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Rector's Reflection
"Set us free, O God, from the bondage of our sins, and give us the liberty of that abundant life which you have made known to us in your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen."
Abundance is a quality of the spirit. It comes from freedom, not possessions. The less we possess the more abundant we become. The wealth of our spirit is what makes us abundant and not really the size of our bank accounts. When Jesus says, gather the wealth that can not be stolen by thieves or eaten by the moth, he is talking about the abundance that is beyond earthly things.
God can not and will not free us from our possessions. That is our choice. But what God can and will do is free our souls from being attached to those that will drain and drown us, holding us in the shackles of the world. So when we recite the prayer above, remember that we are asking God to free us from the bondages that enslave us to the world around us. We need the things of the earth to live on the earth. But we don't need the things of the earth to secure the future, only abundance of our hearts!
Blessings
Fr. Jos+
Why Download The Church App?
I am sure you are tired of hearing me talk about downloading the Church App. Let me explain why. We live in a world that overloads us with emails, texts, newsletters, and more. It is hard to keep up with all that comes at us from all directions. I often hear "I don't know what's going on in the church." Here is the simple, easy, and non-invasive way of knowing what is going on in the church right on your fingertip whenever you want to know something. These are the things that you have access to when you download and install the app. And it's free.
  • Attend Live Church (Every time we go online, it's on your app)
  • Get push notifications. All in one place.
  • See church events calendar (Know what's going on in church)
  • Prayer Wall (Easily post your prayer requests)
  • Giving page / easy way to give your tithe, gifts
  • Find the latest news and announcements
  • Get the weekly Sunday Bulletin (No downloads)
  • Call the church easily.
  • Find regular times of services and the website
  • Listen to the podcasts/sermons/reflections you missed
  • Get the complete church directory and more...
All In One Place and Easy Access.
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After installing the app, open the app,
choose the city - Springfield, and choose St. James Episcopal Church.
COVID-19 Precautions for Worship
  • Mask wearing is required.
  • 6 ft Social distancing is required.
  • No need to sign up. Just show up.
  • If you are coming for the 9 am service, sit in the 9 am rows towards the end rather than the middle. Please move the papers to the middle seat. (No 9 am service on 27th)
  • If you are coming for the 10:30 am service, sit in the 10:30 am seats at the end of the row that is clearly marked.
  • Please pay attention and sit in the rows that are clearly marked for each service.
  • After church service please greet others outside the church.
  • In the end, care and protect the other.
Fr. Jos+
February - Black History Month
Black History Month is an annual observance originating in the United States, where it is also known as African-American History Month. It has received official recognition from governments in the United States and Canada and more recently has been observed in Ireland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.
Here are the Black Saints recognized by the Episcopal Church.
  • Anna Julia Haywood Cooper and Elizabeth Evelyn Wright, Educators, 1964, 1904, February 28
  • Edward Thomas Demby and Henry Beard Delany, Bishops, 1957, 1928 April 14
  • George Freeman Bragg, Jr. Priest, 1940, August 3
  • Harry Thacker Burleigh, Composer, 1949 Sept. 11
  • James Theodore Holly Bishop of Haiti, and of the Dominican Republic, 1911, March 13 or Nov. 8
  • Absalom Jones Priest, 1818 Feb. 13
  • Frances Joseph Gaudet Educator and Prison Reformer, 1934 Dec. 30
  • Sojourner Truth and Harriet Ross Tubman, Liberators and Prophets, 1883, 1913, July 20 (Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Amelia Bloomer share this date too)
  • Maria Stewart, Prophetic Witnesses, 1879 Dec. 17
  • Thurgood Marshall, lawyer and jurist, 1993 May 17
  • Richard Allen, First Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, 1831 March 26
  • James Weldon Johnson, Poet, 1938 June 25
  • Alexander Crummell, priest and missionary 1898, September 10
  • William Edward Burghardt DuBois, Sociologist, 1963 August 3
  • Frederick Douglass], Prophetic Witness, 1895 Feb. 20
2021 Stewardship
Discovering God’s Grace Through Joyful Giving
If you missed the Pledge/Estimated giving card on the back page of the “Guide to Charitable Giving at St. James” pamphlet mail out in 2020 or if it got misplaced during the holidays, you can still mail it in or you can complete the form on-line 2021 Stewardship Pledge/Estimated Giving.  
Thank you for your commitment to St. James’ Operations and Ministries. Confirmations of your 2021 commitment and your annual 2020 Statement will be distributed within the next few weeks.
Ann Wright
Finance Admin
Children's Ministries
Hi Kids! 
(Ages 3-11)
This week is all about getting to know Jesus. Join me Sunday at 11:30 am on zoom in the rainbow room. Go to www.sj.church and click on EKC enter the classroom.
:) Miss Kimby
Click Here For Your Lesson Handouts.
Click Here For Your Children's Bulletin Age 3-7
Click Here For Your Children's Bulletin Ages 7+
Isaiah 40:21-31
Jesus heals Peter's mother in Law
Birthdays, Anniversaries and Prayers for Families and Flower Dedications!
Happy Birthday
Doris Mitchell: Feb. 1st, Roger Palmer and Marjorie Farabee: Feb.4th, Matt Hopper Feb. 5th, Bill Pruitt Feb. 11th, Tessa Eggers: Feb. 12th, Evie Arwood: Feb. 19th, Rachel Redden and Eric Atkinson: Feb. 24th, Josephine Luther and Erica Terry: Feb. 25th.
Happy Anniversary
Stacy and Clay Stuckey: Feb. 29th.
Prayers for Families This Week
Hamilton, Hamra, Haratyk
Flower Dedications
To The Glory of God