Dear Members, Friends, and Neighbors,
In 1952, St. John’s Episcopal Church was moved to our current location after a fire consumed her downtown parish building. The woods of Montclair were specifically chosen as our new home because the congregation understood people needed a special space to connect with the healing powers of the natural world. And the need was profound following the traumas of World War II.
Scott mentioned this in a recent sermon and in listening to that sermon members of your stewardship team heard the echo of the 1950’s call in our times today and were inspired.
To celebrate our 70th year in our current home, the stewardship team is excited to announce the gift of a Labyrinth on St. John’s property. The intention is to create a spiritual pathway where members and visitors can prayerfully seek healing and strength to live with the traumas and challenges of today.
What does this have to do with stewardship? At St. John’s we have used the term to refer to the pledge campaign, but the real task of Stewardship is to manage, appreciate, and support that for which you are responsible - to care for something and in caring become part of it. With a labyrinth, we are connecting our need for healing with our appreciation of the land of which we are stewards.
Over the next months, we will lay the foundations for this gift. The foundation will be two-fold – a physical foundation for a labyrinth next to the parking lot and a spiritual, educational foundation for how this gift can be used by the community. We will explore the history of labyrinths, the relationship of labyrinths to all faith practices, how one walks a labyrinth, what you can bring to the practice and what the practice will give you in return. We will also ask you to contribute rocks to help form the labyrinth which in true Montclair Oakland style will be in the shape of an Oak Tree as a symbol of strength.
In the fall, as usual, we will have a pledge campaign, but for now, we look forward to the 70th year celebration with the addition of a labyrinth in the redwoods to go with our beautiful meditation garden and patio in our spiritual home on our wonderful Montclair woods campus.
Happy to enjoy the journey together and see you on the Labyrinth beginning September 25, 2022.
Lilah Greene
In 1952, St. John’s Episcopal Church was moved to our current location after a fire consumed her downtown parish building. The woods of Montclair were specifically chosen as our new home because the congregation understood people needed a special space to connect with the healing powers of the natural world. And the need was profound following the traumas of World War II.
Scott mentioned this in a recent sermon and in listening to that sermon members of your stewardship team heard the echo of the 1950’s call in our times today and were inspired.
To celebrate our 70th year in our current home, the stewardship team is excited to announce the gift of a Labyrinth on St. John’s property. The intention is to create a spiritual pathway where members and visitors can prayerfully seek healing and strength to live with the traumas and challenges of today.
What does this have to do with stewardship? At St. John’s we have used the term to refer to the pledge campaign, but the real task of Stewardship is to manage, appreciate, and support that for which you are responsible - to care for something and in caring become part of it. With a labyrinth, we are connecting our need for healing with our appreciation of the land of which we are stewards.
Over the next months, we will lay the foundations for this gift. The foundation will be two-fold – a physical foundation for a labyrinth next to the parking lot and a spiritual, educational foundation for how this gift can be used by the community. We will explore the history of labyrinths, the relationship of labyrinths to all faith practices, how one walks a labyrinth, what you can bring to the practice and what the practice will give you in return. We will also ask you to contribute rocks to help form the labyrinth which in true Montclair Oakland style will be in the shape of an Oak Tree as a symbol of strength.
In the fall, as usual, we will have a pledge campaign, but for now, we look forward to the 70th year celebration with the addition of a labyrinth in the redwoods to go with our beautiful meditation garden and patio in our spiritual home on our wonderful Montclair woods campus.
Happy to enjoy the journey together and see you on the Labyrinth beginning September 25, 2022.
Lilah Greene
