Rally Day
September 9
Renew your commitment to St. James.
Christian Education begins
September 16
After the 10:00AM service. All ages welcome!
Blessing of the Animals
October 7
Bring in your pet to be blessed.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Save the date for Doors Open Milwaukee
St. James will be participating in Doors Open Milwaukee on September 22 and 23, from 10:00AM until 5:00PM each day. Doors Open Milwaukee will once again open the doors to scores of wonderful buildings free of charge to the public –buildings that hold hidden treasures and special stories – from churches to office buildings, theaters to work sites, museums to hotels, clubs to universities; all sites of historic, architectural, cultural, or commercial interest. Doors Open Milwaukee asked if St. James would open our doors, and we agreed. Our hope is to show not just the beautiful building we have been given, but the ways in which we use our building for ministry. Doors Open Milwaukee will have some volunteers at the doors to join us in a radical welcome. We would like people to sign up to sit in different spaces of our building, to share the Good News of Jesus at St. James. We will sign up in shifts (on the bulletin boards) from 10:00AM to 5:00PM of that weekend.
“Milwaukeeans spend most of our lives in a built environment that has been evolving for 175 years, but we rarely see more than the facades. Once a year the doors will open, and the treasures in our midst will be available for all to enjoy.” —John Gurda, Milwaukee historian
“Milwaukeeans spend most of our lives in a built environment that has been evolving for 175 years, but we rarely see more than the facades. Once a year the doors will open, and the treasures in our midst will be available for all to enjoy.” —John Gurda, Milwaukee historian
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
The Bones: The Old Girl, Our Building.
I’m writing to tell you about a newly formed group at St. James: the Building Committee! We are meeting to work on the many issues and possibilities for our building. Our first meeting was very productive. We started with a check-in question from Mother Lisa: Where do we shine the light of Jesus in our everyday lives? Following this reflection time, we got down to building business. One of the things we discussed in some detail was the feedback we received on the Hospitality Intake form that visitors, members of our parish, and our neighbors filled out. We received many comments about the narthex and stairs leading to the main entrance of the church--- where we welcome all into the presence of Christ. We heard that the front steps and retaining wall are crumbling, and the entryway into the church (the narthex) is very cluttered.
Our two main projects
As a group, we decided to work on two projects between now and January. The first project is to respond to the feedback and clean up the narthex. We’d like your assistance with the clean-up (deciding where we might store items, and helping to clean). Our other project will be taking an inventory of everything in our building! Sounds like a lot, we know! The inventory is requested in our audit each year, and may help us keep our church insurance company informed on the contents of our building. Many people will make the work light! Our date for the inventory and clean-up is Sunday, August 19. There will be extra dates to help inventory the building, once we see what remains. This will be a great chance to learn more about our history, we hope you will join us!
Members of the committee are: Paul Cooke, Bill Zeman, Bernie Jene, and Sue Gillman.
by Sue Gillman
Our two main projects
As a group, we decided to work on two projects between now and January. The first project is to respond to the feedback and clean up the narthex. We’d like your assistance with the clean-up (deciding where we might store items, and helping to clean). Our other project will be taking an inventory of everything in our building! Sounds like a lot, we know! The inventory is requested in our audit each year, and may help us keep our church insurance company informed on the contents of our building. Many people will make the work light! Our date for the inventory and clean-up is Sunday, August 19. There will be extra dates to help inventory the building, once we see what remains. This will be a great chance to learn more about our history, we hope you will join us!
Members of the committee are: Paul Cooke, Bill Zeman, Bernie Jene, and Sue Gillman.
by Sue Gillman
Saturday, August 18, 2012
House Cleaning
Cleaning out your closets for spring and summer? Please remember Red Door Clothes.
Primary needs: men’s shoes and work pants or jeans, and children’s clothes, aged infant to age 11.
Red Door Clothes distributes clothing free of charge, from our store at St. James Episcopal Church. It is a shared ministry with Trinity Episcopal Church in Wauwatosa.
The store is open every first and third Saturday of the month, from 8:30AM until 10:30AM. Clothing contributions can be made then, or during the week from 9:00AM until 1:00PM, Monday through Thursday. Just come to the east side of the church, go up the concrete steps to the red door, and ring the buzzer next to the door. The parish administrator will let you in.
On Saturdays, during store hours, the west doors of the building are open. Volunteers are available to help distribute clothing. There is no identification required for adults, but children need identification, please.
Your contribution is sincerely appreciated. Tax declaration forms are available, and we would be happy to provide a written thank you should that be valuable to your organization.
by Deacon Ned Howe
Primary needs: men’s shoes and work pants or jeans, and children’s clothes, aged infant to age 11.
Red Door Clothes distributes clothing free of charge, from our store at St. James Episcopal Church. It is a shared ministry with Trinity Episcopal Church in Wauwatosa.
On Saturdays, during store hours, the west doors of the building are open. Volunteers are available to help distribute clothing. There is no identification required for adults, but children need identification, please.
Your contribution is sincerely appreciated. Tax declaration forms are available, and we would be happy to provide a written thank you should that be valuable to your organization.
by Deacon Ned Howe
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Let Your Light Shine by Checking-in at St. James!
After all…Jesus said, “Don’t hide your light under a bushel.”
Join us in using Facebook on your mobile phones to “check-in” when you come to mass or other events at St. James. This is an inexpensive and simple way to help the Evangelism Committee advertise St. James to your Facebook friends and share our location and Facebook page.
Every time someone “checks-in” the church’s Facebook page is linked to your profile with a map, which is then shared on your friends’ news feed. Hopefully this will spread the word about the many amazing things happening at St. James.
Not sure how to check in on Facebook? Click on this link to learn more!
Join us in using Facebook on your mobile phones to “check-in” when you come to mass or other events at St. James. This is an inexpensive and simple way to help the Evangelism Committee advertise St. James to your Facebook friends and share our location and Facebook page.
Not sure how to check in on Facebook? Click on this link to learn more!
Monday, August 6, 2012
Our Relationship With God
In my last Deacon’s Bench post, I wrote about the void we feel inside. I suggested we ask ourselves these questions:
Where is God in my life? Is our relationship a sometimes thing like only when life is troublesome? Or is it a love/hate relationship where we feel God is punishing us when we fail?
If you can ask yourself these questions and are ready to think about your answers, you have taken the first step: recognition of your need. In recognizing your need, you have seen that something in your life may have to change. What do I have to do next to change from: “may have to change” to “must change”? For example, it was easy to recognize I might be drinking too much, but it took awhile to accept it.
The void in your life
Look at your life and events leading to your recognition of the void in your life and your failure to fill it with the material-oriented life. Nothing you or I have done has changed. The empty feeling is still there. If you are honest with yourself, recognition can become acceptance.
Acceptance comes when we realize our way doesn’t work. It comes when we are ready to say, “I’m fed up with the life I have had. My way hasn’t filled the void. I will do whatever it takes to change.” You now have accepted your problems and are ready to act.
What action must I take now? Realize, as you start this journey that the “I” in that question will be replaced by “we”. I would suggest that the starting point is to “clean house”, put aside the past. Put all the hurt, anger and pain where it can be taken care of in God’s hands. Living in the past and holding onto all the baggage will always impede change.
Clean house and pass it on
When we clean house and pass it on, we are really saying, “I surrender”. At this point “I” becomes “we” with you and with your partner, God.
This journey is no longer a lonely one. God always is at hand to hold you up. Remember, the man at the window who came to see that God loved him? The understanding came about with the realization that God works through other people. The love that surrounded him came without strings. That love from others was without regard to past events. He was loved by others for who he was. That is the same kind of love God has for you.
Look around yourself. During your lifetime were there friends that ended up on the sidelines of your life, but who offered help in love when others deserted you?
Those in peace
Are there people at work you have noticed have a certain look of peace who are not part of the rat race around them, whom you may secretly admire?
Reach out to others who seem to have found peace. Share with them. Feel God’s love in them. Become willing to release yourself from self and cloak yourself with God’s love. With this release of self, you will find peace.
Surround yourself with others making the same journey in worship regularly to renew and refresh yourself on your journey. Listen to God as you continue to turn your life over to him in prayer. Give God a chance to answer in His time.
Here I am, Lord. I am yours, Lord. Take me into your everlasting arms of love.
by Deacon Ned Howe
Where is God in my life? Is our relationship a sometimes thing like only when life is troublesome? Or is it a love/hate relationship where we feel God is punishing us when we fail?
If you can ask yourself these questions and are ready to think about your answers, you have taken the first step: recognition of your need. In recognizing your need, you have seen that something in your life may have to change. What do I have to do next to change from: “may have to change” to “must change”? For example, it was easy to recognize I might be drinking too much, but it took awhile to accept it.
The void in your life
Look at your life and events leading to your recognition of the void in your life and your failure to fill it with the material-oriented life. Nothing you or I have done has changed. The empty feeling is still there. If you are honest with yourself, recognition can become acceptance.
Acceptance comes when we realize our way doesn’t work. It comes when we are ready to say, “I’m fed up with the life I have had. My way hasn’t filled the void. I will do whatever it takes to change.” You now have accepted your problems and are ready to act.
What action must I take now? Realize, as you start this journey that the “I” in that question will be replaced by “we”. I would suggest that the starting point is to “clean house”, put aside the past. Put all the hurt, anger and pain where it can be taken care of in God’s hands. Living in the past and holding onto all the baggage will always impede change.
Clean house and pass it on
When we clean house and pass it on, we are really saying, “I surrender”. At this point “I” becomes “we” with you and with your partner, God.
This journey is no longer a lonely one. God always is at hand to hold you up. Remember, the man at the window who came to see that God loved him? The understanding came about with the realization that God works through other people. The love that surrounded him came without strings. That love from others was without regard to past events. He was loved by others for who he was. That is the same kind of love God has for you.
Look around yourself. During your lifetime were there friends that ended up on the sidelines of your life, but who offered help in love when others deserted you?
Those in peace
Are there people at work you have noticed have a certain look of peace who are not part of the rat race around them, whom you may secretly admire?
Reach out to others who seem to have found peace. Share with them. Feel God’s love in them. Become willing to release yourself from self and cloak yourself with God’s love. With this release of self, you will find peace.
Surround yourself with others making the same journey in worship regularly to renew and refresh yourself on your journey. Listen to God as you continue to turn your life over to him in prayer. Give God a chance to answer in His time.
Here I am, Lord. I am yours, Lord. Take me into your everlasting arms of love.
by Deacon Ned Howe
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