now; if not, please let me know!
Please plan to arrive in costume and ready to go on Christmas Eve at 3 p.m. They will not need their costumes before then. We can’t wait to share this new pageant with our church family!
Merry Christmas and I hope you all have a wonderful celebration!
Warmly,
Alexis
Alexis MacElhiney
Sunday School Director & Youth Coordinator
Dear friends,
The Rev. Ed Thornley preaches from the pulpit Dec. 8.
During my sermon on The Second Sunday of Advent, I was reflecting on the words of The Rev. Canon Edie Dolnikowski, who spoke the previous week about how Advent is a season for slowing down, not taking on more, and seeking to adopt new prayerful and reflective practices. During my homily following Edie’s, I found myself thinking about how I have struggled with this more meditative practice myself, and how important it is to try and slow down. Of course, several friends, knowing my sense of humor, remarked afterwards, smiling, “Oh, so if it’s important for me to slow down then I suppose you don’t need me to help you this week with XYZ then …!” Or, “Do you really need the choir this week …?”
I suppose it would be nice if we were all able to continue getting some things done, even in Advent (although I did appreciate the joke!). However, it did genuinely get me thinking: what if we could keep up the pace but find more meditative ways through it? Instead of slowing down as such, what if we considered what it might mean to maintain a certain pitch and purpose in one’s life while still fervently moving forward?
Now, I’m not going back on my sermon right now, nor because I’m afraid people will stop helping me keep this church afloat in one of the busiest seasons of the year … But indeed, as I moved from sermon to announcements during last Sunday’s service, and inevitably started listing all the merry things going on in the parish which are joyful, and of course a major part of this season, I did find myself wondering if my sermon needed to be a little more nuanced. Perhaps it’s not so much about slowing down so as to cut things back, rather readjusting our pace and focus so that we might become more aligned with the way God approaches us.
The Rev. Dr. Jerome Berryman
In preparation for our Evenings in Advent study this past week (which was canceled due to the storm), I found myself reading one of Godly Play founder Jerome Berryman’s books, Becoming Like a Child. In the book, Berryman writes about the spirituality of childhood, and how adults, too, might reorient their patterns of prayer and the way they attend to aspects of their mature lives by reflecting on the ways that children perceive reality. In one chapter, Berryman describes what is often referred to as “unitive” or “mystical” knowing. Here, he reflects on an early childhood experience which, at different moments in his adult life, resurfaces in his memory when he encounters experiences which trigger, in his subconscious mind, the recollection of when this type of experience first took place. Berryman writes, “I had experienced a unified kind of knowing. Many have such experiences, especially during childhood. Their significance remains even if the details fade.” (Berryman 2017, 68)
In other words, one of the qualities children have, and which adults sometimes forget they have, is that our minds, and indeed our hearts, carry experiences even when we are not aware of them. And these moments resurface when prompted; sometimes happily, sometimes tragically; sometimes helpfully, and sometimes unhelpfully. But whichever way they manifest, they are with us, and our task, as any therapist or spiritual director knows, is to find ways of navigating our minds and hearts so that we know how to healthily move forward while not ignoring the past; and how to keep on moving while absorbing and reabsorbing information and experience, all the while gaining new insight into our deeper purpose even amidst uncertainty, anxiety, or busyness. This is certainly something children can teach us about, especially at a time of year like this. And perhaps this readjustment rather than removing is the more important spiritual discipline that both Advent and Christmas, at their own heart, can shape within ours.
With every blessing for this third week of Advent,
Ed.
The Rev. Edward Thornley
Rector of The Episcopal Parish of St. John the Evangelist.
Reference
Jerome Berryman, Becoming Like a Child—The Curiosity of Maturity Beyond the Norm. New York: Church Publishing, 2017.
Dear St. John’s families,
We had a great time visiting with St. Nicholas last week! I think the kids really enjoyed hearing some interesting stories about his life and celebrating his saint day (Dec 6)!
This week we begin rehearsals for the 4 p.m. Christmas Eve Pageant! We have found a fun new script that has plenty of speaking roles and some humor sprinkled in. This pageant is open to all children ages 3 and up. Given that this new pageant is inclusive to all children, we have decided to pause the Little Kids Pageant for the time being. We believe that a more streamlined holiday schedule will be less stressful and more joyful for everyone involved.
Here is the rehearsal/costuming schedule:
Dec. 15: Costuming before church; Rehearsal after church (45 min)—Sanctuary
Dec. 17: Costuming and pizza: 5 p.m.; Rehearsal 5:30–7 p.m.
Dec. 22: Costuming before church; Rehearsal during Sunday School
Please note that we will not be able to handle costuming during rehearsal time as we need all of the scheduled time for practice.
Children with larger speaking roles will need to commit to the above rehearsal schedule. Angels and Kings should come to at least one rehearsal. Animals do not need to attend rehearsals.
I have sent the script to all families who have signed up for a role. If you did not receive the email and your child plans to participate, please let me know asap.
I’m looking forward to spending a wonderful holiday season with your children!
Warmly,
Alexis
“Saint John the Baptist in the Wilderness” by Joshua Reynolds (1776)
Dear friends,
In the Gospel reading for the Second Sunday of Advent, we encounter John the Baptist for the first time. John is considered by many to be Jesus’s cousin, a forerunner to Jesus, who preached, prophesied and baptized prior to Jesus’s ministry beginning. John speaks about Jesus’s coming. And when Jesus is about to begin his ministry, John baptizes him, thus making explicit a new relationship between the divine and the human, indeed all of creation, and opening the way for us to relate to God in a new way. In the Gospel for this Sunday (Luke 3:1-6), we encounter John prior to Jesus’s baptism, when he is preaching about future judgment and Christ’s arrival.
I had never spent much time studying John the Baptist until I lived in London ten years ago. One year, while I served at St. Marylebone in Central London, I preached an Advent II sermon about John the Baptist, and on the reading coming up for this Sunday. As I was working with children and youth a great deal, as well as older adults who often found sensory worship helpful, I found myself using a well-known image of John as an illustration during the sermon. The image is at the top of this letter. It is a painting which hangs in The Wallace Collection in London (just down the street from St. Marylebone), and it is an image of the infant John the Baptist in the wilderness. It was painted by Joshua Reynolds in 1776.
Reynolds was famous for two distinctive forms of painting: he was known for his landscapes, and also his images of children. He had a gift for capturing certain qualities of childhood. Reynolds was often recruited to paint famous London residents’ portraits. Interestingly, he would also often be asked to paint Biblical figures, and when he did so, he would often portray them as children. Scholars have mused as to why Reynolds did this. One theory is that he was especially strong at capturing the somewhat “traditional,” innocent, wondering qualities of childhood, yet when portrayed upon a Biblical character who is known for a more fiery, adult personality, enabled the viewer to contemplate what this character may have been like in another stage of life. Indeed, when contemplating someone as fierce a preacher as John, one might wonder how this person came to be the way they are as an adult. By contemplating such a figure as if they were back in their childhood, requires the viewer to re-imagine this person’s character, purpose, and vocation; and possibly re-think their perspective of them. In the case of John, we are presented with someone who, now, thanks to Reynolds, is not only a fire and brimstone preacher and prophet, but someone who from their youngest days was called by God to serve in his name, and to usher in the Kingdom of God in the most beautiful yet striking way. Indeed, we see this in the image, with the child John, surrounded by wilderness and a lamb representing Christ, pointing to the sky, powerfully yet gently.
When we focus in on a Biblical figure, or indeed any aspect of the Bible, we are invited to consider not only them but how they impact our own lives. When I preached about John that time in London, an older woman who would often visit our parish was in the congregation. She took a copy of the picture home, and a year later, during Advent, brought the image at right, to me in a frame. It is a replica of Reynolds’s painting, but in cross-stitch, made by hand, and she presented it to me as a gift. I don’t know how long it took her to make this, especially something so startlingly accurate and clearly painstakingly created over a long time. I didn’t get the chance to ask as she dropped it off at the church quickly, and I never saw her again. Yet this image remains in Devon’s and my home (it’s in the Rectory study if you ever visit and want to see it), as a reminder as I pray daily for God’s grace amidst uncertainty; God’s patience amidst an unfolding and complex history; God’s power amidst weakness and frailty; and God’s love amidst imperfection and consequence. Engaging in such prayerful, penitent, yet joyful reflection is very much our purpose in Advent, as we look again for the one who will make all things new.
With every prayer and blessing,
Ed.
The Rev. Edward Thornley
Rector of The Episcopal Parish of St. John the Evangelist
The 2024 Holiday Boutique was a great success thanks to the many hands, and generous hearts that contributed to the Church’s largest fundraiser.
A huge thank you to the 170+ volunteers who offered their time to plant bulbs, donate items for the Café, set-up, drop yard signs, and staff events.
We could not do it without you!
Some exciting numbers to share for this year’s Boutique include:
1,000 Shoppers through the Church doors on Saturday
60 Yard signs planted
170+ Volunteers
37 Leaders who brought their enthusiasm, ideas, and can-do spirit
15+ St. John’s Youth who were instrumental in running the Boutique
27 Vendor participants
$45,000 fundraising profit to St. John’s, including our best Auction ever!
Countless Prayers of Thanksgiving for all who contributed!
2025 Holiday Boutique
Silver Jubilee 25th Anniversary
November 22 & 23, 2025
Dear St. John’s families,
This Sunday, the kids are learning about St. Nicholas during Sunday School and then will be treated to a surprise visit from him at coffee hour. He will share a story from his life and hand out some special treats!
This week, we’re also gearing up for the 4 p.m. Christmas Eve Pageant and beginning costuming. We have found a fun new script that has plenty of speaking roles and some humor sprinkled in. This pageant will be open to all children ages 3 and up. Given that this new pageant is inclusive to all children, we have decided to pause the Little Kids Pageant for the time being. We believe that a more streamlined holiday schedule will be less stressful and more joyful for everyone involved.
We are currently looking for children/youth to fill the roles of Narrator, Innkeepers, Wife of Innkeeper, Shepherds, Kings, Angels, and Animals (including Mary’s donkey). Please let me know if your child is interested. While every child may not receive their first choice, there is a role for everyone! Please indicate your interest here.
Costuming begins this Sunday before and after church! Please note that we will not be able to handle costuming during rehearsal time as we need all of the scheduled time for practice.
Here is the rehearsal/costuming schedule:
Dec. 8: Costuming before and after church
Dec. 15: Costuming before church, Rehearsal after church (45 min.)
Dec. 17: Costuming 5 p.m., Rehearsal 5:30–7 p.m.
Dec. 22: Costuming before church, Rehearsal during Sunday School
Children with speaking roles (All roles except Angels, Animals, and Kings) will need to commit to the above rehearsal schedule. Children with other roles need to come to at least one rehearsal (more is better).
I’m looking forward to spending a wonderful holiday season with your children!
Warmly,
Alexis
Dear friends,
As we enter the season of Advent we begin a new Church year which always brings changes to our liturgy and worship patterns (see my e-newsletter this week). One “not-quite-so-Advent” yet still necessary liturgical change on the horizon for us regards our practice of the common cup. As we discussed back in the summer, St. John’s is one of the few parishes in the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts which still uses intinction cups during the Eucharist. These were instituted during the pandemic as an additional health precaution which was appropriate for that time. However, as we are no longer in that time, almost all parishes have returned to the traditional practice of receiving communion by sharing a common cup.
We attempted this return to regular practice in the summer. However, amidst many other changes at that time—including some British bloke turning up at one point—we decided to shelve that change for a more appropriate season. During our recent visitation from Bishop Julia, she recommended to our Vergers and Worship Committee that we return to the common cup in the new liturgical year. Bishop Julia prefers a common cup theology, as indeed do I—among numerous others both in the wider Church and among our own parish—and especially given our new Bishop’s suggestion, I am naturally inclined to follow her lead.
Of course, intinction is included in this. The common cup is not about excluding intinction. Rather, it is about enabling everyone, however we receive communion, to share one cup. Both theologically and practically, the common cup is central to Episcopal, indeed Christian identity. For, as we physically receive the bread and wine from the same vessels, we also liturgically and spiritually participate in that same pattern of shared grace and prayerfulness which Jesus shared with his disciples and has been practiced throughout the ages. Furthermore, there are other practical reasons for returning to a shared cup. In the coming months, we will continue to experience a clergy shortage, and, given our children and youth members’ wider commitments we will also encounter a shortage of acolytes and servers at various points. Our altar space is also becoming increasingly cluttered with multiple vessels with fewer people to administer them.
Indeed, if you have questions about health concerns, please do look at the links below to a few widely available sources which hopefully provide some clarity here. They detail not only previous Diocesan recommendations and guidance, but also provide reference to research and policy throughout the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion which explain how the common cup has been proven to be a safe practice again for some time.
We will return to our former practice of the common cup this Sunday, The First Sunday of Advent. When you come for communion, you may receive the bread by opening your hands before you. When the cup comes to you, please either guide the chalice to your lips, or you may intinct the bread in the chalice. And again, intinction is allowed, as always. Also, if you wish to receive communion in one kind only (i.e. receiving only the bread or only the wine) then this is full communion as well. If you have questions, then please do not hesitate to reach out to me or one of our Vergers.
With every blessing,
The Rev. Edward Thornley, Rector
and
Tom Daley, Verger
From The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts:
Bishop’s Expanded Remarks on Holy Communion Protocols
From The Diocese of Europe:
Note about receiving Holy Communion by Intinction
From The Rev. Dr. Joshua Daniel, Senior Associate Rector, St. Columba’s Episcopal Church, Washington D.C.:
An early research paper on the common cup during the pandemic:
Dear friends,
This week, we begin the season of Advent, the beginning of a new church year. As with all faith communities, the Christian Church has its own calendar which, while bearing similarities to others, also holds many differences. The Church’s year begins at the start of December, from which point we journey through the story of Jesus’s life and ministry. As we move through each season—Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, and so on—we recount a particular aspect of Jesus’s life and how God is transforming our lives through him. During Advent, we return to the beginning of Jesus’s life, charting the prophecies and the lives of those who immediately paved the way for Christ to enter the world, through to our celebration of his birth at Christmas.
Each week, we will light the Advent Wreath at the beginning of our Parish Eucharist. On each Sunday in Advent, a different candle will represent one of the people or communities who opened the way for Jesus to come among us. The order follows: (1) the patriarchs, such as Abraham, Moses and the early forefathers of the children of Israel, the communities who first encountered God; (2) the prophets, such as Isaiah and Jeremiah, who predicted the Messiah would one day come to us; (3) John the Baptist, Jesus’s cousin, who baptized and preached in Jesus’s name prior to Jesus’s own ministry; and (4) the Blessed Virgin Mary, Jesus’s mother. Indeed, Advent itself is a journey; a season where we follow in the footsteps of those who have gone before us, until finally, at Christmas, we light the central candle which represents Christ as the true light of the world.
Alongside the Wreath, you will also notice other liturgical changes. The Eucharistic Prayer will be different, for example, where we will follow one which reflects more specifically on the incarnation and the overarching Biblical narrative. The colors in church will shift to purple, which represents royalty, depth, and, like the season of Lent, a degree of penitence, making space, and a reimagining of priorities. After all, Advent is a season of preparation as much as joyful expectation. The collects, prayers of the people, sermons, and other liturgical practices offered throughout the season will also reflect this spirituality, as will also several opportunities for spiritual formation which will be offered throughout the season.
Devon and I hope that you will consider joining us for theological discussion and/or compline during the season (see the separate advert). Indeed, there will be many other opportunities to gather for worship and fellowship throughout the season in addition to Sunday worship, so do keep an eye out for the weekly announcements. I also hope you will join us for Advent Lessons and Carols on Sunday, Dec. 8 at 5 p.m.! In the meantime, I trust that you all have a good Thanksgiving and let us pray together for our parish community as we enter this wonderful new year and a new chapter together.
With every blessing,
Ed.
The Rev. Edward Thornley
Rector of The Episcopal Parish of St. John the Evangelist
Dear St. John’s families,
This week we enter into Advent, a season of waiting, expectation, and excitement to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
As we turn the page into this new season we have much to look forward to at church, some time-honored traditions and some new ones!
This week we will host the inter-generational Advent Wreath Workshop during coffee hour. This is a wonderful opportunity for your family to make an Advent wreath together to enjoy for the whole season at home. Candles and at-home prayers for each week are included. This is an event not to be missed!
On Dec. 8, St. Nicholas will be joining us at coffee hour for a special visit. This is always a hit with the kids, especially since treats are involved!
Lastly, I’m excited to announce that we have a brand new pageant that will take place at the 4 p.m. Christmas Eve service! We have found a fun new script that has plenty of speaking roles and some humor sprinkled in. This pageant will be open to all children ages 3 and up. Given that this new pageant is inclusive to all children, we have decided to pause the Little Kids Pageant for the time being. We believe that a more streamlined holiday schedule will be less stressful and more joyful for everyone involved.
We need children/youth to serve as narrators, Mary, Joseph, Gabriel, Innkeepers, Wife of Innkeeper, Shepherds, Kings, Angels, and Animals (including Mary’s donkey). Please let me know if your child is interested. While every child may not receive their first choice, there is a role for everyone! Please indicate your interest here.
Here is the preliminary schedule:
Dec. 8: Costuming after church
Dec. 15: Rehearsal after church
Dec. 18: Evening rehearsal
Dec. 22: Rehearsal during Sunday School
Children with speaking roles (all roles except Angels and Animals) will need to commit to the above rehearsal schedule. Non-speaking roles will need to commit to at least two rehearsals.
Warmly,
Alexis
The next meeting for both Middle and High School Youth Group is Dec. 1 at 6 p.m. for Advent wreath making and dinner.
Our group of South Africa travelers is selling some great items at the Boutique! Please stop by our table in Lower Weld. We are offering custom wrapping paper, wreath décor to make your own beautiful wreath or planter, and ornaments from South Africa. All proceeds will go towards funding the cost of travel for our trip leader and chaplain, as well as donations to organizations in South Africa.
Have any questions or need to get added to the Sunday School or Youth Group newsletter?
Please email Alexis
