Author: Michelle Burke

Come to Craft Night at St. John’s!

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First Wednesdays 1-4/Third Wednesdays 5:30 – 9:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall. Want a place to work on a project with others? Looking to learn a new skill? Are you willing to teach others your favorite craft? Do you want to hang out with some great people? If you answered “yes” to any of these, please join us! Bring a project that you want to work on. Don’t have a project? We’ll provide one for you! We’ll have a few fun projects for you to work on if you need inspiration. Craft Day is the 1st Wednesday of the month from 1-4 and Craft Night is the 3rd Wednesday of the month. Questions or do you have a skill you’re willing to teach? Please contact Debbie Maher

Search Committee Update

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Last week, as announced on Sunday 11/3, the Vestry named Rich Gage and Laura Singer as co-chairs of the Rector Search committee.

Next steps: The Vestry and the Search Committee co-chairs, Rich Gage and Laura Singer, will be meeting with our diocesan transition minister at the Nov. 20, 2024 Vestry meeting at 7:15 p.m. All are welcome to attend that meeting to hear what the diocese shares with us. Use this link to attend on Zoom. We also meet in person.

The Vestry and Co-chairs will meet again in December to plan and develop the self-nominating process for the St. John’s Search Committee.

For questions or more information, please contact Rich Gage at richardgage51@sbcglobal.net or Laura Singer at laura.t.singer@gmail.com.

In the meantime, please pray with us:

God, please help us set aside
Everything we think we know about You,
Everything we think we know about ourselves,
Everything we think we know about others,
And everything we think we know about
St. John’s, so we may have open minds
And new experiences with these
Things and come to know You
Better. Please help us see the truth.
Amen

Turkey Day Dinner Assistance Needed!

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Sign-Ups have started for Thanksgiving Community Dinner!

Some of our neighbors face Thanksgiving Day all by themselves. Whatever the reasons, they have no one to share the day with. Some have no food, either.  

For the past 41 years, St. John’s has offered these people holiday food and companionship. It takes 80 of us to brighten the lives of 160 of our community. Come join us! Sign up using this link.

We especially need volunteers to WAIT TABLES from 12:30-2:30pm on Thanksgiving Day.

Children ages 5-8 can wait tables alongside a parent. Anyone age 9 and above can wait tables by themselves.

We also need food donations, Wednesday prep, and other Thanksgiving Day help.

Letter from the Interim Rector

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November 7, 2024

This week is a difficult one for many in our community. Writing those words feels trite to me, but I also know the power of feeling seen and acknowledged, even and especially when we are in the depths of our human experiences. If you need to talk to a pastor, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me by email or phone (312-925-1409).

I’ve been thinking a lot about the mission statement of St. John’s leading up to the election and especially this week. It’s posted all over the church and all of our communications materials: “We gather to celebrate God’s gifts—open hearts, minds, and hands—and transform the world.”

In other words, we are not called to a particular politician or political party or even specific political actions. We are called to gather in celebration of what God gives us, our hearts, minds, and hands open, that we might be coworkers with Christ in the transformation in the world. All of us, in all our varied gifts are called to this by God, the creator and source of all things. The outcome of an election doesn’t change that. That work is ongoing. That relationship with God doesn’t end with our disappointment. We are still accompanied by Christ, whose journey on earth led him to a cross in solidarity with the poor, the meek, the hungry, the merciful, the mourners, the pure in heart.

In thinking about this call to transformation, I was led to this poem from Feminist Prayers for My Daughter by Shannon K. Evans. I have found some comfort in the words of this petition and I hope you do as well.

In Christ’s peace,
Meghan

O You Who Plant Trees from Mustard Seeds

When my daughter becomes despairing over the state of the world
—which she will—

when she realizes that her biggest efforts are only a ripple in the pond
—which is true—

when she wants to give up because caring just hurts too much
—which it does—

bring her back to the face right in front of her. Remind her that smallness is not the same as nothingness. Get her to take a nap. Pour her some water.

And when she is ready once more
—which she will be—

present before her actions she can take
in her town,
on her street,
in her home,
in the smallest spaces, the least sexy spaces, the spaces that don’t seem to matter much.

Stroke her hair and whisper in her ear,
Now then, my beloved, this is how you change the world.

Amen.

A Personal Tribute to Emmett Till

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In honor of his birthday on July 25

Emmett Till & Marvin Childress, self-portrait
photo of Emmett Till & Marvin Childress, self-portrait

Parishioner Marvin Childress was a friend and classmate of Emmett Till. On Sunday, July 23 at 9 am Marvin honored Emmett’s memory by sharing his memoires of Emmett, growing up on the South Side of Chicago in the 1950s, and his reflection on life and racism in Chicago today. You can listen to the 45 minute talk, including questions with this YouTube link A Personal Tribute to Emmett Till by Marvin Childress.

Reckoning and Reconciliation with our Indigenous Neighbors

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A reading list

Recommended reading and resources for parish study groups and book clubs from the Peace & Justice Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago

Art by Rose Teyuthahukwa Malanik

The Red Nation: Indigenous Action to Save Our Earth (2021)

Notable Native People: 50 Indigenous leaders, Dreamers and Changemakers from the Past and Present by Adrienne Keene (2021)

Decolonizing Wealth: Indigenous Wisdom to Heal Divides and Restore Balance (2nd edition) by Edgar Villanueva (2021)

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teaching of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer 2013 (Study Guide available)

An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz (2014)

The Four Vision Quests of Jesus by Steven Charleston (2015)

Neither Wolf Nor Dog: On Forgotten Roads with an Indian Elder by Kent Nerburn

The Night Watchman a novel by Louise Erdrich (2020)

Seeing Red: Indigenous Land, American Expansion, and the Political Economy of Plunder North America by Micahel Johnson Witgen

Videos available from “Indigenous Ministries” on The Episcopal Church website: 1. “Native Voices: Speaking to the Church and the World” (37 min.) 2.“Doctrine of Discovery” (14 min.) 3. “Native Voices: A Response to the Episcopal Church’s History with Indian Boarding Schools” (1 hr. 33 min.)

National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition  

Article from Sojourners: “Will Christians atone for church boarding schools?”

Bexley-Seabury Course by Mary Crist:

Report calls church to address harms of white supremacy, colonial and imperial legacies; create $2 million healing coalition by David Paulsen

Giving to St. John’s

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Thank you for supporting St. John’s! There are four ways to give to St. John’s.

This fun video shows all the ways you can give to St. John’s! Or read the details below:

You can write a check and mail it to the office: 3857 N Kostner Ave. Chicago, IL 60641. The cost to you is the envelope and the stamp (about $.60).

If your bank offers on-line bill payment you can schedule a reoccurring payment. You just need the name and address of the church. If you have a pledge number please add it to the memo line. The bank will generate and send the checks to St. John’s. There is no fee for this.

If you use Zelle you can schedule a donation to St. John’s by using the email treasurer@stjohnschicago.com. There is no fee for this.

You can donate on our website. Click on the red “give” button at the top of the screen and enter in your debit or credit card number. The fee is 3.95%. For example, if you donate $100 it will charge you $103.95.

Please use the memo line to designate “pledge” or a specific event or area for donation such as “flowers,” “memorial donation,” etc. If you have questions contact Lisa at parishoffice@stjohnschicago.com or call her at 773.725.9026. Thank you!