Feel the Spirit

This past week, I was on retreat. The hermitage where I stay every year at St Benedict’s Monastery is on a gravel road that isn’t much traveled. It is surrounded on three sides by trees and the screened porch faces an expansive meadow bordered by more woods. It is always tranquil and simple and very quiet. 

This year it was different. There is now a 6 foot chain link fence zigzagging through the fields around the hermitage. The fences delineate a construction area just beyond the location of the hermitages. The scenery this summer will be of bulldozers and cement mixers rather than hay baling equipment.

You see, the Benedictine Sisters of St Ben’s have, over the past twenty some years, been reflecting on where God is calling them as a community. They have discerned that a smaller footprint would be more sustainable and more ecologically faithful. 

This means that they will leave the current monastery buildings, with some of the sisters moving to St Scholastica Convent in St Cloud and others moving to the new building. Eventually, guests will stay at the new monastery as well. 

All the sisters have been involved in the planning, with many, many community meetings and task forces over the years. It is a courageous and bold move. And I have no doubt that the community is both excited and sad about it. Change is difficult for most everyone. 

St John’s is in a time of waiting for change, and that may be even more difficult for some. Waiting isn’t something that most of us enjoy. Not knowing what is going to happen can make for anxiety. And anxiety is uncomfortable. But we do not need to live in anxiety. Just a couple of weeks ago, we heard the gospel promise from Jesus that he will be with us always, even to the end of the age. 

We are in the season after Pentecost, when we look for signs of the Spirit’s movement in our midst. And the signs are there around us: 

• Guests continue to visit St John’s, both in person and online. 
• Some of our children are so excited about coming to church that the idea of not coming on Sunday creates real disappointment. 
• We have an incredible number of musicians and artists in our midst who share their gifts regularly. 
• St John's will connect with the greater WBL community again this summer serving root beer floats for the Manitou Days parade marchers. 
• The orderly transition process guided by the Wardens and the Transition Committee continues to unfold.

Just as the Spirit is moving in the discernment and construction at St Ben’s, 

there is no doubt that the Spirit is moving among us. Amen and alleluia to that!

Kate Maxwell, OSB

An Invitation to a Planning Meeting

Interested in helping plan and host our annual High Tea Party? If so, please join us for a planning meeting on Sunday 6/7 at 9:00 in the Parlor where we'll divvy up responsibilities and coordinate logistics. The High Tea will take place the morning of 6/28. If you'd like to help but can't attend the meeting, please contact maggie@stjohnwilderness.org and we'll loop you into the planning.

Faith Field Trips

Thanks to all who joined us for our last Faith Field Trip to the Northwest Islamic Community Center- it was a great experience with lots of open discussion and a worship space that looks much different than ours!

This time, we will be staying a bit closer to home and visiting Holy Trinity Orthodox Church in St. Paul for their Vespers Service on Saturday, June 6th at 5 pm. The Vespers service will last about 45 minutes and include hymns and psalms. The couple that came and spoke with us during our "Our Neighbors' Faith" series in 2024, Jennifer and Luke, will be there to answer questions and help us get settled before their Vespers service. We will get there a bit early to ensure time for questions/getting settled. We will leave St. John's to carpool there at 4:25 pm, and we will be back a bit after 6 pm. Please contact Emily Brunner if you are interested in joining.

Spring has Sprung!

We are revisioning our English Garden on the South side of the building, and would love to hear your ideas about how the space might be better used to serve our community. Please join us at our Garden Visioning Session, happening Sunday 6/7 after the 10:00 service. We will begin the meeting in the Parlor and then head out to the garden. Please note that we are not tearing out the garden, just making a few changes to better use the space.

Ladies Who Lunch

Ladies Who Lunch will be dining at The Brickhouse Food & Drink located at 4746 Washington Square, White Bear Lake, MN 55115 on Friday, June 19th at 11:30am. Weather permitting we will be dining upstairs on the outside deck. You may take the elevator or stairs to the deck area. Please call Barb Maloney at 414-940-4100 by Wed. June 17th for a reservation.

Men's Monthly Lunch

Monday, June 8th

11:30am

Cabin 61

Gather on the Patio

Wish you could gather for good food and conversation more often with your St. John's community? You are invited to join us on the second Wednesdays for food and fellowship. Our first gathering is Wednesday, June 10th, 4:30pm at the Brickhouse Rooftop See you there!

Rummage Sale Week is Coming This Fall

Beginning Sunday after services, August 30th, 2026, but not before, please begin placing your no longer needed but sellable contributions/treasures and paper grocery sized sacks in the NorthEast corner of the Parish Hall on the left-hand side behind the big moveable dividers. NOTE: NO TVs, microwaves, computers, printers, mattresses, furniture, or other large items. These things don't sell and we must pay to have them hauled away.  

Organizing and marking work will begin Sunday, September 13th, after the last service coffee hour, about noon(?), and continue through the next week. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday work begins at 9, Friday and Saturday at 8:30. Come when you can and leave when you must. Lunch will be provided on workdays.

Sale dates and times:

•  Wednesday, September 16th, sale for parishioners and workers only, 6 - 8pm.
• Thursday is a rest day for everyone.
• Friday, September 18th, sale for public 9am to 3pm.
• Saturday, September 19th, $2.00 per bag sale for public 9 to noon when clean-up begins.

Don't miss this year as prices are likely to go up next year!

Believe it or not, this is enjoyable work and our helpers come back year after year. If you can't help during the week, PLEASE stop in on Saturday to help with clean-up from noon to just 1:00 or 1:30.

NEW THIS YEAR: Please no more donations after Monday, September 14th

Questions? Please call Lynn Gadbois at 651-270-8934.

Please read your emails carefully!

Several parishioners have been receiving what is call "spear phishing" emails.

Phishing is often referred to as hacking or scamming. It is not really hacking, because the person trying to scam you does not actually have control of your computer. But they may have your password or a friends password. or somehow they have gotten an email list.

Spear phishing is different and more dangerous because it’s highly targeted and personalized. Attackers research their victims, often through social media or company websites, and craft sometimes convincing emails that appear to come from trusted colleagues or executives. This precision makes spear phishing harder to detect and more likely to succeed compared to broad, generic phishing campaigns.

Here is an example email. Note the highlighted parts. Always check carefully.

• It’s from someone asking for a quick “favor” and they’re asking for no phone call to verify.
• The grammar is poor. Many times “phishers” are focused on trying to trick many people so they craft their messages quickly, leading to very obvious mistakes in their messages.
• The sending email is not correct and does not match the the person's actual email address. 

-------- Forwarded Message --------Subject:******* Date:Wed, 25 Mar 2026 13:37:17 +0100From:Rev. Kate Maxwell OSB <pastormailcb@gmail.com>

Hello. Do you have some time. I have a request I need you to handle discreetly. I am going to emergency meeting with limited phone calls, so just reply back to my email.

God bless.

Rev. Kate Maxwell, OSB

Priest

St John In the Wilderness

2175 1st St, White Bear Lake, MN 55110

sent from myMail

No staff or clergy from St. John's would ever reach out to a parishioner this way. and probably not any of your friends either. All communications from staff will come from a stjohnwilderness.org address.

So what do you do?

• DO NOT RESPOND – If you respond, the phisher will likely ask you to purchase gift cards or send money. Please never send gift card codes or money to anyone asking in an email. We will NOT ask you for them.
• Call the person the email is supposedly from. Use the number you already have for them or call the church office.
• Change your password. Do this regularly.
• FORWARD THE EMAIL TO US – Please let us know you’ve received the fraudulent email by forwarding it to us at communications@stjohnwilderness.org so we may track who is receiving these fake messages.
• REPORT IT TO YOUR EMAIL PROVIDER: If you are using Gmail, click the three dots on the upper right of your screen for a drop-down menu that will allow you to “REPORT PHISHING.” Once several people report the sender gmail or the email provider will flag the sender’s account and work to block the fraudulent account from sending more fake emails out.

And never ever respond to requests like this.

Some other things you can do and what St. John's is doing to help with this problem.

• Use two-factor authentication for all your online accounts.
• We do not give out directories, except to a very limited number of people. Even having a hard copy out there could get in the hands of scammers. We are looking at options to enable safe ways so people can contact fellow St. John's members!
• We try not to put full emails in the enews and other information we put out. We link contact emails, or put a staff email address for contact.
• EDUCATE. The only way to stop this would be to go completely dark. No web, emails, social. So educating people how to recognize and delete is always best.

This is a common occurrence, and unfortunately common in churches, because the method of asking for help plays well in churches!! We get upticks in the emails regularly and almost every other church with any sort of online presence has the same problem, as well as any organization!

Communication is the key. Read carefully, look for the tell tale signs, and call us if you have any concerns!

Contact Maggie Howe here for event information and to get on her mailing list!

Summer Hours!

Following Memorial Day (Office Closed!) our summer office hours will be Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday, 9am-3pm or by appointment.

Our deadlines for bulletins and the Sunday Print news will move to Tuesdays at noon. Deadlines for the E-news will remain Wednesdays at noon.

Our Parish Coordinator Carrie will be monitoring and responding to emails and phone calls Thursday, 9am-3pm.

Weekly News and a Weekly Message from Bishop Loya

The Episcopal Church in Minnesota also has a weekly e-news, where you can read a message from Bishop Craig Loya, (or sometimes a special guest author), and read about what is happening in the Episcopal Church in MN and beyond! A great way to stay connected and learn about our church outside the walls of St. John's. 

To receive the ECMN news go here, scroll to the very bottom right and sign up.

Parish Prayer List

We ask your prayers for: Cindy K., Pat P., Jean T., David G., Larry K., Megan J., Tony and Amanda, Gladys A., Josh L., Allan B., Louie M., Erika A., Bill M., Baby Theo & Family., Mitch., Terry, Larry & Val. Derrill P.In Thanksgiving for the life of Mary Ann DeMay, may she rest in peace and rise in glory.

Email prayer@stjohnwilderness to request prayers and to be added to the parish prayer list.

Click the button below to fill out the web form, or email prayer@stjohnwilderness to request prayers and to be added to the parish prayer list. Please let us know if you would like the request to be publicly listed or private. Unless specifically requested, prayer requests will be kept on the list for a month.

For the Parish (BCP p.817)

Almighty and everliving God, ruler of all things in heaven

and earth, hear our prayers for this parish family. Strengthen

the faithful, arouse the careless, and restore the penitent.

Grant us all things necessary for our common life, and bring

us all to be of one heart and mind within your holy Church;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BCP p. 817

Morning Prayer & Compline

Join us on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 8 AM for morning prayer and

Monday and Friday evenings at 8:30 PM for Compline.

Both prayer services are held via Google Meet. All are welcome.

The word liturgy comes from a Greek term meaning “public work or work done on behalf of the people.” Liturgy always referred to an organized community. A work, then, done by an individual or a group was a liturgy on behalf of the larger community.

If you would like to become part of the many ministries that help make our work, our worship, our liturgies, our community, please talk to one of our clergy.

O God, from whom all good proceeds: Grant that by your inspiration we may think those things that are right, and by your merciful guiding may do them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Second Sunday after Pentecost

• Genesis 12:1-9
• Psalm 33:1-12
• Romans 4:13-25
• Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26

Connect! Our Main number: 651-429-5351

Summer Hours:

Our parish office is open.... Stop by and say hi!

Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday, 9 am - 2:30pm;

• Financial Coordinator: Maureen Vruno | Office hours M,T, Th, 7:30am - 2:30pm maureen@stjohnwilderness.org ext. 4 or 763-329-7415
• Music Minister: Alec Watson alec@stjohnwilderness.org
• Intern: Chris Lilley chris@stjohnwilderness.org
• Rising Generations Coordinator: Maggie Howe maggie@stjohnwilderness.org
• Parish Coordinator: Carrie Thomas carrie@stjohnwilderness.org 651-429-5351 ext. 3
• Deacon: The Rev. Margaret Thor margaret@stjohnwilderness.org
• Associate Priest: The Rev. Kate Maxwell, OSB kate@stjohnwilderness.org

Our current Health & Safety Protocols

• St. John’s encourages all of its members to get vaccinated and boosted.
• If you feel sick or have the typical symptoms of Covid-19, we ask you to worship with us online.
• Masks are optional while inside all parish buildings for those who are boosted and vaccinated. If conditions change and we experience another surge of Covid-19, we may alter our protocols.