The worship of God lies at the very heart of our parish life and ministry at St. James, and it really does inform all we do as Jesus' disciples. We are fed in worship. It's from worship that we are sent out into the world "to love and serve the Lord." We go out to love our neighbor - to nourish a hungry world.
Our worship services - which include readings from the Bible, a sermon, a time of prayer for each other and the world, and music at some services - are about giving thanks and praise to God, as well as offering our prayers for the well-being of the world, our friends, and family.
The focus of our worship is the Eucharist - also known as Communion or the Mass in other traditions - a sacred time when we remember, and literally "redo" the final meal Jesus shared with his disciples on the night before he died, in the sharing of bread and wine. We join Jesus and his disciples once again in the upper room on that fateful and life-giving night.
Baptism is the foundation of our understanding for all ministry and life in the church. We are marked as Christ's own forever in the rite of initiation into the church, one that undergirds our identity as Jesus' disciples. We baptize to follow an ancient iniation rite that comes to us from Judaism, most notably in Jesus willingness to be baptized, an outward sign or commitment for his ministry and what he would proclaim as the Kingdom of God. Baptism is our own immersion into that way of life.
All parents and/or guardians that are curious about, or desiring, baptism for a child should contact Canon John to meet and discuss what this wonderful sacrament means for both the child's and/or parent's or guardian's life.
You may be an adult that has never been baptized and wonder what the big deal is. Canon John is happy to meet with you.
Please contact Canon John in the church office at 318.445.9845 to arrange an appoitment to talk about this important time in your life for you and your family, an occasion we trust that will be one of deepening faith, commitment, and joy.
The marriage of two people, as understood in the Episcopal Church, is a union in which a couple testify in a public ceremony that they believe God is at the center of their union and, furthermore, they pledge their desire for the church to be a central part of their new life as a couple.
Weddings, in our understanding as a community of faith, are not simply a secular or destination event devoid of God and the church. This belief doesn't make us perfect, however, but does remind us that we can create loving and lasting relationships beyond ourselves, relationships that nurture the other person we love. By uniting within the context of a faith community, we recognize that God is active in the love you feel for one another. You make vows before God and the gathered community of family, friends, and the Church, and receive the grace and blessing of God to help you fulfill your vows.
Marriage, not just a wedding, is something lived with God and in community. It is an outward and visible sign of God’s grace bringing you together and nurturing the love you feel for each other - and a relationship to share with the world!
Please call Canon John at 318.445.9845 if you would like to talk about marriage at St. James and in the Episcopal Church before you make any calendar plans.
