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Dear friends,
This season after the Epiphany, we seek out and draw near to the manifestations of Christ’s grace and hope in the world around us today, even as the magi followed the star to the Christchild. I’m writing this on Wednesday evening, January 7, just after I’ve read about the shooting and killing of Renee Nicole Good in the streets of Minneapolis by a federal ICE agent. “Seeking out manifestations of Christ’s grace and hope” feels like an impossible task until we remember that grief and anger at injustice and cruelty can become holy when we allow them to spur us to draw near to the hurting, to offer support, solidarity, comfort, and healing in whatever way we can.
By Friday when you read this, the news will be different. But Bishop of Minnesota Craig Loya’s words will still be true:
“The Herods of the world, and their fear driven campaigns of terror, are ever with us. Today in Minneapolis, after deploying thousands of federal immigration agents in recent days, an individual was shot and killed by those agents. The news is crushing, to be sure, but we ought not be shocked. The federal government has been making good for a full year on its promise to enforce immigration policy through a racially narrow lens and with a cruel delight. An incident like the one today in Minneapolis was inevitable, and such violence is likely to remain a feature of our common life as long as federal agents are being deployed to cities seen to oppose the current administration for the sole purpose of provocation and intimidation.
As people of the Epiphany, in the midst of a world where cruelty tries to pose as power, we continue to rejoice in the assurance that absolute and final power resides in poor and crucified Jesus, who alone is the true king. Our Epiphany joy is not some naive and shallow notion that everything will be ok, when everything is so obviously not ok. Our Epiphany joy is the deep, defiant, revolutionary hope we have in the assurance that love is the most powerful force in the universe. Like the wise ones searching for Bethlehem, we wait, we watch, we follow where love leads, knowing that only God’s action in the world can finally and fully heal all that the lust for a false and hollow power had broken down, world without end.”
My friends, it will be good to pray with you Sunday. Reach out before then if you need prayer or a pastoral visit.
In Christ,
Pastor Charlotte
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Parking Joys
It is exciting to be back in our sanctuary and to have our parking lot available again. However, as many have noticed, it is smaller than our previous one was (and that one was never adequate to our needs). As we adapt to the new realities of our parking situation, we want to remind everyone of two things.
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If you need to leave directly after church, then we recommend parking at Lurie Children's Hospital on Clark. We still have free Sunday parking passes available, so that should be an easy option to relieve the stress of getting boxed in.
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If you do park in the aisle part of the lot (i.e. not in a stripped parking space), please try to move your car as soon as you can after the service to not trap others.
It will take us a bit to find our feet with the new lot, but as long as we keep the needs of our community front and center, we will find our way!
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Antiracism Committee Adult Forum | Jan 11
The COS Antiracism Committee will offer and adult forum this Sunday, Jan 11 at 9am. 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.
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Monthly Evening Eucharist | Jan 13
The Monthly Evening Eucharist with healing prayers will be offered this coming Tuesday, Jan 13 at 6:30pm in the church. All are welcome to this simple spoken service celebrated by The Rev. Richard Wendel, PhD.
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COS Book Club | Jan 13
The COS Book Club meets this coming Tuesday, Jan 13, in the Small Group Meeting Room on the second floor of the Parish Commons. Please contact Ingrid Burnett with any questions or for the Zoom link.
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Celebration of New Ministry for Pastor Charlotte | Jan 17
Join us on Jan 17 at 5pm as we gather at COS to celebrate our (new) rector, The Rev. Charlotte Johnson and her new ministry here at COS! Please RSVP so we can better plan for the event. The reception will be a potluck of finger foods, so please sign up for the potluck using the signup board in the lobby of the Parish Commons. We hope to welcome everyone in classic COS fashion! You can contact the office with any questions.
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Don’t let the scriptures lead you astray: How to avoid the dangers of biblical study.
Even though the Bible is foundational to our faith, it is also dangerous, and in the hands of some, it is rife for potential and intentional misinterpretation. Over five Sundays during Lent, The Rev. Richard Wendel, PhD, will lead a seminar which will provide a necessary and secure starting perspective before the Bible is even opened. Join us Sundays, January 18 - February 15 at 9am to learn how reputable biblical scholars approach scripture.
Epiphany Small Group: Infancy Gospel of Thomas
Likewise, on Monday nights, starting on Jan 19 - Feb 2, 7:30pm - 8:30pm, Tristan Kirvin will lead a 3-session study on the Infancy Gospel of Thomas. Join this small group study for a unique journey into a "lost" text, exploring other birth narratives and magic in the ancient world.
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Peter Eklund Memorial Reception & Cookie Potluck | Jan 29
On Thursday, January 29 there will be a public committal and interment service in the COS columbarium at 3:30pm. Following that, a memorial reception to honor him will be held in the Care for Friends dining room, and all are welcome to come. Please bring something simple to share. Contact Carol Blendowski with questions about the reception and to let her know what food you can bring.
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Annual Meeting & Potluck | Feb 1
Our Annual Meeting is scheduled for Sunday, Feb 1. There will only be one service that Sunday at 10am and the meeting will immediately follow, in the Common Room of the Parish Commons. We are organizing a potluck to provide some lunch during the meeting. Please sign up for the potluck using the signup board in the lobby of the Parish Commons. This meeting will include reports from the rector, wardens, and treasurer, along with elections for the vestry and diocesan delegation to convention. There is a lot of new and important information to share with the COS community so please plan to join us. You can contact Peter Civetta with any questions.
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New Rental Info Webpage Now Live
As part of our efforts to make our new spaces more available to our community and to increase revenue for our parish, we have created a new webpage containing information about the various spaces available for booking. Information about rates (including non profit rates) and room descriptions can be found here. If you know of any community or corporate groups looks for space for meeting, seminars, celebrations, etc., please refer them to this page or have them contact the office to inquire.
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01/11 Sunday Baptism of Our Lord
8:00am Spoken Eucharist
9:00am Sunday School
9:00am Adult Forum: Antiracism Committee (Conference Room)
10:00am Eucharist featuring Music Ensemble (live-streamed on YouTube)
01/12 Monday
6:30pm Men's Open AA Group (Common Room)
8:30pm Compline (Zoom)
01/13 Tuesday
7:30am Morning Glories (Conference Room)
12:15pm Midweek Eucharist
6:30pm Monthly Evening Eucharist with Healing
7:00pm COS Book Club (Small Group Room)
01/14 Wednesday
10:00am Morning Prayer (Conference Room & Zoom)
01/15 Thursday
7:00pm Education for Ministry (Conference Room)
01/18 Sunday
8:00am Spoken Eucharist
9:00am Sunday School
9:00am Adult Forum: Antiracism Committee (Conference Room)
10:00am Eucharist featuring Music Ensemble (live-streamed on YouTube)
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Birthdays:
Alex Simmons (Jan 12)
JoAnn Killackey (Jan 13)
Allyson Wolcott (Jan 14)
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Sanctuary Stories" A Journalism Theatre Project
“SANCTUARY STORIES: A JOURNALISM THEATER PROJECT,” is a living multimedia documentary, a leap forward into storytelling based on reporting and presented through music, videos and actors presenting real lives.
The production will be presented over 6 nights in January at the Windy City Theatre. Our initial production took place at Northwestern University, where Craig Duff, who created this effort is a professor of video journalism. An exhilarating reaction led us to take it to a Chicago theatre and a wider audience.
The actors’ presentations are based verbatim from my reporting.
Among those portrayed are clergy who have stepped forward to help immigrants; a veteran Immigration Court judge who resigned over a changed system; a politician driven to join demonstrators; a young immigrant who frets that the successful life she has found can be instantly swept away; and a refugee who cannot sleep nor smile because of the torture he suffered for years as he made his way to the U.S.
There will also be insights from Borderless Magazine, a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom reporting on and with Chicago’s immigrant communities.
A preview performance will take place once on Thursday, January 15, at 7 pm.
Subsequent performances will run at 7 pm on January 16, 17, 18, 23, and 24.
All performances are at Windy City Playhouse, 3014 W. Irving Park Rd., Chicago, IL
Tickets are an affordable $25 and can be purchased at https://sanctuarystories.ludus.com
Seating is limited
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Episcopal Charities Spring Dinner | Feb 27
Please mark your calendar for the Episcopal Charities Spring Dinner
6pm, Friday, February 27, 2026
University Club of Chicago
This will be an intimate evening for our closest friends to gather around a meal in support of Episcopal Charities' work in 2026.
We hope you will be able to join us.
Tickets and giving opportunities available here
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Family Immigration Preparedness Event | Jan 17
On Saturday, January 17, 2026, from 1 to 4 pm, the Iglesia del Pacto Evangélico de Albany Park is hosting a Family Preparedness Event with the help of the Rev. Sandra Castillo, volunteers from Winnetka Covenant Church, other Episcopal churches and lawyers. Volunteers will help parents prepare important documents to provide for their children’s care should the parents be arrested and detained by Immigration and Custom Enforcement (“ICE”). View the flyer in English and Spanish.
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Charting a Legacy: African Americans in The Episcopal Church, Past and Present
January 10, 2:30-5 pm at St. Thomas in Chicago
All are invited to attend "Charting a Legacy: African Americans in The Episcopal Church, Past and Present, sponsored by the Historical Society of The Episcopal Church and presented at St. Thomas, the first Black Episcopal church in Chicago. The free program will feature multiple speakers who will explore the history and future of the Black Episcopal church. The speakers include:
- The Rev. Dr. Valerie Bailey, chaplain at Williams College, who is leading an effort to build a comprehensive timeline of African American history within The Episcopal Church;
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- Dr. Jolyon G. R. Pruszinski, Princeton University, who serves as research historian for the Diocese of New Jersey’s Reparations Commission;
- The Rev. Dr. Sheryl Kujawa-Holbrook, historiographer of The Episcopal Church, who will moderate the program.
In-person attendance is encouraged and St. Thomas has ample street parking. The program will be recorded and shared publicly. Please RSVP by email.
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COS is a welcoming and inclusive community, whose mission is to nurture a vibrant Christian community, where all are welcome to embrace love for God, love for self, and love for neighbor.
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