Ivanhoe News. Glory to God and on earth peace, Pastor Kris + Volume 180, Issue 3 December Ivanhoe News 1

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Ivanhoe News Volume 180, Issue 3 December 2017 "Do not be afraid." - The Angels The angels that appear in the story of Jesus birth would have been very comfortable in our world of tweets and hashtags.

As we look at the stories of these messengers to Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, and the Shepherds and their reactions to them, we will contemplate what messages we can offer that will counteract a culture

1 Ivanhoe News Volume 180, Issue 3 December 2017 "Do not be afraid." - The Angels The angels that appear in the story of Jesus birth would have been very comfortable in our world of tweets and hashtags. Their messages were often short and to the point their favorite line being #DoNotBeAfraid. As we look at the stories of these messengers to Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, and the Shepherds and their reactions to them, we will contemplate what messages we can offer that will counteract a culture of fear and bring #morehope, #morepeace, #morejoy, and #morelove to the world. Sunday, December 17, Caroling In the afternoon, come join the warmth and harmony of caroling. We will meet at the church at 3 p.m., carpool, and then enjoy a potluck meal. Sign up to bring a dish and beverage to share. Wednesday, Dec. 20, Longest Night 7 p.m. For many of us, Christmas (and the whole holiday season) is a bittersweet time of year. It is a time for remembering both persons and events that have been a part of our lives in the past, but that are now changed or gone. This is the time of year with the longest nights, so around this time we offer a quiet, meditative worship service that makes time for remembering, sharing our laments with God, and preparing our hearts for the coming of Christ. Join us for a time of scripture reading, silent reflection, special music, healing prayer, and Holy Communion. The good news is that we can be messengers today. As disciples, we follow the way of Christ, awaiting the birth of the Christ child again and the return of the Savior. We celebrate the Word that is coming into the world the incarnation of light and love: God with us in Jesus. Come gather as we glorify God together! Wednesday, December 6, at 7 p.m. You are invited to attend an Advent gathering with a family who will open their home for a time of fellowship. Come enjoy dessert and conversation about the message of Advent. Sign up to get directions. Sunday, December 17, Christmas Pageant & Yule Fest This year s Christmas Play continues the theme Angels Among Us. Our story will follow one particular guardian angel who reminds us all how wonderful life is. We will also be reminded to be messengers of the good news, that each person s life touches so many other lives. This updated and adapted play by the youth and children of our church will be offered at our 10 a.m. service. After worship we will hold our annual Yule Fest in fellowship hall. This event is a wonderful time of sharing, when you are invited to bring your favorite holiday dessert to share. Sunday, December 24, Christmas Eve Our regular 10 a.m. Sunday morning worship becomes our last Advent service celebrating the gift of love, looking forward to the special evening worship. Come follow the star to the Bethlehem window for worship at 8:00 p.m. This meaningful and memorable worship service highlights our beautifully decorated sanctuary. The traditional service includes readings, carols, and the lighting of candles. Please consider making a special gift to the mission of the church during our Christmas Eve worship. You will find a special envelope in the pews, or through the church office. Glory to God and on earth peace, Pastor Kris + Ivanhoe News 1

Sunday, December 17 is a busy date. Those who adopted one of the children from Avon Township and are providing the Christmas gift(s) need to deliver those gifts to the church by Dec. 17. In worship service that day we will have our annual Christmas Pageant and following the service the Yule Fest will take place in the fellowship hall.

2 Board of Deacons Ken Flaks / Keith Temby, Co-Chairs The season of Advent is upon us with numerous church activities on the calendar. At the time this was written, the date for the annual caroling had not been confirmed check the church website or the Sunday bulletins for the latest information on this event. Sunday, December 17 is a busy date. Those who adopted one of the children from Avon Township and are providing the Christmas gift(s) need to deliver those gifts to the church by Dec. 17. In worship service that day we will have our annual Christmas Pageant and following the service the Yule Fest will take place in the fellowship hall. The date for the Longest Night service has been changed to Wednesday, December 20. Christmas Eve services will be held on Dec. 24 at 10 a.m. and at 8 p.m. Final totals in from the 35 th annual Barrington Area Crop Walk put the total collected at $34,000, of which Ivanhoe members contributed nearly $850. Thanks to Ken Kelting for heading Ivanhoe s participation once again. The Christmas Stocking drive for the Night Ministry will also take place this month. Bob Wisbey, will provide additional specifics in the coming weeks. WANTED - We are looking for church members who have experience with and an interest in helping update the church s website. Please speak with D.J. Jans, Pete Ogilvie or Keith Temby to indicate you interest. If you have upcoming activities you would like to get the word out for, please contact the church office by phone or at uccivanhoe@gmail.com to coordinate with Kathy Riehle. Ivanhoe Book Club to Discuss The Invisible Wall The Ivanhoe Book Club will discuss The Invisible Wall, written by Harry Bernstein, on December 5 at 10:00 am. Each club member is asked to contribute one discussion question. Harry Bernstein wrote The Invisible Wall when he was 93 and describes his memories of how Jewish and Christian families shared a narrow street in a small English mill town during WWI. January Meeting on 2 nd Tuesday Our book for January is The Book Club, written by Mary Alice Monroe. Due to the holidays, the meeting will be held on the second Tuesday of the month, January 9, at 10:00 am. Freddie Flaks will be the discussion leader, The Ivanhoe Book Club normally meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 10:00 am in Fellowship Hall. Please come even if you haven t read the book. If you have any questions, please contact Sherri Kelting. CROP Walk Total walkers were 157 and total amount received was close to $34,000; about what was received in Ivanhoe had two walkers and generated $ Thanks to all who contributed. Next year's walk is Sunday, October 21, with the host church being Barrington United Methodist Church and since that church is quite a distance from downtown Barrington, a step off location is yet to be determined. We will be receiving "numbers" to be attached to our banner. Men s Social Group The Men's Social Group Lunch will be held on Tuesday, December 19, 11:30 am, at Dover Straits in Mundelein. The restaurant s address is 890 E. Hwy 45. The phone is This will be our third Christmas season lunch at Dover Straits and they do a great job of accommodating our group. No RSVP necessary. If you need a ride, please contact Ken Kelting Ivanhoe News 2

New members Richard & Gail Robison-Garling 18805 Willow Point Dr. Grayslake, IL 60030 815-236-9342 Irene Lake 874 March St.

Grayslake, IL 60030 847-543-0970 Wellness Ministry Traci Smith Are you stressed about your seemingly endless holiday to-do list? Please remember to take a mental health moment.

Speaking of yoga, Wednesday evening classes are on holiday break, but Mondays 11 am noon are still on! Come join Debbie for the fun and keep on moving!

3 New members Richard & Gail Robison-Garling Willow Point Dr. Grayslake, IL Irene Lake 874 March St. Lake Zurich, IL Janice& Paul Springborn 682 Indian Path Rd. Grayslake, IL Wellness Ministry Traci Smith Are you stressed about your seemingly endless holiday to-do list? Please remember to take a mental health moment. Whether its prayer, meditation, yoga, a hot bath or just 5 minutes of peace & quiet caring for yourself can help you stay positive and energized during this busy time! Speaking of yoga, Wednesday evening classes are on holiday break, but Mondays 11 am noon are still on! Come join Debbie for the fun and keep on moving! Blood pressure monitoring with Gail has been moved to the 3 rd Sunday this month. Stop in to the library during coffee hour on December 17. We are currently working on Q topics and dates, watch for more details in the January newsletter: Jan: What Kind of Tea Are You? Feb: AED Training (repeat) Feb: Cardiac Bingo or Post-Cardiac Care Is there something health & wellness related that you would like to learn more about? Please any suggestions to Traci Smith at tlynnuscell@gmail.com. Wishing you Happy & Healthy Holidays! Traci Smith Books that are new to the library include: Jackdaws by Ken Follett The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah Most Wanted, author Lisa Scottoline Into the Water, a novel written by Paula Hawkins Ivanhoe News 3 Checkout is very easy. Just take the book home and return it when you have finished reading. You may also purchase books. Please put $1.00 for each book in the basket on the cabinet under the windows. Note that reference and large print books are not for sale. You may notice a label on some books that reads Not for purchase. Please read and return. You will also see a NEW sticker on these books. We would like to give many people a chance to read books that are new to our library before we offer them for purchase. We will remove the NEW sticker later and then the book may be purchased.

Ivanhoe Women's Connection Happy December Birthdays As in the past, the women s group this Christmastime is supporting the Home of the Sparrow, which serves homeless women and children in a myriad of

If you are interested, you may still contribute to the HOS by donating money for Gifts of Opportunity or Gifts of Hope gift cards for a designated purpose such as rent, clothing, extra-curricular

Adonna Ogilvie December 15 Karen Ness December 15 Derrick Money December 16 Lauren Robertson December 17 Carol Dinelli December 20 Bart Berndtson December 21 Holly Robertson December 22 Traci Smith

4 Ivanhoe Women's Connection Happy December Birthdays As in the past, the women s group this Christmastime is supporting the Home of the Sparrow, which serves homeless women and children in a myriad of ways, from shelter to educational opportunities. Gifts were purchased for a mother and her three sons and for a woman on her own. If you are interested, you may still contribute to the HOS by donating money for Gifts of Opportunity or Gifts of Hope gift cards for a designated purpose such as rent, clothing, extra-curricular activities, or childcare. For more info, ask Chris Hotchkiss. On December 9 th at 11:30, Ivanhoe women will gather for a festive lunch at the Chocolate Sanctuary in Gurnee. They have a nice lunch menu featuring cocoa - reasonably priced. Sign up downstairs by Dec. 4th. Carpooling available. Phillip Leopold December 4 Phyllis Doescher December 5 Sherri Kelting December 8 Alli Salituro December 9 Patricia Petersen December 10 Elizabeth Kroening December 12 Eston Chamberlin December 14 Adonna Ogilvie December 15 Karen Ness December 15 Derrick Money December 16 Lauren Robertson December 17 Carol Dinelli December 20 Bart Berndtson December 21 Holly Robertson December 22 Traci Smith December 23 Charles Butler Jr. December 27 Rose Weitzel December 29 Hanging of the Green Thank You to: Pat Bunting and Leah Chayer, for designing and organizing the decorations in the sanctuary Gail Block, for designing and organizing the decorations in fellowship hall and fireplace room Carol Mallquist, Patty Petersen, Connie Reidel, and Diane Thompson for managing the kitchen and the brunch with the Board of Deacons. Youth Group Pie Thank You to: Kelly and Lee Dickinson for organizing and managing the project. Thank you to the crust makers and others who helped the youth make and assemble 100 apple pies. Thanksgiving Offering Thank You to: Freddie and Ken Flaks and Russ Rankin who shopped for the families, and All who donated $325 that was used to help feed families Transportation has been the unit for part of November. Watch out for those flying gliders going through the air! Children have made planes, rockets, and other assorted modes of transportation. They ve also had lots of fun as they constructed tubes and tunnels that balls and marbles can travel through. We will be talking a bit about being thankful and having an attitude of gratitude. We will give the children a chance to share as well as we fill stockings in conjunction with the church s Night Ministry project. A trip to the Marriott Theatre to see Sleeping Beauty will round out this month s activities. We are thankful for the scholarship money contributed through the church and its members. One very happy child and struggling parent rejoice in this opportunity to have their tuition paid for. Thank you! Ivanhoe News 4

5 News from the Nurse Debbie Sterling, R.N. Don t be a Cup of Tea (or Coffee, either) by Eric Klein When you pour tea into a tall thin cup, the tea assumes that tall, thin shape. When you pour tea into a squat, round cup, it assumes that shape. It s wonderful that tea does this. It facilitates tea drinking. But your mind needn t act like tea. Too often it does. How does the mind act like tea? Just as tea takes the shape of whatever container it s poured into, the mind tends to assume the shape of whatever thought, emotion, or sensation captures its attention. But it doesn t just assume the shape of what is arising. It identifies with the object of attention. The untrained mind identifies with what it is aware of. When the emotion of sadness arises, the untrained mind identifies with that emotion and believes it is sadness. Not I m aware of sadness, but I am sadness. When anger is present, the mind believes I am angry. This is how the mind has been conditioned: to identify with thoughts, emotions, sensations, and everyday conditions. When your mind is identified, it is no longer aware. When your mind is believing I m sad, it s no longer aware of sadness. It is subsumed by sadness, immersed in sadness, and thus engages with life from the state of sadness. This tends to produce more, um, sadness. When the mind identifies with conditions, whether those are inner states or outer situations, it is no longer aware of those states or situations. But this isn t the only possibility. Why? There is another state of consciousness within you. It is deeper than the untrained mind that reactively identifies with changing emotions, thoughts, and conditions. This state of consciousness is called meditative consciousness. What is meditative consciousness? It s a paradoxical state of mind. Meditative consciousness is neither lost in identification nor separate from experience. Meditative consciousness is able to fully experience what arises without being overcome by identification. It s this paradoxical quality of being non-identified and fully connected that makes meditative consciousness such a powerful source of healing. Imagine the mirror-like surface of a perfectly still lake. It reflects, without distortion, the total environment without judgment or commentary. Meditative consciousness has this quality of mirror-like presence. It s non-identified with what arises and is undisturbed by the movements of the environment. But this isn t all. Although the meditative consciousness is non-identified, it is not coldly detached. It s imbued with loving awareness. There s a warmth, a compassionate quality to meditative consciousness that allows it to infuse radiance and blessing into whatever arises. Meditative consciousness is able to infuse all conditions with the light of awareness. Through the function of meditative consciousness, the light of awareness can fully infuse any and every condition. It is able to investigate, enter, and experience any condition fully because of this engage detachment. So, how can you develop this meditative consciousness? Meditative consciousness is already within you. What requires cultivation is your capacity to abide in meditative consciousness without slipping into identification. You develop this capacity through practice. Meditation practice cultivates meditative consciousness. Seems obvious, no? As you meditate, you develop your ability to witness thoughts and emotions without being caught in them to be fully aware and non-identified. This happens organically as you practice. Meditation practice builds the inner capacity to witness whatever arises and to infuse it with loving awareness. With meditative consciousness, whatever cup of tea life pours, you can taste it mindfully without falling into the cup. (You can even sweeten it with a spoonful of loving awareness!) Eric Klein is the creator of Wisdom Heart and Wisdom Heart dialogs. Reprinted by permission from Wisdom Heart, wisdomheart.com. Ivanhoe News 5

December 2017 - Ivanhoe News SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

Deacons 5 Book Club 10:00am 6 7 Choir 8 9 Men s Service Club 8:30am Women s

12 Board of Trustees 13 Men s Social Group Lunch 11:30am 14 Choir 15 16 Service

9:00-11:00am Yoga 11:00 12:00pm 19 20 Longest Night 21 Choir 22 23 24Worship

6 December Ivanhoe News SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY Worship 4 Craft Circle 9:00-11:00am Yoga 11:00 12:00pm Board of Deacons 5 Book Club 10:00am 6 7 Choir 8 9 Men s Service Club 8:30am Women s Connection 11:30am 10 Worship 11 Craft Circle 9:00-11:00am Yoga 11:00 12:00pm 12 Board of Trustees 13 Men s Social Group Lunch 11:30am 14 Choir Service at The Crib 17 Worship Pageant + Yule Fest Caroling 3:00pm 18 Craft Circle 9:00-11:00am Yoga 11:00 12:00pm Longest Night 21 Choir Worship 10:00am + Christmas Eve Candelight Service 8:00pm 25 Christmas Day Worship

Ivanhoe News. Glory to God and on earth peace, Pastor Kris +

Ivanhoe News. Glory to God and on earth peace, Pastor Kris + Ivanhoe News Volume 179, Issue 3 December 2016 O star of wonder, star of night Guide us to thy perfect light. The Christmas Star is the symbol of guidance, of the hope and joy of Christmas, and marking