St. James' Parish

Fried Chicken Dinner, August 9

2009-06-29T07:05:00.000-04:00

The Women of St. James’ Parish have scheduled a Fried Chicken Dinner, which will be held on Sunday, August 9, from about 11:00 - 2:00. It includes ½ a fried chicken, potato salad, 3-bean salad, roll with butter, dessert, and a beverage, and will be available mostly as carry out. The cost of the dinner with all the fixings will be $13. A few tables will be set up for those who wish to eat in the hall. Some helpers are needed at 10 a.m. on Saturday the 8th to make and package the potato salad and 3-bean salad, and to help get things set up. Additional helpers will be needed on Sunday.

Keeping Up-to-Date With Your Pledge Payments

2009-06-24T10:45:00.001-04:00

Our Parish needs your help. If you are not up-to-date with your pledge payments, please respond to this appeal. At this time of the year, with people being away, our income drops significantly, but our expenses continue.

The Women of St. James’ Parish Invite You to Come for Sunday Brunch, June 14

2009-06-10T12:24:00.001-04:00

You are invited! The Women of St. James’ Parish invite you to come for Sunday Brunch June 14th after the 10:00 a.m. service, the first Sunday of the summer schedule. We have prepared the brunch as a thank you for your support during the year. The menu includes breakfast casseroles, fruit, Danish, coffee, tea, and punch. Please join us!

Youth Group, June 21

2009-06-10T12:21:00.000-04:00

Please join us June 21 at 12:30 for Youth Group. We will be setting up for Vacation Bible School and planning for the Camping Trip. All youth grades 6 – 12 are welcome. See you the 21st!!!

Bishop John Rabb will be visiting St. James’ Parish, June 21

2009-06-10T12:19:00.003-04:00

Bishop John Rabb will be visiting St. James’ Parish on June 21st at the 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. services. A coffee hour will be held after the 10 a.m. service at which time you may enjoy an opportunity to visit with Bishop Rabb.

EfM Graduation Recognition, May 31

2009-05-28T07:05:00.001-04:00

Two Education for Ministry (EfM) participants - Jeanie Zseltvay and Beverly Breitman - will receive their graduation certificates for completing the EfM program on May 31st. Please join us in saying the following prayer as we wish them well and honor their perseverance and commitment to serving God and ministering to his people.

A Prayer of Self-Dedication (BCP, P. 832)
Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to you, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may be wholly yours, utterly dedicated unto you; and then use us, we pray you, as you will, and always to your glory and the welfare of your people; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

There will be an EfM table today at the coffee hour. For more information on EfM, contact Linda Stewart (lstewart54@aol.com) or Marjie Mack (mmack3108@comcast.net).

West Virginia Mission Trip, July 12-18

2009-05-26T14:01:00.001-04:00

Please consider joining fellow parishioners on a mission trip to Beards Fork, West Virginia, doing such tasks as the Southern Appalachian Labor School has for us to do - be it helping with new construction, renovation, and repair or helping with the 30-40 children that participate in the Energy Express program at the school. While we intend to spend a week – 2 days of travel and 5 days of labor – we would be delighted to have volunteers for even a few days. At a cost of $150 per person to cover lodging, we will stay in an old church building that provides adequate, though not elegant, accommodations. Food will be provided. Fellowship is a given. This is a wonderful opportunity to help others less fortunate than ourselves. Please give this prayerful consideration and should you find it in your heart to join us, please sign up on the sheet in the parish hall hallway. Should you have questions, please contact Susan Whitehead at swhitehead84@comcast.net.

Heavenly Trash Sale, May 30, 2009

2009-05-16T18:00:00.000-04:00

We will be accepting all of your treasures on the Wednesday prior to the 30th of May. You can drop them off at the hall. We would love all of your treasures. We would love HELP if you can. If you need someone to pick up something, just call anyone on the Outreach Committee or Caroline Chisum. We will arrange to have a pickup. We hope to have a great day and make lots of money for the poor individuals in need in our area. All money will be donated. God bless you.

Attention Parents of Graduating High School and College Seniors

2009-05-07T09:20:00.000-04:00

Do you have a child graduating from high school or college this spring? High school graduates will receive a personalized Book of Common Prayer from the parish. Please call Amanda to be sure that your child’s gift will be ordered in time.

Recognition of graduating seniors will take place on June 7 at the 9 a.m. service.

Parish-Wide Picnic! June 7th, 2009

2009-04-29T07:10:00.001-04:00

Please join us June 7th at 12:30 for a parish-wide picnic. Enjoy food, fellowship, and games as we kick off the summer. Everyone is welcome. See you June 7th! Just so you know, here are a few of the activities that will be offered: kickball, egg toss, corn hole, bingo, shuffle board, wiffle ball, sack races, volleyball, and Bible trivia. LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!!

Christmas at The Biltmore, November 16-19, 2009

2009-04-29T07:05:00.002-04:00

Christmas at The Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina

3 Nights Lodging
3 Breakfasts, including Grove Park Inn Buffet
3 Dinners, including Deerpark Restaurant at Biltmore, Carolina Nights Dinner Show
Biltmore House Candlelight Tour
Daytime Visit to Biltmore Estate, Winery, and Riverbend Farm Village
BiltmoreVillage: Grove Arcade
Gingerbread Houses at The Grove Park Inn (based on availability)
Tour Asheville: Folk Art Center
Chimney Rock Park
Harrah's Cherokee Casino
Gift for All: Luggage Handling
All Taxes and Gratuities
Cost: $520.00 per person / double occupancy $250.00 is due at the time of reservation. Balance will be due six weeks before trip.

Contact: Lillie Barret for more information.

Vacation Bible School - June 22-26

2009-04-22T09:00:00.000-04:00

The Christian Formation Committee is beginning preparations for Vacation Bible School (VBS) to be held June 22 – 26. BUT WE NEED MANY VOLUNTEERS. If you can help, please call Amanda. It is only through the help of volunteers that this VBS will be successful.

Adult Study Forum - Saint James: the Parish, the Saint(s), and the Writing(s)

2009-04-13T07:05:00.001-04:00

Having (patiently) finished The Book of Job, the group seeks recruits for a new adventure tentatively titled "Saint James: the Parish, the Saint(s), and the Writing(s)." Starting with Old Herring Creeke Parish, renamed St. James' Parish (When? Why the name? Which James? - there were at least three!), and moving to both the Epistle of James and The Gospel of James (the latter not included in the Bible!) we hope to learn more about our Parish namesake and the notable early Christians who shared the name. The first meeting of the group is scheduled for the St. James' library at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, April 19th.

Redesigning stjameslothian.com

2009-04-13T07:04:00.000-04:00

Do you have an opinion about the St. James' Parish web site? Is there some new feature or content organization that you would like to see? The communications committee is beginning a redesign of the St. James' Parish web site and we want to know what you think! We are putting together a group to provide input to the site design and review draft implementations. Time commitment will be minimal and no particular computer expertise is required. Please contact Rick Downs at stjameslothianweb@gmail.com for additional information.

6th – 12th Grade Camping Trip!!! June 26th – 29th

2009-04-13T07:00:00.000-04:00

Please join us June 26th – 29th for our first ever youth Camping Trip! We will travel to Central Pennsylvania for the Creation Festival, which happens to be the largest Christian festival in the country! The festival includes music, speakers, and over a hundred thousand folks to worship with! We will camp at Lake Raystown where we will cook meals over an open fire, explore God’s creation, and swim! A signup sheet is outside of Amanda’s office!

Lenten Reflection

2009-04-12T07:00:00.000-04:00

If we have died with Him, we shall live with Him; if we hold firm, we shall reign with Him.
2 Timothy 2:11

These two verses must be connected with the next two: “if we deny Him, he will also deny us; if we are faithless, He remains faithful – for He cannot deny Himself.” Many scholars believe that these four verses are a portion of a very early Christian hymn. Paul is sharing his belief that we must live our lives fully in Christ. This is why the forty days of Lent, culminating in the events of Holy Week – Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Day—must be seen as a whole. Paul knew that Jesus prepared Himself spiritually in the wilderness for His ministry, experienced the Last Supper with His loved ones, was betrayed, denied, crucified, and His dead body placed in a tomb, and on Easter was raised from the dead. In this passage Paul is sharing this hymn with Timothy to remind him of our need to experience these events with our Lord. We cannot “jump” into Easter and the Resurrection without experiencing the preparation of Lent, His Last Supper, our connection with Him being betrayed, denied, and killed. We cannot share in the Crown without sharing in the Cross. On this glorious day, I am reminded of the words from the song, The Rose: “Just remember in the winter far beneath the bitter snows lies the seed that with the sun’s love in the spring becomes the rose.” We must die with Him in order that, with the “Son’s” love “in the spring,” we will be raised with Him.

Amen.

William H.C. Ticknor+

Lenten Reflection

2009-04-11T07:00:00.002-04:00

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
Romans 6:5

In each of our baptisms, we are cut off from sin and united with Christ. Just as Christ was buried, that He might rise again to a new, heavenly life, we, also, at baptism, are “buried” so that we might rise from our sins to begin a new life of faith and love.

The sacrament of baptism is a real gift, signifying and sealing our relationship with Christ. As we begin to live into this baptism, we are reminded that we have a duty to fight against the body of sin that remains within each of us. More importantly, as we strive to truly know Him, we are inevitably convinced that we have an obligation to live into His command to spread His Gospel in all the areas of our lives, in order to bring as many as possible into this sacred union.

Having become one with Christ through baptism, each of us will eventually think about the Resurrection. We gradually come to the sure knowledge that, just as Christ did indeed proceed from death to be with His Father in Heaven, we, too, will follow a similar path. This obliges us to believe that we, along with many others, known and unknown, will eventually be united with Christ in that heavenly place. What a glorious reality! It is no wonder that Easter is such a joyous celebration for all those in Christ.

Thanks be to God! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Charlie Wolf

Lenten Reflection

2009-04-10T07:00:00.001-04:00

But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5

The prophet Isaiah, the most poetic of prophets, says on this black day that our Lord was “wounded, crushed and bruised” by our sins. When I hear those words, I flinch. Yet I am immediately assured that Our Lord’s wounds have “healed” us and “made us whole.” It is a powerful measure of God’s greatness that we can be forgiven and comforted by one who was “despised and rejected,” who was taken away and murdered “by a perversion of justice.”

Part of the Songs of the Servant, this section has been called “the golden passional” and “the most important text in the Old Testament.” The Ethiopian eunuch ponders it with Philip in Acts 8: 26-40. The verse is in what is known as Second Isaiah, assigned to an author or authors who came after Isaiah, beginning in 539 B.C. It first appears that the “servant” symbolizes the nation of Israel, (42:1-4) then later scholars see the servant as Jesus himself. especially in Chapter 53. As we read on in Isaiah, we know the Suffering Servant “shall see light” and make “intercessions” for us, the transgressors. I marvel at the prophet’s vision and realize that he wants us to know the hope God gives us regardless of the blows life hands us – that there is a loving light beyond the darkness.

Val Hymes

Lenten Reflection

2009-04-09T07:00:00.000-04:00

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes again.
I Corinthians 11:26

When Paul spoke these words to the people of Corinth less than twenty years after the crucifixion of Christ, he was addressing a very cosmopolitan audience. Corinth was the most prosperous city in Greece, a shipping and commerce center within the Roman Empire, and a virtual melting pot of races and religions. Through this mixing of cultures and religious traditions arose conflicting, and perhaps misguided, ways of observing religious ritual among the early Christians.

During Paul’s time in Corinth he sought to clarify the gospel for his followers and develop uniform practices within the church. Here he is specifically speaking of conduct and order within the Passover service, and in the preceding passages, Paul reiterates Jesus’ words at the last supper. He asserts that the eating and drinking of the bread and wine serve to remind us every Passover of our Savior’s death.

Clearly this is a mandate to remember not only that He died, but also how and why He suffered and died. Paul’s words still resonate with us two centuries later, for in many ways Corinth resembled our own society. It is only by tuning out distracting societal influences and re-focusing our life and worship that we are truly able to understand and appreciate the greatest sacrifice of all. Today, as we observe Maundy Thursday, we recall Christ’s words, actions, and unending love. It is through this remembrance that we are able to embrace the grief of His passion, and understand personally the depths of His sacrifice for us.

Tricia Sanborn Hurlbutt

Lenten Reflection

2009-04-08T07:00:00.001-04:00

The Lord GOD helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced.
Isaiah 50:7

As I read Isaiah 50:7, I am reminded that at times while I am able to live and act by the example of Christ, I am indeed challenged to stay focused at all times—‘to set my face like a flint.’ With God’s help, throughout my life, I have weighed thoughts and indeed actions at times by three principles: head, voice, and heart. God expects us to follow his commandments—and with His help, our daily effort will set the example for others.

We should only hope that someday everyone will act in this way, but until they do, we should strive to set our faces like flint and follow Christ.

Christopher Hurlbutt

Lenten Reflection

2009-04-07T07:00:00.000-04:00

In you, O LORD, I take refuge, let me never be put to shame.
Psalm 71:1

When I began to research this Psalm, the first thing that struck me was that it is labeled an “old man’s “ or “old person’s” Psalm. David is lamenting his old age and his inabilities to continue on as he had as a young man, worried that in his old age he will shame himself before his enemies, peoples and God. Having just celebrated my “half century” birthday, I found this to be a bit of a downer. Is this what I have to look forward to in my old age?

Luckily that’s not where the story ends. David remembers the many tough times in his life and to his encouragement finds that God was with him each time—his refuge. Why should this time, old age, be any different? Despite the pains and embarrassments of growing old, he sings God’s praises because he knows that God has been and always will be his refuge—all he need do is ask.

In this time of Lent let us reflect on the tough times where God was by our side and find encouragement in knowing that, even into our old age, He will be with us always - our constant refuge.

Dona Bushong

Worship Schedule for Holy Week

2009-04-06T07:01:00.001-04:00

Wednesday	10:00a.m.	Holy Eucharist&Healing Service&Bible Study
Thursday	7:30p.m.	Maundy Thursday Service – Eucharist and Stripping of the Altar – St. James’ Church
Friday	12 noon	Good Friday Liturgy – St. James’ Church
	7:30p.m.	Good Friday Liturgy – St. James’ Church
Saturday	7:30p.m.	Easter Vigil– St. James’ Church
Sunday	6:30a.m.	Sunrise Service – Amanda & John’s
	8:00a.m.	Holy Eucharist, St. Mark’s Chapel
	8:30a.m.	Cantata and Holy Eucharist, St. James’ Church
	9:15a.m.	Holy Eucharist, St. James’ Parish Hall
	10:00a.m.	Easter Egg Hunt, St. James’ Parish
	11:00a.m.	Holy Eucharist, St. James’ Church

Lenten Reflection

2009-04-06T07:00:00.002-04:00

I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations….
Isaiah 42:6

Isaiah 42 is often called The Servant Chapter. God is calling us to be his servants by spreading the word of God to all nations. The word of God is called in these verses “the light.” God, Jesus and Christians are often called the Light of the World. We are to be disciples of Christ, telling others the Good News, converting non-believers and those that worship idols.

We sing a song called This Little Light of Mine. We sing that we are going to let this light shine, all of the time. We also sing that we are not going to hide it under a bushel. In other words, we are not to be reticent about being a follower of Christ nor reticent about leading others to Christ. God is asking us to spread His word. Be his light to everyone. All people are attracted to light. Let us be the light of Christ this Lenten Season. It might also be useful to read the words of The Servant Song found in the 9:00 Celebration Service Song Book. It definitely reflects the meaning of this verse in our lives today. Go forward and be God’s servant.

Cynthia Steuart

Lenten Reflection

2009-04-05T07:00:00.000-04:00

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness.
Philippians 2:5-7

The early Church spent four hundred years from the time of the Resurrection until 451 AD before agreeing on the Formula of Chalcedon (BCP page 864) which defined “The Union of the Devine and Human Natures in the Person of Christ”. It seems that, whenever we approach a truth about God, we encounter paradox. Then, what did that man of flesh and blood, Jesus of Nazareth, understand about himself? Many scholars think that Jesus’ self-understanding unfolded as time went on. At least from the time of his baptism in the Jordan, his was a life of self-offering, self-oblation. It was a life of saying “Yes” to the Father and ultimately going willingly to his death on the cross. Along the way he must have at least glimpsed the truth of his own divinity. It is a wholesome thing to acknowledge something of a divine spark in each of us, else how could it be said that we are made in the image and likeness of God? We can regard this as an invitiation to holiness, which is the simple choice each of us can make—to conform ourselves to God’s will for us.

John Huntington+

Lenten Reflection

2009-04-04T07:00:00.000-04:00

My dwelling place shall be with them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Ezekiel 37:27

God gave the priest and prophet Ezekiel the task of uniting the people of Judah and Israel together as one people, as they both belonged to God. Throughout the text he did this through a variety of visionary messages. Ezekiel explained that God promised His land to all of his people, including the people of Judah and Israel. He explained that God was always with the people who dwelled in His land. In doing this, Ezekiel was trying to help the people to come together in preparation for a siege on Jerusalem. Together the people of Judah and Israel would be stronger working together than separately in protecting the land as a temple for all of God’s people. Finally, because there is no separation between God and his Temple, God and His land, God and His people, there is no separation between one another.

In reflection, today as Christians, we are reminded that God loves us all and that both individually and together we are all God’s people. Recognizing this, we should each work to unite as one people to do God’s will. If we do unite, we will all be stronger than we are alone. In periods of stress like our nation is experiencing now economically, and with conflicts abroad, we must continue to work to be united as one nation under God, with a single purpose of doing God’s will.

Douglas Ellmore, Sr., Leah Ellmore, and Douglas Ellmore, Jr.