News from St. James' Episcopal Church

Sunday, August 2, 2020

Our daughter, Marie, lives in Florida. Her mother and I are not too pleased with that. Every day I follow the chart in The New York Times that shows the states with the highest amount of COVID-19 cases. Florida is always there.

The good news is she came to stay with us for three weeks (I still live in North Carolina for obvious reasons). Marie is 31 and works remotely, so it doesn’t matter where she is. Her mother and I haven’t had this much prolonged contact with her in a decade.

While yes, we did have a few tense moments and yes, I discovered we don’t like to watch the same television programs (every night she asked why we watch the PBS Newshour), but I found that part of me was more relaxed. I knew one of my two children was safe.

Saturday morning—two days ago—she left. “Be careful,” her mother and I said like a mantra. Now as the house is quieter and my wife, Jo, and I are back in our routines, I find I am back in that in-between place—to care and not to care.

The letting go, the becoming open to what life brings is not limited to parenthood. It’s the root of discipleship. We all are letting go of the summer we thought we would have. We are letting go of the sense of calm we used to have and in turn are learning to embrace a diligence that, over the long haul, is exhausting. We are letting go of the illusion that as a nation we have dealt with our embedded racism and therefore have to face some hard realities that are difficult to acknowledge, much less to transform.

This period isn’t going to fade away quickly. Therefore, instead of holding our breath or being perpetually frustrated or distracted, let us remember that regardless of the conditions, “This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” If we are to experience the presence of God, it will only be on the day we are actually alive and not some far away peaceful time.

Because I knew my time with Marie was short and because I was displaced from my old routines of staying preoccupied, for some periods I was able to be fully present and give thanks in the moment. I didn’t hammer my daughter with my usual grilling – “Saving money?” “Eating well?” “Being safe?” I was just glad to see her and embrace her. I was glad for the time I could see her face to face instead of through a screen.

During the Eucharist, we hear the celebrant say, “Do this for the remembrance of me,” but the Holy Communion is not the only vehicle for divine remembering.

In Christ we live in a sacramental universe. Yes, the consecrated bread and wine are holy, but God’s grace can’t be limited to those. Let’s remember, one of Thomas Merton’s deepest experiences of the Holy was crossing the street in Louisville, Kentucky on the way to the dentist. If God is God, then the divine presence is everywhere if we will be present for it.

Here’s the thing. I know we miss the Eucharist, but in this meantime, let us be open to God’s grace in our very lives. The truth is, we live in a sacramental world. As we read two Sundays ago in the Genesis passage, Jacob is in the middle of nowhere. “A certain place” is the term given, yet the passage ends with him saying, “this is the gate of heaven.” Because we live in a sacramental universe, the gate of heaven is everywhere.

Let us be careful about COVID-19, and let us engage the racism that continues to infect our country, but let us not believe that God is absent from us because of our country’s condition or because of our need to maintain physical distance from one another or because we don’t have “normal” church services. The Holy Spirit is beyond time and space.

We must not hold our breath, or white knuckle it during this time. Paula D’Arcy, says, “God comes disguised as your own life.” Maybe in the shape of your daughter; maybe on your way to the dentist; maybe as you be still and know that God is God.



This is the only moment we have to be alive and be receptive to the Holy Spirit. Let us be open to those times when we are fully, completely connected to one another, to our true self and to God who is always connecting us.

Perhaps one of the few gifts of COVID-19 is that we have time to remember and to be remembered. May we use that time to be open to God’s grace.

Our guest Preacher and Celebrant on Sunday, August 2 is the Rev. Deborah Rutter.   Ordained in 1983, Debbie began her ministry as Chaplain at St. Margaret’s School in Tappahannock and since then has served churches in the Middle Peninsula, the Northern Neck and the Northern Shenandoah Valley of the Diocese of Virginia. Debbie retired from full-time ministry in 2017 as Rector of Calvary Episcopal Church in Front Royal. In retirement she continues to enjoy her ministry as a Spiritual Director and serving as a supply priest in churches around our diocese.

Join us as we "go live" on Facebook at  10 a.m.

See instructions here or visit facebook.com/stjamesleesburg

to see our worship services.

During August, we are praying for, learning about, and financially supporting Backpack Buddies Foundation of Loudoun (BBFL).

The BBFL funds and facilitates a variety of programs throughout Loudoun County, providing food to underserved children and their families. In 2019, BBFL provided $132,000 in funding to 55 LCPS Backpack Buddy programs, providing over 20,600 weekend meals.

The BBFL Board is a volunteer organization with no paid employees. Over 94 percent of donations received directly fund food provisioning for Backpack Buddies programs throughout the county.

While the Coronavirus has taken children out of school, it has also exacerbated the problem of food insecurity for the community we serve. As the school reopening strategy evolves, we continue to work closely with the school BPB programs to assure meal delivery to children and families in need, as we did during the Spring closure.

St. James’ is widely known for its generosity in times of need, and help is needed now to support this critical mission.  This year, we are fortunate that a fellow member of St. James’ has agreed to match “Dollar for Dollar” all donations to BBFL in the month of August. So, $10 becomes $20, $100 becomes $200 (enough to provide a full year of weekend meals to a child in need), and so on.

If you are able, please give generously to this worthy mission, using the button below so we can track donations for the matching gift.

Thank you in advance for your consideration and generosity: “Because hunger doesn’t take the weekend off.”

Summer can be a wonderful time of family togetherness, a rediscovery of people we've been spending our days apart from. But it can also be action-packed and frenetic. 

 

That's where we hope this  Guide  comes in. It's designed to be a reminder to slow down. In its pages you will find opportunities to slow down and appreciate the people with whom you live, to slow down and make time for neighbors, to slow down and discover new things about yourself, and to slow down and let God reveal God's love.

 

For each of the ten weeks of summer, the  Guide  offers a theme loosely based on the lectionary readings for that Sunday. Themes include growing, storms, help, journeys, following your heart, serving, miracles, gifts, needs, and wisdom. There are several suggestions for things you can do to more fully experience and share God's love with the world. We've also included one or two open-ended questions to facilitate intergenerational discussion. And for each week, we offer full-page activities ranging from matching games to craft projects.



Have a safe, blessed, and spiritual summer!

In this challenging time, many are asking, "How can I help?"

NEW OPPORTUNITY: Please consider providing food for St. Gabriel's ministry that serves folks who are food-insecure, do not have transportation, are nontraditional renters, and due to the pandemic have not had work or had their hours severely reduced. All food donations can be dropped off at St. David's in Ashburn on Mondays from 4:30-6:30 p.m.

To assist our parishioners, family, or friends, as well as support community organizations that provide key services (food, shelter, or direct aid), ​St. James' has established a  COVID-19 Response Fund.

In addition, Fr. Daniel Vélez Rivera , vicar of St. Gabriel's Episcopal Church (St. James' daughter church), works closely with Catholic Charities to help distribute emergency COVID-19-related rental assistance to people who are non lease-holders.

Grace to Go continues to serve to-go meals every Monday evening from the St. James' parking lot.

If you, a family member, or friend, find themselves in a place of need,  please  contact Fr. Earl.  Please do not hesitate to reach out if you are in need.

In addition, please share this list of non-profits who can assist those in need.

Genesis 32: 22-31

Jacob got up at night and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. He took them and sent them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had.

 

Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, “Let me go, for the day is breaking.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.” So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” Then the man said, “You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved.” The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.

Matthew 14:13-21

Jesus withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” Jesus said to them, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They replied, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.” And he said, “Bring them here to me.” Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

" In case of illness, the minister of the congregation is to be notified."

The Book of Common Prayer, p. 453

Please let us know when you are in need of prayer and care.

Whom should you call?

The Rev. Earl Mullins

Emergency Number:

410-409-9386

Email: fr.earl@stjamesleesburg.org

The Church Office

703-777-1124

When should you call?

Those requesting our prayers this week: Margaret Haight, Brianne Bailey and Family, the Lamberty Family, Alice Lynn, Mary Paul, Inez Peebles, Caroline Ennis, the Lynch Family, the Page family, John Marsh, and the Riley family, Mary Bracken, Jennifer Griffith, Tim MacNamara, Fiona Ahrweiler and family; for other persons: EJ and Kayla Poell, Orma Call, Chris DeWaard, Jay Watkins, Mark and Meghan Roomsfa, Lori Turner, Chase Smith, the Schott family, Charlotte, Christian Cutillo, Ruth Guerra, Miline Hughes, Erin Stanton, Barbara Rose, Nancy Hylton, Bridget Steel, Matthew Britto, Betty Overson, Dewey, those who are unemployed or underemployed; and those serving in the armed forces at home and abroad. 

St. James’ Vestry

Carolyn Briles

Katherine Bucklin

Andy Durot

Jim Ferry

Ed Hatrick

Karen Knobloch

Steve Mayo

Deb McGee

Page Moffett

Wayne Newell

Terry Prevost , Junior Warden

Jane Roth, Secretary

Mark Snow , Senior Warden

Fred Williams

Seth Griner, Youth Representative

Treasurer

John Forcier

  St. James’ Clergy and Staff

The Rev. W. Earl Mullins

Interim Rector

Dr. Steven Cooksey

Director of Music/Organist

Dr. Stephen Knobloch

Corner Chorale Music Director

Walter Litzenberger

Assistant Choir Director/Organist

Kay Gregg

Parish Administrator and Registrar

Janet Stayrook

Preschool Director

Adan Cortez

Lead Sexton

Francisco Ramos

Sexton