March 5th, 2023

We'd love for you to join us!

We would be pleased if you joined us in person or online from the comfort of your home for church services via Facebook Live at 9:30am.

https://www.facebook.com/StJamesEpiscopalChurchMillCreek/

Our reading from Genesis this week begins the story of the relationship between the Lord and Abram. This relationship takes many turns and has long-reaching consequences for the story as it’s told in the Hebrew Scripture and for us as Christians. This brief introduction, though, shows the Lord calling out to Abram and Abram seemingly following along without any further questions (though we know the questions come later as the Lord and Abram begin to know one another better).

In Paul’s letter to the Romans, which we also hear a portion of this week, Paul is writing about the faith of Abraham in answering this call from the Lord. Paul’s words might seem like a tongue-twister or a mind bender, but what he’s doing is he’s carefully trying to connect the dots that mark this moment between the Lord and Abram, the life of Jesus, and life of the Church in the late first century.

Read carefully and thoughtfully, we begin to understand that Paul isn’t necessarily writing about the faith of Abraham. Instead, Paul is writing about the faithfulness of the Lord. What Paul wants us to know is that the Lord’s faithfulness to Abraham is the same faithfulness that the Lord has to us, individually and as members of the Christian church. The Lord’s faithfulness is unending and never breaking, and for Paul, the whole hope for salvation rests on this simple certainty.

It’s Finally Time For A Fun Filled Bingo Night

The 2023 Claudia White Memorial Bingo Night will be held

on

Monday, April 24, 2023, in the St. James' Parish Hall

Games will start at 7:00 PM. Please mark your calendars. A detailed invitation will be sent out in a couple of weeks.

As in the past, there will be a $10 donation for 10 Bingo Games.  There will be prizes for game winners, everyone will receive a Door Prize, a 50/50 Drawing will be available, and there will be a variety of refreshments. 

Claudia White was Co-Chair of the St. James’ Bazaar for several years. She also organized the first Bingo Night. Claudia loved organizing and attending social events, especially if it was a fund raiser. After Claudia passed away in 2008 the Bazaar Ladies decided to continue Bingo Night in her memory. It was an annual event each year until the pandemic in 2020. April 24^th will be the first Bingo Night since 2019. 

All proceeds are donated to the St. James’ Claudia White Memorial Fund.  Repairs and renovations to the Parish House were very close to Claudia’s heart and the money raised is used to maintain the Parish House.

If you have any questions contact Nancy Patterson at 302-239-7649.

We hope you will join us for another fun filled evening with family and friends.

The St. James Bazaar Ladies

Millcreek Ecumenical Lenten Lunches

Continuing a longstanding Lenten tradition, St. Philip’s Lutheran Church will be hosting this year’s Lenten lunches. This is a wonderful opportunity to join together with our fellow churches during this holy season.

Our worship service will begin at 12 PM on Wednesdays at St. Philip’s during the season of Lent. Our worship will be followed by a lunch of soup and bread at 12:30 PM. St. James’ will provide the homily, music, and lunch on March 15, and if you’d like to volunteer, please contact the Church Office for more details.

2023 Flea Market

There will be a Flea Market again this year. Kathy Jackson is organizing it. A date hasn’t been set yet. You may drop off items to be sold at the Flea Market. Please leave them downstairs in the room to the right of the stairs.

We Will Accept:

Gently Used Household Items, Appliances, Toys, Jewelry, Hardback & Paperback Books.

We WILL NOT Accept Any of the Following:

Encyclopedias, Computers, TVs, Electronics, Clothes or Stuffed Animals.

Please do not bring in any of the unacceptable items. They can be donated to various local charitable agencies.

Electronic Items are accepted at the following Delaware Solid Waste Recycle Locations:

Delaware Recycling Center                                    Newark Recycling Center

1101 Lambson Lane                                                470 Corporate Blvd.

New Castle, DE 19720                                             Newark, DE 19702

Monday-Saturday: 8:30am-3:30pm                      Monday-Saturday: 8:30am-3:30pm

Please contact Kathy Jackson (302-690-3513) if you have any questions or would like to help prior to, or during the Flea Market.

St. James' Mission and Outreach updates

Sharing God’s gifts with others

Reaching out to those in need

And serving them with dignity and respect…

New Castle County HOPE Center-for Individuals and Families in need of temporary housing and support services.

What started as temporary housing during the cold weather of 2020-2021 has grown into a permanent center that provides housing and support services for individuals and families who are without adequate housing in New Castle County.  New Castle County (NCC) purchased the former Sheraton Hotel on Airport Rd (now named the New Castle County HOPE Center) and kept the hotel management staff to keep the facility running.  Working together, many non-profit organizations including Family Promise provide various services and support for individuals and families to obtain emergency and more significant housing and medical, psychological, and job skills opportunities as well. The hotel can accommodate 400 and suites and adjoining rooms are given to families and enable households to stay together. Housing is coordinated through the Delaware Housing Alliance. 

If you know of anyone who needs this housing, please ask them to call 1-833-FIND-BED (1-833-3463-233) and leave a message.

How can you help?

Review the list below and see where you might be able to help.

 Current items needed:

• Hygiene items such as deodorant, shampoo, and soap (regular and travel size)
• Individual sized peanut butter crackers, tuna, microwavable meals (pastas, soups, etc.)
• Non-alcohol hand sanitizer
• Tide pods or other laundry pods
• NEW Underwear, and socks - all sizes, children through adult
• New or gently used t-shirts and light jacket
• New books for adults and children

Please drop the items off:

     ·        Monday-Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the parish hall porch 

Please place your donations in the bin labeled Donations for HOPE Center on the porch of the parish hall. Liz will bring in the bin and any donated items at 12:30 p.m.

    ·        On Sunday, there is a container in the foyer of the church.

 We take the donations to the distribution center about every two weeks.

Thank you,

St. James' Mission/Outreach Ministry

Prayer Team Updates

The prayer team continues to lift up prayer requests shared by parishioners through emails or calls to the church office at 302-994-1584, to individual members of the prayer team, or requests left in the prayer basket in the church foyer. We collect the prayer requests and other concerns of the parish, community, and world. They are compiled weekly and then these requests are lifted up in the daily prayers of the team members. All are welcome and encouraged to share their prayers.

For those who have an immediate prayer need, we invite you to email your prayer needs and request to Carolyn Mack at cdmack37@gmail.com or call 302-565-8675

St. James' Pastoral Care Team

St. James' Pastoral Care Team continues to support our parish family and our community.

If you or someone you know is in need, we: 

·        send cards, make phone calls, and pray with you and/or for you.

·        Make home, hospital, and Eucharistic visits.

Please call the office (302-994-1584) and leave a message. Someone will get back to you. Messages are retrieved daily, seven days a week.

Please let us know if you need us or someone you know needs us. We will not know if you do not tell us.

“Blessful” Meditations

We all know that life can be a little stressful and hectic sometimes. We hope that by reading this short bible passage and watching a relaxing video will help you take a moment and reflect on God’s gifts.  

Proverbs 27:19

"As water reflects the face, so one's life reflects the heart."

Prayer for the Second Sunday in Lent

O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

 Find more Morning Psalm and prayers please visit

https://delaware.church/psalms-and-prayers/