WHY IS EVERYBODY KNEELING - Subjects do it before kings, some men do it when proposing marriage, and Christians have historically done this when they go to church: Kneeling.

It's an act of obeisance to authority, honor to royalty, and contrition for sin. It is one of three basic positions Episcopalians assume in the course of regular Sunday worship. Typically, we kneel to confess our sins, to receive absolution, and to pray (although standing for prayer is an ancient and acceptable posture). Episcopalians kneel much less than we used to. It's not because we've gotten lazy, but in order to recover an ancient sensibility toward worship; the idea that Christianity is less about endless penitence than it is about continual rejoicing in the forgiveness Jesus brings.

So when we stand we do so to show respect, like during the reading of the Gospels, which are the four books that record the words and deeds of Jesus. We also stand to say the Creed, a 1,600-year-old statement of our beliefs. And we stand to sing. Not only does this help us sound better, but it also helps us express our thanksgiving and appreciation. Think standing ovation. When we sit we do so to convey our readiness to learn, like we (were supposed to) do at school. We sit to listen to the Old and New Testament lessons as well as the Psalm and the sermon.

Referred to by some as "pew aerobics," our penchant for communal participation comes from a shared belief that Sunday worship is not a spectator sport. Episcopalians are a liturgical church, the word liturgy meaning "work of the people." So kneeling, sitting, and standing are all about inspiring us to say thanks together, the very best way we know how.  Source: The Episcopal Handbook. 

HOW TO RESPOND WHEN SOMEONE SITS NEXT TO YOU - We all carry a bubble of personal space. For some people, it's several feet. For others, it's about a millimeter. Wherever on the spectrum you happen to fall, there are certain situations in which we invite visitors into our little sphere of experience - like at church. Furthermore, human beings are territorial in nature and sometimes see strangers inside the bubble as an affront. These situations need not be cause for alarm.

1. Smile and greet the "intruders." Oftentimes they are visitors to your congregation-new blood. Avoid creating bad blood you might regret later on. Make solid eye contact so they know you mean it, shake hands with them, and leave no impression that they've done something wrong.
2. View the "intrusion" as an opportunity. Remember, you don't own the pew; you just borrow it once a week. Take the opportunity to get out of your rut and sit someplace new. This will physically emphasize a change in your perspective and may yield new spiritual discoveries.
3. If you can tell that your new friends feel uncomfortable at having displaced you, despite your efforts to the contrary, make an extra effort to welcome them. Consider taking them to brunch after church to become acquainted. If there are too many for you to foot the bill, consider inviting them to accompany you on a "go Dutch" basis. This will eliminate any hierarchy and place you on equal footing.  Source: The Episcopal Handbook.  

 
HISTORY MINISTRY - Made up of volunteers who have a passion for researching, cataloging, and displaying St. James’s past, we love searching for stuff in “nooks, crooks, and books." We think it is “the bee’s knees” to search the Internet and libraries to discover just one bit of information that may lead to others. Our most recent project was the creation of a stained-glass window database. This huge undertaking took nearly two years to complete. Our next exciting project will be the creation of a booklet describing our history, beginning around 1866 when our predecessor - Church of the Epiphany - was formed. Then, we will create displays to locate throughout the church. These will include photos, stories, artifacts, newspaper articles, and the like. If you are excited about becoming a “Sherlock Holmes-type sleuth” join us on this most fascinating journey.

Matthew 3:7-9 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.”
 

John the Baptist failed homiletics. No preacher would start a sermon by calling the crowd a brood of vipers, and to make matters worse, he tells them that their ancestor Abraham isn’t going to give them a calling card to heaven.

I wonder how John’s listeners felt. Many of them were pious folks; otherwise they wouldn’t be gathered to listen to the new preacher in town. They must have been shocked to be lectured. John is quick to let them know that if they want to be part of the coming kingdom, they need to change their behavior.

Little do the people know how much the one who is to come would demand, but during this pronouncement, they get a sneak peak of the future.  Source Forward Day by Day

HANGING OF THE GREENS - The hanging of the greens is the Western Christian tradition in which many congregations adorn their churches with Advent and Christmas decorations. The tradition involves placement of evergreen vegetation inside and outside the parish. In Christianity, items such as evergreen wreathes carry the religious symbolism of everlasting life. Thanks to everyone who assisted with the hanging of the greens at St. James this past Sunday.

CHRISTMAS LITURGIES - The Christmas Season is always very special at St. James. Please note the many special liturgies that will take place during this Christmas Season.

December 24, Christmas Eve

• 4:00 pm, Rite II, Celebrant, Fr. John Mark Wiggers
• 10:30 pm, Choral Prelude
• 11:00 pm., Rite II with Choral celebration, Celebrant, Fr. John Mark Wiggers

December 25, Christmas Day

• 10:00 am, Rite A, Celebrant, Fr. John Mark Wiggers

January 1, First Sunday after Christmas

• 8:00 am, Celebrant, Fr. RJ Powell
• 10:30 am, Carols & Lessons, and Rite A, Celebrant, Fr. RJ Powell

January 8, The Epiphany (Transferred)

• 8:00 am, Celebrant, Fr. John Mark Wiggers
• 10:30 am, Liturgy of the Word, Epiphany Pageant, Rite A, Celebrant, Fr. John Mark Wiggers

January 15, Second Sunday after The Epiphany

• 8:00 am, Celebrant, Fr. John Mark Wiggers
• 10:30 am, Rite C, Celebrant, Fr. John Mark Wiggers

January 22, Third Sunday after The Epiphany

• 8:00 am, Celebrant, Fr. John Mark Wiggers
• 10:30 am, Rite C, Celebrant, Fr. John Mark Wiggers

January 29, Fourth Sunday after The Epiphany

• 8:00 am, Celebrant,, The Rt. Rev. Brian Cole
• 10:30 am, Baptism, Confirmation & Reception, Rite A, Prayers for Candidates, Celebrant, The Rt. Rev. Brian Cole

ALTAR FLOWERS - It is a St. James tradition to place altar flowers/greenery in honor of or in thanksgiving for loved ones. Altar flowers are needed for January 8, 15, 22, & 29. Please contact the church office for information,
lgoins@stjamesknox.org or 865-523-5687.




YOUR EMPLOYER - Some of us are employed by organizations that offer community grants or match donations made by their employees to worthy causes. One such business recently contributed $10,000 to our capital campaign just because they were asked. If you think your employer might consider making a donation in any amount, or match a donation you plan to make, it is certainly worth it to ask! Likewise, if you could share any information about specific foundations or other funding sources that provide grants to your place of work, that could be extremely helpful. In either case, please contact kevin@stjamesknox.org for more information. Here is a summary of what our capital campaign is about: What The Money Will be Used For: Planned improvements to our 100 year-old downtown church include renovation of our parish hall, expansion of our kitchen, replacement of our HVAC system and single pane windows, installation of an elevator lift, replacement of the seating in our nave, replacement of the flooring in our nave, installation of a labyrinth in our nave, upgrade of a restroom in our sacristy, cleaning & restoration of our exterior walls, expansion of the columbarium in our memorial garden, and sealing & re-striping our parking lot. Unique Things That Separate Us from Other Funding Applicants: We are proud of our 100-year history of feeding and tending to the needs of our neighbors, including those who live in our downtown neighborhood and many more who are homeless. We are a welcoming Episcopal church that embraces traditional liturgical practices combined with progressive attitudes that emphasize inclusion. Our members have joined from a wide variety of different faiths and locations across the city and country because they share our commitment to loving our neighbors, community outreach and social justice.


KROGER UPDATE - The Kroger Co. family of stores is committed to bringing hope and help to the local neighborhoods they call home. They recognize that every community, like the one served by St. James, has unique causes that need support. That is why we encourage you to link your Kroger Community Rewards card to St. James! The Community Rewards program is easy to use. The more you shop at Kroger, the more money St. James will earn at no cost to you! During the 3-month period from September 2022 through November 2022, purchases made by 11 different households resulted in a donation from Kroger in the amount of $34.87. That’s good news, but we can do much better than that. If you shop at Kroger, even if just occasionally, and don’t have a Community Rewards card, (or don’t know how to get one), email kevin@stjamesknox.org and he will help you quickly get it set up.
 

THE FIRST 15 DAYS REVEALED - The illustrations behind FIFTEEN of the 24 stained-glass "windows" mounted on the doors in the hallways of our administration building have been revealed! Each day in December through the 24th, another window will be "opened". For those who are unable to visit St. James to walk the halls in person, we will try to keep up with the reveals here in The Sentinel. To view the revealed illustrations, just click thumbnails below  for each day THAT HAS PASSED as of the publish date of this edition of the Sentinel.

 

WORSHIP AT ST. JAMES - Have you ever wondered about names and/or purpose of the different parts of a morning worship service at St. James? Listed below, in sequential order, is a summary of 28 distinct "parts" of a typical morning worship service. This summary is not intended to represent an exhaustive study of the history and tradition of each part. It merely provides a thumbnail sketch to add texture to your Sunday morning worship experience. Most, (not all), of the information presented here was gleaned from the Episcopal Dictionary of the Church.

1. Introit: A hymn, psalm, or anthem sung before the ministers enter to begin the worship service. The term is from Latin, “to go in” or “enter.”
2. Processional: The orderly entrance of the ministers who will serve at the altar, including acolytes, the choir, and others who will assist the clergy and the celebrant. Torches, banners, and incense may be carried to add to the solemnity and excitement of the celebration.
3. Opening Acclamation:  The greeting of the people by the presider and their response, which begins the service. Its purpose is to bring the congregation corporately into dialogue with the presider and set a tone for the celebration.
4. Collect for Purity:  The collect prayed near the beginning of the Eucharist. Its oldest known sources are Continental, where it appears in Latin in the 10th century Sacramentarium Fuldense Saeculi X.
5. Song of Praise:  A congregational hymn in praise of God, using metrical poetic texts set to tunes which are repeated for each stanza of the text. Hymns, (as distinct from Psalms and anthems), have only been allowed in the Anglican Church since 1820.
6. Collect of the Day:  The short prayer said at the beginning of the service to “collect” the thoughts of the people into communal prayer. It generally focuses on a specific subject and changes according to season and occasion. Traditional and contemporary collects for many circumstances can be found on pages 158–261 of the BCP.
7. The First Lesson: Scripture lessons selected from the Old Testament and read by a lay person known as a lector. The BCP appoints lessons for the eucharist in the Lectionary (pp. 889-931).

To read a brief description of the other 21 parts of the service, click THIS LINK. 
 

• ChattEY -- December 18 - @ St. Paul's. Wear your pajamas and get ready for a gingerbread house building competition! 

• Diocesan Convention Youth Representative applications are open! The link is on the ETNyouth website and our social media pages. Youth need at least one reference form. The reference form is on our website. 
• Young Adults' Ski Trip Registration is open! The registration link is on our website. This trip is open to college students through adults in their early thirties. 
• Happening Lay Rector applications will open in January for Happening #84. The next lay rector will be announced at Happening #83. If you'd like more details on this process, please don't hesitate to reach out. 

• FORMA -- January 18-20 Registration is still open! We still have plenty of online registrant spots. Please use the link to register for in-person and online spots.
• Diocesan Convention--February 3-4 at St. John's Johnson City
• Happening #83--March 24-26
• New Beginnings #6--April 14-16
• Vocare #3--April 28-30
• Trail of Tears Pilgrimage -- the first week of June. I am confirming the dates this week. Right now, we are looking at June 5th-9th. We are expecting to travel to NC to visit a few landmarks, spend some time at Sewanee on the trail, and in Chattanooga. This trip will be open only to high schoolers.

DIOCESAN CONVENTION DELEGATES NEEDED: The diocese will hold its annual convention in Johnson City on February 3-4, 2023. St. James needs 3 delegates and 3 alternates. Delegates would be expected to attend virtual meetings prior to the convention and to be informed of matters presented to the convention for a vote. Delegates must be confirmed members of St. James Episcopal Church. Please let Fr. John Mark know if you would like to be considered jwiggers@stjamesknox.org

ONE CUP AT A TIME . . . Amidst the construction activity currently taking place in the parish hall and the kitchen, Coffee Hour continues at St. James following our regular 10:30 Sunday morning worship services. The serving area has moved from the kitchen to Conference Room A, but feel free to meet up with friends & neighbors in other open areas of the administration building. 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 and light cleanup activities afterwards. For more information, or to sign up to help, contact Carol Yates at cyates0222@gmail.com. Click the images below for a CLOSER INSPECTION of the some of the construction currently underway.


INQUIRER'S CLASS - Are you considering officially becoming Episcopalian? You can do that by being baptized, confirmed, or received. Following a December break, classes will resume Jan 8, 2023 from 5 - 6:15 pm. We will meet in person and have the option to join online. The suggested text for the class is Walk in Love by Gunn and Shobe. Contact Fr. John Mark  jwiggers@stjamesknox.org to sign up or if you have any questions.

INVEST IN ST. JAMES - To date, we have secured $600,373 in pledged gifts to our Centennial Capital Campaign, 30% of our $2 million fundraising goal.  That's a great start, but we need to raise much more to do the necessary things we must do to upgrade our facilities. Construction has already begun in the kitchen and parish hall. So, if you have been prayerfully thinking about making a pledge, now would be a great time to help us keep up with the expenses we will incur and accelerate our progress toward reaching our goal. Please join the folks listed below who have already pledged to the campaign. Obtain a downloadable Capital Campaign Pledge Form by clicking THIS LINK. 

Thank You . . . Mark & Susan Abell, Aramark Hospitality Company, Mike & Elizabeth Armstrong, Asset Realty Management, Brian & Sandra Austin, Caroline Ballinger, Marty Begalla, Blackburn Development Group, Betty Bowling, Rick & Lynda Brown, Bessie Burell, Ashley Burell & Kyla Keck, Troy Burns, Chester & Francie Butler, Hoyt & Marilyn Canady, Marie Cantrell, Harry & Parry Chase, Scott Childs, Jane Clift, SuAnne Cobb & Margaret Bickley, Brian Cole, Bill & Ginny Combs, Thomas & Rebecca Cox, Lee Creech & Beth Meyer, Katharine Criss, Janet Dees, Linda Denton, Duane & Linda Dunlap, Bea Emory, Financial Marketplace, Inc., Linda Fitzpatrick, Linda Goins, Margaret Goodman, Joseph Gouffon, Stacy Hall, Patricia Hammer, Drew Harper, Victoria Hawkins, Judy Householder & Lou Ann Gaby, Mary Ireland, Kevin & Drew Jeske-Polyak, John Kerwin, Sheila C & Donn Kurtz, Charles & Diane Livermore, Carlene Loop, Charles & Frieda Marsh, Carol McDaniel, Mary McGavock & Damon Beard, Rodney & Mary Moore, Pam Morris & Renee Smith, Mary Muir, Phyllis Muth, Timothy & Jessie Nichols, Audrey Nitz, Mary Nelle Osborne, Powell & Susan Partridge, LouAnn Robinson, Jim Rowland, Gerald Segroves, Kenneth & Kathleen Sherfick, Jennie Sullivan, Cynthia Thornburg & Tom Dunne, Jimmie & Carolyn Wheeler, John Mark & Liz Wiggers, Dean Wiggers, Butch & Carol Yates, Bill & Kim Yearman, and Elizabeth Young.