EPIPHANY 6 - February 17
Jeremiah 17:5-10
Psalm 1
1 Corinthians 15:12-20
Luke 6:17-26
8:00AM
Preacher: Dean Ryan
Celebrant: Dean Ryan
10:00AM
Ushers: Richard Jennings & Carol Morhan
Lector: Emily Niblick
Eucharist Minister: Jeni Kren
Preacher: Dean Ryan
Celebrant: Dean Ryan
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Chapter Meeting
Sunday, February 17 - 11:30AM
Conference Room
Handbell Rehearsal
Sunday, February 17 - 1:00PM
Cathedral Loft
Newcomers Luncheon
Sunday, February 24 - 11:30AM
White Room
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
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SOCIAL JUSTICE AND ADVOCACY
by Emily Niblick
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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.
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“When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19:33-34)
“Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.'” (Matthew 25:34-36)
“Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Luke 6:30-31)
Time and time again, the Bible reminds us of our duty to our neighbor—and that it does not just mean the neighbor over the back-yard fence. Rather, we are called to serve anyone who is in need. Currently, during the Prayers of the People in Epiphany, we pray our neighbors in need:
“For safety for those who suffer violence of body and spirit, food for the hungry, shelter for the homeless, homes for all refugees and immigrants, health care for the sick, human rights for the oppressed, and equality and freedom for all people.”
We are Called to Be a Christian community committed to social justice for those in our surrounding community, the nation, and the world.
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The St. James Family is dedicated to working for love, justice, and peace. Deacon Nancy and Deacon Terrance are very active in
SJRAISE—the Immigration Task Force for the Diocese of San Joaquin. SJRAISE is working with others to support the Refugees and Immigrants who live among us as our neighbors. Deacon Nancy has been instrumental in working directly with immigrants advising them on their rights and providing pastoral support.
In May, the Cathedral will serve as the launching point for the
Pilgrimage of Hope—a march organized by the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin. Pilgrims will begin their walk at St. James 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. We hope many in the Cathedral will participate in the Pilgrimage whether it is walking one-leg, the whole journey, and/or supporting the Pilgrimage.
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The Cathedral campus also houses the offices of
Faith in the Valley/Faith in Fresno—a vital strategic partner with St. James and the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin. Faith in the Valley’s Mission “is to unlock the power of people to put faith into action in the public square, and to advance a movement for racial justice and health equity.” Faith in the Valley pulls together the many and diverse faith communities in Fresno and throughout the San Joaquin Valley.
In the past year, Jim Mendez and others walked our neighborhood to sign up voters. Carol Mohan and others were quite successful in organizing the Cathedral’s participation in the CROP walk—an event designed to feed the hungry throughout the world.
The Cathedral is annual sponsor and participant in
Fresno Rainbow Pride—the Central Valley’s annual LGBT Pride Parade and Festival.
Bishop David Rice, Dean Ryan, and others have been very outspoken about gun violence in our nation and have campaigned for better laws to protect our communities, especially our children, from the plague of gun violence.
This Lent, one of the major themes of our Lenten Journey will be Environmental Justice.
St. James’ cornerstone outreach ministry—the St. James Food Bank—is committed to providing healthy food to our local community and advocating for those they serve.
In no way is this a complete list of St. James’ ministries of Social Justice and Advocacy. As the Cathedral for the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin, St. James is well-positioned to be an active and leading social justice institution and advocated in the Fresno area.
We hope that everyone in the Cathedral Family will consider joining one aspect of St. James Social Justice Ministries. We hope that St. James will lead by example and inspiration in the cause of justice and peace.
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"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.
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THIS SUNDAY: FEBRUARY 17, 2019
QUARTERLY FOOD BANK FREE-WILL OFFERING
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Did you know . . . on an average, the St. James Food Bank feeds 170 families per week.
Did you know . . . on average Smart & Final donates 300+ pounds of meat per week.
Did you know . . . thanks to prior quarterly free-will ingatherings, YOU, the St. James Family gives us the fund to purchase 20 cubic foot freezers to accommodate all the frozen items.
Did you know . . . the St. James Food Bank budget has grown to $17,000/year and because of YOU we are able to reach our budgetary goals.
Did you know . . . On an average, each week 20 volunteers serve at the Food Bank. These volunteers are the backbone on this vital community based ministry.
Did you know . . .over the last four months, volunteers have donated a total 809 hours of service to the St. James Food Bank.
Did you know . . . because of YOUR donations of mittens, hats, and scarves, our “Yellow Bag” Ministry grew in December.
This Sunday, February 17th, during both the 8:00AM and 10:00AM services, we are inviting the Cathedral Congregation to participate in the quarterly free-will offering to support the St. James Food Bank. On this special Sunday, all cash gifts and any checks with the memo line “Food Bank” offered during the collection will be given to support the ministry of the St. James Food Bank.
The St. James Food Bank is blessed to have YOUR support—YOUR financial and food donations. This ministry is thriving because of your generosity and prayers. THANK YOU!
Please support the St. James Food Bank this Sunday, February 17th.
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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. 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.
In 2017, the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin passed a resolution at its diocesan convention to form the Immigration Task Force, to explore the needs of immigrants in our communities, how we can engage our worshiping communities in walking along side immigrants, and how we, as a people of faith and followers of the Jesus Movement, can better see Christ in the face of the other.
Since that resolution passed, the Immigration Task Force has evolved into what is now known as SJRAISE (San Joaquin Refugee and Immigration Support for Empowerment). We have stood alongside our partners at Faith in the Valley, a PICO affiliate, advocating for those seeking just immigration policies, asylum and liberation. We have worked with our clergy and laity on education and awareness raising, and our 2017 Revival with Presiding Bishop Michael Curry was themed: Called to be...a Safe Place for All God's People.
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.
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It is my pleasure to invite you to join the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin in our 2019
Pilgrimage of Hope. This pilgrimage is a visible witness of our standing in solidarity with and raising awareness of the plight of immigrants and refugees in the Central Valley. Our hope and intention in this walk is raise awareness of the struggles our sister and brother immigrants and refugees face daily, while also raising money to support Legal Defense Funds throughout the Valley.
We will begin the Pilgrimage of Hope on May 4, 2019 at our cathedral in Fresno, and will conclude on the Day of the Immigrant in Sacramento on May 20, 2019. This will involve sixteen consecutive days of walking, praying, and reflecting.
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.
To make a contribution, please click on the “support the walk” button.
We make the path by walking.
Blessings,
+David Rice,
Bishop Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin
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ADULT FORUM:
CHURCH HISTORY SERIES 4TH SUNDAY ADDED
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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.
No Forum on February 17th.
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WE INVITE YOU TO A NEWCOMERS' LUNCHEON
Sunday, February 24
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Are you new to St. James? And by new . . . have you started attending worship this past fall or later (give or take)?
If so, we invite you next Sunday, February 24 @ 11:30AM in the White Room for our Quarterly Newcomers' Luncheon. Meet the clergy and leaders of St. James in an informal, family-friendly gathering. Mingle with others exploring the Cathedral Family and all that St. James has to offer.
PLEASE RSVP BY WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20TH.
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LENT IS COMING...BUT FIRST SHROVE TUESDAY
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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 starting this Sunday, February 17th and we located 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.
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CHOIR RETURNS TO WEDNESDAY REHEARSALS
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HANDBELL CHOIR TO RESUME REHEARSALS
All are welcome to participate
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The St. James Handbell Choir will resume rehearsals on Sunday, February 17th at 1:00PM. The Handbell Choir is under the direction of Kourinthia Burton. Rehearsals will continue on Feb. 24th and Mar. 3rd in preparation for a musical offering on Sunday, March 10th during the prelude.
Rehearsals will continue in March and April for offerings on Sunday, March 24th and Easter Sunday, April 21st. A passion to learn and an enjoyment of music is all that is required.
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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!
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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
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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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