OUR HISTORY . . .
 

WHAT'S IN A NAME - "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." - Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.

Take my name as an example. Frank can be described as “a nice person.” Frank can also be described as “open, sincere, and straightforward.” Gestalt-like I would think. In September of 1923 the first organizational meeting took place at the home of an unknown parishioner. Twenty-one potential members attended, with Rev. Jahn officiating. Most of the meeting was taken up discussing the usual things, i.e. service locations, bylaws and the like. As it was getting late, they realized they had not chosen a patron saint as their namesake!

Although I have found little evidence about the selection, I have been able to put a few pieces together:
James of Jerusalem was a strict follower of Jewish Law, members believed his adherence to
these laws would not reflect well on protestant theologies. St. James the Less could be depicted as shorter and younger than St. James the Great. The remaining St. James was known to be Jesus’ brother. His selection could be problematic. After a rather short discussion, St. James the Great was selected. As a fisherman, he followed Christ and was made a fisher of men, much like Epiphany’s outreach to the poor, the hungry, and the down-trodden, tasking them to do likewise.

I promised you a few nicknames, so we’ll start with one used by Happy Holler residents. We were known as “St. Jimmy’s Church.” Another nickname was “The friendly little church on the hill.” They were both in use until the late 1940’s. Next month we’ll take a look at our beautiful stained glass windows.  - Frank Laszlo, Church Historian


VINTAGE NEWSLETTERS - St. James maintains a robust digital archive of newsletters dating back as far as 2008.  As we prepare for a yearlong observance of our 100th Anniversary, we are striving to recover as many copies of "vintage" newsletters as we can.  No doubt, most exist as precious articles that were created on typewriters, cut, glued, copied, and distributed by hand. Some may currently reside in your file cabinet. Others may be stashed in your grandmother's attic! 

Whether you own a single issue or a small collection of newsletters  published prior to 2008, we are interested in scanning them so we can share some of the interesting old stories.  Please contact kevin@stjamesknox.org if you think you may have some vintage newsletters you can share.


CENTENNIAL SENTIMENTS - If you have been a member here for any time at all, you have witnessed many of the wonderful ways St. James has performed its mission and some of the many challenges we have faced as a congregation.  You have some stories to share and we want to hear them.  

A dedicated telephone number has been set up especially for this purpose.  The number is 865-357-0703.  When you call this number, a recorded greeting will invite you to share your sentiments over the phone. Your recorded message will be saved and added to a special collection that will be presented at our website.  Selected messages will also be featured in upcoming editions of the St. James Sentinel.  

JUSTICE, FAIRNESS & EQUITY - Over the past six years, many of you have heard about Justice Knox. Many of you have participated in this network of 19 congregations that seek to change policies in order to bring greater justice to our community. I want you to know that we can all be involved in this justice ministry and why it is important.In the book of Micah we read “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8 NRSV). Jesus echoes these words when scolding religious leaders in Matthew 23:23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.”

Churches do well with faithfulness as we gather for worship, study scripture, and keep our holy days. We also engage in mercy as we give out food, and help with immediate needs like shelter and transportation. In scripture, justice often has to do with fairness and equity in the community.

The prophets often showed up challenging political and religious leaders regarding practices that hurt or excluded others. At St. James, we too can practice the latter, without neglecting the former.  Find out how by visiting THIS LINK.
 

EASTER REMEMBRANCES - It is time to consider submitting Easter Remembrances in memory or thanksgiving for the life of a loved one. This year, as usual, there are three different fund options: 

Clergy Discretionary Fund. Allowing the Clergy at St. James to meet needs quickly and confidentially, including emergency housing, transportation, and health-related needs as well as such things as sending a child to camp.

Flower Guild. Providing Easter Lilies for the altars.  A minimum $16 donation is requested for each lily you wish to donate.

Bryant’s Bridge. Providing affordable housing and a safe space for LGBTQ+ youth to prevent homelessness and promote growth in areas of education, employment, health and mental health to develop strength of character and promote healing and independence in a world where societal structures create obstacles and hinder support systems necessary to adequately navigate the transition from youth to adulthood. https://www.bryantsbridge.org

Please submit your Easter Remembrances prior to Monday, April 11th.  Submit them online by clicking “Easter Remembrances” under the "GIVING" tab at stjamesknox.org. Use the “Memo” field to provide the full name(s) for each memorial and thanksgiving and indicate whether it is to honor a "Memory" or express a "Thanksgiving".  If you prefer, you may download the Easter Remembrances form at THIS LINK.  Just complete the form and mail it along with your check to 1101 N. Broadway, Knoxville, TN 37917.


ST JAMES & KARM - During the last quarter of 2021 (Oct - Dec), 66 donations were received at Knox Area Rescue Ministries (KARM) Stores by donors associated with St. James Episcopal Church.  Because of your generosity through the "Corners of your field" program, KARM has provided gift cards in denominations of $10 and $20, totaling $170 that we can use to help meet the tangible needs of some of our neighbors in greatest need.  In the past, these resources have been used to assist foster and adoptive families, victims of fires, newly hired employees in need of uniforms, and many others.  With help from St. James, KARM was also successful in distributing a record 8,583 winter coats during this year's "Coats for the Cold" campaign.

 

GIFT STORAGE - As donations for our 2022 Neighbor Day Auction are already being received and will continue to arrive throughout the year, we are looking for additional space to store them.  Gift cards are easy to manage and we have one room at the church where we can safely store small items, but as our collection of donated merchandise has grown, (including some larger items), we need more space. 

If you have a spare room, storage unit, or other easily accessible storage space, (even if only to store a few items), we would love to hear from you.  Receiving items throughout the year makes it easier for businesses and others who need space of their own to donate to St. James.  If you can help, please reach out to neighbor@stjamesknox.org.
 

PARADE MAKER - St. James is excited to be partnering with the Cattywampus Puppet Council to hold open "Parade Maker" space for Knoxville community members to work on giant puppets for the community arts parade on Saturday, March 26th as part of the Big Ears Festival.  At specific times, (Mar 20th @ noon - 2 pm, Mar 21st @ 3 pm - 4 pm, and Mar 22nd @ 3 pm - 4 pm), tables will be set up in the Parish Hall with some giant puppets to be dressed with papier-mache.  

There will also be some additional stations for adults and kids to make their own small masks or other art for the parade.  Dolly Parton, (the giant puppet), is currently residing at St. James having some restorative work done in anticipation of her appearance in the parade.  The Preservation Hall Jazz Band and some other Big Ears artists may also drop in to play some music while everyone is making art.  Read more about the parade at THIS LINK.


LIFE LINE SCREENINGS - Statistics show that for 4 out of 5 people who have a stroke, the first symptom of any illness is the stroke itself.  St. James is providing space for Life Line Screening to perform onsite screenings to our community for stroke and cardiovascular disease risk on Friday, April 29th in the Parish Hall.  Screenings are generally best suited for people over the age of 50, OR have a risk factor such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, being overweight, smoking and a family history of stroke or cardiovascular disease.  Screenings are for: carotid artery plaque build up, peripheral arterial disease, osteoporosis risk, abdominal aortic aneurysm, and atrial fibrillation.  Appointments must be scheduled ahead of time with Life Line and there is a charge for the screenings.  Find out more by visiting THIS LINK. 

 
BOOK CENTS - Book selling and buying is an old, honored and specialized profession admired with a storied history.  Some of our members who are book collectors possess volumes of old books which could possibly be considered antique and of great value.  One such member would like to sell her her books and have the proceeds benefit St. James.  If you can help us help her make this happen by providing a referral to someone who has expertise in evaluating and selling old books, that would be outstanding! Please send an email to kevin@stjamesknox.org.


WORDPRESS EXPERTISE - The regular St. James website and our companion Neighbor Day website have both been built using the very popular WordPress content management platform.  Currently, our webmasters are looking for volunteers of any age who have experience with WordPress to assist in creating and uploading content at our Neighbor Day website.

Working from home at a leisurely pace, volunteers will create written descriptions of donated gift items and combine them with images to construct auction item "showcases" at the site. Some of the descriptive language will be provided, but resourceful volunteers will also use their web browsing skills to source additional descriptive information online.  Guidance and enthusiastic support will be provided by Kevin & Drew J-P. For more information, contact neighbor@stjamesknox.org.    


COVID UPDATE -  The CDC recently announced that face masks might be optional for Americans who are in areas where COVID infections are a "low" or "medium" risk.  However, as shown in the CDC Community Level Risk Assessment map at THIS LINK, Knox County remains at "high" risk.

As long as COVID continues to pose a significant public health threat to our community, everyone at St. James will continue to benefit from taking appropriate precautions and making responsible decisions every day. The care and consideration St. James parishioners have demonstrated throughout this pandemic by wearing masks during in-person worship services has been extraordinary. 

Watch this space for updates pertaining to the most current CDC recommendations and how they may impact our worship activities and other events.

OUR FUTURE . . .

ORGANIZED PEOPLE -   On Sunday, February 20th, nearly 40 parishioners who are Justice Knox Network Members gathered for our annual congregational meeting. This meeting was held to update members regarding the work being done by the Justice Knox research committee and to create lists of who each Network Member will invite to join us at the Nehemiah Action Assembly to be held on Monday, May 2nd. Last year, St. James brought 134 parishioners, family members, friends & neighbors. This year our goal is to bring 175 people - the average number who attended Sunday services prior to the pandemic.

During House Meetings held in the fall, every Network Member commits to: (a) attend the congregational meeting plus four other meetings (Annual Assembly, Rally, Nehemiah Action, and Celebration), (b) bring at least 3 people to the Nehemiah Action Assembly, and (c) consider a $200 investment in Justice Knox. Our investment goal each year has grown along with our number of Justice Knox members. Last year we raised $15,000, which was applied toward organizers’ salaries and training Justice Knox Network Members in doing the work of justice in Knoxville.

Justice Knox has helped bring real change for justice to Knoxville, including: crisis intervention team training for the Knoxville Police Department & Knox County Sheriff Department, an affordable housing trust fund, and construction of affordable housing. We will continue to pursue restorative practices in Knox Co. Schools to improve and repair relationships among the people in our community through consistent transparent reporting of data and we are continuing to work with Isaac Thorne and Knoxville Area Transit to provide more user-friendly public transportation. If you want to learn more about Justice Knox, please contact our rector, The Rev. John Mark Wiggers, or one of our Team Leaders: Mark Abell, Margaret Bickley, Nick Simson, or Carol & Butch Yates.


ST. JAMES AT NEYLAND STADIUM - Last year, The University of Tennessee invited St. James to participate in an extraordinary fundraising opportunity during the football season.  All we needed were 10 volunteers to operate one of the concession stands at Neyland Stadium to receive 10% of all the sales generated at that stand. The payout would have been provided at the end of each game!  

Unfortunately, COVID prevented us from recruiting the number of volunteers we needed last year, but UT has extended the invitation to us once again for the 2022 season!  Seven home games will take place on: Sep 3 (Ball State), Sep 17 (Akron), Sep 24 (Florida), Oct 15 (Alabama), Oct 22 (UT Martin), Oct 29 (Kentucky), and Nov 12 (Missouri).  If you are interested in volunteering this year, please contact Kevin Jeske-Polyak immediately for details kevin@stjamesknox.org.  This is a time-sensitive announcement.   


SHOW YOUR APPRECIATION - During our annual Neighbor Day Celebration, St. James shines the light on the work performed by our outreach ministries as we raise money to keep them fully funded.  We also reach out to local business establishments we patronize to garner their support through donations of merchandise, gift cards, or cash for our fundraising auction. 

Please help by drafting a concise patron appreciation letter and present it to some of the businesses you patronize to let them know what you appreciate about the way they do business.  Click THIS LINK for some sample language you may wish to consider using to express your appreciation and request their support.


"ROC" ON -  The Realm Orientation Crew (ROC) will host its regular monthly Realm orientation session this Monday, March 7 at 4 pm via Zoom. If you have only heard about Realm, but you have not activated your free account, or you just want to know more about how Realm helps us perform real ministry at St. James, join Kevin & Drew for this live 45-minute demonstration. No preparation is needed.  Just use THIS LINK to join the ROC Session about 5 minutes before 4 pm on Monday, March 7.  Realm is a catalyst for the engagement will sustain our future. 
 

Fr. John Mark's Blog  https://stjamesknox.org/rector/
featuring insights and comment on various topics
 

Centering Prayer  (Zoom)  6  pm - 7 pm 
Studying Radical Wisdom: A Feminist Mystical Theology by Beverly J. Lanzetta.
Zoom Link  Meeting ID: 813 3584 8679 | Pray


TUESDAYS