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| St. James - Westwood Weekly Epistle |
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Approaching the Second Sunday after The Epiphany
| January 15, 2014
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Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ
The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, "Look, here is the Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. (John 1: 34-39a)
Read Sunday's Lessons here.
 | Joyce on the top of the
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Last Sunday, Joyce offered a brilliant sermon about taking steps of faith. She mentioned that one of the things that commits herself to in her walk of faith, especially when she tired, is taking one more step.
This photo depicts Joyce standing on the Cruz De Ferro. The "cruz" is an important landmark for pilgrims who dedicate themselves to traveling the Camino De Santiago. Tradition holds that pilgrims to throw a stone on
the top of the mound there. It's a stone that they have brought with
them from their place of origin. This ritual symbolizes what the pilgrim leaves behind while preparing for the rebirth that they intend to experience as they continue their walking.
That's not such a big deal, right? Well, Joyce made a choice to leave her home, family, and majority of neighbors in order to travel to Spain and pursue her pilgrimage. Joyce had walked more than three weeks and 200+ miles in a foreign country where this photo was taken. She always seems to be smiling when see her, especially in these photos. Those of us who followed her journey know that she was really struggling at that point in time. Her feet were really painful! There were probably plenty of steps she had to really work hard at taking. I imagine if you ask her she would readily say she would not have made it to the top of the Cruz De Ferro had she been alone. She wasn't. She was traveling with other pilgrims and God who supported her along The Way. Amazingly, Joyce walked for another two weeks and 120 miles, sore feet and all. Needless to say, she was willing to take "the next step." She was willing to "Come and See" where and how Christ was present in those uncertain and faraway experiences. I find her witness and faithfulness incredibly inspirational.
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Joyce's story provokes me to think more deeply about John The Baptist, Andrew, and Simon (Peter) chose to follow Jesus. They had their own lives. John had his own disciples. They possessed their own lives, their own agendas, their own understandings of who the "Lamb of God" was to be.They had plenty of stones in their pockets to keep them connected to who they were when they encountered Jesus. He invited them to "Come and See." They followed him for a very, very long and eventful pilgrimage. They cast their stones upon the hopes of new life, suffering and opportunities that Christ offered to them.
What desires do we have to prove this year? What stones are we willing to contribute to our parish's Cruz De Ferro? Will we "Come and See" when Jesus beckons us into bold and uncertain places in 2014? Time and the next steps are beckoning us to lovingly move forward together with God and one another.
Blessings Along The Way - Jim+
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What is Upcoming at St. James?
Thursday - January 16 (6:30 PM) - Vestry Meeting
Saturday - Jan 18 (10:00 AM) - CCM Preparatory Voice and Instrument Lessons - Classes for children and adults have started up again. Chat with Alex about getting yourselves or someone you know signed up!
Sunday - Jan 19 (8:45 AM) - Adult Education
Chancel Choir rehearsal
Sunday - Jan 19 (10:00 AM) - Choral Eucharist - Rite II
Children's Sunday School
Sunday - Jan 19 (11:15 AM) - Coffee Hour and Announcements
Sunday - Jan 19 (11:30 AM) - People of The Way Book Study Group (Chapter 4) ====================================
Friday - Jan 17 (4:15 PM) - Yoga Classes Begin - Vinyasa (flow) yoga with Heather Poast - These classes will be a great way to unwind from the stress of the holidays and work weeks. Yoga is also a superb way to regain your breath while gaining energy for your weekend!
Thursday - Jan 23 (5:00 PM) - Community Supper
Sunday - Feb 9 (11:30 AM) Annual Meeting
- Please plan on attending this very important parish meeting. Activities include the election of new vestry members, delegates to convention, and budgetary actions for 2014. Jim will offer his vision for the coming year as well as invite members and guests into an exciting planning process.
Committee chairpersons and program leaders need to provide their annual reports to Kathy Schaeffer by January 24th. Please plan on e-mailing these reports to Kathy if at all possible.
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Did you know?
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Shop and Support Saint James
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We haven't do this in awhile and we have some new folks around the church. All of us need food if we're going to walk anywhere for any period of time. Therefore, its a good time to remind St. James members who shop at Krogers that they can support their parish by identifying St. James to be the beneficiary of their Kroger Community Rewards program. Here's how it works:
1.) Go to https://www.kroger.com/communityrewards and select St. James Episcopal Church (Organization Number - 80039) as your Community Rewards Organization.
2.) Shop at Krogers and make sure you "key-in" your Kroger Plus Shopper's Card
at the cashier's station when you are checking out with your groceries.
Saint James earns hundreds of dollars each year in additional revenue because the parish's members support the church through Kroger's worthwhile Community Rewards program, Make sure you're signed up or if you need help e-mail Joan McGannon at jmcgannon@fuse.net.
Many of you know that Jim is a student and teacher of adaptive leadership principles. An essential element of adaptive organizations is that the people who belong to them are creative, vulnerable, and courageous. They take steps toward new life rather than being stuck in what presently is or isn't working. Jesus and his disciples, at least for me, were very adaptive and transformation. I believe we are called to similar adaptive and transformational living.
John Eby recently sent Jim a link to a TedTalk by Simon Sinek. Sinek suggests that Andrew and Simon (Peter) followed Jesus because they believed in what he believed. Martin Luther King motivated the Civil Rights Movement because he attracted people because they believed in what he believed in. Sinek offers some key insights into why people are attracted to organizations, including churches, who are adept at expressing why they believe in what they believe in.
Thanks to John for sharing the video. Enjoy it and believe in what you hear and are ready to take on. Let's share our transformation! People believe in Epiphanies, God-Given dreams and human-embraced love & hope! Let's joyfully communicate Christ's invitation to the neighbors around us and one another.
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