Lent is the holy season in which we are invited to make a special observance in preparation for the coming Easter Season. This can be done in many different ways. St. James Church invites you to be intentional this Lenten season through:
- Fasting: You can abstain wholly or partially from something for the purpose of growing spiritually. As a spiritual practice, fasting is an act of contrition, cleansing, and preparation. Part of fasting is to focus on God in those times you long for the thing from which you are fasting.
- Committing to Come: Commit to come each Sunday during Lent as the body of Christ, the Church, comes together for worship. The first Sunday in Lent will include the Great Litany and each Sunday after will incorporate themes of our Lenten season within the liturgy. The Lenten season comes to a climax in Holy Week where we begin with Jesus’ triumphal entrance into Jerusalem.
- Daily Meditation & Reflection: Here is a list of online resources that might interest you:
- Living Compass
- Society of St. John the Evangelist
- Forward Day by Day: hard copies can also be picked up in the narthex or foyer
- Ignatian Spirituality Center
- Lenten Madness
- Acts of Piety: You can also take on an action that helps you grow spiritually as we seek for actions to become habits to become a virtue. For instance, you might consider committing to attend church each Sunday of Lent, daily study, various forms of prayer, or acts of charity.
- Quiet Day: Consider a day to slow down and take in the message of Lent in a deeper way. Canon Shannon Manning will lead our Quiet Day on Saturday, March 28th from 9 a.m. to noon.
Blessings,
Fr. Chris
|
|
Ash Wednesday Services
Wednesday, February 26
The last Liturgy of Ash Wednesday with Imposition of Ashes service will be offered at 5:30 p.m. This service will feature the talents of the St. James Choir, and the nursery will be available for use at this time.
|
|
Jumbo Gumbo
Gumbo is coming back in full force for a one-day only event on Friday, March 6 at Bishops Hall! The savory annual tradition will offer
lunch and dinner options from 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. and 5 - 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 6,
respectively.
Jumbo Gumbo 2020 will feature a traditional menu of shrimp, and chicken and sausage lunch combos that include a serving of coleslaw, a mini-baguette and dessert for $12 each. Additional sides are available. The lunch option will feature dine-in, pickup, takeout, and drive-through. The dinner portion will be dine-in only.
Call-in orders will be accepted from 8 a.m. - 10 a .m. on Friday, March 6. Online orders can be placed anytime via
www.stjamesgumbo.org
. Orders exceeding five or more quarts and pints are available only for preorder via the website,
www.stjamesgumbo.org
starting Monday, March 2. Cash, check, and credit payments will be accepted. For more information, please contact
Mary Boutwell, Parish Life Coordinator
.
|
|
Lenten Quiet Day
Saturday, March 28
St. James will host “A Holy Journey: Transformation Through Darkness and Light”, a Lenten Quiet Day from
9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 28,
in the Chapel of the Twelve Apostles. The day of reflection and meditation will be directed by the Rev. Canon Shannon Manning. The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be provided 30 minutes prior to the event start. For more information, please contact the
Rev. Canon Shannon
.
|
|
Palm Cross Making
Saturday, April 4
Learn how to fold palm crosses and put your new skills to work alongside Fr. Chris Duncan as we assemble crosses at 10 a.m. in Bishops Hall, in preparation for the Palm Sunday service. Please contact
Fr. Chris Duncan
for more information.
|
|
Services of Holy Week & Easter
April 5 - Sunday, April 11
|
|
Palm Sunday, Stations of the Cross
Sunday, April 5
Stations of the Cross has become a staple as a Lenten and Holy Week practice. Join us at 9:15 a.m. in Bishops Hall on Palm Sunday, April 5 for Stations of the Cross. There will be no regular Christian Education classes that day.
The Nursery will be open during this time.
Children will be doing their own age appropriate version of Stations of the Cross during the Children Chapel time. Please contact
Fr. Chris Duncan
for more information.
|
|
Maundy Thursday
Thursday, April 9
- 7 p.m. - Maundy Thursday Liturgy
- 8 p.m. - Altar of Repose opens
|
|
Altar of Repose
Thursday, April 9
Immediately following the Maunday Thursday services, a vigil will take place in the Chapel of the Twelve Apostles, where the remaining, reserved sacraments from the previous Eucharist will be kept in repose on the Altar and the chapel will be adorned like the Garden of Gethsemane on the night we remember the events leading to Christ's crucifixion. Please sign up to confirm your participation via
the following link
.
|
|
Good Friday
Friday, April 10
In a continuation of the Maundy Thursday liturgy, we solemnly mark the Passion and Death of our Lord.
- 7:30 a.m. - Good Friday Liturgy with communion from
- the Reserved Sacrament, in the chapel
- Noon - Good Friday Liturgy in the church
- 1 p.m. - Stations of the Cross is a communal walking of Christ’s journey before the
- station icons, with readings along the way.
- 2 p.m. - Vigil in the church
- 3 p.m. - Bell tolled 33 times marking the traditional hour of Jesus’ death
|
|
Holy Saturday
Saturday, April 11
- 10 a.m. - East Egg Hunt: The hunt will officially begin at 10:30 a.m. and take place at the Rabalais' house, located at 1221 Ingleside Drive in Baton Rouge. Please have participating children dress in active clothing. Light refreshments will be provided. For more information, please contact Haley Schroeck at [email protected].
- 6 p.m. - Easter Vigil: The first Easter celebration takes place as the sun is setting on Holy Saturday and begins outside with the lighting of a new fire and then moves into the church for the retelling the story of God's salvific plan, baptisms, and proclaiming Christ's resurrection.
|
|
Easter Sunday
Sunday, April 12
- 7:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite 1
- 9 a.m. - Holy Eucharist, Rite II with flowering of the Cross*
- 11 a.m. - Holy Eucharist, Rite II*
- 5 p.m. - Holy Eucharist, Rite II
|
|
Otterbein University Concert Choir
|
|
Heavenly (guest) voices will ring in our ears at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 2 at St. James Episcopal Church. The Otterbein University Concert Choir, a select SATB choir of 40 singers which tours annually, will perform
masterworks by Byrd and Bach, as well as works by Stephen Paulus, Randall Stroope, and Stacey Gibb. Additionally, the choir will perform
Refugee
, a new work by conductor Gayle Walker, which features solo cello.
The event is free and open to the public. A free reception will follow. For more information, please contact
Shannon Gallier
.
|
|
Sung Compline will be offered at
5 p.m. on Sunday, March 22
in the church by the talented St. James Choir! Our diverse group of singers capture the beauty of holiness in a service filled with timeless music, candles, and incense. This event will be followed by a wine and cheese reception in the Parish Hall Parlor. For more information about the event, please contact
Shannon Gallier, Director of Musi
c.
|
|
The class series, “So Many Epistles, So Little Time” is scheduled for 9:15 a.m. in Bishops Hall on the following Sundays: March 1, 8, 15, and 29 . “Epistles” covers selected epistles (letters) from the New Testment. Attendees will learn about the background of the early church. The class will be led by the Rev. Fr. Ralph Howe. For more information, please contact
Fr. Ralph
.
|
|
NEW MINISTRY: Young Adult Group
|
|
Adults in the 20s-30s age brackets are invited to gather for Bible and brews at the
Bulldog at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3.
There will be a 30-minute period of networking, followed by a discussion about the ministry's mission, before closing with a brief reading from the lectionary.
The meeting will be the first of many for our church's new ministry offering, the St. James Young Adult Group. The group will meet informally to participate in worship, fellowship, and learning. Group leaders include Catherine and Seth Lawrence, and Laura Sorey. Future event locations and times will be determined after the first two events. Food will be provided and attendees will purchase their own drinks.
For more information, please contact Laura Sorey via
email
or at (601) 421-3352.
What:
St. James Young Adult Group
Where:
The Bulldog, 4385 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge
When:
6 p.m., Tuesday, March 3
Why:
To explore what it means to be a Christian and an Episcopalian in today’s world.
Contact:
Laura Sorey,
email
or phone: (601) 421-3352
|
|
St. James Youth Group’s monthly meetup will take place Sunday, March 15 after the 10:30 a.m. service. The group, open to youth from grades 6-12, will meet at Bishops Hall by 11:45 a.m. to ride together to Ruffino’s for a pizza-making party. Youth attendees will require pickup at 1:15 p.m. from Ruffino’s. Please contact Family Ministry Coordinator,
Haley Schroeck
for information.
|
|
The family spring event will take place on Friday, March 27 from 6:30 - 8:30 pm at Gymfit, located at 11913 Sun Belt Ct in Baton Rouge. Kids of all ages will have fun engaging with their ninja warrior course, aerial silks, circus hoops, gymnastic areas and more. Adult attendees are also encouraged to release their inner child and join in the fun! Everyone is able to use these incredible equipment with the guidance of their experienced staff.
Please contact Family Ministry Coordinator,
Haley Schroeck
for information.
|
|
Adult and Youth Confirmation & Reception
|
|
Confirmation is the sacramental rite in which candidates “express a mature commitment to Christ” before the bishop and recommit themselves to the covenant made on their behalf at their baptism. Reception is for those that were confirmed in another Christian denomination and would like to be formally received by the bishop into the Episcopal Church. Bishop Thompson will be with us on Sunday, May 17 at the 10:30 a.m. service. If you are interested in being confirmed or received, please be sure to participate in one of the following activities:
Episcopal 101: Adults will participate in a 5-week course during the Sunday School hour from 9:15-10:15 a.m. each Sunday during the month of March in the Small Parlor. The class is open to those who would like a refresher as well. For more information, contact
Fr. Chris
.
My Faith, My Life: Youth in 8th grade or higher who are interested in being confirmed are invited to participate in a 5-week course on Sundays after the 10:30 a.m. service. Please contact
Haley Schroeck, Family Ministry Coordinator
, for more details.
|
|
Support & Attend the St. James Day School Carnival!
|
|
Calling all carnival lovers: The St. James Day School is looking for supporters of their annual carnival event, a public offering that features food, fun, and much more!
The event will take place from
4 -7 p.m. on Friday, March 13,
on the school playground and 5th Street. If you're interested in supporting the efforts of our largest ministry, please click on the button below to view, complete, and download a sponsorship form.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
