... G E T S E T... G O!!

Transcription

1 The Newsletter of Saint Mark s Parish DECEMBER G E T S E T... G O!! From the Rector Every year as we enter Advent, the first readings we hear are in an apocalyptic voice. It s always a little jarring for me, going from our Season of Gratitude into the storm of Advent One. I came upon this wonderful piece by the Rev. Barbara Cawthorne Crafton. It s given me a bridge from one season to the next. I hope it helps you cross over too. Faithfully, Pastor Carri+ Spooky readings in church this Sunday, the kind that make people hope the fundamentalists are mistaken. The end of the world is coming, and it will be a terrible thing. Maybe they're right. Maybe we're supposed to be taking all this absolutely literally. Maybe we're supposed to be adding up days and years with our calculators, so we can know how long we've got. You read about this or that group doing that, now and then: they figure out that the end is coming on a given Thursday, and work hard to get the word out. And then Thursday comes and goes, and the world doesn't end. I always wonder what Friday is like for those folks. I think we must turn to something besides a calculator to make useful sense of such passages in scripture. What good can they do us? Well, to begin with, they let us know what was on the minds of those who wrote the words we revere. Many of these people thought the end of the world was imminent, and behaved accordingly. Some of them didn't marry because they thought the world was coming to an end. Some of them tried not to eat. What was the point? They were living what they thought were the last days of their lives. Aha. The last days. If you knew these were your last days, what would you do differently? Anything? Everything? We'd rethink many of our habits. All of the thrifty things we do to secure our futures would be irrelevant. We wouldn't save money. We wouldn't build. We wouldn't buy; we'd sell. And then we'd look at the money in our hand and realize that it wouldn't have made a bit of difference if we'd left it all right where it was. It would not be making the trip with us. It would have no value to us at all. We wouldn't fight. We'd stop. There would be nothing left to win in a fight. And nothing left to lose. Most of us would rush to find the people we love. We'd tell them, one last time, just how dear they are. We would cling to them. We would want to be together when the end came. (continued)

2 And we would want to look at our world one last time. We'd want to see how lovely it is, one last time. We'd want to hear music. Taste food. Smell a flower and feel the dirt in which it grows with our hands, even if we knew we would never see the flower grow, even if we knew nobody would ever see it. Just to feel one more time what growth is like, before growth stops forever. If we really thought about it, we'd realize that selfishness would avail us nothing at the end of the world, that hoarding would be to no avail, and that generosity and caring would bring people to us, if only for a little while. And we'd want people with us. So we'd not be selfish. Giving would feel better to us, at the end, than receiving. And we would wonder what was next. It would be a time of seriousness about God, finally. Maybe our first time, maybe not. We would understand immediately, of course, that it was too late to earn our way into heaven, if that's what we'd been trying to do, so we'd abandon that effort. In desperation, we would beg for something more, whatever God had to give us. It would be too late for anything else. We would long for the futility of our ending to be replaced with the sufficiency of God's endlessness. It would feel deeply comforting to us to think that God goes on and on, as we found ourselves ending. We would want to be included in that ongoing. We would, at last, be living the life that brings people closer to God. If we thought the world were ending, we would be better people. And maybe that's why we have these spooky scripture passages. Not to learn when we're going to die. But to learn how to live.

3 CALENDAR Dec. 1, 8,1 5, 22 Tuesdays Boy Scout Meeting 6:00 p.m. Meeting House Dec. 1 Boy Scout Committee Meeting 7:00 p.m. Brown Library Haiti Committee Meeting 7:00 p.m. Rector s Office Dec. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Wednesdays Men s Fellowship Breakfast 7:00 a.m. Bible Study 9:30 a.m. Brown Library Dec. 2, 9, 16, 23 Wednesdays Lectio Divina 5:30 p.m. Church Dec. 2, 9, 16 Wednesdays Choristers rehearsals 3:15, 4:00 p.m. Music Room Dec. 3, 10, 17 Thursdays Choir rehearsals 7:30 p.m. Music Room Dec. 4 Dec. 4 & 5 Dec. 5 Dec. 6 Christmas trees arrive LA Diocesan Convention Ontario Convention Center Christmas trees distributed Movie Night 6:30 p.m. Brown Library Daughters of the King Meeting 8:45 a.m. Rector s Office Dec. 6, 13, 20 Sundays Adult Education: Advent Series 9:00 a.m. Brown Library Sunday School 10:00 11:15 a.m. Community Hall Youth Group 5:00 p.m. Community Hall Dec. 7, 14, 21 Mondays Centering Prayer 10:00 a.m. Brown Library Boy Scout Leaders Meeting 6:00 p.m. Community Hall Dec. 7, 14 Dec. 8 Dec. 9 Dec. 13 Dec. 16 Dec. 17 Dec. 19 Dec. 20 Dec. 21 Dec. 24 Dec. 25 Dec. 27 Jan. 1 Education for Ministry 7:00 p.m. Brown Library Women s Soup 6:30 p.m. Chorister dinner 5:00 p.m. Community Hall Writing Practice 7:00 p.m. Rector s home Altar Guild Meeting 8:45 a.m. Rector s Office Cub Pack Meeting 3:00 p.m. Community Hall Vestry Meeting 7:00 p.m. Brown Library 2nd Grade Girl Scouts Meeting 3:00 p.m. Community Hall Christmas Pageant & Choristers Rehearsal 10:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m. Formation Meeting 12:15 p.m. Rector s Office 5th Grade Girl Scouts Meeting 2:00 p.m. Community Hall Blue Christmas 7:00 p.m. Altar Guild decorates church 9:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. Festive Holy Eucharist, Pageant, Christingles, with Choristers 9:00 p.m. Carols 9:30 p.m. Festive Holy Eucharist with Choir Christmas Day 10:30 a.m. service Baptisms 9:00 a.m. service New Year s Day Church office closed

4 Movie Night: December 5 6:30 p.m. Brown Library Come enjoy an intimate evening of fellowship and cinematic entertainment on the first Saturday of the month. Bring a snack to share and stay for the discussion afterwards. Door of Hope Dinner: Wednesday, December 2: 6:00 p.m. Contact George Rothwell via the church office to participate in preparing a dish and sharing a meal with the residents. Women s Soup: Tuesday, December 8, 6:30 p.m. Venue to be announced. Children, Youth and Families News Youth Group 6 th -12 th Graders are invited to join us on Sunday evenings from 5:00-6:30 p.m. for fellowship, conversation, worship, and fun! Please feel free to reach out to Parker with any questions or to be added to our weekly list. Sunday, November 29 - No Youth Group Sunday, December 6 - Youth Group and Parents' Program 5:00-7:00 Dinner and childcare are provided! Sunday, December 13 - Youth Group 5:00-6:30 p.m. Sunday, December 20 - Youth Group Ginger Bread House Making Time and details TBA Wednesday, December 23 - Christingle Making! Time and details TBA! Sunday Adult Education: Stories of the Season November 29; December 6, 13, 20: 9:00-10:15 a.m., Brown Library From Louisa May Alcott to Dylan Thomas, literature is full of stories about the magic and meaning of the Christmas season. For the four Sundays in Advent, members of the congregation have been invited to present stories they find personally meaningful as they prepare for Christmas, and to talk about why they cherish them. Come listen to the tales, share your reflections, and enjoy a little peaceful contemplation as we await the coming of Jesus. Writing As Spiritual Practice: Wednesday, December 9, 7:00 p.m. Brown Library All are welcome to discover and express themselves through writing. Whether or not you think of yourself as a writer, we all have stories to tell. Join this time of listening to your own life, and discerning God in it. Haiti Committee Meeting: December 1, 7:00 p.m., Rector s Office Los Angeles Diocesan Convention 2015: Ontario Convention Center Horizons & Heritage Friday & Saturday, December 4 & 5 Guest Speakers: The Most Reverend Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church Renita Weems, Biblical Scholar and Author Endowment Message: "Is God's will in your Will or Trust?" Please consider a bequest to the Endowment Fund of Saint Mark's Parish when creating or updating your Will or Trust.

5 Haiti Update: Here are a few updates on our partnership with Ste. Marguerite School in Latournelle: We spent the summer restructuring our Haiti Committee, and look forward to continuing our friendship with the people of Latournelle with greater effectiveness and strength. Special thanks go to Chris Zarow for her 4 years of chairing our Team. We welcome Alicia Maddox and Stephanie McKinney as our new co-chairs. We have begun conversations with our new partner priest, Pere Pierre Reginald Valliere, and look forward to meeting him face to face when some of us travel to Haiti in February He and the leaders of Ste. Marguerite are helping us know the best way to support our friends as we continue to journey with them. Our recent Coins and Cans deposit was for more than $600! Thanks to everyone who adds their change to the ceramic jug after each school chapel service and each Sunday morning worship service. Our coins really do add up! We invite you to consider setting aside all of the coins you accumulate in your everyday exchanges, and putting them all in the jug each week. We sent two checks with Serena Beeks, Executive Director of the Commission on Schools for the Diocese of Los Angeles, when she traveled to Haiti earlier this month: one for $4,000 to continue to fund the lunch program, and one for $1,000 to help subsidize teacher salaries at Ste. Marguerite. Watch your Bulletin on Sunday mornings for updates on funds raised, and for fundraising goals going forward. Blue Christmas: A Service of Comfort & Light Monday, December 21 7:00 p.m. Christmas is not a joyous season of celebration for everyone. If you ve experienced the loss of a loved one, your health, a relationship, your job, or a deeply held dream, if you are far from those you love, or if you have painful memories of Christmas in years past, the holidays can be agonizing and isolating. You are invited to join us for a Blue Christmas service at 7:00 p.m. on December 21. Our worship will be quiet and reflective, with prayers, readings, and music accepting the hurts we bear, and offering the hope of comfort and healing. All are invited to a light reception following the service in the Brown Library. Musical Tidings of Comfort and Joy! Monday, December 21 8:00 p.m. Renew your heart and soul as Mark Robson, interim organist at Saint Mark s Church, shares organ selections highlighting melodies of the season, accompanied by Catherine Del Russo on English horn. The music will range from plainchant to Bach to Messiaen, including some of Robson s own compositions. This concert follows our annual Blue Christmas service; all are invited to attend either or both events.

6 Sunday, December 6, 2015: Advent II * 7:45 a.m. HOLY EUCHARIST Coffee Hour immediately following in the Office. 8:45 a.m. Daughters of the King Meeting, Community Hall * 9:00 a.m. FAMILY SERVICE Parker Garrett, preaching Nursery care available. Snacks after service 9:00 a.m. Advent Series: Brown Library 10:00 a.m. Sunday School for ages 3 to 6th grade in the Community Hall * 10:30 a.m. CHORAL HOLY EUCHARIST Saint Mark s Choir sings. Nursery care available. Coffee Hour immediately following the service in the Community Hall. 12:00 p.m. Formation Meeting, Brown Library 5:00 p.m. Youth Group with parents, Community Hall Sunday, December 20, 2015: Advent IV * 7:45 a.m. HOLY EUCHARIST The Rev. Carri Patterson Grindon, preaching Coffee Hour immediately following in the Office. * 9:00 a.m. FAMILY SERVICE Nursery care available. Snacks after service 9:00 a.m. Advent Series, Brown Library 10:00 a.m. Sunday School for ages 3 to 6th grade in the Community Hall * 10:30 a.m. CHORAL HOLY EUCHARIST The Carri Patterson Grindon, preaching Saint Mark s Choir sings. Nursery care available. Potluck Coffee Hour immediately following the service in the Community Hall. 12:15 p.m. Formation Meeting, Rector s Office 2:00 p.m. 5th Grade Girl Scouts Mtg., CommunityHall 5:00 p.m. Youth Group Meeting, Community Hall Sunday, December : Advent III * 7:45 a.m. HOLY EUCHARIST The Rev. Pete Berry, preaching Coffee Hour immediately following in the Office. 8:45 a.m. Altar Guild Meeting, Rector s Office * 9:00 a.m. FAMILY SERVICE Nursery care available. Snacks after service 9:00 a.m. Advent Series, Brown Library 10:00 a.m. Sunday School for ages 3 to 6th grade in the Community Hall * 10:30 a.m. CHORAL HOLY EUCHARIST Saint Mark s Choristers sing. Nursery care available. Coffee Hour immediately following the service in the Community Hall. 3:00 p.m. Cub Pack Meeting, Community Hall 5:00 p.m. Youth Group Meeting, Community Hall Sunday, December 27, 2015: First Sunday after Christmas * 7:45 a.m. HOLY EUCHARIST The Very Rev. Sylvia Sweeney preaching Coffee Hour immediately following in the Office. * 9:00 a.m. FAMILY SERVICE Baptisms The Rev. Carri Patterson Grindon, preaching Nursery care available. Snacks after service * 10:30 a.m. CHORAL HOLY EUCHARIST The Very Rev. Sylvia Sweeney, preaching Mark Robson, organist. Nursery care available. Continental Coffee Hour immediately following the service in the Community Hall.

7 CHRISTMAS WEEK SERVICES Monday, December 21: Blue Christmas service, 7:00 p.m. Musical Tidings of Comfort & Joy! 8:00 p.m. Thursday, December 24, Christmas Eve 5:00 p.m. Christingle Choral Eucharist and Pageant with Choristers 9:00 p.m. Carols and Anthems in the Church 9:30 p.m. Festive Christmas Choral Eucharist with Saint Mark s Choir Friday, December 25, Christmas Day 10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Organ The Rev. Colin Brown, D.D., PhD, preaching

8 Saint Mark s Parish Prayer List December 2015 Pray for our church: Michael, our Presiding Bishop Jon, Diane and Mary, our Bishops; The Priests who serve our Parish; The Bishop Diocesan search process. Pray for our Partner Church and School and its Priest in Haiti: Ste. Marguerite s and Père Pierre Reginald Valliere. Pray for those in active military service: Bianca Edwards, Ben Soifer, Aaron Granger, Henry Carnevale, TSgt Wesley Walker, Commander Michael Kearns, Erin Moffitt, William Moffitt. Pray for those living with chronic conditions: Rosie & Jake Rutt, Peggy Taylor, Dorothy Ledge, Mary and Meg Elgin, Merril Somerville, Dargin Springfield, Sylvester Scott, Edward Bailey III, Kai Jack, Arthur Green, Elizabeth Schiller, Lynn Marini, Frank Malone. Prayer is requested for Randy Pollard, Coni Canino, Kelly Bennett, Ginny Fisher, Robert Lum, Rebecca Jayne, Michael Williams, Jennifer Pattison, MaryLu Anderson, Scott Pagter, Bill and Jane Dale, Barbara Ebert, Ralph Wright, Rose Gaynus, Pablo, Leslie Andersen, Susan and Jeff, Rusty Duff, Alyssa, Jim H, Dan Carlson, George Henderson, Tom Tanner, Maria Osuna, Susan Solebello, Luke Kissick, Richard Morrisset, Paul Morgan, Brad Patterson, Tom Clyce; Livia, John, Laura, Rafael and Lucas; Paul Patterson, Andy Pollard, Bill Eddy, Meg Morrow, Robert Key, Carolyn Meis, Betty Butler, Jennifer, Phil Carlson, Joscelle Shen, Sally and Pete, Marc McCelland, Judy Freudenberger, Mark Goodman; Dickson, Walter and Van Windsor; Paula Kuhl, Ruth Ridenou, William Malcolmson, Rudy Melinat, Bill and Sherrie Melinat, Sam Shelton, Shelton family.