Advent 2017 November 2017 St. Simeon s Anglican Church St. Simeon s Anglican Church 445 Principale Lachute, QC St. Simeon s is a part of Laurentian Regional Ministry in the Diocese of Montreal. Contact Information: Mailing address: 715 Meikle Street, Lachute QC J8H 1V4 Church: 450-562-8937 The Rev d. Nick Pang: 450-562-2917 Rector s Warden Susan Sioui 450 562 8451 People s Warden Drummond Hall 450 562 6147 Deputy People s Warden Janick Tremblay-Bouchard 450-562-0409 Web site: www.parishoflachute.ca Greetings from Rev d Nick! THE O-ANTIPHONS Sometime before the sixth century a quaint tradition appeared in the liturgy of the church, tucked away in the season of Advent. The O Antiphons are a series of short phrases that begin and end the Song of Mary (Magnificat) in the liturgy of Evening Prayer in the week leading up to Christmas. Advent is a time when we await the coming of Jesus as lord of Heaven and Earth and the O antiphons give a certain structure to that waiting by giving us seven names of Jesus as foretold by the prophet Isaiah, names that connect us to our past but which also point us to the future of Jesus return. Remembering what came before while at the same time looking forward to what lies ahead is central to the season of Advent. It s also at the heart of Christian practice. The people of God are always called to remember that the church is something that we ve inherited from generations before us as well as something that we need to pass on to the generations that follow us until the coming of Christ. Chiefly the O Antiphons serve as signposts along the way, markers that we re getting closer and closer by the day to the great triumphant return of Christ. However the O portion of the antiphons also reminds us that we re not simply speaking about Jesus, we re in fact speaking to Jesus, and beckoning him ever nearer: O Wisdom, O Lord, O Root of Jesse, O Key of David, O Dayspring, O King of the Nations, O God with Us. Recently scholars have pointed out that if you read the first letters of the O antiphons backwards you end up with the Latin words ero cras, which translated means, tomorrow, I ll be there. The O antiphons are a powerful cry from the assembled people of God begging Christ to come quickly, but taken together, they re also a hidden response from God: I m just around the corner. Entering into the seasons of Advent and Christmas, how might you mark with excitement and anticipation the coming of the Lord of Heaven and Earth? You are invited. We invite you to join us for supper in the church hall this Christmas Eve. It has been a tradition for several years now that we share a meal with some of our church family in our home on Christmas Eve. Space is limited in our home but our desire to offer a meal and some fellowship to others is not limited, so we are planning to create some atmosphere and provide a hearty meal to anyone who would like to join us. Dinner will be served at 6 pm on Sunday, December 24, 2017 in the Church Hall. You are welcome to join us for this Eve of celebration. Bring something to share with others, whether it be yourself or a bit of food for the buffet. And plan to stay for the beautiful candlelight service at 9:30 pm. Please let Susan or Herb know if you can join us. 450-562-8451
Page 2 of 4 Advent 2017 What is your Favourite Christmas Carol? Once in Royal David s City Stood a lonely cattle shed, Where a mother laid her baby In a manger for His bed: Mary was that mother mild Jesus Christ, her little child. If you were asked what your favourite Christmas carol is, what would your answer be? There are so many possibilities. Our Choir master didn t hesitate when asked that question Once In Royal David s City was her very quick response. Janis says that this hymn represents the beginning of Christmas to her Once in Royal David s City was originally written as a poem by Cecil Humphries Alexander and later, in 1849 the English organist, Henry Gauntlett set it to music. A side note: Cecil Alexander also is remembered for her hymn All Things Bright and Beautiful. Family Service Greetings. In St. Simeon s, one of the highlights of Advent is the Christmas Pageant Service. It is a wonderful way to prepare our hearts and minds for the celebration of Christ s birth by hearing the Nativity story, singing the familiar carols and seeing the children and some adults create the Christmas tableau. This year the Pageant is on December 10 at 9:15 am. It is a no fuss, no rehearsal pageant so everyone can be involved. The children and adults who will be reading are given their passages in advance. All other children have an opportunity to Since 1919, the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at the King's College Chapel Cambridge has begun with "Once in Royal David's City" as the Processional hymn. Traditionally, the first verse is sung by a boy chorister of the Choir of King's Chapel as a solo. The second verse is sung by the choir, and the congregation joins in the third verse. Excluding the first and second verse, the hymn is accompanied by the organ. This has been the tradition at King s College for the past 97 years. Beautiful words; beautiful hymn. Thank you Janis Morrill for your gift of music. Please join us for our Lessons and Carols Service on December 17 at 9:15 am participate when they arrive at the church. We extend an invitation to all friends and family to come and join the celebration. On December 24 th at 4:00 PM there is a Christmas Eve Family Service. Designed with families in mind, it is a casual format that incorporates readings, prayer and praise in celebration of Christmas. It is also a great way to bring the true meaning of Christmas to all ages. All are welcome. On behalf of the Family service team, Nick, Sue, Jenna, Ann, Gordon and Rolanda, I wish you a very blessed Christmas and a Happy Healthy New Year. Edna Hall St. Simeon s Christmas Bazaar The Congregational Christmas Bazaar was held on November 11, 2017. To all members of St. Simeon s, and friends far and wide, who participated in so many ways to making your Bazaar a success; thanks go out to all of you. The preparation for the bazaar is an ongoing process, getting especially busy after September collecting books, treasures, pickling, baking, crafts, and new and old ideas that contribute to putting this event together. It goes without saying that the Christmas Bazaar takes a lot of people doing a lot of jobs and yet it all comes together to create a memorable and successful bazaar every year. The day of the bazaar is a whirlwind until the end. It creates good fellowship; it is fun, busy, tiring, but always a job well done. Well done to everyone and thank you. Pet Farmer, Bazaar convener 2017.
Page 3 of 4 Advent and Christmas Services December 3 : Advent 1 9:15 AM - A service of Morning Prayer with Susan Sioui December 4: Don t forget the Seniors Dinner at Noon December 10: Advent 2 9:15 AM Christmas Pageant with Rev. Nick. All children are invited to participate. December 17: Advent 3 9:15 AM Service of Lessons and Carols with Rev. Josée. Please join us for the Christmas story in words and music. December 24: Advent 4 4 PM Family Christmas Eve Service. This is a popular service giving families an opportunity to celebrate the birth of Christ in a relaxed time of worship. All are welcome. 9:30 PM Traditional Christmas Eve Service with Rev. Nick. This is our regular Christmas Eve candle light service. We hope that you will be able to join us for this beautiful service of celebration. We wish you a Blessed Christmas and a Happy, Healthy 2018! This is a joint Bible Study with the Parish of the Lower Laurentians. All are welcome. 6 pm. A light supper will be served. If you plan to attend please advise us to help in the planning of the meal. 6:45 pm Discussion on the Gospel lessons (listed here for each date.) If you would like a ride to St. Aidan s for any of the studies, please contact Susan Sioui 450-562-8451 Seniors Christmas Dinner The organizing team for the Annual Seniors Christmas Dinner has already met to start planning for this much anticipated event to be held on Monday, December 4 at Noon. The menu, of course is easy Turkey dinner with all of the trimmings and delicious Christmas Pudding for dessert. A dedicated team of organizers which is ecumenical in its makeup, has been providing these dinners for the Senior community since 1991 Once the tables are cleared, all are invited to stay for a Carol Sing led by Janis Morrill, organist at St. Simeon s If you have been attending these dinners for the past few years, you will be getting a phone call to remind you of the date. If you have never had the opportunity to attend and would like to come, please advise one of the people listed below to have your name put on our phoning list. There is a limited amount of seats available, and the community has always responded in big numbers, so call us early to be sure that you can be included this year. Andy Mason 450-562-7217 The Four Gospel Accounts and Their Introduction to the Life of Jesus Nov. 15: 6 pm at Study based on Mark 1:1-20 Nov. 22: 6 pm at Study based on Matthew 1:1-25 Nov. 29: 6 pm at St. Simeon s, Lachute Study based on Luke 1:26-38 and Luke 2:1-20 Dec. 6: 6 pm at St. Simeon s, Lachute Study based on John 1:1-18 Dec. 13: 6 pm at Pot Luck Supper and closing reflections Gifts for children are left under the tree at the Dinner and are brought to LES where the staff ensures that they are given to children who need a little extra joy at Christmas time. Thanks for your generosity and thoughtfulness. The corporation of St. Simeon s We re on the Web! Visit us at: http//www.parishoflachute.ca Flowers for the Altar All year long, our altar is decorated with arrangements of lovely flowers and more so at Christmas and Easter. The Altar guild works hard to assure that our church looks beautiful all of the time but extra effort is evident during the Festival times. With rising costs, it is becoming more challenging. We ask that you consider making a donation to the Altar Guild because you appreciate their good work or because you want to give in memory of a loved one. We ask that you leave your donation on the collection plate, clearly marked for the Altar Guild and indicating a name of a loved one that you would like to memorialize in this way. Donations may also be given to Rev. Nick, to either of the Wardens or to the Treasurer (Herb Sioui)
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 1 2 12:30 pm 3 4 Fellowship Meeting 5 9:15am MP 6 7 8 9 9:30 am 10 11 11:30 am Edna Hall 4 pm in Ste Agathe 12 9:15 am 13 14 4 pm. 15 6 pm 16 9:30 am 17 18 Family Service Diversity Vestry Meeting 19 9:15 am 20 21 22 6 pm 23 9:30 am 24 25 HC with Rev. Nick 26 9:15 am 27 28 29 6 pm 30 9:30 am HC with Rev. Nick St. Simeon s, Lachute Annual Christmas Bazaar SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 1 2 3 9:15 am 4 Noon 5 6 6 pm 7 9:30 am 8 9 Susan Sioui Seniors Christmas Dinner St. Simeon s, Lachute 10 9:15 am 11 12 4 pm. 13 6 pm 14 9:30 am 15 16 Christmas Pageant with Rev. Nick Vestry Meeting Noon Fellowship Dinner 17 9:15 am 18 19 20 21 22 23 Lessons and Carols with Rev. Josée 24 See Page 3 25 26 27 28 29 30 for details 31 9:15 am HC with Rev. Jane