By Kate Ericsson   On August 15, 2021, as the Afghan capital fell in a matter of hours, the world watched in disbelief. The evacuation operations were one of the largest airlifts in history. Between August 14 and 25, the US evacuated about 82,300 people from Hamid Karzai International Airport. The tragic images from Kabul brought the plight of refugees to our forefront and compelled us to take action. Last September, Christine Mortlock, Minister for Children, Families, and Lifelong For... Read More

By the Rev. Marisa Sifontes Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. – Hebrews 11:1 Six years ago this month, my Sending Parish, St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, convened a Parish Discernment Committee for the purpose of exploring whether I was called to become a Deacon. At that very first meeting, someone announced that they didn’t see me as a Deacon, but they saw me as a Priest. The comment took me by sur... Read More

By the Rev. David Olson As much as I enjoy big events and occasions, the truth is I always look forward to things going back to normal once they are over. Even after Christmas, which is a wonderful time of year, once the presents are opened and the traditions have been meticulously enacted, I’m ready to drag the tree out the door and box everything up and put it all away.  Big events and special occasions are fun, but there is something comforting and relaxing too about just going... Read More

By Christine Mortlock, Minister for Lifelong Formation With so much available for us to read, from John Grisham’s latest courtroom drama to Louise Penny’s newest Inspector Gamache mystery, why, pray tell, read the Gospel of Luke? The answer—for a multitude of reasons! One, we are going to be hearing a lot from our clergy from the Gospel of Luke this year. A lot. Many of you know this, some of you don’t know it yet, but we’re in year C (the Luke year) of our thre... Read More

On December 8, 2013, Canterbury Books & Gifts held their grand opening at St. John’s. Items like personalized prayer books, holiday ware, and confirmation and baptism gifts were for sale. All profits benefited St. John’s Outreach Ministries. Over the last eight years, a host of volunteers and store managers have contributed their time, talents, and energy to a store where customers could find anything from a tumbler with the Episcopal shield on it, to a book by theologian Walt... Read More

By the Rev. Marisa Sifontes In this month, sandwiched between the season of Pumpkin Spiced Lattes and all things Christmas, I’m finding it hard to focus on the fact that it’s November. Maybe it’s a good thing, then, that we find ourselves with a self-imposed gratitude break at the end of this month. A day on the calendar focused around Giving Thanks -- you know the one.    It’s not just a day full of turkey and football, but also a day to reflect where we&rs... Read More

By Christine Mortlock Ayen’s husband abandoned her and her five children several years ago. Barely literate, she works at a popular restaurant chain in Roanoke five days a week. She brings home about $12,000 a year to feed, clothe, and house herself and her children, whose ages range from 8 to 18. They live in public housing in southeast Roanoke. The youngest child recently got into the gifted program at Highland Park Elementary School. The oldest child just graduated from the Boys Hom... Read More

By The Rev. Marisa Sifontes It is well known that both moving and starting a new job are two of the most stressful transitions that one can experience. Of course, those two things often happen together. In my case, the last three months have seen me complete a thesis, graduate, become ordained to the transitional diaconate, move to Roanoke, and begin a new ministry, in that order. Clearly, I am in a time of transition. But I’m not the only one. The fact is that we’ve all been ... Read More

By the Rev. David Olson I could see it on their faces as one by one they crossed the finish line. It was a look of joy, relief, and pain all at the same time. I was standing with my kids at the finish line of the Carilion Clinic IRONMAN, cheering and watching the racers cross the finish line. An unseasonably hot June day was taking its toll on the participants. Despite the heat and the exhaustion from their efforts, they couldn’t contain their joy at having finished the difficult race... Read More

Psalm 121 1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. Deb Neff, St. John’s financial controller, has been a talented professional night and landscape photographer for the past 14 years. She took the photograph above near Roanoke from the Blue Ridge Parkway in early December. She reflects on the image and Psalm 121. Psalm 121 speaks to me. I have been a landscape photographer for many years, and... Read More

By Abigail Long I’ve been asked to write about the children’s lesson this week on Jesus the good shepherd. The analogy is that Jesus is the shepherd and we, as his disciples are the sheep. Jesus makes sure to take care of and lead his sheep always. One of the questions asked was “Who are the leaders in your life and how do they lead you?” Thinking about the answer to this question made me think about all the different people in my life who have had different impacts o... Read More

St. John’s Youth Internship will continue in Fall 2022 when we welcome Roanoke College student Lauren Roth. Dear St. John’s Episcopal Church, I come to you with immense gratitude for the opportunity to have been your intern. You all have a strong youth ministry team. Christine Mortlock, the Reverend Whitney Burton, and the Reverend David Olson have helped me every step of the way. St. John’s has shown me what a sustainable youth ministry looks like in action. You all have ... Read More

Art and music inspire our own creativity in a variety of ways. They draw us in and deepen our relationship with each other, with the world around us, and with our Creator. Enjoy these music-inspired photographs submitted by parishioners. Lynne and Harry Kessler in the St. John’s Choir, were inspired by John Rutter’s arrangement of “For the Beauty of the Earth.”  This is the eastern view from their backyard in Craig County as the sun sets in the west, creating the... Read More

St. John’s youth Channa Levine organized and moderated this webinar to discuss foster care in Roanoke Valley. Channa is a Girl Scout who organized this webinar as part of her Silver Award. The webinar features guest panelists Ben Jones, Amber Tiller, and Stephanie and Dustin Wimbish. Ben and Amber are from the Roanoke County DSS and Stephanie and Dustin are foster parents of eight. Thank you, Channa, for your work advocating for foster children in Roanoke Valley! https://youtu.be/... Read More

By The Rev. Whitney Burton-Smith "O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.”    The collect for the Feast of Epiphany from the Book of Common Prayer ushers us out of the twelve days of Christmas and into the season o... Read More

by Christine Kimel O Lord, we suffer plague Friend and foe alike fall ill And die, untouched by human hands   The dead pile up Few grieve at their graves They go to their rest unsung   The hungry, the oppressed, the victims of violence to body and mind The children, hidden and afraid Their cries rise to You, unheard by human ears   Our hymns are silent No longer do we gather to praise Your name Our priests pray in empty spaces alone   We fear this curse ca... Read More

A number of St. John’s parishioners and others from the community are participating in Sacred Ground, the Episcopal Church’s curriculum on race and faith.  Facilitators from St. John’s have recommended the following resources for those who would like to explore these topics further.  The Starter Kit: Waking Up White by Debbie Irving So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo The Uncomfortable Truth (Amazon Prime) The 1619 Project – New York Times... Read More

by John Jackson When my grandmother had her 80th birthday in the early 1980s, my family came to Roanoke from our home in Richmond to celebrate. We called my grandmother, Grandma Edie, and she was my last living grandparent. My mom (her eldest daughter) stressed the importance of being present for this special occasion. The weekend was filled with parties, a reception at her assisted living home, and house church. My aunt and my grandmother both attended Christ Lutheran at the time, but ... Read More

     by Al Cole On a walk around the neighborhood last weekend, I happened to overhear a conversation between a parent and child, who were also out on a walk. They were playing a story-telling game. The rules were that each could only say one sentence at a time. There was laughter at the silly story, and even more laughter when the rules were altered to only say one word at a time. I was happy to share in their joy, even as I walked out of hearing distance of their story. Su... Read More

by Lolly Rosemond “The Lord Almighty grant us a peaceful night and a perfect end.” It is quiet now.  Trouble, our twelve-year-old hound, has settled down after sending his final message to the dog two blocks over.  The TV is off.  Any news can wait until morning. I pull out my prayer book and open to Compline, then scroll down on Facebook to pick up the night’s offering. “Our help is in the Name of the Lord The maker of heaven and earth.” I lo... Read More

by Alan Perry I always await the start of Journey Groups with great anticipation. There are a couple of reasons for this; I know I will learn, but the best reason is the interaction with the St. John’s community.    This winter and spring, I was in a Journey Group that looked at Jesus and Mary Magdalene in film. I didn’t know much about the topic and I still know only a little. Even so, watching the movies and read... Read More

Guess that………Parishioner!  These photos were recently unearthed deep in our church archives. Can you guess the parishioner? Make your guesses and share your memories of St. John’s in the comments portion on Facebook! Make an appointment to visit our remarkable History and Archive Room on the fourth floor to find more photos from church directories, back-issues of the church newsletter dating to the 1920s, photos spanning the 20th century, memorabilia, and mor... Read More

by Jackson Wills A lot of kids around my age think Youth Group at church is not for them. They’d rather spend their Sunday nights doing something else. Those kids may be missing out on one of the best experiences of our young lives. Each Sunday after the Gathering Service and Sunday Supper, I look forward to spending an hour with friends, learning about God, and unwinding before school the next day. Youth Group also opens doors to opportunities like diocesan events such as Youth at Co... Read More

by the Rev. Dr. Jenny Call I first learned about epiphany from childhood cartoons.  Back then, I recognized it as the “a-ha” moment when Tom the cat would have an idea to defeat Jerry the mouse and a lightbulb would appear over Tom’s head. Suddenly he had grasped a solution to his problem…at least for the moment, until his nemesis outwitted him once again.  Growing up as a low church Baptist whose major holy days included only Easter and Christmas, I wasn&... Read More

by Al Cole Gratitude for the Big and Small For a few years running, I made a New Year’s resolution to write something I was thankful for every day on a sticky note and add it to a jar. On the following New Year’s Eve, I read through a year’s worth of accumulated notes with my partner. We laughed and cried as we remembered our year together. The content of the notes ranged from the mundane (a favorite food!) to the extraordinary (a promotion at work!). Whether big or small,... Read More