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St. Mary's Episcopal Church
Stone Harbor, New Jersey
All are welcome. Please join us!
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WELCOME HOME!
Worship with us:
Sunday at 9:00 am in the sanctuary
in person and Live on Facebook
The Second Sunday of Advent
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It's Stewardship time!
Everyone should have received a packet in the mail. Pledges are the foundation of the budgeting process for next year, so everyone's participation is important. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to Lillian or Jack. Thank you!
Please return your pledge by mail, or you can make your pledge now by clicking the link below.
Remember to pledge your support!
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Paths of Comfort: Embracing Hope and Healing in Advent's Journey
As we continue through the season of Advent, a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus, we find ourselves reflecting on the profound words from Isaiah 40:1-11. In a world often marked by uncertainty and upheaval, these ancient words resonate with a timeless truth, offering us a beacon of hope and comfort.
The prophet Isaiah speaks to us across centuries, reminding us that even in the midst of our trials and tribulations, God's voice calls out to comfort His people. "Comfort, O comfort my people," says the Lord. This is a call to each of us, amidst the social disorder and challenges we face, to remember that we are held in the embrace of divine love and compassion. In our efforts to create a more just and compassionate world, let us take solace in the knowledge that our labors are undergirded by God's enduring presence.
Isaiah's imagery of preparing a way in the wilderness and making straight a highway in the desert is particularly poignant. It speaks to our collective responsibility to smooth the rough edges of our society, to lift up the lowly, and to level the mountains of inequality and injustice. This Advent, let us commit ourselves anew to being architects of God's kingdom on earth, where every valley of despair is lifted, and every mountain of oppression is made low.
The passage also reminds us of our human frailty – we are like grass that withers and flowers that fade. Yet, in this acknowledgment of our limitations, we find a profound hope. For it is precisely in our weakness that God’s strength is made manifest. The eternal word of God stands forever as a testament to the unshakeable foundation upon which we build our lives and hopes.
Finally, Isaiah's vision of God as a powerful ruler and a caring shepherd is a powerful metaphor for our times. In a world where power often corrupts, and leaders can lose sight of their responsibility to care for the vulnerable, this image challenges us to reimagine leadership and power. It invites us to see God's might and tenderness coexisting, inspiring us to lead with strength, tempered with love and compassion.
As we move through this Advent season, let us be heralds of this good news. In a world that often feels fragmented and fearful, let us proclaim with confidence and joy, “Here is your God!” A God who comes with might yet feeds His flock like a shepherd, gathering the lambs in His arms, leading us with a gentle hand.
May this season of Advent rekindle in us a steadfast hope and a renewed commitment to be bearers of God’s transformative love in our world. Let us walk together in this journey of faith, drawing strength from the promise that the word of our God stands forever.
With warm Advent blessings,
Mo. Allison+
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Talk of Christmas starts in my family during our Thanksgiving holiday. Questions fly around the dinner table about where we will gather for our family Christmas celebrations, the kids discuss their Christmas wish lists, and then stories of past Christmases are told and retold with such excitement, as if no-one ever heard them before.
As the week goes by, decorations are brought out of the big closet and the attic, and soon we find the treasured Advent wreath which seems to center us on the real purpose of our celebratory moods. We set up our wreath on the table. We wait for the First Sunday of Advent, when at our worship service, as a community, we observe the first Advent candle being lit on the Advent wreath. After worship we proceed home and as a family we light our own first Advent candle.
Each week we pray and meditate on the different themes of Advent; hope, peace, joy, and love. However, Advent is a busy season with preparations being made for a big holiday, the excitement of children in wonderment of the season, baking, shopping, and wrapping gifts, church events and the list goes on. So, as hard as we try our prayers and meditations become a challenge but we are not alone.
Come join us on Sunday, December 10, after our worship service at St. Mary’s Coffee Hour in the Parish Hall for a Deacon’s Workshop. We plan to discuss “Finding God in Christmas Chaos” as we use Tim Schenck”s book, “Dog in the Manger,” as a reference to help us insert our Advent prayers and meditations into our busy everyday lives. If you are interested in reading Tim Schenck’s book, it is available on Kindle or in paperback through Amazon.
What?…. Deacon’s Workshop
When?…. December 10, 2023
Where?…. St. Mary’s, Stone Harbor, Parish Hall, after Worship Service
Who?…. All are invited to join Deacon Jane Carol
Why?…. A light discussion in a busy season about waiting for our Savior’s birth
Please bring some of your own Advent stories to share with us.
In God’s love,
Jane Carol Wilson, dcn
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"Finding God in Christmas Chaos"
Advent Fellowship Workshop
December 10th
during coffee hour
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St. Mary's This 'n That Thrift Shop | |
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Did you know?
Our Thrift Shop continues to be a beacon of mission and ministry out in the community. Each month is dedicated to a community organization.
In December, they are collecting for Toys for Tots. New unwrapped toys may be dropped off at the thrift shop any time during the month of December.
Thank you to Debbie, our Staff, and customers for your support, donations and care.
Store Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 10 am - 4 pm
Location: St. Mary's This 'n That, 1304 Rt. 47 So., Rio Grande, NJ 08242 609-886-7272
Thrift items donation days: Tuesday and Thursday, 10 am - 3 pm, and on the 1st Saturday of the month 10 - 3 pm.
Gold Winner of the 2022 and 2023 Best of the Jersey Shore thrift shops, This 'n That Furniture Shop is a great addition to the home goods, housewares, including small appliances, and clothing shops at This 'n That.
Don't forget the thrift shop when you're fall cleaning and re-organizing. Household items, furniture and clean usable clothing are welcome!
Remember - Upcycling is good for the planet!
You can keep up with special sales and featured furniture by following them on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/St-Marys-This-N-That-Thrift-Shop-268676343298636/
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Items may be dropped off at The Branches Outreach Center
201 Hirst Ave., Rio Grande, NJ 08242 609-886-5091
Monday – Friday: 8:30am – 1:30pm - Saturday: 10am – 12pm
Sunday: Closed
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Poinsettias will be placed in the sanctuary for the Christmas season.
If you would like to dedicate a poinsettia in honor or memory of, or in thanksgiving for, a loved one, please fill out the attached form and return it in the plate on Sunday or to the parish office by mail or email.
The deadline for the inclusion of your names is December 17th.
After Christmas, you may take the flowers to enjoy or give.
Here is the download link for the form.
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To All of our seasonal members and friends
Please consider making a donation or pledge for 2024 before you head home for the season.
Your support of our mission and ministry is important to us.
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Some ways to support St. Mary's
- Become a member
- Volunteer
- The Sunday collection plate
- Send a check payable to St. Mary's to:
St. Mary's Episcopal Church,
9425 Third Ave., Stone Harbor, NJ 08247
(Your envelope and number is not necessary, only your name.)
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Setting up a personal online banking "bill pay" option. The bank will mail the check for you to the church office.
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Online giving through our website at https://www.stmarysstoneharbor.org/
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Happy Birthday to
Donald Montemuro on Decemer 9th
If you would like to be remembered on your birthday or anniversary, please give us your information so we may add you to our data base. Email or call the church office: jultaylor9425@gmail.com or 609-368-5922
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Coffee Hour is held after service every Sunday in the parish hall. It is an opportunity to get together for relaxed conversation and fellowship over a cup of coffee. If you would like to provide a snack for coffee hour, please pick a Sunday and sign up on the sheet on the door to the kitchen. Nothing elaborate, just a small snack to enjoy with coffee. Thank you!
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St. Barnabas Gourmet Holiday Food Sale
Saturday, December 16th, 9 am to 1 pm
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Sunday, December 10th - 10:00 AM
Advent Fellowship Workshop - "Finding God in the Christmas Chaos"
Thursday, December 21st - 7:00 PM
Blue Christmas - a Service of Healing, Hope, and Wholeness with a Litany for Peace
Sunday, December 24th at 9:00 PM
Christmas Eve Festive Eucharist
12 Step Meetings in the Church Hall
Narcotics Anonymous (NA) Monday at 7:30 pm
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Tuesday at 8:00 pm
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The Second Sunday of Advent | |
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Tuesday - Friday 8:30 am Morning Prayer via Zoom
Sunday 9:00 AM in person (church)
and Live on Facebook
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