Weekly e-Epistle
from
St. James' Mill Creek
Wilmington, Delaware
March 6th, 2022

We'd love for you to join us!

We would be pleased if you joined us in person or online from the comfort of your home for church services via Facebook Live at 9:30am.


Here is a PDF of this Sunday's bulletin for you to enjoy.
As Lent is here, we might have all taken on some kind of discipline to temper our own temptations. Maybe you gave up chocolate or wine or checking Facebook. If you’ve been doing any of these things in excess, that’s good and Godspeed to you for your journey. As we think of these, though, they come under the heading of “temptations to fall,” which aren’t the same as the temptations of Jesus here in the wilderness.
 
The temptations that Jesus faces here are more akin to “temptations to rise,” which can be even more harmful than the “temptations to fall” and are the ones that more adversely affect those around us. These “temptations to rise” include desires for money and power and authority, and these temptations are often built on the backs of others and through forms of suppression and oppression that are counter to the Kingdom of God.
 
As we move into this season, these might be the temptations that are more important for us to be aware of because these are the temptations that can fracture our relationships and our communities and put a greater distance between us and God. In this time of reflection and repentance, let’s strive to be aware of these temptations, and when we encounter them, let’s refocus ourselves on God and the way God is calling us to be.
Millcreek Ecumenical Lenten Lunches
 
Continuing a longstanding Lenten tradition, Limestone Presbyterian will be hosting this year’s Lenten lunches. This is a wonderful opportunity to join together with our fellow churches during this holy season.
 
Our worship service will begin at 12 PM at Limestone Presbyterian Church followed a lunch of soup and bread at 12:30 PM.

St. James’ will provide the homily, music, and lunch on March 23, and if you’d like to volunteer, please contact the Church Office for more details at office@stjamesmillcreek.comcastbiz.net .

 
Bishop Brown’s Annual Lenten Book Study and Compline
 
Enrich your Lenten season with Bishop Brown and other Episcopalians and fellow ecumenical groups from across the diocese with a book study, via Zoom, from your living room (or wherever you may be at that moment).

The meetings will be Mondays, March 7 – April 11, 6:30 – 7:45 p.m., and no special applications are necessary — just a computer or mobile device.

The book for study is Jesus and the Disinherited, by Howard Thurman. You can read more about this book here . To register for the book study and compline, please click here . Once registered, you will receive confirmation and a link from Zoom that will enable you to join the study. The same link will be used each Monday. If you have any questions please contact Pam Smith at the Mission Support Office, 302.256.0374.

Experiencing Technical Difficulties
 
Good afternoon, Everyone:

Our phones have been down for a while and we're still working on getting them fixed. We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause. If you need to get a hold of us here at the church please try via email.

office@stjamesmillcreek.comcastbiz.net
or
rector@stjamesmillcreek.comcastbiz.net

We appreciate your patience and understanding.
Parish House Foyer Closet
To Be Cleaned Out
 
The closet in the foyer of the Parish House has become a “Catch All Location”.  It needs to be cleaned out. Volunteers are going to start organizing it March 14th. 

If you have any items in the closet, please remove them before March 14th. If they are church related, please let the church office know where they belong. Any unclaimed items will either be donated to a local organization, put in the Flea Market, or put in the trash.

Thank you for your cooperation.
Upcoming opportunities for exploring the Bible, fellowship, and worship!

Please visit our webpage for updates about upcoming activities, including the following:

·      Following Sunday service – The Good Book Club will meet in the lounge. Come for the fellowship and discussion (having completed the readings is NOT required.)

·      Lectionary Bible Study: Monday's at 10:30 in the lounge.

·      Wednesday Holy Eucharist in the church at 10 AM
Bazaar Update

The Bazaar Ladies have returned to their weekly workshops. They are looking forward to being able to have a full year of creating new and familiar items for our annual Bazaar and spending time with good friends.
 
New friends are always welcome. If anyone would like to join the ladies, please contact Nancy Patterson (302) 239-7649 or Shirley Alexander (302) 738-5331. We meet every Tuesday, 9:00 AM – 11:300 AM. Several of the ladies usually go to lunch after workshop. It is a fun group. No skills are required. There’s a variety of tasks to be done. It is a morning filled with fellowship and creativity. 
The St. James’ Bazaar Ladies
St. James' Flea Market

Saturday May 7th from 8AM until 1PM, May 14th is the rain date. We are currently looking for volunteers that wish to help during this event. If you are interested in volunteering speak with Chuck Haywood or contact the office to sign up.

We are also accepting donations for the Flea Market. We only ask that things be in good and working condition, and appropriate to be sold at a church function.

Thank you so much!
Serving those in need with dignity and respect…
 
We are grateful for your support that enables us to
serve lunch at the Emmanuel Dining Room
and provide clothing, food, and other items
needed by those being served at the Hope Center.
 
EMMANUEL DINING ROOM
Providing a daily lunch to those in need in Wilmington
 
Our next date for providing lunch for Emmanuel Dining Room will be Thursday, March 31, 2022 and we will continue to deliver our lunch items and extra bottles of water. We hope we will be able to serve our guests in the dining room sometime this spring. For now, we offer “take-away” lunches. We will be serving meatball subs, fruit, chips, cookies, and a bottle of water again this year. When possible, we’ll also offer a peanut butter and jelly sandwich as a snack/extra meal (for now--made by youth and adults in their homes.)
 
New Castle County HOPE Center
for Individuals and Families in need of temporary housing and support services.
 
What started as temporary housing during the cold weather of 2020-2021 has grown into a permanent center that provides housing and support services for individuals and families who are without adequate housing in New Castle County.  New Castle County (NCC) purchased the former Sheraton Hotel on Airport Rd (now named the New Castle County HOPE Center) and kept the hotel management staff to keep the facility running.  Working together, many non-profit organizations including Family Promise provide various services and support for individuals and families to obtain emergency and more significant housing and medical, psychological, and job skills opportunities as well. The hotel can accommodate 400 and suites and adjoining rooms are given to families and enable households to stay together. Housing is coordinated through the Delaware Housing Alliance. 
 
If you know of anyone who needs this housing, please ask them to call 1-833-FIND-BED (1-833-3463-233) and leave a message.
 
How can you help?
Review the list below and see where you might be able to help.
 
Current items needed:
 
•      Hygiene items such as deodorant, shampoo, and soap (regular and travel size)
•      Non-alcohol hand sanitizer
•      Tide pods or other laundry pods
•      NEW Underwear, and socks - all sizes, children through adult
•      New or gently used t-shirts and light jacket
·       New books for adults and children
·       Gift cards - Target, Acme, Wawa
 
Please drop the items off:
 
·        Monday-Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the parish hall porch 
Please place your donations in the bin labeled Donations for HOPE Center on the porch of the parish hall. Liz will bring in the bin and any donated items at 12:30 p.m.
·        On Sunday, there is a container in the foyer of the church.
 
We take the donations to Friendship House about every two weeks.
 
Thank you,
St. James' Outreach Ministry
Prayer Team

One Sunday of every month, the members of the prayer team hold a “virtual” ZOOM prayer service (focusing on the prayer requests shared by parishioners through calls or emails to the church office 994-1584 or to individual members of the prayer team.) We lift up these prayer requests and other concerns of the parish, community, and world.

Also, weekly we share the prayers and petitions that have been given to us and they are lifted in the daily prayers of the team members. All are welcome to provide their prayer requests and participate in these services.
 
For those who have an immediate prayer need or would like to receive the ZOOM codes and join the prayer team service, we invite you to email your prayer needs/requests to Cindy Fauerbach cindyfauerbach@verizon.net or call Cindy at
302-584-8053
 
NOTE: Our next ZOOM prayer team will be Sunday, March 6th at 5 p.m.
St. James' Pastoral Care Team

St. James' Pastoral Care Team continues to support our parish family and our community.
 
If you or someone you know is in need, we: 
 
·    send cards, make phone calls, and pray with you and/or for you.
·    For now, in an abundance of caution, our home, hospital, and Eucharistic visits are on hold.
 
Please call the office (302-994-1584) and leave a message. Someone will get back to you. Messages are retrieved daily, seven days a week.
 
Please let us know if you need us or someone you know needs us. We will not know if you do not tell us.
“Blessful” Meditations

We all know that life can be a little stressful and hectic sometimes. We hope that by reading this short bible passage and watching a relaxing video will help you take a moment and reflect on God’s gifts.  

Hebrews 11:1

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."
Prayer for Ash Wednesday

Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.



Find more Morning Psalm and prayers please visit
https://delaware.church/psalms-and-prayers/
COVID-19 Restrictions

 
Our firm desire is to worship our Lord in beauty, holiness, AND safety! Please be assured that the St. James' leadership team has worked hard to have meaningful worship while at the same time making our environment as safe as possible for everyone.
  • Church entry time will be 9:15 a.m.
  • Please sanitize hands before entering the church.
  • Face masks are mandatory. 
  • At communion, please wait until you are back in your seat to consume your wafer.
For Access to the News of the Diocesan Publications
St. James' Mill Creek
2106 St. James Church Road
Wilmington, DE 19808

302.994.1584