First Sunday in Lent

Psalm 63

Genesis 9:8-17

1 Peter 9:15

Mark 1:9-15

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Officiants: The Reverend Nancy Key and Cathedral/Diocese Staff Clergy

Preacher: The Very Reverend Samuel Colley-Toothaker, Acting Dean

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Someday, someway, you or I will leave, go

Be gone, you know; I know.

But even gone, your face will still be there

I will still see it there, there from somewhere

I will see you in the morning light

And in the fading moon as it is almost out of sight

I will smell you in morning flowers

And miss you terribly, with all my might

I will call your name, and won’t hear your cry

But my heart will feel it; my heart will know

In that sense, you will never go.

Not ever, not ever.

- Warren Starr, Member

St. James Episcopal Cathedral

The Sunday School children are learning about "alms giving" and prayer as their primary Lenten disciplines for 2021. They are learning the Ecumenical version of the Lord's Prayer and to give to others in need. They are supporting Heifer Project International (HPI) beginning today, Ash Wednesday, through Palm Sunday with all offerings being submitted directly to the Cathedral or their diocesan church for this purpose. 

HPI is an ecumenical world-wide Christian ministry that lives out the motto "Give a person a fish and s/he eats for a day, teach him/her how to fish and s/he will eat for a lifetime." They first began by providing heifers to subsistence farm families located in areas where agricultural farming was very difficult but grazing was sustainable. The offspring of the heifer each family received was then given to another family. HPI became the gift that keeps on giving in the name of Christ. 

Some of those first critters were raised right here in the Central Valley at the West Coast HPI farm in Selma where many of us remember visiting and learning about sustainable farming and ways to fight world hunger. Today it's more economical to raise the animals closer to where they will be delivered.

HPI's gift animals have expanded to include not only heifers, but goats, sheep, rabbits, chicks and honey bees--every kind of critter that provides an avenue for sustainable farming. Watch this space over the weeks of Lent for updates and information. We thank you, and God thanks you!

--The Zoom Sunday School

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.

Gift opening and toast at 2:30 pm

Please bring your favorite beverage

for a toast!

If you would like to send cards, please send them to the Cathedral:

Packages should be sent to: (In order for them to arrive on time for the shower, please send by Monday, February 15th!)

Gifts can also be dropped off in person at the Cathedral on Sunday, February 7th or 14th from 11 am - 12 pm or Wednesday, February 17th between 11 am - 2 pm.

(PS…they live in a renovated ‘Tiny’ School Bus, so space-efficient items are appreciated! You can see pictures on Instagram: our.bus.atlas)

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.

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.

Only do laundry when the load is full. Not only does this save water and electricity but it also will save you money and time. You can either wait until you have more items to wash, or combine your partial load with your family or housemates.

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.

As rector of Church of the Holy Spirit in Lebanon, New Jersey, the Rev. Philip Carr-Jones has a Lenten plan unlike any in his 37 years as a priest – self-imposed ashes on Ash Wednesday, drive-by palm distribution on Palm Sunday, a Maundy Thursday service on Zoom coinciding with family dinners, online Stations of the Cross for Good Friday and an outdoor Easter Vigil.

The Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson talked of the importance of seeking forgiveness but also engaging others with grace in a public conversation hosted virtually by All Saints Church in Pasadena, California, on Feb. 14.

At last year’s Mardi Gras, many Episcopalians in New Orleans and beyond wore carnival masks and partied. But as that day approaches this year on Tuesday, Feb. 16, face masks to protect against the spread of COVID-19 and socially distanced celebrations have become common. For some revelers, responding to restrictions with creativity has added greater determination to planning this year’s events.

The Episcopal Church celebrated the 10th anniversary of its agreement of full communion with the Northern and Southern provinces of the Moravian Church in America at a virtual ceremony on Feb. 10, featuring remarks from Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, House of Deputies President the Rev. Gay Clark Jennings and Moravian leaders, in addition to music and prayers from members of both denominations.

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.