Dear Friends, 

I am writing this on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and have a jumble of thoughts in my head: 

• the JOY of this past Sunday when many folks who have moved away came back for a visit and worshipped with us, we sang a rousing version of “Soon and Very Soon, We are Going to see the King,” and then we welcomed nearly 30 people into the rectory for a lunch to help our newer members learn more about All Saints. 
• The SADNESS of learning that yet another shooting had taken place in the early hours of Sunday. After trying to absorb the the hard news earlier last week of students shot at UVA by a fellow student, it felt like a real blow to learn that someone had targeted LGBTQ folks, especially in a space designed to be safe for queer folks.
• The ANTICIPATION of gathering with good friends for a Thanksgiving feast and of starting the “new year” this Sunday with the first Sunday of Advent as we enter a quiet, meditative time.

Perhaps you, too, know what it is to be in a “jumble”—of experiences, of emotions. When I feel like that, well, the best thing I know to do is to gather with others at church. 

So, Dear Ones, I hope you get some time with those you love and some time for laughter, and I hope to see you in church as we begin a new year, remembering again the promises of the One who came all those years ago and anticipating the time when history will be all in all, when the highs and lows of joy and sadness give way to the steadiness of peace.

Faithfully, Suzanne+

Upcoming events at All Saints…

Sunday, November 27 - Advent I

Revive Christmas Baskets due THIS Sunday

Wednesdays in Advent, November 30, December 7, 14, and 21

Lectio Divina (7:00pm)

Sunday, December 11 - Advent III

Beer and Carols (6:30pm)

Thursday, December 15

Liturgy for Hard Times (7:00pm)

Friday, December 16

Light Up Nights in Ravenswood Kick-Off

Sunday, December 18 - Advent IV

Christmas Pageant (9:00 and 11:00am)

Greening (12:15pm)

Lessons and Carols/Rectory Open House (6:30pm)

Quiet your soul and deepen your understanding of the scripture we read in Advent as we gather to read and meditate on the promises of a coming Savior. Learn how to read scripture prayerfully—lectio divina means “sacred reading”—and connect with others in this season of waiting and preparation. 

We will gather on November 30, December 7, 14, and 21 at 7:00pm in the Parish Hall. On our last Wednesday—the Solstice, the longest night of the year--we will end with a worship service. 

RSVP for the Lectio Divina series HERE.

The Return of the All Saints Christmas Pageant!

Christmas is coming - and planning for the fabulous All Saints Christmas pageant is underway! The theme for this year’s production is “Sunday Morning (instead of Saturday night) LIVE" as we return "in person" and dream of the future.

This year, we're giving 2 performances (at 9:00 and 11:00am) in the church sanctuary on December 18th.  Both speaking and non speaking parts are available for anyone 0-18 years old.

There will be in-person rehearsals on Saturday, December 10th and mandatory rehearsal on Dec. 17th from 3:30- 7:30pm. There'll also be Zoom rehearsals of specific scenes on weekday afternoons during the weeks of Dec. 5-9 and Dec. 12-16. These will be scheduled depending on cast availability. 

IF YOUR STUDENT WOULD LIKE A PART, please let Polly Tangora know now so we can reserve a role just for them.

Beer & Carols: Sunday, December 11 at 6:30 pm

A great tradition returns as we belt out Christmas carols while drinking beer or another yummy beverage at “The All Saints’ Annex,” otherwise known as O’Shaughnessy’s. Invite your friends!

New Neighbors in Need

Chicago is a destination for refugees from all over the world, especially Afghanistan, Ukraine, and now Venezuela by way of Texas. All of these folks are now are neighbors; in fact, the immigrants sent here from Texas as part of a political stunt were recently being housed in the Leone Field House in Rogers Park.

While the US State Department provides some assistance, most of it is provided by volunteers. Exodus World Service has asked All Saints to help our new neighbors get settled. Please go here to sign up to contribute.

All items should be new, so keep your eye out for great bargains as you do your holiday shopping. (Regifting is okay, as long as you didn't use the item first!) Annie Logue will set up a bin by the back stairs, or you can have items shipped to the church c/o Annie Logue. We're looking to have it all together by the middle of December. You can email her at [email protected] or text at 773-835-1059.

Liturgy for Hard Times, December 15, 7:00pm

This liturgy - our 13th since September 2019 - is an opportunity for us to bring our hard times before God in a community of prayer. On Thursday, December 15, we'll gather in the sanctuary and via Zoom to hold each other up in prayer and song in a special liturgy of lamentation and hope.

Right now, many of us are worrying about the health of a loved one or ourselves, or we have deep concerns about the world in which we live. We may be suffering hard times from lost jobs, lost loved ones, lost shelter, lost dreams. We may be suffering from other traumatic or troubling events. We may find ourselves feeling “blue,” especially during the holidays, dreading the coming weeks when we won’t exactly feel like singing “Joy to the World.”

In addition, progressive memory loss is the cause of ongoing hard times for many. Consequently, we are especially inviting people who have been or are now affected in any way because of Alzheimer’s or other dementias. All are welcome!

Ravenswood Light Up Nights Kicks Off December 16!

Light Up Nights in Ravenswood was a hit last year as hundreds of people descended upon the neighborhood for lights and festivities, and it all started at our corner with a tree lighting and Christmas carols. This is a great way to get into the Christmas spirit! Join us this year on Friday, December 16. Go here to learn more.

Lessons & Carols & Rectory Open House:

Sunday, December 18 at 6:30 pm

At this service, we borrow from the great Festival of Lessons & Carols at King’s College, Cambridge, though we put our own All Saints spin on it as as we read lessons from scripture but also from poetry and hear and sing the great music of Advent and Christmas. This is another great event for your friends and family! 

Interested in being part of the choir for Lessons and Carols? Contact our music director Colin Collette.

This year, we will follow our service with a Rectory Christmas Open House. Enter through the reading room and enjoy a drink and some light bites while sharing Christmas cheer with your All Saints community.

January 2023 Baptism Preparation

Baptism will be offered on our celebration of The Feast of the Baptism of our Lord, Sunday, January 8, at both the 9:00am and 11:00am services. If you're interested in baptism for yourself or your child, please let us know by visiting this page and filling out a Pre-Baptismal Form.

Preparation sessions are also offered and little ones are absolutely welcome! If you have any questions, please email Suzanne.

Becoming Beloved Community - All Saints History Project

All Saints is a church with a very long history - which should come as no surprise if you know that our beautiful building dates all the way back to 1883. But have you ever wondered what else has happened at All Saints in its almost 140 years of existence? If so, we have the perfect opportunity for you this winter!

In connection with our Becoming an Anti-Racist Beloved Community efforts, we would like to compile a full history of All Saints, taking care to include both the most joyous successes of our church and community, as well as the times where we have fallen short and failed to live up to our principles. The majority of this work will likely involve going through our archives on a few Saturdays over the next couple of months, with the goal of better organizing our records and ultimately producing an historical overview of All Saints that places our local events in context with the history of our diocese, city, and the nation as a whole.

If this sounds interesting to you, please contact June Coyne. In early December, we'll meet to discuss the project and our goals and timeline.

Volunteer for All Saints' Building and Grounds Committee

The Building & Grounds Committee is looking to expand its roster, so that we have more helping hands on future projects. Over the last few years, we have helped with the 

renovation of the Rectory, refinished the church pews, and painted the porch on the Church’s 3-flat. If you'd like to be on the list when we call for volunteers, please 

send an email to Mark Ortlieb at [email protected].

All Saints Book Club

The All Saints Book Club continues to meet on the second Thursday of the month at 7:30 PM on Zoom. If you are not a regular attendee, email Mike Burke at [email protected] for a meeting invite.

In addition, we are now supporting the book sanctuary initiative. We'll include at least one banned book each year in our reading plan starting in 2023. 

Our current schedule moving forward is:

December 8, 2022: 

Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life by Lulu Miller (At this meeting, we will select books for 2023.)

January 12, 2023:

The Christmas Wedding by James Patterson

We want you . . . to update or join our database!

Why?

• So we can stay in communication with you and continue to get to know you.
• So that we can recognize important days in our bulletin - birthdays, anniversaries.
• So that we can publish a member directory by the annual meeting.
• Because like so many other databases and lists, we will not share your information.

How?

• If you are already in our database, you can sign up for your own online account here (https://allsaintschicago.breezechms.com/login) and check your information.
• If you’re not sure that you want to create an online account, or if you're not in the database, you can fill out this form and we'll update your information. https://allsaintschicago.breezechms.com/form/member-update
• Please upload a photo as well! 

If you have any questions, please contact Edward or Courtney. You'll also have a chance to make updates and get your picture taken at church on December 11 after all services.

Coffee Hour Announcement!

Unfortunately, the RCS sanitizer is temporarily unavailable. Until further notice, please feel free to bring your tumblers from home to use during coffee hour so that we can minimize trash production. Thank you!