September is here – the month when, in normal times, in-person school and church programming resumes, the trees begin to change color, and the shortening days and first chilly nights remind us of the transition from summer into fall. As we all know, this year has been anything but normal.

Despite the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, we have some good things to celebrate at St. Alban’s. Our Sunday 10AM and Wednesday 6PM outdoor worship services have been wonderful! It is encouraging to have so many of our members participating in these gatherings. They go a long way to strengthen faith and uphold a sense of community in our parish. We will continue to have outdoor worship as long as the weather permits (and you know how I enjoy cool weather …). We will also continue to prepare the weekly Order of Worship for Use at Home and Church, and post a recording of the Sunday Gospel and sermon online.

I would also like to…

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Dear friends,

I am happy to share good news – our Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Craig Loya, has decided to allow churches to have outdoor services and meetings! Although we are still unable to gather inside the building, we can now meet outside, provided that we follow the recommended health and safety protocols. Therefore, starting on Sunday, July 5th, and until further notice, we will have a Sunday 10AM worship service on the lawn between our parking lot and the west side of the building. This is the first step toward restoring communal worship and fellowship at St. Alban’s. As with any change, it will require adaptation and a willingness to do things a bit differently as we move forward, so I ask for your goodwill and cooperation as we progress into this next phase of church life in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

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Dear friends,

The death of George Floyd in Minneapolis has shocked our community, our nation, and our world. It has led to deep soul-searching about the very nature of our society: the role and accountability of law enforcement in protecting us and upholding our rights and personal dignity as citizens; the discrepancies in economic and social status of our fellow Americans; and the need to provide a more just and equitable way of life for all. This is a time when every one of us must look at our lives, our values, and our assumptions about others in the light of our professed Christian faith, to seek a deeper understanding of our common humanity, and to bring hope and healing to our world.

When a lawyer asked Jesus about what He thought was the greatest, most important commandment of the Jewish Law, Jesus replied: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength”,

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March is a month of transition – it begins in late winter, and it ends with the start of spring. “In like a lion, out like a lamb”, or so the saying goes. Of course, the weather here in Minnesota doesn’t always reflect the calendar, but the arrival of March brings the hope of springtime and the renewal of life.

The season of Lent has begun. The word “Lent” comes from the Old English word for spring: “Lencten” – literally, the “lengthening” of daylight that accompanies the change of season. I like this more positive understanding of Lent. For too long, it has been seen as a season of self-flagellation and austerity. The popular devotional practices associated with Lent, such as giving up a favorite food or pleasure, have tended to reinforce this concept. Lenten discipline certainly has its place, of course; yet there is much more to this season than our individual acts of self-denial.

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Dear Friends,

This time of year is usually quiet, but there are three items that I would like to share:

First, the 2020 Annual Meeting of St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, Edina was held on January 26th, which was well-attended. The financial report for the past year and the 2020 budget were presented. Our income has increased due to generous pledges and year-end gifts, resulting in a slight surplus in our budget this year. We thank everyone who has given to support St. Alban’s Church!

We also elected our vestry office holders for the coming year: Todd Olness as Senior Warden; Dave Toht as Junior Warden; and Doug Myhre to fill the Building & Grounds position.

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Dear Friends,

We have now come to November. This is the month of Thanksgiving, our most distinctively American holiday, as well as one of our most beloved celebrations. This day goes back to our Pilgrim forebears, who set aside a time after the harvest to thank God for His abundant blessings, and to enjoy the bounty of their new land.

I think one of the main reasons why this holiday resonates with us is that it is based on the virtues of thankfulness and generosity.

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Dear Friends,

Whenever I meet someone outside of church, one of the first things he or she will ask is: “What do you do?” After I answer that I am a priest, and the rector of St. Alban’s, the next question is always: “How big is your church?” To be honest, I don’t like this question, because it seems to arise from a secular standard for judging “success” or even validity by numbers alone. My response is that we are growing in faith and in members, and that we’d like to invite them to join us.

October is the month when we focus on stewardship at St. Alban’s. It’s the time when we ask our members to make a realistic and generous pledge to support our parish in the coming year. Yes, stewardship involves money – but it’s really about what it means to belong to this community of faith. It challenges us to take a deeper look at what it means to be an active participant in the life of the church.

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Dear Friends,

When I was growing up, I remember being told by adults that “the older you get, the faster time goes by.” As a kid this made no sense to me—birthdays and Christmas seemed to take forever to come along. Yet the older I get, the more I understand the reality of that expression!

It’s hard to believe, but September has arrived, and we are beginning a new program year at church. We have a lot of wonderful things to look forward to this fall at St. Alban’s:

• New Beginnings Sunday is on September 8th. We will have a “Potluck of Hors D’oeuvres” party— everyone is invited to bring a favorite appetize to share.

• WOW! will resume on Wednesday, September 11th at 6:30pm at Calvary Lutheran Church

• The Wednesday 11:00am Bible Study will begin on September 18th.

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After a winter that never seemed to end and a rainy, stormy June, summer has finally arrived. The warm days and long evenings entice us outdoors to enjoy the beauty of God’s creation. Many of our members will be traveling across the country and beyond; others will visit cabins and lakes “up North.” Minnesotans know very well how brief this season can be, and so we feel duty-bund to make the most of summer this year.

God understands our need for times of rest and refreshment. He gave the Israelites the Sabbath as a day set apart each week to rest from work, to be with family, to worship, and to enjoy the blessings o life. Everyone, high and low, and even the animals,als, were to be given their Sabbath rest.

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