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Weekly e-Epistle
from
St. James' Mill Creek
Wilmington, Delaware
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March 13th, 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.
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Here is a PDF of this Sunday's bulletin for you to enjoy. |
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As Jesus draws closer to Jerusalem, the tension in the Gospel stories is evident. We hear some of the Pharisees say to him, “You’ve got to get out of here; Herod is trying to kill you!” To which Jesus replies, “Tell him I’m busy and that he knows where to find me.” It’s a real thumb in the eye as this prophet tells the ruling authority what they can do with their own threats of violence toward.
The mood turns, though, as we hear Jesus lament the state of life around him and in Jerusalem. There’s a longing as he says, “I just want to gather you up as a mother hen gathers her brood under her wings.” We hear in his voice and see in this image a sadness and frustration because he sees that all he’s tried to do seems to be being ignored, unheard, as he’s been trying to direct people people back to God.
It’s easy to think, “Oh, those silly Pharisees; how could they not have known,” but the reality is that we all continue to miss that mark that Jesus has set for us. We all miss opportunities to see how God is calling us to live. We all miss opportunities to accept the mercy of God. The good news, though, is that Christ is always seeking to bring us closer, to bring us back, no matter how far we stray. The responsibility is on us, though, to recognize those moments and turn back to that embrace.
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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.
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Lessons and Carols for Lent at Immanuel on the Green
Sunday, March 13, 4:00 pm
The Immanuel Choir
Jack Warren Burnam, Choirmaster and Organist
The Rev’d Christopher P. Keene, Rector, officiating
The Rev’d Ben Rockwell, Rector of St. James’, Millcreek, visiting clergy
Lessons and Carols for Lent takes as its theme the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, whose example provides the pattern for our own journey through Lent. Music sung by the Immanuel Choir, hymns and carols sung by the congregation, readings from Old Testament prophecy and the Gospels, and meditative periods of silence are imaginatively juxtaposed to invite us to enter into the spirit of the Lenten Season. The sacred space of Immanuel on the Green provides the ideal setting, in its gracious simplicity, to reflect on the meaning of Lent for our inner life and daily challenges. It’s a service for people of all ages and spiritual dispositions.
Join us at Immanuel on the Green this Sunday, March 13 at 4:00 pm for Lessons and Carols for Lent, as we seek a renewed and refreshed perspective on the Lenten season.
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A Prayer for Ukraine
God of peace and justice,
we pray for the people of Ukraine today.
We pray for peace and the laying down of weapons.
We pray for all those who fear for tomorrow,
that your Spirit of comfort would draw near to them.
We pray for those with power over war or peace,
for wisdom, discernment and compassion to guide their decisions.
Above all, we pray for all your precious children, at risk and in fear,
that you would hold and protect them.
We pray in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace.
Amen
Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby
Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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, April 3rd at 5 p.m.
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“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.
Proverbs 23:18
"There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off."
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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 required.
- At communion, please wait until you are back in your seat to consume your wafer.
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For Access to the News of the Diocesan Publications |
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St. James' Mill Creek
2106 St. James Church Road
Wilmington, DE 19808
302.994.1584
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