WELCOME TO SAINT JOHN’S CHURCH

Welcome to St. John's Church, Lafayette Square—a vibrant historic Episcopal church located across from the White House. We invite you to join with us for worship, Christian fellowship and outreach.

History

From our organization as a parish in 1815 to today, St. John's Church has provided a powerful symbol of faith in the heart of our nation's capital.

Mission

At St. John's, we believe Christ is calling us to be a renewed church in a changing world. In worship, education, parish life, and social action, we seek to expand our horizons by serving God by loving one another.

Clergy, Staff, & Vestry

Meet St. John’s diverse and engaging clergy, vestry and staff.

Directions & Parking

Located at the corner of 16th and H Streets in Northwest Washington, St. John's is near the McPherson Square and Farragut North Metro stations. Limited street parking is available; free valet parking is offered for certain hours.
2020 Update.jpg

Monday in the Fourth Week of Lent

Stewards of the World
The relationship between the church and the world is a mutually prophetic relationship, which is a way of saying that each is sometimes prompted by God to call the other back to the covenant, or to the righteousness of God.
Sometimes we act as if the world is fraught with dangers that will lead us astray, while the church embodies the best of the human condition. The problem with that assumption is that the Spirit of God is as present in the world as in the church, and those of us who know and love the church also know that the church is not free from sin. I think it was that cultural icon, Ann Landers, who once said the church is a hospital for sinners, not a monument to saints. So, sometimes it is the church that calls the society to new understandings of the principles that bind us together in community, and sometimes it is the world that reminds the church of the fundamentals of our faith, and moves us to a deeper and more faithful response.
In today’s climate, we would do well to remind ourselves that political actions and political passivity have moral consequences. God made us stewards of the world in which we live. The indictments of the prophets are directed against the elites who were responsible for creating the structures of domination and exploitation. The Bible is very clear that God loathes injustice and violence, and calls us to do something about it. And that “something” is political as well as personal. Our faith, and our recognition of God’s sovereignty, is reflected in the way we organize our public life.
Faithful Christians may have different ideas about which challenges should be given priority, or how to go about it. What people of faith cannot do is nothing. We cannot pretend it is someone else’s problem. God put the whole world into our care. And sometimes it means we have to act politically as well as personally.

Carol Cole Flanagan

Appointed readings for today: Isaiah 65:17-25, Psalm 30:1-6, 11-13, John 4:43-54


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