EPIPHANY DAY - January 6th
Isaiah 60:1-6
Psalm 72:1-7,10-14
Ephesians 3:1-12
Matthew 2:1-12
8:00AM
Lector: Glenn Reed
Preacher: Dean Ryan
Celebrant: Dean Ryan
10:00AM
Usher: Carol Mohan
Lector: Toni Alvarez
Eucharist Minister: Toni Alvarez
Preacher: Dean Ryan
Celebrant: Dean Ryan
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Men's Group Breakfast
Saturday, January 5 - 7:00AM
Yosemite Falls Cafe
Feast of the Epiphany
with Blessing of the Chalk
Sunday, January 6 - 10:00AM
Bible Study on the Apocrypha
Thursday, January 10 - 10:30AM
Fireside Room
Chapter Meeting
Sunday, January 13 - 11:30AM
Combined Service
Sunday, January 20 - 9:00AM
Annual Meeting of the
Cathedral Congregation
Sunday, January 20 - 10:30AM
Feast of the Presentation of our Lord (Candlemas)
Saturday, February 2 - 6:00PM
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FROM THE DEAN
THE VERY REVEREND RYAN D. NEWMAN
On Sunday, January 6th, Epiphany Day, we celebrate the world’s discovery of the good news of Jesus' birth. Three "outsiders” travel from distant lands, to bring gifts to the Savior. These distant travelers carried with them gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. However, the greatest gift each of them brought to Christ was themselves.
Despite their long journey and ambiguous future, nothing was going to prevent these wise travelers from kneeling before their Lord and Savior. Epiphany is a season that not only commemorates the Light that is Christ coming to the world, Epiphany also celebrates the faithfulness and determination of those seeking to be united with and in service to Jesus Christ.
Throughout the season of Epiphany, we are inviting you to “Share Your Gifts” with your Cathedral Congregation.
Over the next nine weeks, in the Midweek Missive, during Sunday Services, and special events like the Annual Cathedral Congregation Meeting and an upcoming Ministry Fair, we will share with you information and stories about all of the amazing ministries that empower St. James Episcopal Cathedral to thrive. However, this information and these stories are not merely for our edification; rather, we hope others will be inspired by and called to serve in these ministries.
The greatest gift we can offer to our Lord is the gift of ourselves.
Like the first travelers to the Baby Jesus, we are called to journey together as a Cathedral family. The mission and work of the Church is a collaborative endeavor of all of God’s people. In this next and vital era for the Cathedral of St. James, the Cathedral congregation is being called upon to courageously share their time, energy, and wisdom to strengthen and grow the Church.
My prayer for each of us during this season of Epiphany is that we take the time to prayerfully discern the Spirit’s call in our lives. Where is God calling us to serve in the Cathedral? How can we share the gift of ourselves with our Cathedral Community?
May our journey lead us to the One true light and hope!
Faithfully,
ryan+
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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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 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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“Annual Meeting Sunday” is January 20th! Since this is our first annual meeting with our new Dean, we are going to take the opportunity to come together as one worship community prior to the meeting.
The service will begin at 9:00AM. Following the service, we will gather together for a "Brunch Potluck" and the Annual Meeting.
A potluck sign-up sheet will be located at the entrance of the Chapel (at 8:00AM) and at the Cathedral entrance (at 10:00AM) the next two Sundays. You are asked to sign-up for one of the five "categories": (1) Egg dish/casserole, (2) Breakfast Meats, (3) Fruit Salad/Fruit, (4) Pastries; and, (5) Juices.
The meeting is important to the mission and ministries of St. James. Please plan to attend this vital gathering.
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MEN'S BREAKFAST THIS SATURDAY
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The men of the Cathedral Congregation will gather on Saturday morning, January 5th, at Yosemite Falls Cafe (4020 N Cedar Ave,--across the street from the Cathedral). The breakfast will begin at 7:00AM.
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FOOD BANK WEDNESDAY
NEXT DATE: JANUARY 10TH
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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Have you ever wondered where books such as Tobit, Baruch, Bel and the Dragon, and Judith are located in the Bible? Old Testament . . . no! New Testament . . . no! "But, didn't we just hear a reading from one of those books in a Sunday service," you say. Those books and others are in the Bible--in the Apocrypha to be exact.
Explore the Scriptures of the Apocrypha--the other "canonical scripture."
Emily Niblick will lead a Bible study on
Thursdays at 10:30AM starting January 10th in the Fireside Room.
This will be an introductory study. The study will focus on the background and context of each book, along with its impact on Christian thought. The group will explore important parts of each book, hopefully giving insight into the author’s intention and allowing participants to apply the themes and messages to their own spiritual journey.
For more information or to express interest in attending the study, please email
Emily Niblick. All are welcome!
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Electronic Service Programs Available
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This month, St. James introduced a redesigned Sunday Service Program. The programs contain the entire service including the music. In addition, programs are available in regular size and large print. We hope the new program designed improves your overall worship experience. Another big reason for the redesign is to offer guests to the Cathedral and newcomers a more user-friendly introduction to our Episcopal services.
"At St. James we print the entire service each Sunday in the program as a matter of hospitality, accessibility, and convenience. Without a service program, we would be leafing through as many as five hymnals, the Book of Common Prayer, the Bible, and a spare leaflet with prayers and so on," said Dean Ryan Newman. "It would be extremely frustrating and could negatively impact someone’s overall worship experience."
"However, we must identify and offer ways to minimize our impact on the precious resources of the environment," said Dean Ryan.
We are happy to introduce the next step--"Paperless Service Program" initiative. The program's goal is to encourage members of the Cathedral Congregation to download the Sunday service program onto their mobile device (iPhone, iPad, Kindle, etc.) in an effort to minimize our environmental footprint.
"The Paperless Service Program is a small step in the right direction," said Dean Ryan.
A download link is available each week in the Midweek Missive under the "This Sunday" section. In addition, the Sunday program can be downloaded by visiting:
https://stjamesfresno.org/programs/
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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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