Blessings this Holy Week, friends!

It has already begun in a beautiful way with the Procession of the Palms and our Passion Sunday service last Sunday.  As we move into Holy Week there are some familiar things and some wonderful additions.

Stations of the Cross: We have Stations up year-round, but the official Holy Week Stations of the Cross are up for your devotional wanderings.

Maundy Thursday, 7 pm: We have our remembrance of the Last Supper with the Apostles, followed by the stripping and cleansing of the altar. We will have a new addition with Tripp Hudgins as our guest preacher. Tripp is an old friend from the University of Richmond, who has been attending SJtL. He was actually baptized here in the 70s, so he is actually coming home. He taught preaching at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific while working on his doctorate, and he leads our musicians during our Bluegrass Mass. I know you will get much from his good word on Maundy Thursday.

Good Friday, 7 pm: This is our service of deep reflection and repentance as we wind up Lent, and it ends with the veneration of the Cross. Dawn+, our deacon, will be preaching for us that night, and this is our first Holy Week with her with us. It should be another powerful night.

Holy Saturday, Noon: This simple service is a rare one in our Holy Week services, pondering what the disciples were pondering with Jesus gone. We wrestle with the in-betweens that are often so present in our lives, and how does a person of faith deal with these.

Easter Vigil, 7:45 p.m.: We begin outside to light the "new fire" of Resurrection and bring "the light of Christ" back into the Church. With the haunting chant that was "The Cross of Christ" on Friday becomes "The Light of Christ" at the Vigil and the dawning of not just a new day but a new age. We explore the Salvation History of God through readings, responses, and songs. This is the whole story in one service, and the capstone of our Triduum, our "three days."

Easter Sunday, 8 a.m. & 10 a.m.: 8 o'clock will be our first service in our pavilion, and there is no better way to open it than to have an Easter service there. 9:30 is our Egg Hunt between services. And then 10 a.m. is our traditional high service in the Church. Join us for this great end of our Holy Week and our Holy Lent. 

I hope you will come out and support Tripp Thursday, Dawn+ Friday, and celebrate the kick-off of Easter Saturday. If you cannot join for all, come for what you can. I pray you will be blessed by these services, and that they draw you closer to Christ and his Lordship in your life.

Easter blessings, siblings in Christ!

Rock+

Wednesday, April 5, 2023

• 7:30am- Eucharist Rite II & breakfast to follow
• 10:30am-Vinyasa Yoga

Thursday, April 6, 2023

• 7pm- Maundy Thursday Service

Friday, April 7, 2023

• 7pm- Good Friday Service

Saturday, April 8, 2023

• Noon- Holy Saturday Service
• 7:45- Easter Vigil (begins outside)

Sunday, April 9, 2023

• 8am- Eucharist Rite I (In Pavilion)
• 9:30am- Easter Egg Hunt for the children
• 10am- Eucharist: Rite II (music)

Monday, April 10, 2023

• OFFICE CLOSED
• 10:30am- Good Grief group

Tuesday, April 11, 2023

• 10am- Book Club via Zoom

Graduates

It is getting close to the time we start celebrating our graduates in our community. If you have a loved one who is graduating (high school, college, trade school, etc) please let us know. We'd love to know where they are graduating from, their degree (if applicable), and their future plans (if known). Our graduate Sunday is June 6th. If your graduate would like to participate, please let us know.

Flowering Cross

Part of our tradition here at SJtL on Easter Morning is putting flowers on our flowering cross. You are welcome to bring a flower from your yard, the store, or wherever to add to the display of beauty.

Aluminum Can Recycling is Back!

We are once again recycling aluminum cans, both for the good of the earth and for funds to support our Youth Group activities. Many thanks to the Shireys for having headed up this project for many years.

Aluminum is a sustainable metal and can be recycled over and over again in a true closed loop recycling process. Making cans from recycled aluminum saves more than 90 percent of the energy required to make a new can.

Please collect aluminum cans (not soup cans, etc.) , and when you have a bunch, please bring them to church. There are two plastic trash cans in the wooden enclosure in the back parking lot near the church van that are clearly marked "Aluminum Cans." Please do not put your aluminum cans in the green recycling supercans.

Be sure to first remove the pull tabs from your aluminum cans and continue to put them in the collection containers inside church for Ronald McDonald House in memory of Charlotte (CJ) Reynolds,

We will keep you posted as to how many pounds/how much money we collect from this effort.

Questions? Contact George Field at 804-380-9873.

Children's Activities

There will be no childcare or Sunday School for children this Sunday for Easter. We will all enjoy being in worship together. There will be activities in the sanctuary for children to do during worship. The children's choir will be singing at the 10am Easter service. There will be an Easter Egg hunt at 9:30am on Easter Morning.

Supper Club Relaunches

Are you ready for some enjoyable evenings focused on fellowship and good food? Then SJtL Supper Club may be for you! Join your fellow parishioners once a month for dinner together, hosted by pairs who arrange each small group’s details. Sign up sheets are posted in the hallway. Please sign up by March 31st or tell Kasey (804-798-6336), Beth Harrison (540-903-7000) or Jenny Bruce (804-798-0922) that you want to be included. 

Easter Egg Volunteers

Every year on Easter we hold an Easter Egg Hunt for the children. We are doing it at 9:30am (between our two services). We are looking for 5 folks to volunteer to be here at 9am to help hide eggs prior to the hunt. If you are able to volunteer, please let Miriam know.

We are also looking for a donation of some of the pre filled plastic eggs from the Amazon Wish list. HERE is the link. We have some, but would love to have a few more for the kids to find. Thank you!

Youth Group Meals

We have only 2 meals left for our Youth Group that meets on Sunday evening. HERE is where you can sign up.

We are looking for volunteers to provide one meal for 15-20 people. We would love for you to help serve our youth and share a meal with us! The doors will open at 5:30pm in Brydon hall and someone will be there to help you set up. We ask that you provide a meal that includes a main course, dessert and drinks. We will provide utensils, plates and cups. We do have one gluten allergy, but no additional restrictions. Some ideas include pasta casserole, pizza, salad with grilled chicken, hot dogs or burgers, etc. The possibilities are endless! Please help us in our endeavor to create a community poised to give back and appreciate the gifts of people all around them. Thank you!

Policing in America: A Christian Ethical Perspective

The Rev. Alexander G. Brown, Jr. Memorial Lecture

 Tobias Winright is Professor of Moral Theology at Saint Patrick’s Pontifical University in Maynooth, Ireland. A former law enforcement officer inboth corrections and policing, he has taught ethics for police departments and has published extensively on issues in criminal justice ethics. He also teaches and writes about the ethics of war and peace, bioethics and healthcare ethics, and ecologyand environmental ethics. Previously he taught at Simpson College (1998-2003), Walsh University(2003-2005), and Saint Louis University (2005-2022).

LOCATION:      Randolph-Macon College Birdsong Hall, 2^nd floor        Dalton Family Dining Room

DATE:  Wednesday April 12, 2023 

TIME: 7:30 PM—9:00 PM

Sponsored by the Religious Studies Department of RMC Free and open to the public. Refreshments will be servedFor more information, contact Timothy Brown 804-752-7236

• Sign up to bring meals for the Clinic Volunteers HERE
• Help stock our Emergency Food Pantry (outside the clinic)
• Send in your Pop Tops for McDonald House
• Bring in Hygiene or laundry items for Peter Paul
• Donate to ACES (see below)

Pantry:

• Canned meat (spam, chicken, ham, salmon, tuna, etc.)
• Canned fruit
• Peanut butter
• Spaghetti sauce
• Instant potatoes (smaller size boxes)
• Cereal (healthier varieties preferred)
• Pork & beans 
• Personal care items (soap, toothpaste, shampoo, lotion, deodorant, toilet paper, etc.)
• Cleaning products (laundry soap, dish soap, etc.)

Children's Clothing:

• Boy's and Girl's larger size summer clothes (sizes 12 - 18)
• Boy's and Girl's summer pajamas (all sizes)
• Boy's and Girl's shoes (all sizes)
• Girl's larger size underwear (sizes 16 - 18)
• Diapers (size 4, size 6 and size 7)... We do not need pull-ups
• Baby Wipes

Adult Clothing:

• Men's athletic shoes (all sizes)
• Men's jeans (waist sizes 30 - 36)
• Men's white undershirts (all sizes)
• Women's bras (band 36 and above; cup D and above)
• Women's underwear (size large thru 3x)
• Women's sanitary products

ACES is open on both Mondays and Wednesday from 8:30-11:30am. Thank you for your continued support!

Lord, we lift up this nation struggling with itself these days, reeling from this pandemic and its repercussions. Encourage us to faithfulness, righteousness, and compassion for all God’s Children. We lift up Justin, Archbishop of Canterbury, Michael, our Presiding Bishop, Mark & Gail, our Bishops, Rock+, our priest, and Dawn+, our Deacon. May they be strengthened and encouraged as the work with us to proclaim your Good News in this world. We pray for Joe, our President, Glenn, our Governor, and Steve, our Mayor, and all our elected officials. Guide them to lead us to the common good. 

We ask your prayers for peace; for goodwill among nations; and for the well-being of all people. Remembering especially Gus Miller, Erin Yagla, Meredith Moon, Meghann Batten, Michael Fox, Bill Blakemore, Dennis Folsom, Debra Bernard, Smith family, Court Warfield, Andrea Alexander McCallum, Janet Taylor, Jessica and family, Joy Stevenson, Kim Keene, Brad Rose, Wendy Vaughan, Andy Newchok, Pam Bowers, Bettilee, Iana Mason, Bill Mercier, Rebecca Hottman, Lyde Longaker, Haden Hopkins, Charles Bridges, Hilda Kelly, Lee & Susan Chambers, Michele Murphy, James Crump, Sr., Ginny Tilton, Tre’ Michael, Brennan McFarlane,Tim Easter, Marie Bohrer, Melanie Fischer, Frank Buckingham, Jim Segneri, Barbara Brzozowski, Richard Grosse, Gordon Sutton, Harry Hassell, Morgan Winfrey, Margaret Rush, Robert & family, Carl Morlock, Luke David, Baker/Penland family, Carol Barnes, Joanne Flanagan, Vikki Snelgrove, and Christen Meacham.

We ask your prayers for the poor, the sick, the hungry, the oppressed, and those in prison. We also ask your prayers for those serving in the diplomatic corps, the military, and as missionaries: Larson Flangan, Kemper Jones, Greg Ericksen, Matthew Thomas, Philip Morison, James Ashley, Andrew Brunson, Jordan Fox, and Katherine Murphy. 

We ask your prayers for those who have died, especially John Wade. We ask your prayers for those who grieve.  

We pray for governments and governing bodies of Metropolitan Richmond: For the Mayor and City Council of Richmond, the City Administrator, and all city employees.

For all those who seek peace in the world and for ourselves, that we may bring about God's Kingdom here on earth. For our enemies, and for those who wish us harm.



Praise God for those in every generation in whom Christ has been honored.

April 2, 2023

Palm Sunday

• Prayer List- Prayers of the People
• Giving Online- Click here to give online or text "GIVE2THELESS" at 73256 from your phone.
• Ask for prayer-Send in your prayer request (please acknowledge if the prayer is private or for our Parish list)
• The Collect Collective- Daily short prayer with Father Rock
• List of Local Food Pantries- Click here for a complete list of local food pantries.
• Fall Line Farms- A wonderful organization that supports local farmers. Click here to order food so you can pick it up here at SJTL on Thursdays.
• Self- Guided Ways Of Worship Brochure- It has wonderful ways of engaging with your own space (and the spaces around the church) to find the Holy, already present, within them.
• Father Rock's Blog- Access reading of all of Father Rock's Homilies.
• Blessings & Dressings- A copy of the SJTL Cookbook 
• End of Life Planning Kit- Help with estate planning from the Episcopal Church Foundation.
• Diocesan Creation Care Website- Creation Care Task Force

Saint James the Less Episcopal Church

125 Beverly Road

Ashland, VA 23005

(804) 798-6336

Staff:

The Rev. Rock Higgins, tssf Rector

The Rev. Deacon Dawn McNamara Deacon

Reggie Long- Organist/Music Director

Miriam Smith- Christian Formation- Children & Youth Director

Kasey Buckland- Parish Administrator