Easter Processional Kim Smith and her family - Easter '13
Check out our Easter Photos 
St. James Episcopal Church's Weekly Epistle
Approaching the Fourth Sunday of Easter 
Saint James Values
 
Alleluia - Christ is Risen 

Return of the Flock - Jean-Fran�ois Millet
Return of the Flock - Jean-Fran�ois Millet
 
If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly." Jesus answered, "I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name testify to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.  (John 10: 24b:28)

Read Sunday's Lessons here.

It is, I think, both a virtue and a vice that we live in a nation where bombs blowing up on street corners is a distinct exception rather than a rule. There are many nations where bombs blowing up people and neighborhoods are normative. These events don't usually happen in our town, rock our world, or flood our cable news programs. God doesn't differentiate between victims of violence but our media providers and we ourselves (un)consciously do. Someone who is not a member of our clan, family, national identity, or neighborhood just doesn't show up in our conscious minds in the same way as someone we know or love. This isn't necessarily a "sin" in and of itself.  One of the ways we defend ourselves from our own mortality is to create barriers of many forms between the violence going on in the world and what's taking place in Westwood at 12 noon on April 17th. Nothing horrible is necessarily  "real" until it impacts us.  Conversely, constantly treasuring our own safety while forgetting about another person's woes is troublesome and potentially evil

Boston Marathon 
Read Love and Hope in the Wake of Boston by Rev. Dr. Eric D. Barreto
What's presently frightening here in the United States is that sensational violent acts and unexpected acts of terrorism are happening more frequently here & now. Blood flows and people die in movie theaters in Colorado, upscale elementary schools in Connecticut, as well as in the beautiful people parts of Boston. Our senses are being awoken by the fact that senseless murders happen everyday in Cairo as well as in Cleveland. Thus, when cataclysmic acts like a bomb at the Boston marathon killing a little boy running to his father happen to us; we are forced to acknowledge death's brutal presence. We furthermore receive an invocation to purposefully identify how we as Christians in communion with Christ and one another should respond to the violence occurring around us. Seeking peace isn't just a Christian virtue. We are citizens of this nation,  and, as such living, breathing citizens of this planet  whose lives are interwoven with those of millions of other beings here. We should be more compassionate at home and elsewhere around the world.  It's easier to change the channel or enjoy the Springtime weather.

The easiest path is to seek disengagement and disassociate ourselves from the pain and tragedy taking place. Observe how political, religious, economic leaders will publicly proclaim that "life is returning to normal." Is it? It is if we elect to believe them without further reflection and response. Those of us who have suffered some sort of unexpected tragedy cynically react to such necessary but unrealistic platitudes. There are people in Boston who fear for their lives in ways they did not just two days ago. They understand in visceral ways what it's like to live in Damascus Syria. There are victims and their families who are beginning lengthy physical and psychological recovery processes. They were joyfully participating in a marathon on Monday afternoon. For their sakes, and our own sense of well-being we should not simplistically deny death and evil's presence one more time.

We can chose to aggressively circle around and threaten Jesus as the Temple officials did in John's Gospel. Conversely, we can heed his words by recalling that he commands us, as he told his disciples at the Last Supper to let "everyone ... know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13: 35) . This "Agape" love is not bound by one's clan or national identity. It is universal and sacrificial

Tree of Love - Roger Hutchinson 
Incarnate be with us Now by Roger Hutchison 
Selfless, heroic, imaginative love should prevail in our lives. This principle is a foundational truth of the Good Shepherd's love embedded within our Christian theology. It stands alongside of our need for persevering, illogical trust in God and one another. Divinely-inspired, Christ-like, first-responder-esq love hopefully realizes that violent men and irrational systems should not paralyze our actions. Such tragedies should prompt us to confront such evil and terror with fearless actions and faithful prayers. Thank God for heroes. Thank God that we all may be heroes too.

Rev. Dr. Eric Barretto writes: "As a Christian, my faith has shown me that God dwells in love, inhabits love, embodies love. This radiant, ever-present love is the source of my hope in times like these." Love wins because people act attentively for the sake of peace with long and broad wide lens of hopeful vision. Love wins in a Christian sense when we join with Jesus Christ to bring hope to the afflicted, including the perpetrators who are hanging on crosses of sin. Love wins when we seek repentance as well as proclaim the year of the Lord's favor in Westwood, Boston, & Bangladesh. Love wins when we decisively place another person's needs in front of our own. Maybe there will indeed come a time when we will need to sacrifice our personal survival because God instead beckons us to carry the painful bodies of people around us to shelter and safety. Most days,  a gracious hug is sufficient. Sometimes, as baptized Christians, more is expected of us.  Sometimes not so much. The time will nonetheless come when our personal security and the well-being of another human being will collide.

Garden Flower 
Read a few Boston marathon stories in this article.
Times such as these require encouragement; so allow me to share with you one of the verses that I lean on when I think about the times I've safely walked on Boston's Boylston Street with my companion Howie as well as during times when I was feel lost in the Valley of Death's shadow. May you find shepherd-like courage and reborn Easter-like faith in these words.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)

Blessings Along The Way, Jim+ 

 

This Week at St. James
Easter Baby Photo
Isn't she cute!  Individual Easter Photos will be available soon to the people who signed up for them!

Wednesday - April 17th @ 5:30 PM
N or M Dinner  - Our friend
Katelyn of Funky's Catering is preparing the meal  

 

Saturday - April 21st @ 10:00 AM - Westwood Works' Up for Grabs Day @ My Neighbor's Place 

 

Saturday - April 21st @ 2:00 PM 

ECSF Chocolate Fest @ St. Anne's West Chester - There's an ongoing silent auction happening now! 

    

Sunday - April 21st @ 8:45 AM
Choir Practice

@ 9:00 AM
Adult Christian Education

Katherine Jennings
Katherine Jennings
@ 10:00 AM
Rite II Eucharist (Communion) & Children's Sunday School

Happening This Sunday

@ 10:00 AM
Artist in Worship
Katherine Jennings
Read more about the event and Katherine  here .





Springtime Music Series Poster

Music is definitely in style this Spring @ St. James

One week from Sunday, April 28th; 

Bishop Breidenthal Bishop Breidenthal visits St. James. Read more about the bishop's visit on our webnews page.  Let's tidy up before hand ...Spring cleaning and meetings especially scheduled for you on  Saturday April 27th.

8:00 -  11:30 AM - Church clean-up
10:00 - 11:15 AM - Acolytes
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM - Open Space Follow-Up meeting w/ discussion group conveners.

   
Check out this April's Online Journal
Go to our Podbean Page if you missed a sermon. 
 

I first came across Ray Lamontagne's music a few years ago on Brookdale Public Radio, 90.5 - The Night. His lyrics are sometimes haunting, genuinely "alive." Perhaps this tune and this video will graciously touch your soul.

Ray Lamontagne


 Jim- Easter Sunday 2013
 St. James Episcopal Church
Jim Strader - Rector - email  Jim

St. James Episcopal Church is called to be a center of worship and common life where Christ's love is visible and experienced in order to seek and serve Jesus in others.