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St. James  Westwood - Weekly Epistle - Feb. 1st, 2012
vbs_2011
Approaching  The Fifth Sunday after The Epiphany

Worry Looks around - faith looks up
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ 

And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, "Everyone is searching for you." He answered, "Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do." And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons. (Mark 1: 36-39)
 
I saw a church billboard with these words: "Worry Looks Around, Faith Looks Up." Really?  I don't believe that we by ourselves can solve all of the problems around us. I also don't believe that we can deepen our faith by constantly gazing at heaven and searching for God in the heavens.  Perhaps our faith begins and ends there. However, every day of our lives beckons us toward strengthening a closer companionship with God through Jesus the Christ. And .... it is in coming out of our churches and homes that we join Jesus in living out our faith. Worry may be our  constant companion but it doesn't solve or resolve anything for ourselves or for others. Our faith doesn't reside beyond our physical reach either. 
 
Harold Stephens wrote: "There is a great difference between worry and concern. A worried person sees a problem, and a concerned person solves a problem." We Anglicans place a great deal of "cred" (credence) into humanity's gifts of reason and experience. Perhaps we have sacrificed our reliance on God's providence and presence in day to day living. Hopefully not. 
Baptism of Jesus
Worship and fellowship should serve as the devotional fuel that we need to hold fast to God's love despite what is going on around us, good or bad. Coincidentally, Jesus the Christ's life and faith suggests to us that there's a Gospel of Good News we hold together with him in our hearts and hands. We're responsible for God's reign coming into being not in and of ourselves but because of our Christian faith and Jesus' love for the world that we and him continue to live in. 
 
 We'll all be together again this Sunday to share our sorrows and worries as well as our joys and peace. We will share sacred space, seek forgiveness, renew our hope, and faithfully commune with one another. May these truths overcome our worries through Christ's presence in Word, Sacrament, and Community with one another through God's Holy Spirit, right here.
 
Blessings Along The Way, Jim+
 
 
Rebuilding our Church

I'm excited to let you know that we're just under halfway to reaching our goal of providing 100 bricks to "Rebuild our Church" in Haiti. We have placed 47 bricks in the Haiti stack in front of the altar in just a week. Thank you so much for your participation and visible acts of Grace! Let's see how many more bricks we can set upon the walls this Sunday. There are only 53 more left to offer in love to our Haitian friends. You can contribute by placing your cash gift in the red bucket near our altar, by writing a check and annotating "Rebuilding our Church" in the memo line or by giving on line.  
 
The Diocese of Southern Ohio is also about halfway in reaching its goal of raising $30,000 for Holy Trinity Cathedral in Port-Au Prince. 
Holy Trinity Cathedral - Port Au Prince
Let's continue to work with one another in bringing concrete hope to those who greatly need it.


 

 
Boiler Cartoon Heating and Air Conditioning Improvements

You probably noticed that things were a little chilly in the church last Sunday. The fact is that Garyne Evans and Eugene Jacob discovered some serious problems with our heating system earlier in the weekend and regrettably had to turn the system off. Garyne intends to get the compressor to (partially) work this coming Sunday. He will also move some portable heaters into the worship space. That being said, it still may be a little colder than usual; so, plan on bringing an additional layer of clothing with you to remain comfortable.

This malfunction is indicative of our parish's need to improve the aging Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) System in our buildings. You will hear more about this initiative at next Sunday's Annual Meeting but it's important to know that your vestry was on the right track a couple of months ago when they decided to move forward with the  expensive but essential plans for installing a new HVAC system. The outcome will be the implementation and use of a more reliable and energy efficient heating/cooling system. We and our neighbors will be able to more fully and frequently use the worship space, Lu Dunn Hall, youth group and vestry rooms.

Please plan on attending the parish's Annual Meeting when we will discuss this important agenda item as well as the parish's 2012 budget. You'll also elect the parish's new wardens and vestry members. 

We will be posting a .pdf copy of the parish's annual report on St. James' website within the next couple of days. Contact Deborah in  the office if you want to receive an annual report by e-mail. electronically 
 
St. James Episcopal Church Logo What's the buzz - tell me what's happening. 

We still need some help with providing hospitality for families and students who will be applying for the federal government's Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) college financial assistance this coming Friday

There are 50 families signed up for the application process, evenly spaced throughout the day.  We need a small hospitality team on Friday morning (2-3 people for 2-3 hours each) to greet people, give them coffee and a snack, and tell them what computer lab to go to in order to complete their forms. The snacks are already taken care of for the morning and afternoon. Please contact Kathy Schaeffer or Ariel Miller if you're willing to support this worthy effort. 
Core Change Cincinnati

CoreChangeCincinnati is an innovative, multi-cultural, and intensive effort to eliminate Cincinnati's most challenging urban problems. 
CoreChangeCincinnati Leaders
Civic leaders are gathering with one another to use appreciative inquiry and build community and individual relationships with one another to make our city safer and healthier.This Summit will take place on Feb. 17, 18,  and 19 at the Millennium Hotel in Cincinnati. It is free and attendees can participate at one or more sessions. Learn more on the website and register here.
Altar Hanging
This Week at St James

 

 

Thursday 11 AM - Episcopal Church Women Meeting 

 

Sunday 8 AM - Rite I Eucharist

 

8:30 AM - Choir Practice
 
9 AM - Adult Bible Study

 

10 AM -  Rite II Eucharist - (Anisa Willis Preaching) 
 
 
 
1115 AM - Reception for Anisa and her family  
 
&&&
 
Annual Valentine Card Blitz - The Health Ministry provides Valentine Day cards and stamps. We send the cards to our homebound parishioners. Let's make their Valentine's Day a little brighter through a simple act of kindness 
 
Valentine's Day Icons  
 
 
Contact Information
The Rev. Jim Strader The Rev. Jim Strader  
Priest, Pastor, Preacher, and occasionally nice Person
513-661-1154

 
 
She Simply wanted to Love God

Today is the Feast Day of Brigid of Kildair, a wonderful saint that few of us know much about.   This lovely, short video Brigid Video provides a hopeful outlook at the differences that girls and women like Brigid can accomplish. Enjoy!