Friends and Neighbors, 

What a delightful celebration of St. James Day we had this past Sunday. If you were at the 10:30 AM service, you heard me express my joy that we had a beautiful offering of a Mozart Gloria, followed by Siyahamba, which had us singing in the Zulu language and playing some drums. Our worship and community life are shaped and influenced by a diversity of sources. Some of those we don't even see. You bring something to this community, and it joins with the variety of things others bring. 

I am excited about our pancake breakfast this Saturday, and the conversations we might have there. Congregations of all denominations and faiths are being challenged to grow and adapt as the world evolves. Even as things change, they also stay the same. Our call to love God and our neighbor as ourselves remains the same. The old stories from scripture speak of some of the same issues that we face in our world today. Join us for a conversation about our resources and the needs of the community. Of course, the pancakes will be great. 

I truly am thankful to serve with you here at St. James. We are a place that can hold the variety of experiences and perspectives. I often refer to the altar as the place where we bring all of who we are. I remind you that the offering is a practical way to collect money (before internet banking), and it is also a symbol of us offering our life and labor to be consecrated and used for the work of Christ. God will accept what you bring and feed you with the Bread of Life. This bread sustains us as we seek to live faithfully. May you find yourself nourished and share that bread with others. 

Peace, 

Fr. John Mark