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Presiding Bishop Curry’s Christmas Message 2020

Joy to the world! The Lord is come: let earth receive her King; let every heart prepare him room, and heaven and nature sing.

Perhaps like me, you’ve sung this hymn for years – in church,  at home with your family,  gathered with friends and neighbors. Perhaps you’ve sung it to yourself  –  in your car, on a walk, or quietly in the dark of night.

Joy to the world!

While we may not feel joyful this year – as the pandemic of disease continues to bring sickness and death, when fear and mistrust – a darkness – threatens to overcome the light – we, as followers of Jesus Christ must bear joy to this aching world. We must shine light into the darkness.  Joy to the world!

Like much in our lives, proclaiming joy is difficult work – also good and essential work – especially now. Though we mourn that which is lost in our lives, our families, and our communities – Joy to the world!

While we strive to pull up the twisted and thorny vines of hatred and bigotry and anger – Joy to the world!

Through streaming tears and gritted teeth – Joy to the world!  – because God is breaking into our lives and into this world anew.

While this is a strange year, the ministry He gives us remains the same. We will prepare him room in our hearts by taking on the ministry Jesus demands of us: feed those who are hungry; welcome the stranger; clothe those who are naked; heal those who are sick; visit the prisoner. Love God. Love your neighbor. Sing joy into this old world. Prepare him room.

St. Luke writes of the first Christmas, “[Mary] gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” There, in the simplest bed, in the cool of the night, in a trough, in bands of cloth, lies the One for whom no room was made. And yet strangely, there lies the One whom not even the universe can contain.

Joy to the world! The Lord is come. In your hearts, in your homes, in your lives, prepare him room.

God love you; God bless you; and may God hold us all in those almighty hands of love.

The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry
Presiding Bishop and Primate

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Vestry

I hope you had a chance to come to our Drive-Thru Pageant the other night – what fun it was!  We welcomed approximately 59 cars and 170 people in just 2 hours.  A huge thank you to Joan Fader and Yvette Allen for their creativity and determination to have a pageant despite the pandemic.  Without all their hard work, this would not have been possible. Thanks to all the youth and the slightly older youth who participated! This pageant reminded me what is so special about St. James – the people.  It was so joyful to see everyone’s faces as they drove through to see the pageant and pick up their Communion bags. A wonderful video can be seen on our FB page if you didn’t have a chance to come up.

As our year and Stewardship Drive winds down, the Vestry would like to thank the 42 families who have made a pledge to St. James.  We will be voting on our budget at our January mtg and these pledges help determine budgetary decisions. If you have not received a pledge form, you may contact me at pellicierjeannie15@gmail.com and I can email you a form. The Finance Committee would like to remind us that the last deposit of 2020 will be processed on December 27, 2020.  Any payments to be included in the 2020 tax year should be at the church office by noon on the 27th. Thank you.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday!
Jeannie Pellicier
Senior Warden

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Candlelight & Carols Holy Eucharist

We hope you will join us for our streaming Christmas Eve Candlelight & Carols Holy Eucharist this evening.

The Christmas Eve Candlelight and Carols service will stream on both Facebook and YouTube beginning at 5:00 pm on December 24, but can be enjoyed at your convenience later in the evening if you’d prefer.

 

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Sunday Worship Information

The middle-high Sunday School class will not hold classes on December 27 or January 3.  Our next class gathering is scheduled for January 10 in the sanctuary – unless COVID guidelines change.  We will keep you informed.

Sunday School for Preschool through 5th grade, 9:30 to 10:00 am on Zoom.  We will not be meeting on December 27 or January 3.

FAITH FORMATION RESOURCES for the FIRST SUNDAY after CHRISTMAS