Weekly e-Epistle from St. James' Mill Creek

Weekly e-Epistle

from

St. James' Mill Creek

Wilmington, Delaware

September 4th, 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.

https://www.facebook.com/StJamesEpiscopalChurchMillCreek/

Sunday Bulletin (September 4th)

In the reading from Deuteronomy appointed for Sunday, set in those days and moments before the Israelites cross over the Jordan River, Moses has a word from the Lord to share with the Israelites.

“I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity.”

These words are spoken to a people who have already been through countless trials. They’ve been delivered out of the hands of Pharaoh, and they’ve wandered the wilderness for forty years. They are on the cusp of coming into the land that the Lord promised their ancestors, and the Lord reminds them that there’s a lot at stake in the decisions that they make after this point and their time in this new land will present them with a great many choices.

It’s a reminder that a life of faith is one that comes with responsibility and expectations. We know, though, what happens with the people of Israel because we know what happens with us, too. In the choice of life and prosperity or death and adversity, we too often choose the latter, the one that can pull us away from the Lord. The grace here, though, is that the Lord knows what we’re capable of, and even still, we’re offered a way back, a path to redemption. Even though we don’t always get a do-over to make something right, we often have chance to begin again.

Hope Center Doc nominated for Mid-Atlantic Emmy Award

"The Pathway Home", a short documentary on The Hope Center produced in partnership between New Castle County and Short Order Productions has been nominated for an Emmy in the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Mid-Atlantic Chapter's Societal Concerns - Long Form category. The winner will be announced on October 1st. To view The Pathway Home, CLICK HERE.

The parish office will be closed Monday, September 5th for Labor Day. Thank you very much for your kindness and understanding.

Have a safe and Happy Labor Day!

Fall Garden Committee

Our group of six will be meeting on Thursday 1st at 9:30am on the parish house steps. We will be discussing possible fall planting ideas, as well as fall clean-up. Anyone interested in helping to plan, plant and weed is welcome to join us. If you have any questions, please call Barbara Anzilotti at 302-737-3612 or email me at banz60@verizon.net

St. James' Mission and Outreach updates

Sharing God’s gifts with others.

Thank you all for your generosity and caring that made and make these offerings possible.

Emmanuel Dining Room

In the past, we have served from 140-200 lunches to our friends at Emmanuel Dining Room on the 31st of the month (7 times per year). Covid brought new challenges and we were able to provide the lunch “fixings”, but not help in the kitchen OR serve the meals. From March 2020 until April 2022, guests were provided a “take away” lunch that they picked up outside the dining room and had to eat elsewhere.

We are happy to say, THIS SUMMER WE WERE BACK in the kitchen and serving guests in the dining room. Thanks to a dedicated core of volunteers, we made about 200 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches the day before we served this summer.

On May, July, and August 31^st, we served sub sandwiches, a banana, chips, cookies, and a cold glass of milk to our guests and each month our numbers increased.

Since September only has 30 days, we’re not responsible for a meal this month. However, consider supporting our special lunch on our next lunch date-- Halloween--Monday, October 31st our guests will enjoy meatball subs, chips, banana, and homemade cookies and have peanut butter and jelly sandwich to take away for later.

· Please join us in the Parish Hall kitchen after the service coffee hour on Sunday, October 30th to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as an extra snack or meal for later for our guests being served the next day. (Masks and gloves, please.)

· If you'd like to provide some homemade cookies (or store-bought cookies), please bring them to the Parish Hall kitchen marked EDR by Sunday, October 31st. You are welcome to put homemade cookies into the freezer to keep them fresh.

· We will continue our tradition of making “goodie” bags with some extra treats for Halloween. If you’d like to provide snack sized individually wrapped candies, please leave them in the parish hall kitchen marked EDR by Sunday, October 31^st.

· Questions: please text or call Pat Minor 302-983-6299 or Cindy Fauerbach 302-584-8053.

Hope Center and Friendship House

We continue to provide clothing items, snacks, food, toiletries and hygiene items, children's books and toys, diapers, laundry detergent, etc. for those being served at the Hope Center and Friendship House. Collection boxes are inside the front door of the church and Monday-Thursday a box is outside the Parish Hall.

Meals on Wheels

Meals on Wheels volunteers deliver lunch and some evening meals to our neighbors in Murray Manor. Our next week to deliver meals is September 19-23.

Prayer Team

The prayer team continues to lift up prayer requests shared by parishioners through emails to the church office at 302-994-1584 or to individual members of the prayer team. We collect the prayer requests and other concerns of the parish, community, and world. Then these requests are lifted up in the daily prayers of the team members. All are welcome to share their prayer requests and we hope you will consider joining us via ZOOM for our monthly Evening prayer service and “check in” on Sunday, September 11^th at 5 p.m..

For those who have an immediate prayer need or if you would like to join the ZOOM Evening Prayer meeting on September 11^th, we invite you to email your prayer needs and requests to Carolyn Mack at cdmack37@gmail.com or call 302-565-8675

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.

From Kathy Jackson:

Thanks again for supporting me in the Epilepsy 5K walk! Here are some pictures of me at the walk on June 4, 2022. With your help, I raised $12,470, my top record in my 30th year of participation in the walk. This year it was at Glasgow Park. There was a great turn out of participants on a very hot day. I’ll be seeing you all next year!

Click here for closer look at picture

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.

Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."