Greetings family of St. James Presbyterian Church,
We reach the middle of another strange week in our world. These last couple of days have been especially strange, as we honor the Washington State Governor’s Office request to stay home unless venturing out for essential activities (groceries, pharmacy visits, doctor’s appointments) and essential work. I pray that each of you are honoring this request for your own safety and for the health and safety of others who may be more vulnerable than you. We model Christ-like behavior by the way we take into account the needs of all in this way.
In our active response to the ever-changing nature of the coronavirus pandemic, we will continue to meet for worship from our homes until further notice. We have had great engagement and response to our live-streaming and recorded worship services these last two weeks. I hope you have found connecting to them easy enough and if you need help, please do not hesitate reach out to us via our church website for technical assistance.
Some great things are happening in our church community that you might want to connect with. There are links included at the bottom of this email, but I want to highlight a few of them:
Our worship is streamed online each week:
http://www.saintjamespres.org/live
I’m recording daily prayer on Facebook most days:
http://www.facebook.com/saintjamespres
And you can continue to financially support the church online here:
https://saintjamespres.churchcenter.com/giving
We hold on to the hope we have found in God’s love in the midst of all of this upheaval. As the Psalmist reminds us, there is no place we can go where we can flee from God’s Spirit.
Where can I go then from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I climb up to heaven, you are there:
If I make the grave my bed, you are there also.
If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand will lead me
and your right hand hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will cover me,
and the light around me turn to night,”
darkness is not dark to you;
the night is as bright as they day;
darkness and light to you are both alike.
We will continue to be a people who discover God’s presence and love wherever we are. We will continue to be a people who find Christ’s face in each person we meet, connect with, serve, and love. We will continue to encounter the Spirit’s power in weaving us together as a church through this most difficult season.
A few easy links for you to follow along with what’s going on around St. James these days are included below. If you need any assistance accessing these resources, please reach out — it is a joy to serve and help each other!
Grace and peace,
Pastor Seth
Helpful Links to Online Offerings
- Services online: http://www.saintjamespres.org/sermons
- Facebook page (live stream and daily prayers): http://www.facebook.com/saintjamespres
- Tech support: http://www.saintjamespres.org/tech-support
- Online Giving: https://saintjamespres.churchcenter.com/giving
- Online Giving How-To Video: http://saintjamespres.org/how-to-give-online/
- Email pastor@saintjamespres.org for pastoral support