Pray. Worship. Advent is only 4 Sundays long!

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Rhoda Higgins
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As I said, you will find your own way to get ready. Whatever you offer will be acceptable to the One who took on human flesh and came to live among us.

May you know a holy Advent, Stephanie+ An Advent Message Slow down. Get quiet. It s Advent. Jesus is coming. Look busy. I thought I d start off with a little Advent humor.

Just symbols of the fact that something has changed. The long green season of Pentecost is over and we are back at the beginning. Back to the promise of God that God would send us a Savior.

1 As I said, you will find your own way to get ready. Whatever you offer will be acceptable to the One who took on human flesh and came to live among us. The one who gave his life that we might have eternal life. The one whose birth we will celebrate at Christmas and whose coming again we anticipate with joy and hope. May you know a holy Advent, Stephanie+ An Advent Message Slow down. Get quiet. It s Advent. Jesus is coming. Look busy. I thought I d start off with a little Advent humor. Every December we hear the same thing. It s not Christmas yet. We re still in Advent. We change the altar colors to purple and we give up singing the Gloria. Small things, really. Just symbols of the fact that something has changed. The long green season of Pentecost is over and we are back at the beginning. Back to the promise of God that God would send us a Savior. We prepare for the coming of that Savior in the way John the Baptist told us to make ready, so many centuries ago. Advent is a time to examine our lives and to do what we can to get ready. Ready to celebrate a birth that took place in Bethlehem two thousand years ago. Ready for the time when Christ will return in glory in fulfillment of all that was promised by his first coming. During Advent, we remember the longing of the Jews for a Messiah and our own longing for, and need of, forgiveness, salvation and a new beginning. You will find your own way to get ready during Advent. Here are a few suggestions: 1 2 Pray. Worship. Advent is only 4 Sundays long! Can you commit to coming to church each Sunday in Advent? We all know that the service is more joyful when more people are present. Worship. Set time aside to pray daily. You can take your bulletin home weekly and pray for the people on the prayer list. You can choose a name and become a prayer partner, committing to pray for your partner each day in Advent. You can go to your prayer book and pray morning or evening 3 prayer. Pray. Confess and Repent. We say a general confession during the Sunday service. If you take your bulletin home you ll have the confession handy. A general confession is one we all say together. To make a private confession please be in touch with me. The Prayer Book calls private confession the Reconciliation of a Penitent. Forms for such reconciliation begin on page 447 of the Prayer Book. Confess and commit to living in a way that shows you are a follower of Jesus. Confess and repent. 4 Give. There are so many opportunities. Here at church there is the Angel Tree, the coat collection, and the ongoing food collection for Urban Ministries, to name a few opportunities. Come on December 8 to serve breakfast to our neighbors. Volunteer at C. C. Spaulding Elementary School or at North Carolina Central University. Give of your time, your treasure, or your talent. Give.

Another ADVENT Resource In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Advent is also a time to prepare our hearts and communities for the coming of Christ, the Almighty God who came among us poor and homeless, a stranger and a child.

you. It is the ideal season to commit to becoming Beloved Community and growing loving, liberating, life-giving relationships across the human family of God.

2 Another ADVENT Resource In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God... Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together. - Isaiah 40:3,5 Advent is a season of preparation: shopping for gifts, decorating our homes and sanctuaries. Advent is also a time to prepare our hearts and communities for the coming of Christ, the Almighty God who came among us poor and homeless, a stranger and a child. There may be no better time to reflect on how we as the Episcopal Church embrace the Holy One who continues to draw near in the neighbor, the stranger, the refugee, or the one who seems most other to you. It is the ideal season to commit to becoming Beloved Community and growing loving, liberating, life-giving relationships across the human family of God. We make the journey not only as individual Christians and congregations, but as a whole church. This spring, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and President of the House of Deputies Gay Clark Jennings and their supporting officers shared Becoming Beloved Community, a new vision document that lays out the Episcopal Church s long-term commitment to racial healing, reconciliation, and justice. A second resource Becoming Beloved Community Where You Are details many ways for individuals and congregations to take concrete steps toward change and healing. Both are available at along with a host of resources for faithful reflection and action. The journey is framed around the labyrinth. Why? In the ministry of racial healing and justice, none of us walks a straight line. We enter the labyrinth wherever God has provided an opening telling the truth about our church s story around race; discerning and proclaiming God s dream of Beloved Community where we are; learning and practicing Jesus way of healing and love; and bravely working to transform systemic racial injustice. We keep moving from one quadrant to another and back. No one is ever really finished. That is the way of ongoing spiritual formation. As you walk sections of this the scriptures, reflections, and carefully preview the session. or adapt for shorter timeframes, labyrinth, gather a group, and together engage activities. Designate a facilitator who will Set aside at least 60 minutes for each session and consider these Conversation Tips: Speak from your own experience. Be genuinely curious about what others share. Imagine you can disagree without someone being wrong. Avoid debate and stay with the story. Seek Christ in others and seek to embody his loving, liberating, life-giving way. You will find printer-friendly online resources and alternative activities for each week of Advent, in a variety of contexts at Presiding Bishop Michael Curry regularly welcomes us to live not just as the church but as the Episcopal branch of the Jesus Movement: the ongoing community that follows Jesus into loving, liberating, life-giving relationship with God, each other, and creation. May God bless and grow us into vibrant embodiments of the Christ we welcome and follow, this Advent and always. Prayerfully offered, The Episcopal Church s Racial Reconciliation Team - reconciliation@episcopalchurch.org 2

Up-Date: The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is an approach to the religious formation of children.

the Christian tradition. Our Good Shepherd atrium has been busy with activity and excitement.

Working with the Liturgical wooden calendar and singing our Liturgical Colors song, they learn the seasonal colors and major Feast days.

that grows into a large tree and that it is like a pearl which is so valuable a merchant sells all that he owns to buy it.

" And to create a prayerful response, "You are the Good Shepherd, who knows my name, and I am your sheep, who knows your voice. I want to follow you.

3 Up-Date: The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is an approach to the religious formation of children.... The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a sensorially rich experience for children from the ages of 3 to 12 years that gives children the opportunity to grow in love and knowledge of God through the Christian tradition. Our Good Shepherd atrium has been busy with activity and excitement. Since beginning in September, the children have learned to prepare the Altar with the appropriate altar articles. Working with the Liturgical wooden calendar and singing our Liturgical Colors song, they learn the seasonal colors and major Feast days. Several Kingdom of God parables (The Parables of the Mustard Seed & Pearl of Great Price) have been presented to help the children become aware that the Kingdom of God is like a tiny mustard seed that grows into a large tree and that it is like a pearl which is so valuable a merchant sells all that he owns to buy it. The Parable of the Good Shepherd and Found Sheep gives the children a joyful opportunity to work with the sheep, the Good Shepherd, and sheepfold in order to answer the question, "Who are you, Jesus?" And to create a prayerful response, "You are the Good Shepherd, who knows my name, and I am your sheep, who knows your voice. I want to follow you." Each child has a prayer journal for personal entries (prayers, poems, artistic drawings, etc.) and each takes pleasure in decorating the journal covers. An essential component of each atrium gathering is to conclude with communal prayer time. Our prayer table area becomes adorned with flowers, the Bible, a scripture card, a crucifix/cross, a small statue of the Good Shepherd or other religious item of choice, a candle, and the seasonal liturgical cloth. Typically, there are scripture readings, songs, and prayers. Often attention & reflection upon the work the children are doing add an extra dimension to the closing time. At the end of October, the children planted flower boxes to beautify the deck area on the Delany House. The day was brisk and cold, but the children and assisting adults labored on planting pansies and spring bulbs. The results are quite lovely now and hopefully also in the Spring/Easter. We invite you to see them as well as our Good Shepherd atrium where new items are being added almost weekly. A well-prepared atrium with age-level developmental materials is essential to foster Christian formation. We are thrilled that St. Titus is supporting this wonderful gift for our children. CGS is a theologically sound and beautiful way to connect The Biblical Word with the Church s Liturgy and to explore, discover, and answer the question time and time again, "Who are you, Jesus?" On November 4, we celebrated All Saints with the children choosing a Saint and presenting their choices with a few words about them during our communal prayer time. We ended with a brief All Saints Litany. We have begun working with Biblical geography (the raised map of ancient Israel, regions, waterways, and principal cities) to prepare for Advent and Christmas. And gestures work will be sprinkled throughout the next few Sundays that may include the Gesture of Peace, the Sign of the Cross, Preparation of the Cruets and Chalice, Epiclesis, and the Offering & Breaking of the Bread. 3

Advent candles, using wax sheets and appropriate tools.

4 In preparation for the Celebration of Christmas, our Advent themes are "Do not be afraid. The Lord is near. Rejoice!" On December 2, the first Sunday in Advent, the children will have an Advent Wreath Celebration, light the first Advent candle, hear the Prophecy of the Light (Isaiah 9:1) and begin decorating their Advent candles, using wax sheets and appropriate tools. Thereafter on each Advent Sunday, the 2 nd, 3 rd, and 4 th candles will be lighted with the accompanying Messianic Prophecies from Isaiah & Micah (the Prophecies of the Names, the Mother, the City). We will also begin presenting the Infancy Narratives; The Annunciation, The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth, The Birth of Jesus and Adoration of the Shepherds. In January we will continue with The Visitation and Adoration of the Magi (Epiphany), The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple and the Flight into Egypt. Catechist: Donna D. Smith dds3346@yahoo.com Again, we invite you to visit our Good Shepherd atrium before or after a worship service. If you would like to observe the children at work and prayer, please inform us, and we shall select a date. If you have a desire to become a rotating assistant (typically once a month), do let us know. Many thanks for your support and interest. Assistants: Danita Parker, Tyler Lester, Gloria Drew, Alice Grant T he Catechesis of the Good with no preconceived ideas of what Shepherd is the result of a should happen that the child responded long period of careful observation of children by Sofia ground in Scripture made it possible with such joy. Certainly her back- Cavalletti and her Montessori collaborator, Gianna Gobbi, in Rome. In 1954 opened and enthused the child. From for her to talk about God in a way that Sofia was a Hebrew and Scripture that day to the present time Sofia and scholar, comfortable in her role in the Gianna remind us constantly to look to academic world, when a mother asked the child for that sign of a deeply religious life - joy - and to always ask the her to give some religious instruction to her son. That experience with a 7 question: "What face of God is the year-old changed her whole life. She child telling us he or she needs to saw in that child and in numerous other children since, a way of being in the Children gather in a room specially see?" presence of God that is both unique to prepared for them, called an atrium, the child and a gift to the adult who which contains simple yet beautiful stops long enough to notice. Perhaps it materials that they use to draw near to is because Sofia went before the child God. For the child, the atrium is a place of preparation for involvement in the larger worshipping community. In an atrium the child can ponder a biblical passage or a prayer by taking the material for that text and working with it placing wood figures of sheep in a sheepfold of the Good Shepherd or setting sculpted apostles around a Last Supper table. Older children who read often copy parables from the Bible, place in order the prayers from the Rite of Baptism, or label a long time line showing the history of the kingdom of God. Edited from: 4

United Thank Offering Coordinator Honored. Yvette McMiller, center, shows the United Thank Offering Cross presented to her by St.

Titus in several capacities including Church School teacher and President, ECW. She also completed a Peace Corps assignment in Guatemala.

On hand for the presentation were (left) Robyn Furges St.

Church Women. The UTO cross is made of silver by silver artist, Lester James, from Gallup, New Mexico.

5 United Thank Offering Coordinator Honored. Yvette McMiller, center, shows the United Thank Offering Cross presented to her by St. Titus Episcopal Church Women for more than ten years of service as UTO Coordinator. Yvette is a native of St. Albans, Queens, NY. She has served St. Titus in several capacities including Church School teacher and President, ECW. She also completed a Peace Corps assignment in Guatemala. Yvette has participated in running and yoga groups. She works for UNC Family Medicine in Chapel Hill and is caregiver for her husband Walt. On hand for the presentation were (left) Robyn Furges St. Titus member and Chair of the Episcopal Church Women Durham Convocation and Barbara Longmire, (right) Diocesan UTO Coordinator and newly installed Diocesan President, of Episcopal Church Women. The UTO cross is made of silver by silver artist, Lester James, from Gallup, New Mexico. He makes beautiful crosses using the design taken from the grave stone of Julia Chester Emory, the founder of UTO. He is known throughout New Mexico and the Southwest.. For the crosses he starts with a luffa and carves the design. He even carved in tiny letters UTO on the front of each cross. Each is individually made and signed by him. Each also has the mark that assures it is sterling silver. The crosses come in two sizes: two- and threeinches long. Thank you for your support of United Thank Offering, The Episcopal Church of Navajoland Area Mission, and of Native Navajo artists 5

St. Titus Church Presents at the 203 Annual Diocesan Convention Rev. Yancy Lew Myers Robyn Furges St. Titus Presence at Diocesan Convention Background.

The Convention passed a resolution, On Supporting the Vitality of Historically Black Episcopal Congregations in the Diocese of North Carolina.

6 St. Titus Church Presents at the 203 Annual Diocesan Convention Rev. Yancy Lew Myers Robyn Furges St. Titus Presence at Diocesan Convention Background. The 202nd Diocesan Convention affirmed a commitment to form loving, liberating and lifegiving relationships with one another. The Convention passed a resolution, On Supporting the Vitality of Historically Black Episcopal Congregations in the Diocese of North Carolina. It encouraged all to find ways to help sustain the Historically Black Episcopal Congregations through prayer, bringing awareness of their existence, and telling the stories of these congregations. The 203rd Diocesan Convention met November in Winston-Salem. The program included three sessions on Truth Telling and Resilience in a Time of Injustice and Inequality Three churches, All Saints, Warrenton, Chapel of Christ the King, Charlotte and St. Titus were invited to share their stories. Once the first ballot election results were announced, the third installment of Truth Telling and Resilience in a Time of Injustice and Inequality was presented. Delegates learned that St. Titus has been a steady presence in Durham since it first opened its doors. Through the years it has had to deal with the changes in the community around them, years without a full-time priest and the challenges of integration. Yet through it all, its congregation remained a tight-knit core of determination, compassion and support, welcoming new members into a strong, intergenerational community dedicated to each other and the neighborhood around them. The presentation ended with the happy news that the Rev. Stephanie Yancy, who started at St. Titus as a part -time priest and then moved to three-quarter time, will this fall assume full-time status. She accepted the applause with grace before turning the credit and gratitude right back to the parishioners who have worked so hard for so many years to keep the vision of St. Titus alive and well and remain the strength of the congregation. As with the first two installments, conversation and reflection followed the presentation. Excerpted from https// detail_2/ You may access the entire presentation streamed on the Diocesan website and on the YouTube Channel. 6

" Get ready for fun and festive events on Sundays in December

Dec 2 Pick a card from the Angel Tree Dec 9 Bring gifts for the

Enjoy the Christmas Pageant @ 10 am Dec 24 Christmas Eve Service @

Titus Church 8:15-10 am Holiday Breakfast: St.

Saturday, December 8, from 8:15 to 10 AM.

7 " Get ready for fun and festive events on Sundays in December leading up to the Soiree! Dec 2 Pick a card from the Angel Tree Dec 9 Bring gifts for the adopted families Dec 16 Bring gifts for the adopted families Dec 23 Enjoy the Christmas 10 am Dec 24 Christmas Eve 8-pm Episcopal Church Women s Soiree follows December 8 at St. Titus Church 8:15-10 am Holiday Breakfast: St. Titus' Episcopal Church invites the community for breakfast on Saturday, December 8, from 8:15 to 10 AM. Children will be invited to select and wrap one gift for their parents. All are welcome! If you are able to help with this event please let Deacon Sarah or Rev. Stephanie know. 7

What was the single best thing that happened this? past year? reflection. A whole year has passed since last New Year s Eve. You re a year older. Are you a year wiser?

What was the single most challenging thing that happened? Pick three words to describe Pick three words your partner would use to describe this past year.

sonal change from January What was your biggest per- to December of this past year? In what way (s) did you grow physically? What was your single biggest time waster in your life this past year?

8 What was the single best thing that happened this? past year? reflection. A whole year has passed since last New Year s Eve. You re a year older. Are you a year wiser? Use these reflection questions however you see fit. You re welcome to distribute and copy this PDF free of charge. If you paid for it, you paid too much. What was the single most challenging thing that happened? Pick three words to describe Pick three words your partner would use to describe this past year. your past year don t ask them; guess based on how you think your partner sees you. Who were your most valuable relationships with? sonal change from January What was your biggest per- to December of this past year? In what way (s) did you grow physically? What was your single biggest time waster in your life this past year? In what way (s) did you grow in your relationships with others? What was the best way you used your time this past year? What was an unexpected joy this past year? Pick three words your partner would use to describe their past year don t ask them; take a guess! In what way (s) did you grow emotionally? What was the most enjoyable part of your work (both professionally and at home)? What was biggest thing you learned this past year? What was an unexpected obstacle this past year? What were the best books you read this year? In what way (s) did you grow spiritually? What was the most challenging part of your work (both professionally and at home)? Create a phrase or statement that describes this past year for you. Sunday Worship Schedule 8:00 am Holy Eucharist 9:00 am Christian Formation 10-am Holy Eucharist 10-am Catechesis of the Good Shepherd The Rev. Stephanie Yancy, Vicar The Rev. Sarah Woodard, Deacon Mary Hawkins, Newsletter Editor St. Titus Episcopal Church 400 Moline Street Durham NC sttitusdurham.dionc.org

9 Report of the 203 rd Annual Convention of The Episcopal Diocese of NC Benton Convention Center Winston-Salem, NC NC Diocese Bishop Sam Rodman presided over the 203 rd Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of NC. There were 290 delegates representing 107 Churches and 9 campus ministries based on size. Bishops, priests and deacons were also present for a total of about 450 voting members of the more than 600 in attendance. The activities of the convention included but were not limited to: Celebration of the Holy Eucharist, Annual Addresses of the Bishops, reports from officers, institutions, commissions and committees. Election of officers and members of certain boards and committees. Adoption of the annual mission and Ministry budget. And amends the Constitution, Canons and Rules of Order. St. Titus Members in attendance: Rev. Stephanie Yancy, Deacon Sarah Woodard, Robyn Furges, Alternate Lew Myers, Delegates Brandon Hudson and Chuck Hennessee. Friday, November 16, :00 am The Convention began on Friday morning with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. 11:45 am The First Legislative Session There were 14 nominations submitted for consideration at the 203 rd Annual Convention of the Diocese of NC. Two additional nominations were accepted from the floor. 11 Resolutions were submitted before the convention and 2 more were added. 1:50 pm Keynote Speaker: The Rev. Melanie Mullen: Becoming Beloved Community and the Way of Love: Practices for Jesus-Centered Life. She challenged us to choose at least one of the 7 practices (learn, turn, pray, worship, bless, go and rest) on which to focus. Everyone at the Convention was provided a copy of MORE AND MORE: A Bible Study to expand the Tent (Graphic Bible from to not only invite ppl in to have a seat at the table but also the expand the tent to incl those who don t necessary look like us. 5:15 pm Evensong Saturday, November 17, :30 am Morning prayer 8:55 am Bishop s Address Truth Telling and Resilience in a Time of Injustice and Inequality, Part II: Chapel of Christ the King, Charlotte. Bishop Sam Rodman addressed the body of the Convention and reminded us of last year s commitment to address racism in the Diocese. Bishop Rodman continued his dedication to the work of addressing racism. Leadership Chapel of Christ the King, Charlotte shared their story of survival. 10:45 am Truth Telling and Resilience in a Time Injustice and Inequality, Part III: St. Titus Durham. Rev Stephanie Yancy, Lew Myers, and Robyn Furges shared the history and stories of St. Titus s survival in a culture of injustice and inequality. 12:30 pm Noonday prayers 1:39 pm Third Legislative Session. The results of the elections were concluded. The delegation from Botswana presented their report from the 2018 trip. All resolutions except to the acceptance of the promotion of celebration a day on the calendar for King Charles the Martyr as a saint. The convention adjourned at 2:35 p.m. Respectfully submitted, William E. Hennessee Sr. Warden 9

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Training Syllabus for Level I St. John s Church, Portsmouth July 2014 May 2015

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Training Syllabus for Level I St. John s Church, Portsmouth July 2014 May 2015 Class Meetings: 4 evenings in July; 2 evenings in September, October, January, March & April