FootSteps by St. James Episcopal Church

FOOTSTEPS

St. James Episcopal Church, 2645 E. Southern Hills Blvd, Springfield, MO 65804 | 417-881-3073 | www.sj.church

WALKING IN THE FOOTSTEPS

MARCH & APRIL 2020

Other stories this month WRAPPED IN PRAYER PG. 2 PARENTS IN FAITH PG. 3 OUTREACH NEWS PG. 3

FR. JOS THARAKAN

NEW BEGINNINGS PG. 4

Walking in the footsteps of Jesus is one of my favorite images. That's because I remember the days when my children tried to step into the footsteps I left behind as I walked on the seashore. It created such joy in me seeing my children trying to follow in my footsteps.

YOUTH & CHILDREN'S PG. 5 LENTEN CALENDAR PG. 6 HOLY WEEK CALENDAR PG. 7 ST. JAMES FINANCIALS PG. 8

But of course, I want them to choose their own, not too far from me of course.

We are the children of God and we try to walk in His footsteps every day. At least that's what we mean when we say we are Christians. Being a Christian is someone who will at least try to step into the steps of Jesus and follow the straight path through the crooked lines. By following His path, I am sure it is not going to be easy, we might be The Christ, The Christ of Compassion and love, other people around us see. Our footsteps may be that others may want to follow. You may never fit into the footsteps of Jesus, because He is one phenomenal human being whose solid feet, and

Bible

Study

Room

Mondays 7 pm Monday, March 2 nd at 7 pm, we will start an online Bible Study. Join the Study directly through the church website as a participant or on facebook. Please register to participate. Go to WWW.SJ.CHURCH and select ‘Access The Bible Study Room’ button. In the Bible Study Room, you can register and read a brief description of the study. Once you are registered

soft heart is more than what we can emulate but we sure can admire,

you will receive a confirmation email with a

appreciate and try hard to follow. Walk in the footsteps of Jesus. We

link to JOIN at the time of the Study. You

will always end up in the right place. Guaranteed!

www.sj.church

May this shawl cradle you in hope, keep you in joy, grace you with peace and wrap you with love..

Wrapped In Prayer Ministry BRENDA MONROE Women (mostly) meet weekly (usually) to knit, crochet or use their hands (and voices) for God’s glory and community building.

The Wrapped in Prayer Ministry has been alive and well since 2012. Over half of the original circle have moved to other cities and states. New contributors have come into group. The structure is relaxed and always fluid. There are no requirements about how many items to make, what yarns or patterns to use, whether the project is made at the church or at home, or the likelihood that the finished piece would win a blue ribbon at the county fair.

Fr Jos blesses each item that is made or channeled through the Wrapped in Prayer Ministry. A tag with the following encouragement is given to a

May this shawl cradle you in hope, keep you in joy, grace you with peace and wrap you with love. While our focus is prayerfully creating shawls, you might find us keeping our hands busy with needlepoint, cross-stitch, mending and/or other handwork. Our scheduled Wednesday meetings are listed on the church calendar.

parish or community recipient when they receive

We meet from 12:30-2:00 p.m. on Wednesdays

the shawl:

in the church library.

May God’s grace be upon this shawl -warming, comforting, enfolding, and embracing.

Call the church office @ 881-3073 regarding cancellations during inclement weather.

May this shawl be a safe haven, a hug from God

All are welcome. If you don’t do handwork,

and a sacred place of security and well-being —

you’re welcome to drop in and cheer us on.

sustaining and embracing in good times as well as difficult ones.

For questions or comments, please contact Brenda Monroe 882-6721 Elizabeth James 630-2593 Minuen Odom 459-6445

Online Bible Study: 7 PM On Mondays

www.sj.church

PAGE 02

PARENTS IN FAITH Liz Trader

St. James Parents in Faith is a great way to connect with other parents in our church and stay connected. Our goal is to meet quarterly to relax and wind down as a community of people who support one another in a safe space. I know as a young parent having someplace to find support centered in God would have helped to lower my anxiety and fears of all the ways I thought failing, messing up, or doing it all wrong; and those days were more frequent than not.

More details about our 1st meet up in 2020 to follow

Let’s face it, we live in a world filled with judgement and

in the coming weeks, so be on the look out!

“parent shaming” and sometimes we just need to be surrounded by people who get it. People who feel they are screwing up but looking for grace so they can get up the next day and try again, to give ourselves a break. People who won’t judge but instead offer support and love. This group is open to any parents who feel called to share in the ministry and would like to be a part of something that focuses to raise one another up and share God’s grace. It’s a place to share struggles and triumphs and be able to really refuel our parental hearts, strengthen our community, deepen our faith, and just be with one another.

Lenten Outreach Opportunities Elaine Atkinson

The hope is to meet every time a 5th Sunday occurs in a month, beginning in March. We will often go to lunch,

The season of Lent is a time of self reflection and

while the youth and their leaders engage in activities with

study. It is also a time to put our faith into

our younger children. This will not only help to form

action. Traditionally, St. James has shared our

friendships and connections between the parents but also

Outreach giving with international causes that make

serve as a way for our youth to demonstrate how they can

huge impact in communities around the world. In the

serve as a Christ’s light in the lives of our youngest

past we have bought sleeping nets to prevent malaria,

members of our community.

made micro loans to women in the third world, provided disaster relief to hurricane and drought

I am looking forward to spending time with you and seeing how our group can evolve to something much

victims and funded wells that supply water to isolated communities in developing countries.

bigger than we imagined; to show that God is with us always as parents, as people, and as His community of

Continued on last page

children.

www.sj.church Centering Prayer Study Room: 9 AM On Mondays. Share this with your friends with interest in Centering Prayer. Register at the church website for free.

PAGE 03

NEW BEGINNING

S Latesa Holder

After the hectic, hurried pace of December, I am struck by the stillness of January. Our busiest time of the year comes to an abrupt end, and what is often the slowest part of the year just as suddenly begins. Just when we most need to stop and catch our breath, January arrives and quietly lets us. The name January itself comes from the Roman god Janus whose two faces looked behind and ahead simultaneously. January symbolically acts as a doorway—a liminal space between what was and is to come. It teaches us how to occupy the present while simultaneously looking back at how our path led us here and looking ahead to where we want to go. The winter solstice signals the return journey of the sun, yet we must continue to await its arrival in the cold and darkness of winter. We begin the year with the feast day of Epiphany on January 6th celebrating the Magi’s gifts to Jesus, and thus the revealing of God’s plan that the incarnational light of Christ is available for Everyone. This theophany, or revelation, brings hope and faith in the exciting possibilities for the new year, but we must first begin from within before the light and love of Christ can extend out into our community.

January is the time of the year for reflecting, planning, and dreaming as we look ahead to not just a new year but a new decade. Society is quick to ask what is everyone’s “New Year’s Resolutions” for 2020; however, most modern resolutions are ego-driven and out of touch with the inward journey that winter’s stillness invites us to

T S M t a w c s d C m

begin. The cold weather teaches us how to sit with discomfort and invigorates the mind offering clarity. The quiet opens our ears and souls to intentional listening and discernment. This is a time for reflecting on quiet progress. While the skies may be gray, the trees bare, and the grass brown, Creation is not dead. It is simply incubating. Hidden growth is happening all around us, and this is the time for us to let it happen within us as well.

While reading 1 Kings 19, I am inspired by Elijah’s encounter with God. Elijah stops to rest under a broom tree, utterly exhausted. An angel came and provided him with what he needed to journey to Mt. Horeb to meet God. While Elijah is on the mountain, God came to him not in the powerful display we expect and typically associate with God’s might. God was not in the strong wind, nor the earthquake, nor the fire. God was in the whisper. In the silent stillness.

Though we are not fleeing for our lives, how often do we end December by crashing exhaustedly under the coolness of January? God provides for us too, giving us what we need for our own journey within, inviting us to find God in the silence. When was the last time you experienced true silence? It is almost impossible to find an escape from the constant thrum of noise, and sometimes we don’t even hear the silence when we are in it due to fear of it. We constantly fill our environments and ourselves with noise, and then we fear God is absent. However, God is the absence. I encourage you to take this time to quiet the noise around you and inside yourself, shown in Jesus’ example of self-emptying—kenosis. In that stillness, open your soul to the light of Christ and open your ears to hear God’s whisper. This inward journey of digging deep and tending to the Spirit’s strong roots within us will illuminate the incarnational light of Christ to everyone around us all the brighter.

"The cold weather teaches us how to sit with discomfort and invigorates the mind offering clarity."

PAGE 04

w e i a c

M t t

Youth Calendar: March & April Friday, February 29th - Sunday, March 1st: The Senior High Retreat is a relaxing break from your routine where high school-aged youth come together, new and old, near and far, to take a step back and immerse in fellowship. Youth will strengthen their relationships with each other and God over a peaceful weekend. During the weekend we will spend our time in reflection, prayer, and discussion about high school life and how we can best care for our Heart, Mind, Body, and Soul. Check-in: 7:30-8:00 pm, Friday, February 28 Check-out: 12:00 pm, Sunday, March 1 Where: St. Paul's Lee's Summit, 416 SE Grand Ave, Lee's Summit, MO 64063 Who can come?: Students currently in 9-12th grade. Cost: $75 Sunday, March 1st: Sunday School: Lent Lesson: What is lent and why do we give something up? Youth Group: No Youth Group (Senior High Retreat) Sunday, March 8th: Sunday School: Lesson #1: More or Less: Choosing a Lifestyle of Excessive Generosity. Youth Group: Community Crafts! Sunday, March 15th & 22nd: No Sunday school or Youth Group. Have a great Spring break! Friday, March 27th - Sunday, March 29th: The Junior High Retreat is an annual retreat designed for youth currently in 5th-8th grade. This retreat will provide a way for youth to gain a deeper understanding of their faith through discussions led by youth in 9th-12th grades and adults. Check out: 12:00 pm, Sunday, March 29 Where: Grace Episcopal Church, 820 Howard St, Carthage, MO 64836 Who can come? Students currently in 5th-8th grade can come as participants, students currently in 9-12th grade can serve on the JHR Team. Cost: $75 Sunday, March 29th: Sunday School: Lesson #2: More or Less: Choosing a Lifestyle of Excessive Generosity Youth Group: No Youth Group (Junior High Retreat)

Sunday, April 5th: Sunday School: Lesson #3: More or Less: Choosing a Lifestyle of Excessive Generosity Youth Group: Palm Sunday Activity Sunday, April 12th: Sunday School: Easter Egg Hunt Youth Group: No Youth Group- Happy Easter! Saturday, April 18th - Sunday, April 19th: Earth Day Lock-in! The St. James youth will be completing an Earth Day project at the church during the day on Saturday. Following the project, we will have a Lock-in at the church with fun and fellowship. Check in: 12:00 pm, Saturday, April 18th Check out: Sunday following youth group Where: St. James Episcopal Church, Springfield, MO Who can come?: Yotuh currently in 6th-12th grade Sunday, April 19th: Sunday School: Lesson #4 :More or Less: Choosing a Lifestyle of Excessive Generosity. Youth Group: Community Crafts! Sunday, April 26th: Sunday School: Lesson #5: More or Less: Choosing a Lifestyle of Excessive Generosity. Youth Group: Picnic & Hike! (Weather permittingPlease wear appropriate clothes and shoes and bring a water bottle. We will pack lunches to take with. Youth need a small backpack to carry their lunch and water.)

Children's Ministry March 1st: Learning About the Parts of Mass 8th: Learning About Parts of the Mass 15th: No Sunday School (Spring Break) 22nd: No Sunday School (Spring Break) 29th: Easter Craft April 5th: Palm Sunday 12th: Easter 19th: Earth Day 26th: Learning About Parts of the Mass PAGE 05

LENTEN CALENDAR 2020

PAGE 06

HOLY WEEK

PAGE 07

FINANCIAL HEALTH St. James financially ended 2019 in the black and it has set the stage for optimism in 2020. There was a slow start in January for Operating Income. Whether it was weather or just slow start after Christmas, all

Lenten Outreach Opportunities ... Continued from page 3

appears to be coming together in February. Please, be mindful to keep up with your "Estimated Giving", it makes everyone doing their part to keep St. James operational month to month.

Lent 2020 is giving us the opportunity to make a difference for the youngest members of God's people.

In the annual report, we were able to share that St.

ONE THOUSAND DAYS OF LOVE is a campaign of

James received Legacy Gifts that has doubled the

Episcopal Relief and Development

value of the St. James Endowment. The St. James

(www.episcopalrelief.org) to provide services and

Endowment is very young, having become official in

strengthen programs for babies in their first 1000 days of

2017. Benefit from the endowment is already being

life. These 1000 days are critical for future health and

utilized and these benefits will increase as the

learning. In order to reach their God-given potential,

Endowment grows. The Endowment promises to

children need to be well served and provided for during

provide for the future. One must keep in mind; the

this time.

future is as close as tomorrow.

St. James is committing all of the loose offerings during

Submitted by: Ann Wright

Lent and all Outreach donations to support the

Financial Administrator

THOUSAND DAYS of LOVE campaign. The children will be collecting change for "Koins for Kids" before church the five Sundays of Lent. Our youth will share information regarding THOUSAND DAYS of LOVE and collect quarters to add to the general offering. This is a wonderful opportunity to make a difference in the lives of Children.

The Most Reverend Michael Curry reflected on this initiative with this sentiment: "Love allows us the bridge great distances so that children an ocean away are as precious to us as the little ones living right down the street."

Other Seasonal Outreach Opportunities

Good Friday Offering - Church in Jerusalem and the Dioceses of the Middle East (diowestmo.org)Easter Sunday Offering - McDonald's Tooth Truck (RMHCozarks.org.tooth-truck)

PAGE 08