Volume 1, Issue 10
February 20, 2019
THIS SUNDAY @ ST. JAMES
EPIPHANY 7 - February 24
Genesis 45:3-11, 15
Psalm 37:1-12, 41-42
1 Corinthians 15:35-38,42-50
Luke 6:27-38

8:00AM
Preacher: Dean Ryan
Celebrant: Dean Ryan

10:00AM
Ushers: The Lazanos
Lector: Toni Alvarez
Eucharist Minister: Toni Alvarez
Preacher: Dean Ryan
Celebrant: Dean Ryan

UPCOMING DATES
Newcomers Luncheon
Sunday, February 24 - 11:30AM
White Room - Zoe Eden

Interfaith Scholar Weekend
March 1st - 3rd

Men's Breakfast
Saturday, March 2 - 7:00AM
Yosemite Falls Cafe

Central Deanery Meeting
Saturday, March 2 - 10:00AM

Episcopal Church Women
Sunday, March 3 - 11:30AM
White Room - Zoe Eden

Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper
Tuesday, March 5 - 6:00PM - 7:30PM
White Room - Zoe Eden
MUSIC MINISTRIES
by Emily Niblick
Each week, in both the “Midweek Missive” and “The Gold Sheet” we will spotlight different ministries of the Cathedral. Our ministries are the lifeblood of the Cathedral’s mission and vision and they empower us to be the Church between Sundays. Amid our journey to grow and continue thriving, we need others to share their time, energy, wisdom, and leadership in the Cathedral’s ministries. We hope you will be inspired by and called to serve in one or more of the ministries featured throughout the season of Epiphany.
Each time I listen to a Bach Cantata, or a Palestrina Mass, or Handel’s Messiah, or any of the multitude of musical works written with faith in mind, goosebumps raise on my arms; and, sometimes, tears form in my eyes. Music can do wonderful things. It can cause the soul to soar, or the mind to rest in deep meditation. Music is a gift to God’s people given to us by the Divine. 

Each Sunday morning at St. James, we are blessed to have our dedicated team of musicians that help us hear God speaking to us through music. Sundays are only the beginning—the music ministers of St. James have big aspirations in the months and years to come.

Tim Peargin, St. James Choir Director, is enthusiastically leading a growing choir of angelic voices. The congregation is elated by the return of Sherah Moore Burdick as the Cathedral Accompanist. Sherah is an excellent pianist with a superb voice.

“We are blessed to have a wonderful choir in our Church!” says Tim. “As we move into Lent and Easter the choir has been working on new settings for the service music with a more reflective tone. We have returned a few pieces to the sung service.” Recently, the “Great Amen” and a fraction anthem have been reintroduced to the liturgy. The Cathedral is also looking to start a monthly Taizé Mass. In the future, the Cathedral would love to develop a Children's Choir.

 “For Easter, we are working on a magnificent anthem and hoping to find a trumpeter for our Easter service.” Tim explained. “We also are planning to use our worship space for outside events such as choir concerts. We are planning to have cathedral pipe organ tuned so we can use it again.” 
“We also have a great hand bell choir as well,” said Tim. Kourinthia Burton leads the St. James Bell Choir. The Bell Choir is looking for new recruits as they prepare for a busy Lenten and Easter Season. Interested in the Bell Choir? The group is looking for anyone who loves music and wants to learn.

 The choir rehearses Wednesday evening at 6:30PM in the Cathedral and are always open to new choir members. The next Handbell Choir rehearsals are on February 24th and March 3rd at 1:00PM pm and they would love to see you.

We invite you to join St. James excellent music ministry!
Watch a clip of "Wade in the Water." This choir anthem was offered on Sunday, February 17th, 2019
"TO SHARE OUR GIFTS" PRAYER
in this Season of Epiphany

All that we are, all that we have, and all that we will become is a gift from God. Gracious and loving Creator, do not let us neglect Your Spirit or the gifts You have bestowed upon us. Give us the courage to share these gifts with our Cathedral community and beyond. Grant that we might exercise our gifts with humility and to Your glory alone. O God, help us to see the good work You have ready for us, teach us to embrace that work with willingness and joy, and may we always faithfully share with your beloved creation the many gifts you have entrusted to us. We pray with grateful hearts, in the name of the One true light and hope, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
FROM THE DEAN: LENTEN WORSHIP SCHEDULE
The Very Reverend Ryan D. Newman
“When we worship, we gather with others before God. We hear the Good News of Jesus Christ, give thanks, confess, and offer the brokenness of the world to God. As we break bread, our eyes are opened to the presence of Christ. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we are made one body, the body of Christ sent forth to live the Way of Love.” – The Way of Love // The Episcopal Church

Worship is at the heart of our community of faith. Worship comforts us. Worship challenges us. Worship nourishes us. Worship sends us out into the world to be the Church. Worship is not a Sunday-only endeavor, especially in the life of the Cathedral.

One of my dreams for St. James is that eventually we will offer a worship experience everyday on the Cathedral campus. The tradition of daily worship in the cathedrals of the world is as old as the cathedrals themselves. Cathedrals are lively and daily centers of worship for the local community and the Diocese—St. James can be that Cathedral too!

During Lent, we are going to experiment with an expanded worship schedule during the week, specifically Wednesday. Starting Wednesday, March 13th, we will offer two Eucharistic services on Wednesday; 12:15PM and 6:00PM. The 6:00PM Eucharist service will be proceeded by the Office of Evening Prayer at 5:45PM. 

Some might be wondering about La Santa Misa on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays. In consultation with Reverend Keith and Bishop David, we have decided to press “pause” on the Spanish language Eucharist during Wednesdays at the Cathedral. All the Lenten Wednesday services will be conducted in English. There is a future for Spanish-language services at St. James and we are working in partnership with the Diocese to discern and develop that future. I can say with certainty . . . there is a vision and a plan actively being worked on for expanding Latino Ministries in the Diocese and specifically at the Cathedral. More to come on that topic in the near future.

Lent empowers us toward a deeper journey and grants us the setting to wrestle with God in an extraordinary sacred space. 

We want to invite you to worship with us on Wednesdays this Lenten Season . . .
+ 12:15PM – Eucharist
+ 5:45PM – Evening Prayer
+ 6:00PM – Eucharist
+ 6:45PM – Lenten Supper and Study concludes with Compline
PILGRIMAGE OF HOPE:
A March for Immigrant Rights from Fresno to Sacramento
In the winter of 2017, the clergy and lay leaders began to dream of a pilgrimage...one where we, along with other faith communities and friends, would walk the diocese, engaging in formation and prayer along the way regarding the needs and concerns of our immigrant brothers and sisters. Now we are ready to make this dream a reality.  

Beginning May 4th, following Eucharist and a blessing at St James Cathedral in Fresno, pilgrims will begin their walk to Sacramento where they will converge with other faith communities, immigrants and concerned citizens on May 20th at the state capital to celebrate the gifts and contributions that our immigrant brothers and sisters bring to our communities, and to champion and advocate for immigrant rights. 

This will involve sixteen consecutive days of walking, praying, and reflecting. At stops along the way, walkers will gather with the local faith community to share the purpose of the walk, learn about local concerns of immigrants and pray together.

We invite you to join us in any way you are able:

Additionally, we ask you to consider making a financial contribution to help us make this pilgrimage possible. We are keeping our costs to a minimum, but do have some necessities to provide for our walkers and supporters: food, water, support for drivers who will travel with us, and educational and liturgical materials/resources for each hospitality stop in the evening.  
ADULT FORUM:
CHURCH HISTORY SERIES 4TH SUNDAY ADDED
Want to learn of our church’s early foundings by Henry VIII? Henry’s wives? Have you wondered if Henry created a religion just to get a divorce? How did a young teenage King start a “reformation”?

Please join us at the Adult Forum for the continuation of the four-part discussion on the formation of the Anglican church. The discussion will examine English history before the reign of Henry VIII and the formation of the English Church through the reigns of Henry’s children: Edward, Mary and end with Elizabeth’s reign.

Please join Stan Boone as he leads the discussion at the Adult Forum. The final two sessions are Sunday, February 24 and a newly added session on March 3, all at 9:15 am in the Fireside Room.  

If you have not been able to attend all the sessions, it is not too late to join in; there is always a recap at the beginning of each session.
LENT IS COMING...BUT FIRST SHROVE TUESDAY
St. James will host a Shrove Tuesday Family Pancake Supper on Tuesday, March 5 at 6:00PM-7:30PM at the Cathedral. All are invited to attend. We invite you to a delicious supper of pancakes along with loads of bacon, egg dishes, fruits, desserts, and much more. Attendees are encouraged to bring a “breakfast" side dish.” A sign-up list will be available at the entrance of the Chapel and Cathedral.

Why a pancake supper the day before Ash Wednesday? With the season of Lent beginning the next day (Ash Wednesday), historically people tried to use up all of their rich and fatty foods like butter, eggs and milk. Also celebrated as Mardi Gras ("Fat Tuesday" in French), the celebration takes place in many parts of the world. It is a fun and festive way to enjoy those final sweets before we turn our hearts, minds, and stomachs to the penitent season of Lent.
FOOD BANK COLLECTION
Thanks to the generosity of the St. James community, our Food Bank guests are now enjoying peanut butter and oatmeal.

Throughout Epiphany, we are asking our Cathedral Congregation to bring jelly (for PB&J sandwiches). We’ll take any variety, but grape and strawberry are two kids’ favorites. Thank you!
MEN'S BREAKFAST - SATURDAY, MARCH 2
The men of the Cathedral Congregation will gather on Saturday morning, March 2nd, at Yosemite Falls Cafe (4020 N Cedar Ave,--across the street from the Cathedral). The breakfast will begin at 7:00AM.

EPISCOPAL CHURCH WOMEN (ECW) - SUNDAY, MARCH 3
The next meeting of the St. James ECW will be Sunday, March 3rd at 11:30AM in the White Room (Zoe Eden). The meeting will feature a potluck luncheon. We invite you to attend the meeting and bring a dish to share. If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Janie Fischer.
St. James is organizing a group to the attend the Hymn Festival. If you are interested in attending, please contact Tim Peargin or Sherah Moore Burdick.
On March 1-3, 2019, we invite you to join us for the 22nd Annual Interfaith Scholar Weekend. St. James Episcopal Cathedral is one of the sponsors of this incredible event. This year’s featured scholar is the Reverend Doctor Thandeka, President of Love Beyond Belief Inc.

The Friday evening opening keynote at Fresno State (“Got race? America’s most successful Ad Campaign”) and the Sunday morning Worship at the Unitarian Church of Fresno (The Hope Factor: “Love Beyond Belief Today”) are free and open to the public!

Saturday's full-day program requires participants to register. Saturday's program (complete with vegetarian breakfast and lunch!) costs $45 before February 15th, $50 up to February 28th and $55 at the door. Students, believe it or not, can enjoy the day, complete with 2 meals, for only $10!

For much more information about the Interfaith Scholar Weekend and to register for Saturday's program hosted Temple Beth Israel, please visit: www.interfaithscholar.org
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.