Pax et Bonum
The Weekly E-Newsletter and Online Worship Resource from St. James Parish

That best portion of a good man's life, -
His little, nameless, unremembered acts
Of kindness and of love.
Wm. Wordsworth


Set our hearts on fire with love for you,
O Christ our God, that in its flame
We may love you with all our hearat,
With all our mind, with all our soul
And with all our strength
and our neighbors
As ourselves, so that,
keeping your commandments,
we may glorify you,
the giver of all good gifts.
Eastern Orthodox Prayer

Love was His Meaning
As I read the verses for the second Sunday in Lent, I paused upon the words of Paul, familiar to me for a lifetime: "For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."



I am amazed at how easy it is to forget God's love for us. Love so great, he gave his only son, to take our sin upon himself, to rise in newness of life, that we too might have life, not only in this world, but also in the world to come. Do we take for granted the love of Christ? Do we turn it into a guilt trip in which we inflict our souls with our unworthiness? Or do we rejoice in God's amazing, and abundant gift of grace, given freely, for Love. If Paul's words are true, then there is nothing in this world, including our own actions, that can separate us from the love of Christ. What would this world be like if we who know Christ walked in that truth daily?

"What, do you wish to know your Lord's meaning in this?
Know it well, love was his meaning.
Who reveals it to you? Love.
What did he reveal to you? Love.
Why does he reveal it to you? For Love.
Remain in this and you will know more of the same.
Julian of Norwich

Debra's Midweek Meditation

"When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said to him, "I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless. And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will make you exceedingly numerous."
Genesis 17:1-2

This week we hear another kind of promise from God.
Our representative is Abram, but God's covenant extends to us as well.  We are the spiritual offspring that are numerous all over the earth.

What particularly strikes me in this recounting of the delivery of the promise is the commandment to "walk before God".



In Hebrew, the word, halakah, refers to the laws which surround the behavior of the faithful and law abiding children of God.  This word comes from the root word for walk. When we observe the covenant and all that it entails we are walking "uprightly".

Walking is pivotal in the spiritual journey.
Our feet carry us on pilgrimage and to church.
God's feet sojourned with Adam and Eve in the Garden, walked the earth to minister through Jesus, and then carried the cross to Calvary.

Now it is our feet that must carry the promises of God forward to our children and our communities and our world.

Beautiful feet, hardened by calluses, and etched in stone--walking the Way.

Carry yourself with dignity and love this week,
You are walking upon holy feet.

Blessings,
Debra

Take my life, and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days;
let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move
at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be
swift and beautiful for Thee.
Francis Ridley Havergal


Daily Morning Prayer
http://www.episcopalchurchingarrettcounty.org/morning_prayer.htm

This Week at St. James:

Tonight: Lenten Soup and Study. 6:30 soup supper in the parish hall, and at 7:00 we gather in the meditation chapel. Tonight, our featured speaker is Nancy Groff.

Saturday: Daughter's of the King meet at 9:00
Bishop's Teaching Day in Emmorton

Sunday: No Sunday School Spring break for the Academy

Monday: No Narnia Book Group. We reconvene on the 20th

Wednesday: Healing Eucharist at 8:30 a.m.

Upcoming events: Our Lenten series meets each Wednesday night at 6:30 for Soup, and 7:00 for the meditation. Next week our speaker will be Debra Barton.

Prayers Etc:

For those in need of healing and their families:
Ellie Anna Nancy Tony Joel Arabella
Tamara Dave Jeffrey Brittany Bill Jason
David Debbie Lovisah Leib & Carlyn Jewell
Keith Sue Ron Kathy Owen Kent
Jack Alice Bart Justin Mary Fox
Bernie Clayton Family Nancy Betsey Steffi
Leslie Dale Lea Kipe Bock Family Pam P.
Jon T.
Michael, Shane, and the people of El Hogar
Laura our seminarian, and her husband Lyle
All those who are deployed and their families

Pray for the repose of the soul of Mary Shipley, and for her family.

In Closing:

Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to thee, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may be wholly thine, utterly dedicated unto thee; and then use us, we pray thee, as thou wilt, and always to thy glory and the welfare of thy people; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. AMEN

Pax et Bonum,

Loree+

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