St. James's Episcopal Parish @ Porter Square, Cambridge
August 24th, 2008
THE SUNDAY NEWS
15th Sunday in Pentecost
9:30 am The Holy Eucharist With Music Enriching Our Worship
Celebrant: The Rev. Holly Lyman Antolini
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Readings for August 24th: Isaiah 51:1-6 Psalm 138 Romans 12:1-8 Matthew: 16:13-20 Prayers |
1st Reading & Psalm : Eric Maynard 2nd Reading: Arthur Patton-Hock
Prayers: Anne Shumway
Lay Eucharistic Ministers Laverne Agard & Ross Speer
Acolytes Marian King
Welcomer Sarah Forrester
Counters Edward Wu
Flower Guild Liz McNerney
Altar Guild Susan Harris
SEPTEMBER 14TH: TWO-SERVICE SCHEDULE
Beginning on September 14th, St. James's returns to the fall service schedule, with Rite I Holy Eucharist at 8 AM in the chapel and Rite II Holy Eucharist with Music at 10:30 AM in the church.
COME TO THE WEDDING
Laine Walters and Michael Young invite the community of St. James's Episcopal Church to their wedding, Monday, September 1st (Labor Day) at 2 p.m. There will be a reception with dancing and appetizers in the Knight's Garden immediately following the service.
WELCOME HOME, MISSISSIPPI MISSION!
Bravo to the dozen St. James's parishioners returning from the Mississippi Gulf Coast where they participated in ongoing Hurricane Katrina relief home rebuilding efforts. The group included teens India Dumont, Tano Holmes, Marian Michaels and Miles Thomas-Moore; youth leaders/young adults are Al and Crystle Ashford, Becky Bjork, and Benazeer Noorani-Salib; and "mature" adults include Carolann Barrett, Pat Michaels, Laurie Rofinot and Yvette Verdieu. Ask them to tell you their stories!
Thanks to all who have offered support in this effort. Special thanks go to Carolann Barrett, organizer "par extraordinaire", for keeping everyone on track and organized, and to the Rev. Laurie Rofinot for dreaming up the scheme, not to mention all those who prayed for the group during their mission.
REST IN PEACE, DAVID PETERS
We are sad to report that our congregation member David Peters has died after a long illness. His burial service will be held at St. James's on Saturday September 30th at 11 AM, with a lunch to follow in the Parish Hall. Please join us in honoring David's life and celebrating his resurrection in Christ.
PLEASE CHECK BEHIND YOU
Lately there have been some issues with the security of the Parish House. If you are the last one out, please make sure the lights are out and the windows and doors are all locked.
SUMMER CHURCH SCHOOL
Our Church School summer program takes advantage of the weather and the garden to offer St. James's Mini-Summer Camp. We'll play games, sing songs, and tell stories, all inspired by OUR STORY. Our own resident theologian Josiah Bonsey leads the summer church school with support from Anne and Jojo Read. So come to church and bring your kids!
GETTING TO KNOW YOU
Have you signed up for one of our "Getting to Know You" dinners? Don't be shy! Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend one of these informal dinners that offer an opportunity to get to know our new rector Holly and other parishioners in a way that's just not possible in a few brief minutes on a Sunday morning. Hosts provide the gathering place and all contribute to the meal. Groups will generally be 8-12 in size, including Holly and the host(s). We're keeping them small in order to encourage conversation.
Dates for September dinners are below. Sign-up sheets are on the Vestry bulleting board in the parish hall and available each Sunday during coffee hour. You can also sign up by contacting Karen Meridith. Keep watching the Sunday News because soon we will begin setting dates for October and beyond.
Date Place(s) open Hosted by
Fri., September 12 3 David Hall
Sun., September 14 6 Michele Torres
If you need more information, are willing to host, or would like to sign up to attend a dinner, please contact Karen Meridith.
***NOTE: Please sign up for only one dinner so everyone has a chance to participate.***
ST. BART'S TURNS 100
Our neighbor Episcopal congregation, St. Bartholomew's at 239 Harvard St., Cambridge -- one of our historic predominantly African-American congregations in Boston -- is celebrating its 100th Anniversary on October 10th with a Celebration Banquet from 6 PM to midnight at Anthony's of Malden. We're hoping to have a group of folks from St. James's join the celebration to honor St. Bart's longevity and support their ongoing vitality. Admission is $75 for adults; $65 for seniors; $35 for children. Holly is going and has 3 scholarships available to assist with a portion of the cost. Please call her ASAP at 617.547.4070 and let her know if you can join the party!
RENEWAL OF MINISTRY: MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
September 21st at 4 PM, St. James's will install its new Rector, the Rev. Holly Lyman Antolini, in a celebration of the entire congregation's ministry. The Vestry is planning to host a Ministry Fair that afternoon, offering opportunities for members to discover new interests and fellowship in serving the mission of the parish. The Rt. Rev. Chilton R. Knudsen, Bishop of Maine, will be the preacher and celebrant and the Rev. Frank Fornaro, Dean of our Alewife Deanery, will represent the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts. We also plan a picnic potluck supper after the service in the Garden.
THE NEW E-BELL!!!
In September, we publish our last all-paper Bell newsletter. Beginning in October, we will begin saving trees by delivering your new E-Bell to you via email. If you do not receive email or wish to continue receiving The Bell in a paper version, please follow Jack McMackin's and Jeff Klein's lead and call the Parish Office at 617.547.4070 and let us know. THANK YOU Elizabeth Hixson and Lindsay Morgia for helping us to make this momentous transition! Articles and announcements for upcoming Bells are due on the 15th of each month for the following month, and should be sent to the new Bell inbox at thebell@stjames-cambridge.org.
PRAYERS FOR JODI MIKALACHKI
Jodi is currently is currently in Burundi where she is finishing her preparations to move to a small village in the interior where she will be working with teachers and students. I am a member of the support team and will have prayer cards and information sheets for those who want to stay in touch with Jodi and keep her in their prayers. I will be available during coffee hour with cards and can tell you a little more about how she is doing. Thanks Sarah Forrester
THANKS FOR WEARING NAMETAGS
Please remember to wear your nametag and help encourage others to do so, too, while greeting your neighbors by name in the service and talking to strangers in the coffee hour. While our focus lately has been on welcoming Holly and helping her to feel a part of the community, wearing our nametags is equally important as a gesture of hospitality to every person who walks into St. James's, newcomers and old friends alike. Nametag supplies are in the vestry and the entries into the sanctuary.
PARISH CALENDAR
Recently, a number of activities have occurred in the Parish House without having been written on the Calendar in the Parish Office, and without a contact name and telephone number. When this happens we end up with competing events, windows left open and vulnerable, and messes not cleaned up. Please email Sheila at office@stjames-cambridge.org or phone her between 10AM-2PM Mon, Tues, Thurs or Friday or come into the office to make arrangements and to leave contact information.
EDUCATION
BEING EPISCOPALIAN TODAY
Wondering what it means to be, not just a Christian but AN EPISCOPALIAN CHRISTIAN today? Beginning on Sunday September 7, we are gathering to ponder just that -- with accompanying exploration of the shaping force of the Bible, our worship life and the Book of Common Prayer, the structure of ministry in our church, the call to serve the cause of justice in the world, and our hopes for the peace and wholeness of shalom as Episcopalian Anglican followers of Jesus Christ. We will plan to meet in the Rector's Office from 1 to 3 PM (bring a bag lunch if you like) every Sunday from September 7 until October 12th, when the class will conclude with an afternoon retreat at Holly's house from 1 to 8 PM, including dinner, a film on the history of Anglicanism, and a closing Eucharist. The following Saturday, October 18th, there will be a service of Confirmation, Reception and Reaffirmation at St. Paul's Cathedral in downtown Boston, for any of us in the class who wish to acknowledge the work of the Spirit in our lives and claim our calling as members of the Episcopal Church with the laying-on of hands of our Bishops. If you are interested in joining this class, please RSVP to Holly at rector@stjames-cambridge.org. Also we will be using the book Always Open: Being an Anglican Today by Richard Giles. You can obtain a copy (used or new) online at amazon.com.
INSTRUCTED FAMILY SERVICE
Our family service is now closely coordinated with the Sunday school curriculum so that children have opportunities to engage with Scripture through both study and meditation, using distinct, but complementary teaching methods. Because this way of doing the family service is departure from past practices, I would like to invite interested kids and parents to attend an "instructed family service." With Reverend Holly's support, we will have an opportunity to experience the story and meditation, and then discuss some of the background and ideas. The instructed family service will take place on September 7, our last single-service Sunday, beginning promptly at 9:00 a.m. Children and adults are both very welcome. This type of service needs to be experienced in order to be understood, so we'll worship together first, and then I'll answer any questions you might have. Our service is only 15 minutes long, but it is a very rich time. - Mary Caulfield
LAMBETH CONFERENCE PANEL DISCUSSION
The Rev. Dr. Ian Douglas, EDS faculty and member of the Design Group for the 2008 Lambeth Conference, will facilitate a panel discussion on the Lambeth Conference on September 25, from 6-8 p.m., at Episcopal Divinity School. The intent of the Lambeth Conference, held in Canterbury, England July 16-August 3, was for bishops to become more confident in their Anglican identity, to deepen their awareness of how bishops are responsible to and for each other; and to grow in energy and enthusiasms for their task of leading the work of mission in the Churches of the Anglican Communion. All are welcome to join Douglas as he and the panel members answer questions evoked by the events at Lambeth: What was the tone, and what does it mean for the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion? What does it mean to be an Anglican today, and what is our covenant with each other and with the wider church? For more information about this event, please contact Priscilla Burns.
PRAXIS WITH HOLLY ON TUESDAY MORNINGS
We gather every Tuesday morning at 7:30 AM in the Rector's Office for an hour of "spiritual practice" or "praxis." After opening with a brief morning devotion and a sharing of our gratitude and challenges to gratitude, our time will be centered on an exploration of the coming Sunday's Gospel reading using the technique of lectio divina or spiritual reading. It's a Bring Your Own Coffee (or Tea) event, and we should be finished in plenty of time for you to get to work. This is a drop-in event; no preparation is necessary. Come "taste and see!"
OUTREACH
HELPING HAND FOOD PANTRY NEEDS FOOD
Food prices are rising, and the most vulnerable in our society are hungrier than ever. Our regular source of food, The Boston Food Bank, is low on food and your donation of food is needed to help stock our shelves. Please bring a box of cereal, a jar of peanut butter or a can of tuna fish or other canned goods to church this Sunday for the Food Pantry. Nina Siciliano, FoodPantry Director
SUMMER HOMELESS SHELTER
For the past six weeks, St. James's has been home to 12 homeless individuals seeking to become self-sufficient members of society. Due to a great effort on their own behalf, and the dutiful assistance of our excellent volunteers, the majority of guests are now employed and on the right track for escaping homelessness.
As a student-led nonprofit organization, our budget is very limited and we must raise a substantial amount of funds to make this vital program possible. Some of our main expenditures include paying the lease to the St. James Church, buying food, paying for various supplies, providing transportation for guests conducting job searches. No money is wasted, and each donation goes directly to improving the lives of homeless individuals who really need our help the most.
Please take the time to consider the difference your contribution will make for the future of the shelter and our guests and please donate as generously as you feel comfortable. A gift of $20 will cover the cost of one client for one day. That is one whole day that a guest can spend on housing or job searches without having to worry about where he/she is going to eat or sleep that night. A gift of $420 will cover the cost of one guest for three weeks. Nothing is too little, and we are grateful for every bit of support.
Thanks,
Liz Durgin, Sam Bakkila & Alykhan Mohamed
Summer Shelter Co-Directors
For more information, please visit: http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/~stjames/about.htm
Secure online donations can be made at www.pbha.org/donate by entering "summer homeless" in the section designated "specific needs." You can also send a check to: Phillips Brooks House, Harvard University, Cambridge MA 02138.
PARISH PRAYER LIST
HEALING PRAYER EVERY SUNDAY AT COMMUNION
We welcome you to receive healing prayer following communion. Our pray-ers will be under the stained glass windows in the Baptistry Chapel to the right of the altar every Sunday. If you would like prayer, simply step into the righthand line toward the altar, and after receiving communion, exit to the right through the chapel and join the pray-ers under the windows.
IF YOU ARE MISSING SOMEONE YOU LOVE ON THE PRAYER LIST PLEASE CALL SHEILA RIBEIRO IN THE OFFICE AT 617-547-4070 TO LET HER KNOW YOU WISH OUR CONTINUING PRAYERS.
Those who have asked for our prayers: Jodi Mikalachki, June Fifield, Judith Carroll, Al Carrington, Anthony Joseph, Rosslyn Mullings, Valerie Martin, Joan Hawkesworth, Lew & Jane Baird, Michael Wayne, Jeffrey Paquette, Karen Coleman, Susan Fisher, Ken Holmes, Robert Larkin, Nona Y., Natalie, Jessica and Alison Sollee, Julie Holbrook O'Connor, Senator Edward Kennedy, Scott Walters, Martine Kelly, Terry Tyler, Julia Brown, Bob Massie, Pat Haynes, Florence Thompson, The Galindo family, Patricia Lindo, Miriam Joseph, Barbara Butler, Cindy Boyd-Farrah & Family, Cynthia Owen, Mateo Singer-Torres, Emilienne Jules, Roger Shumway, Lisa McDonnell, Ebert Agard, Mary Mosesian and Jack McMackin.
Those who have died: Today we pray especially for David Peters and for all Iraqi and Afghanistan civilians and security forces and all those members of our U.S. armed forces who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan from August 11TH thru August 14th: Michael H. Ferschke Jr., James M. Hale, Janelle F. King, Daniel A. C. McGuire, Jacob J. Toves, Anthony G. Mihalo and Juan Lopez-Castaneda.
The Flowers on the High Altar: are given by Elmo and Eric Maynard in memory of St. Clair Worrell.
The Flowers on the Chapel Altar: are given in loving memory of Eliot and Helen Bushner and their daughter Diane.
OUR COMMUNITY PRAYERS...
...For loved ones near and far are very important. Sometimes, however, people forget to update us in the office about those on our weekly prayer list. Holly and Sheila will update the prayer list on the first Sunday of every month. If you wish your loved ones to remain on the list for the next month, please let us know by noon of the last Thursday of the previous month that you wish us to continue our prayers, and we will keep their names on our list. THANK YOU!
To donate memorial flowers - in memory of loved ones or in thanksgiving for birthdays, anniversaries or other life transitions - please contact Laurie Rofinot, Flower Committee.
Please recycle Sunday bulletins and music! Place them in the containers on the desk in the vestry room or in the containers in the back of the church. Thank you!
Have something to add to the Sunday News? Email Sheila at office@stjames-cambridge.org. by Thursday Noon.
Have an addition or correction to the prayer list? Email Sheila by Friday Noon.
Parish office hours: Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10AM-2PM
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Readings on August 31st: Jeremiah: 15:15-21 (Sylvia Weston) Psalm: 26:1-8 Romans: 12:9-21 (John Hixson) Prayers: (David Hall) |