Posted by John Strobl on July 26, 2010 under From The Rector | 
WANTED: Sunday School Teachers, no experience necessary, just a love for the Lord and a desire to help our young people grow in their faith. We have a dedicated group of teachers, but we could always use some helping hands. If you think you may be interested or would like to know more, please contact Donna Carbone at 845-355-7228 or email dcarbone6703@yahoo.com. Sunday School begins September 12 at 10:00am.
Posted by John Strobl on July 22, 2010 under From The Rector |
Please join us as we celebrate the end of summer with a picnic at Craigville Park on August 22 at 11:00am. It promises to be a day filled with food, fun and fellowship! There will be plenty of hot dogs and burgers, chips and drinks. We’re asking each family to sign up and to bring a side dish or desert to share. This year we will also be having lots of games and activities for the whole family. So mark your calendars and we’ll see you on the 22nd!
Posted by John Strobl on June 12, 2010 under From The Rector |
The Summer worship schedule begins on June 27, 2010. We will have one Sunday service at 9:00am.
Sunday Summer Worship Schedule all services at 9:00am
June 27, July 18, Aug. 1, 22, Sept. 5 (Regular 9:00am format)
July 4, 25 Aug. 8, 29 (Regular 10:15am format)
July 11, August 15 (Morning Prayer & Holy Communion)
We will return to two Sunday services (9:00am & 10:15am) on September 12 (Church School also returns).
Posted by John Strobl on May 23, 2010 under From The Rector |
Mary Douglas Glasspool became Suffragan Bishop of Los Angeles on Saturday May 15. Click on www.ladiocese.org for video link of the service. Mary is the sister of Meg Strobl and daughter of former St. James Rector Fr. Douglas Glasspool.
Click here for photos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/episcopaldiocesela/sets/72157624136520736/show/with/4634230899/
St. James’ sponsored Mary for the preisthood.
Posted by John Strobl on May 22, 2010 under From The Rector |
St. James’ patron saint is Saint James the Apostle. Saint James is commemorated on July 25 of every year and St. James’ Day is celebrated,here at St. James’, on the Sunday closest to July 25.
The following is taken from The Proper for the Lesser Feasts and Fasts :
“James, the brother of John, is often known as James the Greater, to distinguish him from the other Apostle of the same name, commemorated in the calendar with Philip, and also from James ‘the brother of our Lord.’ He was the son of a prosperous Galilean fisherman, son of Zebedee, and with his brother John left his home and his trade in obedience to the call of Christ. With Peter and John, he seems to have belonged to an especially privileged group, whom Jesus chose to be witnesses of the Transfiguration, the raising of Jarius’ daughter, and the agony in the garden.
Apparently, James’ shared John’s hot-headed disposition, and Jesus nicknamed the brothers ‘Boanerges’ (Aramaic for ‘Sons of Thunder’). James’ expressed willingness to share the cup of Christ was realized in being the first of the Apostles to die for him. As the Acts of the Apostles records, ‘About that time Herod the King laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the Church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword’ (Acts 12:1-2).
According to an old tradition, the body of James was taken to Compostela, Spain, which has been a shrine for pilgrims for centuries. Among the Spaniards, James is one of the most popular saints. In the Middle Ages, under the title of Santiago (Spanish for ‘St. James’) de Compostela, his aid was especially invoked in battle against the Moors.”
Posted by John Strobl on May 17, 2010 under From The Rector |
Pentecost (Season) The season after Pentecost, according to the calendar of the church year (BCP, p. 32). It begins on the Monday following Pentecost, and continues through most of the summer and autumn. It may include as many as twenty-eight Sundays, depending on the date of Easter. This includes Trinity Sunday which is the First Sunday after Pentecost. The BCP provides proper collects and readings for the other Sundays of the season. These propers are numbered and designated for use on the Sundays which are closest to specific days in the monthly calendar, whether before or after. For example, Proper 3 is designated for use, if needed, on the Sunday closest to May 25. Proper 29 is designated for use on the Sunday closest to Nov. 23. Prior to the 1979 BCP, Sundays in this long period of the church year were identified and counted in terms of the number of Sundays after Trinity Sunday instead of the number of Sundays after Pentecost. This period is also understood by some as “ordinary time,” a period of the church year not dedicated to a particular season or observance, as in the Roman Rite adapted after Vatican II.
Posted by John Strobl on May 16, 2010 under From The Rector |
Trinity Sunday Feast that celebrates “the one and equal glory” of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, “in Trinity of Persons and in Unity of Being” (BCP, p. 380). It is celebrated on the first Sunday after Pentecost. Trinity Sunday is one of the seven principal feasts of the church year (BCP, p. 15). The proper readings and collect for Trinity Sunday are used only on the feast, not on the weekdays following. The numbered proper which corresponds most closely to the date of Trinity Sunday is used (BCP, p. 228). The BCP also provides the proper “Of the Holy Trinity” for optional use at other times, subject to the rules of the calendar of the church year (see BCP, pp. 251, 927). The Hymnal 1982 presents ten hymns in a section on The Holy Trinity (Hymns 362-371), including “Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!” (Hymn 362), “Come, thou almighty King” (Hymn 365), and “Holy Father, great Creator” (Hymn 368).
Celebration of Trinity Sunday was approved for the western church by Pope John XXII in 1334. This feast is associated with Thomas Becket (c. 1118-1170), who was consecrated bishop on Trinity Sunday, 1162. His martyrdom may have influenced the popularity of the feast in England and the custom of naming the remaining Sundays of the church year “Sundays after Trinity.” The Sarum Missal and editions of the Prayer Book through the 1928 BCP named these Sundays the Sundays after Trinity. The 1979 BCP identifies this portion of the church year as the season after Pentecost, and names these Sundays the Sundays after Pentecost (see BCP, p. 32).
Posted by John Strobl on May 15, 2010 under From The Rector |
Pentecost The term means “the fiftieth day.” It is used in both the OT and the NT. In the OT it refers to a feast of seven weeks known as the Feast of Weeks. It was apparently an agricultural event that focused on the harvesting of first fruits. Josephus referred to Pentecost as the fiftieth day after the first day of Passover. The term is used in the NT to refer to the coming of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1), shortly after Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension. Christians came to understand the meaning of Pentecost in terms of the gift of the Spirit. The Pentecost event was the fulfillment of a promise which Jesus gave concerning the return of the Holy Spirit. The speaking in tongues, which was a major effect of having received the Spirit, is interpreted by some to symbolize the church’s worldwide preaching. In the Christian tradition, Pentecost is now the seventh Sunday after Easter. It emphasizes that the church is understood as the body of Christ which is drawn together and given life by the Holy Spirit. Some understand Pentecost to be the origin and sending out of the church into the world. The Day of Pentecost is one of the seven principal feasts of the church year in the Episcopal Church (BCP, p. 15). The Day of Pentecost is identified by the BCP as one of the feasts that is “especially appropriate” for baptism (p. 312). The liturgical color for the feast is red. Pentecost has also been known as Whitsun or Whitsunday, a corruption of “White Sunday.” This term reflects the custom by which those who were baptized at the Vigil of Pentecost would wear their white baptismal garments to church on the Day of Pentecost. The BCP provides directions for observance of a Vigil of Pentecost, which begins with the Service of Light (p. 227). The Hymnal 1982 provides a variety of hymns for Pentecost (Hymns 223-230) and the Holy Spirit (Hymns 500-516).
Posted by John Strobl on April 3, 2010 under From The Rector |
Great Fifty Days The feast of Easter is a season of fifty days, from Easter Eve through the Day of Pentecost. From early times the Greek word pentecost (fiftieth day) was used also for the whole Paschal season. During this season there is no fasting. The Council of Nicaea (325) directed that Christians are to pray standing. The word “alleluia” (praise the Lord) is said or sung repeatedly, which contrasts sharply with the season of Lent when the alleluia is omitted. The color of liturgical vestments and hangings is white or gold. The BCP notes that it is customary for the Paschal candle to burn at all services of the Easter season. The “Alleluia, alleluia” may be added to the dismissals and their responses during the Great Fifty Days. The traditional Christian Easter greeting (see Lk 24:34) serves as the opening acclamation at the eucharist during the Easter season.
WHAT ARE THE GREAT FIFTY DAYS?
Contrary to what many people think, Easter is not a single day. It is actually a season that begins on Easter Sunday and continues for seven full weeks. This seven-week cycle is known historically as the Great Fifty Days or the Week of Weeks. During this time, the church celebrates the Lord’s resurrection, His appearances to the disciples after Easter, His post-resurrection teachings, His ascension into heaven, and the disciples’ eager anticipation of the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. Ascension Day the 40th of the Great Fifty Days is frequently commemorated with a special evening worship service since it always falls on a Thursday.
Posted by John Strobl on under From The Rector |
On Sunday, April 18, 2010, the Stewardship Committee will host the Stewardship EXPO. Before and after the 9AM & 10:15AM services, the various organizations of St. James’ will have tables set up in The St. Francis-St. Clare Chapel. Members of the organizations will be present to explain the work of their groups and answer questions about their functions. This will be an excellent time for each parishioner of St. James’ to pick an organization to join.
