Calendar News

Eastertide

April 5 was Easter Sunday, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. The story of the empty tomb, and the resurrection of the human being that was Jesus before he was the Christ, is a cosmic part of our identity. It is huge. The biggest. And ever so mysterious.

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But this year we look not only at the grand testament of Easter, but also at the smallest, imperceptible, intangible evidence and mysteries of new life.

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The Pantry is Honored to Have Her

Our Bonnie Fisher was recognized as volunteer of the year by First Lady Jeannie Gordon and the Wyoming Hunger Initiative at their regional summit in Cody on Thursday. Our thanks to Bonnie for her dedicated, cheerful work. Check out the pictures on facebook!

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Too Cold for Springing

Park County Citizens for Sustainability has postponed “Spring into Sustainability” to Friday, May 8, from 4:00 to 6:00 PM.

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Meeting Around Reading

Our book group selection this month is A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki. It is a metafictional novel that intertwines the stories of two women: Nao, a bullied Japanese teenager writing a diary, and Ruth, a novelist who finds Nao's diary washed ashore in a Hello Kitty lunchbox after the 2011 tsunami. The book explores themes of identity, time, reality, and connection, incorporating elements of Zen Buddhism, quantum physics, and the relationship between writer and reader. Join us on Thursday, May 21 at 4:00 PM.

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Take Up The Cross

John Walsh is headed to Rock Springs to attend the justice summit in Rock Springs, April 24-26, to learn more about how to engage in the work of the cross today. This 3-day event will help develop encouragement in justice within our communities, empower our congregations to participate in effective civil discourse, and honor our own histories.

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Bishop Search Committee Listening Meeting

Welcoming all Episcopalian parishioners from around Region I (that’s us). The Bishop Search Committee needs your help in creating a profile for the upcoming Bishop search. What do you hope to see in our next Bishop? What has the past taught you about what works and what doesn’t? What do you envision the future to be for our Diocese?

Thursday, April 30, 7 PM

at Thomas the Apostle Center (TAC).

 

We are Enlightened

Thanks to the leadership of the vestry, the basement of St. John’s has new, efficient lighting and updated electrical outlets. This week Powell Electric changed the fluorescent bulbs and fixtures to LED. It is so bright and cheerful that coffee hour hosts won’t know what to do with both lights shining in the kitchen!

 

Notable Dates

• April 29, Meditation 11:30 AM on Wednesday in the sanctuary for about 30 minutes. If you have any questions, please ask Susan McEvoy (307-271-1289).

 

• April 30, Listening Meeting 7:00 PM Thomas the Apostle Center.

 

• May 8, Spring into Sustainability, 4:00-6:00 PM, TAC.

 

• May 21, Meeting Around Reading, 4:00 PM, in the basement.

 

• June 2, Absaroka Fence Initiative 8:45 AM to 12:00 noon, modifying the fence on BLM land within AFI's Carter Mountain Pronghorn Fence project. This work will make it friendlier for pronghorn to move through. More information as the day draws near.

 

The Anglican Tradition: Easter

Episcopal/Anglican churches, along with Roman Catholics, recognize Fourth Sunday of Easter as "Good Shepherd Sunday." It focuses on Jesus as the caring shepherd who lays down his life for his flock, emphasizing themes of guidance, sacrifice, and resurrection love.

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This imagery highlights Christ's personal care, leading his people to new life, and celebrating his role as both the sacrificial lamb and the risen guardian. The shepherd image is fitting for Easter; the resurrection promises that Jesus is alive to guide and protect his flock. Here is the beautiful “I am the good shepherd” text from John 10.

Other days in this season to celebrate the rich heritage of our reason and traditions include April 27, the feast day of St. Zita, a thirteenth-century servant in the city of Lucca, in Tuscany, Italy. She had the exasperating habit of giving away her wealthy employer’s things to impoverished people, including her employer’s meals.

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On one celebrated occasion, she gave his luxurious fur coat to a shivering beggar outside a church on Christmas Eve. The beggar returned the coat to her employer later that evening, the story goes — and when the confused recipient looked up again from the coat in his arms, the beggar had vanished into thin air.

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In one of Zita’s ecstatic visions, an angel baked her bread, and accordingly, she’s now considered the patron saint of bakers, as well as of homemakers and household employees.

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She’s also invoked by those who have lost their keys!