All Saints' Episcopal Church of Saugatuck, MI

03/16/2026

A mud pie made from spit? Yes, the perfect image for embracing Jesus as an indigenous healer in this Lenten season and during Women's History Month. That's what Fr. Jay invited us to consider in his sermon yesterday, which he has now revised for his blog...

When the conditions on a racetrack are just right, and when one of the horses is clearly leading the others by at least a good body length or so, the hooves of that lead horse can kick up clumps of…

03/09/2026

Women's History Month is the perfect time to hear John's story about the (nameless) "woman at the well," and especially during this Lenten season. But this story is *not* about forgiveness or even repentance--it's about freedom and liberation in an age when white patriarchy is running amok around the globe and destroying the planet.

Fr. Jay has now published a revised version of his sermon from yesterday...share it widely!

A big shout out to lectionary “Year A” in the three-year cycle which gave us just yesterday the intrepid and resilient (though sadly nameless) “woman at the well” in John’s account of the Gos…

03/06/2026

Some afternoons stay with you long after the final note fades.

Lift Every Voice! this past Saturday at All Saints’ was one of them.

It was a powerful afternoon of history, insight, and human connection through music.

Through the presence and teaching of Dr. Brandon Waddles, alongside Professor Robert Shipley and Dr. Eric D. Reyes of Hope College, musician Sander Owens, and our own Rev. Dr. Jay Johnson, we were reminded that music is never just sound — it carries story, memory, struggle, and hope.

Amid the tremendous depth and history shared, a few lessons stayed with us:
• Every musical note carries a human story
• American music is deeply rooted in Black musical traditions
• Music has the power to cross borders and bring people together
• Harmony reminds us that differences don’t prevent unity, they form beauty

We’re deeply grateful to Dr. Waddles, our panelists, and everyone who joined us, sang with us, and asked thoughtful questions.

A special thank you to the many members of our parish who worked with Fr. Jay to make this event possible.

Dr. Waddles kindly shared a reading list for those interested in exploring further, including:

• The Music of Black Americans: A History by Eileen Southern
• Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi
• The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson

Thank you for being part of a truly memorable afternoon!

02/26/2026

73 hours.

Until song fills the room.
Until voices rise together.
Until we welcome Brandon Waddles to All Saints’ Parish.

And now — we’re thrilled to share the remarkable panel joining him.

A Grammy-nominated jazz artist — Robert Shipley.
A nationally recognized scholar of Black music — Dr. Brandon Waddles.
A conductor and Hope College director of choral activities and founder of ¡Canto! — Eric D. Reyes.
And our own Fr. Jay, Episcopal priest and theologian, and former faculty member of the Pacific School of Religion and the Graduate Theological Union — The Rev. Dr. Jay E. Johnson.

Lift Every Voice!
Saturday, February 28
Join us for part — or the whole afternoon.

All Saints’ Parish | Saugatuck
Free event.

02/23/2026

The "forbidden fruit" is actually bodily shame, and it's killing us and the planet. That's the essence of the sermon from Fr. Jay yesterday as we began this year's journey into Lent. He has now published a version of that sermon on his blog--and as both Toni Morrison and Brene Brown would urge, what the world needs now so desperately is a healing balm for shame...

Mythologies often tell the truth better than facts—at least about the stuff that matters most: who we are, how to live and love, why we exist. The Bible is brimming with truer-than-fact stories, an…

02/20/2026

If you’re needing a sliver of hope — of justice — join us next Saturday.

On February 28, we gather for Lift Every Voice! — an afternoon of Black music, social activism, conversation for justice, and shared song with Dr. Brandon Waddles.

Come for part of it. Stay for all of it.

All Saints’ Parish | Saugatuck
Free event. Registration is encouraged to help us plan.

02/17/2026

Music has the power to change hearts — to change lives, to change everything.

On February 28, All Saints’ Parish hosts Lift Every Voice! in honor of the 100th anniversary of Black History Month, welcoming Dr. Brandon Waddles.

1–3 p.m.
Choral readings — think of it as a table read of new hymnal music — alongside brief lectures tracing the history of Black music.

3–5 p.m.
A panel conversation, open town hall, and communal hymn sing exploring how Black music has shaped movements for justice — and what it asks of us now.

Attend the full afternoon or join us for a portion.

A festive reception follows at 5 p.m.

By joining us, you’ll:
• Discover how Black music developed — and why it has fueled movements for justice
• Take part in thoughtful conversation about this moment in our country
• Raise your voice in shared song

An internationally respected conductor and scholar of Black music, Dr. Waddles brings deep expertise in the spiritual, gospel, and Black church traditions, with work spanning major ensembles and African American hymnals.

February 28 | All Saints’ Parish, Saugatuck
Registration encouraged to help us plan. Free event.
No musical experience required.

https://allsaintssaugatuck.org/event/lift-every-voice-a-musical-arc-from-hope-to-healing-with-dr-brandon-waddles/

02/13/2026

🌈ALL ARE WELCOME!🌈 - Ash Wednesday, February 18
We begin the Season of Lent with a reminder of our own mortality
and to renew our shared commitment to strive for justice among
all people and to respect the dignity of every living being.

The Rev. Jay Emerson Johnson, PhD, Presiding and Preaching
Rite 1 - 12:00 Noon
Contemplative Service of Holy Eucharist with Traditional Language
Rite 2 - 7:00 p.m.
Holy Eucharist with Music and Contemporary Liturgical Language
(This service will be available via live stream on YouTube;
for more information visit www.allsaintssaugatuck.org)

The imposition of ashes is available at both services.
__________
All Saints' Parish is recognized as an LGBTQ+ Inclusive Faith
Community by Interfaith Action of SW Michigan; in prayer and
service, we strive for justice and peace among all people and
to respect the dignity of every being.

269-857-5201
[email protected]
www.allsaintssaugatuck.org
__________

"Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach..."
(Isaiah 58:12)

01/19/2026

A Very Blessed MLK Day to all! Let us pray for healing, reconciliation, and a lasting peace with justice...

01/06/2026

Newly back from a (brief!) vacation way up North, Fr. Jay is reflecting on a new year in a world of increasingly intractable violence. We can't solve all the problems of the whole world but we can reduce the harm. Especially on this Feast of the Epiphany, how can we manifest the abundant life God intends for all?

Posting on his blog today, Jay is taking a pledge to travel along three pathways of harm reduction toward healing. Let's do this together! What kind of pathways might you take?

I invite you to join me in making a pledge to reduce our harm and hurt, individually and collectively, in 2026. This is not an invitation to make a “new year’s resolution”; most of those fail befor…

12/29/2025

Merry Fifth Day of Christmas, everyone! Fr. Jay has now published a mashup of some of his reflections for this Christmas season on his blog. Meanwhile, stay safe out there and don't travel the roads if you don't have to!

There’s a certain style in modern American visual art that always tugs on my holiday heartstrings. Examples include Currier and Ives lithographs and Norman Rockwell paintings. These easily su…

12/10/2025

HOLIDAY HYMN SING! - Sunday, December 14 - 4:00 to 5:00 pm
Join members of the All Saints’ Choir
in our 152-year old carpenter-gothic sanctuary
to ring in the holiday with carol singing!
Corner of Grand and Hoffman Streets in Saugatuck

Stay for Cookies and Hot Chocolate and
Conversation in Parish Hall ... ALL ARE WELCOME!