April 2026
Spirit of the Eagle
St. John the Evangelist ACC
Spiritual Tidbits & Rector’s Reflections for
April 2026 from Father Tim
April 2026 arrives with warmer weather, spring flowers, and Holy Week. The first few days of this month contain Maundy Thursday (2nd), Good Friday (3rd), and Easter Eve (4th). Easter Day, Sunday of the Resurrection, falls on Sunday the 5th, followed by Easter I, Low Sunday, on the 12th, and Easter II, Good Shepherd Sunday, on the 19th, and Easter III on the 26th. One other feast day to note is S. Mark, Evangelist (25th). Some of you may ask, “Why is the altar vested in white on Maundy Thursday?” The answer: “It is white because of the Institution of the Blessed Sacrament (The Last Supper).” According to ancient English use, however, red, the color for times of more solemn penitence, was used on Maundy Thursday and the two days following. Vestments of red for penitential days were frequently trimmed with black to express simultaneously the kingly nature of our Lord whose humiliation we commemorate, and our own sorrow for His sufferings (the royalty of His Passion and the wickedness which brought it about). At Vespers on Maundy Thursday the altar is stripped of its white vestments (along with everything else) and remains so until the first service of Easter. During this time the church bells are not rung. The last three days of Holy Week have always been observed with extraordinary solemnity. At Nocturns (night service) 24 candles were arranged in a triangular candlestick on the Epistle side of the altar, which were extinguished one by one as the Psalms were recited (the candles on the altar being extinguished at the Benedictus). One candle was not extinguished, but hidden behind the altar or in the sacristy, while the 51st Psalm was recited. Afterward it was replaced. This service is called Tenebrae, or darkness, and symbolizes the darkness which the whole world experienced at our Lord’s crucifixion. The hidden candle was then reinstated because God did not leave His soul in hell, nor suffer His Holy One to see corruption in the tomb, but raised Him from the dead. I hope we can one day soon reinstate the Tenebrae service at Saint John’s, and that all of you will come and participate. We did reinstate (several years ago) washing the altar with wine and water during the Stripping of the Altar, in memory of the act of S. Mary Magdalene, who washed our Lord’s feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, in preparation for His burial (S. Luke vii. 36-50). I hope that this year all of us have a desire to do the same. ~ Father Tim
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Do you know any lost souls seeking holiness? Someone shedding tears? If yes, please invite them to church this April, where they can leave their walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life (S. John viii. 12). ~ Father Tim
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The debt was so great, that while man alone owed it, only God could pay it. ~ S. Anselm, 1033-1109, Archbishop of Canterbury & Doctor of the Church
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Did you know?
Did you know St. John’s is currently participating in the Care Net Baby Bottle Campaign? Did you know St. John’s has begun the process of being listed on the National Register of Historic Places? Did you know that St. John’s made a charitable donation to Holly Hill Child & Family Solutions in March? Did you know the restoration of the stained glass above the altar is underway? Did you know our April Book Club will be discussing parts of Father Elijah, by Michael D. O’Brien in April?
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Saint John April Ordo Kalendar
Wed., the 1st of April, at 6:30 PM, Evening Prayer, Spy Wednesday
Thurs., the 2nd of April, at 6:30 PM, Maundy Thursday – Stripping of the Altar
Friday, the 3rd of April, at 11:30 AM, Morning Prayer & Litany
Friday, the 3rd of April, at 12:00 PM, Stations of the Cross
Friday, the 3rd of April, at 3:00 PM, Good Friday Liturgy
Sat., the 4th of April, at 6:30 PM, Easter Eve – Lighting of the New Fire
Sun., the 5th of April, at 9:45 AM, Psalm-Children Sun. School Class
Sun., the 5th of April, at 10:30 AM, Easter Mass – Sunday of the Resurrection
Sun., the 5th of April, at 11:45 AM, Easter Egg hunt – Church Garden
Wednesday, the 8th of April, at 6:30 PM, Evening Prayer
Sun., the 12th of April, at 9:45 AM, Psalm-Children Sun. School Class
Sunday, the 12th of April, at 10:30 AM, Easter I Mass, Low Sunday
Wednesday, the 15th of April, at 6:30 PM, Evening Prayer
Saturday, the 18th of April, at 9:00 AM, Morning Prayer
Saturday, the 18th of April, at 9:45 AM, Bible Study
Sat., the 18th of April, at 11:00 AM, Book of Life Club, Father Elijah
Sun., the 19th of April, at 9:45 AM, Psalm-Children Sun. School Class
Sun., the 19th of April, at 10:30 AM, Easter II Mass, Good Shepherd Sunday
Wednesday, the 22nd of April, at 6:30 PM, Evening Prayer
Sunday, the 26th of April, at 10:30 AM, Easter III Mass
Wednesday, the 29th of April, at 6:30 PM, Evening Prayer
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The streets of heaven will be filled with former captives who, through no merit of their own, find themselves redeemed, forgiven, and free. Slaves to sin have become saints. No wonder we will sing a new song – a song of praise to the Redeemer who was slain (Revelation 5:9). We were slaves to sin, condemned to eternal separation from God. Jesus paid the price to redeem us, resulting in our freedom from slavery to sin and our rescue from the eternal consequences of that sin. ~ Unknown Author
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April Birthdays & Anniversaries
Madeleine Miller – Birthday – April 15
Judy Adams – Birthday – April 19
Carol Petrie – Birthday – April 22
Mike & Julie Murray – Anniversary – April 28
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Why should we want to worship Jesus well?
Jesus then puts Himself into our place, to free us from the arrest of justice, and bear those strokes, which, by virtue of the law, wrath had prepared for us…It was a death which justice required, and at the sight of it justice was so calmed, that the sharp revenging sword drops out of its hand. ~ Stephen Charnook, 1628-1680, English Puritan Divine
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Our Lord would have us regard the crucifixion as the central truth of Christianity. Right views of His vicarious death, and the benefits resulting from it, lie at the very foundation of Bible-religion. Never let us forget this… If we are wrong here, we are ruined forever. Error on many other points is only a skin disease. Error about Christ’s death is a disease at the heart. Here let us take our stand. Let nothing move us from this ground. The sum of all our hopes must be that “Christ has died for us.” (1 Thess. 5:10.) Give up that doctrine, and we have no solid hope at all. ~ J.C. Ryle, 1816-1900, Anglican Bishop of Liverpool
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Cults – 2
This month I wanted to write a short follow-up to last month, on cults. They are often very subtle in their strategies, but there are ways to “not cult yourself”, as a friend of mine once put it. The first step is to have a disagreeable streak in you. This can be overdone of course, but it is a superpower in countering cults, and in sharing your faith more generally, to have the personal fortitude to tell someone “That’s not right.” If something sounds weird, a good rule of thumb is that it probably is. Talk of Mother God, as in the World Mission Society? That’s pretty crazy, and definitely outside the bounds of historic Christianity, no matter how sincere or kind the person who’s talking with you appears. A secularist is angry at the notion of being held accountable to God for their sin? Well, that is a problem for them to work through, not a reason for you to wonder “Man, they have a point, that’s not very tolerant. Maybe I’ve got it wrong.”
I’ve written previously about evidence and belief; a natural question to have in mind is the age-old “How do you know?” Anyone that has nothing to offer in answer to this is not worth listening to. Well, cults will have something that they put forward as a reason for why they have it right. The Latter-Day Saints will talk with you about “Heavenly Father” and how we can get back to him, and the importance of his new revelation in the Book of Mormon. How do they know he has revealed himself in this two-hundred year-old book? Because as one reads it, they feel that it’s true. The Jehovah’s Witnesses will talk about how you can know they are the true people of God because their worship is the same everywhere. The obvious problem with both of these is that our feelings can mislead us, to say nothing of being manipulated, and that something can be wrong everywhere. If every mathematician agreed 2+2=5, that’s not reason to think 2+2=5, that’s reason to think we need new mathematicians. Further, and this is a good question to press on with cults in general, is that there must be something to be a “tiebreaker” of sorts; as in, why is feeling good while reading the Book of Mormon evidence for Mormonism, over reading the New World Translation being evidence for Jehovah’s Witnesses, or the Qur’an being evidence for Islam? After all, Muslims will appeal to the supposed beauty of the Qur’an as proof of its validity.
That is all in stark contrast to how we know Christianity is true; it is centered on the self-revelation of God in Jesus, and we know this because of the works Jesus did, chief of which is his atoning death and resurrection, which we will celebrate shortly, and of which we have abundant historical evidence that more capable thinkers than myself have set out in numerous places. As we draw near to Easter, let’s dwell on the significance of this work of God, how it sets our faith apart from cults and other world religions, and its reverberations throughout history. ~ Chris Stockman
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But who is this that cometh from the tomb, with dyed garments from the bed of death? He that is glorious in His appearance, walking in the greatness of strength? It is thy Prince, O Zion! Christian, it is your Lord! He hath trodden the wine-press alone; He hath stained His raiment with blood; but now as the first-born from the womb of nature, He meets the morning of His resurrection. He arises, a conqueror from the grave; He returns with blessings from the world of spirits; He brings salvation to the sons of men. Never did the returning sun usher in a day so glorious! It was the jubilee of the universe! ~ Unknown Author
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Christ is Risen, and you, O death, are annihilated! Christ is Risen, and the evil ones are cast down! Christ is Risen, and the angels rejoice! Christ is Risen, and life is liberated! Christ is Risen, and the tomb is emptied of its dead; for Christ having risen from the dead, is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. To Him be Glory and Power forever and ever. Amen! ~ S. John Chrysostom, 347-407, Bishop & Doctor of the Church
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The seeking of Jesus Christ and the quest for chivalry combined lead directly to one place only: Anglican-Catholicism. Courage, honor, courtesy, justice, and a readiness to help and defend the weak and the poor. Welcome to the Anglican Catholic Church. ~ Father Timothy Butler