Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

Ezekiel 2:1-5

Psalm 123

2 Corinthians 12:2-10

Mark 6:1-13

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Presider/Preacher: The Very Reverend Samuel S. Colley-Toothaker, Acting Dean

Deacon of the Mass: The Reverend Deacon Nancy Key

Director of Music: Ms. Sherah Moore-Burdick

Assisting Clergy/Tech. Services/Hispanic Missioner: The Reverend Nelson Serrano Poveda

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Our weekly Midweek Missive will be coming to an end--this is our last issue. A new vision for delivering information will come to life around September in the form of a monthly newsletter delivered to your home mailbox and your email inbox if you prefer.

The yet-to-be-named monthly informational newsletter will contain special pieces by featured parishioners, a message from the Dean, updates from the Senior and Junior Wardens, announcements, and more. We know you have appreciated and relied on the content of the Midweek Missive. We look forward to delivering fun and engaging material that highlights the value of our growing St. James Cathedral community and its members.

Would you like to experience your spirituality through the arts? Are you an artist right here in our community or an individual who would like to explore our traditions and beliefs, and inspire a spirit of joy and passion in our worship through the arts?

What can art look like at St. James? Can you imagine our sanctuary illuminated by images created by adults and children of our community? Beautiful images, colors, lines, and reflections integrated with our liturgy becoming a new way to allow us to see and feel the word of God without words. Art can make worship come alive by showing the yearnings, hopes, desires, and thrills of the story behind the words. Art is about using things and materials to take notice of God at work among us. Art is an event. Art animates, organizes, and encourages us to respond to the divine mystery in new ways. Art can be visual like painting, drawing or using fabric, or it can be music or movement. Creating art is about risk taking. Working with fellow parishioners help us build community. And it provides an opportunity for outreach as we invite others to show their work.

Join a group from our parish that is beginning a discussion on how the arts can be used to enrich our liturgy and our church. Consider being a voice in developing and shaping guidelines for art at the Cathedral. If you are interested, please call Denise Grayson, Cathedral Administrator at 559-439-5011 or send your contact information to admin@stjamesfresno.org.

I would like to invite you to consider becoming involved with hospitality at St. James. I am a lifelong Episcopalian. Two congregations contributed to my raising: St. Timothy’s, a small mission church in Gridley, CA and Trinity Episcopal Church, the Cathedral for the Diocese of Northern California. What both of these congregations have in common is the extraordinary efforts they made to make people feel welcome. From the homey coffee hour tables of St. Timothy’s to the coordinated newcomer ministry of the Cathedral, I have great models of hospitality. I am excited to build on that foundation with all of you at St. James. I will be looking for volunteers to help with the following:

Coffee Hour: Once restrictions are lifted and we can return to socializing, I will be seeking teams of volunteers to provide refreshments after the 10:00am service.

Events: We will one day return to hosting Cathedral events and Diocesan events on our campus and I will need volunteers to help decorate and to prepare and/or serve food.

Welcoming Newcomers: Beginning in the fall, we will begin a coordinated ministry to newcomers that involves welcoming them on Sunday, sitting with them during the service, taking them to coffee hour and introducing them around, and following up during the week. This program is called “Invite, Welcome and Connect” and some training will be involved should you feel called to this ministry.

You may have noticed that we have been providing a small token on Sundays to those who attend the 10:00 am service. Until we can gather for coffee hour, these takeaways are designed to extend a welcome and some hospitality in the meantime. If you feel called to provide 30–40 items one week, please contact me! Hopefully we will transition to coffee hour soon!

As you can see, there are a number of ways you can get involved in hospitality at St. James, and we need you to do so. If you are interested in participating in some way, please email Denise Grayson, Cathedral Administrator at admin@stjamesfresno.org, and your name will be forwarded on to me.

With continued in-person services, we are in need of Sunday ushers and greeters who can commit to regularly perform this duty. If you are interested, please sign up below.

Contact Aaron Schuelke, Junior Warden, if you are interested in working on the Buildings and Grounds Team. There is much to be done, and you can make a difference. You can reach him at jrwarden@stjamesfresno.org.

The CDC recommends everyone 12 years and older should get a COVID-19 vaccination to help protect against COVID-19. Widespread vaccination is a critical tool to help stop the pandemic. Getting your child or teen vaccinated can bring you one step closer to enjoying the activities you miss. Children 12 years and older are able to get the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine.

Effective April 8, 2021, all individuals 16+ years and older are eligible to receive the vaccine. The Pfizer vaccine is the only vaccine approved for those 16 and 17 years of age--those that are 16 and 17 years of age need parental consent before receiving the vaccine.

These clinics are for individuals interested in receiving the vaccine. To schedule an appointment, click on the button below. Bring proof of registration and any required forms (walk-in accepted at certain sites).

For second doses: Don't forget your white vaccination record card.

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.

Cut down on plastic by carrying your own water bottle with you--preferably a reusable one made of aluminum rather than plastic. You will find that you save money by bringing your own water instead of buying new bottles every time you are thirsty.

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.

This week we lift up in our prayers Chapters, Vestries, and Bishop's Committees.

The suspension of in-person worship services early in the pandemic made the traditional passing of the offertory plate impossible, forcing Episcopal congregations to experiment with alternative ways of receiving offerings and pledge payments from parishioners.

Themes of racial justice, including the experience of people of color within The Episcopal Church, the persecution of Indigenous peoples in North America and plans to extend and magnify the church’s existing truth and reconciliation efforts, dominated the work of the church’s Executive Council during its June 25-28 virtual meeting.

Bishop Whayne Hougland will resign from leading the dioceses of Western Michigan and Eastern Michigan, the dioceses announced June 28 as Hougland nears completion of his one-year suspension after admitting to an extramarital affair.

The Episcopal Church Executive Council began its June meeting with discussions on how racism is being confronted within and beyond the church, including the creation of a new working group that will be tasked with expanding the church’s ongoing antiracism and reconciliation efforts.

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.