Events
Ash Wednesday (Noon Service)
Ash Wednesday, named for the practice of placing blessed ashes on the foreheads of worshipers, is the first day of Lent and a day that reminds us to be penitent before God and to reflect on our own mortality. This service will include the imposition of ashes and the celebration of Holy Eucharist as we ask God to “create and make in us new and contrite hearts.”
Ash Wednesday (Evening Service)
Ash Wednesday, named for the practice of placing blessed ashes on the foreheads of worshipers, is the first day of Lent and a day that reminds us to be penitent before God and to reflect on our own mortality. This service features the choir, the imposition of ashes and the celebration of Holy Eucharist as we ask God to “create and make in us new and contrite hearts.”
Choral Compline
This simple service will feature the Saint James' Adult Choir and include a confession of sin, short scripture readings and periods of silence for reflection and prayer.
Lenten Mini Retreat: Drawing from the Well (Day 1)
Gita Grady will be leading this time together to “reset” during our Lenten journey.
Living as a faithful Christian requires thought, discipline and action. This commitment happens best when it is sustained by more than what we see at the surface of our lives. This weekend is meant to support ways to sustain faith and examine the different wells from which we draw as we journey as Christians.
This event takes place over two days — March 6 at 5:30 p.m. and March 7 at 9 a.m. — and participants are welcome to join for either one or both sessions however they feel led.
On Friday evening, March 6, we will have an informal dinner discussion in the Parish Hall. We will take a look at our spiritual journey to date during Lent, and discussion may include the study, prayer time or service projects we have taken on. Special attention during the discussion will be focused on what we wished to do, what we have been able to do, and barriers to the spiritual path. Participants are encouraged — but not required — to share from their own experience. We will end with a brief Compline service.
On Saturday, March 7, we will get started at 9 a.m. with morning prayer in the Side Chapel. We will briefly learn about centering prayer and meditation, have some time to learn about the lectio divina (divine reading) steps and process, and then have some time to deeply read and discuss the story about the Samaritan woman at the well in the Gospel of John. We will conclude with a prayer service in the Side Chapel.
Margreta Grady is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 25 years of experience working with groups, families and children. She is a lifelong Episcopalian who has enjoyed many different retreat experiences all over the country. She is currently a postulant to Holy Orders in the Diocese of Virginia and plans to attend seminary in the near future. She is also an Associate of Holy Cross Monastery in West Park, New York, which means she follows a rule of life based on Benedictine principles. She has been a member of Saint James’ Warrenton for over 10 years.
Lenten Mini Retreat: Drawing from the Well (Day 2)
Gita Grady will be leading this time together to “reset” during our Lenten journey.
Living as a faithful Christian requires thought, discipline and action. This commitment happens best when it is sustained by more than what we see at the surface of our lives. This weekend is meant to support ways to sustain faith and examine the different wells from which we draw as we journey as Christians.
This event takes place over two days — March 6 at 5:30 p.m. and March 7 at 9 a.m. — and participants are welcome to join for either one or both sessions however they feel led.
On Friday evening, March 6, we will have an informal dinner discussion in the Parish Hall. We will take a look at our spiritual journey to date during Lent, and discussion may include the study, prayer time or service projects we have taken on. Special attention during the discussion will be focused on what we wished to do, what we have been able to do, and barriers to the spiritual path. Participants are encouraged — but not required — to share from their own experience. We will end with a brief Compline service.
On Saturday, March 7, we will get started at 9 a.m. with morning prayer in the Side Chapel. We will briefly learn about centering prayer and meditation, have some time to learn about the lectio divina (divine reading) steps and process, and then have some time to deeply read and discuss the story about the Samaritan woman at the well in the Gospel of John. We will conclude with a prayer service in the Side Chapel.
Margreta Grady is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 25 years of experience working with groups, families and children. She is a lifelong Episcopalian who has enjoyed many different retreat experiences all over the country. She is currently a postulant to Holy Orders in the Diocese of Virginia and plans to attend seminary in the near future. She is also an Associate of Holy Cross Monastery in West Park, New York, which means she follows a rule of life based on Benedictine principles. She has been a member of Saint James’ Warrenton for over 10 years.
Palm Sunday (Early Service)
Named for the branches the people laid on the road before Jesus as he entered Jerusalem for the culmination of his earthly ministry, this first day of Holy Week takes us on a liturgical journey from the hope of Jesus’ triumphant entry to the despair of his death five days later.
The service begins in the back of the church, with the congregation waving palm leaves as the procession makes its way forward, asking God to “Let these branches be for us signs of his victory, and grant that we who bear them in his name may ever hail him as our King, and follow him in the way that leads to eternal life.”
Turning abruptly from the triumphal procession to the gravity of the coming days, the liturgy quickly reminds us that the altar for Jesus took the form of a cross, and we hear the poignant story of Jesus’ arrest and execution. As the story ends with Jesus’ body laid in a tomb, we pray “that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and also share in his resurrection.”
Palm Sunday (Late Service)
Named for the branches the people laid on the road before Jesus as he entered Jerusalem for the culmination of his earthly ministry, this first day of Holy Week takes us on a liturgical journey from the hope of Jesus’ triumphant entry to the despair of his death five days later.
The service begins in the courtyard. After Saint James’ Episcopal School students sing a prelude, the congregation waving palm leaves as the procession makes its way forward, asking God to “Let these branches be for us signs of his victory, and grant that we who bear them in his name may ever hail him as our King, and follow him in the way that leads to eternal life.”
Turning abruptly from the triumphal procession to the gravity of the coming days, the liturgy quickly reminds us that the altar for Jesus took the form of a cross, and we hear the poignant story of Jesus’ arrest and execution. As the story ends with Jesus’ body laid in a tomb, we pray “that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and also share in his resurrection.”
Nursery is available for young children during this service, and all kids through fifth grade are invited to Children’s Church during the time between the procession and the peace.
Maundy Thursday
This day and service are named for the “new commandment” (“mandatum novum” in Latin) that Jesus gives to his followers at the Passover meal on the night he was arrested: “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” We hear as an example of that love how Jesus washed his disciples’ feet.
This is also the moment when Jesus institutes the Eucharist, telling his followers on that solemn night, “I am with you only a little longer,” but that “as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”
This service includes the choir and the celebration of Holy Eucharist. After we break bread together, we acknowledge Christ’s impending death by stripping the altar. Finally, we silently depart with the reserve sacrament into the courtyard for a time of silent prayer and reflection — our Garden of Gethsemane — to pray and “stay awake” in solidarity with Christ.
Good Friday (Noon Service)
On this day of Jesus’ crucifixion, a minister holding a simple cross leads a silent procession toward the bare altar as the congregation kneels in silent prayer. We stand symbolically with Jesus’ family watching as he was led to the cross and reflect on the lament of Psalm 22 — “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” — and take in the story of Jesus’ arrest, suffering and death.
This is the only day during Holy Week in which Holy Eucharist is not celebrated. Instead, we leave the church in silence after praying “to set your passion, cross, and death between your judgment and our souls, now and in the hour of our death.”
After the service, the church will remain open until 3 p.m. for anyone to meditate on the Stations of the Cross.
Good Friday (Evening Service)
On this day of Jesus’ crucifixion, a minister holding a simple cross leads a silent procession toward the bare altar as the congregation kneels in silent prayer. We stand symbolically with Jesus’ family watching as he was led to the cross and reflect on the lament of Psalm 22 — “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” — and take in the story of Jesus’ arrest, suffering and death.
This service will feature the choir.
This is the only day during Holy Week in which Holy Eucharist is not celebrated. Instead, we leave the church in silence after praying “to set your passion, cross, and death between your judgment and our souls, now and in the hour of our death.”
The Great Vigil of Easter
This is the culmination of the Christian story: that in the depths of darkness, “Christ broke the bonds of death and hell, and rose victorious from the grave.” The Great Vigil of Easter is the most profound service of the year, and harkens to the early Christian tradition in which baptismal candidates kept an all-night vigil until their baptism on Easter morning, thereby reflecting the truth that “we are buried with Christ by Baptism into his death, and raised with him to newness of life.”
The service begins in the courtyard around a small fire representing the hope of new light. As the service continues in the church by candlelight, we hear the story of creation, of the Israelites’ deliverance from the Egyptians and of Ezekiel’s vision of a multitude of dry bones receiving life. We renew our own baptismal vows in solidarity with those early Christians.
Then, the lights come on and bells sound as we proclaim in that moment of light overcoming darkness, “Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!” We then celebrate the first Holy Eucharist of Easter, proclaiming to the world, “by his death he has destroyed death, and by his rising to life again he has won for us everlasting life.”
In recognition of the end of Lent, a reception in the Parish Hall with sparkling wine, chocolate-covered strawberries and other treats will follow the service.
Easter Sunday (Early Service)
This is the morning when we find the tomb empty and proclaim the resurrection with joyful songs and a refrain of “Alleluia!” The service begins with children flowering the cross before it is brought to the chancel in recognition of the new life this day symbolizes. Members of our choir and guest musicians will lead us in triumphant hymns throughout the service as we proclaim, “Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed!”
An Easter egg hunt for kids of all ages will follow the service.
Easter Sunday (Late Service)
This is the morning when we find the tomb empty and proclaim the resurrection with joyful songs and a refrain of “Alleluia!” The service begins with children flowering the cross before it is brought to the chancel in recognition of the new life this day symbolizes. The full choir and guest musicians will lead us in triumphant songs as we proclaim, “Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed!”
An Easter egg hunt for kids of all ages will follow the service, and nursery is available during the service for young children.
Choral Evensong Honoring Martin Luther King Jr.
On this weekend set aside to reflect on the life and work of a formidable Civil Rights leader, the Saint James' choir will offer their gifts at this service dedicated to the memory of Martin Luther King Jr. and to celebrating the sacred compositions of Black composers. Through the prayerful tradition of Evensong, which is rooted in the monastic practices of the Middle Ages, the anthems, hymns, readings and prayers will reflect on God's call to love all people as his own creation and to work toward reconciliation when we have failed.
Martin Luther King Jr. appears during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 28, 1963. (U.S. National Archives and Records Administration)
More about the service
The choir of Saint James’ Episcopal Church will offer the service of Evensong at 5 p.m. Jan. 18 to honor the memory of Martin Luther King Jr. as well as celebrate the sacred compositions of noted Black composers.
We recall Martin Luther King Jr. as the formidable leader of the Civil Rights movement, but it is often overlooked that music bound the fabric of his being. In Marshall Frady’s book “Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Life,” he describes that as a child, King was captivated by music of his home church, which was led by his mother. As he grew, King joined the junior choir, learned to play the piano and frequently listened to opera. While studying at Boston University, he was introduced to Coretta Scott, as she was pursuing a bachelor’s degree in voice at the New England Conservatory of Music.
The service of Evensong dates to the Middle Ages and features psalms, scripture lessons, sung prayers, choral anthems and hymns. For this service, the bulk of the music selected was penned by Black composers. The liturgy begins with the Phos Hilaron, which praises Christ as the light of God. In this place, “This Little Light of Mine” will be sung. The origins of this children’s hymn are ambiguous, but it was often used as a song of resistance by Civil Rights movements. This arrangement was composed by William Farley Smith (1941-1997), a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, a researcher and restorer of African-American sacred music, and an editor of the 1989 UMC Hymnal.
The psalm appointed for the evening is Psalm 150, and the musical setting is by Judge Jefferson Cleveland (1937-1986). It is composed in the gospel style and language. Cleveland was highly regarded as a scholar of 20th-century African American congregational song. The choral anthem is a soulful rendition of “Stand by Me,” which was originally composed by Charles Albert Tindley (1851-1933). The Rev. Tindley was fondly referred to as “The Prince of Preachers.” Tindley was refused a formal education but taught himself to read by sounding out letters found on scraps of paper. He was able to develop his literacy skills with the help of a Philadelphia synagogue and later learned Greek via a correspondence course through Boston Theological School. In addition to being regarded as a clergyman, Tindley was a gifted composer of gospel hymns and is recognized as one of the founding fathers of American gospel music.
The service concludes with Doris Akers’ “Lead Me Guide Me.” Akers (1923-1995) was affectionately known as “Miss Gospel Music” due to her mastery in all the aspects of gospel music artistry: vocal performance, composing and arranging, choral directing and accompanying. In 1992, Akers was honored by the Smithsonian Institution as “the foremost black gospel songwriter in the United States.”
As the nation pauses to reflect on a man that helped initiate the change in how we embrace all people, may you find the memorable Hans Christian Andersen quote — “When words fail, music speaks” — a gentle reminder that music can break barriers of age, race, creed and language.
— Jesse Ratcliffe
Christmas Day Eucharist
This informal and intimate Holy Eucharist service provides a time to worship with your parish family on Christmas morning.
Christmas Eve Choral Eucharist
This service is the liturgical high point of our Christmas Eve celebrations, featuring a festive liturgy and the full choir singing cherished carols with soaring descants and intimate choral anthems as we bask in the candlelit beauty of the space. An extended prelude performed by a guest harpist will begin at 9:45 p.m.
Children are welcome and an important part of our life at Saint James’. There are bags of crayons and children’s bulletins in the back of the church and outside the Side Chapel. And while there will be no Children’s Church or nursery offered during this service, the Reception Room will be open for children who need a little break or need to stretch their legs.
Photos from 2024
Christmas Eve Service with Eucharist
This service features a liturgy for Christmas Eve, with readings from the Bible that tell the Christian story along with familiar Christmas carols.
Children are welcome and an important part of our life at Saint James’. There are bags of crayons and children’s bulletins in the back of the church and outside the Side Chapel. And while there will be no Children’s Church or nursery offered during this service, the Reception Room will be open for children who need a little break or need to stretch their legs.
Photos from 2024
Christmas Eve Pageant with Eucharist
This service is especially geared to young families, but it is a joy to all. All children are welcome to participate in the reenactment of the birth of Jesus, and there is no prior rehearsal they need to attend. Just arrive at least 15 minutes early to be fitted in a costume. The service includes familiar Christmas carols woven into the celebration of Holy Eucharist.
The pageant is for everyone! No prior rehearsal is required. Parents can walk their children to the Parish Hall before the service begins and help them pick out a costume (angels, shepherds, sheep, Mary and Joseph, and the three wise men). Parents should also help their children put on the costume.
Crayons, coloring pages will be available to children to keep busy while they wait for their turn for the pageant. We have several volunteers helping the kids while they wait. Children will be included in the pageant as the Christmas story progresses and remain on the chancel until the end of the pageant. The children will return to their parents following the prayers of the people and the peace. Costumes can be returned to the Parish Hall following the service.
There will be no Children’s Church or nursery offered during this service. For children who need a little break or need to stretch their legs, the Reception Room just outside the Side Chapel will be open.
Photos from 2024
Lessons & Carols
The Saint James' Adult Choir, the Saint James' Church Band and the Saint James’ Ringers will offer their gifts as we tell the Christmas story through scripture and carols.
A festive reception in the Parish Hall will follow. It will feature bubbly beverages (both adult and kid friendly), chocolate-covered strawberries, and other treats.
The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols was popularized by King’s College, Cambridge, in 1918, and its origins are found in Victorian-era Anglican traditions. The service begins with the hymn, “Once in Royal David’s City,” and continues with nine scripture readings paired with nine pieces of music that together tell the story of God’s redemption of the world and the birth of Jesus.
Contact Jesse Ratcliffe at music@saintjameswarrenton.org for additional information.
The service will be livestreamed here.
Blue Christmas Service with Eucharist
Christmas is a time of joy and celebration for many people, but that isn’t the case for everyone. This service acknowledges that fact, providing an opportunity to light candles in recognition of the sadness that comes from the loss of a friend or family member, or any other pain and emptiness we may feel. As we light those candles, we proclaim that foundational truth from John’s Gospel: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” The carols at this service reflect Christmas hope in that darkness, and we offer prayers for healing and support one another.
Common Threads Sunday
The First Baptist Church congregation will join us for worship at the 10:15 service, and the Rev. Dr. Dwayne E. Brown from First Baptist will deliver the sermon. This is part of our shared Common Threads initiative, a racial healing and justice ministry founded by Saint James’ and First Baptist. It’s also Christ the King Sunday — and we’ll celebrate a baptism — so it’s sure to be a very Spirit-filled morning at church! Please also join us for Café (8:45-10 a.m.) to help welcome our guests before we worship together.
Thanksgiving Eucharist
In this special Thanksgiving service with Saint James’ Episcopal School, we thank God “for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them” and ask that we may be “faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need.”
This service replaces the usual weekly Wednesday noon service.
All Saints' Sunday
On this day when we “remember those we love but see no longer,” the Saint James’ choir will present a choral Eucharist at the 10:15 service that utilizes music spanning styles and eras. An organ transcription of Samuel Barber's transcendental “Adagio for Strings” will begin the service. The Mass setting and Communion anthem were composed by English composers Charles Stanford and John Goss — both known for composing “Cathedral Music.” The offertory is a shape-note hymn harmonized by William Averitt, a retired Shenandoah Conservatory professor. As the melodies soar over you, we hope that you are inspired and can reflect on those that formed you.
There will also be special music at the 8:00 service, including an choral anthem from Gabriel Faure’s “Requiem.”
Chalice Bearer Training Session
Could this be your calling?
Chalice bearers fill a unique role with their presence and assistance to the priest. Being part of the worship team is an honor.
As the fall approaches, it’s an appropriate time to refresh all the logistics involved in this ministry. It’s also a perfect time to invite those in the congregation who might be interested in joining this ministry.
This refresher session shouldn't last more than an hour. It will be held in the sanctuary. A complimentary light lunch will be served afterward.
Email Anita Sherman at anitajustwrite@gmail.com or text/call her at 540-272-9200 for more information.
Events listed on this page reflect special events and services that occur once a month or less. Click here to find a comprehensive schedule of what’s happening this week at Saint James’ Warrenton, including weekly services and events.
