I’ve never been one to draw much attention to myself on birthdays or other special occasions in my own life. It wasn’t until I met my wife, Catherine, that I started to recognize the importance of birthdays and anniversaries. She has shown me that these days give us an opportunity to celebrate what has happened in the past, but also to think about what things might look like in the future. 

It’s an exciting time to be at St. John’s Church as we draw closer to our bicentennial.  Two-hundred years ago a group of people gathered together to think and pray about a church that would serve as a place of worship for the growing residential community in DC and also as a spiritual home for the President of the United States. 

When I go into our church I read the names of parishioners past and present who have spent time and given to this place. I like to think that the pews, the kneelers, the windows, the very walls of our church are soaked in the prayers of all the faithful who have gone before us. And what a wonderful thing to think that in the years to come others will gather in this place where we have gathered to sing our praises, to hear the Word of God come alive, to celebrate and mourn and journey through life. 

None of us knows what St. John’s Church will look like in twenty years, in fifty years, or in two-hundred years. But as we begin our celebrations, and as we remember and give thanks for our past, let us also dream and hope and ensure that future generations will have the great opportunity to worship the Living God in this holy place. I give thanks to God that I have the privilege of serving at St. John’s Church.

-The Rev. Andy Olivo