Tuesday, April 8, 2025
The Chapel St. Chronicle
Welcome to the Chapel Street Chronicle, your weekly St. John’s digest.
Click the buttons to jump to your favorite spot.
Click images to view related content.
Sermon Series
"Surprised by Grace"
The Rev. Robert E. Stevens, Jr.
Today's Gospel illustrates how unpredictable God is. God moves in a way that is so surprising to our status quo supporting sensibilities. I wonder — How has God surprised you? Maybe our work is to open ourselves to the possibility of God working in and through us while letting go of our expectations. Not easy work to be sure, but what a Grace-filled life it becomes when we allow ourselves to be Surprised by Grace.
SUNDAY MUSIC
“Qui seminant in lacrimis,” Franz Liszt; featuring the St. John's Parish Choir, under the direction of Olin Johannessen, Associate Music Director.
Featured Offertory Anthem at the 10:00am Rite II Service of Holy Eucharist on Sunday, March 30, 2025.
FROM STILLNESS TO SERVICE: A WHOLEHEARTED LENT
Lent invites us into a season of deep listening — a time to slow down and notice what opens us to God’s presence and what distracts us from it. What keeps us from being fully available to the Spirit’s movement in our lives? This week, as part of our Lenten offerings, we share this poem as a guide for reflection. May it open space for you to listen with curiosity and trust, knowing that God moves with us in the unfolding.
excerpted from An Altar in the World, by Barbara Brown Taylor
“Many years ago, a wise old priest invited me to come and speak at his church in Alabama.
'What do you want me to talk about?' I asked him.
'Come tell us what is saving your life right now,' he answered.
It was as if he had swept his arm across a dusty table and brushed all the formal china to the ground. I did not have to use theological language that conformed to the historical teachings of the church. All I had to do was figure out what my life depended on. All I had to do was figure out how I stayed as close to that reality as I could, and then find some way to talk about it that helped my listeners figure out those same things for themselves.”
As you reflect, what might God be inviting you to release or embrace in this season?
Join St. John's for a variety of Lenten offerings designed to nourish the soul and strengthen our shared commitment to love and service. This is the final week of Lenten programming.
SABBATH WALKS: REST, RENEWAL, AND CONNECTION, Wednesdays, 5-6PM
Join us for a gentle, reflective walk with poetry and prayer, embracing the sacred in creation. Led by The Rev. Aaron Jenkyn at Little Harbor Trail Head, with an indoor option in case of inclement weather. Last Lenten Sabbath Walk this Wednesday, April 9!
PRAYERS FOR PEACE, Thursdays, 9-9:30 AM
The sanctuary will be open for private prayer and reflection at 9 AM, followed by our Service of Healing Eucharist. Come pray for peace in your heart, our community, and the world.
EXPLORING AN ALTAR IN THE WORLD, Sundays 5-6PM
Gather for a weekly discussion of Barbara Brown Taylor’s “An Altar in the World,” led by The Rev. Rob Stevens. A simple soup supper will accompany our reflections on finding the sacred in everyday life.
SUNG COMPLINE: A TRADITION OF PRAYER AND PRESENCE, Sundays 7PM
Experience the beauty of ancient prayer and sacred song with The Compline Choir, directed by John Stromgren. This quiet, contemplative service offers a space for rest and renewal.
Click the button below for additional information about our Lent programs.
HOLY WEEK BEGINS ON PALM SUNDAY
Holy Week begins this Sunday, and we want you to have access to the full slate of services, invitations, opportunities, and events taking place here at St. John's so you may plan your participation. Click the button below to visit our website, and plan your participation with us.
What are you reading? Listening to? Thinking about? Do you have any great recommendations that you're eager to share? Let Aaron know!