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...from St. James Episcopal Church |
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A reminder that Fr. Jim is away on vacation these next two weeks. So you're dealing with Alex, the music director, for your weekly happenings and musings at St. James!
CONTENTS
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 After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go on your way." (Luke 10:1-3)
If I were picking hymns to reflect Sunday's Gospel, innocent, carefree "Jesus Loves Me" would not make the list. Luke does not paint a picture of Jesus as a tender, loving, and generous "friend" that we commonly think of, and instead he could be interpreted as challenging, harsh, and demanding. After all, he first tells his followers that even though they wish to drop everything and follow him, they cannot attend a funeral or say goodbye to family. Now, he calls upon his followers to go out and evangelize for his Church--and he is quick to remind them how difficult that will be.
In Luke 10, Jesus spells out what it means to be a Christian -- how to truly and deeply live into the calling and mission that we accept at our baptism. And frankly, it's uncomfortable. Jesus knows that being a true follower is no easy task, but he certainly isn't going to lower his standards to make us feel "at ease."
Jesus reminds us that there are so many borderline Christians who may be "harvested" for his church. As members of his community, he "appoints" us to reach out to them and show them the Love of Christ. We have a virtually unlimited supply of untapped resources that reside in the talents of those who are not presently called to be a Christ-follower.
The work is never done. We cannot sacrifice spreading the Good News for the sake of feeling at ease. Jesus does not care about our comfort level as we live out a Christian life, because in most cases the true work of a Christian is outside our comfort zone.
No, I am not suggesting that we walk up to every unchurched person on the street and shove them through our front door. But what I am suggesting is that we as a church take a deeper look into our church's mission:
"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."
 How might we make Christ's love more visible in this faith community? The foundation is laid through our numerous outreach programs such as the music camp, community suppers, and nursery ministry (to name a few). But are those programs outwardly overflowing with Christ's love through thought, word, and deed? It is a question I am asking myself as I plan music camp, and a question that I hope you all will ask of yourselves.
WE are the control factor in all aspects of this church. Yes, there are numerous circumstances that impede growth in every church, but the one area that is controllable is how WE live into the calling that we accept through our baptism. And it is up to US to put our heads, hands, and feet together to truly transform this place into a center of worship and common life where the love of Jesus Christ is literally bursting at the seams.
The harvest is certainly plentiful, both at St. James and beyond. How about the laborers? How many are there? How far are they willing to go? How much can they we accomplish together? Blessings and beautiful music,
Alex
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Congratulations to
the REV. Joyce Keeshin
on her ordination into the diaconate on
Saturday, June 29, at
Christ Church Cathedral.
Please keep her in your prayers as she embarks on a pilgrimage through Spain. She will return to St. James as our resident deacon in September!
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A Note About Morning Prayer for July 7 & 14
For the next two Sundays, we will have the opportunity to experience a different style of worship while Jim is away: Morning Prayer. Since Jim is out of town, we will not have a priest present, but that does not mean that worship is impossible. Jesus says "where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them," and not once does he say that one of those people has to be a priest! Morning Prayer contains many of the same elements of the normal Eucharist service, just in a different order. We will not proclaim the Gospel or celebrate Communion, as both must be done by a priest. Jim, Charles, Alex, and Gayle have worked diligently to put together a worshipful and uplifting service. We hope you will join us as we worship in a new way!
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What's Happening @ St. James?
CCM Prep Will Offer Classes in the Fall!
The CCM Preparatory Division (the community school of the UC College-Conservatory of Music) will begin to offer classes in the Fall here at St. James on Saturday mornings. These will include offerings for children, youth, and even adults! Details are forthcoming, but we are incredibly excited to welcome them into our community very soon! 
Registrations are UP!
We need just a few more to really make the camp an extremely enjoyable event for all involved. If you've been waiting to reach out to someone, now is the time to do that! Thank you for all your hard work!
Camping Anyone?
July 8 - July 13: Creative Arts Camp
(6th-12th Grade)
July 15 - July 20: Confirmation Camp
(10th-Graduated Seniors)
July 22 - July 27: Junior Camp
(6th-7th Grade)
 Contemplative Yoga to Begin August 5
Busy minds and hectic schedules can make it difficult to hear God's voice in our lives. ASATE Contemplative Yoga creates a space to become fully present and a time to fully meditate--allowing us to open to the Spirit. More information is coming soon, and it will be offered every Monday evening beginning in August, led by our own Cynthia McCarthy! Keep up with what all is going on on your church's calendar. |
Your Dose of Patriotic Pomp!
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Stars and Stripes Forever on Naval Academy Organ
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Enjoy organist Monte Maxwell playing a patriotic pastime: John Philip Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever." The Naval Academy Chapel Organ was manufactured by M�ller (the same brand as ours!) and has the largest drawknob console in the world. It has over 15,000 pipes! |
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