Hello St. John’s,

It is my pleasure to serve as your interim supply priest during this time of Amelie’s medical leave for surgery, and I look forward to getting to know you better in the weeks ahead. I am already experiencing you to be a faithful, loving, committed congregation and am impressed with the way you are weathering this pandemic. It’s been a strange and challenging year for all of us to say the least. We’ve lost and we’ve learned a great deal. We long to re-gather, give hugs, sing, share the Eucharist, meet for coffee, go to the gym, travel. I believe we will once again be able to do all these things and more when the time is right…soon!

When my husband and I retired to Richmond last summer, we bought a house in Bellevue that came with a small artfully designed three-season perennial garden. Moving into our home in July, the garden was lush with foliage and bursting with color. Fall came and slowly the colors faded, the flowers died, and the greenery withered. Over the winter our backyard was barren, and I couldn’t imagine how the beautiful garden would return. I began to worry that maybe it wouldn’t. Not being a gardener (yet) I was afraid maybe I had been too aggressive in weeding and pruning. Without visible signs, I doubted we would ever see flowers again in our backyard.

And then two weeks ago, the crocus popped through the barren soil. Last week the daffodils and the snowflakes. This week the hyacinth. Slowly and surely, the garden which has been lying fallow for months is coming back to life. You’re beginning to see this in your yard or neighborhood, I am sure. These signs of spring can be outward and visible signs of God’s grace that IS working in us, seen and unseen. I look forward to being with you this spring and discovering new growth together. If you need to reach me, my email is jmontgomery@saintjohnsrichmond.org, or you can call the church and your message will be forwarded to me.

Peace and Blessings,

Jenny+