Category: Worship

Worship with St. John’s

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Saint Francis of Assisi (transferred)
Sunday, October 6, 2024

Artwork by Lucy Urbaszewski

Join us for the Blessing of the Animals on Sunday, October 6. Bring your pets to worship at 8 and 10 am, when we’ll have a special liturgy praising all the gifts of creation, including our beloved pets. Individual and drop-in pet blessings are in the garden at 11 am. If bringing your pet is not an option, you can also bring a picture or an item (such as a collar or favorite toy) to represent them. 

8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist, spoken with musical accompaniment.
10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist with St. John’s Choir and congregational singing.

Download the bulletin for Sunday, October 6, 2024.

For In Person Worship The nursery is open from 8:00 -11:00 a.m. Please stay for coffee hour.

For Online Worship: Join any service via Zoom Meeting ID: 882 2966 1337 Passcode: 3857 By phone: call 312.626.6799. Enter the Meeting ID and #. Enter the Password and #. OR Watch on Facebook live on our public page. 

Epiphany Blessing of Chalk

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A part of church history is the custom of blessing homes at the New Year. A family would hold a short service of prayer to ask God’s blessing on their dwellings and on all who live, work with and visit them. In this way, we invite Jesus to be a “guest” in our home, a listener to each conversation, a guide for troubled times, and a blessing in times of thanksgiving.

“Chalking the door” or the door step may be used as a way to celebrate and literally “mark” the occasion. In the Old Testament the Israelites were told to mark their doors with the blood of the lamb on the night of the Passover to ensure that the angel of death would pass them by. Deuteronomy 6: 9 says that we shall “write [the words of God] on your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, … and you shall write them on the door posts of your house and on your gates.”

Chalk is made of the substance of the earth and is used by teachers to instruct and by children to play. As the image of the chalk fades, we will remember the sign we have made and transfer it to our hearts and our habits.

Let us pray.
Loving God, bless this chalk which you have created, that it may be helpful to your people; and grant that through the invocation of your most Holy Name all those who with it write the names of your saints, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar, may receive health of body and protection of soul for all who dwell in the homes where this chalk is used, we make this prayer through Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Use this chalk with this prayer to mark and bless your home. Take blessed chalk and mark on the lintel of your front door 20 + C + M + B + 24 saying:

The three Wise Men, C Caspar, M Melchior, B and Balthasar followed the star of God’s Son who became human 20 two thousand 24 and twenty-four years ago. ++ May Christ bless our home ++ and remain with us throughout the new year. Amen.

Keeping Lent

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Lord, Lord, Open Unto Me

Open unto me, light for my darkness
Open unto me, courage for my fear
Open unto me, hope for my despair
Open unto me, peace for my turmoil
Open unto me, joy for my sorrow
Open unto me, strength for my weakness
Open unto me, wisdom for my confusion
Open unto me, forgiveness for my sins
Open unto me, tenderness for my toughness
Open unto me, love for my hates
Open unto me, Thy Self for myself
Lord, Lord, open unto me!

– Howard Thurman, from “Meditations of the Heart”

Howard Thurman

Weekly Lenten Evening Prayer

Wednesdays from 7:00 to 7:15 p.m. via Zoom (Meeting ID: 810 6510 8127 Passcode: 3857)

Free Lenten Resources for Download

St. John’s favorite: Lent Madness Don’t miss this year’s Saintly Smackdown! Here is a link to your 2021 bracket! You can also get the scorecard on your favorite e-reader, tablet, or phone.

Come, Pray – the Prayer I Need This Day from the Society of Saint John the Evangelist


Episcopal Relief & Development 2021 Lenten Meditations, which focus on lament

Lent, Holy Week and Easter Activity Pack for Children and Families from Church Publishing


Life Transformed: The Way of Love in Lent from The Episcopal Church


Living Well Through Lent 2021 from Living Compass, “Listening With All Your Heart, Soul, Strength and Mind.”

Ash Wednesday

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preparations and distribution

Youth group members lighting the palms on fire
making ashes!
putting ashes in bags for parishioners to pick up
physically distant youth group conversation
Thanks to our neighbors Deacon Jason and Brother Alberto for providing ashes in the morning.

Ash Wednesday, February 17, 2021

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Walk-by-Ashes

You are welcome to come to the front door of the church (3857 N. Kostner Ave.) and receive ashes on Wednesday, February 17 between these times:

7:00 a.m. – 7:30 a.m.
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Please wear a mask. Those imposing ashes will wear masks and face shields.

You may also pick up ashes from the St. John’s Garden on Sunday, February 14 between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m. so that you can impose them yourself during our online worship.

Online Ash Wednesday Worship

Download the bulletin for Ash Wednesday, February 17, 2021.
Listen to the music in advance!
Prelude, Offertory, Recessional, and Postlude.

Wednesday, February 17 at

7:30 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. via Zoom (Meeting ID: 872 3117 9863 Passcode: 3857)
and
7:30 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. via Zoom (Meeting ID: 847 9465 6906 Passcode: 3857)

Or watch on Facebook Live.

National Bell Ringing in Honor of COVID-19 Victims

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art by Scott Gustafson

Tuesday, January 19 at 4:30 p.m. In a national moment of unity and remembrance, St. John’s sanctuary will be illuminated and we will ring a bell–together with churches across the country–one toll for every 10,000 American lives lost to COVID-19.

City-wide Memorial: At 6:00 p.m. please turn out your lights and stand with a candle at your front door or window for 10 minutes of silence and remembrance.