What I Found at St. Alban’s

My first visit to St. Alban's was as a parent seeking to introduce my young daughter to the fundamentals of our faith in a caring environment and a place that could guide my own spiritual growth. I was immediately drawn in by the welcome we received, the style of service, the beauty of the music and Reverend Peters’ erudite sermons – reflections that routinely blend insight, depth, profound personal relevance and wit. St. Alban’s has come to mean so much more to me than I imagined on our first Sunday.

In the nine years since, my daughter and I have attended Sunday services, sought blessings for our pets, walked with palms before Easter, participated in Sunday School, sung carols with the congregation, competed for cakes at the silent auction, dressed as angels for the pageant, grown and aged, lived highpoints and low points, and enjoyed many Spring into Summer Picnics.

St. Alban’s days are full of quiet acts of kindness that deepen, comfort, and change the course of lives. As my parents reached the end of their lives, Reverend Peters visited us in what became some of the most poignant and profound moments of this sacred time. Together, we drank tea and reminisced, said the Lord’s prayer, and spoke in the most natural way about our faith, our lives, and our legacies. There was space for questions, reflections, love, and thanksgiving. I am so grateful that the people of St. Alban’s were on that journey with us.

I came to this country because of my parents and thought that when they were no longer here, I would lose my moorings. But a surprising thing happened as they approached the end of their lives. My friends, their caregivers, and the St. Alban’s community rose up around us – people assisted my parents and me, shared their own stories of loss and hope, sent cards, attended my parents’ memorial services, reached out, and listened. It’s hard to describe, but it almost felt like the passing of a baton – as my parents passed, community flowed in.

The people around me during this time were a physical manifestation of our Lord’s loving embrace. With this realization, I came to understand that the Lord uses us as tools to do His will in the world. What an awesome privilege that is. Though we may feel inadequate at times – flawed, busy, insufficient as we may think we are – the Lord uses us individually and as a community to do His work. How grateful I am for the role that He and St. Alban’s play in our lives.

— Emma (parishioner)

Although Christianity is a personal journey it is not a solitary one. We need a place to gather, a light on the hill that draws others in. St. Alban’s nourishes us, equipping us to go out into the world so that blessed, we can be a blessing. St. Alban’s has an active program of activities but I am going to emphasize worship at St. Alban’s, the spiritual maintenance program that occurs there each Sunday.

First off, we join together to praise God in song, singing pieces both ancient and modern. We get four passages of scripture coupled with Pastor John Peter’s inspired insight to explicate them. Where else will we be reminded that God loves us, that even when we err—and we will repeatedly—we are forgiven and against all common sense welcomed home again like the prodigals we are? We receive the reset of Holy Communion. We enjoy the fellowship of other followers of Christ—people we might not otherwise hang with, people of different ages, experiences, and challenges.

But it is more than a just welcoming diner on a lonely highway, a Tesla charging station, Cheers without the alcohol. For St. Alban’s pushes us out into the world “to go in peace to love and serve the Lord.” It gives us a kick in the pants to get out and demonstrate Christ’s love in our families, local community, and the greater world.

That love is more important than ever. We live in tough times where divisiveness is rampant. The commandment “love your neighbor” almost seems quaint; “love your enemy” is nearly unimaginable. But where else will you hear such imperatives? St. Alban’s is a vital springboard that enriches us—helps us live in all the fullness God intends for us. Do visit sometime.

— Dave (parishioner)