Second Sunday of Easter

Psalm 133

Acts 4:32-35

1 John 1:1-2:2

John 20:19-31

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Deacon of the Mass: The Reverend Terrance Goodpasture

Director of Music: Sherah Moore-Burdick

Director of Technical Services: Nelson Serrano Poveda

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

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The Lord is risen! The Lord is risen indeed, hallelujah! We have now passed through the beauty and sacredness of holy week and have entered into the joy of the Easter season. I am so glad to tell you that we will continue with in-person worship on Sunday mornings at 10 AM for as long as we are able, given the pandemic.

Practically, what does that mean? First, we will continue to worship using Zoe Eden Community Hall. We will receive communion in one kind (the bread only). You must register to attend the 10 AM Eucharist, as we are limited to a capacity of 100 people. If you feel unwell in any way, please stay home. You must wear a mask. As soon as is possible, please get vaccinated. Vaccinations are a gift you give to yourself and those with whom you come in contact. Remember, in all of this, your safety and our safety is our primary concern.

There will be NO in-person coffee hour. However, we will reinstate coffee hour gatherings when we can do so safely and as the Bishop consents. We will NOT continue with ZOOM coffee hours for the time being. If we are unable to continue with in-person worship because of pandemic conditions then we will reinstate ZOOM coffee hours.

On another note…a huge thanks to Denice Leslie for facilitating our Lenten book study. As you might guess, all that goes into teaching and leading Christian Formation requires an enormous amount of time. Denice has given of her time with grace and humor and those of us who attended have learned a great deal. Thank you Denice.

We begin our next study on May 12 at 6:50 PM. Dean Sam will facilitate Exploring the Bible using the book entitle - The Path: A Journey Through the Bible, which is available on Amazon, Church Publishing and Forward Movement. IF you are unable to afford the text, reach out to Dean Sam+ and he will provide you with a copy. You will also need a copy of the Bible. Any translation will do. If you have questions, please reach out to the Dean.

Alleluia!! Christ is Risen-He is Risen Indeed! Happy Easter to all. It was wonderful seeing Zoe Eden full of so many of our St. James’ Cathedral parish. It’s been a long year of being apart. Seeing the Hall full of so many people reminded me of the children’s finger play learned in Sunday School. You may remember placing the hands together with a finger-locked fist, the words are “Here is the church, “ (put the pinky fingers together) “Here is the steeple,” followed by “Open the doors,” (turn the hands out and the fingers extend) with the final words of “Here are the people!”

The church is a community of people who follow Jesus and who seek to multiply God’s love to as many people as possible. Bishop David’s Easter message was “In everything we do, bring love!” We have the advantage of living in a first world nation where we can receive the life saving vaccines to protect us against Covid 19. Many of our neighbors around the world are not as fortunate and the pandemic has affected their lively-hoods as they aren’t able to stay safe while engaging in economic activities necessary to subsistence farming, not to mention daily living.

Starting with Lent our Sunday School children are collecting for Heifer Project International to bring as much concrete love as possible to extremely impoverished family farmers here at home and around the world. Multiplying God’s love is what HPI does! Rabbits at Easter, we think of the Gift of Life God gives us in Christ. And yes, we also think of the Easter bunny. HPI rabbits are delivered to farmers in triplets! And speaking of multiplying—rabbits have that algorithm down pat as rabbits can have up to six litters a year–or 40 rabbits, making it very easy for families to give up some rabbits for sale or to fulfill their requirement of Passing on the Gift. The gift of love for neighbor, as Jesus teaches us.

Rabbits provide so many advantages that the farmer must decide ... Depending on the breed, rabbits can provide fur, wool, manure, leather. Rabbit manure is an important source of organic matter and is rich in nitrogen. It is a valuable compost when coupled with worm production and can also be used in conjunction with fish farming, as rabbit manure and protein increases algae production in ponds, improving fish yields. The meat from a rabbit is highly nutritious and a rich source of protein, which is necessary in the growth and repair of muscles. And because rabbits reproduce so quickly, families can have a constant supply. Rabbit meat is also low in fat, sodium and cholesterol. Who knew rabbits could do so much!

Help us multiply the gift of love with your gift in support of our diocesan Sunday School children’s Mission Project. This project concludes Sunday, May 16. Watch for updates on how we are doing meeting the need.

The Fresno Bee has published this linked article: Coronavirus weekly need-to-know: Double masks, variants, second vaccine doses & more.

St. James offers Sunday worship each Sunday at 10:00AM on our YouTube Channel, Facebook Page, and Website. Archives of these services are available.

Don’t forget to download the digital service program to your device so you can follow along during the service. 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.

Donate anything you haven’t worn, used, opened, or looked at in the past year to your local thrift store.

There is no digital coffee hour this week. We will be back!

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.

“Our work goes on. Our labor for love continues,” Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop and Primate Michael B. Curry said in his Easter 2021 Message, “We will not cease, and we will not give up until this world reflects less our nightmare and more God’s dream where there’s plenty good room for all God’s children. Hallelujah anyhow.”

As Christians around the world recall the suffering of Jesus during Holy Week, one Arizona artist has found a way to unite Jesus’ suffering with the plight of migrants and asylum-seekers who attempt to cross the U.S.-Mexico border daily.

For the second year in a row, the liturgical journey of Holy Week is happening under the cloud of a pandemic. But this year is a little different. While last year’s Holy Week and Easter services were almost entirely online, many congregations are offering some form of in-person worship this year.

The Passion of Jesus poses a perennial liturgical dilemma, one rooted in the biblical narrative’s centuries of prominence in Holy Week services. Episcopalians, consciously or not, confront it each year in their lectionary readings, particularly on Good Friday. The Episcopal Church cited its “problematic” references to “the Jews” when it offered sermon guidance eight years ago for Episcopal clergy struggling to provide the proper context.

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.