Dear Friends in Christ,

This Sunday’s passage from Acts (17:22–31) offers a vivid glimpse into the growth of the early Church, as Paul engages new communities and proclaims life in God through the Risen Christ. In this passage, we hear the well-known line: “For ‘In him we live and move and have our being.’”

At Saint James, and through the ministry of the Urban Well, we seek to embody this truth as a “School of Prayer and Service in the Lord.” Together, we explore what it means to live and move and have our being in God through practices such as embodied prayer, yoga, meditation, and the Daily Office. We also serve our neighbors and build relationships across boundaries, reflecting who we are as followers of Jesus.

This Saturday, May 9, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., we invite you into two meaningful opportunities to grow deeper in your faith. Whether you are a youth preparing for confirmation or an adult exploring what it means to say, “I belong here.” Please see below for more details.

If you feel drawn to deepen your faith or to take a next step in belonging, we warmly invite you to join us. To sign up for either opportunity, click here.

A personal word from Fr. Glenn

Dear Siblings in Christ,

I write to you all to share some unfortunate personal news. In the course of the past month, my wife Carol has been diagnosed with a recurrence of her breast cancer from 25 years ago. The diagnosis is a stage 4 metastasis of the cancer, which is now present in her lungs and bones.

These weeks have been a whirlwind of tests, a diagnostic surgery this week, and now waiting for the development of a treatment plan. While the prognosis does not involve a cure, we are very hopeful that treatment will both keep the cancer in check for as long as possible and with a minimum of side effects. We’ve been given good reason to hope for several years of good quality.

Carol is currently strong and healthy, physically and spiritually. We have long said that just as we have hoped that others would be open to sharing their need for prayer and support, so too should we be in such moments. We welcome your prayers and love, which have already been sustaining us both. We are grateful for this beloved community and home of Saint James.

Love,

Fr. Glenn

Thursday, May 7 | 6:15 - 7:45 PM

Spring Renewal Yoga Series

This 4-week introductory yoga series is designed for both new and returning students seeking a thoughtful, supportive way to reconnect with their bodies. Together, we’ll explore yoga as a practice of whole-person care through movement, breathwork, reflection and gentle wellness education.

Each session offers a different entry point into renewal while building on the previous session in a way that feels accessible, grounded and practical for everyday life. For more information and to register, click here.

Saturday, May 9 | 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Growing in Faith at Saint James

There will be two opportunities for deepening one’s spiritual growth at Saint James and the Urban Well. The day will begin with a shared meal between youth contemplating confirmation and adults exploring membership. Both groups will meet with clergy and share their faith journeys while discussing Church history and its impact on our present practices. There will also be a tour of our beautiful campus. Come and discover what it means to be a member of this vibrant community! Click here to let us know you'll be attending!

Saturday, May 9 | 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Women's Gathering

Via Zoom Only

Women’s Gathering is continuing its study of Uncommon Gratitude and the spiritual treasures that can be gained by "giving thanks in all things."

Whether we are grateful for the positive aspects of our lives or facing challenging circumstances, being thankful in all situations is to invite God to perform His miraculous work in and through us.

Available via Zoom only. Click here to email Lorraine Rollo for the link.

Sunday, May 10 | 9:30 AM

Forum Hour with Randall Zachman

Religious and Civil Freedom in the Revolutionary Era

George Whitefield (1714-1770) was an Anglican priest who was the major influence on the religious movement in England and the American colonies known as The Great Awakening. Whitefield preached in a much more dramatic way than was customary at the time, which roused his listeners' emotions. When he was shut out of pulpits in England and the colonies, he went into the streets and fields and preached to crowds that grew over time to tens of thousands.

He came to the American colonies seven times, and he estimated that he preached 18,000 sermons while he was here, traveling from New England to Georgia. His emphasis on the necessity of experiencing "the new birth" united Christians from across denominations, and his open-air preaching reached thousands of people who would never have darkened the door of a church. His tireless and highly effective preaching was a strongly unifying force in the colonies and helped to prepare the ground for the American Revolution.

Join us this Sunday as we explore the transformative preaching of George Whitefield.

Available in person and via Zoom.

Click here to join via Zoom.

Sunday, May 10 | 5:00 PM

Evening Vespers at the Urban Well

In the Chapel

Join us for Vespers, a welcoming weekly gathering at Saint James, this reflective service embraces Christian prayer traditions and nurtures our spiritual lives.

Enjoy uplifting singing, moments of silence; choose your preferred posture with available cushions, yoga mats, or chairs. We celebrate Holy Communion on the third Sunday of the month. Everyone is welcome—come as you are! In-person only at the Chapel.

Celebrating America's 250th Anniversary

~ Upcoming Events ~

Tuesday, May 12 | 7:00 PM

Contemplative Tuesdays

with Mission and Justice

In the Chapel and via Zoom

Through June 16th

In this series, we are exploring what Walter Isaacson calls "The Greatest Sentence Ever Written"—the second sentence of the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

We will read alongside three imperfect men who labored over every word of a revolutionary document, and in doing so, we'll ask what it means to draft our own lives with the same painstaking attention. We'll practice noticing the gaps between these men's ideals and reality, and our ideals and our reality—not as failures, but as invitations from God to grow deeper in relationship with God, ourselves, and the world.

We are all drafting our lives, is the contemplative practice of this series. Our spiritual lives, our understanding of justice, our capacity for love—all of it is draft work. We write a version of ourselves today, and tomorrow we have the opportunity to revise, to cross out what doesn't serve, to add what we've newly discovered.

Copies of the book are now available ($16) in the Parish House Office. Click here to register.

Wednesday, May 13 | 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Churchyard Gravestone Care & Cleaning

Join Cordelia Moyse and Maryann Marotta for some “hands-on" care of our church and nation’s history as we revive the tradition of remembering fallen soldiers and veterans by tending to graves for Memorial Day.

Cleaning supplies and refreshments will be provided. Registration is helpful; click here to let us know you'll be attending.

Sunday, May 17 | 5:00 – 6:30 PM

Youth Group & A Walk Through History

Join us for a fun and thoughtful evening as we kick things off with dinner and listening to music from the groundbreaking Hamilton soundtrack. Then we’ll head out into Lancaster City for a short historic walking tour around Saint James.

In honor of our country’s 250th anniversary, we’ll explore nearby sites that have shaped both Lancaster’s story and the wider story of our nation. Along the way, we’ll reflect on how Saint James is called to rejoice, repair and renew as people of faith and as citizens in our community.

Bring a friend and join us for a night that brings together history, music and conversation. Click here to let StephJo know you'll be attending! Please RSVP by May 15^th.

Sunday, May 31 | 11:30 AM

Parish Potluck Celebration

Parish House Forum Room

Join us for a major celebration of our parish’s life and history with fun for all ages as we begin a summer of marking our country’s 250th Anniversary. All are invited to participate, including some distinguished parishioners from our past. Come and enjoy foods not only from today but also from early Lancaster. Enjoy a scavenger hunt as well as historic trivia.

Please sign up to attend and to provide a dish for a very special occasion in the life of this parish and our country.

Colonial and Patriotic Puddings

George Ross, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, was not the only member of the Ross family for whom Saint James was their church. His great-granddaughter, Mary (d.1906), was a dedicated member, funding the choir and the memorial window to George Ross. She must have enjoyed a parish potluck, as last year, one of her descendants gifted Saint James Mary's recipe book, which contains not only her colonial family recipes but also those she collected from other parishioners.

Come and try some of her baking at our 250^th Anniversary Potluck, recreated by our bakers of history.

Click here to let us know you'll be attending.

Click here to let us know what dish you'll be bringing.

Sunday, June 14 | 11:30 AM

Sunday Brunch Revolutionary

Texts Lecture Series

Parish House Forum Room

Catered by the Hamilton Club

Many texts containing “revolutionary ideas” have shaped American history and identity, not just one. Our Christian calling as citizens of this great country is to help Rejoice, Repair and Renew our national life. In a special Sunday Brunch Lectures series in honor of the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding, thought-leading social historians and theologians will reflect on a range of radical texts that challenge, expand or declare unfulfilled the rights and aspirations set forth in the Declaration of Independence.

Registration is required for catering, with a suggested donation of $25 for adults. Click here for more information and registration.

Wednesday, May 13 | 3:00 PM

Holy Eucharist at Willow Valley

Residents of Willow Valley are warmly invited to come together with clergy and staff from Saint James and Holy Trinity Lutheran churches to celebrate Holy Eucharist in Manor North Auditorium on the third floor of the main building in Manor North. All are welcome to partake in this meaningful occasion; feel free to bring a friend!

Saturday, May 16 | 8:30 - 10:30 AM

Upper Room Men's Group

Join us this Saturday for a discussion led by Berkley Latimer, on the parable of The Good Samaritan. We'll also delve into other parables from various perspectives, including audience/context, content, format, pedagogy, and purpose. As always, we'll have time for questions, insights and the sharing of favorite parables and personal 'parable moments.'

Our morning menu will feature pancakes in various flavors, sausage, coffee and juice, so come hungry and bring a friend!

Saturday, May 16 | 11:00 AM

Intergenerational Hike & Picnic

Lancaster County Park,

Pavilion # 3

All are welcome to enjoy a day of fellowship, food, and time in nature! Our potluck picnic is open to everyone!

The Hike has a limit of 25 spots. Confirmed hikers will set off with a park naturalist from Pavilion #3 at approximately 11:00 AM. Picnic-only attendees will stay in the pavilion and enjoy a presentation by The Grange on agricultural practices 250 years ago to the present, what we have learned and what we can do better.

The picnic is open to all and is unlimited! You do not have to bring food to attend, just come and enjoy; held rain or shine.

Pavilion #3 is located at 1098 Rockford Rd, Lancaster, PA 17602. Click here to let us know you'll be attending.

Saturday, May 16 | 7:30 PM

Susquehanna Chorale at Saint James

Come and hear the award-winning Susquehanna Chorale as it makes its Lancaster debut at Saint James at 7:30 PM on Saturday, May 16th! Based in Central PA, the group is a nationally recognized ensemble comprising 40 auditioned singers, including four from Saint James: Brian and Anne Moul and Phil and Nicolette Norris.

The spring concert series celebrates artistic director and founder Linda Tedford’s incredible 45-year leadership of the Chorale as she steps down at the end of this season. The all-American lineup of choral classics in honor of our nation’s 250th birthday includes Morten Lauridsen’s “Sure on this Shining Night,” selections from Randall Thompson’s Frostiana, and beloved works from Dan Forrest, Leonard Bernstein, Shawn Kirchner and Mack Wilberg. Tickets at susquehannachorale.org and at the door.

Sunday, May 17 | 9:30 AM

Women's Bible Study

In the Parish House Library

Join the women of our parish for a transformative journey of Bible study, prayer and fellowship in the parish house library. This gathering is an opportunity to deepen your relationships, share your experiences, and grow in faith together. Let’s lift each other up and spark inspiration in our hearts as we explore the Word of God. Women's Bible study meets on the 3rd Sunday of every month. Come, and be a part of this uplifting community! Have questions? Click here to email Kristy Clark.

Women's Bible Study is on holiday over the summer and will resume in the fall.

Now Accepting Applications through

Friday, May 29th

Saint James Scholarship

We are happy to announce that scholarship applications for the 2026 –2027 academic year are now open.

Thanks to the generosity of our endowment fund, Saint James Episcopal Church is honored to support parishioners pursuing post-secondary education, whether full-time or part-time. Eligibility also includes immediate family members of Saint James staff, including children and grandchildren.

Deadline to Apply: Friday, May 29, 2026, by 12:00 PM (noon)

Decisions Announced: July 3, 2025. Click here to get started in the application process.

Thursday Evenings through June 11 | 6 -7:00 PM

Community Choir Rehearsal for

Pride Service With St. John's

Calling All Singers

Saint James is excited to be partnering with St. John’s for this year’s Pride Service, which will take place on Saturday, June 13^th, at 7:00 PM at St. John's. The service will feature a community choir performing the Grammy-nominated oratorio, Considering Matthew Shepard, by Craig Hella Johnson.

Rehearsals take place on Thursdays beginning April 23^rdfrom 6 - 7:00 PM at St. John’s, and continue through June 11^th. To indicate your interest and availability to sing, please click here to email Mark Herr, Minister of Music.

St. John’s is located at 321 West Chestnut Street in downtown Lancaster.

In a Greater Light

We pray for the soul of Jack C. Coffin, who died on April 18th. A private service will be held for the family.

Eternal rest grant to him, O Lord; and let light perpetual shine upon him. May his soul, and the souls of all the faithfully departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.