a note from rev. sharon

Dear St. John’s,
    We’ve experienced many losses in our church community this year. Parishioners and relatives have died. Our music director left. Some have faced health crises.
In recent years, St. John’s also said goodbye to beloved clergy members. The COVID pandemic changed how we work, attend school, vote and participate in church. We’ve seen ongoing gun violence and political strife in our country. And we’ve witnessed unrest and warfare across the world, including the current war in the Holy Land.
    All of these can provoke grief within us. I don’t write this to depress you, but to acknowledge that we have reasons to mourn and that grief is a natural response to sad and traumatic events.
    But grief is a journey, not a destination, and we do not have to travel it alone. Starting this Sunday, I invite you to join with others on this journey as we explore what the Bible and faith say about grief and how they can help us heal. We’ll meet at 11:45 a.m. in the parish hall after our 10:30 a.m. worship service.
Our discussion topics will be:
Nov. 19: What am I grieving? How do I express my sadness?
Dec. 3: I feel so angry. Is that normal? How do I handle it?
Dec. 17: How can I heal? Where does God fit into all of this?
All are welcome. Come to coffee hour and join us for the discussions, and invite others to join us as well.
Rev. Sharon