Update from Rev Alastair

Greetings good people of St. John’s!

“And Jesus said to Nathaniel, ‘Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.’ -JOHN 1:51

Just wanted to give you a brief update to how my time is going here in New Orleans on my extended educational leave. So far my stay here has been vastly enriching and transformational. We are in the season of Epiphany. The above verse from John’s gospel was read this past Sunday in the lectionary. Fr. Don Owens at St. Anna’s (the church I’m attending on Sunday mornings) reminded us that Nathaniel wasn’t expecting the Messiah ti come from a backwater like Nazareth. Fr. Don exhorted us during Epiphany to be open to God’s revelations in our lives and to “expect God in the unexpected.” This has been my experience in Louisiana! 

As I’m sure you’re aware this educational leave isn’t about being cooped up in a classroom every day; it falls under the umbrella of “field work” and has given me the opportunity to witness many aspects of the rich spiritual, cultural and social perspectives unique to New Orleans and the Deep South. That said, I’d like to frame this update under the rubric of the 3 tiered vision that we have been working under the past few years at St. John the Divine.

1) Spiritual Formation

As I mentioned above I’m attending St. Anna’s on Sunday mornings. St. Anna’s is an Anglo-Catholic parish whose mission statement is “All are welcome, none are shunned.” They are practicing what they preach. The parish is located in the Treme neighborhood of the city which is one of the oldest African American neighborhood’s in America. They are involved in a vibrant food ministry, supporting local food banks and provide a meal after every Sunday service. This past Sunday we were served jambalaya and King cake for dessert… yum! King cake is a thing down here during carnival and Mardi Gras. The church has a rich liturgical tradition (lots of incense and bells) thoughtful and passionate preaching, and vibrant music. 

Anna’s place is a ministry on the church grounds which has an active outreach and after school ministry to underserved and disenfranchised children and youth.

On Sunday evening’s I’ve been attending Christ Church Cathedral on St. Charles Ave, for a contemplative service called “Real Presence.” The service is led by Fr. Steven. Throughout the church there are various prayer stations set up (think Montessori) where congregants at a certain part of the service are invited to spend time at these stations to pray and reflect. It’s a beautiful service and I’ve met many amazing people there. Throughout the week I’ve been attending various midweek services of different denominational persuasions.

2) Outreach 

Twice a week I’ve been volunteering at the Harry Thompson Center downtown. This center reaches out to the unhoused. My job so far has been to man the cell phone charging station, where guests can securely charge their phones while they shower, have something to eat, or meet with a caseworker to work on getting housing, ID, or into rehab, etc. I’ve been bringing a chess board, and have found a lot of enthusiastic folks to play with. It’s been a good opportunity to break the ice and get to know folks. My poor Spanish has often come in handy, as many guests don’t speak English and are looking for various resources in the city. They don’t have anyone on staff who speaks Spanish, so I’ve become a bit of a go to person for that.

Last week I accompanied Br. Donald to hand out snacks, water and clean socks before dawn at the city library and city hall where many people camp out. Br. Donald also had 12 mats that were crocheted out of plastic bags to give to people. These mats are made by volunteers at another Episcopal church. It takes about 6000 bags and alot of time to make one mat. The people we gave them too were deeply appreciative. We spent time praying and talking to folks. We met one lady who was having chest pains so we ended up calling EMS;  waiting and praying with her until they came to take her to the hospital. Please pray for Rebecca 

3) Fellowship 

After church two weeks ago, Fr. Don, Br. Donald and myself were invited to go the Friendly Bar after church. The Friendly Bar is a gay bar close to St. Anna’s. During football season they have what they call “Saints Sundays.” The Saints are a local NFL football team. The bar offers a potluck during the game, where people can donate money in a jar. All of the money they raise goes to support St. Anna’s food ministry. Fr. Don shared his gratitude to the bar manager and customers for their generosity. This football season they raised over $3000! I was blown away by this unique and “unexpected” partnership in ministry. I stayed around for the game. Ate a lot of good food, and chatted with some amazing folks.

On my free time I’ve been taking in the city. Listening to a lot of good live music. Enjoying the culinary riches of Creole and Cajun cuisine. Meeting new friends, and doing a lot of walking and cycling.

I’m grateful to you all for your prayers, support and to the church leadership for overseeing things while I’m away. Will write again soon.

In Peace and Expectation,

​Alastair