SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1

ADVENT & CHRISTMAS AT ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL

ADVENT

Slow Down. Quiet. It's Advent Calendars

Copies of 2024 Advent calendar poster with illustrations by Jay Sidebotham are available in the rear of the Nave. The calendar suggests ways to mark the days through the Advent season, offering ideas for prayer, helping others, and being thoughtful about the true meaning of Christmas.

Deck the Halls

Submitted by Michael Bonilla and Kim Goodman O'Connell

December 1 marks the first Sunday of Advent and the beginning of the new church year. As has been our tradition, we will meet in the cathedral on Saturday, November 30 from 9am to Noon with the purpose of hanging the greens – wreaths and garlands – in the cathedral in preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of our Lord. All able bodied volunteers are welcome. If you cannot get on a ladder, not to worry. If your fingers are in good working order, you can help with the "fluffing" of the greens. No matter how carefully we put them away, they always need to be fluffed and shaped before we hang them. Hope to see you there, and if you have any teenagers who need volunteer service hours for school, bring them along as well

Advent - Christmas Book Study - The First Advent in Palestine by Kelley Nikondeha.

When we picture the first Advent, we see Mary and Joseph huddled by a manger. We picture Gabriel, magi, and shepherds tending their flocks. A shining star against a midnight sky. But this harmonized version has lifted the Advent story out of its context--those who experienced the first Advent had to travel through great darkness to reach the hope that shining star announced. Trusted scholar and community organizer Kelley Nikondeha takes us back, to where the landscape of Palestine is once again the geographic, socioeconomic, and political backdrop for the Advent story.

Reading the Advent narratives of Luke and Matthew anew, in their original context, changes so much about how we see the true story of resistance, abusive rulers and systems of oppression, and God coming to earth. This thought-provoking examination invites us into a season of discovery, one that is realistic and honest, and that still wonders at the goodness of God's grace. (from Amazon)

Dean Rebecca and Mother Liz Grohowski will co-lead this seasonal book study. Hybrid sessions will be on Saturdays, Nov. 30 - Jan. 11 from 2-3:30pm in the Walker Room and on Zoom. Copies of the book may be obtained from your favorite book seller. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Dean

Advent Choral Evensong

All are welcome to mark the beginning of Advent by attending Choral Evensong at St. Paul’s Cathedral. On December 1st at 4PM, the cathedral choir will present a service including works by Bach, Vaughan Williams, Bord, Decker, and Neary. The historic St. Paul’s Cathedral is located at 139 Pearl Street in downtown Buffalo, NY. For more information, please email Kevin Durkin, or call 716-855-0900.

2024 CHRISTMAS SERVICES:

Longest Night/Blue Christmas, December 21 – 5pm

On the longest night of the year, we celebrate a service designed especially for those who have experienced loss, are going through a challenging time, or find the holidays difficult.

Christmas Eve, December 24

4:00pm - Lessons and Carols

At 4PM on Christmas Eve, December 24th, the cathedral choir will be joined by a brass quintet to proclaim the birth of our Savior through word and song. This festive, family-friendly, hour-long service will include a brass prelude on the steps of the cathedral beginning at 3:30. With roots at Truro Cathedral and being widely popularized by King’s College, Cambridge, this annual service is much-loved throughout the world.

11:00pm - The Nativity of Our Lord - The “Christ-Mass”

The ChristMass: At 11PM on Christmas Eve, December 24th, the community is invited to gather for the ChristMass. This solemn, joy-filled, and candlelit Eucharist will include music by the cathedral choir and organ. During the Mass, the congregation will sing the beloved carol “Silent Night” by candlelight.

Christmas Day, December 25

10:15am – Christmas Day: The Nativity of Our Lord

On Christmas Day, December 25th, all are welcome to attend Christmas Mass at 10AM. This Eucharist will include congregational singing of Christmas carols with organ accompaniment.

New Year's Day, January 1, 2025 - The Feast of the Holy Name

On New Year's Day, we will step into the New Year with the celebration of Holy Eucharist at 10:15am. This day we recall the naming of Jesus eight days after his birth and that God highly exalted Jesus "and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth."

January 6 - Feast of the Epiphany, 6pm

Join us as we celebrate the arrival of the Magi and the manifestation of Christ to the peoples of the earth.

Worship this Sunday: 8 and 10:15 am

• View or download the bulletin

• Read the lessons here

• Watch the livestream on Facebook or YouTube

Three-Week Course on the 1979 Book of Common Prayer

from Deacon Phil

Join us for an engaging three-week course exploring the 1979 Book of Common Prayer led by The Rev. Phil Cunningham. Starting on November 6 at 7 PM, we will delve into the rich history and structure of this foundational text, with a particular focus on the Daily Office.

Course Details:

Dates: November 6, 13 (canceled), 20 and December 4 (please note change of schedule)

Time: 7 PM – 8:30 PM in Walker Room

Throughout the course, we will:

Examine the historical context and significance of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer.

Explore its structure and various liturgical elements. Spend dedicated time learning about the Daily Office, its practices, and its importance in daily worship. Each session will conclude with a peaceful service of Compline, allowing us to reflect and engage in shared worship.

This is a wonderful opportunity to deepen your understanding and appreciation of the Book of Common Prayer. All are welcome!

Garden of Love Needs

The GOL is always in need of brown paper bags with handles. You can usually get them at Target, Marshalls, Walgreens, TJ Maxx and other stores. Don't pile them up in the closet, bring them to church and we will be glad to re-cycle them for you. Winter is coming. We don't like to hear that, but imagine if you are living on the streets and the colder weather is approaching. So, Garden of Love would love to welcome donations of:

Gloves (men's & women's), winter hats and scarves, winter jackets, hoodies (sizes XL, XXL), NEW long under-wear for men (L, XL), heavy winter socks, winter boots. Gloves, hats, jackets, scarves, hoodies, and boots, can be used, but should be clean and without tears or stains. Underwear or socks should be new. In the past we have sponsored a blanket drive in December, so donations of these are welcome as well. Items can be brought to church on Sunday, or dropped off at the GOL on Tuesdays between 9:30 AM and 1PM. For questions about any of these donations, please see Judy Elliott, Bill Siener or Michael Bonilla.

SJAT Dish washing, Note 1

From Bob Ludwig for the Social Justice Action Team. 

(Previously published, included as part of a series)

Why do we wash dishes from the coffee hour at SPC? Imagine a conversation between Bob, the obsessed d-w, who asks: “Why do we wash the coffee hour dishes at SPC?” and a reluctant SPC parishioner who has not yet taken the St. Francis Pledge.

SPC parishioner: Instead of washing, can’t we just use plastic or paper cups and plates?

Bob the d-w: Ouch! And, then of course – what do you do with the plastic and paper when you’re finished eating and drinking? - ‘You throw it away, right?’ I guess most people understand that when we throw something away, it doesn’t just disappear. It gets dumped on the land or in the water or is incinerated, becoming air pollution. Moreover, most stuff we use has food particles left on it after using, so it’s not eligible for recycling. But the real clincher is – we get to re-use SPC’s already existing glass and ceramic – which means we don’t have to buy new dishes.

SPC parishioner: Now, that’s a powerful argument. But still, aren’t there special needs – such as a street person or someone who has to take their food or drink away?

Bob the d-w: Good point. We try to keep a stash of paper cups and plates for those who have to take away. But the coffee host doesn’t put them on display because as expert consumers, all of us know a good buy when we see it – and the closer something is to being free and then able to be thrown away, the better we like it. A stack of paper cups would disappear in a flash – every Sunday.

Next week’s SJAT Note – Who’s the ‘we’, in ‘we wash dishes at SPC?’

Weekday Eucharist Every Wednesday and Thursday

St. Paul’s offers two weekday Eucharists. On Wednesdays, we offer a 12:05 Healing Eucharist with laying on of hands and anointing for healing; on Thursdays, we celebrate a Eucharist outdoors that is geared especially for those who are unhoused - both literally and those who have no spiritual home Following the Thursday Eucharist, we distribute lunch sacks in Cathedral and Fireman’s Park. All are welcome to join either days, or both.

Prayer and Pastoral Care

We lift up the following in prayer: Peter, Jackie, Carl, Lori, Brandy and family, Jaci, Joseph, Tabatha, Lori, Dave, Anne, Tracy, Judy, Thomas, Mark, M’Lou, Patrick, Lisa, David, Judy, Michelle, Amir, Martha, Leonard, Leann, Josephine, Billy, Margaret, Betty Lou, Linda, Barbara, Len, Lenny, Heather, Gail, Rob, Galen, Elaine, Viola, Albert, John, Lindsay, Sharon, Allen, Renee, Shirley, Joni, Jim and Judy, Andrea, Don, Carol, Sue, Rachel. We also remember all those in the life of the Cathedral who have died in years past and their loved ones who remember them.

• If you have requests to add to the weekly Prayers of the People or a name to add for the prayers of clergy and the Pastoral Care Team, please email prayerrequests@spcbuffalo.org.

• If you know someone in need of pastoral care, please contact Judy Elliott or Canon Barbara Price.

Please note: Following Thanksgiving, the prayer list will be reduced and submitted

names will only be included for six weeks. Please contact the office with names you wish to have on the pray list, and those that you wish to request remain for an extended time. - Dean Rebecca

Diocesan Partnership and Church News

• See the Diocesan Partnership Newsletter here.

• For more news about the Dioceses of WNY and NWPA and to sign up for emailed newsletters, go here.

• The Episcopal Church website offers resources for individuals, congregations, and various ministries.