DECEMBER, 2006 A PERSONAL ADVENT

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1 A PERSONAL ADVENT DECEMBER, 2006 Advent is a time for deeply personal reflection. It s both the source of great joy, looking back on the birth of Christ, and on the great abundance of blessings heaped upon us during the year. It s also a time of great pain for many, as we reflect on the losses and suffering, both personal and global that have been part of our lives in the past year. This time of year is one of unrealistically huge expectations finding the right gift for those we love throwing the best parties sending the right cards. And it s especially difficult to find time to reflect on what Advent is truly about. We get so lost and obsessive about trying to care for and please others that we sometimes lose sight of the fact that we have to address our own needs too: to find quiet time to hear God s voice to reflect on how we live our lives to nourish our own bodies, minds, and spirits and sometimes, to grieve. I m so conscious of how hard it is to do this work of God. I know how easily we can be discouraged by the events of the world. I know it s a struggle. Yet, in spite of the conditions of the world, I believe that God expects us to be faithful. Is Advent a time for mercy? A time for sparing judgment? A time for allowing us to get it right? A time to grow in faith and in obedience? A time for preparation? A time for hope? Advent, you see, is about hope; hope that the wrong of this world will one day be righted. Hope that the evil of this world will perish. Hope that justice will finally be done. Hope that our personal pain will subside. During this season, we re reminded of our responsibility of being God s presence in the world, each with our own work to do the work of the kingdom of God the work of witnessing to God in our daily lives where we work and where we live. In grief and in joy. Help us, Lord, to wait in faith, to watch eagerly for your coming, to be your presence and relieve the fears of our hearts. Make us people of peace and hope, a people of confidence, a people unafraid to call on you, a people who proclaim the coming of your love in the midst of darkness. E.S.G.

2 IN OUR PRAYERS We welcome by Letter of Transfer to St. David s Robert Harle Johnson, Ann- Michelle Mowery Johnson, and their baptized children, Sophia Eames Johnson and Caroline Elizabeth Johnson from St. Augustine s Chapel, Nashville. Strengthen, O Lord, your servants, with your Holy Spirit We give thanks for the birth of Carter David Stewart, born November 2, to Leah (Grace) and Josh Stewart, grandson of Judy and Snake Grace; and the birth of Mary Clark June Schmidt, born November 17, to Pam and Chad Schmidt, granddaughter of Carolyn and Chester Schmidt. The following persons are being prayed for in our liturgies each week: Gilbert Pearson, J.B. Snider, Georgette Willis, Ann McNair, the Summers family, Ruth Griffith, Carter Stewart, Ben Chilton, Kaite Allen, Sharon Silver- Regent, Betty, Joyce Vezina, Jackie Hill, Charlene Payne, Mike Ellis, Susan Brown and Leonard Wenn. May the Lord uphold them and fill them with grace We share in sorrow for those who have died, especially Margaret Gayle Ballance, daughter of Vickie and Collin Ballance, on November 7. Rest eternal grant to her, O Lord CHRISTMAS SERVICE SCHEDULE 2006 Advent IV, Sunday, December 24 There will be only one celebration of the Holy Eucharist at 10:30 a.m. Christmas Eve, Sunday, December 24 Parish Family Service 4:30 p.m. Carols for Congregation and Choir 10:30 p.m. Festival Choral Eucharist 11:00 p.m. The First Sunday after Christmas, December 31 Holy Eucharist 8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Carol-singing 10:30 a.m. There will be no Breakfasts or Christian Formation classes on Sunday, December 24, or Sunday, December 31. 2

3 ONION RINGS by Norman Gillis The McElroys are movin on up up the road from the Greenwoods that is. After December 1, their new address will be 7325 River Bend Road, Phone and remain the same. St. David s acknowledges a bequest from the estate of Robert Murphy Reed, M.D. in the amount of $7, We are grateful for the love and care that gift represents. Shoppers are urged to keep in mind the Alternative Christmas Gift Market in honor of the late Lauren McCathren. Please join us as we seek to reduce the commercialism of Christmas and recapture the joy of giving by helping those in need. Make plans to come to Christ Church Cathedral s fourth annual Market on Saturday, December 2, from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon. The first Market was inspired and organized by Lauren McCathren when she was a teenager. After her death in 2005, the program was dedicated in her honor and her passionate desire to help those who are marginalized or less fortunate. Representatives from a variety of local and global outreach ministries will be present including South Africa, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Uganda. The Episcopal Churchmen of Tennessee will have an Advent Corporate Communion at Christ Church Cathedral at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, December 3. All laymen (fathers and sons) in the diocese are invited to participate. Dinner will follow the Eucharist. The cost is $7.00 and reservations may be made by calling Marti Lawson at or ing her at mlawson@christcathedral.org. Don t miss this year s Advent/Christmas Breakfast on Sunday, December 17, at 9:00 a.m., in Sanders Hall. Always a festive gathering, please bring your favorite holiday breakfast dish to share. Boy Scout Troop #42, after more than a thirty-year sponsorship by St. David s, has accepted an offer from the Gordon Jewish Community Center to re-charter the troop to that location which can provide more room and more facilities to do scout programs and exhibit scout banners and awards. From very small beginnings, Troop #42 has now grown one of the most active troops in the West District. The re-chartering will be effective on January 1, Godspeed and God bless! Dec. 17 Dec. 19 Dec. 22 Dec. 23 Dec. 26 Dec. 27 Dec. 29 Dec. 30 DECEMBER ANNIVERSARIES Wendy & Craig Brooks Diane & Patrick Ruth Nikki & Tripp Hunt Angela & Dick Klausner Betty & Tom Bolles Kathy & Tommy Tompkins Lucy & Allen Hovious Kristin & Bob Napier PARISH ADVENT ACTIVITIES by Betsy McElroy We are so excited to bring our Parish together for an Advent full of great inter-generational activities to help us prepare for the birth of Jesus. As we teach the children in Godly Play, the birth of Jesus is a great mystery. If we do not take the opportunity to get ready for it, we might miss it. It is easy to do with all our commitments during this busy season. Therefore, St. David s is helping everyone get ready with activities that will help us reflect on and celebrate this wonderful mystery. (Note: Activities will begin at 9:15 a.m. in Sanders Hall unless otherwise noted) December 3 - Godly Play Story: Advent & Family Wreath Making: A special time of reflection by experiencing the Advent Story 3

4 told in the Godly Play tradition. In addition, we will work together as families to create Advent wreathes to use at home during the season of Advent. We will have most of the materials available, but we ask that each family bring some type of greenery to fill out our wreaths. December 10 - High Chocolate (Brown Bag Pageant & Carol Dancing): Celebration of Advent at it s best! Lots of hot chocolate and sweets to warm our souls with a pageant, where everyone plays a part, and lots of dancing. An event many look forward to all year. December 17 - Parish Potluck Breakfast (begins at 9:00 a.m.) December 24 - Christmas Eve: No Christian Formation In addition to the above activities, I invite everyone to join our children in making a bed for Jesus to lie in during our Christmas Eve service. Traditionally, the manger is filled with straw for bedding. This year, in addition to the straw, the children will be writing their good deeds on strips of paper to line the straw. One of our greatest gifts was and is the birth of Jesus Christ. This is an opportunity to get ready for the birth by giving back with good deeds. To be a part of this activity, write your deeds on strips of paper. Bring those strips to church with you each Sunday and place them in the manger, which will be set up in Sanders Hall. No good deed is too big or too small and you don t have to put your names on them. I am hoping that there will be more strips of paper in the manger than straw on Christmas Eve. We look forward to a wonderful Advent Season. Let s get ready. ROOM IN THE INN by Emily Jones St. David s has four more opportunities to serve Room in the Inn guests. Please mark your calendars for December 9, January 13, February 10, and March 10. For the month of December, we are continuing our tradition of giving our guests backpacks full of goodies, and we need stuff to go inside!!! We need 12 sets of t-shirts (large, X- large, and XX-large), thermal underwear, hats, gloves, tube socks, and toiletries. Please leave your items in Sanders Hall by December 3. Food - To make sure that Room in the Inn runs smoothly, we are asking that parishioners make a concerted effort to sign-up to bring food and drinks. Even if you have brought the same thing for many years, the sign-up sheet acts as a guide for last minute preparations, especially for the newbies of the congregation. Please sign-up by December 3, January 7, February 4, and March 4, the Sunday before we host our guests. If for some reason you are unable to sign-up or forget to sign-up, still feel free to bring food to St. Luke s. We promise we will eat it! Spending the Night - In addition to serving a meal, we need help with men s spending the night. We have four more times to host guests and only need 8 men to volunteer to spend the night. Your one night of sacrifice ensures that 10 to 12 men have a warm, dry place to sleep. Please sign-up in Sanders Hall. Something New The sign-up sheets for each night we are hosting are all going to be posted at the same time in Sanders Hall to allow you and us to plan ahead. Therefore, if you cannot help with a dish for December, you have the opportunity when you are thinking about it to go ahead and sign-up for January. Thank you to Kathie Dougan, Tony and Mary Jo Howland, and to all those that make Room in the Inn possible. 4

5 MISSION AND OUTREACH by Judy Grace Uganda: We packed ½ ton of items to send to Uganda. The contents included educational materials for the Commuter Children and sewing supplies for the Child Mothers. The boxes are going out slowly, and our diocesan outreach effort has been a huge success. If you wish to support this program, we are selling hand-embroidered tea towels (see the M/O bulletin board). We are also happy to receive monetary donations to offset the cost of sending the 70+ packed boxes to Uganda. Hispanic Lunch Program: We are seeing many new clients at our weekly Wednesday program. We are in great need of socks tube socks and warm socks. Also needed are warm clothing, jeans, and underwear. These items do not have to be new, so remember our clients when you are cleaning out closets and drawers. Honduras: Father Peña and his work crew are completing the work on the wall that will surround the school in Banderas. Soon there will also be either a well or some other type of water supply at the school. There are a few bottles of vanilla and kahlua (they last for an indefinite period of time) if you need these items for Christmas baking. See Judy Grace for the Episcopal discount. THE JOURNEY HOME: ART BY RESIDENTS OF ROOM IN THE INN You are cordially invited to an exhibit of artwork by residents of Room in the Inn at the Leu Center for the Visual Arts, Belmont University, in Gallery 121. The exhibit runs November 13 through December 18 and showcases a variety of works for sale. Proceeds will benefit Room in the Inn and the Campus for Human Development. A NOTE FROM THE TREASURER Please contact the church office before making a gift of stock. We can give you the correct contact information to make the donation go smoothly. Thank you. Steve Cook. MISSION/OUTREACH CHRISTMAS GIFTS Speaking of Christmas, we will once again offer mission and outreach gifts of donations to our various areas of outreach. All of the information may be found on a table outside the nave, next to the elevator. Top Ten Reasons to Give a Mission/Outreach donation as a gift 1. tax deductible 2. no long lines 3. gifts are never returned 4. wrapping paper and ribbon not necessary 5. you can fill out the form during the sermon (if you dare) 6. write a check and St. David s does the rest 7. enrich someone else s life 8. you ll be living the Gospel 9. blessing included with purchase 10. your gift will be returned to you one hundredfold. Dec. 4 Dec. 6 Dec. 9 Dec. 10 Dec. 14 Dec. 20 Dec. 24 Dec. 25 Dec. 26 Dec. 27 Dec. 30 Dec. 31 DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS Julie Erwin, Carl Tucker, Larry Forte Taylor Swift Joe Brown, Carol Hornberger Grady Williams Mike Benton Van Hill Dotty Rogers Gareth Aden, Bill Sanders, Ann Walling Jonathan Gotterer Ellen Robert Kent Agee, Cal Fox, Kaye Howry, Jason Spector Heather Gaspard 5

6 ANNUAL PARISH MEETING The Annual Parish Meeting of St. David s Church will take place on Sunday, January 14, 2007, at 9:15 a.m. (Snow date: Sunday, January 21) At that time, we will elect four new members to the Vestry Class of To be eligible to serve on the Vestry, a person must be at least 18 years of age, a confirmed Episcopalian in good-standing, and a communicant of St. David s Church, having been confirmed here or received by Letter of Transfer from another parish. Vestry members, once elected, are expected: to assume a leadership role in the parish; and to be willing to serve as a liaison to a cluster or committee. Please convey the eligibility requirements to persons you wish to nominate. Our Nominating Committee members (from the outgoing Class of 2006) are: Kent Agee, John Kitch, Annette Pilcher, and Carolyn Schmidt. 175 th ANNUAL CONVENTION OF THE DIOCESE OF TENNESSEE Our bishop-elect, the Rev. John C. to be involved in the programs, activities, and spiritual life of the parish; Bauerschmidt, will be consecrated as bishop of Tennessee on Saturday, January 27, at 10 to be regular in attendance and worship, o clock, at a site to be announced. The attend monthly Vestry meetings (held on diocesan convention will meet on the two days second Tuesdays), the annual Vestry prior to the consecration, Thursday and Friday, retreat, and other meetings when January 25 and 26, at Christ Church scheduled; Cathedral. If there are those in the parish who to practice proportionate giving with an would like to offer themselves as delegates, awareness of the tithe as the Biblical please let us know. The Vestry will elect three standard of giving; delegates (and three alternates) at its meeting on December CHRISTMAS FLOWERS & DECORATIONS are given to the glory of God by (please print) in honor of in memory of in thanksgiving for Please return this form to the parish office by Sunday, December 17, 2006, with a check in any amount payable to St. David s, noted for Christmas flowers. 6

7 J2A s DECEMBER/JANUARY CALENDAR Friday, December 1: Sunday, December 3: Sunday, December 10: Bowling and Lock-in at St. David s, 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. on Saturday. Prepare breakfast for the parish, Parish Advent wreath making event, no Christian Formation classes, 9:15 a.m. 10:15 a.m. High Chocolate, Brown Bag Skit, breakfast, etc no Christian Formation classes, 9:15 a.m. 10:15 a.m. Saturday, December 16: Dinner and movie night with Church of the Resurrection youth group The Nativity, time tba Sunday, December 17: Sunday, December 24: Wednesday, Dec. 27: Sunday, December 31: Friday, January 5: Sunday, January 7: January 13-14: Parish Advent Breakfast, no Christian Formation classes, 9:00 a.m. Advent IV, Christmas Eve, no Christian Formation classes Hispanic Lunch Program at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Nashville, 10:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. Meet in front of the Belle Meade Starbucks at 10:00 a.m. New Year s Eve, no Christian Formation classes. Feast of Lights celebration. Service and parish potluck supper at St. David s, time tba. Christian Formation classes begin for Happy New Year! Ski trip to Sugar Mountain, NC. Leave Nashville early on January 13 and return late on January 14. Cost: $175 which includes all meals, transportation, ski rentals, and lift ticket. Let Andrea know ASAP know if you wish to go. 7