Advent/2013. Blessing of the Christmas Tree. Margaret and I extend to you and yours a fulfilling Advent, a joyous Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

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1 Advent 2013 Margaret and I extend to you and yours a fulfilling Advent, a joyous Christmas and a prosperous New Year. From the Rector s Desk As we move into the season of ADVENT, a time of tremendous anticipation and excitement, one gets prepared for all the season has to offer. More than Christmas shopping and get togethers with family and friends, ADVENT is a time to wait; a time to hope; a time to grow. ADVENT is the season when we should take time to think about the "whys" of Christmas - why all the decorations - why all the hustle and bustle - why all the buying and selling? It should be a time to look within our hearts to see if there is anything that stands in the way of Jesus' second coming. ADVENT is often here and gone and we scarcely know it has happened. Let us not forget that it is a time to enrich our hearts. It is a time for interior growth as we eagerly look forward to Christ's second coming. We are quickly approaching the time of year when the sharpness of the air makes our bodies move a little faster. The knowledge that we are waiting for the Christ, the Emmanuel, the who is to come, will, I pray, sharpen our spiritual sides also so we can celebrate ADVENT and Christmas in ways befitting their true meaning. Blessing of the Christmas Tree Again this year we invite you to erect your Christmas Tree with this prayer. It is suggested that after the tree has been trimmed and the lights tested, the lights not be turned on until the blessing begins. Parent: Let Us Pray. All: Oh Lord, we pray that you will bless this tree which we have adorned with ornaments and lights in honour of the birth of your Son, Jesus. Help us live so our souls may always wear the ornaments of good deeds and our lives may show forth the light of your love and lead others to you, as the Christmas Star led the Wise Men to the baby Jesus in Bethlehem long ago. Please grant these prayers for the sake of Jesus Christ, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and rules, ever one God, for ever and ever. AMEN Sing Silent Night together. Inside This Issue 2 Communion on the Moon 4 Caroling in the Village 5 Wardens View 7 Christmas At St. James Volume 7, Issue 4

2 2 News & Views Communion on the Moon by a nurse, found herself walking up a hill to the gate of Heaven. Arriving there, she was invited in, but declined, on the basis that her family needed her. Turning away to go back down the hill she found herself sitting up in her hospital bed and a few days later was discharged. 2. The Art of Dying - the author writes that accounts of NDE s are common, and have been recorded in pagan days, before the birth of Christianity. She devotes three pages to One of the smaller details lost amidst the examining the arguments for and against the tremendous historic and scientific achievements validity of NDEs but comes to no conclusion; of the Apollo 11 mission that landed the first she believes that there are many misperceptions, two human beings on the moon in July 1969 was but asks are all of them [NDEs] delusions and that it also marked the first occasion on which a Christian took the sacrament of Communion on lies? an astronomical body other than Earth. 3. Tom Harpur s book, Life After Death, has a chapter examining the NDE. He writes that it is This event took place in the interval between not uncommon; throughout the world millions the lunar module's landing on the moon on 20 of people claim to have had this insight. When July 1969 and Neil Armstrong's taking his first he was a columnist for a Toronto newspaper he steps on the lunar surface several hours later; invited his readers to send him letters describing during that period, astronaut Buzz Aldrin their experience of life after death, and received privately observed Communion using elements some 40 replies, some of which he quotes in the he had brought with him to the moon. book. Summarising, he writes that he is increasingly, but cautiously positive that NDEs provide a glimpse of the afterlife. Aldrin openly described his Communion experience on the moon in print several times, including an August 1969 interview with LIFE magazine, an October 1970 Guideposts article, and his 1973 book Return to Earth. An Idle Rumination By Kenneth Jones The Pentecost issue of News and Views contained a review of the book Proof of Heaven, which describes the author s Near-Death Experience, and his explanation of the event. There exist two (opposing) interpretations of the NDE. One, that it is a self-stimulation of the brain caused by the approach of death, and the other (to which the writer of Proof of Heaven subscribes) is that it is an external reality perceived by a consciousness which continues after death. The library has at least three books which tell of and comment on NDEs. 1. The Sacred Art of Dying includes the story of a woman in hospital, who, having been declared dead But there is an omission in all of these accounts, so that they are not in accordance with Christian belief. St. Paul expressed it when he wrote; Just as it is our human lot to die once, with judgment to follow. [Hebrews 9:27, NEB]. The NDE stories do not begin with any reference to a judgment. On the contrary the person leaves his/her body and immediately enters a spiritual state; generally one of bliss, but very occasionally one of distress. There would seem to be two possible explanations. 1) There was no judgment because there was no death. This would agree with the brain selfstimulation hypothesis. 2) There was no judgment because it was known that the dead person was only a visitor, and would not be taking up permanent residence in Heaven. In which case St, Paul s statement must be modified by removing the word once.

3 3 News & Views Congratulations Sue Thomas! Advent Prayer Loving God, we seek you in the light and the darkness, the silence and the sounds, the fullness and the emptiness of this Advent season. Fill our hearts with the hope for your coming, love for those who are most in need and faith in your promises. May this time of preparation help us await the coming of your Son with deep gratitude and abundant joy. We ask this in the name of Jesus, the light of the World. AMEN LINES FROM THE LIBRARY By Kenneth Jones Accessions. Since the last issue of News and Views the library has received gifts totalling 37 books. There is not space to list them here but they are shown, with a brief description of their content in a supplement to the library catalogue. A Memorial Users of the library will have observed that Miss Badger has been moved from her commanding, but remote, position on top of the shelves to a more accessible place and that she now wears a necklace, bearing the name Miss Ena. Additionally, a small plaque has been provided commemorating her work in founding the library. These changes were made by a group of her friends in the book club, who wished to provide a memorial to her service Our Susan is too modest to trumpet her own accomplishments so we will have to do it for her. On the day we placed Ena's plaque in the library, we were thrilled to hear that Sue was to have her first novel published. She says "It is just the beginning for me and I would want people to realize it is just a first step for a budding author. I plan to hone my craft through courses and by writing, writing, writing. My great "literary masterpiece" is still in the works. I know I have a long way to go but I am excited to finally be on my way." The title of the novel is "Incarnation." It is fantasy, geared towards young adults and authored by Susan Nolan. (Sue's maiden name) The release date is November 8th, 2013 and is available through Amazon.com in e-reader version or paperback. We share in the joy of this achievement and look forward to following a trail of successes.

4 4 News & Views CAROLING IN THE VILLAGE By Joanne Redhead Please join us for caroling in the village on Saturday, December 14. Meet at St. James at 2:00 p.m. After the caroling we will have some shortbread and cider at St. James. This is a great opportunity to share our faith and the joy of the season, as well as to connect with Christians from other churches. Please feel free to bring some friends along to join in who may not be connected with our church. And you don t have to sing in a choir to join us! The more the merrier! A little boy opened the big family Bible. He was fascinated as he fingered through it when suddenly, something fell out. He picked up the object and looked at it. What he saw was an old leaf that had been pressed in between its pages. "Mama, look what I found," the boy called out. "What have you got there, dear?" With astonishment in the young boy's voice, he answered, "I think it's Adam's underwear!" MILESTONES AT ST. JAMES DEATH: Ian Brown OUR ONGOING BAZAAR By Ruth Sowrey You don t have to go any further than St. James to start your Christmas shopping this year. Just have a look in our Boutique in the room next to Mark s office. You will find Christmas ornaments, hand knitting and sewing, St. James memorabilia, pictures, small furniture and a host of collectible items. Great gifts for Christmas! You can cross some of the Christmas presents and hostess gifts off your list and perhaps even buy something for yourself! News & Views is a newsletter for the people of St. James Church. It is published four times per year - Lent, Pentecost. Fall and Advent. For submissions in the newsletter: Any member of the Parish of St. James Church may submit an article for the newsletter. To do so, newsletter@stjamescaledoneast.ca or leave your articles in writing or on a CD in the newsletter box at the church office. Articles are considered, based on space availability and relevance. Thank you for your submission. Donna Davies, Editor Next Newsletter: Lent 2014 Deadline: February 16, 2013 Publication: March 2, 2014

5 5 News & Views Our Lifetree Café outreach program runs every Wednesday evening from 7PM until 8PM in the Gathering Space. It s the sharing of the human experience through personal stories and connections with others. It s people coming together through a common bond or similar life experience to hear what God has to say about the issues that life throws at all of us. It is totally led and organized by the lay members of our Parish Family. Past topics have included; The Art of Loss; Children with No Place to Call Home; Getting Past Your past; Is the Church Obsolete?; Forgiving the Unforgivable; Religious Freedom. At the People portion of the Vestry meeting in June we raised the make-up of the Advisory Board and a reduced slate of members was approved by the Vestry. Your Board met in September and the first order was to elect a chair and a secretary. Helen Swinden has assumed the Chair and Ruth continues as recording Secretary. The business of the Board was discussed and as mentioned at the June Vestry, we will not be spending time listening to numerous committee reports but instead will be looking for solid advice on issues affecting the Parish. It was also decided that monthly meetings were not necessary so the Board has moved to quarterly meetings provided there is something to discuss. Another issue raised was planning - something to shoot for. Therefore Mark, with the concurrence of the Wardens, formed a committee of six to come up with a five-year plan. To date some broad objectives have been decided upon; they are in the areas of worship, outreach and finance. Now we need to flesh out these objectives with action plans. Your participation in this part of the process will be most welcome. The program has proved to be an excellent outreach tool for us. Admission to the 60-minute event is free. Snacks and beverages are available. Please check it out!! For further information or to volunteer in this worthwhile program, please speak to any member of the team. Your Lifetree Café Team THE WARDENS VIEW We are now three months into worship with our new priest, Rev. Canon Mark Tiller. Kudos to Mark for settling in so quickly and additional kudos for some excellent, thought-provoking sermons, and Mark is no slouch when it comes to non-worship chores, wielding one of the heftiest leaf-rakes this writer has ever seen. Money or lack of it is always front and centre and your Wardens are pleased that as of the end of August we had a net income position and a healthy bank balance. This of course was mainly due to not paying the usual stipend for a Rector. The budget (presented to Vestry in February) recognized this would happen. As reported last newsletter, some of the surplus funds were used to upgrade various items at the Rectory. Since the end of August income has not kept up with expenses and our bank balance, while still positive, is much reduced. Therefore we are gently asking that during the season of Advent and Christmas everyone dig just a little deeper so that we can end the year with a healthy balance to carry into the year Yours in Christ, Carl Helen Juergen

6 6 News & Views OUTREACH LIFE IN TODAY S CHURCHES Dear Friends: Thanks to you and your wonderful generosity we have been able to support: Bethel House Hospice Caledon Community Services Choices (home for kids Leprosy Fund Mission to Seafarers As we go into the Advent season, in addition to the Advent Tree (the gifts of warmth, food, and joy) we are adding Santa for Seniors. There is a decorated Christmas box in the gathering space for donations of items which Seniors can use such as razor blades, tooth paste/brushes, combs, socks, to name a few. Bless you all and have a wonderful Christmas season. Sandy K. (Outreach Chair) and her wonderful elves (you know who you are) Life ends, when you stop Dreaming. Hope ends when you stop Believing. Love ends when you stop Caring And, Friendship ends when you stop Sharing

7 7 News & Views CHRISTMAS AT ST. JAMES Sunday Dec 1 First Sunday of Advent 9 a.m. Service 10 a.m. Breakfast 11 a.m. Lessons and Carols Service Gifts of Warmth for the Advent Tree Sunday Dec 8 - Advent Two 9 a.m. & 11 a.m. Service Gifts of Joy for the Advent Tree Tuesday Dec 10 7 p.m. Advisory Board Meeting Saturday Dec 14 - "The Village Carolers" Come and join us along with folks from other village churches as we carol our way through the village and visit those who are shut in. No experience or talent required. Meet in the St. James parking lot at 2 p.m. and come after for shortbread and cider. Sunday Dec 15 - Advent Three 9 a.m. & 11 a.m. Service - Gifts of Food for the Advent Tree (non-perishable please) Friday, Dec a.m. - Decorating the St. James Christmas Tree all are welcome to help Sunday, Dec 22 - Advent Four 9 a.m. Service 11 a.m. Sabbath Rest Service Tuesday Dec 24 CHRISTMAS EVE 7 p.m. Christmas Eve Family Service 11 p.m. Traditional Candle Light Service with Communion Wednesday Dec 25 CHRISTMAS DAY 11 a.m.- Holy Communion with Carols Sunday Dec 29 9 a.m. & 11 a.m. - Service Sunday Jan 5 9 a.m. Service 10 a.m. Breakfast 11 a.m. Sabbath Rest Service

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