The Sunday Paper for January 2, 2022 The First Sunday after Christmas, Year C
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The Sunday Paper for January 2, 2022
The First Sunday after Christmas, Year C
The Collect of the Day
O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully restored, the dignity of hu-
man nature: Grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to
share our humanity, your Son Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of
the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Old Testament Jeremisah 31:7-14
Thus says the Lord:
Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob,
and raise shouts for the chief of the nations;
proclaim, give praise, and say,
"Save, O Lord, your people,
the remnant of Israel."
See, I am going to bring them from the land of the north,
and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth,
among them the blind and the lame, those with child and
those in labor, together;
a great company, they shall return here.
With weeping they shall come,
and with consolations I will lead them back,
I will let them walk by brooks of water,
in a straight path in which they shall not stumble;
for I have become a father to Israel,
and Ephraim is my firstborn.
Hear the word of the Lord, O nations,
and declare it in the coastlands far away;say, "He who scattered Israel will gather him,
and will keep him as a shepherd a flock."
For the Lord has ransomed Jacob,
and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him.
They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion,
and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord,
over the grain, the wine, and the oil,
and over the young of the flock and the herd;
their life shall become like a watered garden,
and they shall never languish again.
Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance,
and the young men and the old shall be merry.
I will turn their mourning into joy,
I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.
I will give the priests their fill of fatness,
and my people shall be satisfied with my bounty,
says the Lord.
The Psalm Psalm 84
1 How dear to me is your dwelling, O Lord of hosts! *
My soul has a desire and longing for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God.
2 The sparrow has found her a house
and the swallow a nest where she may lay her young; *
by the side of your altars, O Lord of hosts,
my King and my God.
3 Happy are they who dwell in your house! *
they will always be praising you.
4 Happy are the people whose strength is in you! *
whose hearts are set on the pilgrims' way.
5 Those who go through the desolate valley will find it a place of springs, *
for the early rains have covered it with pools of water.
6 They will climb from height to height, *
and the God of gods will reveal himself in Zion.
7 Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; *
hearken, O God of Jacob.
28 Behold our defender, O God; *
and look upon the face of your Anointed.
9 For one day in your courts is better than a thousand in my own room, *
and to stand at the threshold of the house of my God
than to dwell in the tents of the wicked.
10 For the Lord God is both sun and shield; *
he will give grace and glory;
11 No good thing will the Lord withhold *
from those who walk with integrity.
12 O Lord of hosts, *
happy are they who put their trust in you!
The Epistle Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-19a
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ
with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before
the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us
for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his
will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for
this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wis-
dom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlight-
ened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of
his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his
power for us who believe.
The Gospel Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23
After the wise men had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and
said, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there un-
til I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." Then Joseph
got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained
there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord
through the prophet, "Out of Egypt I have called my son."
3When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt
and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who
were seeking the child's life are dead." Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother,
and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in
place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he
went away to the district of Galilee. There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so
that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, "He will be called a
Nazorean."
PARISH ANNOUNCEMENTS
A Hearty Welcome to All! We at James’ are especially delighted, honored, and
blessed to welcome visitors and newcomers here to this beloved church today. Assisted
Listening Devices are available for the hearing impaired, please ask an usher for a device.
Restrooms are located along the hallway that is through the exit at the front left corner of
the sanctuary. Visitors in need of a pastoral call or interested in learning more about our
parish and Church are invited to fill out a Welcome Card located in each pew and drop it
with an usher, and you will receive a follow-up from our priest right away. Please note
that all baptized Christians of any denomination are most welcome to receive Communion
in our church.
TODAY:
St. James’ COVID-19 Protocols: An Update
Because of the rapidly increasing number of COVID-19 infections in the city of Danbury,
our community has now been placed into the highest level of alert (the “red zone”) by the
Connecticut Department of Public Health. Your vestry has discussed how to respond to
this challenge in a way that will help keep us all safer, but that also will allow those who
wish to worship together in-person the option to do so. Therefore, we will now once
again require that all persons, regardless of vaccination status, wear a mask at all times
while in St. James’ buildings. Also, we will suspend Coffee Hours until further notice,
as that time of refreshment and fellowship involves the most face-to-face, unmasked
interaction. Please keep in mind that masks and sanitizer are always available on the In-
formation Table, and that we will continue to offer live-streams of our worship services
for those who would prefer to join us from home, or for those who are feeling unwell.
Thank you for your cooperation!
4Mission Committee
Cold weather is upon us. Thank you to all who have donated items for the homeless and low
income families. Our Mission committee is asking for donations of hats, gloves, scarves and
socks ONLY so we can help our neighbors keep warm through the winter months. We have
set up 2 boxes at the back of the church, clearly marked for your donations. We have an ample
supply of items for women and children. We are in short supply of socks, hats, gloves and
scarves for men at this time. Your donations will be distributed at Dorothy Day and the shel-
ter at exit 4 and continue throughout the Christmas season. New and slightly used (clean)
items are welcome. Please, NO SHOES, TROUSERS OR COATS. Thanks to all of you for
your generosity and service. —Denise Holl
Stewardship Update:
Thank You to all those who contributed to our wonderful Celebration Sunday this year! Ac-
cording to our latest tally, 81 pledge cards have been submitted so far, totaling $238,668 of
support for our parish’s ministry in 2022. If you haven’t yet done so, please return your card
as soon as possible! Cards may be picked up from the Information Table near the church en-
trance, or downloaded from the front page of our parish website or Friday E-News.
Stewardship: Offering Envelopes for 2022
Thank you to all who made a pledge for 2022. If you requested envelopes, you will find them
on the table at the back of the church. If you didn’t indicate on your pledge card, but would like
to receive envelopes, please speak with Janet Brown. And remember, it’s not too late to turn in
a pledge card if you haven’t already done so!
Annual Meeting Reports:
If your Committee, Ministry, or Group at St. James’ would like to share a report of your activi-
ty during 2021 for our upcoming Annual Meeting, please submit all materials as a Word docu-
ment to our next email address for communications:
communications@saintjamesdanbury.org. The firm deadline for all reports to be submitted
is Saturday, January 15th. This will ensure our publication is ready in time for our parish meet-
ing on Sunday, January 30th.
Music Notes
Joanne Archibald would like to extend her thankfulness and gratitude to those who participated
in the music for all of our Christmas services. Your willingness to serve and share your tie and
talendts is greatly appreciated! You have blessed the people of our Saint James’ community
with your beautiful contribution to the worship of our Lord and Savior. It is wonderful to be
working together with you in the music ministry! Blessings to you and Happy New Year!
5THIS WEEK:
• Sunday: Holy Eucharist, 8am (Church); Chancel Choir Rehearsal, 9:15am (Choir
Room); Christmas Lessons & Carols, 10am (Church and Live-Streamed); Handbell
Choir Rehearsal, 11:30 (Choir Room)
• Monday: No meetings scheduled
• Tuesday: Building & Grounds Committee, 7pm (Zoom); Nar-Anon Meeting, 7pm
(Library)
• Wednesday: Wednesday Book Group, 11am (Lounge); Holy Eucharist, 12pm
(Chapel); Stephen Ministers’ Meeting, 6pm; A.A. Meeting, 7:15pm (Library)
• Thursday: H.A. Meeting, 7:00pm (Library); Choir Rehearsal, 7:00pm (Choir
Room)
• Friday: Friday with Friends, 6pm
• Saturday: Worship Committee, 10am (Parish Hall), Bible Study, 11am (Zoom)
COMING UP:
2022 Payment Simplification:
Want to simplify how you pay your pledge or make a donation in 2022? Here are two
options:
• Have your bank send the check to the church office
• Set up recurring payments through your online banking account - the checks
will be mailed directly to the church
• Donate on line at www.saintjamesdanbury.org
• Click here to donate today (There is a fee for this - it will ask if you want to
cover the fees)
You can choose to make it recurring as well. --Linda Spaziani, Assistant Treasurer
6Nominating Committee: 2022 Vestry Nominations
Your Nominating Committee (Gary Rogers, Jehad Sabbagh, Deb Kaufmann, Jana
Draper, Bob Flynn, and Karen Montecalvo) is still seeking out eligible nominees for
election to our vestry next year. So far, three members have agreed to serve on the ves-
try for three-year terms. One remaining vacancy remains, for the remainder of a term
(one year). Please continue to offer our Nominating Committee your prayerful support
and input as we together do the holy work of discerning our leadership for next year!
Annual Meeting:
Please mark your calendars to be present for St. James’ Annual Parish Meeting following
the 10am worship service on January 30th, 2022, when we will elect our leaders for the
new year, and learn more about all that awaits this church in our future together.
BUILDING & GROUNDS WORK SHIRT SATURDAY JANUARY 8TH
The Building and Grounds Committee is planning to have a “Workshirt Saturday” on
January 8, 2022 from 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM to remove unused furniture and equipment
from the Church Auditorium that has accumulated over the years. This work is being
done to make the space more attractive to prospective users who may want to rent the
space for events or other activities. We plan to have a 20 yard dumpster delivered to the
church parking lot on the Friday before and we need as many people as possible to help
us clear the Auditorium. “Many hands make for light work” so please come to help.
PARISH INTERCESSIONS
(To add a name to our Sunday prayers, please contact the Parish Office at 203-748-3561 or wel-
come@saintjamesdanbury.org. Please be sure you ask permission from the individual before
placing another’s name on our public prayer list.)
For all who are ill, in danger, or in sorrow: Roja, Joyce, Susan, Dom, Irene, Takoda,
Ron AJ, Dottie, Donovan, Kim, Sarah, Bob, Wayne, Linda, Joe, Joanne, Dorothy, Cathy,
Nicky, and Bonnie; for Cheryl, LaNese, Colin, and Family; for Judith, Grant, Joy, Roger,
and Family; for Rob and Family; and for Christel and Family.
For our Eucharistic Visitees:
For those who have died:
For those celebrating birthdays: Pat Larson, Ryan Beaudry, Karen Motecalvo,
7WORSHIP LEADERS
THIS WEEK 8AM (1/2) NEXT WEEK (1/9)
MINISTRY
MORNING PRAYER
Ushers Joe Walkovich/Skip Clapp Joe Walkovich/Skip Clapp
Gary Rogers/Jill Kuhn Gary Rogers/Jill Kuhn
Altar Server Morning Prayer Worship Leader TBD
Lector/Intercessor Linda Spaziani TBD
THIS WEEK 10AM (1/2)
MINISTRY NEXT WEEK (1/9)
LESSONS & CAROLS
Ushers Lew Westfall/George Bogart TBD
Altar Server CHRISTMAS TBD
First Lector LESSONS TBD
Second Lector AND TBD
Intercessor CAROLS TBD
Eucharistic Visitor No Visits No Visits
Financial Stewards TBD TBD
Refreshments Coffee Hour Suspended Coffee Hour Suspended
Flower Arranger Janet Brown TBD
Flower Deliverer Judy Griemsmann TBD
St. James’ Episcopal Church Worship Schedule:
25 West St., Danbury CT 06810 Sundays Holy Eucharist: 8am (In-Person)
(203) 748-3561 Choral Holy Eucharist: 10am
welcome@saintjamesdanbury.org (In-Person and Live-Streamed)
www.saintjamesdanbury.org Wednesdays Holy Eucharist: 12pm
(in the Chapel)
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