By Guest Contributor, Elizabeth Betrous

Relationships and communities that are worthy of trust are not defined by perfection; in fact, sometimes they ask awkward questions, forget things, and even misunderstand or offend you. Healthy communities instead practice consistency and accountability in their interactions. They have a reason for gathering, share values that shape individual lives, and have a way to respond when people inevitably make mistakes. 

By Guest Contributor, Jay Graham

Every Thursday morning, at 10am, Saint James hosts Morning Prayer at the Oaks Coffee House, across the street from where we worship every Sunday.

The mission of the church is to cultivate the kingdom of God in a place, which means building culture, which means making music. It’s slow work because it’s not like Wonder Bread. The kingdom has to be freshly-milled, kneaded by our hands, and baked in our own ovens. The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.

The Bible must always be our main book. But reading other books can help us to see how God’s people have read and lived out the Bible for thousands of years.

Over the past several months there’s been laughter, tears, singing, praying, eating, and fasting—most of it in homes. This has all been an extension of the Word & Sacrament we’ve received together every Sunday at 4:00 PM. The Lent-Easter-Pentecost cycle ended with adults huddling under a tent and pavilion while children frolicked in the rain. In short: it’s been life in Christ together.

Since our prayer book invites us to keep a holy Lent and specifically mentions fasting, let’s consider the Why, How, What, When, and Who of fasting as Anglicans.

As we read the gospels, we find that the home is an excellent place to build the Kingdom of God. In particular, a meal shared in a home is the setting for many of Jesus’ most significant teachings.

We at Saint James like to live our life together offline. But the reality is that when visitors wander onto a church’s website, part of what they are rightly looking for is signs of life. After all, anybody can create a website. So in case you’re wondering…