Rev.VernCaswell

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On the Feast of St. James, Bishop Cox confirmed nine people. It was a great day. During the Confirmation class, I spoke of Confirmation being the laying on of hands for service. When each of us was confirmed, we acknowledged as an adult that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. At the same time, we stated in a public way that we were ready to serve Jesus in the same fashion. This affirmation brings to mind two passages of Scripture. The first is from First Peter, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” To fulfill this admonition means that we must be constantly learning more about our faith, our condition and our God. Here at St. James, we offer many chances to grow and to learn. Several of these opportunities are listed in this edition of our newsletter. We must be vigilant in our faith. If our faith is not growing, then plainly, it is dead. If you are in the same place spiritually as the day you were confirmed, you need to evaluate your relationship with Jesus Christ. A stagnant relationship with Jesus Christ is no blessing to him, to us or to those around us. This leads to another important point. As we grow in our faith, we will want to serve Jesus in a more tangible way. In Ephesians 4, Paul wrote, “It was he (Christ) who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” Our purpose as a part of the Body of Christ at St. James Anglican Church is to prepare God’s people for works of service. Again, there are many opportunities to serve the Body of Christ here at St. James.

Brothers and sisters, as we embark on the expansion of our facilities, we will need more people to become involved in the ministries of our congregation. As our church grows, we will need more people to meet the needs of those coming aboard. Some of you may be called to serve for a season, some for longer periods of time. Whatever the duration, now is the time to step forward. The harvest is plentiful but the laborers few. If this congregation is going to thrive and grow, we will need those who are part of it to pitch in. Peruse the list. If you feel God calling to something that is not on the list, please let me know and we can talk about your ministry ideas. As a people who claim to be biblical in orientation, let’s remember two lines from St. James’s letter. “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.” And, “Faith without works is dead.” I hope and pray these two principles guide our way forward in the days to come.

Blessings,

The Rev. Vern Caswell, Rector