From the Rector – Vacation Bible School Update
To better match our upcoming VBS program with the number of volunteers able to participate in planning and leading, we are changing up our plans. We are now planning for a week long, half day camp (9:00 am – Noon) centered on the theme WAY OF LOVE. It will still be the week of August 3-7 and geared toward elementary age children (rising-Kindergarteners and up). Younger children will also be welcome if a parent or grandparent attends with them.
I’m excited about the initial ideas we’re coming up with for a meaningful and fun camp experience focused on Jesus and how we follow his Way. More info about VBS and registration will be coming this spring. In the meantime I’m grateful for the team who have stepped forward to lead this important ministry: Cheryl Windsor, Yvette Allen, Sarah Brown, Karen Larrimore, Gabby Markham, and Jeannie Pellicier. Please keep them in prayer – and if you’d like to join the team or assist in any way please let me know!
Yours in God’s peace,
Kristin+
Formation
SUNDAY SCHOOL NEWS, Preschool through High School, 9:30 – 10:15 lower level It’s February! Whatever happened to January? Our Sunday School program is moving right along as we continue with the winter curriculum of Living the Good News. We continue to enjoy working with your children. Hopefully you have had the opportunity to witness the children during their opening prayer and song at the altar each Sunday. At the same time, the older youth (grades 6th through 12th) gather in the lower level before beginning their class prayer.
Lent arrives in February and, once again, we will concentrate our outreach project on A is for Africa when mite boxes will be distributed. Speaking of……..Yvette Allen is now packing for her trip to the Matim School of E. Africa with the A is for Africa team from Mt. Airy. She is excited to work with the school children there. We are looking forward to hearing many first-hand stories from Yvette upon her return. She feels blessed and thrilled to have the opportunity to visit the school that our Sunday School students have supported and learned about the last several years. Safe and fun journey, Yvette!
St. James’ Sunday School Team
Yvette Allen, Bible Stories for Preschoolers
Betsy Davis, Kindergarten – 2nd Grades
Natalie DelRegno – 3rd – 5th Grades
Joan Fader – Middle – High Grades
Nancy Nanavaty – 4th Sunday Fun activities
Mara Snyder – Children’s music
Lenten Formation Class – A People Called Episcopalians: An Exploration of Anglican Identity
Once rooted in English culture, Anglicanism has since adapted itself to a variety of countries, cultures, and time periods. Anglicanism has its own personality, culture, and ethos which are both united and distinct – at the national church level, for each diocese, and in each congregation.
Join Rev. Kristin for a class exploring Anglican spirituality and temperament, and then delve into reflection about what draws you into our way of being Christian and the ways in which our community expresses our heritage.
Sunday, March 15 – Noon-1:30pm (lunch provided)
Thursday March 19 – 7:00-8:30 pm (refreshments provided)
Choir/Music
In 2020, I want to take a bit of time to talk about some different church music traditions you can find across the world. This week, we’ll talk about shape-notes and The Sacred Harp.
Have you ever seen a hymn or a piece of music where the notes seemed to be composed of a bunch of random symbols (triangles and squares and half circles instead of our usual notes)?
While it might look confusing at first, these symbols actually exist to make the music easier to read for non-musicians. This tradition, known as “shape-notes,” began in England in the 1700s and became a very common tool in early America to teach singing in schools for youth and adults. The technique originated in New England, but became predominant in the American South with the 1835 publication of Southern Harmony and the 1844 publication of The Sacred Harp, two of the most popular tunebooks of the time.
Above is a group singing “Do not I love Thee” to the tune of Detroit. We actually used the same tune at St. James’ for our sung confession during fall of 2018 (“Forgive our sins, as we forgive”).
Notice that the congregation sits in a square formation, organized by voice part: treble, alto, tenor, and bass; the treble and tenor sections are typically mixed with men and women singing the notes in octaves. You’ll also hear at the beginning of many recordings an intonement of the tune in solfege symbols—it might sound like gibberish at first, but it’s actually singing the tune using the below syllables:
You’ll notice the tone quality of the voices tends to be rather bright, especially with recordings from the American South. Some of these tunes can be found in our hymnal, including “Wondrous Love” of the recording below:
You’ll notice that each recording has someone (or two someones) who leads the group in a conducted “up-down” gesture. Members of the congregation rotate who will lead each piece, so you’ll find many different recordings with different individuals leading a service.
I find singing traditions like this really powerful and worth exploring—if you’re interested in learning more about this practice, let me know and we will find some time to sing and explore this style as a group. One last tune (one of my favorites) to get you through the rest of your week, and be in touch if you’d like to learn more!
Richard Drehoff Jr., music@stjamesmtairy.org
WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Parish Administrator Hours for the week of February 9, Tuesday through Thursday 10-4. 
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper, February 25, 2020 The Pancake Supper will be here soon and we hope you plan to come! There will be activities during the evening as well as a photo wall where you can get your picture taken. The schedule is as follows: 5:30 – Dinner begins, 6:00 – Pancake races, 6:30 – Burning of the palms, 7:00 – Last pancakes served.
Lenten Compline Services A Compline Service will be held during Lent for those of you who are seeking a quiet place to pray. Come join us on Mondays, March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 and April 6 at 7 pm in the sanctuary. Compline is a service of evening prayers that is the final church service (or office) of the day. This service is typically 30 minutes. Prayer books will be provided – just bring yourselves! 
A Service of Healing and Hope after Reproductive Loss On Saturday, February 8 at 7:00 pm you are invited to gather for a service of healing and hope for those who have experienced loss through miscarriage, stillbirth, abortion, placing a child for adoption, having a failed adoption placement, or inability to conceive. It is designed to offer a space for grieving and healing through prayer, hearing God’s word, anointing, and the sharing of stories. Everyone who has experienced these losses – both women and men – is invited to attend, whether your loss is a recent hurt or something that has been with you for decades. If you know someone for whom this service would be meaningful please share this information with them and invite them to come. Please contact Rev. Kristin+ (rector@stjamesmtairy.org / 443.902.0106) with any questions.
Prayer Rotation Please join the Daughters of the King in praying for each parishioner in rotation during 2020 by taking this notice home and by posting it where it will remind you pray to on a daily basis for the needs and blessing of:
Sanjay and Jen Krishnaswamy (Sandhya, Dhruva)
Robert and Karen Larrimore
Ed and Tonya Lee (Brooke, William)
A member of the Daughters of the King will be contacting you this week for special prayer requests.
Next Week's Commemorations (A Great Cloud of Witnesses, 2020)
