Dear friends, 

This past Sunday, our in-person congregation was understandably smaller than usual. Because I preached on the season of Advent, I wanted to give you all a taste of what I laid out. This will seem familiar if you were with us on Advent 1.  

As I write this, we are almost one week into the season of Advent. Most of us think of Advent as the time when we prepare to celebrate Christ’s coming to us in history in the form of a newborn baby. And that’s part of it. But Bernard of Clairvaux wrote about two other comings of Christ that we wait for in Advent. In this season, we keep our gaze on the horizon, awaiting Christ’s final coming in glory to bring all people into right relationship with God, with creation, with one another, and with ourselves. And we can take these weeks of Advent to quiet ourselves and notice the myriad ways Christ comes to us in our everyday lives and in our communal worship, mysteriously transforming ordinary moments into sacred encounters with divine Love. With the activity of this season, It can be easy to focus on our Christmas preparations and miss Christ’s daily in-breaking in our world.  

With that in mind, I offer you these invitations: 

• Set aside a few minutes every day before you fall asleep to name in prayer those times where you had a sense of Christ’s presence with you that day. Also notice if there was a time you felt Christ’s absence, and name that before God in prayer. This practice, called The Examen, might seem so easy as to be insignificant, but can help us grow in our awareness of God’s nearness with us throughout our days. 

• Read or listen to the news of the world prayerfully, seeking signs of Christ’s presence making all things new. Where is there more justice, more peace, more wholehearted love than before? Where is Christ’s presence needed? In what ways are you being called to prepare the world for Christ’s coming again? 

• Consider joining the Advent Centering Prayer group on Thursdays at noon. This time of communal spoken and silent prayer can open a new doorway for you to encounter the Holy. 

December can become a time of noisy activity and wild expectations. But as Advent, it can also be a time of sacred preparation. I pray that you will enter into the hopeful waiting of this season and discover the living Christ coming, bringing peace, justice, and love. 

Advent Blessings, 

Pastor Charlotte+ 

Stewardship Campaign Report

A HUGE “Thank You!” to all who submitted a pledge during our annual stewardship pledge campaign. Your commitment sustains our ministries, supports our staff, and strengthens the life of our community, and your generosity is deeply appreciated. At the close of our formal drive, we received pledges from 57 households, 63% of whom increased their pledge amount over the previous year. As of today, the total amount raised is $375,690, which is amazing, but below the amount needed to fully support our 2026 budget. 

If you have not yet made a pledge, we invite you to prayerfully consider doing so. Every pledge — large or small — helps us to plan responsibly for the year ahead and continue the work God has entrusted to us. We continue to accept pledges via the online form or by contacting the office. Thank you to everyone for being part of our parish family. Together, we can ensure that COS continues to nurture our values of Faith, Service, Community, Inclusion, Inquiry and Joy!

Sunday School Resumes this Sunday

Sunday School resumes this Sunday, following the Thanksgiving break, and in the NEW atrium space on the second floor of the Parish Commons building!

Monthly Evening Eucharist | Dec 9

This coming Tuesday will be the Monthly Evening Eucharist with healing prayers at 6:30pm in the church. All are invited to this simple spoken service.

COS Book Club | Dec 9

COS Book Club meets this coming Tuesday, December 9 and will be discussing Old Christmas, by Washington Irving. For those unable to join on site, please use this Zoom link.

The book for January will be Get the Truth, by Former CIA Officers, suggested by Margie Palmer.

Adult Forum: Advent Series | Sundays at 9am

On Sundays at 9am in the conference room, over the four weeks of Advent, we will explore Mary’s connection to our Advent journey. We will hear some ancient plainsong honoring Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Our practical musical focus will be learning to chant the Song of Mary in English (The Magnificat, or “My soul magnifies the Lord”).

Advent Centering Prayer on Thursdays | Thursdays at 12:15pm

Join us each Thursday in Advent at noon for centering prayer in the church. This gentle, reflective prayer service is a wonderful way to make space this season to encounter the incarnate Christ. This is a space for all God's people so come just as you are!

A Pop-Up Pageant | Dec 14

Sunday, Dec 14, will be the date for our Christmas pageant at 1:30pm. Immediately following the 10am service, Peter Civetta will gather the kids for a BYO lunch and rehearsal. Adults can participate in a CrockPot potluck in the Common Room. Following the pageant there will be a shared dessert reception-- bring something to share!

A Service for the Longest Night | Dec 21 at 6:30pm

Join us on the shortest day and longest night of the year to make room for our sorrow and hope as we bring our whole selves — even our hurting hearts— to the Holy Child of Bethlehem.

This service offers space for grief and sadness during the holiday season through contemplative music, readings, and prayer. We will light candles to remind us of God’s presence, and individual prayer for healing with anointing will also be offered. The Service of the Longest Night gives space for the meaning of Advent: our saving hope promises to come as a light that our bleakest moments cannot conquer. Christ is near. We are not alone.

Christmas Services at COS

We will offer two Eucharistic services on Christmas Eve, December 24, at 4pm and 8pm, both will include music.

We will offer a simple, spoken Eucharist on Christmas Day, December 25, at 10am.

COS Antiracism Team Updates & Holiday Event

The COS Antiracism Team is launching their 2026 activity calendar by attending the Black Ensemble Theater's Holiday Spectacular on Saturday, December 13 at 7:00pm. All are welcome! Please purchase tickets online by clicking here and notify Rich Trubey if you are coming. They hope to organize a group dinner somewhere nearby.

In January they will host the first Antiracism Educational Activity in an adult forum on January 11. Margie Palmer will use a video about the Unity Walk in Richmond, Virginia, to help participants initiate courageous conversations about racism and antiracism within ourselves, in our country, and here in our community.

Ordination for Shannon Page | Dec 6

Bishop Paula Clark will ordain Bryan Matias, Shannon Page, and Stephan Quarles to the Sacred Order of Priests on December 6 at 11:00am at St Paul's Episcopal Church in Peoria, Illinois. If you are unable to attend in person but would like to gather at COS for a watch party, please contact Carol Blendowski.

For those unable to be present in person, the ordination will be live-streamed on YouTube at:

https://www.youtube.com/@stpaulspeoria

Towels & Transit/Grocery Cards Needed for CFF

The Care for Friends Foot Clinic is in need of bath-sized towels. If you have new or gently used towels you can donate please leave them in a bag just inside the stairs across from the elevator of the Parish Commons (leading down to CFF Community Hub Space). They are also in need of $5/$10 CTA transit cards or grocery store gift cards (in any amount) for guests which can be dropped in the offering plate or at the office. Please contact Hope Pavich with any questions.

Witness Wednesday's for Two More Weeks

The Witness Wednesday's weekly prayer gathering for peace and justice continues through December 17. All are invited to join other Episcopalians at 12:15pm in Federal Plaza for a 'litany of justice' as we lift up those impacted by our government's current migration policies. The group will decide how to proceed after the new year.

Memorial Celebration for Clarice Hearne | Dec 13

A memorial celebration for former parishioner of COS, Clarice Hearne, who dies in September of this year, will be hosted on Saturday, December 13, from 11:00am – 1:00pm in The Marine Room at The Breakers (5333 N. Sheridan Rd.)

All who knew her are welcome to attend.

Please RSVP here.

William Ferris Choral | Dec 6

Click here for info and tickets. and use the code COSFRIEND for $20 off!

Churches for Middle East Peace

Weekly Briefings

Thursdays from 9-9:30 am Central

Join weekly briefings on the Israel-Hamas war hosted by Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP). The Episcopal Church is a founding member and active on the board of CMEP, an organization that mobilizes Christians in the United States to advocate for equality, human rights, security, and justice for Israelis, Palestinians, and all people of the Middle East. Learn more and register.

Diocesan Cycle of Prayer for the Week of November 23

Pleas pray for the organizations of Episcopal Charities: Bishop Anderson House; ReVive Center; Lawrence Hall; Care for Friends; The Church Home at Montgomery Place; Primo Center for Women & Children; Youth Guidance; and for organizations of our Companion Dioceses of SE Mexico and Renk, Sudan.