Women’s Wednesday is tonight!
7:00 p.m.
Please join the women of the church (and their friends) for wine, refreshments and conversation.
Please note: The office will be closed Friday, December 5th.
Men’s Breakfast
Saturday, Dec. 6th, 8:00 a.m. at Kim & Patty’s
Thoughts from Lori
Advent. In the Church, Advent begins the new year in the Christian calendar. The season itself is about waiting… waiting for the coming of the Christ. But theologically, it is like having a foot on the dock and a foot in the boat. The “foot on the dock” is our anticipation of Christmas, the birth of the Christ Child. The “foot in the boat,” however, is about awaiting the Second Coming of Christ. One of the ways we can keep this tension in a healthy way while we wait, is to do the work Christ Jesus has given us to do: that is, to help those in need.
Here at St. Paul’s, our Advent outreach project is to fill four Moses baskets with items for babies and new moms. This reflects both aspects of Advent: remembering the birth of Jesus with baby things, and fulfilling Jesus’ call to help others. Below is a partial list of things you might bring to put in our first two baskets. When they are overflowing, we’ll put out the next two. On Christmas Eve, we will bring these baskets to the altar as part of our offering. Then we’ll ask the New Moms Program, a project of the Diaper Bank, to distribute them. Imagine what a blessing they’ll be!
On another Advent note: back in October, I invited the Rev. Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows to come and join us at St. Paul’s on a Sunday morning. We scheduled her visit for this Sunday, the Second Sunday in Advent. She serves on the Bishop’s staff as the Director of Networking. I’m looking forward to this visit and know you’ll give her our warmest St. Paul’s welcome.
Meanwhile, as the intensity of the holidays, secularized as they are, begins to ratchet up, take precious good care of yourselves – physically and spiritually.
See you in church!
Lori +
Coffee & Conversation for Advent
Join us for Coffee & Conversation on the four Sundays of Advent to discuss the Advent and Christmas stories in scripture and art. All are welcome for this informal opportunity for fellowship and learning.
Poinsettias for Christmas
Please take part in the beautification of the church for Christmas by donating $25 (each) for Poinsettias. Your donation may be given “in memory of” or “in thanksgiving for” someone in your life, or simply for this parish. A sign-up sheet is available in the narthex.
New Mothers Baskets
Our Advent outreach project will be in the form of filling “Moses baskets” with items needed for new mothers who are without extended resources for all those many baby products that most of us took for granted. Can we fill FOUR of these! We will have them in the narthex all four Sundays in Advent, after which we will ask the Diaper Bank to distribute them to participants in their New Mothers program. In addition to the list below, we would love to include a handmade (knitted, crocheted, or otherwise) blanket in each basket. Here is the list of items needed:
Onesies Burp cloths Changing pads Receiving blankets Soft toys for newborns Baby bottles for water, juice, formula Wet wipes Baby lotion Diaper rash ointment Etc., etc.!The Angel Tree
It’s time for what has now become our “traditional” Angel Tree. The tree will be set up in the narthex, and we’ll decorate it with the angels that you have contributed. If you have not added yours to the tree yet, it’s never too late. If you’ve never brought one, or if you’d like to add another, angels of all sorts and sizes are welcome. Bring them with you to church or drop them off at the church office (Tuesdays through Fridays, 9am to 1pm).
Servants Needed!
We still need people to help at these services!
Ushers, Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, and Intercessors are needed for upcoming special services:
Christmas Eve – Wednesday, Dec. 24th, 9:00 p.m. Christmas Day – Thursday, Dec. 25th, 10:00 a.m. Signup sheets are located in the Narthex.On the Calendar…
Men’s Breakfast – Saturday, Dec. 6th, 8:00 p.m. Vestry – Thursday, Dec. 11th, 7:00 p.m. Christmas Eve service – 9:00 p.m. Christmas Day service – 10:00 a.m. Men’s Breakfast – Saturday, Jan. 3rd, 8:00 a.m. Women’s Wednesday – Wednesday, Jan. 7th, 7:00 p.m. Vestry – Thursday, Jan. 15th, 7:00 p.m. Annual Parish Meeting – Jan. 25thLessons and Hymns for Sunday, December 7th
(Advent II – Year B)by the Rev. William McLemore
THE SCRIPTURE LESSONS:
The First Reading: Isaiah 40:1-11. This passage marks a change in the prophet’s message and biblical scholars believe it’s a different author. Highly suitable for Advent, all the themes of preparation for the gathering of the Lord’s sheep are mentioned.
The Psalm: Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13. The psalmist highlights God’s salvation and a righteousness which shall go before him with peace as a pathway for his feet.
The Epistle: II Peter 3:8-15a. Again, the Advent theme of waiting is emphasized, calling for God’s people to wait “without spot or blemish.”
The Gospel: Mark 1:1-8. These are the opening verses of the Gospel according to St. Mark and tell of the heralding of the coming of Jesus by John the Baptist.
THE HYMNS:
PROCESSIONAL HYMN: No. 76. “On Jordan’s Bank.” Charles Coffin, a French Latin teacher wrote this hymn in that ancient language and it was later translated into English by the Episcopal priest/musician, the Rev. Dr. Charles Winfred Douglas (1867-1944). The second verse truly captures the nature of repentance: “Then cleansed be every breast from sin; make straight the way for God within, and let each heart prepare a home where such a mighty guest may come.” The hymn is set to the lively tune, “Winchester New.”
THE SEQUENCE HYMN: No. 65. “Prepare the Way, O Zion.” This hymn is new to the 1982 Hymnal and was written by a Finnish lyric poet named Frans Michael Franzen. Because of the simplicity of his works, his contemporaries said that “the cultured man will appreciate them and the unlettered man can understand them.” As we leave worship singing this hymn, we proclaim the spirit of Advent and the coming of Christ, along with a tune that is a Swedish melody-most befitting a Finnish hymn!
PRESENTATION HYMN: No. 67, “Comfort, Comfort, Ye My People.” Johannes G. Olearius wrote this hymn for St. John the Baptist Day (June 24th) in the 17th century. Listen to these words of the second verse, “Hark, the voice of one that crieth in the desert far and near, calling us to new repentance since now the kingdom is here.” It was translated into English by Catherine Winkworth. The tune, “Psalm 42,” is a simple syncopated melody by Claude Goudimel.
COMMUNION HYMN: No. 831 (Wonder, Love, and Praise). “Ubi Caritas.” This will be the communion hymn for the Sundays in Advent. (Pending reproduction permission.)
RECESSIONAL HYMN: No. 75. “There’s a Voice in the Wilderness.”
This hymn was written by James Lewis Milligan (1876-1961), a Methodist layman born in England who immigrated to Canada early in life (see attached photograph). He was a poet, newspaper editor, and speech writer. This hymn is based upon Matthew 3:3 relating the message of John the Baptist preparing the way of the Lord. The tune, “Ascension,” was composed by Henry Hugh Bancroft, (1904-1988) a British organist and composer who migrated to Canada in 1929. There is a good chance that he knew the author of this hymn and wrote the tune specifically for it.
December 7th Servants
Ushers: Bob Backer, Terry Jaworski Lector: Rick Carlstedt Intercessor: Judy Robel Eucharistic Ministers: Nancy Backer, Al Robel Vestry Person of the Day: Kathy Biggerstaff101 Reasons to be an Episcopalian
Reason 38
“Our theology is an art form, not a law book.”
Paul Gibson, Diocese of Toronto
From the cartoons created by the Rev. William P. McLemore
1965 – 2014
