Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany

Psalm 29

Isaiah 51:9-16

Hebrews 11:8-16

John 7:14-31

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

Preacher: The Reverend Nancy Key

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Years ago, when hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, I had the privilege to go to that area of our country to serve and to help rebuild. There is a stockade fence in the 5th Ward of New Orleans, which stands in the middle of a neighborhood that was deluged by the floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina. Painted on it are the simple, yet powerful, words of Gandhi: “Be the change you seek”… 

When disaster strikes, be it a natural disaster or a pandemic, what lies just beneath the surface often rises to the fore. People live in a state of quiet desperation and quiet agitation, seeking, always seeking, ever searching and yet not finding. Perhaps it is because they seek the wrong things or search in the wrong places. Still, we are conditioned from youth and by a culture, which seeks after temporal and temporary things. For so many, success is defined as the achievement of material wealth, power and status. Yet these things are fleeting when we achieve them, and we become exhausted chasing after a “should be” suppose-to-be life.

I recently had a phone conversation with a friend in Boston who has lost his job because of the failures of our economy related to the pandemic. By all appearances he was the exemplar of success. He had money, power, and status. When his position was eliminated, he found himself without any of the things that had defined him for so many years. My friend told me he was lost, exhausted, and had to “find a way to change this disaster.”

Perhaps now in the midst of racial tension and the ugliness of racism…perhaps now in the midst of a raging pandemic…perhaps now at the end of a critical national election, people can relate to my friend’s emotional state. So many of us know loss and exhaustion, and while the cause of our pain and suffering are different, the result is the same. Many have lost everything that defined them…a loved one has died…a job is no more…a lifetime of material wealth created has vanished. Every day people struggled with change, and the need for change, that goes well beyond the financial impact of an economic downturn or even a catastrophic pandemic and racial upheaval.

In the midst of such change, however, there is hope, new life will happen! There is always hope in Jesus for in God all things are possible. My friends, new life is always possible.

All change, whether intended and planned for, or unexpected and surprising will create anxiety, even struggle. Fear not…stand strong in your faith…there is hope, new life will and is happening! Thanks be to God! 

Dean Sam+

Please join us for our annual meeting this Sunday. We need your participation in approving the budget for 2021, selecting delegates for convention, and welcoming our new Junior Warden. This simplified meeting will still be important and we hope you will join us! Please note this will be in place of coffee hour this week.

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". All are welcome!

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.

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.

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.

Soul Tenders small group will begin a six week Lenten Zoom study of the Passion of Jesus, Wednesday evenings, 6:50 p.m., February 24 through March 31, 2021. "Entering the Passion of Jesus" author, professor, and biblical scholar, Amy-Jill Levine, explores the biblical texts surrounding the Passion story. Professor Levine shows us how the text raises ethical and spiritual questions for the reader, and how we all face risk in our Christian experience. To participate please call 559-439-5011 or email soultenders@stjamesfresno.org to register.

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.

Enjoy sweet corn in the summer, apples in the fall, and citrus in the winter. Not only will the fruits and vegetables be fresher when you buy what’s in season, you’ll also support local economies and reduce harmful emissions.

Postponed until February 7th to allow for Virtual Annual Meeting.

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.

he sharp economic downturn in the United States during the coronavirus pandemic has hit the performing arts industry particularly hard. Nationwide, more than half of all actors and dancers and more than a quarter of all musicians were out of work as of fall 2020, according to the National Endowment for the Arts.

Washington National Cathedral on Jan. 21 resumed its tradition of every four years hosting an interfaith prayer service the day after the presidential inauguration, but this time the thousands of people who attended followed along from the comfort of their homes.

Episcopalians across the church on Jan. 20 joined in prayers for the new administration as Joseph R. Biden Jr. was sworn in at noon as the 46th president of the United States.

For decades, New Hampshire Bishop Robert Hirschfeld quietly sought treatment for depression, reluctant to admit publicly to the mental health condition underlying his otherwise jovial personality.

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.