[Propertalk] St James Day

[Joe Parrish]

Best wishes to you and your congregation, Bob, on this special day for you 
all.
Peace and blessings,
Joe
St. John's, Elizabeth, NJ

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert P Morrison" <robertpmorrison at charterinternet.com>
To: "propertalk: stsams.org" <propertalk at stsams.org>
Sent: Sunday, July 26, 2009 1:06 AM
Subject: [Propertalk] St James Day


> We celebrate our patronal festival on Sunday, so this is what I have to 
> work from.
>
> Bob
>
>
> THE EPISCOPAL PARISH OF ST. JAMES, LINCOLN CITY      THE FEAST OF JAMES 
> THE APOSTLE
> JEREMIAH 45:1-5         26th JULY, 2009
> ACTS 11:27 – 12:3                       PSALM 7:1-10
> MATTHEW 20:20-38
>
> What a curious Festival we mark today! We’re filled with excitement, but 
> At first blush, it may seem almost as if we’d taken on the character of 
> Madame Thérèse Defarge and were hovering around the guillotine, knitting 
> needles poised for action, sharp-tongued gossip at the ready – just 
> waiting for that blade to fall again, possibly even willing it down on 
> someone’s neck. 1
> Is that REALLY what we’re like? Do we love to see something come to an 
> end; to be spectators at something we might characterise as a failure; 
> maybe even helping it along with our comments and our activities? Is that 
> why we’re gathered here?
> Or are we here despite the worst that the Herods of the world can fling at 
> us, knowing that there’s a tremendous element of risk to what we say and 
> do, yet something, somehow, impels us to be here? Is THAT what we’re 
> about?
> What IS it that keeps us coming here?
> The reading from Jeremiah talks about the prophet’s secretary being at his 
> wits end. No matter what God inspired the prophet to say and do, he ran 
> into conflict. Not only every civil authority, but also every religious 
> authority in the country was gunning for him. Jeremiah couldn’t win, and 
> Baruch, the secretary, was being tarred with the same brush that painted 
> the prophet not simply as a nuisance, but as a traitor, a blasphemer, some 
> of whom to get rid by any means possible.
> And the same could be said of James. Like Jeremiah, James never minced his 
> words. He was constantly back-talking to the wrong people. Everyone felt 
> threatened because James spoke of the abuse of power and resources. He 
> talked about redistributing wealth. He talked about God’s will for 
> everyone to be able to make decisions for themselves and to experience the 
> freedom of living in a community of God’s witnesses. James talked about 
> the importance of reinforcing the reign of God by turning the world upside 
> down.
> And for that, James was, as our opening collect/prayer put it, “the first 
> among the Twelve to suffer martyrdom”, to be executed for his faith in and 
> practical application of the teachings of Jesus.
> That James should have reached that point marked a radical change in terms 
> of his attitude. Even the compiler of the Gospel of Matthew had a hard 
> time telling the story of James and John’s attempted coup d’etat over the 
> other disciples as they tried to twist Jesus’ arm, Matthew’s story-teller 
> was so appalled that he had to change the facts to make it seem as if it 
> had been the brothers’ mother who put the power move on Jesus.
> What we celebrate today though, is the radical transformation of James 
> from a cantankerous, self-seeking opportunist to a brave and bold witness 
> to the ability of God to renew everything, even the apparent disaster of 
> state-sanctioned torture and murder.
<>
> Cinematic and Theatrical Portrayals
> In the 1981 Mel Brooks film, History of the World, Part I, Madame Defarge 
> (played by Cloris Leachman) is the chief conspirator in the plot to 
> overthrow King Louis XVI. She has become so poor, she has run out of wool, 
> simply rubbing her knitting needles together.
> In the 2008 Broadway musical adaptation of 'A Tale of Two Cities,' Madame 
> Defarge is played by Natalie Toro. - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madame_Defarge
> 2 The Founding of Integrity by Louie Crew. Christianity and Cri9sis, March 
> 17, 1986 pp 78-81   http://www.integrityusa.org/History/founding.htm
> 3 Matthew 29:18- 20, NRSV Pete Ross, Lay 4, Diocese of Michigan 
> pete_ross at charter.net
> 4 Rod McIver:  Eagle Mountain - A Pause for Beauty 312 - Heron Dance - 
> heron at herondance.org  Wednesday, July 22, 2009 6:20 AM
>
> --
> Robert P. Morrison
> The Episcopal Parish of St James,
> PO Box 789
> Lincoln City, Oregon, 97367
>
> 541-994-2426 (Church)
>
>
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