Monthly Newsletter and Events

All members of St. James (plus family and friends) are invited to join two meetings in which we explore our outreach efforts. We will convene Sunday, July 12 at 9:00 AM in the church library and Wednesday, July 15 at 7:00 PM on Zoom. These gatherings are an opportunity to celebrate the past and present ministries while also discerning other ways we can live into our baptismal covenant. As Christians, we are called to seek and serve Christ in all persons, to love our neighbor as our self, to strive for justice and peace among all people, and to respect the dignity of every human being. Consider: if Jesus was to visit Langhorne, and the surrounding areas in Bucks County, what would he see that would break his heart? How can we then step into that brokenness as the Episcopal presence in Langhorne and effect loving restoration? Your ideas, gifts, and talents are needed! Contact the office for the Zoom link.

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Homecoming festival – Mark your calendar for our annual festival: Sunday, September 20, 2026, 11:30 am – 1:00 pm. Fun stuff for kids and lots of food. We gather in the Ed building. Marcie Venella is organizing a host committee to coordinate refreshments, setup/cleanup, and other logistics. If you’re interested in helping, contact Marcie at Mbvcooks@gmail.com.

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James Gang: The next "James Gang" lunch will be at McLawson's Corner, 111 Trenton Rd. Fairless Hills on Tuesday, August 11th at noon. These lunches are informal social gatherings without agendas or homework assignments. Everyone pays for their own meal. Contact Chris Parker at cprk210@aol.com to RSVP (helpful but not required) or if you have any questions.

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As a non-profit organization, our business meetings are open to the public. Here is the schedule for the next round of business meetings:

Finance and Property

Monday, July 13, 12:00 pm in the parish library and via Zoom (note the time change from 6:30 pm)

Monday, August 10, 10:00 am in the parish library

Monday, September 14, 6:30 pm in the parish library and via Zoom

Vestry (Vestry does not meet in July or August)

Wednesday, September 16, 6:30 pm in the church library and via Zoom

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Fun fundraiser – To raise money for our capital campaign, we are partnering with El Limon restaurant in Langhorne (108 S. Bellevue Ave., just up the road from the church). On Tuesday, August 4, whatever you order from El Limon, a portion of the proceeds will go to the church. Be sure to mention St. James when you place your order. You can place your order online: www.ellimontaquerias.com, or visit in person, or call 215-565-0277. You can eat at the restaurant (open 11:00 AM until 10:00 PM) or get takeout. Happy Taco Tuesday! - See details top right of the screen or at the bottom on mobile.

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Confirmation class this fall – For anyone who is interested in confirmation, reception, and reaffirmation: Father Sean will be leading a class beginning in September. There will be one class for teens and one class for adults. Classes will take place during the week at times and dates to be determined. Most classes will be held online.

* Confirmation is for anyone age 13 or older who was baptized as a child and wants to take Baptismal vows as an adult.

* Reception into the Episcopal Church is for anyone who was confirmed as an adult in another Christian denomination and wants to join the Episcopal Church.

* Reaffirmation is for someone who was confirmed by, or received into, the Episcopal Church and wants to renew their vows.

Contact Father Sean at the church office with questions or to enroll.

Sign-Up Genius links

Sign-up Genius is our online platform for volunteering: readers, Eucharistic Ministers, and Coffee Hour hosts. Contact Edith in the church office with any questions.

Pentecost: July 2026 (July 5 – 26):

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050F48ACAF2DA2FD0-63869551-pentecost#/

Pentecost: August 2026 (August 1 – 30):

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050F48ACAF2DA2FD0-64415076-pentecost#/

Rector’s Reflection

Last weekend, the United States of America celebrated its 250th birthday. On July 5, St. James prayed for our country and sang hymn #717 from the 1982 Hymnal. Here’s the first verse:

My country, ‘tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing;

land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride,

from every mountainside let freedom ring. (Samuel Francis Smith, 1808-1895)

It’s a pleasant tune. The lyrics celebrate a nation lavishly blessed by God. Indeed, we have much for which to be thankful, including our ancestors who sacrificed to preserve and maintain country dedicated to human freedom. At the same time, three phrases give me pause:

(1) “Land where my fathers died” – What about our mothers? Are their contributions worthy of mention? For most of our 250 years, women have been second-class citizens.

(2) “Land of the pilgrim’s pride” – Actually, our country was populated by Native Americans long before the Pilgrims arrived. Between 1492 and 1890, the European settlers decimated the Native population by over 90% (from at least 2.5 million down to 250,000) and seized most of their land. The genocide and displacement of the American Indian is a profound stain on our history.

(3) “Let freedom ring” – It’s hard to hear that phrase without thinking of the “I have a dream” speech by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King spoke prophetically about the plight of African Americans, descendants of slaves who were never properly integrated into many parts of the country.
Sadly, freedom was more dream than reality for many African Americans.

My observations are rooted in factual history, the lived reality by millions and millions of American citizens. Yet, some will dismiss my discomfort with a patriotic hymn as a “politically correct” critique that parrots liberal universities and influencers who teach us to “hate America.” How can we respond to such accusations?

Because our true citizenship is in God through Christ Jesus, we are strong enough to look at ourselves honestly. We can identify the sins of the past and acknowledge that we have benefited from them. Our spiritual traditions also teach us that, when we sin, we repent – name our sins, make amends if possible, and vow to do better. That’s not being PC; that’s following the path of Christ.

As for dialogue with people who call us haters, let’s respond in the Christian way. Let’s aspire to be curious rather than authoritative, to ask questions rather than insist upon answers, to listen for understanding rather than to seek a flaw in the argument, and to be open-minded rather than defensive. By practicing these techniques, we imitate our Lord Jesus Christ, the person who was and is the living embodiment of healing and reconciliation.

Yes, I love my country. And yes, my country has a checkered past. I plan to hold both truths simultaneously. I pray that I will truly appreciate freedom and this land, tempered by a humble acknowledgement of historic violation of basic human dignity. May these two realities motivate me to be a better citizen of this land and more faithful disciple of Christ. ~ Father Sean