VOLUME 2, ISSUE 14
April 23, 2020
Third Sunday of Easter
Psalm 148, 149
Exodus 18:1-12
1 John 2:7-17
Mark 16:9-20
SUN. APRIL 22 - 10:00AM
Officiants: Cathedral/Diocese Staff Clergy
Preacher: Rev. Luis Rodriguez
SUNDAY WORSHIP
SUNDAYS @ 10:00AM

WEEKLY PRAYER MEETING
TUESDAYS @ 9:00AM

SUNDAY COFFEE HOUR
(STARTS MAY 3)
SUNDAYS @ 11:00AM
ALL ON-CAMPUS ACTIVITIES
ARE SUSPENDED UNTIL MAY 24

CHAPTER MEETING
SUNDAY, APRIL 26 @ 11:00AM
EARTH DAY AT THE CATHEDRAL
Worship and advocacy mark the 50th anniversary
EARTH DAY SERVICE
On Wednesday, the Cathedral/Diocese Staff Team offered a service for Earth Day. The service included special music and prayers, a homily from Bishop Rice, and some reflections on the current environmental crisis confronting the San Joaquin Valley. To view the service, please click on the link above.
BISHOP RICE JOINS FORUM HOSTED BY NATIONAL CATHEDRAL
Bishop Rice participated in a panel discussion moderated by The Reverend Canon Stephanie Spellers, Canon to the Presiding Bishop for Evangelism, Reconciliation and Creation, on healing the earth in honor of the fiftieth anniversary of Earth Day. To view the forum, please click on the link above.
DIGITAL ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR THE WEEK
Every Monday at 6:00PM a new episode of "Five Good Minutes" premiers on St. James' YouTube Channel and Facebook page and past episodes are available onboth broadcast platforms.

"Five Good Minutes" is a production of the Dean, Deacons, and Cathedral Administrator. As the "five" say, "In each episode, our goal is for the five of us, to share at least five of the most important newsworthy items in the life of the Cathedral. . . and we do this all...in 'Five Good Minutes' (or so)."
FORMAT CHANGE FOR SUNDAY DISCUSSIONS
Digital Coffee Hour begins May 3rd
Over a month ago, just as our digital Cathedral was launching, we recognized a need to gather after the 10:00AM service on Sunday. Initially, the primary focus of that gathering was a discussion of the Sunday sermon. However, as our Sunday morning gatherings on Zoom have evolved, we now feel it is an ideal time to "reshape" our time together.

Starting on Sunday, May 3rd, following the 10:00AM service at approximately 11:00AM, our gathering on Zoom will be a "Digital Coffee Hour." We invite you to grab a cup of coffee or tea and join us for the conversation.

The group may talk about the service and/or the sermon. However, we might end up talking about recipes, exercise, hobbies, and whatever else might be on our minds.

To participate, log into the  Cathedral Coffee Hour on Zoom. The meeting password is " james4147".

You can also join the conversation by phone. Call (669) 900-6833 and enter the meeting ID 821-8772-3828. You will be prompted to enter the phone password "492292".

Please note: There is no Sermon Discussion gathering this Sunday, April 26th due to a scheduled Chapter Meeting.
WEEKLY PRAYER MEETING
Every Tuesday at 9:00AM
St. James is offering continued opportunities to be engaged in prayer and community.

How can you join in?
Every Tuesday morning at 9:00 log into this Zoom link. Put in the password 023672 or stay in the waiting room and an Admin will let you into the room.

What do you need to bring/do?
There is no required level of involvement. This group is designed to provide prayer opportunities for anyone interested. Come with your prayer requests, share them in chat, or offer a voiced prayer. Kourinthia or Deacon Angela will facilitate, offering their own prayers and petitions, and ending with the collect of the day.

Where can I find more information on how to prayer/what prayers to use?
The Book of Common Prayer has a section on Prayers and Petitions. The Episcopal Church offers resources on prayer and offers a place to submit prayer requests. If you are interested in more information on prayer and spiritual development reach out to a Diocesan clergy person.

We invite you to share your prayer requests and to view the Prayer List each day and pray for those asking for prayers.

Through a simple form, you can submit a prayer that will be posted on the Prayer List web page or you can submit a private prayer request to the Cathedral clergy.
A few weeks ago, we shared, u nfortunately, since the suspension of public worship services and on campus activities, the Cathedral has experienced a 60% drop in pledge/giving income .  In addition, we are unable to generate any rental income during this period. Thank you to the individuals/families who made donations through our new online giving portal.

Cathedral team continues to closely monitor St. James' cash flow issue and currently are be able to meet its financial obligations to our staff, ministries, and vendors. However, your continued and ongoing support is needed.

Please make every effort keep your pledge/giving current, and if you are able to do so, please consider giving an additional gift of support to the Cathedral.

As a reminder: In an effort to simplify giving, St. James has partnered with Authorize.Net, the world’s leading secure online payment platform. Through the  St. James website, you can quickly and securely submit your pledge/gift by electronic check and credit card.  Please note:  The fees passed along to St. James are significantly less with electronic check payments compared to credit card payments.

Thank you for your continued generosity and support!
ST. JAMES AND THE SPANISH FLU OF 1918 & 1919
by Emily Niblick
These are trying times, when a silent and invisible enemy lurks everywhere undetected, and we are forced to change our lifestyles and freedoms. We hide in our homes, unable to go out for anything but necessities. We watch tv, where it seems there is only one topic to report: the skyrocketing number of cases, the mounting number of deaths.

What a blessing it has been to be able to watch our bishop and clergy lead us in Morning Prayer on Sunday mornings! The digital age has at least made it possible to keep together, to see familiar faces, to hear the Word despite our confinement. And to remain safe doing so.

It was not that way in the later months of 1918 and the first quarter of 1919. The country was engulfed in another pandemic, the Spanish Influenza, which came home from Europe with returning soldiers and spread rapidly throughout the nation. Eventually, that virus would take over 50 million lives worldwide.
WORSHIP

St. James offers Sunday worship each Sunday at 10:00AM on our YouTube Channel, Facebook Page, and Website. Archives of these services are available.
SERVICE PROGRAMS

Starting this Sunday, we will once again begin offering digital service programs. Visit the St. James website to download the program. If possible, for our creation care work, please do not print the program.
SERVICE SURVEY

To help us improve our digital church experience, please evaluate your experience of our "live stream service," by taking a moment to complete a short survey following Sunday's service.
Reuse. You Don't Have to Use an Item Just Once Right? 
What disposable items in your life could you replace with a reusable option?

Do you use cloth napkins or paper?

Do you have a reusable water bottle or disposable?

Do you use cleaning wipes or clothes?

Do you pack your lunch in plastic bags or in reusable containers?
BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS COMMITTEE
The next meeting will be May 2 at 9:00AM and will held in a Zoom Conference .
Call in option: (669) 900-6833 and enter the meeting ID 738-270-106.
PRESERVATION COMMITTEE
The next meeting will be May 3rd at 11:30AM and will held in a Zoom Conference.Call in option: (669) 900-6833 and enter the meeting ID 378-306-618.
MEN'S GROUP
Postponed until further notice. Thank you for your understanding.
BIBLE STUDY- THE BOOK OF REVELATION
Look for more information in the coming weeks.
The martyrdom of Constance and her five companions, who died within a month of each other while ministering to residents of Memphis, Tennessee, amid the 1878 yellow fever epidemic, has always inspired the ministry of St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral.
With little help from the federal government, small businesses across the United States are struggling to survive. In Maine, where the economy is heavily dependent on the now-decimated industries of tourism, restaurants and fishing, one particular type of very small business is caught in the eye of the economic storm: the lobsterman.
 For many Episcopalians, the COVID-19 pandemic is a reminder of the interconnected nature of humanity: our health depends on the health of those around us, and small-scale individual actions can ultimately have global consequences. While the pandemic is demanding the world’s immediate attention, another crisis is looming that requires a similar level of urgent global action: climate change.
Atlanta Bishop Robert C. Wright on April 21 announced that he will meet with clergy prior to deciding when and in what ways to reopen the diocese’s 117 worshipping locations. Wright’s statement came in response to an announcement late April 20 by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp that worship services are among gatherings that may resume in the state beginning April 27.
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.