November 24
Friends,
What a week! Happy Thanksgiving!!! I hope you each take a moment to breathe deeply and exhale with a small ‘thank you’ as a way to acknowledge this year’s thanksgiving.
This Sunday we kick off our Advent Series. In years past we have looked into ways to pray and we have shared meals and studied scripture. This year we had hoped to return to our shared meals, but the coronavirus still has other plans for us. Join us every Sunday in Advent for a book and prayer study. This year we will read “Keep Watch with Me: an Advent Reader for Peacemakers”. It is a wonderful collection of short essays, edited and curated for a daily reader during this season of preparation. Each day also has a short prayer and reflection question.
Join us in the Parish Hall from 9:15-10:00am each Sunday in Advent. We have a supply of 25 copies to be given to households in the parish; you can also purchase a digital or physical copy easily from Amazon or your other bookseller. I look forward to what is born into our midst as we collectively prepare for Christmas.
Well, it happened again. The Brown’s house has Covid in it again. This has sadly meant that we have had to change our plans to be with family and are hunkering down in our house. However, we are thankful we have this house to hunker in. We are thankful we have each other. And we are most certainly grateful for all the care and prayers you all share with us. We are doing well, but we may not be at St James this Sunday. We shall see. I hope you all keep staying safe and loving others as you are loved.
Mac+
What a week! Happy Thanksgiving!!! I hope you each take a moment to breathe deeply and exhale with a small ‘thank you’ as a way to acknowledge this year’s thanksgiving.
This Sunday we kick off our Advent Series. In years past we have looked into ways to pray and we have shared meals and studied scripture. This year we had hoped to return to our shared meals, but the coronavirus still has other plans for us. Join us every Sunday in Advent for a book and prayer study. This year we will read “Keep Watch with Me: an Advent Reader for Peacemakers”. It is a wonderful collection of short essays, edited and curated for a daily reader during this season of preparation. Each day also has a short prayer and reflection question.
Join us in the Parish Hall from 9:15-10:00am each Sunday in Advent. We have a supply of 25 copies to be given to households in the parish; you can also purchase a digital or physical copy easily from Amazon or your other bookseller. I look forward to what is born into our midst as we collectively prepare for Christmas.
Well, it happened again. The Brown’s house has Covid in it again. This has sadly meant that we have had to change our plans to be with family and are hunkering down in our house. However, we are thankful we have this house to hunker in. We are thankful we have each other. And we are most certainly grateful for all the care and prayers you all share with us. We are doing well, but we may not be at St James this Sunday. We shall see. I hope you all keep staying safe and loving others as you are loved.
Mac+
November 11
Friends,
What a wonderful weekend last weekend! Baptism and the potluck feast. I was so impressed with the spread that you all made. It was glorious! And it prepared us for the work of this weekend. This Friday and Saturday our Diocese is gathering in convention. Your clergy and delegates are excited to be gathered in Albuquerque at our cathedral. Our time begins early afternoon on Friday and goes onto Saturday. We will gather to hear from our Bishop, to hear from the Diocesan Missioners, have some Bible Study, and workshops, all in the midst of prayers and Eucharist. This is our first in person convention since the pandemic began. Please keep us in your prayers as we travel and gather.
Next week, I have been invited to a clergy leadership retreat. I will be away from Monday through Thursday. Fr Mike and Deacon Jerome will be available for pastoral care as well as our Wardens, Rusty Gaston and Harvey Yocum. Thank you for this time away as I continue to grow and learn.
Mac+
What a wonderful weekend last weekend! Baptism and the potluck feast. I was so impressed with the spread that you all made. It was glorious! And it prepared us for the work of this weekend. This Friday and Saturday our Diocese is gathering in convention. Your clergy and delegates are excited to be gathered in Albuquerque at our cathedral. Our time begins early afternoon on Friday and goes onto Saturday. We will gather to hear from our Bishop, to hear from the Diocesan Missioners, have some Bible Study, and workshops, all in the midst of prayers and Eucharist. This is our first in person convention since the pandemic began. Please keep us in your prayers as we travel and gather.
Next week, I have been invited to a clergy leadership retreat. I will be away from Monday through Thursday. Fr Mike and Deacon Jerome will be available for pastoral care as well as our Wardens, Rusty Gaston and Harvey Yocum. Thank you for this time away as I continue to grow and learn.
Mac+
November 4
Friends,
Here we are celebrating All Saints’ Sunday with Baptism and a holy potluck to follow. Please remember that we will have only one service at 10:30 with the potluck to follow, so that we may all celebrate together. This week we also set our clocks back an hour. So you will have plenty of time to get ready to come to service this Sunday.
We will also have the in gathering of our pledge cards. Over the past weeks, you have been asked to prayerfully discern how God is calling you to utilize your time, talent, and treasure for God’s kingdom. It is a funny thing we do. We ask ourselves to reflect on our own place in God’s abundant economy of Love. We ask ourselves to consider how those gifts, which are not from our own, can be shared and even offered to God. We are asked to be active participants in God’s economic cycle of Grace.
If you haven’t sent your card in yet, please bring it with you Sunday and place it in the offering plate. We will process those offerings to the altar and ask God to bless us and our pledges to be used lovingly and effectively. And we will offer them up, and ourselves, to God’s loving service.
Mac+
Here we are celebrating All Saints’ Sunday with Baptism and a holy potluck to follow. Please remember that we will have only one service at 10:30 with the potluck to follow, so that we may all celebrate together. This week we also set our clocks back an hour. So you will have plenty of time to get ready to come to service this Sunday.
We will also have the in gathering of our pledge cards. Over the past weeks, you have been asked to prayerfully discern how God is calling you to utilize your time, talent, and treasure for God’s kingdom. It is a funny thing we do. We ask ourselves to reflect on our own place in God’s abundant economy of Love. We ask ourselves to consider how those gifts, which are not from our own, can be shared and even offered to God. We are asked to be active participants in God’s economic cycle of Grace.
If you haven’t sent your card in yet, please bring it with you Sunday and place it in the offering plate. We will process those offerings to the altar and ask God to bless us and our pledges to be used lovingly and effectively. And we will offer them up, and ourselves, to God’s loving service.
Mac+
October 27
Friends,
This Sunday is a special Sunday in that it is the day before All Hallow’s Eve, or Halloween. With Sunday being the Eve of All Hallow’s Eve, we will have a blessing of costumes. So wear your costume to church on Sunday and we will offer a blessing on all those celebrating the wonderful day. Kids, youth, adults, all are welcome to wear costumes and revel in the celebration of the season. I will be in my priestasaurus costume.
This begins some of the holiest days in our Church calendar. Of course, Halloween is the day before All Saints Day, Nov 1st, then All Souls Day on Nov 2nd. These are days that we revel in God’s good creation. On All Saints, we celebrate all of you, and even me. It is a primary importance of our theology that we are all saints of God. Yes, some are held as examples, but we are all saints. You are created and beloved and are called to shine with the Light of God that only you can amplify. So shine.
All Souls Day, Nov 2nd, is the day we celebrate all the saints that have preceded us in death. It is a day to decorate your home altar with the pictures of loved ones who have already been welcomed into the heavenly banquet. Aloyse and I keep an ofrenda at home most of the year. It includes pictures of grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends, and even artwork from loved ones who have died. And we frequently tell our boys stories of those whose pictures are present.
You see, these three days are a microcosm of our life. We celebrate and are foolish in our festivities; we wrestle with who we are called to be; we remember those who have died, and recall we too will join them. Our Holy Days are meant to give us permission to Live, to Love, and to practice Resurrection. So wear your costume to Church, celebrate that you are loved and called to be a saint, and prepare yourself, for all shall return to God.
Mac+
This Sunday is a special Sunday in that it is the day before All Hallow’s Eve, or Halloween. With Sunday being the Eve of All Hallow’s Eve, we will have a blessing of costumes. So wear your costume to church on Sunday and we will offer a blessing on all those celebrating the wonderful day. Kids, youth, adults, all are welcome to wear costumes and revel in the celebration of the season. I will be in my priestasaurus costume.
This begins some of the holiest days in our Church calendar. Of course, Halloween is the day before All Saints Day, Nov 1st, then All Souls Day on Nov 2nd. These are days that we revel in God’s good creation. On All Saints, we celebrate all of you, and even me. It is a primary importance of our theology that we are all saints of God. Yes, some are held as examples, but we are all saints. You are created and beloved and are called to shine with the Light of God that only you can amplify. So shine.
All Souls Day, Nov 2nd, is the day we celebrate all the saints that have preceded us in death. It is a day to decorate your home altar with the pictures of loved ones who have already been welcomed into the heavenly banquet. Aloyse and I keep an ofrenda at home most of the year. It includes pictures of grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends, and even artwork from loved ones who have died. And we frequently tell our boys stories of those whose pictures are present.
You see, these three days are a microcosm of our life. We celebrate and are foolish in our festivities; we wrestle with who we are called to be; we remember those who have died, and recall we too will join them. Our Holy Days are meant to give us permission to Live, to Love, and to practice Resurrection. So wear your costume to Church, celebrate that you are loved and called to be a saint, and prepare yourself, for all shall return to God.
Mac+