Bishop Dena Harrison
Visits St. James’
Sunday, March 14
Bishop Suffragan Dena Harrison will be visiting St. James’ March 14th. There will only be a 10:15 service that day. The 8am, 1pm, and 6pm services will be combined with the 10:15 so that the Bishop can meet as much of the congregation as possible. We hope that you can join us as your church is honored by this visit.
Our Dear Sister
Myra McDaniel, 1932 - 2010
Austin and the State of Texas lost a treasure today (Monday, February 25) with the death of Myra McDaniel. St. James’ lost a dedicated church member, a person who gave unselfishly. I lost a mentor, a person I looked up to greatly; a person who I had the privilege to work with a few years ago on my transition committee when I became Senior Warden. Myra was a pillar of strength and had great wisdom. She was very clear and direct and said what she had to say with great poise and dignity. She will always have a special place in my heart and her spirit will forever live with us.
With fondest memories and eternal love,
Simone Talma Flowers
Sign or View the Guest Book for the McDaniel family.
Substitute Resolution passed by a voice vote at the 161st Diocesan Council, Killeen, TX
A Resolution of Unity within our Diversity as the Episcopal Diocese of Texas
Whereas, the Episcopal Diocese of Texas is a large and diverse diocese that expresses the Kingdom into which God invites all people; and
Whereas; God the Holy Spirit works in and through our creative diversity to nurture, expand, and transform us ever more deeply into the people we are called by God to be, be it;
Resolved, that the 161st council of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas claims unity in the midst of our diversity through the gifts of our shared Baptismal Covenant and our common conviction and proclamation that Jesus is Lord; and, be it further,
Resolved, that all sorts and conditions of humanity, regardless of gender, ethnicity, race, nationality, or sexual orientation, and especially all of God's children entrusted to our care, are loved beyond measure by God in Christ, are welcomed and valued in our institutions, mission, ministries and parishes, and are a blessing to our collective life as we engage together in mission and ministry; and, be it further,
Resolved, that all people in our communities and their relationships received the pastoral care, time, attention and honor they are due as God is revealed in and through them and as God works to change us ll into a holy people.
Submitted by: The Rev. Chris Bowhay; St. Thomas', Houston; The Rev. David Boyd,
St. David's, Austin; The Rev. Russ Levenson, St. Martin's, Houston; The Very Rev. Joe Reynolds, Christ Church Cathedral, Houston; The Rev. Larry Hall, St. John the Divine, Houston; The Rev. Lisa Hunt, St. Stephen's, Houston; The Rev. Stuart Bates, St. Francis',
Houston; The Rev. Dick Elwood, St. Martin's, Houston: Laurie Eiserloh, St. David's, Austin;and Jim Cowan, Trinity, Houston.
Date: 13 February 2010
Welcome
“Wherever
you are in your journey of faith, you
are welcome at this table.”
We
hear these words at every Eucharist, and we seek to live these words
every day in the respect we show for one another. Whoever you
are, you are welcome here. There is a place for everyone at the
table at St. James’: It is God’s table.
We
work to practice a ministry of radical hospitality, in which we are intentionally inclusive,
welcoming, respectful, and nurturing.
St. James’ provides a holy, safe place where we can have fruitful conversations about difficult topics; where we support each other in our life in the faith; where we are open to finding new ways to carry out God’s will.
Heritage
The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone.” Psalm 118:22, Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10, Luke 20:17.
We cherish, affirm, and hold fast to our African-American heritage. Remembering that St. James’ was founded by black Episcopalians who were not welcome in white churches in Austin, we strive to be a church where all of God’s children can worship in a spirit of loving acceptance.
Worship
Our
worship is joyful! We value our beautiful, spirited, and varied
music. We appreciate creative expressions in liturgy and the
arts. We value good preaching. We seek ways for worship
to be a nurturing experience for children.
Our celebrations of the Eucharist are varied to meet the needs of our congregation, including our Spanish-speaking community.
We go forth into the world, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit. Alleluia!
Stewardship as Service
God calls us to be faithful stewards of our time, talent, and resources.
As a community, we have a strong commitment to Christian formation for children, youth, and adults; to pastoral care; and to providing multicultural experience.
Our ministries range from programs located on our church campus, such as St. James’ Episcopal School and the East Austin Wellness Initiative to our partnership with the Ali Arab Hospital in Gaza.
We value our role in nurturing and helping train seminarians from the Seminary of the Southwest.
Diversity
We rejoice in our diversity at St. James’. St. James’ provides an opportunity for each of us to share our Episcopal worship with people who are different from us, and we believe we are all blessed by that experience. We pray that our diverse, loving community can be a beacon of hope, a foretaste of God’s Kingdom.
The Church Awakens
African-Americans and the Struggle for Justice
An online exhibit by the Archives of the Episcopal Church USA
Visit the Archives