Many of you may know me as “the choir director” or even as “the liturgist” at St. John Parish. What you may not know is that for the past three years, in conjunction with my parish and home responsibilities, I have been pursuing a Master of Arts Degree in Pastoral Theology. This experience has proven to be both challenging and energizing (and, if truth be told, at times exhausting!) The study of theology is, in the words of St. Anselm, “faith seeking understanding.” Like many of you, as my faith deepens, I have more questions. As time passed, I felt the need to pursue this area of study for my own benefit and for the benefit of those I serve here in the parish and in the Lansing Diocese. The journey has been truly fascinating.
My involvement with the Worship Commission, the Pastoral Council, and the Strategic Planning team of the parish led to the implementation of the following project for St. John Parish. It is my hope that these pages will be another avenue of communication – that we might learn from the experiences and the reflection of others about how God is working in our own lives. I’m hoping that our community will be even closer as a result and that more and more people will learn of the numerous ministries at work here in our wonderful family of St. John the Evangelist and choose to involve themselves, using their own unique talents and gifts. God is truly at work here in our midst!
St. John Parish is one of the largest parishes in Genesee County with just over 8,000 souls. The parish began 135 years ago as a small community and has attempted to retain that “country church” hospitality through its enormous growth. One of the main reasons people have become members of our parish is because of that hospitality, although we hear with increased frequency that “the faces in the pews are less and less familiar.” People who alter their mass attendance schedules due to changing work or vacation schedules often comment that each liturgy is made up of more and more new faces.
Week after week, this community gathers around the Eucharistic Table to give praise and honor to God for what He has done, is doing and will do in their lives. We hear over and over again of the wonders our God has done for His people. We gather as a parish in times of great rejoicing to tell of God’s mighty deeds and be assured of His constant and abiding love for us. We also gather in great sadness, to hear words of comfort from Sacred Scripture in word and song.
In “The Living Flame of Love” John of the Cross tells us that life experiences are the language of God. There is a genuine need for people to feel connected both to their parish and to the community it serves. Likewise, there is a need for people to tell their story and for that story to be heard. Each person is a unique, holy child of God. The telling and retelling of life experiences is one way that history has been passed down through the ages.
Ronald Rolheiser, in his book “The Holy Longing” states: “The God of the incarnation has real flesh on earth and speaks to us in the bread and butter of our lives, through things that have skin…” (95). In the coming weeks, please continue to check out Sabbath Stories. Stories about every-day life will appear within the coming year based on the readings from Sacred Scripture and the liturgical seasons. These stories, told by people in the parish will give you a glimpse of how God is working in their lives. Hopefully, after some reflection, you will see that God is working in your own life in a truly unique way!
It is my hope that these pages will offer an opportunity for people to meet each other and also discover the wealth of ministries that St. John Church has to offer. Perhaps the stories of others will inspire you to take ownership within this parish or within the parish of which you are a member by offering your services for ministry. Hopefully, we will all discover more and more God’s infinite care and love for us, his creation.
My sincere gratitude to Fr. Andrew Czajkowski, our much-loved pastor, for his unfailing guidance, support and mentoring. Appreciation also, to all those who have offered their prayerful support over the years and who continue to do so. Prayer makes a difference! Thanks to all those who have said a heartfelt “yes” to participating in this project and to all those on my theological reflection team: Your openness and your willingness to share your lives with others is an inspiration. To all my friends and colleagues: thank you for letting me talk and talk…. and talk, scream when needed, dance when I completed a class, or for simply taking a moment for a quiet lunch or the trouble to e-mail your thoughts and prayers. My professors have been truly an inspiration, challenging me to discover more about myself and about Catholicism at every turn. I am so very grateful for their patience and understanding. To Judy and Robin in the parish office: my gratitude for your patience and helpful suggestions toward implementing these pages. You are both a vast storehouse of knowledge. I’m so very grateful to my husband Mark and my children Kristin and Stephanie: I could not have completed this course of study without their unshakable love, unwavering support and continuous encouragement. And, my love and gratitude to Brady James, who reminds me always to take time out to love, laugh, and rediscover that God’s love is ever new, every day.
Your questions or comments regarding the following pages are always welcome. Perhaps you may wish to share your story. I can be reached by e-mail at: jrichards@stjohndavison.org or by phone at 810-658-1135.
God is good – all the time!
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