St. James Sentinel 22:36

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Vol. 22, No. 36 Oct 20, 2022

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The Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost

October 23, 2022
8 am - Holy Eucharist – Rite I
9:15 am - Adult Christian Formation
10:30 am - Holy Eucharist – Rite II
10:45 am - Youth Christian Formation

10:30 am service is streamed live at Youtube.com/c/stjamesknox

10:30 Service Booklet.pdf Prayers & Gatherings.pdf Prayer List.docx October Newsletter

The Rev. John Mark Wiggers, Rector
jwiggers@stjamesknox.org

865-523-5687

Dear Friends,

Time is a funny thing. It seems like just recently that flowers were in bloom and the days were warm. It wasn't too long ago that our plans for renovation were looking to the future. Now we are approaching the beginning of construction! In just less than a year, the project will be complete. Come to our annual meeting this Sunday, October 23 following the 10:30 service to learn more.

Also at our annual meeting, we will report on our ministries, our finances, and a vision for our future. This is also the time that we select new vestry members. Carla Livesey and Elizabeth Young have agreed to serve. We have room for two more. Nominations may be made before the meeting or at the meeting. Eligible candidates should be confirmed members for at least one year, and be on record as giving financially. Please ask someone before you nominate them. If we don't receive more nominations, we will proceed with business as usual.

We are entering a time of transition at a moment when we have shared in the global disruption caused by the pandemic, social stressors, and economic challenges. Our Senior Warden, Lee Creech, encouraged the vestry to consider this a time ripe for visioning and shaping our future. The Exodus was a time when the Israelites were guided to a vision of what meant to be a called people. The early followers of Christ moved into a new way of being following the resurrection. We continue to follow God through all the changes and challenges of the times. We pray together and look forward with hope as we follow Christ.

Pray for the church and our mission. Be open to creative ways of practicing our ministry during construction. Give of your time and money to the work we do of sharing Good News in word and deed. Dream with God of new life, abundance, and love shared with all.

Peace,
Fr. John Mark

OUR HISTORY . . .

EPISCOPAL SHIELD . . . Rich with symbolism, the Episcopal shield was officially adopted by the General Convention of 1940. Usually presented in red, white, and blue, the red cross on a white field is an ancient Christian symbol. The white represents the purity of Jesus. The red represents his sacrifice on the cross and the blood of the Christian martyrs. The blue field in the upper left corner is the color traditionally associated with the Blessed Virgin Mary, symbolic of Jesus' human nature, which he received from his mother. The X-shaped cross is the cross of St. Andrew, patron saint of Scotland, and recalls the Episcopal Church's indebtedness to the Scottish Episcopal Church for the consecration of its first bishop, Samuel Seabury, as Bishop of Connecticut in 1784. The St. Andrew's cross is made up of nine smaller crosslets, representing the nine original American diocese which met in Philadelphia in 1789 to adopt the constitution of the Episcopal Church. They include: Connecticut (established in 1783), Maryland (1783), Massachusetts (1784), Pennsylvania (1784), New Jersey (1785), New York (1785), South Carolina (1785), Virginia (1785), and Delaware (1786). Source: The Episcopal Handbook

THE PRESENT . . .

Luke 10:35 The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper and said, "Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend."

The parable of the Good Samaritan is well-known and seems a favorite of faith formation leaders, parents, and clergy in many places. I enjoyed a sermon by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry a couple of years ago at a verger conference where he inserted the names of prominent politicians as examples of those who might pass by if the wounded man was from a different political party. In this day of such uncivil discourse, it was quite eye-opening. Yet I also find excellent teaching in the part of the verse that doesn't always receive much attention: the Samaritan took the wounded man to an innkeeper, paid the innkeeper to take care of the man, and then promised to make up any shortfall. Did the Samaritan's actions show mercy? They certainly did, but he went further, with commitment, action, and a promise of follow-up. He took it on himself to be the salve that the wounded man needed - not just a good guy who bandaged him up, but a friend. He loved him as he loved himself. Source Forward Day by Day

TRUNK OR TREAT - It is that time again. Fall has arrived, and it is October. That means Halloween is upon us. Drivers and their families decorate their cars for Halloween, sometimes creating elaborate scenes out of their trunks. Then our kids walk from vehicle to vehicle, collecting candy the way they would during a normal trick-or-treating outing. Bring your little ghosties and goblins to St. James, Sunday, October 30, 5:00-7:00 pm for treats and surprises provided by the St. James Episcopal Church Women! It'll be a BOOO-tiful Time!

FLOWERS NEEDED - It is a St. James tradition to place altar flowers/greenery in honor of or in thanksgiving for loved ones. Altar flowers/greenery are needed for Oct 30, Nov 20, & 27, and Dec 18. Please contact the church office lgoins@stjamesknox.org or 865-523-5687 for information.

UNITED THANK OFFERING - This Fall our In-Gathering service will be November 6. The United Thank Offering is a world-wide ministry of the Episcopal Church that provides grants and ministries around the world. The St. James ECW sponsors two in-gatherings each year. Our goal for the November 6 In-Gathering is $1400. Please use a Little Blue Box from the pew rack or the usher table in the Narthex, or even a little bowl at your home. Give thanks for your blessings and drop in a coin or two. Your gifts will be collected November 6.

IT'S NOT TOO LATE . . . Suppose you were unable to find time to navigate the Neighbor Day Auction website, or you were outbid by someone else who was bidding on the same thing(s) you were. Or, suppose you just want to help us reach our auction fundraising goal! In any case, it's not too late to click on the mason jar to make an online cash donation. Your donation will be added to our total to help us reach our $10,000 goal.

NEWCOMER'S DINNER - Are you new to St. James? We would like to get to know you. Due to the ups and downs of the pandemic, we will extend the invitation to those who have joined up with us over the past couple of years. Hey, even those who have been lurking in the shadows or haven't been around are welcome to join us for dinner on Wednesday, October 26 at 6:00 PM in the Parish Hall. We will get to know each other and share some information about St. James. RSVP to jwiggers@stjamesknox.org.

REALM PHOTO DIRECTORY - Do you miss the St. James Directory? The pictures were worth a thousand words. It became easy to associate faces with names. Realm removed the need for a printed directory by creating an online community where we can all share St. James information, but only if you share your photo. Margaret Bickley is reviving the photo directory concept but incorporating it with the new Realm Online Community. If you have not posted a photograph of yourself to your Realm account, or have not created a Realm Account yet, Margaret will be attending all ECW meetings, DoK meetings, and Coffee Hour to help you with that. Make sure you see Margaret Bickley or contact her at mbick7@gmail.com.

ACOLYTES NEEDED - Would you like to be close to the action in Sunday worship? You can join in the joy of assisting with worship by being an acolyte. We need crucifers who can carry the cross, and youth 9 and up can join in to be torch bearers. Yes, adults can be acolytes too! Contact Fr. John Mark at jwiggers@stjamesknox.org .

ANNUAL PLEDGE INGATHERING: It's that time of year again. The busy summer months have ended, the weather is getting colder and St. James is full swing into our fall stewardship drive. Many of our members make increased contributions during this time, and we appreciate your gifts. Please indicate what you intend to give for the year by downloading a Pledge Card from THIS LINK, entering the information on the card, and submitting it to the church. You can also give using our website.

ONE CUP AT A TIME . . . "Coffee Hour" has returned to St. James following our regular 10:30 Sunday morning worship services. If you would like to lend a hand as a host, there will be a sign up sheet available during each coffee hour event. Duties are minimal and include setting things up, preparing coffee in the kitchen and light cleanup activities afterwards. Contact Carol Yates at cyates0222@gmail.com with questions or to sign up.

CHILDREN'S MINISTRY - Classes have begun again, two classes are available. Both classes are offered during the 10:30 am Service for youth ages 5-8 and pre-teens age 9-13. Contact our Children's Formation Coordinator, Theresa Russell for additional information, tde444@yahoo.com.

YOUTH EVENTS - St. James Episcopal Church is in the process of developing a youth program that will re-energize the children and teen programs. In the meantime, St. James participates in The Episcopal Youth Community of the Diocese of East Tennessee, ETNyouth, a passionate and dedicated group of youth from over 50 worshiping communities throughout East Tennessee. This Fall, ETNYouth is holding great programs that may be of interest to you and your children. November 11-13, Happening #82, a spiritual awakening and renewal weekend for high school students, grades 9-12. November 18-20, College Retreat. All events are at Grace Point Camp. For additional information review The Episcopal Youth Community website at this LINK. For information and assistance with scholarships, please contact Fr. John Mark Wiggers, jwiggers@stjamesknox.org.

AMAZON SMILE FOUNDATION - . If you are a frequent or occasional Amazon customer, find out how you can make this source of revenue for St. James SURGE at no cost to you! Contact Drew at jeskepolyak@gmail.com.

OUR FUTURE . . .

SPONSOR A CHAIR - Soon, our old pews will be replaced with new cathedral chairs which are being built especially for St. James. Family, friends, and organizations are invited to "sponsor" individual cathedral chairs by making a $500 cash contribution to St. James Episcopal Church specifically designated for this purpose. In exchange for your cash contribution, the backside of each chair you sponsor will be fitted with an engraved brass plate, (approximately 5" W x 2.5" H), commemorating your gift. The engraved message may memorialize a loved one, or recognize someone else of your choosing. The flexible arrangement of our chairs in the Nave will ensure your thoughtfulness and the person(s) you memorialize will be noticed by a much wider audience than brass plates affixed to the ends of traditional stationary pews.

Here is how to sponsor a St. James Cathedral Chair:

Complete a Cathedral Chair Sponsorship Request Form available at THIS LINK. Neatly PRINT the requested information to be included on the engraved brass plate. Please adhere as close to the suggested format as possible. (max 5 lines) Submit a SEPARATE form and full payment for EACH sponsored chair to St. James. All sponsorship contributions will be credited to appropriate St. James giving accounts. If you have additional questions about sponsoring one or more cathedral chairs, please contact kevin@stjamesknox.org or jwiggers@stjamesknox.org.

OUR CENTENNIAL PRAYER
Lord Christ, the shepherd of the sheep, we give thanks for those
who have built up the work of St. James over the past 100 years.

Give us grace to continue in their faithfulness
by doing justice and mercy in this community.

Grant us generous hearts to support and build the resources
that will strengthen and continue our work of feeding and tending your sheep.

May we do all these things to your glory, you who reign with the Father and
the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

HAPPENINGS . . .

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

SUN: Sunday Morning Christian Formation. (Conf Room A). 9:15 am - 10:15. "Episcopal Basics" - Some of the basic distinctives about being Episcopalian. We'll start by taking a look at the Book of Common Prayer, then look at our liturgy and let the conversation be guided by your questions. If you have been around for a while or just looking to learn more about the Episcopal way, join us.

SUN: Sunday Morning Youth Formation. 10:30 am. Two classes offered, Youth Group ages 5-8 and Pre-Teens ages 9-13. Contact: T heresa Russell for additional information

SUN: Bible Study. The Acts of the Apostles (Zoom) 6:00 pm. The book of Acts tells the story of the followers of Jesus after his ascension as they live in the power of the Holy Spirit. Narrow escapes, jailbreaks, a shipwreck, and more. Contact: Marie Cantrell for Zoom link.

MON: Centering Prayer. (Zoom or Library, on 2nd & 4th Monday). 6 pm - 7 pm. Studying Radical Wisdom: A Feminist Mystical Theology by Beverly J. Lanzetta. Zoom Link Meeting ID: 813 3584 8679 | Pray.

TUE: Tuesday Morning Discussion Group. (Zoom). 11 am - noon. Exploring current events in the light of our faith. Interested individuals are invited to join us via Zoom. Meeting ID 816 8271 5668 and Passcode 481655. Contact: Margaret Bickley, or call 865-384-7422 for assistance.

TUE: Tuesday Evening Prayer. (Zoom). 5:30 pm - 6:00 pm. Zoom Link Meeting ID: 884 2912 1929 Password: Pray.

TUE: The Soul of the Indian. (Zoom). 6 pm - 7 pm. "Black Elk Speaks" by John G. Neihardt. The story of Black Elk, an Oglala Lakota medicine man. Contact: Ron Morton for the link.

THU: Thursday Study Group. (Parish Hall and Zoom). 10:00 am - 11:15 am. The First week of October we will finish our discussion of Dr. Zweig’s book. Contact: nepullen@gmail.com or call 415-722-0139 for the link. Beginning October 13 and for the rest of the month we will be discussing Stephanie Spellers’ book The Church Cracked Open - Disruption, Decline, and New Hope for Beloved Community.

THU: Praying the Anglican Rosary. (Zoom). 7 pm - 8 pm. Cynthia Thornburg hosts 1 hour of praying the anglican rosary. All are welcome! Meeting ID: 836 8961 2206 | rosary Contact Cynthia Thornburg or Margaret Bickley.

Copyright © 2022 St. James Episcopal Church All rights reserved.

We apologize for any errors or omissions that may have occurred in this publication at press time.
For questions related to any content, please contact referenced ministry leaders or email: kevin@stjamesknox.org.

St. James Episcopal Church 1101 N. Broadway St. Knoxville, TN 37917

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