Minor Festival -- St. James of Jerusalem

               Lutheran worship is liturgical.  While that often refers to an order of worship, it can also refer to the calendar of the Church Year.  The Church Year includes major festivals, such as Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Pentecost, etc...  On Sunday, October 23, we will observe a minor festival, the Festival of St. James of Jerusalem.

               Though not one of the Twelve Apostle, St. James of Jerusalem was the recognized leader of the Christian Church in Jerusalem.  Known also as the brother of our Lord (Galatians 1:19), James was the author of the epistle of James.  James was considered a pillar of the early Christian Church (Galatians 2:9) and presided over a Church Council in Jerusalem which acknowledged that Gentiles too have a place in God’s kingdom (Acts 15).  Tradition teaches that James served his entire life in Jerusalem, finally being martyred about 62 AD by the High Priest Annas II.  James was reported to have been thrown to his death from the pinnacle of the temple, stoned to death, or both.