The Severn Light. Friday, December 25, Christmas Day 10:00 a.m. Christmas Day Eucharist

Transcription

1 The Severn Light St. Stephen s Episcopal Church Severn Parish Crownsville, Maryland November 2015 Advent-Christmas Edition IN THIS ISSUE: Christmas Services Page 1 The Greens of Christmas Page 2 Poinsettia Order Page 3 Musical Notes Page 4 Messiah Sing Along Page 5 Bits and Pieces Page 6 Guild News and Notes Page 7 ASP & Pies Page 8 Church School Letter Page 9 Claggett Retreats Page 10 **This newsletter is either ed to those who have online capabilities or sent through the postal system for those who don t. If you have a delivery preference, please let the church secretary know. Worship Schedule Thursday, December 24, Christmas Eve 5:00 p.m. Family Eucharist w/ Children s Pageant 8:30 p.m. Christmas Carols with the Choir 9:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Choral Eucharist Friday, December 25, Christmas Day 10:00 a.m. Christmas Day Eucharist

2 PAGE 2 NOVEMBER 2015 THE SEVERN LIGHT THE GREENS OF CHRISTMAS Decorate your home this year using greens that through tradition or legend have a special Christmas significance. BOXWOOD An evergreen used in holiday wreaths and garlands and symbolizing constant love. FIR Legend states that Faith, Hope, and Charity were sent to bring Christianity to the Vikings. They sought a tree as high as Hope, as wide as Love, and that bore the sign of the cross at the end of every bough. That is why the fir was chosen as the first Christmas tree. HOLLY The Druids thought holly was the favorite plant of the sun because it was evergreen. The early Christians in Germany believed the berries were white until stained with the blood of Christ. IVY The Greeks used ivy as an emblem of happiness, fertility and fidelity. It is used as the symbol of the Trinity. JUNIPER Juniper is known in Italy as a sanctuary herbal tree because the Holy Family slept under it. It is used to decorate crèches. PINE When Herod s soldiers were pursuing the Holy Family, a pine tree enfolded them in its branches to hide them. When the soldiers passed by, the Christ Child blessed the pine before leaving. If you cut a pine cone in half, you can see the imprint of his little hand. ROSEMARY The symbol of remembrance and named after the Virgin Mary. It had white flowers till Mary s cloak brushed the plant and the blossoms turned blue. In countries where rosemary is a native plant, such as Greece or Italy, it is said the herb will grow to six feet tall and live thirty-three years the height and age of Christ when he died. SAGE The herb of immortality and domestic happiness, therefore used at holiday times. THYME The symbol of strength, courage and bravery. It was mixed with grasses to make the birth bed for Mary and a mattress for Baby Jesus crib. Think about all the symbolism of these greens and use some or all of them as you prepare your home for the holidays. Look for an arrangement of the Greens of Christmas in the narthex during Advent. Gail Brooks Christmas Message In the midst of a busy season, take time for the Lord. Let your heart find peace and may Christ be born anew in your life. In God s Peace, Father Hagerman

3 THE SEVERN LIGHT NOVEMBER 2015 PAGE 3 CHRISTMAS POINSETTIAS Decorating the church with poinsettias has long been a Christmas tradition at St. Stephen s and is a wonderful way to honor loved ones. Order your thanksgiving and/or memorial plants using the form below. The price per plant is $8.50. Make checks payable to St. Stephen s Episcopal Church. The last day for ordering is Sunday, December 13, If you have any questions call Gail Brooks at or Irene, the church secretary at Christmas Poinsettia Order Form Name $8.50 each In memory of In thanksgiving for

4 PAGE 4 NOVEMBER 2015 THE SEVERN LIGHT Musical Notes by Don Chandler, Organist-Choirmaster The excitement builds daily at this time of year. My most exciting moments are when I remember Handel s Messiah and our first-ever SINGALONG thereof (4:00 p.m., Sunday, December 6). I hope many here at host church St. Stephen s will come out and sing this wonderful 270-year old work! We re doing this to enjoy the music and to contribute to those in need around us through Crofton Christian Caring Council. Musical scores will be available at the door, or, if you wish to practice ahead of time (not a bad idea), notify me (ddpctuner@aol.com; ), and I ll set up special rehearsal time(s). Children with lots of energy and dedication to practice may sing this also; after all, Handel premiered the work in Dublin with a boys choir (with men)! Let me know, and I ll work very hard to include you, kids! YouTube versions abound, to help you learn. Practice over Thanksgiving! Thanks to Jenny Levendusky for the initiative and drive to start a singalong tradition here at St. Stephen s based on her experience at St. James, Lothian, where they have a 26-year tradition already. Remember that our mother chapel, Severn Chapel (see the granite monument in the thicket across from the bus farm on Severn Chapel Road), was built 4 years BEFORE Handel wrote this work! It truly takes one back in history! (I think I just ran out of exclamation marks ) Part of starting a new thing is paying our way. Donations toward Messiah Sing Along expenses will enable us to pass on more of the freewill offering collected at the performance to the Caring Council. Thanks in advance for your generosity. Checks may be addressed to St. Stephen s, with Messiah in bottom corner. Those wishing to sing in a choir on Christmas Eve (Thursday, December 24) are more than welcome. Please let me know of your wish, which service, etc., and your availability to rehearse Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. (except Thanksgiving Day: no rehearsal). See details in Sunday s (November 22) bulletin. Repertoire at 5:00 o clock will be On Christmas night all Christians sing. At 9:00 p.m. (8:30 p.m. Carol Sing), we will sing Break forth, O beauteous heavenly light, by Bach; and And the glory of the Lord, from...guess what!...the Messiah. All the best to one and all God bless us every one! Yours for church music, Don Chandler, MDiv., ChM Organist-Choirmaster

5 THE SEVERN LIGHT NOVEMBER 2015 PAGE 5 VÉÅx tçw f Çz fâçwtç? WxvxÅuxÜ I GMCC ÑAÅA St. Stephen s Episcopal Church is hosting a Messiah Sing-Along (Christmas portion) All are welcome to enjoy this beautiful music featuring a string quartet and to join in singing the choruses. Singers are encouraged to bring a musical score although a limited number will be available for sale. A free will offering will be taken to benefit the Crofton Christian Caring Council. Reception to follow in the Parish Hall. If you are interested in supporting this event, we welcome donations to help underwrite the expenses for the quartet and soloists. We will recognize local businesses and donors in the program. Donations can be sent to the church office.

6 PAGE 6 NOVEMBER 2015 THE SEVERN LIGHT VESTRY UPDATES Looking for a few good people to serve on the Vestry. In February, St. Stephen s will be electing new Vestry members to help lead and grow the church over the next few years. There are 4 Vestry positions open that will serve 3-year terms each. In addition, there is one open position that has 1-year remaining to complete this term. No special skill is necessary but a willingness to serve and a commitment to attend meetings. If you think you might be interested, please reach out to Father Hagerman or a current Vestry member for more information. BIBLE STUDY GROUP St. Stephen s Women s Bible Study Group will meet at the home of Jean Cox for our annual Christmas Lunch and Bible Study on December 14 at 12 o clock. After the holidays, our meetings will resume on January 11, For information or to join our group, please call Joan Trisko at or Jean Cox at DO YOU LIKE WORKING WITH NUMBERS? If so, and you re careful to make your checkbook balance every month, you might enjoy being a teller. Our tellers work in teams of two after the 10:00 service on Sundays to record in the church s computer all pledge receipts and other money received during the week. They then deposit the money received in the night deposit at the bank. The work takes one or two hours, and each team is scheduled to work about eight times a year. Training is provided to new tellers until they feel confident with the procedure. If you are interested, please contact Donna Graves at: LOOK FOR THE NEXT ISSUE of The Severn Light in January 2016, our Annual Meeting Preview. SERVING THE HOMELESS From January 11 January 17, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish will house and feed approximately 35 homeless men through the Winter Relief Program of the Arundel House of Hope. St. Stephen s participates in this outreach by providing dinner and company for these guests on our assigned night (Wednesday, January 13). The menu is the same as last year s: Western Barbecue. We have recipes available to make dishes ahead of time. We will need people to help prepare the food and serve it. If you have any questions, please contact Carol McNemar ( ) or Nancy Cole ( ). HOLIDAY SHARING Thanks to all who have provided food and/or delivered it to grateful households, to make their Thanksgiving Day a bit brighter. We will help these same households at Christmas by providing food and gifts. The tags for Christmas giving will be on the Holiday Sharing bulletin board in the Parish Hall soon. Please take a tag and bring in the item(s) by Sunday, December 20 before the 10:00 a.m. service. Food and gifts will be delivered after the 10:00 a.m. service that day. CHESAPEAKE CHORALE CONCERT The Chesapeake Chorale s annual Christmas concert has become a seasonal tradition in the Bowie/ Crofton area. This year s program, Holiday Cheer, will benefit the Crofton Christian Caring Council, and will feature a rich sampling of yuletide favorites, including Vaughan Williams Fantasia on Christmas Carols with baritone John Rogel, John Rutter s Candlelight Carol, a selection from J.S. Bach s Magnificat, and many others festive songs of the season. Sunday, 13 December, 7:30 p.m. at Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 1800 Seton Drive, Crofton, MD Tickets $15; Senior (60+) and Military $12; FREE for full-time students and children under 18. For information on tickets, visit The church secretary also has a number of tickets available in the office. Call Irene at:

7 THE SEVERN LIGHT NOVEMBER 2015 PAGE 7 Spring, Summer, Fall & soon Winter. Hope it has been a great year for all. Our next Guild Meeting will be our Christmas outing on December 11th at Killarney House, 584 Central Avenue, Davidsonville, MD at 11:30 a.m. We have decided to have a lunch instead of dinner due to most of the older members (majority) do not like driving at night. I would like to thank everyone for all the help with our fund raisers we have had during the year. Our Spring Fling & Crab Feast are for projects needed in the Parish Hall. The Fall Dinner & Holiday Bazaar are to raise funds for all the Guild Outreach Projects. On behalf of the Guild, I would like to thank everyone who helped out with the Fall Dinner, from the turkey cleaners, turkey bakers, turkey slicers, all the kitchen prep workers, carry-out, kitchen runners, dishwashers, and clean-up crew. Special thanks for all the children (Hannah Hagerman, Kial Morley, Elizabeth Younkin, Sarah Ani, Maggie Lockard, Nate Lockard, Michael Nelson, David Nelson, and their friend) and for all the Servers. Great job everyone! We sold a total of 177 dinners (down from 219 last year): 161 adults and 16 children, for a Total of $ Bake sale $ & Leftover Food Sales $ After expenses ($ ) our Total Profit was $ All leftover food not sold was taken to Sarah's House in Fort Meade which consisted of about 30 large containers of boiled potatoes and 9 pies. Our Holiday Bazaar went a lot better than I thought it was going to. With 8 Vendors, Bake Sale, Guild Table, Luncheon and the Silent Auction, we managed to clear $ Vendors (at $25.00 per space)- $200.00, Bake Sale -$286.30, Guild Table -$328.00, Luncheon -$ and Silent Auction -$ A Special thanks to our "Bake Sale Angels" Kate Marshall and Janice Africa (both WELL into their 90's) for their devotion to our Bake Sale each year (and to Dixie Korbach). We could not do this each year without your help. Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas. Thanks Again & God's Blessing!! Melissa Bednarik, Guild President

8 PAGE 8 NOVEMBER 2015 THE SEVERN LIGHT WE ARE HEADING TO APPALACHIA! St. Stephen s will be sending a team of youth (age 14-18) and adults to join Appalachia Service Project next summer! St. Stephen s participated in this service opportunity for 10 years repairing homes for low income families in the Central Appalachia region. This is an opportunity to lift the spirits of these families who are caught in the cycle of poverty and show them that God s love knows no boundaries. Many who have participated in past years will attest that when you help change the lives of others, they end up changing you. The program had a profound effect on our youth and families and our church generously supported this effort. We have a team (10-12 members) ready to go and there will be several fundraisers planned over the next year to support this trip. If you are interested in joining the ASP team or just want to help support this trip, please contact Sheri (La Fleur) Mulder or Jenny Levendusky CHRISTMAS PIES It s that time of year again and our Episcopal Teens will be selling their Pumpkin and Pecan pies, just in time for Christmas! Just fill out the order form below or look for an order form in the narthex and inserted in the Sunday bulletin starting November 29. Pies will be $10 each and will be ready for pick up Sunday December 20 (baking day is Saturday, December 19). All proceeds will Fund the Appalachia Service Project Call or text Laurie Selby at to volunteer or if you have any questions! ET PRESENTS CHRISTMAS PIES Tell them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous givers, sharing with others ~ Timothy 6:18 The Episcopal Teen crew will be making Pecan and Pumpkin pies again this year to continue to fund the Appalachia Service Project Please fill out this form and leave in the offering tray or drop off/send to the St. Stephens Office. Call or text Laurie Selby at to volunteer or with any questions! Name: Phone: # Pecan Pies: # of Pumpkin Pies: Pies will be $10.00 each. If you are ordering more than one pie please indicate the number in the space provided above. Pies will be baked on Saturday, December 19 th. You can pick your Pie/s up at 3:00 PM on Saturday or on Sunday, December 20 th after the 8 and 10 am services. Make checks payable to Saint Stephen s Episcopal Church. Proceeds benefit the Appalachian Service Project.

9 THE SEVERN LIGHT NOVEMBER 2015 PAGE 9 Dear Church School Parent(s): HERE IS A COMMUNICATION TO ADD TO THESE BUSY MONTHS! MERRY CHRISTMAS SEASON!! FIRST ~ Sunday, December 6 th is ADVENT FAMILY SUNDAY. ALL Church School students will be in Church for the 10:00 AM Service during which all the younger children (Pre-K 5 th Grade) will decorate the Jesse Tree. The tree will be in Church near the altar. SECOND ~ THE CHRISTMAS PAGEANT is fast approaching. The Pageant takes place during the 5:00 PM Service on THURSDAY, December 24 th. Once again, we are using a script that simplifies the telling and involves the congregation in singing. The entire story takes place in the front of the Church near the altar, so viewing the story and children is easier for the congregation and all you digital recording experts!! I have arranged cast members for all the main parts. Spirit Singers will be singing the Opening Anthem. If your child is not Mary, Joseph, the Star, a wise person or special angel, then every child is invited to be an Angel or Sheep or Shepherd and it is entirely up to the child which part they want to play. The sheep will have ears to wear - I have a sample I can show - and a large bell to wear around their neck. Other than that, they can wear either comfortable sweats or their Christmas finest the choice is up to you. They get to keep the bell. NOTE: PRESCHOOLERS AND TODDLERS IN THE NURSERY CAN BE SHEEP OR ANGELS, AS WELL AS THE YOUNGER SIBLINGS OF OUR STUDENTS. The Angel Chorus will not wear wings, but will have star halos and bells to wear around their necks. The Angel Chorus has one line: Glory to God in the Highest, followed by the ringing of their bells. They get to keep their halo and bell. THERE IS A REHEARSAL FOR THE PAGEANT ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19 th AT NOON. We will begin with a hot dog and soda lunch in the Parish Hall, quickly go through the Pageant once in Church, and then get everyone into their costumes and again go quickly through the script. I know this is all we need do to get the children ready. Once you see how this script flows, you can see that a simple telling goes smoothly. My goal is that during the Sign of Peace on Christmas Eve every child should be able to get their costumes off and be back with their families with the least amount of fuss. PLEASE, let me know by Monday, December 7th either in person, or , or phone, if your child is going to be in the Pageant, and what part they would like to play. This will let me know how many ears and halos to make. It will also let us know the names to place in the bulletin prepared for this service, as we list the Cast Members. I could use a few parent volunteers in the Sheep Pen and sitting with the Angel Chorus during the actual Pageant to make certain both groups get in their places at the proper times. PLEASE NOTE: If you cannot be at the Rehearsal, please don t think it means your child will not be in the Pageant. They will catch on the night of Christmas Eve and fit right in. However, it would be VERY helpful if the Wise People, the Star, Announcers, and the other key players attend the Rehearsal. IMPORTANT: EVERY CHILD IN THE PAGEANT MUST BE IN THE PARISH HALL BY 4:45 PM ON CHRISTMAS EVE. Let me know if you have any questions. Thank you, for your support. Berney Jaroch-Hagerman shbjh@verizon.net/ (Rectory phone number) There will NOT be Nursery care available during the Pageant Service, so plan accordingly.

10 PAGE 10 St. Stephen s Episcopal Church NOVEMBER 2015 THE SEVERN LIGHT Severn Parish 1110 St. Stephen s Church Road Crownsville, Maryland Phone: Fax: st_stephens@verizon.net Office Hours: MON-FRI 9:00 am to 4:00 pm The Rev. Steven W. Hagerman, Rector Start off the new year at Claggett!! Women s Retreat: January (Friday, 5 pm-sunday, 11am) I M a child of God Come discover what Mary, Martha, and Miriam can teach us about leadership, service, and redeeming a broken world. Women s Weekend: January (Friday, 5 pm-sunday 11 am) The Promise of Joy Come together to worship and celebrate our faith in prayer, song and meditation and be refreshed. Men s Retreat: February 5-7 Ministry on the Front Lines: Where is Your Front Line? Three part tour: ministry with warriors, ministry within our parishes, and ministry to ourselves. For more information and/or to register, go to: The Claggett Center P.O. Box 40 Buckeystown, MD A Conference, Camp, and Retreat Center for the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland