Our Mission
Sharing ourselves and our faith with others...
St. James is a Christian community that welcomes all with respect for
the inherent dignity and value of every person.
We strive to enable spiritual growth through worship, education, outreach, and stewardship for
the purpose of restoring all people to unity with God and each other.
Rector's Blog February 20, 2020
Here we are at the end of the season after the Epiphany. Every week since January 6th, we have heard Gospel readings that have told the story of the revelation of Jesus as Christ. This week we hear the story of the Transfiguration. In fact, we hear this story twice every year, once on the feast of the Transfiguration (Aug 6th) and on the Sunday before Lent begins. That's right, Lent starts this next Wednesday. So each year as we begin our Lenten journey toward the cross and empty tomb, we hear the story of Jesus on the mountain with his friends.
We hear how a voice was heard, like the one at his baptism, and that a vision of clarity and grace was seen. We are given this mountaintop experience before we enter the long darkened valley of Lent. In this season after the Epiphany, we have been practicing seeing God all around us. We have been training ourselves to expect the 'A ha! There is God' moments. Now we shift into our Lenten practices.
And this practice is one that we rarely wish to acknowledge, but is a reality for all of us including your priest. Lent is the time when we practice missing God. I'll preach and write more about this. But for now, hold this Transfiguration experience as we travel through Lent. Keep it in your mind's eye so that in the struggles of your Lenten discipline and the darkened days of ash and flowerless tables, you may recall the brightness of God in our midst.
Mac+
Here we are at the end of the season after the Epiphany. Every week since January 6th, we have heard Gospel readings that have told the story of the revelation of Jesus as Christ. This week we hear the story of the Transfiguration. In fact, we hear this story twice every year, once on the feast of the Transfiguration (Aug 6th) and on the Sunday before Lent begins. That's right, Lent starts this next Wednesday. So each year as we begin our Lenten journey toward the cross and empty tomb, we hear the story of Jesus on the mountain with his friends.
We hear how a voice was heard, like the one at his baptism, and that a vision of clarity and grace was seen. We are given this mountaintop experience before we enter the long darkened valley of Lent. In this season after the Epiphany, we have been practicing seeing God all around us. We have been training ourselves to expect the 'A ha! There is God' moments. Now we shift into our Lenten practices.
And this practice is one that we rarely wish to acknowledge, but is a reality for all of us including your priest. Lent is the time when we practice missing God. I'll preach and write more about this. But for now, hold this Transfiguration experience as we travel through Lent. Keep it in your mind's eye so that in the struggles of your Lenten discipline and the darkened days of ash and flowerless tables, you may recall the brightness of God in our midst.
Mac+