THE WILD ONION December 2017-January 2018 The Wild Onion Has New Look! In the interest of the way folks get their communications these days, we decided to take full advantage of the tools that Constant Contact provides. We realize this is a very long newsletter, but we are hoping that Constant Contact soon provides "anchor links" that will allow us to jump down to specific articles rather than having to scroll through the entire letter. We hope you'll enjoy this format and be able to use it to be apprised of goings on at Saint David's! CONTENTS: Worship Stewardship Formation Community Service Letter From the Rector December Calendar Lay Ministry Schedule Parish Office Holiday Closures: December 18: at noon December 26-January 1 SUNDAYS IN DECEMBER AND JANUARY December 10, Second Advent Holy Eucharist, 8am and 10:30am All Parish Advent Potluck Breakfast, 9am Youth Lunch and Christmas Caroling, 12noon December 17, Third Advent Holy Eucharist, 8am and 10:30am Bishop Bauerschmidt's Annual Visitation Please join us to talk with the Bishop at 9:15am in Sanders Hall. There is much going on in the diocese and he is excited to share news about these things. Christmas Pageant/Carol Sing/Spaghetti Supper, 5:00pm December 24, Fourth Advent Holy Eucharist, 8am and 10:30am 4 th Advent Craft Day at 9:15 am. (crafts for our Christmas Eve celebration) December 24, Christmas Eve Christmas Eve Festive Choral Eucharist, 4:30pm December 31 Morning Prayer at 8am and 10:30am Carols and Pastries, 9:15am January 7 Holy Eucharist at 8am and 10:30am Adult Forum begins a new series: Creation, 9:15am Children and Youth meet for Sunday School, 9:15am No Children's Choir Rehearsal
January 14 Holy Eucharist at 8am and 10:30am ANNUAL MEETING, 9:15am in the Nave Children and Youth meet for Sunday School, 9:15am January 21 Holy Eucharist at 8am and 10:30am Adult Forum Creation Series continues, 9:15am Children and Youth meet for Sunday School, 9:15am January 28 Holy Eucharist at 8am and 10:30am Adult Forum Creation Series continues, 9:15am Children and Youth meet for Sunday School, 9:15am ADVENT IV AND CHRISTMAS EVE There will be THREE services on December 24. The Fourth Sunday of Advent will be celebrated at the 8:00 and 10:30 am services that morning and a Festive Choral Eucharist will celebrate Christmas Eve at 4:30 pm that same day. Childcare will be offered at the 10:30 am and 4:30 pm services. No services on Christmas Day. On Sunday, December 31, Morning Prayer will be offered at both the 8:00 am and 10:30 am services. WORSHIP Two Opportunities for Weekday Holy Eucharist and Healing Services, Wednesday, December 6 at 6 pm and Monday, December 11 at noon Held in the chapel, healing services are opportunities to be present to the hurts in our lives and the lives of those we love. Scripture readings offer comfort. Prayers offer strength. The laying on of hands invites the works of the Holy Spirit in the healing of oneself or another. You may participate as much or as little as you feel comfortable. The healing you seek may be for yourself, for a friend or family member or for issues in our world or strangers who share our human family. BISHOP S ANNUAL VISITATION Bishop Bauerschmidt will make his annual visitation to Saint David s on the Third Sunday of Advent, December 17. He will preach and celebrate at both the 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. services and will join breakfast and the Adult Forum between the services. Youth are encouraged to attend this conversation with the bishop. 2
CHRISTMAS MUSIC, FLOWERS & DECORATIONS (circle Music or Flowers) 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 Monday, December 18, 2017, with a check in any amount made payable to Saint David s, noted for Christmas Flowers or Christmas Music. Forms can also be found at the entrances to the Nave Hear Ye, Hear Ye! Lay Eucharistic Visitors Needed Training Coming Soon If you are looking for a new way to become more involved in the life of Saint David s and would like to visit some of our community who cannot join us on Sunday, consider becoming a Lay Eucharistic Visitor. Per the canons of the church, A Eucharistic Visitor is a lay person authorized to take the Consecrated Elements in a timely manner following a Celebration of Holy Eucharist to members of the congregation who, by reason of illness or infirmity, were unable to be present at the Celebration. Title III, Canon 4, Section 7 This particular ministry has been active for some time, but we are looking to expand it as the number of people who cannot be with us in person grows. If you would be interested in being put into a rotation to visit someone please let Burns know. Your time commitment is determined by you. The clergy and staff are working behind the scenes to determine who needs to be visited and how often they would like to receive communion. Training for new visitors (and previously licensed visitors, if you want a refresher) will be offered in January. Stay tuned for details. For more information, contact Deacon Burns at burnsrogers@gmail.com or 615-424-1453. 3
STEWARDSHIP Stewardship is just an eleven-letter word by Owen Grimenstein It shouldn t be dreaded or feared. It shouldn t trigger a fight-or-flight response from those who hear it On the contrary, not only is stewardship necessary, but can also be fun and rewarding. Merriam-Webster includes the following words as synonyms: care, direction, management, guardianship, and trust. The parishioners of Saint David s are the guardians of this church, both the physical building and the people that use it. We provide our talents and gifts that help this church make a difference in the lives of one another and the communities surrounding us. To me, being a good steward means: be a smiling face to visitors and one another, provide funds that keep the church running and supports those in need, bring a friend to church and social events, serve on the vestry, come to workdays, volunteer in the nursery once a quarter, or spend the night with or donate food to Room in the Inn. Most of these things are fun and can make a difference in someone s life. Stewardship is here in Saint David s. It shows it s face all the time. I ve seen it. My family became recipients of Saint David s stewardship after the Nashville flood in 2010. But how much of Saint David s stewardship has not yet been seen? Like the tip of an iceberg, there is so much waiting under the surface. The more of our time, money, and gifts we show, the more we can provide hope for others. The more of us that surfaces, that much more beautiful and powerful will we be! The Stewardship Campaign 2018 - The Great, the Good and the Not so Good The stewardship campaign for 2018 is progressing. There is truly great news- we have 9 new pledges and 2 pledges this year that pledged sometime ago, but not recently. Our pledge card return is 63%. The good news is that 44 have increased their pledges while only 16 pledges have decreased. 36 have remained the same. We are truly grateful for the support the pledge campaign has received from the parishioners. However, there is still some not so good news. Our pledges, at this point, are about $30,000 less than last year. However, we still have a number of pledge cards that have not been returned and we are very hopeful that the difference can be made up. If you have not returned a pledge card, please do so as soon as you can. Saint David's has much to be thankful for and we look forward to your financial support in the coming year. In faithful thanksgiving, Annette Pilcher, Stewardship Chairperson 4
Securing Our Future Loan Update! Since Mary Leigh Rayhab issued the challenge at the annual meeting to pay down the Securing Our Future loan in 2017, $51,751.21 has been paid toward the principal of the loan above and beyond the church s regular monthly payments. Current SOF balance: $59,533.86, down from $121,441 where we started in January 2017! END OF YEAR FINANCIAL REMINDER: Pledge donations for 2017 must be received in the parish office by the close of business on, or postmarked by, December 31, in order to be listed on your 2017 pledge statement. Please contact the parish office to get our stock account information if you wish to donate stocks. The parish office will be closed December 26 through January 1 so, if you aren't able to deliver your final pledge contribution in person before then or on Sunday, December 31, please mail it by December 31. Donations from the offertory on Sunday, December 31, will be credited to 2017 donations. Thank you! FORMATION The Youth Group, Godly Play and Nursery Children present and invite you to the Saint David s Christmas Pageant Sunday, December 17, at 5:00 p.m. We encourage you to join the children in their retelling of the birth of the King! All children are welcome to be part of our annual Christmas Pageant: bring your children, grandchildren, neighbors and friends. The children are asked to gather in Sanders Hall at 4:30 pm to dress in costumes provided by Saint David s. Immediately following the Pageant adults will remain in the Nave to sing a few Christmas carols while the children change out of their costumes; music will be provided by Jennifer McQuire. Then in true Saint David s fashion, where there is celebration, there is food! Everyone will gather in Sanders Hall for a wonderful supper provided by the special Events Committee. If you have any questions please ask Lucy Hovious, Diane Ruth or Jennifer Sanders. DECEMBER 24 CRAFTING DAY FOR ALL AGES And we need your help because we'll be making decorations for our Christmas Eve liturgy! Previously unplanned, the Fourth Sunday of Advent will be full of holiday crafting in preparation for our Christmas Eve service that evening. All are invited to come to Sanders Hall at 9:15 am for making paper chains and paper angels to hang from the balcony. We ll also have a station for decorating (and eating!) Christmas cookies. 5
GODLY PLAY by Jennifer Sanders, Children s Ministries and Godly Play Coordinator May this time of preparing for the coming of Christ be a time in which we remember to love God and love one another. During the month of December we will be doing just that as we partake in activities different from our normal Godly Play schedule. Please see below. Also, the children will be donating stuffed animals, socks, and underwear for the Reverse Advent Baskets. These will come from our very own Bazaar. Our talented knitters, Eleanor Gibbons and Kathy Carlson, created beautiful little creatures. December 10 th - LOCATION: Sanders Hall- Potluck Advent Brunch (No Christian Formation) December 17 th - Godly Play meets in the Children's Chapel for regular class, Christmas Pageant late afternoon December 24 th - Join in Sanders Hall for an event for all ages. The 4 th Sunday in Advent Craft Day. December 31 st Carols and Pastries in Sanders Hall. January 7 th - Regular Godly Play. Children s Worship in the Children's Chapel at 9:15; at 9:30 the children will hear the Epiphany story. YOUTH MINISTRY Such a great time on the ice with youth of Saint David s and their families. We will definitely be going back soon. We have a busy month coming up! I will be sending out an email and newsletter with all the information for the first of the year. For now, let s finish 2017 strong. This coming Sunday the 10th we will be selecting our roles for the annual Christmas Pageant. Please be at church this Sunday. You re the Kingdom, Luke Gautier, Youth Ministry Director December 10th: Caroling and Potluck Breakfast Youth will attend the Advent Potluck Breakfast during Christian Formation time and then going caroling after church. More details to come in the next newsletter. December 17th: Bishop and Pageant On the 17th the Bishop will be at Saint David's and we would like the youth to come visit with the Bishop during Christian Formation. We will also be a part of the Christmas Pageant and we will let you know more about our responsibilities soon. 6
ADULT CHRISTIAN FORMATION OPPORTUNITIES ADULT FORUM in Sanders Hall, beginning at 9:15 am every Sunday January 7 Creation Season 1 January 14 Annual Meeting--no adult Forum January 21 Creation Season 2 January 28 Creation Season 3 February 4 Creation Season 4 February 11 Creation Season 5 SUNDAY NIGHT LIVE! JANUARY 14, 5:15-6:30pm Sunday Night Live! is all about stories. This forum begins with a person telling their story and then ends with people asking questions and having a broader discussion. It is as much about community as it is about the storytellers sharing their stories. Most often, those who attend find that they are connected to the story teller in a variety of ways. Saint David's Deacon the Rev. Burns Rogers is the storyteller scheduled for January 14. SUNDAY SUPPER CLUB, JANUARY 21-MARCH 4, 5:30-7:30 pm (skipping 2nd Sundays) The Spring session of the Sunday Supper Club will study an Adam Hamilton book, John: The Gospel of Light and Life. The Gospel of John is filled with rich images and profound truths, aiming only to lead readers to believe in Jesus Christ, but also to show them how they may have life in his name. We will trace Jesus life, death, and resurrection to better understand the context of some of the best-known verses in the New Testament. What a perfect way to prepare for Lent and the Great Fifty Days of Easter! Everyone is welcome to join us for this time of learning and fellowship. If you have any questions or comments, please contact Burns at burnsrogers@gmail.com. COMMUNITY ADVENT POTLUCK BREAKFAST ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10 Make plans to attend the annual Festive Breakfast on December 10, at 9:00 a.m. in Sanders Hall. This is a potluck event so please bring your favorite breakfast dish to share. THANK YOU to all who have hosted Sunday morning breakfasts in 2017. We need to look toward 2018. Please consider hosting this important community event a Sunday or more in 2018. The signup sheet is on the bulletin board across from the kitchen. FIRST FRIDAY FILM NIGHT AND EPIPHANY CELEBRATION Friday, January 5 Epiphany Celebration at 5pm Dinner at 5:30pm "Secret of Kells" (movie) at 6pm Last year we got snowed out of our Epiphany celebration. We'll try again on Friday, January 5 and this time we'll combine it with our January First Friday Movie Night. We'll be showing The Secret of Kells, a beautiful and mystifying animated film that will get you thinking differently about the stakes of the Good news. 7
THE NEXT WOMEN'S FELLOWSHIP GROUP MEETING TO BE JANUARY 18 Details will be emailed in an Evite and the Friday E-Onion. Please notify the parish office if you have not received a Women's Fellowship Evite this fall and would like to do so. SAINT DAVID S ANNUAL PARISH MEETING Sunday, January 14, 2018, 9:15 a.m. in the Nave Mark the date and time for Saint David s Annual Parish Meeting when we will elect four members to the Vestry Class of 2020 (biographies of candidates will be emailed to the parish early in January). To be eligible to serve on the Vestry, one must be at least 18 years old, a confirmed Episcopalian, and a communicant of Saint David s Church, having been either confirmed here or received by Letter of Transfer from another Episcopal congregation. Vestry members are expected: to be involved in the programs, activities, and spiritual life of the parish; to be regular in attendance and worship, to attend monthly Vestry meetings (normally held on the second Tuesday of the month), the annual Vestry retreat, and other meetings when scheduled; to practice proportionate giving with an awareness of the tithe as the biblical standard of giving; to assume a leadership role in the parish; to be willing to serve as a liaison to a cluster or a committee. Please contact the church office to nominate a candidate for the Vestry election. According to our by-laws, one hundred persons constitute a quorum, eligible voters must be confirmed, must be 16 years of age, and must be present to vote. No proxy or absentee voting is allowed. Annual reports will be made by the clergy and lay leaders, and the 2017 year-end financials will be presented. DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS Dec. 3: Edie Wear, Everett Brown, Brennan Brown Dec. 4: Julie Erwin Dec. 9: Joe Brown, Carol Hornberger, Olivia Cass Dec. 10: Grady Williams Dec. 12: Ainsley Brown, Kinsey Wilkinson Dec. 19: Alex Johnson, Katherine Puckett, Amy Tidwell Dec. 21: Patti Taylor Dec. 22: Maria Garner Dec. 24: Dotty Rogers Dec. 25: Gareth Aden, Bill Sanders Dec. 26: Jonathan Gotterer Dec. 27: Ellen Robert Dec. 30: Kent Agee, Cal Fox, Kaye Howry Michael Zangri Dec. 31: Staci Spivak DECEMBER ANNIVERSARIES Dec. 23: Angela & Dick Klausner Dec. 26: Betty & Tom Bolles Dec. 27: Kathy & Tommy Tompkins Carson Fraser & Mary Carl Roberts Dec. 28: Mimi & Ken McMaster Dec. 29: Lucy & Allen Hovious Dec. 30: Kristin & Bob Napier JANUARY BIRTHDAYS Jan. 2: Suzanne Gaunt Jan. 6: Griff Ross, Gabby Ross, Gracie Ross Jan. 8: Emory Huggins Jan. 12: Kay Sonricker Jan. 13: Marilyn Brown, Michelle Johnson, Bryce Troia, Julia Troia, Quinn Troia, Ann Zangri Jan. 17: Suzanne Rawlins, Darren Tidwell Jan. 19: Susan Wood Jan. 20: Harrison Taylor Jan. 21: Jennifer Leathers, Ken Niermann Jan. 22: Chad Schmidt Jan. 24: John Hamilton Jan. 25: Deborah Irwin, Stella Pearson Jan. 27: Savannah Wojnarowski Jan. 29: Kati Gautier Jan. 30: John Patton, Cassidy Sullivan Jan. 31: Maddie Rogers JANUARY ANNIVERSARIES Jan. 1: Julia & Gareth Aden Jan. 6: Ed & Sally Pierce, Ann & Charles Riddle, Leah & Josh Stewart 8
SAINT DAVID'S MEN'S GROUP SUPPER by Johnny Erwin Our first official meeting{spaghetti supper} appears to have been a success. For those of you who were unable to attend, I hope the following gives you an idea of what occurred. Close to 40 men were in attendance. I believe everyone present had a good time and we were able to discuss ideas to pursue in the future. The dinner was delicious and well received by all thanks to Rev. Carolyn, Julie Erwin, Jaci Kitch and Lezette Thomason. Boy, you guys can sure eat, but we actually had food left over which we took to Room in the Inn. Guess you could say that was our first really official outreach program. I would also like to thank Allison Grimenstein for helping me put together the Evite program in order to send out the invitations. A huge shout out to her husband, Owen, for taking minutes during the meeting. To kick things off during the supper, our very own Rev. Carolyn gave us some very needed words of enthusiasm and encouragement. Then we proceeded to discuss thoughts and ideas about what we really wanted to do in the future. Many wanted to just meet socially again and just let thoughts of possible outreach programs morph from there. Others wanted to be involved in a program of some sort very soon. So we decided to just be thinking of ideas to bring out at our next meeting. We were very fortunate and grateful to have the following men volunteer to be on a committee to consider our next agenda: Bill Schwartz, Jim Irwin, David Livingston, and Grady Williams. Thanks to Allen Hovious for agreeing to organize group ideas and thoughts. With the holidays rapidly approaching we decided to wait until January to meet again. The committee will meet soon to consider details. My sincere thanks to all for helping to make our first official Men s Group Meeting a huge success. Here s to a future of camaraderie and respect as well as reaching out to others in need. ONION RINGS Congratulations to Ava Bandy for receiving Second Place in Best Novice Speaker, and Third place for Best Novice Team, representing Martin Luther King Middle School at the November 18 Debate Meet. Jonah s Bar Mitzvah, by Betty Lentz On November the 18 th, my ninth grandson, Jonah Lentz, made his Bar Mitzvah at Temple ShaarayTefila on the Upper East Side of New York City. He is the third son of my third son, Paul, and his wife, Nicole Regent. This is the third and final Bar Mitzvah I will attend as a grandmother, and it was even more moving than Simon and Nate s. Thank you, Saint David s, for your prayers in his behalf. Jonah has learning disabilities, so preparing to read Hebrew from the Torah, and delivering a sermon, which is plenty for most boys, was more of an uphill climb for our boy. He came out, all slicked up and shiny, and didn t miss a beat. I could finally breathe. The rabbi and cantor were right by his side, and everyone was aglow with his success he had persevered. Their new Rabbi, Joel Mosbacher, gave a wonderful sermon at the Shabbat Service on Friday night the struggle of the Palestinians! That was a powerful punch coming from a 9
rabbi, and as the weekend unwrapped, I realized this good soul lived out his universal, interfaith message in all the small and great things he provided. Jonah s entire Christian family was present, except for three cousins and an aunt. Each of Paul s three brothers and wives were invited to participate in the service, and I was invited to read the final prayer none of us knew we were to be included! Such hospitality. I hope the Episcopal Church will someday provide as powerful an event for our young people. It is the greatest display of generosity of spirit to both pupil and observer. Shalom SERVICE ROOM IN THE INN - NEXT OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE IS DECEMBER 9 we still need a couple of dishes - please contact the parish office to help. A REFLECTION ON SERVING AT ROOM IN THE INN by Bill Schwartz Earlier this month I helped with the evening meal for St David's host session of Room in the Inn at St Luke's Community Center. I had a fairly long conversation with a young homeless man and one comment he made reminded me once again how difficult life is for some others. This young man works the midnight shift stocking shelves at a local supermarket chain. He told me he was trying to save money to buy a car, obviously a very cheap car, a "beater". I asked whether the repair costs might be a major barrier for him. He responded that he wanted to buy a car, not for transportation, but to have a place to sleep at night. REVERSE ADVENT BASKETS This year Saint David s is proud to make Love on Wheels the recipient of our Reverse Advent basket donations. Filling a Reverse Advent Basket is a great way to get everyone in your family involved in the true spirit of Christmas! Simply find a box or basket in your home, then add an item to your box or basket each day or week during Advent. Bring it to church by December 17, 2017, and volunteers will see that your gifts (unwrapped please) are distributed. Lists of suggested donations are posted around the church. Love on Wheels is a 501c (3) nonprofit organization that provides new suitcases filled with basic necessities for children entering the foster care system. Our goal is to provide stability and a stronger sense of self-worth to children in crisis as they transition into a new home. Love on Wheels has been providing suitcases on wheels including basic necessities like shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste & comfort items like blankets, socks & underwear since 2014. http://www.love-on-wheels.org/ 10
THE PRAYER SHAWLS AND MORE MINISTRY by Kathy Carlson Prayer shawls and lap blankets for both adults and children have been provided to parishioners, friends and relatives and, over the past two years, to the Domestic Violence waiting room at the courthouse, so our supply of blessed shawls has gotten low again. This ministry has provided blessed shawls/blankets to the Domestic Violence waiting room at the request of Suzie Shaw's daughter Whitney who oversees this area and is the director of the the program that assists these women and children. Currently we have about 10-12 shawls/lap blankets ready to be blessed on December 17 when Bishop Bauerschmidt makes his annual visit to Saint David's. Currently, Jaci Kitch, Mary Lou Pierce and myself have contributed. We don't meet as a group but construct these items on our own time and at our own pace. Jaci Kitch crocheted car seat blankets and I have knitted child/infant sized blankets since we don't want to forget infants and children in this ministry. Please contact me at 615-673-0261 or kathryn7402@att.net if you are interested in joining this ministry. It's a great way to contribute time and talent (and maybe a little money) in this season of stewardship. THE 2017 BEST EVER HOLIDAY BAZAAR Kudos to the hard working parishioners who made the 2017 Best Ever Holiday Bazaar a fun community event. Amazing creativity and effort goes into this event, year round. To date, over $6,926.50 was raised by the bazaar. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Saint Luke's Community Center. The Bazaar Committee welcomes new members and crafters. 11
LETTER FROM THE RECTOR Dear Good People of Saint David's, Winter is coming. The foul winds of Mordor are blowing. The White Witch is roaming the forest in her sleigh and beguiling wayfarers with Turkish delight. Doesn t it seem like we re in some kind of novel where the borders between good and evil are as starkly portrayed as they are in the grand stories we grew up with? What is an Episcopalian to do when the art of balancing, the discipline of holding in tension about challenging issues doesn t seem the right course of living? These days, the via media seems a luxury during a time that calls for us to be concretely involved in our world. We Americans value the separation of Church and State, but our Baptismal Covenant compels us to engage politically. Continuing in the apostle s teaching and fellowship, the breaking of the bread and in the prayers these are actions that we can clearly confine to the Church if we choose to. However, as you continue down the questions, the boundary between Church and State quickly blurs. Persevere in resisting evil, Proclaiming by word and example the Good News of God in Christ Seeking and serving Christ in all persons Striving for justice and peace among all people, and respecting the dignity of every human being We move suddenly from theological affirmations about who God is and our relationship with the community that believes those things to putting our actions where our words are. Can we follow Christ without being political? No. Unequivocally, no. Jesus was political. At his most subtle, Jesus questioned the authority of the Temple when it came to the rules that prohibited compassion on the Sabbath or fostering relationships and healing when it came to who was considered the ingroup and who was not. At his most obvious, Jesus protested the Temple Authorities when it came to the money changers and he stood silent ground, a witness to the power of weakness, on Pilate s balcony while the crowds roared. Philosopher and mathematician Alfred North Whitehead once wrote that Christianity s move from Galilean Christianity to Constantinian Christianity was a failure of nerve. Abandoning their commitments to social service in favor of institutional formation, our early Christian ancestors occupied themselves with building an empire. While the mission to spread the Good News of Christ has certainly benefited from the Church-State institution that was Christendom between the 4 th and 19 th centuries, we Christians have also lost something in the effort to guard the authority of that institution. I am only one person, but I think we have lost perspective on Christ s commitment to relationships and healing. The perspective we ve lost is this: everything is sacred; nothing is secular. Another way of saying this? If politics is how we humans organize ourselves corporately, then no social action is absent of politics. I m not telling you to go out and picket or set up camp outside the statehouse nor show up for another march on Washington. I am encouraging us all to understand know and believe that we have infinitely more power at our disposal than we think we have in these black and white days. The Holy Spirit poured such power into us at our baptisms. 12
The Holy Spirit sustains us as we use this power to help God restore all of creation to Godself. Wherever you fall on the political spectrum in our country, you can harness that to live into your baptismal promises. How does the Republican Party help you strive for justice and peace? How does the Green Party help you resist evil? How does the Independent wing help you proclaim the Good News of God in Christ? How can the Democratic Party help you seek and serve Christ in all persons? How can being Libertarian help you respect the respect the dignity of every human being? Everything is sacred, and every action political. Our Baptismal Covenant, our faith in Christ, should inform and accompany us in our political action, whatever it is. Sam Wise carried Frodo up Mount Doom because he believed in Frodo s mission. Edmund returned to Aslan after the difficult lesson of engaging a distorted use of power. We can curse the darkness. We can resign, hunker down and say, Winter is coming, and be afraid. Or we can light a candle. Like Frodo carrying the light of Earendil, we can have faith in the Light that illumines us in dark times and places when all other lights go out. In short: These are crazy times. Feeling powerless? The Baptismal Covenant will tell you what to do. Know that you re not alone in your efforts, and invite a friend to join you. In the peace of Christ, truly, Carolyn+ JESSE TREE ORNAMENTS AND ADVENT WREATH CRAFTING, DECEMBER 3, 2017 13