december 2016 NEWS FROM THE NARTHEX At Emmanuel Episcopal Church, we strive to provide people the opportunity for growth in their faith through our mutual love, respect and acceptance of one another. From father Robert SINCERE BLESSINGS OF THE ADVENT SEASON TO EACH OF YOU! Dear Sisters and Brothers, May the gifts of Hope, Joy, Peace and Love be yours in abundance. By the time you read this we will have been back in the church celebrating, professing and living our faith together as a community of faith in a house for the church known as Emmanuel, meaning God is with us. With all of my strength I do believe that God is in those hallowed walls and in our very own hearts as we come to seek him, to know him and to be fed by Word and Sacrament. Part of our restoration program was to reconfigure our altar from a flat surface against the wall in the front of the room into the main altar around which the community can gather as we make Christ known in the breaking of the Bread I would like us to focus on the Altar for a few moments as I share with you a prayer written for the dedication of an Altar. Gracious God, we praise you and give you thanks, for you have established the sacrament of true worship by bringing to perfection in Christ the mystery of the one true altar prefigures in those many altars of old. Noah, the second father of the human race, once the waters fell and the mountains peaked again, built an altar in your name. You, Lord, were appeased by his fragrant offering and your rainbow bore witness to a covenant refounded in love. Abraham our ancestor in faith, wholeheartedly accepted your word and constructed an altar on which to slay Isaac, his only son. But you, Lord, stayed his hand and provided a ram for his offering. Moses, mediator of the old law, built an altar on which was cast the blood of a lamb: so prefiguring the altar of the cross. All this Christ has fulfilled in the Paschal Mystery: as priest and victim he freely mounted the tree of the cross and gave himself to you, as the one perfect oblation. In this his sacrifice the new covenant is sealed. In his blood sin is overcome. And so we stand before you in prayer. Bless our Altar, Lord, built in the house of the church that it may ever be reserved for the retelling of the story of Christ s sacrifice and stand forever as the Lord s table, (continued on page 2)
News from the narthex Emmanuel Episcopal Church Served by the People of God in the name of Bishop Rob Wright of the Diocese of Atlanta and the Vestry Phil Bettendorf, Finance Ellen Cowne, Parish Life Bill Fox, Facilities Brian Freese, Formation Rob Hoyt, Stewardship Weyman Johnson, Outreach Roger Lange, Junior Warden Naomi Norman, Senior Warden Crysty Odom, Parish Life Terrie Seward, Youth Ministry Brooke Stortz, Day School Diane Wahlers, Pastoral Care and supported by the Staff: Georgia Collier Melissa Fulcher Karen Holland Sam Polk Denise Thomas and assisted by the Clergy Fr. Robert Salamone, Rector Fr. Christopher Cole, Assistant Rector 498 Prince Avenue Athens GA 30601 706-543-1294 www.emmaneulathens.org Fr. Chris leads compline at the Sneak Peek on November 17 th. (continued from page 1) where your people will find nourishment and strength. Make the altar of our church a sign of Christ s presence who in shedding his blood ushered in the sacraments of the church. Make it always a table of joy, where the friends of Christ may hasten to cast upon you their burdens and their cares and take up their journey once again restored. Make it a place of communion and peace so that those who share the body and blood of your son may be filled with his Holy Spirit and grow in your life of love. Make it a source of unity and friendship, where your people may gather as one to share your spirit of mutual love. Make it the center of our praise and thanksgiving, until we arrive at the eternal tabernacle, where, together with Christ, high priest and living altar, we will offer you an everlasting sacrifice of praise. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God, for ever and ever. I will think of these sentiments as long as I continue to be privileged to celebrate the mysteries with each and all of you. It is God after all, who brings us together for God s purposes (talk about mystery) to enable us to make him known to the world in which we live. So may the strength, the grace and the openness to grow in holiness, which is offered at the Altar be the gift we truly celebrate in this wonderful season of anticipation and joy. Many blessings, Robert +
The Adult Faith Formation Committee offers programs that explore Holy Scripture, Anglican tradition, and Church history to deepen personal faith, strengthen community, and share the Gospel with each other. Adult Formation for december Christian formation, according to the Episcopal Church of the USA, is the lifelong process of growing in our relationship with God, self, others, and all creation. Every experience in our lives can provide us with the opportunity to express our faith; the challenge we face is recognizing these opportunities and learning ways to live a sometimes countercultural life in a secular world. Adult Formation meets in the Westminster room, downstairs in the Formation Building. Please join us for a discussion about Advent with Fr. Robert, Interrupted by Hope Turning Towards Advent, with Fr. Robert. The purpose of Advent is to make us pregnant with hope. For many, the holiday season is not filled with joy, family and gifts, but anxiety, stress and despair. Advent seeks to reframe our experiences with new expectations. It is the expectancy that new life will start to grow within us all. emmanuel episcopal day school registration for 2017-2018 School Year The pleasure of your company is requested as the Children of Emmanuel present A Night of Light ~ The Epiphany Pageant Friday, January 6, 2017 6:00 PM in the sanctuary with the Great Feast to follow in the Parish Hall 3 Emmanuel Episcopal Day School offers a comprehensive creative morning program for children 20 months through 4 years. Registration for the 2017-2018 school year will begin Thursday January 12 th for members of Emmanuel Church. Please join us that morning for our Open House at 10:00 am in the Common Room followed by school tours. You may also schedule a private tour by emailing dayschool@emmanuelathens.org. For more information visit the day school page of the church website or like us on Facebook at fb.com/emmanuelepiscopaldayschool.
News from the narthex CHRISTMAS POINSETTIAS If you would like to help decorate the church for Christmas, either with a memorial or in Thanksgiving, please send your check, (made payable to Emmanuel Church) directly to the church at 498 Prince Avenue, Athens, GA 30601, or drop your check off in person at the church office, ($15/ name is suggested). Your list of those to be remembered or honored should include each person s full Christian name. Absolute deadline is Friday, December 16th. Please mark Poinsettias in your memo line of your check. In Memory: (To add more names, please use separate piece of paper) Name (to be printed in bulletin) In Thanksgiving: Name (to be printed in bulletin) Given by: Address: City: Zip Phone Number: Amount given:
5 the Power of wonder for all god s children WONDER. When was the last time you had that sense of wonder? There are too many things in the way that block our sense of wonder. But nothing distracted Mary from pondering in her heart, wondering about the news of a child she would give birth to, and to name Him Jesus. The shepherds were not too busy to notice a star that shone brighter than any other in the sky to cause them to wonder and to follow. Wonder is how children learn. Wonder leads them to contemplate the world and all that is in it. We too used to wonder. That sense of wonder is the guiding star in the Atrium. It is that protective precious time and place where our children are loved and encouraged to wonder about the Good Shepherd His love, His voice, His gifts, His presence. Like perhaps many of you, I too had lost that sense of wonder, too busy with my own agenda that I could not hear or see that wonder taking place in my own children. It was at an ECW meeting about ten years ago that wonder finally broke through. The program began with the speaker, Beverley, who asked us to look at the plants on our tables. One pot had just a sprout of green, another had grass that had grown slightly taller, and another was even taller, filling the pot even more. She asked us to take the smallest pot and gently pull the sprout out to look at it. Beverley then directed us to do the same with the other pots. We shared what we saw. The sprout still had the seed in tact with a few fragile roots beginning to form. The next pot we discovered that the seed had started to disappear and had even more of roots. When we pulled out some of the grass from the pot that had the most growth, the seed had completely disappeared replaced with a root system. Beverley guided us to wonder about the seed. She asked such pondering questions as: I wonder what happened to the seed as the grass grew bigger? What did you notice? I wonder where the seed went? I wonder how the seed knew how to grow? We were transformed in a matter of minutes, immersed in the wonder as children as adults contemplating the wonder of God. That is the moment I knew I needed more of this, and became passionately in love with the Good Shepherd and the work of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd was inspired by the work of Dr. Maria Montessori and Sophia Cavalletti, observing, not teaching, children. As adults we are there to simply guide the children through the materials provided in the Holy space we call the Atrium. We sit quietly with the child helping him to wonder and discover for himself the love of the Good Shepherd. We watch each child fall in the love. They hear the word of God read from the Bible about how the Good Shepherd knows His sheep by name. The sheep know His voice. The sheep will not follow a stranger s voice And what do they say when they hear these words? He must love His sheep and The sheep are safe and They hear his voice and must know Him. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a gift from God through the work of the founders and passed on to generations of Catechists all over the world. It is as much for the adults as it is for children. Thanks to Father Robert s dedication to Catechesis, Emmanuel offers all three levels of CGS to our children 3-12 years of age. It is by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit through this work that we can give the children and ourselves the greatest gift: the love of God. It is the heart of the matter. God first loves us, and we fall in love with Him. You can t teach this. I invite each and every one of you to wonder and ponder. Whether you are a young adult or older like myself, can you offer the gift of love to a child? Can you give yourself the gift of quiet wonder with the child at the feet of the Good Shepherd? Come and See what happens in the Atrium. Georgia Collier Come and See Opportunities ~ Mark your Calendars Today Jan. 6 ~ The Epiphany Pageant, 6:00 pm in church Jan. 8~ Catechesis Adult Formation, 9:30 am in Westminster March 3 ~ Catechesis Morning Retreat, 8:30 am 12:00, Common room June 27 July 1 st ~ Level II Summer Training at Emmanuel Or contact Georgia at georgiacollier50@yahoo.com or at 706.540.8237, or another Catechist, and let us know when you would like to visit. We host Catechesis of the Good Shepherd every Sunday morning, and we would love to share our experience with you. Georgia Collier
News from the narthex From the music ministry SOLI DEO GLORIA! As our time in the Common Room draws to a close, I want to thank the Emmanuel Choir for hanging in there while sitting on a cramped stage with precarious risers. I also want to express my appreciation to Mackenzie Marr for accompanying the choir over the past several months. Her talent and willingness to play allowed me to conduct standing up, which made things easier for the choir. In preparation for resuming services in the church, the Steinway grand piano will be moved back to the church right after Thanksgiving. The organ is scheduled to be moved the week of November 28 and will be back in use once Walker Technical Company comes on-site to voice the organ for the new acoustics in the church. The schedule for Walker Technical is jam-packed in December as all churches want their organs in tip-top shape for Christmas. Bob Walker, the president and founder, is doing everything possible to ensure that our organ is voiced and ready for Emmanuel s annual service of Advent Lessons & Carols that is scheduled for the 10:30 am liturgy on Sunday, December 11. Once back in the church, the Emmanuel Choir will be wearing new white surplices made by Watts & Co., a London firm, which are fully gathered around the neck with long pointed sleeves. Our blue cassocks were purchased in 2009, but the white surplices were not replaced at that time. After 15-20 years of use the surplices had become dingy, were showing considerable wear, and needed to be replaced. It seems fitting for the choir to wear new surplices as we celebrate the renovation of the church. Please note that CDs of the combined choir concert presented in October, 2015 with First Baptist and First Presbyterian are still available for purchase from the church office: $15 each (checks made payable to Emmanuel). The choir has been rehearsing Advent and Christmas music for the past two months, and much of the music is new for us. Organ, brass, and timpani will shake the rafters at both 5:00 pm and 10:30 pm services on Christmas Eve. The choir will join us at the 10:30 pm liturgy as we celebrate The Nativity of Our Lord. Sam Images from the Sneak Peek
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News from the narthex Remove an Angel fromthe t ree in t he Narthex t o share the gift of Love Living God s Purpose The 2016 Annual Meeting will be held on Sunday, December 11 th. We will convene in the Common Room after the 10:30 service. Sandwiches will be served. Salvation Army gifts due Friday, December 9 Emmaus House gifts due Sunday, December 18 December Birthdays 1 Philip Bettendorf, Charlotte Martin, Campbell Harrison 2 Mark Dodson, Sarah Prestridge 3 Walker Glancy 4 Esther Smith, Nell Hemphill, John Robertson, Sissy Erwin, Rhodes McLanahan 5 Gloria Sams, Emilee Stortz 6 Keith Dix, Eloise Luken 8 Lee Atkinson, Conner Pannell, Kate Ruston 9 Peg Wood, Ann Wilkins, Carter Stanfield, Jade Strong 10 Vivian Ygartua, Andrew Aiken, Gillian Ball, Sam Clements 11 Joshua Alexander, Laura Alexander, Evan Greene 12 Annette Mitchell, Pam Shields, Matthew Hicks 13 Kim Tomlinson, Mary Anne Shields 14 Marjorie Garner, Rob Winthrop, Eli Clarke 15 Tom Tuggle, Stephanie Slate, Jack Matthews 16 Debra Harden, Elaine Cook, Kim Noland, Tye Edison 17 Samantha Nickerson 18 Gregory McIntyre, Robin Krause, Laura Harrison, Richard Swann, Clarke Buckner 20 Ann Joye McLeod 21 Emily Reynolds, Georgia Patterson, Gael Williams 23 Mary Lyle Cook 24 Susan Alexander, Kurt Genteman 25 Vesta Hardman, Marib Gipson, Kate Kleiber 26 Laurel Genteman, Patrick Snead 27 Thomas Wilkins, Beth Shaw, Harris Collier 28 Johnny Scoggins, Max Germain 29 Ruth Cline, Ethan Greene 30 James Buckner 31 Clayton Dufur
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News from the narthex What is an Episcopalian? I am always delighted to contemplate with people the seemingly eternal question, What is an Episcopalian? This question captivates the faithful who choose to carry its practices and traditions in their pilgrimage. It is an especially apt question to ponder now, in this the season of Advent, the beginning of our liturgical year that provides much of the shape of what (and who) an Episcopalian is. The Incarnation plays a central role in the theology of the Episcopal church. Two defining characteristics we might ponder as we anticipate this miracle are, first, Episcopalians are always becoming. Like the stained glass windows that captivate our imaginations, life is a work of art. Misunderstanding can be found in those red segments of the windows, while reconciliation can be found in those blue ones. We are a people in progress, not yet perfected by the slow and steady work of the Holy Spirit. An Episcopalian is thus defined by our evercontinuing spiritual awakening. Second, belief for the Episcopalian takes a secondary position to the prayer of worship, as in prayer shapes believing. The season of Advent is one of expectation and hope an awakening to the miracle and joy of the Incarnation and to the ever-widening discovery of its unending gifts. Perhaps most important is the idea that each Episcopalian comes with her or his unique idea of what this miracle means in life, and how it matters to the parish, to the community, the Church and the world. Episcopalians can all agree that there is common prayer, and there is a sharing of a common meal. Around these two things, we find identity and community. As you contemplate your own life as an Episcopalian, may you be strengthened in this season of Advent by the guidance of those courageous Shepherds who before understanding what had happened, set out on a pilgrimage towards Bethlehem encompassed by the prayer, Do not be afraid; for see I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people. Fr. Chris From Melanie Rowell Hello, friends, from Sewanee! It was such a blessing to be back at Emmanuel this summer while I was doing my Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at Northeast Georgia Medical Center. Getting to see everyone was wonderful! CPE was an incredible experience. I learned so much from my supervisor and my peers with whom I served. It is hard to believe that I am almost halfway through seminary. Things are going very well! The girls are enjoying life up here on the mountain and the friends they have made. Their school, Saint-Andrews Sewanee, is top-notch, and they love going there. Scott is here as often as he can be, traveling back and forth between Tennessee and Georgia, depending upon his work schedule. Next semester, all middlers will start their first semester of Field Education, which means that all the seminarians in my class are placed in a parish setting to learn from a priest mentor. Next semester is also when most of us go up for Candidacy, which is the official status between Postulant for Holy Orders (what I am now) and Ordination. Hopefully I will see some of you during Advent and at Christmas. You are all in my prayers, and I thank you so much for the continued support: all the prayers, emails, kind words, and the financial support as well. I appreciate each of you so very much, and I am blessed to call Emmanuel my sending parish. for His sake, Melanie
Emmanuel s Service & Faith Formation schedule is as follows; only exceptions are listed on the calendar below: 11 Wednesdays: 5:30 pm Healing Service & Eucharist, Chapel Saturdays: 5:30 pm Holy Eucharist Rite II, Chapel Sundays: 8:30 am Holy Eucharist Rite I, Church; 9:15 am Faith Formation for Children & Youth; 9:30 am Adult Formation, Westminster, and 10:30 am Holy Eucharist Rite II, Church Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 6:30: Stephen Ministry, 4:45: Daughters of the King 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Noon: Natural Noon: Homeless Day Center Preparation, Common Room 2:30: Bigger Vision, Common Room 10:00: Natural 7:30: Al-Anon, Old Music Suite 4:30: Thrift House Meeting, 7:15: Choir Rehearsal 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Noon: Natural 7:30: Men s 10:00: Natural N7:15: Choir 11:00: Eucharist at Poinsettias Deadline 4:45 Daughters of Noon: Annual Parish Meeting, Common Room 1:30: Prayer Shawl, Ministry Suite Spirituality Group, 10:00: Bible Study, Coventry 7:30: Al-Anon, Old Music Suite Rehearsal Gardens 6:30: Stephen Mini Music Suite the King 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Noon: Natural Noon: Parish Meal, Common Room Noon: Homeless Day Center Prep, Common Room 7:30: Men s Spirituality Group, 10:00: Bible Study, Coventry 10:00: Natural 7:30: Al-Anon, Old Music Suite 7:15: Choir Rehearsal 11:30: Caregiver s Support Group, 7:15: Choir Rehearsal Noon: Church office closed 7:00: Brass Rehearsal 5:00: Holy Eucharist 10:30: Holy Eucharist with Emmanuel Choir (incense used) 10:30: Holy Eucharist (only service today) 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Church office 7:15: Choir 4:00: Wedding closed Rehearsal Rehearsal 10:00: Natural 7:30: Al-Anon, Old Music Suite 11:00: Wedding 4:45: Daughters of the King
News from the narthex December 2016 The Vestry Covenant We, the Vestry of Emmanuel Church, promise to honor God by nurturing the spirit and ministering to God s people. We will support everyone s gifts for service and leadership made possible by God s grace. Ministry to the poor will be at the center of all we do. We promise to welcome with Christian hospitality all persons and to offer opportunities to all to grow in faith. We will strengthen ourselves through faithfulness in worship, daily prayer, and stewardship of our time, talents and treasure. We will foster love and joy in God s service. Emmanuel episcopal church 498 Prince Avenue Athens, GA 30606 NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID ATHENS, GA PERMIT NO. 231