Published monthly (except July and August) by St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church

Washington and 11th Streets, Lockport, IL 60441 (815)834-1168 www.stjohns-lockport-il.org

Rector............. The Rev. Denzil Luckritz

Deacon.......... The Rev. Roberta Molony

Deacon............ The Rev. John Whennen

Director of Music............. Thomas Secor

Secretary.................... Melanie Anderson

Sexton............................ John Glasscock

 

Vestry

Sr. Warden.......................... John Larson

Jr. Warden........................ Tim Williams

Treasurer.......................... Jim McMillan

 

Vestry Members

Terry Arient, Sr................... Clark Davis

Sue Drake....................... Mark Kowalski

Antonine Megger................... Ken Porter

Mark Secor............................ Pat Steiner

Wendy Stewart...... Diane Bramlet-Clerk

 

Parish Ministry Contacts

 

Acolyte Warden........... Terry Arient, Sr.

Sacristan......................... Mark Kowalski

DOK............................... Wendy Stewart

Education............................ Susan Drake

............or........................... Lisa Luckritz

Episcopal Ch Women...... Susan Meehan

Lector Warden................. Chris Peterson

Helping Hands.................. Pamela Carter

Hospitality Guild............ Lillian Hensley

Membership........................... Patty Paris

Men’s Club.......................... Main Office

Newsletter........................... Main Office

Outreach................................ Patty Paris

Steering Committee............. John Larson

Senior Choir..................... Thomas Secor

Dear Friends,

 

Clutter is a topic which keeps coming up around St. John’s. Often any

available surface finds itself subject to being used. The parish hall kitchen

counters were symbolic until recent reorganization took place. All of us

recall the cartoon of a closet being opened and everything, including the kitchen sink, falling out. Humans seem to fill every available space with “stuff.”

 

Bookshelves over flow at our house. Dust gathers on what are considered treasured or significant literary works. Once a year I clean out titles to which I rarely refer (the parish library grows and its shelves now are overflowing too). Projects once deemed important still wait to be completed. What about the daily junk mail? By the end of the week, having tried to sort through it daily, waste baskets are filled to the brim. The recycle bin at the church fills more quickly every day! If we don't get to it . . . well, the next thing a year has passed and our table tops are not visible!

 

Periodically I do some major cleaning out in my office and my closets. It feels good to see things more tidy, and I often find things I had been looking for or have even forgotten. As I sort through things, periodically I stop and reminisce. Many of the items remind me of people (especially Christmas cards in June). What happened to so and so I ponder?  Strange, how important people and things drift away with time. And then, in clearing the clutter, we're reminded.

 

I wonder how it must have been for Mary and Joseph. They were simple people. How cluttered were their lives? And Jesus; what, if anything, cluttered his life? A few gifts from the Wise Men. That's about it. Normally no one can get near our Christmas tree.

 

Information about this product and that product bombard us; it's overwhelming! No wonder so many of us find ourselves stressed during and after the holidays. Our lives can be so cluttered. It isn’t just at Christmas. I wonder if there's even any room for Jesus yet. Maybe there is more to the message of "no room in the inn.” Perhaps it is more relevant than we realize.

 

If you are feeling overwhelmed, perhaps it's time to do some spiritual housekeeping. Are your prayers dusty? Is there so much clutter you can't get in touch? This is a good time of year for examining what is really important to us. Don't let exhaustion and letdown following the rush of the holidays, of shopping and entertaining, result in your missing the true Gift of Christmas. A child was born to free us; to free us from everything which distracts us and interferes in our relationship with God. Epiphany is a time of “seeing” God. But how can we see God if our life is cluttered? Maybe it's time to clean out the clutter and to consider what is important. You might be surprised at what you discover.                                               

Annual Report Edition

From the Rector