DOV Intern

Dear People of St. James’,

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

As you read this, I am probably sitting at my desk, wrestling with the Scripture for Sunday’s sermon, on the final Sunday of my internship at St. James’.  It occurs to me that, in the past six months, I have preached more frequently than I have since I started as a lay preacher four years ago!  I continue to be challenged by, and grateful for, the opportunity to speak a word to God’s gathered people.  I am appreciative of the sermon feedback group Kristin+ put together in September.  My thanks to Phillip Massey, Nancy Nanavaty, Blix Winston, Lynda Ellis, and Peter Sabonis.  I know my sermons are better for their insights.

Six months ago, I entered this internship with some trepidation at the “unknown” of it all.  How could I connect in a meaningful way, with people I didn’t know, in an online forum?  How could I gain understanding of what it means to lead over Zoom?  How would joining in pastoral care be possible?  What was this path going to look like?

As is often the case, I spent time being concerned about things that a) I have no control over and b) aren’t things to be concerned about.  The kindness of your hospitality provides a vivid view of what the kingdom of heaven looks like.  Opportunities to experience how the congregation of St. James’ reaches out in love to each other and the wider community are abundant!

You graciously opened your spaces (online or in-person), meetings, and hearts to me.  Since the ministries of St. James’ didn’t slow down because of the pandemic, I was able to participate in online worship, in-person worship, being a lector, a Vestry meeting, Outreach committee, the Basket Raffle (including manning ticket sales), Sunday School (online and in person), the reading of the saints on All Saints Day, assembling Advent take-home kits, a Nursery School Board meeting, an in-person baptism, Advent Compline, Christmas & Epiphany season worship planning, the Christmas Pageant (SO much fun!), Christmas Eve worship, a Thrift Shop Board meeting, the Annual Meeting, Lenten worship planning, and Bible study.

Because of your willingness to include me in all aspects of your ministry at St. James’, I have learned, observed, and participated in community, flexibility, creativity, resilience, vulnerability, forgiveness, the importance of humor, grace, gratitude, compassion, love, respect, and humility. I have watched the joy with which you greet one another during coffee hour, and the humor you exhibit during Zoom meetings that might otherwise be dry.  I have experienced the generosity with which you share of your knowledge, experience, and resources, and I thank you all.

This Saturday, (Feb. 6), I will participate in the last meeting of my DOV cohort.  After that, there will be interviews with the Commission on Ministry and the Bishop.  After THAT, the decision will be made whether I continue on to seminary, or to deacon formation, or to some other form of ministry.  I hope you will keep me in your prayers over the next months, as I move through whatever the next part of my journey is.  You all will certainly be in mine.

In the fellowship of Christ,

Nancy E. K. Smith

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From the Rector

Entering Lent Together

The holy season of Lent begins early this year, with Ash Wednesday on February 17. Lent is the time we set aside for our annual spiritual pilgrimage to follow Jesus, to face the cross, and ultimately to encounter the empty tomb. This year the touchstones of the season will be adjusted to deal with the realities of the pandemic, but I trust they will be no less powerful because God continues to be present with us as promised, even to the end of the ages.

Because we are not yet able to fully come together in person, we are creating meaningful Lent at Home bags for every household. Each bag will include prayer and activity resources for all ages, palm crosses, pre-consecrated communion kits and a bulletin for Ash Wednesday, and a container of ashes. The palm crosses will stand in this year for the clay prayer touchstones we’ve made in years past. They were folded by the Albertson family last spring with the fresh Palm Sunday palms we weren’t able to distribute. Lent at Home bags will be available for pick up on 2/14 from Noon-1 pm, 2/15 from 11-3, 2/6 from 11-3 or after Compline, and on 2/17 during the drive-imposition of ashes.

Shrove Tuesday, weather permitting, we will gather at 7:00 pm outside in the front circle of the church to burn some of last year’s palms and to pray Compline together.

Ash Wednesday we will have drive-thru imposition of ashes during the day and a streaming service of Holy Eucharist with at-home communion in the evening. For the drive-thru ashes everyone will be required to be masked. From a safe distance I will offer a Lenten exhortation and the words of imposition before approaching to impose ashes. I will sanitize my hands between each car. There will be two drive-thru times: 8-9 am and Noon-1 pm. For those not comfortable with this contact, a small container of ashes will be provided in the Lent at Home bags and you are invited to mark yourself and your family members with ash crosses. We will stream the Ash Wednesday service on Facebook and YouTube at 7:00 pm. Pre-consecrated communion kits, to share in holy communion during the service, will be available for pick up in the Lent at Home bags.

Beginning on the First Sunday of Lent, our online worship service at 10:30 am will change from the Liturgy of the Word, our current liturgical form, to an adapted form of Morning Prayer. Our hope is that changing the texture of our worship will be another way we can mark the spiritual pilgrimage of Lent.

It is not lost on me that with Lent we are coming full circle. It was last year on March 15, then the Third Sunday of Lent, that in person worship was first suspended due to the pandemic. Nearly a year on so much has changed, and yet we’re still not able to fully come together. This is a lament that we can continue to pray this Lent, trusting in the promise that Easter will always come.

Yours in God’s peace,
Kristin+

Financial Help for Parishioners

The members of our community who gave a generous donation to the Rector’s Discretionary Fund with the hope of helping parishioners with winter heating assistance have extended these funds to help parishioners in whatever way in needed during these tough times. Please reach out to Rev. Kristin for more information if we can help you in the coming months.

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Sunday Worship Information

The middle-high Sunday School class will NOT meet this Sunday the 7^th as scheduled.  Please support our classmates who will be participating in Boy Scout Sunday during the l0:30 Zoom virtual service this week.  Classes will resume on February 14^th.

Pre-school through 5^th Grade will have Zoom lessons with Betsy Davis and Yvette Allen at 9:30 a.m. Sunday mornings.