Third Sunday in Lent

Psalm 19

Exodus 20:1-17

1 Corinthians 1:18-25

John 2:13-22

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Officiants: The Very Reverend Samuel Colley-Toothaker, Acting Dean and Cathedral/Diocese Staff Clergy

Preacher: The Reverend Terrance Goodpasture

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Tithing...(I know, why am I talking about this now) is probably the most overlooked spiritual discipline in all of Christendom. It is comparatively easy to incorporate meditation, prayer, or volunteering into your life. But tithing? The thought of giving away money, even $100.00 a month, makes many people cringe. Imagine, then, giving 10% of your income back to God through this “Place of Grace” we call St. James Episcopal Cathedral.

You might say to yourself that’s positively undoable. Or you may protest that you’re already living paycheck-to-paycheck. But is your budget really as tight as you think it is? Or have your just expanded your financial comfort zone to the very limits of our incomes (and perhaps beyond?). Who am I to ask such questions of you? I am your priest. I care for your soul.

The tithe is an ancient spiritual discipline, and it serves three primary purposes:

First, it contributes to your spiritual formation. Every time you make this financial contribution, you acknowledge that God created you, blesses you, and cares for you. Returning 10% of God's abundance is a reminder of the Divine covenant, the promise expressed in a variety of ways throughout the Bible but expressed most intimately in the words of Jesus when he said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Second, the tithe provides the financial resources necessary to support our church. Your yearly pledge compensates the priest and the staff of SJC, maintains our buildings, provides worship materials and resources for Christian education, and meets other daily church expenditures.

Finally, the tithe enables St. James Episcopal Cathedral to live into its vision and mission to provide for the least among us, to educate the seeker...to enrich all those who enter into our community faith...and of course to make Disciples through education.

Holy Scripture mentions money more than 800 times and Tithing 68 times. Why so many times? Honestly, it is because money is where most people get tripped up.

In 1982, the General Convention of the Episcopal Church adopted a resolution stating, "the tithe is the minimum standard of giving for Episcopalians." It was left to individuals to determine for themselves whether the tithe was to be computed before or after tax.

While there's generally little confusion as to the purpose or need for the tithe, most churches report that among their parishioners there are very low levels of compliance with this discipline. At St. James last year, the total amount of the money that we contributed was far short of the biblical standard. We all have our own reasons for why we give, or why we don't, but perhaps we should look again at our motives.

Setting aside the tithe, or even a smaller percentage to begin with, is an eternal and transcendental acknowledgment that the world is bigger than we are. It is demonstrating to the universe that we walk by faith, and that we humbly accept the blessings we have been given and the small sacrifices we are commanded to make to honor God with a portion of what He has given us.

Instead of a painful parting with what we treasure most, the tithe should be a bold proclamation that we have already been given more than we could ask or imagine. It also can be a shout for joy that our eternity will be spent in unimaginable splendor. I can think of no better time to talk about tithing than during the sacrificial time of Lent.

Merciful Blessings,

Dean Sam+

Our diocesan Sunday School children are having a name contest to name the heifer they are filling their Lenten Collection Boxes to fund now through May 16. So far names submitted include Juniper, Lola, daisy, Pink, Stella Ripjaw, Fred, Brownie, Violet, Harpo, Baby Cow and many more! We will let you know their final selection.

Everyone is invited to support them in their efforts by donating funds to help Fill the Ark with one of every kind of animal HPI provides to impoverished family farmers here in the United States and around the world. The amount needed to fill an ark is $5,000. The amount needed to subscribe a share in each animal is $500. The amount the children need to raise to subscribe a heifer is $500.

If it furthers your faith journey, you are invited to join with them in contributing to the ministry of HPI to help end hunger around the world. Download and use the Fill the Ark Giving Calendar through the remainder of Lent to see specifically how and why the animals HPI provides make farming sustainable, good for the environment and good for the economy. The download link is HERE.

HPI is the gift that keeps on giving in Christ’s name. We hope to announce the total contributed for this project by Pentecost Sunday and celebrate how together we are reaching those in need around the globe.

Join us for six interfaith conversations every Monday, as we consider what it means to "Bear Witness" to Fresno's history of racism and redlining.

Date: Every Monday, February 15 - March 22, 2021

Time: 4 p.m. PST

Location: Zoom

Registration on Eventbrite is coming. All sessions are free and will be recorded. For more information, visit their homepage.

Guest Scholars:

Malik Simba, PhD, Professor Emeritus of History and Africana Studies, Fresno State University

Nathan Hensley, PhD, Associate Professor of English, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.

Uziel Jimenez, Antiracist Educator, Co-founder Fresno Ethnic Studies Coalition

Each of our three guest scholars has made an important contribution to the study of racism and redlining in Fresno. Speaking from different vantage points, life experiences, and scholarly pursuits, they ask what it means to bear witness, and who gets to tell their story.

Representatives from four faith traditions and respondents take a deep dive into Eddie S. Glaude Jr.'s best-selling book, Begin Again: James Baldwin's America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own.

Our three guest scholars return for a powerful discussion with four interfaith speakers on lessons learned and the urgent questions we must ask in order to call forth a new America in our communities.

Contact Dean Sam if you are interested in working with him on the Buildings and Grounds Team. There is much to be done, and you can make a difference. You can reach him at 415-758-1904.

The Fresno Bee has published this linked article: Coronavirus weekly need-to-know: Double masks, variants, second vaccine doses & more.

Vaccine clinic locations are still being added by the county. Watch for more details on our website, Facebook page, and in upcoming Midweek Missives. Visit the link below for Fresno County's COVID-19 response page for testing and vaccinations.

Thank you for your generosity to the Cathedral and to all who call St. James home. Your pledges are needed to make the good work happen here. It isn't too late. Pledge now below.

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

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.

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.

If you’re not in the room, the light doesn’t need to be on. Leave yourself post-its to help you remember to flip the switch off when you leave the room.

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".

The clergy of St. James remain deeply committed to offering pastoral care and support to members of the Cathedral Congregation especially during this difficult time. If a pastoral need arises for you or someone you know in the congregation, and you want to contact the clergy, please either email us at clergy@stjamesfresno.org or call the Cathedral office at (559) 439-5011 and select option 5 to leave a message for the clergy.

This week we lift up in our prayers St. Paul's, Modesto.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Feb. 22 declined to hear the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth’s appeal of a state court ruling, leaving more than $100 million of diocesan property in the hands of a breakaway group and potentially forcing six of the diocese’s congregations to vacate their buildings.

After petitioning to get clergy of all denominations classified as essential workers, the Diocese of Pennsylvania plans to host a clinic to administer COVID-19 vaccines to its clergy and some church employees under the state’s next vaccination phase.

Washington National Cathedral on Feb. 22 tolled its bell 500 times, once for every 1,000 people who have died from COVID-19 in the United States. As the cathedral marks the death toll topping a half million this week, millions of people are receiving vaccinations against the coronavirus.

The Diocese of New York held a celebratory virtual service on Feb. 20 as part of its ongoing commemoration of Absalom Jones, the first Black priest in The Episcopal Church, whose feast day is Feb. 13. The service featured performances of music and poetry and remarks from Vice President of the House of Deputies Byron Rushing and New York Bishop Andrew Dietsche.

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.