Weekly Letter, 10/03/2024
The Rev. John Mark Wiggers • October 3, 2024

Friends and Neighbors, 


Heavy on the hearts of many of us is the devastating impact of hurricane Helene on our neighbors so near. You can see Bishop Cole's remarks here . You can give financially to help folks at the following links:


Donate to East Tennessee: https://onrealm.org/dioet/-/form/give/2024flood


To donate to the Diocese of East Tennessee relief efforts, complete the Realm online giving portal. For questions, please call 865-966-2110.


Donate to Western North Carolina: https://secure.accessacs.com/access/oglogin.aspx?sn=148858&f=4


Please read before clicking: To donate to the Diocese of Western North Carolina, click on the above link, then, in the "to" field where it will likely say "Seminarian Fund", click on that box and change it to "Partners in Mission" and in the "optional memo field" type Hurricane Helene.


As always, to give on a broader scope, please visit Episcopal Relief and Development to donate to the wider Southeast.


 We have kicked off a month of festivities here at St. James. The animal blessing and Pride Mass are this Sunday. Don't forget, if you’d like to walk with the Episcopal Diocese in the Parade, please try to arrive at the staging area by 6:00 pm. The staging area is located at E. Hill Ave (in front of the Blount Mansion). The pumpkin patch is live and the gourds are selling. Don't forget that the online auction ends SATURDAY night. So many opportunities are available for us to be together. 


Even in the midst of terrible things happening in our world, we come together as a community. We don't deny that things are hard. We name that God is with us and that we are empowered to bring hope and healing. I will bring my sadness and grief to the altar this Sunday. I also bring my joy at being in a community that seeks to love God and neighbor in ways big and small. Check this newsletter out for all the ways to get involved this month.


Peace,

Fr. John Mark 

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Weekly Letter, 05/29/2025

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Weekly Letter, 05/22/2025

By John Mark Wiggers • May 22, 2025

Weekly Letter, 05/15/2025

By John Mark Wiggers • May 15, 2025

Weekly Letter, 05/08/2025

By John Mark Wiggers • May 12, 2025
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.

Weekly Letter, 05/01/2025

By John Mark Wiggers • May 12, 2025
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.

Weekly Letter, 04/24/2025

By John Mark Wiggers • April 24, 2025
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.

Weekly Letter, 04/17/2025

By John Mark Wiggers • April 17, 2025
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.

Weekly Letter, 04/10/2025

By John Mark Wiggers • April 17, 2025
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.
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