A Sabbatical Prayer
Guide us, Lord, as we all journey through the months ahead together.
Help us to walk trustingly in faith with our parish family and to serve one another humbly.
May we always be aware of your presence and direction in all we do.
Be with Kristin+, Zachary, and Jasper and give them joy and contentment as they travel, and return them safely to us. Amen.
Sabbatical News
Celebrate Kristin’s Return October 9th!
Kristin, Zachary, Jasper (and maybe Ginger too) will return from their sabbatical to St. James’ Sunday morning, October 9th. We’ll have a catered lunch to celebrate their return together. The luncheon will be held at St. James’ beginning at 11:45, shortly after the completion of the 10:30 service. We’ll present Kristin with her Sabbatical memory book.
Please join in welcoming back our rector and her family. I think many of us had some blessed moments during this sabbatical. Some of us also had days where we felt like the dad in the prodigal son parable – going out looking for his son to return. There will be good food to enjoy and lots to talk about. Lunch, beverages, and dessert will all be provided courtesy of the Lilly Foundation grant supporting this sabbatical. Please use the signup site to indicate if you will be able to make it or not. If you’re able to attend, let us know how many we should plan for. If you’re not able to make it, please let us know that too – it’ll help our planning and save us some phone calls.
This is our final congregational sabbatical event. We’ll have two indoor services that day, Kristin will celebrate both at 8:30 and 10:30. The choir will provide music at the 10:30 service. Come, enjoy yourself, spend some time with your parish family and welcome Kristin back home.
If you’d like, wear red, it’s Kristin’s favorite color.
From the Rector Replay
UPDATE: Due to my misreading of the church calendar the date of the Blessing of the Animals was misprinted. It will be held on October 16. ~Laura D.
St. Francis & the Blessing of the Animals
On Sunday, October 16, you’re invited to bring your pets to church! Whether they’re cats, dogs, reptiles, birds, or guinea pigs (or anything else), bring them for a blessing and for the sheer joy of worshipping God with all creation. This custom developed in remembrance of St. Francis of Assisi’s love for all creatures. Francis, whose feast day is October 4, understood all creatures to be our brothers and sisters.
There are many stories told about Francis’ interactions with animals, including the time he preached to a flock of birds in a meadow, how he talked to a wolf that was terrorizing the town of Gubbio and created peace between it and the people, and how he was the first person to stage nativity plays at Christmastime (using real barnyard animals of course).
One of Francis’ most famous writings, Canticle of the Sun, is a song praising God for all of creation. The words are poetic and the imagery is striking – speaking of Brother Sun, Sister Moon, Brother Wind, Sister Water, Brother Fire, and Sister Earth our Mother. Read more about the Canticle of the Sun here and about St. Francis himself here.
And then bring your animals (real and stuffed!) to church on October 16th to be blessed – and to be a blessing to us all as we gather in the fullness of God’s creation.
Yours in God’s peace, Kristin+
Sunday Worship Information
Join us on October 2nd for The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost. We will celebrate Holy Eucharist in the sanctuary at 8:30 am and 10:30, or watch the 10:30 service livestream on Facebook. Our Guest Celebrant will be The Rev. Mary Davisson.
A printable bulletin can be found here.
Lectionary Readings
Facebook Livestream
We plan to begin streaming to Facebook at 10:30 am. If you arrive at Facebook and you don’t see the video, please refresh your screen. There is a delay.
Announcements
CARE PACKAGES FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS
The Outreach Committee would love to have the names and addresses of all our young men and women that are attending college whether they are away from home, commuting or studying virtually; please send their contact information to office@stjamesmtairy.org.
We plan to send them “CARE Packages” in mid-October; so please donate NOW.
Please donate items such as hot chocolate, razors, shower scrubbies, fruit snacks, pencils, cookies, pop tarts, instant coffees, tea, chips, goldfish, Pringle’s, microwave mac ‘n cheese, microwave popcorn, tissues, lotion and small bottles of hand sanitizer.
Collection containers will be in the in the Narthex.
Thank you so much, in advance, from your Outreach Committee for your kind donations.
Next Week’s Commemorations:
Prayer Rotation
Please join the Daughters of the King in praying for each parishioner in rotation during 2022 by taking this notice home and by posting it where it will remind you pray to on a daily basis for the needs and blessings of:
Robert and Karen Larrimore
Gabby Markham (Abby)
Phillip Massay and Jie Yang (Ethan)
A member of the Daughters of the King will be contacting you this week for special prayer requests.
