Dear St. John’s Community,
This is the first time the St. John’s community has not been able to gather in person since the Spanish Flu in 1918. I cannot wait until we can return to our building, but there is a blessing right now in us learning how to be a church without walls.
Worship has been a special challenge, but the online worship experiences we have created are now reaching people who live far beyond the DC Metro area, across the country and even internationally. People have written to thank us, and they often comment on the beautiful details of our sanctuary, especially the stained glass windows.
So, in a way, while we are outside the walls of our building, we are still bringing people inside. I think our remarkable windows themselves have a lesson to teach us, too. When you view a stained glass window from the outside, it just looks like a randomly formed, dark window. Only when you step inside of the sanctuary and see the light coming through a stained glass window can you see its true color and brilliance.
Really, our goal was never to bring people into a physical building, but to encourage people—and even ourselves—to cross the threshold into life-giving faith, where the light of Christ and the promise of his resurrection bring light that transforms our entire world.
The journey of Holy Week and Easter goes from darkness to light. We cross a spiritual threshold to arrive in a new place with a better way of seeing. To fully experience this journey I invite you to join us for Maundy Thursday (streaming live at 7:00 p.m.), Good Friday, and Easter (which will be posted early in the morning on each day). All three of these services will be available on our website (here).
I invite you also to make a special gift this year to help St. John’s continue its ministry for our community, for our surrounding region, and for the world—to continue to bear the light of Christ during this dark time.
Yours in Christ,
The Rev. Robert W. Fisher
Rector
St. John’s Church, Lafayette Square
1525 H Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20005
202-347-8766, ext. 302
www.stjohns-dc.org
An Easter Message from the Wardens
Dear Fellow Parishioners,
Easter will mark the fifth Sunday since we were last able to physically gather at St. John’s. Over that time, our clergy and staff have done tremendous work to keep our congregation engaged with the church—and with each other. There is no better example of this effort than the amazing Palm Sunday service offered online, complete with a Passion Narrative that featured so many in our parish community.
We will continue to worship outside our sanctuary for at least the next five Sundays. But, if Mayor Bowser’s recent comments prove true, we should be prepared to continue online worship into June, and possibly even July.
With that understanding, we would like to take this opportunity to update you on the financial health of the church. As we noted in our March 25 e-mail, closing the church for this extended period will have a significant impact on our finances—particularly with the church closed over Holy Week and Easter. Our loose plate offering typically averages $2,200 per week and the Easter offering typically approaches $15,000. While we will see decreased costs during this time from not printing bulletins, reduced heating and cooling expenses, and the like, these decreased costs will not fully makeup for the anticipated loss in revenue.
In light of these expected losses, we asked in March for your help in the form of accelerated pledge payments, an increase in your pledge, or an additional gift. Many have answered our call. To each of you, please accept our most-heartfelt thanks.
But there is still a need. We therefore again ask for your help. If you are able to increase your financial support to St. John’s in these uncertain times, please do so. We offer a number of options to accelerate or increase your pledge or make an additional gift.
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- You can mail a check to the church.
- You can make a payment via credit card or direct debit from your bank account by clicking on the button below.
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- You can also give via your mobile device by texting STJDC to 73256.
If you have questions about your account or need assistance making a payment, feel free to contact our financial secretary, Preston Cherouny. Please know how grateful we are for your support, and more importantly, how honored we are to be a part of this great parish with all of you.
We’re in this together
Faithfully,
Paul Barkett, Senior Warden
Jeff Hantson, Junior Warden
