Sermons

What a difference a year makes

Sermon for November 20, 2016 (Last Sunday after Pentecost - Christ the King)
Mr. Jay Anthony
Good morning my St. John’s family. This is the time of year when either I or the clergy or some other lucky duck gets to come up here and with golden words attempt to get you to open your hearts and your wallets to pledge even more money to St. John’s for the next year. More money to keep us warm in the winter, well lit, plowed out, free flowing water, insured, clergy to keep us spiritually fulfilled, staff to give us clean spaces and office staff to keep us administratively sound! More of your hard earned cash to give us music and voices and someone to lead it all. This is the time when we get up before you to beg and wheedle. Read More Read more • Leer más → “What a difference a year makes”
Sermónes

Estamos Fuerte de San Juan

Mr. Jay Anthony, Guardián Mayor (25 Pentecostés): Buenos días mi familia de San Juan. San Juan ha existido durante 272 años. Miles que se nos han adorado aquí. San Juan ha capeado muchas tormentas de muchos tipos: el fuego, el viento, la lluvia, huracanes, inundaciones y sigue siendo el corazón de San Juan, que es el pueblo, llevada a cabo. Así que algo tan simple como el estrés financiero no va a matarnos ahora. Podemos y adaptaremos. Estamos Fuerte de San Juan. También vamos a quedar sin dinero en dos años a nuestro ritmo actual. Nuestra dotación está disminuyendo. Su Junta Parroquial ha sido exigente y discutir esto con mucho dolor y humildad. También hemos estado discutiendo racionalmente y con algunas de las mejores mentes de la Diócesis. Ha llegado el momento de buscar refugio de nuestra posición financiera actual con el fin de continuar con el trabajo que hacemos y la necesidad de seguir haciendo. Al igual que los feligreses que han venido antes que nosotros, vamos a seguir adelante. Pero ya no podemos seguir en este edificio. El edificio de piedra gris grande y glorioso que ha sido nuestro refugio espiritual para muchos, muchos años es ahora un enorme peso alrededor de nuestros cuellos colectivos. No podemos permitir que se convierta en nuestra tumba. Podemos encontrar una manera de seguir en una instalación que puede ser apoyado por los ingresos que actualmente recibimos. La Junta Parroquial, su liderazgo, no ha llegado a esta dolorosa, pero valiente recomendación fácilmente. Muchas lágrimas se derramaron y todavía se derramaron. Una analogía se hizo que nos ayudó: "Si todos estábamos sentados aquí y el edificio espontáneamente estalló en llamas, ¿qué le agarra para salvar del fuego?" Todos estamos de acuerdo que sería el pueblo. Read more • Leer más → “Estamos Fuerte de San Juan”
Building / Sermons

We are St. John’s Strong

Mr. Jay Anthony, Senior Warden (Proper 28): Pour nos amis à Paris. Nous sommes avec vous. Être fort!!! Good morning my St. John’s family. St. John’s has existed for 272 years. Thousands before us have worshipped here. St. John’s weathered many storms of many types: fire, wind, rain, hurricanes, floods and still the heart of St. John’s which is the people, carried on. So something as simple as financial stress isn’t going to kill us now. We can and will adapt. We are St. John’s Strong. We will also run out of money in two years at our current pace. Our endowment is dwindling. Your Vestry has been discerning and discussing this with much pain and humility. We have also been discussing it rationally and with some of the best minds in the Diocese. The time has come to seek shelter from our current financial position in order to continue the work we do and need to continue to do. Like the parishioners who have come before us, we will go on. But we can no longer go on in this facility. The grand and glorious gray stone building that has been our spiritual refuge for many, many years is now a huge weight around our collective necks. We cannot allow it to become our tomb. We can find a way to go on in a facility that can be supported by the income we currently receive. The Vestry, your leadership, has not come to this painful, yet brave recommendation easily. Many tears were shed and will still be shed. An analogy was made that helped us: “If we were all sitting here and the building spontaneously burst into flames, what would you grab to save from the fire?” We all agreed it would be the people. Read More Read more • Leer más → “We are St. John’s Strong”
Sermons

Personal Views on Stewardship

Sermon for October 26, 2014 (20th Sunday after Pentecost)
Mr. Jay Anthony:
This church, this home of ours is a tapestry of 280 plus years of Stewards, people like you who have reached out to the community and have helped them and made their lives better. Individuals and families who carefully, responsibly and prayerfully managed St. John’s Episcopal Church on the Green. It’s you and you and you and me. Even without knowing, you have probably helped put someone in need on the right path to help themselves. There are even groups who will not realize until later, St. John’s has done them much good and put them on a better path. Read More Read more • Leer más → “Personal Views on Stewardship”