7 from Kevin - Apr 2022
Kevin Jeske-Polyak • April 2, 2022
- Baptismal banners created by the Daughters of the King are part of a rich tradition at St. James. Everything from the selection of the fabric, to stenciling, printing designs, installation of the dowel & cording, and personalization with names is meticulously performed by loving daughters like Jane C and Patricia H.
- For 100 years, St. James has provided outdoor space for peaceful reflection and respite. From time to time, the exceptionally well-manicured appearance of our grounds is compromised by troubled neighbors struggling with all kinds of physical and mental health issues. Rick B, Linda D, Betty B, Becky C, Hoyt C, Frank L, Jennie Sullivan, and others demonstrate enormous compassion and perseverance as they steadily tend to the beauty and maintenance of our grounds.
- “Kitchen upgrades” have begun in the St. James nursery. A wooden play kitchen for kids with a playable oven, refrigerator, microwave oven, faucet, removable sink, toy food & cookware accessories with lots of playable buttons, knobs, and lights & sound function has been donated by Powell P. Coming soon . . . a new “laundry center” and “work bench”!
- During the past few weeks St. James was honored to provide work space for neighbors who participated in several community puppet making workshops sponsored by the Cattywampus Puppet Council (CPC). The CPC utilizes community-based theater, parades, and workshops to build power and creativity in the community and fuel justice and liberation in the Southeast.
- Several “ROC” Stars have emerged at St. James, including Linda C, Scott C, Linda D, Pam S, and John S. Each has participated in an online Realm orientation session facilitated by our Realm Orientation Crew (ROC). Realm is the cloud-based networking platform that helps us promote active engagement in ministry throughout our church family.
- As good stewards of the earth, the staff at St. James is committed to practicing recycling. Paper and other recyclable materials, including used church bulletins, are routinely separated from general trash. With coordination provided by Mark & Susan A and Kim & Bill Y, the recyclables are taken to the local recycling center.
- Thanks to the generosity of our church family, $1,461 was raised during our Christmas Remembrances campaign to help provide finishing touches to Caswell Manor, a 48-unit permanent supportive housing development being built by the Volunteer Ministry Center at the intersection of East Fifth Avenue and Winona Street.
Thanks to everyone for becoming engaged in our mission at St. James at whatever level they are able, including all effort that is noticed and so much more that may be less noticed. Rest assured, nothing is unnoticed by God and St. James is stronger because of everyone's combined effort.
Friends and Neighbors, This Sunday is Mother's Day and also Good Shepherd Sunday. Both celebrations have been shaped and changed over the years. Good Shepherd Sunday got the name as we do read the passage from John 10 about Jesus the Good Shepherd, and Mother's Day has roots going back to Mothering Sunday in England. The establishment of Mother's Day in the United States was motivated by the recognition of the work of Ann Reeves Jarvis, Julia Ward Howe, and Anna M. Jarvis. These women worked for sanitary health care for soldiers and were advocates for peace during the Civil War. They imagined a union of mothers who would call for peace because mothers knew so deeply the loss of their children to war. Mothering and shepherding call for similar qualities of protection and care.
We continue celebrating Easter as we move into a month full of celebrations and transitions. I am looking forward to just hanging out with folks this Saturday night at our spaghetti dinner. You can find details about that in this email. Please mark your calendars for the annual Justice Knox Celebration on May 19 from 6:30 PM- 8:30 PM at First Presbyterian Church. We will have dinner and share stories about the next steps. You will also be asked to consider making an investment in the work of Justice Knox. I hope that you will consider giving to this important ministry.
Alleluia. Christ is risen. We celebrated the resurrection with so much joy this past Sunday. The Easter feast continues for 50 days. Thank you to everyone who made Holy Week and Easter Sunday so special. You helped people feel welcomed to this place where we proclaim the welcoming love of Christ in word, deed, song, Easter egg hunts, and something good to eat. We welcome others because we have known the love of Christ and want to share it.
Friends and Neighbors, As we journey through Holy Week, I encourage you to pause and consider those events that lead us to the joyful celebration of Easter. May that also be reflected in our lives. We walk through hard things and know that God is with us. We hold to the hope that nothing can separate us from the love of God.
Friends and Neighbors, As the weather teases us with warm days followed by chilly ones, we enter Holy Week. You have probably heard me encouraging folks to experience the journey to the cross and the grave so we might celebrate the resurrection with that insight. God has shared this human experience and is with us in the darkness and the light. Our liturgies of Holy Week take us on that journey with Jesus and remind us that God is indeed with us on our own journeys.