Tuesday, January 13, 2026
The Chapel St. Chronicle
Welcome to the Chapel Street Chronicle, your weekly St. John’s digest.
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Sermon Series
Sunday Sermon
The Rev. Rob Stevens
On his last Sunday prior to departing on Sabbatical, The Rev. Rob Stevens preaches on Sunday, January 11, 2026, the First Sunday after the Epiphany, the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord.
MUSIC
“Rise up, shepherd, and follow,” attributed to Ruth Stuart, arr. Johannessen, featuring the Chapel Street Band and members of the Cherub and Youth Choirs of St. John’s.
This performance was recorded live at St. John's Episcopal Church, Portsmouth, NH, on January 4, 2026 at our second annual Star Festival for the Epiphany. Arrangement by Olin Johannessen inspired by Elizabeth Mitchell and Friends' rendition featured on her album "The Sounding Joy."
Go and Do!
Capella Alamire, under the direction of our very own Peter Urquhart, visits the St. John’s Selects stage in beautifully resonant Roberts Hall; Thursday, January 22 at 7pm. Advanced tickets are on sale now! With a maximum seated capacity of 40, Roberts Hall will serve as an ideal setting for this wonderful acoustic music. Don't wait to get your tickets! Follow this link to purchase advance tickets.
New Community Meditation Group at St. John’s
Nancy Garnhart
When my daughter Lydia and I owned a yoga studio, people would often feel compelled to tell us that they “couldn’t meditate.” They’d explain that they couldn’t clear their minds—it just wasn’t possible, they’d say. Sometimes I would simply nod. Other times I’d try to explain that meditation isn’t about clearing your mind at all. In fact, it’s the mind’s job to think, and we actually need it to keep doing that. What meditation is about is learning how to gently quiet the mind—or at least turn it down to a dull roar. We do this by giving the mind something simple to focus on, a set of tools that brings us back into the present moment.
Why the present moment? Because it’s the only thing that’s real. The past is already done and can’t be changed. The future hasn’t happened yet. Right here, right now—this is the only place life is actually unfolding. When I pour my energy into trying to fix the past or worrying about an imagined future, it’s usually wasted, and it tends to lead to stress, unhappiness, and a diminished ability to feel gratitude, joy, and love for what’s right in front of me.
Meditation can’t take away the difficult or painful parts of life. But having a few simple tools for staying present with what is can keep us from getting stuck in loops of fear, self-blame, guilt, or anxious spiraling about what comes next. It helps me feel grateful that I can buy food instead of getting frustrated while waiting in a slow line at the grocery store. It helps me put my energy into caring for the planet and noticing the beauty around me, rather than constantly freaking out about what kind of world my grandchildren will inherit.
So I invite you—whether you think you can meditate or not—to join me on Fridays at 10AM. You’re welcome to drop in anytime. No experience is required, and you don’t need to have attended before. Each session begins with a simple two-minute guided meditation, followed by some discussion, and we close with a longer guided meditation (no more than 12 minutes).
"So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today." -Matthew 6:34
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