A couple of years ago I was pulled over for speeding in South Carolina. As I later discovered, I had been traveling through one of "those counties" that picks off drivers as a source of local revenue. I looked up the County Sherriff's office online and they celebrate their Route 95 unit and how many tickets they write. They even had a glamor shot of one of their special highway cruisers. Such policing is sometimes debated with regard to its motivation, whether it is truly about public safety or whether it is more accurately described as a revenue source. Either way, I had been exceeding the speed limit and I got nabbed. At that point it didn't matter if it was a purely virtuous stop or something else.  

 

I have been reflecting on that in this season in my role as a sworn officer of the Advent Police. Yes, it's a seasonal assignment. A special task force, as it were. Our mascot is the Grinch, or so I'm told. Each year I clip on my badge and use the training I've received over the years. It takes practice to get the "tsk, tsk" right when the neighbors put up their Christmas Tree at Thanksgiving. And the eye rolls over the displays in the stores - no one wants a repeat of the incident that put Father Andrew under the surgeon's knife because of an eye roll he hadn't properly trained for.  

Beautiful poinsettias may now be ordered to honor a loved one and decorate our worship spaces at Christmas. The cost is $30 per poinsettia and checks should be made payable to the Christ Church Altar Guild. Please send checks and the names of those you wish to honor to Ethel Horton at 402 Palm Court St. Simons Island, 31522 by Sunday, December 16.

The focus of this Advent book study will be The First Christmas: What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus's Birth by Marcus Borg and John Crossan. In this book, the authors help us to see this well-known narrative afresh by answering the question, "What do these stories mean?" in the context of both the first century and the twenty-first century. They successfully show that the Christmas story, read in its original context, is far richer and more challenging than people imagine. The study will begin on Thursday, November 29, at 1:00 pm, in the Vestry room and will meet weekly throughout Advent. The book may be purchased on Amazon for $15.75. Contact Mother Ashton at [email protected] for more information. 

Father Tom Purdy, Kathleen Turner and Randy Siegel are hosting a music-themed series for Advent. Join us for lunch at 12:30 pm, following the Healing Service. The programs will take place on Wednesdays, at 1:00 pm, in the Parish Hall.

 

Week 2 - December 12 - The  Music-O-Gram:

Living Well Through Advent 2018: Practicing Generosity with All Your Heart, Soul, Strength, and Mind is the Advent meditation booklet from Living Compass this year. Copies are available in the church office, or download a copy at

http://www.livingcompass.org/advent

Father Tom will send out daily prayers via text during Advent to all who would like to receive them. If you'd like to be added to the contact list, please contact Fr. Tom at [email protected].

Families! Please join the Christ Church Families Facebook group to keep up with all the latest events and activities. Find us on Facebook here !

A collection of traditional carols of Advent and Christmas, sung by our Choristers, Trebles, Youth, and Young Adults will be available on CD, on Sunday, December 9. As the value of children's voices singing of Christ's birth is priceless, donations are welcomed and will support the St. Cecelia Series. (If donating by check, please write "St. Cecelia Series" in the memo line.)

Christ Church actively supports the International Seafarers Center, a group that ministers to seafarers from all over the planet. Most of us are blessed with family and friends during the holidays, but Christmas can be a lonely time for seafarers. Every year during the season of Christmas, the International Seafarers' Center spreads the love of Christ through their Christmas at Sea program. About 1500 seafarers travel through the port of Brunswick from Thanksgiving to January 7th and the Center hopes to give every seafarer a Christmas present. 

 

If you'd like to be part of this ministry, it's as easy as filling a shoebox with 12 - 15 item from the list found  here, wrapping the box in holiday paper and bringing it to either the church office in the Parish Hall, or to the International Seafarers Center, at 307 Newcastle Street in Brunswick. If you'd like to include a warm knit cap, made by our Christ Church Comforters in your box, please contact Gay Barron at [email protected].

Looking for a special gift this year? This Christmas give the gift that "keeps on giving"- a donation to the new ECW Scholarship fund for young women. A donation to this newly established fund enables a young lady from one of our area Episcopal churches to further her post secondary education. This is truly a gift that will last a lifetime!! Make checks payable to ECW Scholarship Fund and mail to PO Box 20292, St. Simons Island or send it to the church address.

'Tis the season for Vestry Nominations! Nominations are open for the 2019 vestry election. This year's nominating committee is comprised of the outgoing vestry members: Beryl Blatchford, Tony Kreimborg, Slade Turner, Ralph Wade and two recent former senior wardens of the parish: Susan Shipman and Ed Turner. Along with Fr. Tom, these six individuals will put together the slate of nominees for election at the annual meeting on January 27, 2019. Nominations may be made to any member of the committee between now and December 27th.