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Sacraments and Services at Saint James' Church
From birth to death, Saint James' administers the traditional Sacraments of the one Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church to our parish family and the greater Texarkana community at large.
We believe that the Sacraments are outward and visible signs of an inward and spiritual grace.
--The Catechism, Book of Common Prayer, p. 857
Worship at St. James follows the ancient pattern of the Daily Office and the Holy Eucharist.
The Holy Eucharist, also called the Mass, is the ancient and principal service on Sundays. We offer a traditional language service without music at 8AM and a sung service at 10AM using more contemporary language.
Holy Eucharist
The Holy Eucharist, commonly called Communion or the Lord’s Supper, was commanded by our Lord on the night of his betrayal. All Christians baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, may receive the Holy Eucharist.
At St. James we affirm the traditional teaching of the Church of the “real presence” of our Lord Jesus Christ in Communion. We believe this is just as he promised in his Words of Institution spoken in the upper room: “This is my Body/Blood”. This means that we treat the consecrated elements with great reverence as Christ is present in them.
It is customary that those who wish to receive Holy Communion be present for the reading of the Holy Gospel and the Confession of Sin to adequately prepare to receive. We believe this helps fulfill St. Paul’s caution to not receive the Body and Blood of Christ in an unworthy manner. At times, and for spiritual reasons, individuals may choose not to receive the Sacrament, however, they are still invited to receive a blessing from the Bishop or Priest.
We also affirm Holy Communion for children who have been baptized, at their parents’ discretion. We believe that as the children of the Hebrews were not left without manna in the wilderness, and as Christ welcomed the little to children to Him, he does not exclude them from His table.
Baptism
The Sacrament of Holy Baptism is often the first Sacrament administered to a new Christian and is the rite of Christian initiation.
In the Episcopal Church, Baptism is often administered to infants, but is also available for adults who have not been previously baptized. In our tradition, we do not perform subsequent baptisms, but we do frequently renew our own baptismal vows each time others are baptized.
If you seek baptism for yourself or a child, please contact the Parish Office.
Baptisms are traditionally performed on the following holy days in the Church year, but exceptions may be made for exceptional circumstances:
Epiphany (January)
The Last Sunday of Ephiphany (February)
Easter Vigil (March/April)
Pentecost (May)
Trinity Sunday (The First Sunday after Pentecost)
All Saints (Early November)
Christ the King (Late November
Confirmation/Reception
Confirmation is the Sacrament whereby the vows taken for you at your baptism by the Godparents are now assumed by you yourself. It is typically undertaken as a young adult for those who have been raised in the Episcopal Church and baptized as an infant, but is also offered to Adults who are joining the Episcopal Church later in life.
Confirmation is traditionally thought of as the taking on of the responsibilities and privileges of a mature, adult member of the Christian faith by someone who has been previously baptized.
In the Episcopal Church, Confirmation is a Sacrament administered only by a Bishop, and Confirmations are typically scheduled during our annual visit by the Bishop or assisting Bishops.
Confirmations typically follow a series of classes for both youth and adults offered by the Parish.
Reception is the official admittance of someone who has previously been Confirmed by a Bishop in another Christian denomination (most often the Roman Catholic or Lutheran churches).
If you would like to inquire about Confirmation preparation classes, Confirmation, or Reception, please contact a member of the Clergy or the Parish Office.
Holy Matrimony
At Saint James' Church, we believe that the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony is a sacrament between one woman and one man and God, is for life, and should only be entered into after a period of deep reflection.
In accordance with the canons of the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Dallas, couples desiring to be married at Saint James' Church must complete a series of pre-marital counseling appointments with a member of our Clergy.
We do not typically rent out or facilities to the general public, or perform weddings for couples who do not have some tie or connection to our Parish family in one way or another.
If you would like to discuss a possible wedding at Saint James' Church, please contact a member of our Clergy or the Parish office for details.
Unction
Unction, or the anointing of the sick with oil, is a Sacrament that dates back to the earliest days of Christianity and has roots in the earlier practices of our Jewish forebears, and is tied to prayers for healing.
Extreme Unction is the anointing of a dying Christian with oil at the end of life as part of the Last Rites of the Church (which also include confession and absolution, the laying on of hands, and Communion.
The anointing of the sick or dying is arranged directly with our Clergy. Please contact them to make these arrangements.
Confession and Absolution
Each week at Saint James Church during Mass, we make a corporate (or group) general confession of sins, after which Absolution is granted by the Priest, acting in the place of Christ.
If you have a matter of spiritual need that you believe requires a more detailed, private confession, a member of our Clergy will be happy to meet with you to hear your confession in confidence.
Please contact the parish office or a member of our Clergy to makes these arrangements.
Holy Orders
In the Episcopal Church, we affirm the traditional ordained ministries of Christ's universal Church, namely: Bishops, Presbyters (Priests), and Deacons.
If you feel a possible call to ministry, please reach out to a member of our Clergy to learn more about the Ordination process in the Episcopal Church