Easter Flowers 2010

Online Resources for Lent

explorefaith.org – A non-profit organization launched in 1999 committed to the ongoing spiritual formation of people of all ages and backgrounds.  On the web site it states:

What we believe.
We believe in an embracing, forgiving and merciful God whose chief characteristic is love. We believe God is constantly reaching out to us and that we can experience the heart of God through Jesus Christ. We believe that Christ bridges the chasms that separate us from God, and we seek to follow Christ’s teachings in faith and action.

explorefaith travel aids for your 40-day journey is described this way on the web site

“explorefaith offers here some travelers assistance: A daily Signpost, offered online and via e-mail; a Lenten toolbox filled with reflections and questions to help you move forward; quotes of great insight and inspiration on a daily calendar; and a modern-day examination of some of Lent’s ancient practices. These offerings and others can be used as equipment—the maps, guide books, walking shoes and compass that will keep you headed in the right direction.”

http://www.explorefaith.org/faith/explore_christianity/holy_days/lent/index.php

The Episcopal Church and Visual Arts –

Online Lenten Meditations

The mission of The Episcopal Church and Visual Arts (ECVA) is to encourage artists, individuals, congregations, and scholars to engage the visual arts in the spiritual life of the church. ECVA values the significance of visual imagery in spiritual formation and the development of faith, and creates programs to support those who are engaged in using the visual arts in spiritual life.

A small PDF booklet of Lenten meditations (Lent @ ECVA) anchored by the exhibition art accompanies this exhibition. Click on the following graphic to access the booklet. (The booklet is in two parts; Part One is available now and Part Two will be available later during Lent.)

http://www.ecva.org/exhibition/Recognition_And_Return/LentAtECVAPartOne.pdf

Take Up Your Cross –Young Adult Meditations

A meditation guide for students and all young adults especially those in the U.S. military

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/documents/YA_Lenten_Meditation_Guide_2010_3.pdf

We here at St. James are doing our part by supporting the Episcopal Relief and Development and their efforts in support of the recent travesty that has struck the nation of Haiti.  You may read more on their efforts by clicking on the link at the top to visit their site.

St. James will be collecting monetary donations at the parish through the end of the month and sending all funds to EDR. Checks can be made payable to St. James with Haiti in the memo line.

All over the world, prayers are being said for Haiti. We also prayed a common prayer, prepared by the Washington National Cathedral, for our Prayers of the People, at church yesterday:

“Gracious God, I lift my voice in prayer with all the people of the world. Surround Haiti and her people with your loving embrace that they may be: supported by the world in the work of rescue and recovery; comforted as they grieve; strengthened as they bury their dead; healed as they tend their wounds; restored in faith and the hope of things unseen; and transformed through newness of life in Christ. Make me an instrument of divine love, of mercy, of hope, and of new possibility. Give me eyes to see, ears to hear, the will to act, and a discerning and generous heart that I may serve you and those who suffer in whatever way I am able. In and through the power of the Holy Spirit, I pray. Amen.”

As a mother, I, too, participated in my share of fairs and auctions. Once, after volunteering to co-chair my young children’s big school event, reality hit hard when the school head sat us down and informed us just how much depended on the profits from this annual fling. Talk about shock and awe. It was our task to raise enough money to buy a traffic signal for the school parking lot, where it intersected with a four-lane highway! The town couldn’t afford one but would happily “partner” with the school on the town’s terms. We mothers and other volunteers became desperate mercenaries for “Safety First” and cunningly developed a campaign to guilt donors into contributing vast sums.

Some two decades later, at my first parish, yet another church fair loomed on the horizon. The leaders felt an obligation to raise money, and that seemed to be their focus. But as the days and weeks passed, I observed the faithful worker bees and marveled at the community growing among them: retired men and women patiently priced donated goods during the day, young people lugged heavy boxes of books after school, and even children sorted through toys with their parents on the weekend, enthusiastically demonstrating how certain donations were still very desirable. Everyone who showed up to help prepare for the fair had something in common: they had a shared ministry. They were committed to work together.
 
And it is together that we can help one another recognize that we are, indeed, God’s beloved, and as such, we are to respond by recognizing the gifts each person has to offer. For each and every one of us has a gift: some are large, some are small, but all are valuable. Sometimes, it takes someone to help us discover our gifts, and sometimes it takes something – like a fair. Fairs demand community, and as a community, we affirm those gifts God calls us to offer within our daily lives. Together we work to match our gifts to the needs of the church, the wider community, and the world.

Special thanks to all the children whom participated and to Kimberly Potts for helping organize.  Also, thank you to all those help form the choir for the service.

The Holy Family was played by the Couturier family – Jeffrey, Kelly and Brittany.

This movie was shot by Donald Day, the proud Grandfather of Brittany Couturier.  Note – This was shot on a portable device so we do apologize for any shakiness or talking that can be heard throughout.