01/19/24 News and updates from St. James Church

First Things First

Unfortunately, we are experiencing what feels like a season of loss at St. James Church. In order to be sure everyone knows when and where the upcoming services are happening, they are listed below.

The funeral service for Helen Kay Haskin Bousfield will be this Saturday, January 20 at 10:00 am at St. James Episcopal Church.

The funeral service for Patricia 'Pat' Heeren will be this Saturday, January 20 at 2:30 pm at St. John's Episcopal Church.

The funeral service for Delmar Klocke will be next Saturday, January 27 at 10:00 am at St. James Episcopal Church.

The Annual Meeting is next Sunday, January 28 at 10:45 am. Please plan to attend the meeting. There will be a soup lunch after the meeting. Soup will be provided, and you are invited to bring sides. If you are providing a soup, please bring it in a crock pot so we can keep it warm.

Message of the Moment

Humbler Faith, Bigger God

Recently Bishop Bascom wrote to the clergy of the diocese about a book she recommends. She said, “Sam Wells’ book Humbler Faith, Bigger God: Finding a Story to Live By is an apology for 21st-century people. I am refreshed by his open acknowledgment that there is much room for Christianity to be reformed and refined for this time.”

Each of the book’s ten chapters considers a timely(timeless?) criticism of Christianity or the Church. Wells tells the “old, old story: a broadly traditional, orthodox Christianity” before challenging it with the criticism of the “rival story – what an educated, rational, contemporary person would generally think,” Wells concludes each chapter with “a story to live by,” a response to both the “old, old,” and the “rival,” that serves “as a constructive vision for a renewed Christian faith.”

She is promoting the diocesan book read which has just started. You can join it on Zoom at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday evenings through May 9. Use this Zoom link to join:

episcopal-ks.org/wellszoom

Finding a renewed Christian story in a time of skepticism and doubt is just what many of us need in a world where religious wars (and wars of words) are being fought. We seek peace for all people. In that spirit, it is good timing for The Week of Christian Unity sponsored by The World Council of Churches.

At least once a year, Christians are reminded of Jesus’ prayer for his disciples that “they may be one so that the world may believe” (see John 17.21). Hearts are touched and Christians come together to pray for their unity. Many specific settings in the world which clearly show the need to place love at the center of the quest for peace and reconciliation. This search has been undermined by the loss of values and of a shared sense of humanity and by a diminished concern for the common good, probity, integrity and patriotism. The search for reconciliation has also been weakened by spiritual impoverishment and by the pursuit of easy gains. Faced with these realities, the imperative to witness to the love of God is all the more pressing. To find prayers and to read more about The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, click here.

The idea of letting go of self-centeredness and making room in our lives for God to be God is having a humbler faith and a bigger God. I have found that this phrase, “Humbler faith, bigger God,” is a helpful mantra to repeat when I’ve slipped into the ridiculous habit of acting as if more depends on me than it really does. The truth is, we are all dependent on God. I believe God will find better ways than I can imagine to bring the reign of Christ into being.

May the peace of Christ be always with you.

Mother Dawn+

P.S. For inspiration through literature, I recommend reading Silas Marner by George Eliot.

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 Third Sunday after the Epiphany;

Revised Common Lectionary, Year B

Jonah 3:1-5, 10

1 Corinthians 7:29-31

Mark 1:14-20

Psalm 62:6-14

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

All elected persons (existing and new) should plan to be at the 10:45 service on the first Sunday of February for commissioning.

Old English Tea Meeting

Please join us in the Guild Hall after the 10:45 am service on Sunday, January 21, as we work on plans for the Old English Tea.

Card Shower for MaryLee Harrison

Marylee Harrison will celebrate her 90th birthday on January 30. Please send birthday wishes to her at 4323 E. English, Wichita, KS 67218.

Over many years, you’ve most likely met her in our church kitchen stirring up St. James hospitality. She and her late husband, Ron, were the driving force behind the annual Thanksgiving dinner and monthly Breakfast Sunday. MaryLee has devoted countless hours to the Old English Tea, Shrove Tuesday Oyster Dinner, Wednesday night suppers, numerous receptions and potlucks. Let’s all celebrate this special lady’s special birthday!🎂

Creation Care

Did you know that you can find out which native plants may be suitable for your garden that will thrive and attract birds? Paste this link in your browser to go to the Audubon website:

https://www.audubon.org/native-plants

Oyster Dinner

Get your tickets for the 2024 Oyster Dinner! The dinner is on Tuesday, February 13 (Shrove Tuesday) at 5:30 pm. Tickets are $55 each, and can be purchased online on our website, or in-person at the church (cash or check only).

Please note: we have not received the physical tickets yet. If you plan to purchase a ticket in-person with cash/check, we will add your name to a list until we get the physical tickets in. Those who register online will not get a physical ticket, but will be on a list at the check-in table.

Scam Alert

It seems that phishing scams are showing up again. Please be careful responding to emails and messages from Mother Dawn or other St. James staff. If you get a message asking for something, especially anything that involves spending money, it’s a good idea to check in personally. Always check the actual email address sending request - it might say Mother Dawn, but if you click to see the address, you will see that it’s not actually her.

Nominations to Serve in 2024

Please review the slate of nominations to fill the upcoming vacancies at the 2024 Annual Meeting on January 28, 2024

Senior Warden: Joan Moore

Junior Warden: Danny Blair

Vestry: Ethan Lindsay, Dana Stelter, and Kennedy Compton

Youth Vestry Appointee: Allie Mutzke

Endowment Funds Board: Bert Clark and Luree Lusk

Delegates and Alternates: Randy Harrison, Mary Sloan, Paul Leeker, Joan Moore

Nominating Committee: Kate Miller, Judy Goodpasture, Richard Bowman, Mary Halley and Lise Van-Arsdale Hansen

Community Outreach

Outreach Committee

The St. James Outreach Committee is changing the monthly meeting date from the fourth Tuesday to the first Tuesday.

Our February meeting will be Tuesday, Feb. 6, and all are welcome. We will be planning a March party to raise funds for our refugee family.

Pocket Change

Our Pocket Change Ministry is sending its first $500. check of 2024 to Breakthrough ESS. We want to support their vital work combatting homelessness and mental illness. Thank you St. James for supporting this ministry!

Tabs for Ronald McDonald House

Please notice in the entry area, there is a small cardboard house in which to collect aluminum pull tabs for Ronald McDonald house. They collect these and when they have a good amount, cash them in to help with their services for children and families. The aluminum cans can always go to the Humane Society. There are several cages around town for your bags of cans. Thank you! St James Outreach Committee

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 January 19

In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer:

The Church of South India (United)

In the World Council of Churches Cycle of Prayer:

Cyprus, Greece, Türkiye

In the Kansas Cycle of Prayer:

Pray for St. Paul’s, Coffeyville

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:

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:

Delmar Klocke; Pat Heeren; Julie 'JuRie' Cole; Helen Haskin Bousfield; Hollis S.

Some who have died in Januarys past:

Sally Bell; Katharine Burns; Eila Daily; Jenny Davis; Russell Duckworth; Paul Edwards; Jimmie Grey; George Harris; John Howell; Joy Johnson; Lorayne King; Rick Kuenneth; Bea Kumberg; Donna Littleton; Samuel Massimini; Carol McEwen; Joan McRae; Ruth Meyer; Aldee (Al) Miller; Matt Mitchell; Doris Moran; Ted Riley; Barbara Ritchie; Caroline Rowley; Dave Rumley; Sonny Watson; Ken Williams

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

Sam Wells' book Humbler Faith, Bigger God: Finding a Story to Live By is an apology for 21st-century people. I am refreshed by his open acknowledgement that there is much room for Christianity to be reformed and refined for this time.

I hope these chapters help you talk-the-walk with people in your neighborhoods.

Vicar Wells and members of this parish's music leadership will be in the diocese May 15-16 for a Tocher event at St. Michael and All Angels, Mission. Registration information will be sent out in early 2024.

(This is an excerpt from a letter from Bishop Cathleen Bascom)

Zoom Home Retreat

This is a way to have a retreat in the warmth of your own home and with community around the diocese. The retreat begins Sunday, January 28, 7 pm, and continues through Monday at 2 pm. Supporting sacred time at home, Canon Lisa Senuta will guide you through times of spiritual learning, personal reflection, and listening groups. Using the teachings of Brother Lawrence, we will gather at specified times throughout the day. Plan a quiet day at home opening your spiritual heart.

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