“Perhaps God knew that part of liberation is confronting anything you might hunger for more than it. Will you cry out longing for the chains that once held you? The wilderness is uncharted, and humans are prone to willful amnesia. We’d rather forget and return to bondage rather than remember and wade in the unknown. We grow numb.” – Cole Arthur Riley, from her book Black Liturgies.

Lent is a special season of the church calendar where we embody Christ’s forty days in the desert. Christ’s time in the desert also hearkens back to the Hebrew people wandering for forty years in the desert. The focus of Lent is often the practices of fasting and prayer, but we can lose sight of what those practices are meant to address.

Lent is a time for us to ask ourselves what distracts us from ourselves, others, and God. What keeps us from loving our neighbors? What internal messages stop me from being my full self or seeing the fullness of others? This season of Lent, we invite all people to join us in asking these questions over meals and during services.

Learn more about these opportunities on our website, or by reading below!

Holy Week and Easter Schedule

Good Friday

Today, March 29

12:00pm | Stations of the Cross

6:00pm | A Service for Good Friday

Great Vigil of Easter

March 30

7:24pm | Holy Eucharist with Holy Baptism

Easter Sunday

March 31

7:30am | Spoken Eucharist

9:00am | Choral Eucharist, featuring brass

11:00am | Choral Eucharist, featuring brass, followed by an Easter Egg Hunt for families

Sunday

Holy Eucharist | 7:30AM, in the sanctuary

service bulletin

Holy Eucharist, featuring brass | 9AM, in the sanctuary

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YouTube Livestream

Holy Eucharist, featuring brass (Family Service) | 11AM, in the sanctuary

service bulletin

YouTube Livestream

Tuesday

Centering Prayer | 9AM, in the contemplative prayer room (the back corner of the sanctuary)

Wednesday

5:30pm | Evensong, in the chapel

6:15pm | Centering Prayer, in the chapel

Thursday

12pm | Service of Reconciliation, in the chapel and over Zoom.

Saturday Bluegrass Service Time and Dates

5pm | Eucharist, in the chapel

• April 13
• April 27

Save the Dates!

Dear Friends in Christ,  

We have 3 transition events to add to your calendar.  All will be after the 9:30 AM service.  

Sunday April 21:  Thank You and Goodbye to our Associate Rector - Pastor Julia+

Sunday April 28:  Thank You and Goodbye to our Interim Rector - Pastor Stephanie+

Sunday May 12:  Welcome to our new Rector - Pastor Janine+ Schenone

We are so grateful to both Julia+ and Stephanie+ for their commitment to our parish and community.  Please join us in expressing your own thank yous!

We will be sharing more details in early April on how you can help welcome Janine+.

As always, if you have questions or comments, please contact us at office@stjohnsboulder.org.

Blessings,

The Transition Communications Committee

Dan Becker, Kathy Fox, C.J. Joplin-Jack, Andrew Miller and Sue Morse

St. John's History Meeting, April 3rd

12PM-1PM, in the Library

All are welcome at St. John’s History meeting on April 3 12-1:30 in the Library. Members will report recent findings and the oral history project will be discussed.

St. John’s History Fun Fact: One hundred and forty eight years ago, in March of 1876, a new Reverend came to the St. John’s community: Rev. Mr. Charles H. De Garmo. The newspaper account described him as a “young man, yet, according to the opinion expressed by his congregation, well qualified for the position to which he has been called.” St. John’s services were held at the Courthouse [and elsewhere during this period before the 1879 church was built on our current site. St. John’s was known as the Protestant Episcopal Church and the other congregation in town as the Reformed Episcopal Church.] (source: The Colorado Banner, March 16, 1876)

Wednesday Bible Study, April 3rd

12:00pm, over Zoom

Bible Study's journey through the Book of Hebrews continues with a conversation on Hebrews 12.1-17, led by Rev. Dr. Marc Smith.

Click here to join over Zoom.

Hildegard Speaks Film Premiere, April 9th

6:00pm at Dairy Arts Center

We invite you to delve into the wisdom and timeless teachings of Saint Hildegard of Bingen through the captivating new film, “Hildegard Speaks”. Based on the writings of the revered mystic and polymath from the 12th century, this film presents a unique opportunity to hear Hildegard’s voice as German theologian and award-winning author Annette Esser brings her to life. Dr. Esser preaches the Maundy Sermon at St. John’s in Boulder.

This film is produced by Michael M. Conti, who provides his services to St. John’s as their Tech Director. After the screening, Dr. Esser offers her award-winning book, "The Hildegard of Bingen Pilgrimage" (Liturgical Press), as a book signing. Also, learn about our 10-day walking and culture tour in Hildegard's Footsteps scheduled in Germany for September 2024 with the co-sponsorship of The Episcopal Church in Colorado. The Reverend Canon Jon Anderson will be attending the premiere and the pilgrimage. Let us carry the light of Saint Hildegard's teachings into the world, illuminating the path of love, wisdom, and compassion for all whom we encounter.

Graduation Sunday, May 19th

Our Graduation Sunday service will be May 19th this year! This is a special time when we recognize our young people graduating into middle school, high school, college, and/or beyond.

For high school graduates who would like to be recognized, I ask that we plan a time for me to meet with your family to get to know their plans for after high school. We would like to be able to support them as they continue on their path, and this will best help us know how we can!

Click here to let us know if your graduating high school or college senior would like to be recognized during the 9:30 service that day or if you and your family would like to volunteer to participate in the service!

If you have any questions, please contact Chris Williamson.

St. John’s VBS Registration is Open

July 15-19th, 9am-12pm

You are invited to this year’s St. John’s Vacation Bible School! There will be songs, skits, fun games, lessons, and so much more. Registration is open now and costs $50 per child. Scholarships are available. If you would like to register, click here!

How to Fulfill Your Baptismal Covenant, April 25th

2PM on Zoom

The Doctrine of Discovery was issued in 1493 by Pope Alphonse VI. After centuries of land theft, genocide, forced assimilation on Indigenous People, the Episcopal church repudiated the Doctrine of Discovery in 2018. In 2024 it is still impacting the lives of Indigenous People and is woven into for many of our social and economic systems. Our baptismal covenant calls on us to “fight for justice and peace”. This program will look again at the Doctrine of Discovery and see how it applies in the religious freedom case of Apache Stronghold against the United States government, which intends to transfer land to a foreign owned mining company to build a copper mine that would cause a 2 mile wide crater on Western Apache sacred land, and would render impossible the practice of their religion and their way of life. We will discuss what individuals and parishes can do to to reverse this one negative impact of the Doctrine of Discovery, and how doing so is a fulfillment of your baptismal covenant. All are invited to Sign this petition and Register for How to Fulfill Your Baptismal Covenant to be held by Zoom on Thursday, April 25, at 2:00.

For more information contact For more information contact Sarah Hartzell or Marti Dever.

Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal. - Martin Luther King Jr.

The following report shows our January-February 2024 YTD giving and expenses compared to budget, last year, and our 2024 annual budget

Monthly Giving is typically better than budget in the first quarter of the church year between New Year's and Easter ( on 3/31 this year). Higher than budget expenses include boiler repairs and church internet connectivity upgrades.

Please relay any questions or comments to the church office at office@stjohnsboulder.org. They will be forwarded to the appropriate Finance Committee member.

Prayers Are Requested For:

All who are suffering in the wake of violence or natural disasters, all who are serving in the military; all who are distressed in mind, body, or spirit; and members of our parish family including:

Short-term: Shari, Ren, Priscilla, Kris, Velia, Sunny, JD, Sadie, Mary Scott, Jim, Alexis, Eileen, Jane, Lucy, Jordan, Elizabeth, Bruce, Steve, Leanne, David and family, Chuck, Charee, Ben, and Teague.

Long-term: The Rt. Rev. Kimberly (Kym) Lucas, Jan, Jo Ann, Roma, Doug, Charlie, Chris T., Pete, Kathy, Kathleen, Colleen, Doyle, Bob, Ted, Tom, John, Tom, Tracey, Elizabeth, Davis, Sydney, Celia, Martin, Jeff, Martin, Jim, Sally, Jane, and our Seminarian Cate, her husband Chris, and their two daughters, Charlotte and Mary.

We pray for the repose of the souls of: Orville F. Van Horn

We honor Christ’s light within those celebrating birthdays: 30: Pamela Kane; 31: Andrew Halladay; April 1: Pat Biggers; 2: Jack LeCuyer, Herby Martin; 3: Carol Callicotte-Belmon, Patrick Harrington; 4: Keely Ryland, Robert Schaffner

We give thanks to God for the life and ministry of our brothers and sisters in Christ: Joanne Weed, Roz Weller, Nandy Wentzel, Christine Werking, Dawn Westbrook-Boyd, Steven Westcott, Bruce Wheeler, Dede Whisler, Allen White, Kelly White