The Gospel Reading

The Reader begins "A Reading from the Gospel of Matthew."

Jesus said, "I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you-- you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, `What will we eat?' or `What will we drink?' or `What will we wear?' For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

A Litany from the Book of Common Prayer

One person says the non-italicized portion, the rest of the table says the italicized response "We thank you, Lord."  

The reader begins: Let us give thanks to God our Father for all God's gifts so freely bestowed upon us. For the beauty and wonder of your creation, in earth and sky and sea.
We thank you, Lord.
For all that is gracious in the lives of men and women, revealing the image of Christ,
We thank you, Lord.
For our daily food and drink, our homes and families, and our friends, 
We thank you, Lord.
For minds to think, and hearts to love, and hands to serve,
We thank you, Lord.
For health and strength to work, and leisure to rest and play,
We thank you, Lord.
For the brave and courageous, who are patient in suffering and faithful in adversity,
We thank you, Lord.
For all valiant seekers after truth, liberty, and justice,
We thank you, Lord.
For the communion of saints, in all times and places,
We thank you, Lord.

Closing Prayer at the Table

Let us pray. Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Friday Morning Prayer Online 9 am (on YouTube)

Sunday Services 9 am & 10:30 am

Optional Healing Prayer at both services

Coffee Hour after both services

Christmas Pageant Rehearsal 11:45 pm

Confirmation Class 7th & 8th grades 5:30 pm

Episcopal churches like ours are supported by the generous, annual pledges of those who attend our services. Everything you enjoy at St. James--worship, music, pastoral care, programs for kids and adults, outreach--happens because of your generosity and commitment.

Thank you to those who've pledged thus far for 2025

Nancy Ahern, Kira Almeida, Irv and Sandy Atkinson, Joan Ballantyne, Uma and Ajit Banerjee, Lyn Boreland, Ruth Boser and Rob Fath, Susie Bourhill, Liza and Peter Brady, Nigel Bunnett, Richard and Philippa Cacciato, Melissa Caramanica, Edward and Phyllis Chang, Kyle Chow, Dan and Sarah Cline, Eileen Conde, Al Conte, Russell and Omaira Crane, Eliza Davies, Gerald DeGregoris, Ocean Mills and Tom Finlan, Diana and Kevin Finnerty, Thomas and Susan Fischer, Bill and Becca Foley, Sherin and Sam Frank, Nathan Gallup, Tina and John Gerraughty, Charles Gibson, Russell Grant and Pedro Ladislau, Tracy and Bill Haffner, Jim and Julie Hallowell, Mark and Lorraine Hansen, Lisa-Marie and Douglass Hatcher, Pam Heldman, Matt and Meagan Henry, Alice Herman, Wilder and Mary Jean Howland, Donna and Roberto Hunter, Priscilla and Tsutomu Ishiguri, Bud and Lynn Johnson, Raymond and Tricia Joseph, Angela Kenney, Christopher Keeny and Leah Zennario, Linda Killian, Nicholas King, Tom Lacalamita, Jan Lamb, Antoinette Lewis, Geoff and Margy Loftus, Ricky and Yachiyo Lu, Patricia Mahon, Tracy and Marc McCarthy, John and Liz McNally, Ellen McNally, Doug and Hadley Miller, Diana and Michael Mitchell, Francia Morhardt-Smith, Maureen Moser, Janice Ohrablo, John and Barbara Palmer, Karl Panthen, Gunilla Fahringer-Perez, Karen Preiser, Roseanne Riolo and Frank Durante, Greg and Rachel Roberts, Donna Robertson and Raymond Chow, Jennifer Sabia, Catherine Schoetz and Neil Ritchie, Pam and Walter Schwer, Monica Sganga, Cheryl Smith, Peter Smith, .Sean and Rebecca Smith, Stephen Stamas, Andrew Wood and (the Rev.) Astrid Storm, Sarah and Jose Tabb-Garza, Gina Taglieri, Mark and Kathy Trager, Mark and Meaghan Vernazza, Janelle and Mark Walhout, Judith Walsh, Andrea and James West, Shana Westhoff, Valerie Wiggan, David and Qin Wiles, Neil and June Winward, Tom and Lisa Wolfe, Michele Wood, Pat and Deidre Wynne, Dorothy and David Yewer, Rick and Dotty Young.

This year's pledge thank-you gift is a small homemade ceramic plate with St. James' emblem on it. Use it for a votive, to stash things, or just as a pretty ornament on your table. We'll have them available in church for those who've already pledged starting on December 8. 

We've added yet more videos to our Youtube Appeal Playlist. They are SO fun to watch, and all are under a minute, so be sure to check them out! They'll be featured separately in the next few Appeal emails. 

Calling all bakers and shoppers (or anyone who would like to help with a baked good or gift to help a child smile this holiday season)! This is the time of year when St James parishioners can utilize their talents to help others have a better holiday season. There are a couple of ways to help those in need. For instance:

1) If you like to bake, we do an annual gifting of homemade cookies to the Children’s Village and are always in need of cookie bakers. Click below for more information and to sign up. 

2) If you like to shop, you can buy a gift for a child at the Children’s Village and help make their Christmas special with your gift. Click below to sign up.

Parents of Jr and Sr Youth (Grades 6-12): Did you receive the invitation to our annual holiday event? This is a great way for the kids to meet socially and have fun together. Click the link below to sign up and for details. Friends are welcome!!

You can view this Sunday's bulletin at the link below. Names of all readers, servers, and acolytes are always listed on the last page of the bulletin. Readings are also there for readers to view in advance.

It's easy to get involved, and we're always looking for more volunteer help! Click the links, add your name, and you'll automatically be added to the email distribution group for that ministry. You can also sign up through our phone app any time. We really do run on volunteer labor. Thank you!