Chimes September 2025

In this issue

• Message from Rev. Lisa
• Staying on the Mountaintop
• Praying with Creation
• Formation Updates - Children, Youth & Adults
• Adult Formation Opportunities
• Acolyte Training - October 5
• Music Updates
• St. John's Nursery School Is Off to a Great Start!
• Coming Events - Mark Your Calendars!
• Recipe of the Month: Cheese Snacks

A Message from Rev. Lisa

Fall is in the air! One of my favorite things about returning to fall is the return to a fairly normal rhythm of life.

Many of you have heard me say that I can’t imagine serving a church that does not have a school. The return to the rhythm of school, especially a nursery school is a great joy. The excitement and nerves, of both children new to school and anxious parents, are so tender, but they are under the guidance of amazing teachers, head of school, and a fan club comprised of me and the church staff!

We also return to a new year of Children, Youth and Adult Christian Formation, Children and Adult Choir, gatherings for different groups of the St. John Community, including the blessing of animals, Music in the Manor, the annual ECW bazaar, and all of our church activities and outside groups.

For me and at this time of year, in the midst of all of the complexity and suffering in the world, our gathering together sparks the promise of faith and goodness. Community is the lifeblood of survival and hope. We are created to be part of something bigger than ourselves. To me, a faith community is a safe and loving lifeline in which to learn, grow, love and forgive.

This fall offers so many different opportunities to be together as a church. Please join us any or all of the ways we gather. And always know, I love having conversations with you in any way that is helpful. Keep a copy of all of the opportunities to gather together. May this be a holy fall!

Peace, Lisa+

~*~

Staying on the Mountaintop

Many of my sermons compare worshipping together on Sundays to a mountaintop experience, where we feel close to and surrounded by God’s presence and the gift of being fed Jesus. We are not able to stay on the mountaintop forever, but if we can stay on it all day Sunday, it sure prepares us for the week to come when we will have highs and lows, hills and valleys, as the week rolls along. I know that you know am I very hard to offend and that I take pride (in a good way) that I am pretty unflappable. But when I come sailing into Coffee Hour after having great worship where God is praised and people are fed and sharing holy post-service conversation in the church, often the first things I hear are complaints about minor issues (such as a typo or an unknown hymn).

The vision of our worship services is cast in the present and future. Every week the staff and I spend hours in all the ways of preparation necessary for Sunday, such as formatting and proofing bulletins, preparing music, sermons, children’s formation, coffee hour, making sure we have ushers, and lay participants in the service, with the help of lay leader volunteers. Do we get it perfect? Yes, some of the time, but there are services where little bumps, in my humble opinion, go wrong, such as a typo in one of the three bulletins, an unfamiliar hymn, no soap in a restroom, a reader not showing up and someone, nervously at times, stepping in and doing a super job on the fly.

I love you all, and you need to hear me say that the staff, including me as your rector, want to hear your feedback and the errors that you see, but I am going to ask you to wait and give that feedback on Monday, especially for those of us on staff that are there on Sundays. Please feel free to email, call, or text your corrections or input during the week and let’s leave Sundays a time to be on the mountaintop together. I love that we are a community who wants to get it right, I am that way as well, but timing of complaints, unless it includes blood, vomit, illness, or hearing that someone has been offended to the point that they do not feel a part of worship, can wait until Monday.

We all need as much time on the mountaintop as possible to bathe in God’s grace.

With love, Lisa+

~*~

This fall, we again joined with the wider Episcopal Church to celebrate the Season of Creation. We will continue to use this liturgy through Sunday, October 5, when we will celebrate the Feast of St. Francis - including our fabulous annual Blessing of the Animals!

As this season comes to a close, we offer prayers for adults and kids to use to continue to pray for the gift of God's wonderful gift of Creation. Thank you to Lori Wilson for crafting and sharing these beautiful prayers.

A Way to Pray for Creation

by Lori Wilson

1. Become aware of God’s presence.

Take a few deep breaths. Remember that you are in God’s presence. Imagine the Creator gazing on the whole Earth with love—from the vast oceans and galaxies to the smallest seed and sparrow. Rest in that gaze for a moment.

2. Give thanks for creation.

Recall the beauty you have experienced recently in the natural world—sunlight, trees, fresh air, animals, water, food from the earth. Thank God for the gift of creation that sustains and delights you.

3. Notice your actions and attitudes.

• How have I cared for creation today?
• Have I used resources responsibly, or have I been careless or wasteful?
• When have I acted in ways that bring life, healing, or renewal to the earth, its creatures, or my community?
• When have I acted in ways that harm or exploit creation, even in small, unnoticed ways?

4. Pay attention to your heart.

• What stirs in me as I consider the state of creation—sorrow, gratitude, hope, fear, longing?
• Where have I resisted God’s call to live in right relationship with creation?
• Where do I sense an invitation to deeper conversion?

5. Look forward with hope.

• What step can I take tomorrow to honor creation?
• How is God inviting me to live more simply, to act for justice, to nurture life?
• Pray for the grace to respond with generosity and courage.

Closing prayer:

Creator God, thank you for the gift of this earth, our common home. Forgive my failures in care and stewardship. Renew in me a spirit of wonder, reverence, and commitment to protect and cherish creation. Help me walk more gently upon the earth, in harmony with all creatures, and in praise of You. Amen.

*****

A Children’s Way of Praying for Creation

1. Quiet down and remember God is here.

Close your eyes, take a deep breath. Imagine God smiling at you and at the whole world.

2. Thank God for creation.

Think of one thing in nature today that made you happy—maybe the sun, a tree, a pet, or even your food. Say, “Thank you, God!”

3. Think about your day.

• Did I take care of the world today?
• Did I waste food, water, or energy?
• Did I help animals, plants, or people?

4. Listen to your heart.

• How do I feel when I see God’s world? Happy? Sad? Excited?
• Is God asking me to do something special to care for creation?

5. Look ahead.

What is one thing I can do tomorrow to show love for the earth? (Share ideas: turn off lights, pick up trash, recycle, be kind to animals, plant something, etc.)

Closing prayer:

Dear God, thank You for making our beautiful world. Help me take good care of it and share it with others. Amen.

This issue's recipe is shared by Rev. Lisa & Kirk Mason, from Fiesta: Favorite Recipes of South Texas. These delicious snacks were part of the menu at a recent dinner at the rectory, which was one of the many prizes from last year's bazaar silent auction. Enjoy!

Cheese Snacks

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 1 8-ounce box Old English brand process cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or less)
• 2-1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup chopped nuts

Method:

Cream butter. Add grated cheese and mix well. Add flour, seasonings, and nuts. Roll on floured board to shape like ice box cookies into sticks about 1-inch thick. Wrap in waxed paper and store in refrigerator. Slice and bake at 350 degrees 10 to 15 minutes. Makes about 200.

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Have a recipe to share? Join the fun and send it to communications@stjohnslarchmont.org. Yours just might be the next Recipe of the Month!

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Likewise, your photos and news from your ministries are always welcome. Please forward your submissions to communications@stjohnslarchmont.org. Let your ministry's light shine through Chimes!