It was about 10 years ago that Jennifer James, our church administrator, came to work for us. Born and raised in Alex City, Jennifer had been working for a local bank when family demands required that she take a part time job instead. She heard about the opening at St. James from a friend.

This Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent, we light the rose candle, the candle of JOY. This Sunday is Gaudete Sunday, for we are to REJOICE.

Download the Sunday Bulletin and follow along online live on Facebook for the 10am service.

Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights begins this week. I love that our Christian tradition of the Advent Wreath and candle lighting echoes the ancient Jewish tradition of lighting the candles on the menorah.

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The rush and the work of the St. James Bazaar is over. The Thanksgiving turkey leftovers are long gone and our families have returned home. Our Angel Tree, covered in paper angels with the names of our neighbors in need written on them, stands nearly depleted of angels. It’s finally time to slow down for Advent!

Why do we Americans find waiting so difficult? Waiting in lines, waiting on hold (your call is very important to us……..), waiting for a diagnosis, waiting for news of a loved one….

Click here to download the Sunday Bulletin and follow along with the service on Facebook at 10am.

A priest once commented that our Eucharistic Liturgy is a drama with two acts, the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Table. The Liturgy of the Word enriches us with scripture, an inspired message, and prayers.

Download the Sunday Bulletin and follow along with the 10am Sunday service. The service will be broadcast live on Facebook at 10am.

This is such a great time of year in the church for me. Another successful bazaar has passed, Sunday school is wrapping up for the Fall, the long green season of Pentecost is coming to an end and along with it, another church calendar year has come and gone.

In this season of Thanksgiving, gratitude is an obvious theme. In the materials that Kathy Graham offered at the Bazaar, we learn:
“Gratitude is about focusing on what is good in our lives. Being thankful for all the things we already have is a daily practice.”

Download the Sunday Bulletin and watch the 10am service live on Facebook.

From the bottom of my heart, and in the name of the nameless, I thank God for every one of you and the work you have done. May God continue to bless the people of St. James and the work we do in the name of our Lord.

As we remember all who have served in the Armed Forces on Veteran’s Day, November 11, I reflect especially on the Viet Nam veterans, as my husband and several of his friends served in that war so long ago.

Click here to download the Sunday bulletin for Sunday, November 12th and follow along live on Facebook for the Sunday 10am service.

One stormy October day, 27 years ago, I found myself at Camp McDowell. This was one of the first times I had ever been to our diocesan church camp, just outside of Jasper.

The sun glistened on our lake this morning. My husband and I pondered our life with gratitude for the gift of life each day in a lovely, peaceful part of God’s creation.

Download the Sunday Bulletin and follow the service live on Facebook on Sunday at 10am.

As I am sure you all know, this coming Wednesday, Nov. 1, will be All Saints Day, the day after All Hallows Eve. Here at St. James, we will celebrate All Saints on the following Sunday, Nov. 5