02/16/24 News and updates from St. James Church

First Things First

The office will be closed on Monday, February 19 in observance of President's Day.

Message of the Moment

The Time I Ate 58 Raw Oysters at the Oyster Dinner

No, not me. But the locally popular Eddy B. did eat 58 raw oysters. He posted an article about the Oyster Dinner to his blog, which apparently is followed by the hip Wichitans (until this week that wasn’t me, but now I’m hip).

The Oyster Dinner was the highlight of the week as well as the early part of all of 2024. It was a week that really needed a highlight. Coming in as the second highest light of the week was the outcome of Sunday’s Super Bowl. However, its status as a “highlight” was immediately downgraded to a deep lowlight following the victory parade. Three shooters were arrested and we wait for the rest of the details to come out.

Only a brief time after the shooting, the Ash Wednesday worship service was held at St. James. The liturgy was beautiful, the congregation was full, an excellent sermon was delivered, and the choir presented a lovely set of musical pieces. As much as we love all of these things, I had the sense that people needed to be together in the presence of God. The protection of the nave, the presence of parishioners, and the nurture provided in the Eucharist were what was needed and wanted.

The liturgy of Ash Wednesday speaks to us about remembering our mortality and it prompts us to penitence in the season of Lent, holds our attention on the thought of death, and leads us to find hope in the mercy of God and the promise of life everlasting, where are lives are changed, not ended, as we enter eternal life. Therefore, coming to church on the heels of one of the nation’s most recent mass shootings was a comfort, served as our succor, and reminded us how fleeting our moments in this life are.

Another reminder of our mortality came during the week as Jose chaotically and tragically said good-bye to his 29-year old niece, Amanda. Those of us who saw Jose’s pain were left shaken by the irrevocable seriousness of death. Many people of our congregation have lifted Jose and his family in our prayers. Our care and concern is deeply appreciated by him and it highlights the importance of being part of a loving, Christian community like ours at St. James.

May the many emotions of the past week call you into a reverent, holy Lent. Through your prayers and penitence, may God’s loving and forgiving nature become clear to you. As Elizabeth said, Lent is not simply for changing a habit, rather it is for re-setting our whole relationship with God – not with a focus on details which may not matter, but with a focus on the all-encompassing way God transforms us and thereby the way we live our lives.

Blessings for a Holy Lent. Peace, Mother Dawn+

The Readings this Week

Click here to go to the Lectionary Page

Click here for a free PDF download of the Book of Common Prayer

The Lessons appointed for the First Weekend in Lent: The Great Litany;

Revised Common Lectionary, Year B

January, February, & March Schedules

Holy Week schedule is not included

5:30 Service Volunteer Schedule

8:30 Service Volunteer Schedule

10:45 Service Volunteer Schedule

Service Volunteers: If you are unable to serve on an assigned date, please request a replacement. Then, other servers can respond to the replacement request - the first person to accept will be given the assignment. You can also click Decline if no one responds to your request, so we know that the position needs to be filled.

Want to know if we need additional volunteers for a specific week? Click one of the service schedules below. If you see a +Add button on a particular serving role, that means someone has declined their assignment, and we still need a volunteer to fill in. You can click +Add to sign up for that spot.

Calendar

Parish News and Updates

2024 Oyster Dinner

A great time was had by all at the Oyster Dinner this year. St. James even got an article written by a local celebrity, Eddy from Wichita by E.B. For those who don't know, Eddy is one of the food bloggers in Wichita that has a pretty substantial following as he tries to share all the fun food and events that Wichita has to offer. You can find Eddy's article and video of the event here.

As plans shape up for our May 4th event, now is the perfect time to gather everything you need to bake for the tea table and Bake Shop.

Stores such as Dollar Tree are good places to find low-cost ingredients such as sprinkles, jam and marmalade, mini cupcake liners, foil pans, plastic containers, parchment and wax paper. A visit to an estate sale or thrift store might yield that mini muffin pan or extra baking sheet you need, or colorful plates and plastic ware to package your homemade treats for the Bake Shop.

We’ll need many hundreds of tea treats (minis for the tea table and “regular” size for the bake sale). We will publish some of our well-loved recipes that have sustained the tea for decades, but we would love to have your family favorites join our delicious tea tradition.

Contemplative Prayer

The Contemplative Prayer group has moved their gathering time to 6:30 pm on Mondays starting this Monday, February 19 (They previously met at 5:30 pm). They are currently meeting on Zoom. For more information, contact Dave McDonald.

Creation Care

Creation Care is following several Kansas legislative bills of interest. Among them are House Bill 2541 (funding for land conservation), House Bill 2446 (prohibiting localities from banning single use plastics), Senate Bill 331 (water issues) and Senate Bill 349 (promoting rail service between cities). You can read more about these proposed bills by following this link to www.kslegislature.org. You can look up bills there, read the bill's text, find out where they are in the legislative process and find out who your state representative and senators are. (Their contact information can be found there, too, should you want to drop them a line.)

Community Outreach

Undies Sundays

Help us collect a large quantity of diapers and underwear for the Wichita Children’s Home. While all sizes are acceptable, larger size diapers are a particular need. Just drop them in the basket by the red doors, and we will deliver them for you.

Right now they especially need children's underwear (not white) size 4 & 10, pull up 2T & 3T, and diapers size 4& 5.

We will collect items for four weeks (until March 16)and they will be delivered before Palm Sunday.

Homelessness Speaker

The Outreach Committee will hear former City Council person Sharon Fearey present information about Homelessness. Join us on Tuesday, March 5 at 4:00 p.m. in the lounge to learn about this issue.

Children and Youth

Volunteers needed!

We need Nursery volunteers! We are looking for those that want to supervise and love on the kiddos in the Nursery at the 8:30 or 10:45 service. You decide how often you'd like to volunteer and when. Safe Church Training is required and provided by the church. Please let Chelsea know if you are interested, formation@stjameswichita.org or call the church office.

The Nursery is open each Sunday from 8:15 am - 12:00 pm and special events for newborns to five years of age.

Prayers

Parish Prayers for the Week of February 18

In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer:

Province of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan

In the World Council of Churches Cycle of Prayer:

France, Germany, Monaco

In the Kansas Cycle of Prayer:

Pray for the Church of the Covenant, Junction City

Our seminarian, Maddy Bishop

Those discerning a call to the priesthood:

Paul Leeker, Elizabeth Wenger

Those serving in the military:

Davis Jackson; Will Corkins; Maureen Tanner

Those in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness or any other adversity:

Robin S.; Julie S.; Erin C.; Peg B.; Joan M.; Diana M.; Ed & Kim; Susan G.; Peggy S.; Jean E.; Kelby; Judy T.; Mary; Darwin P.; Sam & Beth; Vicky R.; Barbara S.; Jeri & Bill; Hazel S.; Allie N.; Kris S.; Marlene H.; Judy; Greta P.; Larry R.; Jodie & family; Simon family; Nancy C.; Drew H.; Elena S.; Bella P.; Racine; Ann B.; Daimon; Anna; Dick & Judy; Liz; John O. & family; Peer M.; Brianna P.; Sylvester; Sharon & Jerry; Jan M.; Pat; Andy S.; Sue C.; Martha L.; Joseph B.; Joan J.; Jayne P.; Deb H.; Dal H.; Carole U.; Bill & Carolyn R.; Marge R.; Marcia & Lowell; Jerry M.; Gus G.

Those who have recently died:

Amanda Alonso; Bud Roller; Martha Frankfurt Forster; Delmar Klocke; Pat Heeren; Julie 'JuRie' Cole; Helen Haskin Bousfield

Some who have died in Februarys past:

Constance Baker; Bobbie Bastian; Patricia Bayles; Frances Brinegar; Virginia Buck; Betty Burns; Edward Burns; Dolores Ann Carter; David Childs; Colleen Didier; Betty Jo Durrant; Frederick Harrison; Peggy Hartman; Frank Kastor; Geraldine Lynd; Billie Matzen; Ruth McGuyre; Ruth McQuyre; Sid Platt; Darb Ratner; Larry Reynolds; Jess Sanders; Krista Schnee; Elizabeth Taggart

For the sake of privacy, we do not list the last names of those who are on our prayer list because of trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or adversity. We do our best to include last name initials in the event that two parishioners with the same first name exist.

If your prayers have been answered, let us rejoice with you. Please contact the office to let us know we can remove your prayer request. If you have prayers you would like added to the prayer list, please contact the office at office@stjameswichita.org or 316-683-5686.

Loving, Liberating and Life-Giving

Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart, that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Diocesan News

Women's Retreat

A women's retreat centered on the truth that we are made female in God's image. This spiritual gathering is an opportunity for women of all ages, stages, and backgrounds to come together, connect, and embrace the inherent beauty and strength within us and as a community of women walking in faith with Christ Jesus.

Led by Chelsea Whipple, in partnership with The Rev. Canon Lisa Senuta.

Living God’s Future Now: A 2024 Tocher Event

The Diocese of Kansas is pleased to welcome the Rev. Dr. Sam Wells for the 2024 Tocher Lecture on May 15-16 at St. Michael and All Angels, Mission.

The Lecture will truly be an event with the St. Martin’s Voices choral ensemble joining from Vicar Sam’s parish, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London under the leadership of Dr. Andrew Earis.

Funded through the generosity of the Diocese of Kansas’ Tocher Fund for Clergy Education and the St. Michael and All Angels Foundation, this is a formation event for the clergy, musicians, and other lay leaders of parishes and institutions in the six Bishop Kemper School for Ministry partner dioceses: Kansas, Western Kansas, Nebraska, West Missouri, Missouri and Iowa.

Focusing on themes of evangelism, community and parish development and the Church’s role in God’s future, Sam Wells and his musicians will gather participants for seminars and worship. This will be an exciting formation endeavor for the BKSM dioceses outside the classes and programs offered directly by the School.

Click here for more information

Click here to register for Tocher Event