Today's Lenten reflection is by Sarah Burriss
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John 12:1-10
Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?" (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.)
Jesus said, "Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me." When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well.
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A Reflection for Lent
In this passage, Jesus eats dinner in the home of Lazarus, whom he had just raised from the dead. Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with very expensive perfume. We all know that when we have expensive perfume, or anything expensive, really, we don’t use it all at once. We use it in small bits, hoping to save it for as long as we can, as we don’t want it to go away. But Mary didn’t do this. Mary took a pound of her expensive perfume and anointed Jesus’s feet with it. Mary knew that Jesus was special and would only be with them for a short time. So, she decided to make a sacrifice for Jesus. She gave up her expensive perfume as a way to show Jesus her love for him. Mary understood that Jesus was the Messiah and would sacrifice his life for all of us in 6 days time. Judas, on the other hand, didn’t know this. He wanted Mary to give away her perfume to the poor as a way to try to steal it for himself. Mary understood the sacrifice Jesus would make for her, so she made a sacrifice for him. Judas still is only thinking about himself and hoping to get fulfillment through his own selfish desires.
This passage is teaching us that we must make sacrifices for Jesus. In this season of Lent, we need to reflect on all that Jesus has done for us. A relationship with Jesus isn’t a one way street. It involves both us and him, just as any relationship would in our lives. During this season, we should think of our lives and where we are looking for fulfillment. We must give things up in order to get true fulfillment from God. Whether that’s not talking bad about a friend when everyone else around you is, or even not participating in activities that pull you away from the goodness of Christ. For everything you do, reflect on your intentions. Why are you doing this? What do you want to get out of it? Rather than looking for fulfillment in worldly things, we must look to God, our true rock. So, we must reflect during this season, “What do we need to give up to fully give ourselves to God?”
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Keep scrolling there's lots of news to share ...
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Tuesday, April 4
Tuesday Men's Bible Study - 7:30 am, Valentine Hall
A weekly hour of fellowship, discussion of the bible and good food.
Young Adults - 5:45 pm, location varies
We'll gather for a combination of fellowship, prayer, and Bible or book study.
For more information and/or to get on the GroupMe, contact the Rev. Blake Singer.
Wednesday, April 5
Living Faith Bible Study - 10 am via Zoom
This opportunity for fellowship, study and discussions that help to make
our Christian faith a “living faith” and apply the witness of the Scripture
to our everyday lives. Please contact Betsy for the Zoom link.
No Wednesday Night dinner
They'll resume April 12 - May 17
Thursday, April 6
Thursday Men's Breakfast Bible Study - 7:30 am
This group meets every other Thursday to read and discuss the Lectionary Readings
for the upcoming Sunday. It’s a great way to learn the scriptures and
build deeper relationships with other St. Jamesers.
Brown Bag Book Group - 12 noon via Zoom
This popular book club meets the first Thursday of each month.
Please contact Linda Owen to join the group and receive the Zoom link.
April book: This is Happiness by Niall Williams
For Holy Week Schedule see below
Keep scrolling there's more to read .....
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This week's eChimes features |
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- Palm Sunday at St. James's
- Holy Week Service Schedule
- Clean Up Volunteers needed for Palm Sunday Breakfast
- Palm Sunday Breakfast
- Stations of The Cross
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- Wednesday Night Dinners extended to May 17 - Come be a cook
- Be a part of the Live Stream team - no experience needed
- projectHomes April build day
- Prayers of the People
- Virginia Diocese information
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Palm Sunday at St. James’s
On Palm Sunday (or Sunday of the Passion) we remember and celebrate the day Jesus entered Jerusalem as Savior and King, an event which would set off a series of events that led to the cross.
As Jesus rode a donkey into town, a large crowd gathered and laid palm branches and their cloaks across the road, shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!"
The Stuart Circle procession we participate in is reminiscent of Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem. And our 10:30 am service will feature the reading of the Passion Story.
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Because of the Stuart Circle Procession, please note these special parking instructions.
If you arrive at 9 am or before, use Franklin Street to enter the parking garage, as usual
After 9 am, enter the Parking Garage from the back.
-- Go down Grace to Ryland, turn down Ryland (south), then turn right into the alley.
-- Go 200 feet to the back entrance of the church. The gate and bar will be up.
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There will be nursery services provided at the following services:
Palm Sunday / Maundy Thursday / Good Friday 7 pm service / Easter Sunday
There is NO Children’s Chapel on Palm Sunday and Easter.
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Palm Sunday Breakfast
Needs Clean-Up Volunteers
The Palm Sunday Pancake breakfast is this Sunday and we need some cleanup volunteers ..... Many Hands Means Light Work.
Youth and Adult are welcome to help.
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You're invited to the Palm Sunday Breakfast
This is a great St. James's tradition. For those attending, breakfast, which includes pancakes, eggs and fruit, will be served from 8:30-9:30 am.
There is a suggested donation of $5 per individual,
$20 per family.
All donations benefit youth missions.
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Stations of the Cross
Saturday, April 8
Our Stations of the Cross (also known as The Way of the Cross) will be Saturday, April 8 at Belle Isle. Our hike commemorates Jesus's passion and journey to the cross in a beautiful setting.
We will meet at 10 am in the Belle Isle parking lot and walk across the bridge together to Belle Isle. All ages are welcome and dogs too.
Bring a picnic for after the walk. We'll sit on the grass and enjoy fellowship!
For our young families, this event will serve as the April Young Family Social.
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We’ve added more Wednesday Night Dinners after Easter.
Thanks to everyone who has made the return of our Wednesday Night Dinners such a big success. Because there’s been so much enthusiasm for the dinners we’re extending them through May 17, beginning the Wednesday after Easter, April 12.
(That means there’s no Wednesday Night Dinner during Holy Week.)
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Now we need your help to keep the momentum going. If you are interested in cooking for our Wednesday night dinners, you can signup here,
We are so grateful to the cooking teams who have already volunteered – nothing beats a home-cooked meal!
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We’re looking to
grow our LiveStream Team.
No experience or special skills required.
In 2022, the livestreams and recordings of the worship services at St. James’s generated well over 30,000 views, while the number of our YouTube subscribers increased nearly 7%. All of which means that our live-streaming efforts are providing a valuable service to our parish.
We now have a staff of trained people who create the live-streams of our Sunday services and other worship events – but we’d love to have some volunteers to help us make things run even better.
You don’t need any special skills to join the Video Squad, just enthusiasm and reliability. Over time, you’ll learn how we create our live-streams and you’ll have the satisfaction of being part of an important -- and really fun -- ministry here at St. James’s.
If you think you’d like to help out, call Jay Sandusky, Director of Communications, at 804.355.1779, ext 344 or email him at jsandusky@doers.org.
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Build something valuable
on April 22.
Please join us for a Project HOMES build day on Saturday, April 22 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. We will be at the home of Rosemary Taylor, building a ramp to her house and helping to clear some bushes. The Richmond Mission will return to this house in the summer to do more work.
Spots are limited! Sign up now. Volunteers should bring bug spray, gloves, sunscreen, a chair, and lunch.
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We do our best to keep this list current, but if you want your name added or removed, please email Mary Brown at mbrown@doers.org or call her at 804-355-1779 ext. 313
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St. James’s Episcopal Church | DOERS.ORG | (804) 355-1779
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