ADVENT 4 - DECEMBER 23
Micah 5:2-5a
Psalm 80:1-7
Hebrews 10:5-10
Luke 1:39-55
8:00AM
Lector: Glenn Reed
Preacher: Dean Ryan
Celebrant: Dean Ryan
10:00AM
Usher: Janie Fisher
Lector: Toni Alvarez
Eucharist Minister: Toni Alvarez
Preacher: Dean Ryan
Celebrant: Dean Ryan
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Greening of the Cathedral
Sunday, December 23 - 11:30AM
Christmas Eve Eucharist
Monday, December 24 - 6:00PM
Carol Prelude to Christmas Eve Service
Monday, December 24 - 10:30PM
Christmas Eve Eucharist
Monday, December 24 - 11:00PM
Christmas Day Eucharist
Tuesday, December 25 - 9:00AM
Feast of the Holy Name
Tuesday, January 1 - 9:00AM
Men's Group Breakfast
Saturday, January 5 - 7:00AM
Yosemite Falls Cafe
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From the Dean
THE VERY REVEREND RYAN D. NEWMAN
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Welcome to the revamped “e-communication” of St. James Episcopal Cathedral. In the coming issues, our Cathedral Communications Team is hoping to deliver an engaging and informative communication tool that enhances the life of the Cathedral and our connections with one another and the world beyond our Cathedral campus. Our goal is that the “Midweek Missive” is that “weekly” reminder that we, the people of God, are called to be the Church in the world between Sundays.
Erin, Lexie, and I want to extend our deepest and most-heartfelt thank you to the Cathedral congregation for your welcome and support. We are blessed to be a part of this community and look forward to serving the Cathedral and the people of the Fresno area.
In a few days, we will once again celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In good Episcopalian fashion, we mark that monumental event with great fanfare and reverence. However, we would be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge and embrace that our Lord’s birth was a humble event—born not in the splendor of a royal palace, but in a simple stable. Let us not forget our brothers and sisters throughout the world, especially in our community, in our nation, and those steps from our border who long for basic needs like food, clean water, safe and adequate housing, health care, and employment. Also, let us not forget, the Holy Family were refugees—a family seeking a home and a community to call their own. May our journey this Christmas season, “stir us” and “guide us” to living more fully into our Baptismal call
to strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.
Finally, we hope you will join us this Christmas at the Cathedral. Christmas Eve services are at 6:00PM and 11:00PM. The Christmas Day service will begin at 9:00AM. Please take an opportunity to invite your family, friends, colleagues, and even strangers to Christmas at the Cathedral.
Merry Christmas and God’s Blessing!
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Presiding Bishop's Christmas Message
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From B
ryant Park in New York City,
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry's offers his 2018 Christmas Message. To view, click on video link below.
"Love came down at Christmas, because God so loved the world, that he gave."
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As we prepare for the Christmas, we invite to join us for the “Greening of the Cathedral” this Sunday, December 23rd, after the 10:00AM service. This is a great family-friendly activity—all are welcomed!
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BIBLE STUDY BEGINS JANUARY 10TH
COME LEARN ABOUT THE BOOKS OF THE APOCRYPHA
TOBIT, BARUCH, BEL AND THE DRAGON?
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Tobit, Baruch, Bel and the Dragon, Judith…have you heard of these books and others which are included in the Old Testament in some bibles? These and others are incorporated into the Roman Catholic bible as part of the Old Testament. In the Anglican view, and generally of the Protestant faiths, they are separated from the Old Testament in their own section. Located between the Old Testament and the New, they are referred to as the Apocrypha.
The word apocrypha means “hidden” in Greek, and although they haven’t exactly been hidden throughout history, the Greek part is the reason they are apart from the Hebrew Bible. For these books fall within what we call the “inter-testamental period”, or roughly, the post-exilic period before the coming of Jesus. Almost all of the Old Testament is written in Hebrew, but these books are from a time of great Hellenic influence and are written in Greek. They are not included in the Hebrew Tanakh, or what we refer to as the Old Testament. But when the seventy Jewish scholars gathered in this period to translate the Jewish scriptures into Greek (called the Septuagint), they included these writings. Hence, when the Christian father Jerome sat down to translate the Hebrew Bible into Latin (using the Septuagint) he also translated these books we call the apocrypha. And so they were included in the Vulgate, or the Latin bible commissioned by the Roman church.
Since to Protestants these books are not considered canonical, most people have either never heard of them or read them. And yet, the understanding expressed by Protestant churches has always been that they are beneficial to read. The Anglican church has been friendlier than most—lectionary readings from the apocrypha have been included in the Book of Common Prayer since 1549.
There is a lot to be discovered here. The books of the apocrypha were quite familiar to the Jewish leaders and thinkers during the ministry of Jesus. Although there are no quotes from any of the apocryphal books in the New Testament, it is well known that the early Christians were very familiar with them. Many of the ideas Jesus talked about are also mentioned in the apocrypha.
I will be starting a bible study on the apocrypha on Thursday, January 10
th
, at 10:30 in the Fireside Room. Everyone is welcome to attend. This will be an introductory course; we will not be going in depth into any of the books, but will learn about the background and context of each book, along with its impact on Christian thought, We will study important parts of each book, hopefully giving us an idea of the author’s intention and what we can take away from it to help us in our faith lives.
If you think you would like to attend this study, please drop me a line at
emilyeniblick@gmail.com
. I would like to know what you think and how many are interested.
--Emily Niblick
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St. James has established an Emergency Pastoral Care Phone Number that is available 24 hours a day. Whenever you have an emergency need for support, please call (559) 601-0476 and leave a voice mail. The system, powered by Google Voice, will immediately forward the information to the clergy of the Cathedral who will respond to each request. Dean Ryan, Deacon Nancy, and Deacon Terrance will be sharing pastoral care coverage.
In the future, we hope to develop a Pastoral Care Team, comprised both of the Cathedral clergy and trained lay leaders, who will minister to the pastoral needs of our Cathedral family. If you might be interested in this ministry, please speak to a member of the clergy.
We highly recommend everyone store in their mobile devices
the St. James Pastoral Emergency Phone Number:
(559) 601-0476.
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Celebrate the Epiphany of our Lord
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Epiphany is an ancient church feast marking the Magi’s visit to the infant Jesus, bringing him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. It is celebrated on January 6th—marking the end of Christmas.
St. James invites your family to join us on Sunday, January 6th, at 10:00AM for an Epiphany Eucharistic Celebration which will include “The Blessing of Chalk for Home Blessings.” The service will be a simple, family-centered liturgy.
What is the “Blessing of Chalk?” The chalking of the doors is a centuries-old practice throughout the world. Dean Ryan will bless chalk that service participants will then take home and write in chalk the following above the entrance of their home: 20 + C+M + B + 19. The letters have two meanings. First, they represent the initials of the Magi - Caspar, Malchior, and Balthazar - who came to visit Jesus in His first home. They also abbreviate the Latin phrase, Christus mansionem benedicat: “May Christ bless the house.” The “+” signs represent the cross, and the “20” at the beginning and the “19” at the end mark the year.
Taken together, this inscription is performed as a request that Christ to bless those homes. We ask for Christ’s blessing on our homes and on all who live, work or visit them there. The chalking of the doors of a home encourages Christians to dedicate their life at home to God and to others. Seeing the symbols over our doors can help to remind us, while passing in and out on our daily routines, that our homes and all those who dwell there belong to Christ.
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With the cold weather coming, St. James Food Book is now seeking donations of oatmeal. The collection goal is 200 containers. Oatmeal is too expensive to purchase from the County Food Bank.
Along with oatmeal, please donate hats, mittens, or jackets for our neighbors that are seeking shelter it is always greatly appreciated during the cold winter months for them. Finally, please remember the St. James Food Bank serves the community on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Wednesdays of the month from 2:30PM – 4:30PM. Volunteers are always needed and should arrive by 1:30PM. Thank you for your generosity and support!
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We are called to be . . .
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SJRAISE
(San Joaquin County Episcopal Diocese Refugee And Immigration Support and Empowerment)
is the Immigration Task Force of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin, a ministry
representing 20 faith communities from the Central Valley to the High Sierra. Their mission flows from the heart of the diocese and a mandate from Convention.
SJRAISE inspired by our Baptismal call to strive for justice, peace and human dignity for ALL, our prophetic tradition, the call of the Gospel, and the life of Jesus himself. Having witnessed the detention, deportation, and separation of families in our communities, we are called to be...
- A people committed to the values of liberation, welcome, and belonging.
- A people who pray, accompany and seek justice for those who suffer from unfair immigration policies.
- A people who educate and equip congregations to stand in solidarity with our immigrant brothers and sisters.
We want to encourage our Cathedral family to learn more about the work of SJRAISE, continue praying for our brothers and sisters are immigrants, and, if you feel called, to join others in the Diocese who are working on behalf of our immigrant brothers and sisters.
Here are some vital resources we want to share with you:
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We know there are no strangers to God
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The
World Council of Churches, a, world-wide, ecumenical Christian organization committed to fostering unity among Christian churches recently produced a wonderful and thoughtful Christmas message that provides a glimpse into life on "the Caravan" from Central America to the United State border. Amid the context of Jesus' birth, "the singular act by which God has graced and elevated our human condition," the message invites the audience to remember and pray for our brothers and sisters throughout the world who seek hope, opportunity, freedom, and safety. Please take a moment to watch the video below.
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St. James on Social Media
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Both outlets are updated regularly and contain great content. Please like us on
Facebook
and follow us on
Instagram
. Also, please share both outlets with others!
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If you have any feedback, comments, or questions for the Midweek Missive Editors, please
email us
. Submissions to the Midweek Missive are welcomed and must be submitted to
midweek@stjamesfresno.org
by Tuesday at noon.
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