Rooted in love Blessed are those that trust in the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by the water, sending out its roots by a stream. It shall not fear when the heat comes, but it leaves shall stay green; in a year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8
This year for our stewardship theme we return
to fearful, competitive accumulation, and to
to an image even older than the prophet
walls set up against others. The tables of
Jeremiah: the image of a resilient tree
welcome we set form us into a new sort of
planted by the water, its roots reaching out
household and society. And even in the
to nourish and support, its hospitable
middle of a pandemic, our household has
branches extending to the sky. Jeremiah
grown!
offered his people this image in hope during a time of exile and displacement. Maybe you
In response to our call in this time of
can identify with feeling displaced or
pandemic, St. James’ has created online,
uprooted by the upheaval of this pandemic.
hybrid, and outdoor spaces for worship,
People have moved and we have
prayer, Bible study, and doing life together.
experienced loss; rhythms and patterns of
We keep singing and hoping with and for
living have changed. But in his vision of the
each other as we all ride the rollercoaster of
tree, Jeremiah discovers that even when
emotions and anxieties brought about by
powers too big for us displace the people of
COVID. St. James’ continues to contribute to
God, we remain rooted in God's loving and
critical conversations around racial justice by
everlasting faithfulness. We have only to
creating fruitful spaces for transformative
reach out to seek God and each other.
encounters. We continue to find ways to celebrate the feasts and fasts of our church,
At St. James’, we have sought to do this
and we have poured hours and resources into
through the work of radical welcome, by
the work of pastoral care and outreach to
setting tables (physical and metaphorical)
seniors and families through Welcome Table.
where all people may encounter a glimpse of God’s greater welcome. At these tables, we
The people of St. James’ have been
find that God’s economy is a radical
responsive to the Spirit’s call to extend our
alternative to corporate capitalism,
branches so that many might find sanctuary.
