Rector’s Blog

Christmas season is over, winter seems to have finally arrived, and now we are preparing for the Annual Meeting. If you head a ministry, please submit your report to myself or Lynn. If you have any questions about how to write the report, I’d be happy to talk with you. Mostly it is meant to […]

Merry Christmas! We have had the shortest possible Advent, and so, believe it or not, Christmas is here. It’s here whether we are ready or not, and honestly, I am not sure how we could ever be truly “ready” for the life-changing, paradigm-shifting, God-arrival that is Christmas. And yet, somehow, by God’s grace, Christmas comes.

Happy Gaudete Sunday! The third Sunday in Advent is also known as Rejoice Sunday, a time to lighten the penitential and preparatory nature of the season. We will recite Mary’s Magnificat, praising God for all the saving works throughout history, as well as God’s steadfast and faithful love. I’d like to offer this prayer by

From Mother Pippa Advent and Lent are times of preparation and penitence. We get ready, by looking without and looking within, and building ourselves to be who God made us to be. As part of that preparation, it is St. Mary’s custom to read and reflect on themes supplied by the Living Compass program. This

From Mother Pippa Happy Advent! We are moving to Lectionary Year B, where we focus our gospel readings on the oldest gospels – the Gospel of Mark. Mark’s Gospel is only 16 chapters long, and includes the word “immediately” forty-one times. Mark writes quickly, and with urgency, wanting to tell people the stories of Jesus’

It’s the end of the Church Year, Christ the King Sunday. We begin the year by looking towards the baby born who was God Incarnate, and we end the year affirming the supremacy of Immanuel, God With Us. As you prepare to enter into Advent, I hope you balance your hope and expectation with the

Thanksgiving is nearly here. Thank you to everyone who has donated towards the Thanksgiving Baskets, we will go shopping this Sunday to deliver food to four local families. You are directly enabling them to celebrate Thanksgiving with all the delicious foods. St. Mary’s will hold our Thanksgiving service on Thanksgiving Day at 9 a.m. I

Join us Sunday at 9 a.m. in the Library for our second Wills and Probate class. We learned so much on October 16, that we have asked Jordan for an encore. She has a wealth of information about trusts, powers of attorney and wills. Please join us to learn more! The next day, November 13,

Sunday is the end of Daylight Saving! Don’t forget to “fall back” an hour on Saturday, or you will be an hour early to church on Sunday. I want to thank everyone who pledged for 2024. We received 54 pledges (one more than in 2023). Four pledges were new and fourteen pledges represented an increase

The three Episcopal Dioceses of Wisconsin gathered for their individual Diocesan Conventions on Saturday, possibly for the last time. Thank you to everyone who participated in the trialogue process and to everyone who held us in prayer as we voted on whether or not to move forward as a single diocese. I want to particularly