The Weekly Sunday Bulletin of St. John’s Episcopal Church |
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Last week we looked at the angel Gabriel appearing to Mary and informing her that the Spirit will come upon her and that she will bear God’s son. Mary does not fully understand God’s plan, but is open to be a part of it. Her reply is “Here I am a servant of the Lord; let it be according to your will.” Mary has a sense that she is a part of something really important and agrees to follow God’s plan. God enters the world as fully human and fully divine in the person of Jesus Christ. That is one of the foundations of understanding Christianity and it isn’t easy for any of us. But as good as all this sounds, the reality is that things were tough for Mary. She would have to deal with those who would judge her in her community. Having a baby out of wedlock could get you stoned to death. Mary was in a tough spot.
In a world besieged by fear and hate, God comes from heaven to earth through Mary to bring light into the darkness of the world. Jesus Christ comes again and again and offers wholeness instead of brokenness, hope instead of fear, love instead of hate, and life instead of death. In a time when some of us remember the loss of someone we love, when some of us are recovering from an illness, when most of us are tired of wearing masks, and when many of us do not feel as joyful as we should, Jesus Christ comes to offer us comfort. We are all offered the incarnational presence and love of our Lord. Last week I spoke of being open to God’s plan. This week, I am asking you to say yes to it. We can say, “Here I am Lord, May it be according to your will or no thanks, maybe next time.”
In today’s Gospel, Mary sets out for the hill country to Zachariah and Elizabeth’s house. Mary needs support from the rumors and judgmental pressures of her community. Mary’s cousin, Elizabeth is joyful about the news that Mary is pregnant. The baby in her womb, who will later be named John, jumps for joy in her womb. This prayer has been called the Magnificat or Song of Mary. Mary echoes the promises that were given by the prophets in the Old Testament and declares that God’s promises are about to be fulfilled in the birth of Jesus. I can’t even imagine the sheer joy and wonder of being given such an honor as to be the theotokos or bearer of God’s son. Elizabeth will bear a son in three months, fulfilling a promise made to Zachariah in last week’s Gospel.
Mary will soon bear a son that will be the fulfillment of ancient prophecy. This is Good News in difficult times. God comes to ordinary people and does extraordinary things. This time, God comes to a woman to bring hope to the world. Mary and Elizabeth are filled with joy because they believe in a dream in the scriptures that one day, things would be different. Maybe one day, those who are hurting will be comforted. God is about to send his Son to rescue the poor, the hurting, and the oppressed. For God so loved the world that God gave God’s only son that all who believe in him might not perish, but have everlasting life. God is coming soon to fulfill the promises that God has made. For the women, waiting for the birth of their childen is filled with joy, wonder and thankfulness. Mary shouts,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation…
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever”(Luke1:46-55).
May it be according to your Word,
Fr. Duncan
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Join us for Sunday Worship at 8am and 10am in the church or remotely on Zoom and Facebook. Face masks and social distancing are required for all in person services.
8:00 am - Rite I Holy Eucharist
9:45 am - Sunday School in the Guild Room and on Zoom
10:00 am – Rite II Choral Eucharist
The Readings
The Hymns*
*Not all songs are available to download. If you would like a hard copy of the Hymnal and Praise Book for at home worship, please contact the Parish Office. |
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2021 Giving - If you would like your contribution to appear on your 2021 giving statement, please make sure your donation by check or cash is received in the Parish Office by December 29th. Electronic credit, debit or ACH payments made on or before December 30th will be counted toward your 2021 giving. We cannot apply electronic payments made after December 30th to your 2021 gift. |
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SAFE PRACTICES FOR IN PERSON SERVICES & EVENTS |
We are so happy to welcome people into the church for in-person worship. As we increase the number of people allowed in the church, we can all do our part to keep ourselves and others safe and healthy:
- Masks are required. Disposable masks are available at the back of the church;
- Social distancing. Please maintain a 6ft distance between your group/family and others;
- Sanitize hands upon entrance. Dispensers are available at the back of the church;
- Prayer books and Hymnals are available;
- Service bulletins and reading inserts are available at the back of the church.
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Sunday, December 19th at 7:30 pm. Take a joyous break from the holiday rush and join us for “Sing Noel!”, our annual concert of Christmas song, carols and stories featuring musical talents of...
Lynn Norris, soprano
Leslie Valentine, mezzo-soprano
Douglas Purcell, tenor
Larry Long, Bass
Christine Doré, piano.
Suggested donation $20 for adults, $10 for children. COVID protocols remain in effect. Tickets available at the door or online:
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All are welcome at Morning Prayer. We meet Monday through Friday at 9:00 am via Zoom.
Our short prayer service is followed by some fellowship and discussion. Feel free to join us occassionally to listen and pray, or come more often to participate as a leader or reader, and to start your day with your focus on Christ and a deeper connection with your friends at St. John's.
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Bible Study meets Mondays at 6:30 pm and Tuesdays at 11:00 am on Zoom. Tuesday sessions will cover the material discussed on the Monday before.
Please contact the Parish Office if you need a copy of Hidden Christmas by Timothy Keller.
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THE BOOK FAIRIES ARE COMING! |
St. John's Nursery School is collecting gently used or like-new books for readers of all ages to donate to the Book Fairies. If you have books you would like to donate, please bring them to the Parish Office by Monday, December 20th.
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CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS AS ST. JOHN'S |
Christmas Eve
Friday, December 24th
4:00 pm - Rite II Family Christmas Service
In person, Zoom & Facebook
8:00 pm - Rite II Christmas Service with beautiful music
by St. John's Choir and special guest musicians
In person, Zoom & Facebook
11:00 pm - Rite I Midnight Mass
In person only
Christmas Day
Saturday, December 25th
10:00 am - Christmas Day Service with beautiful music
In person, Zoom & Facebook
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Come & Shop our Christmas Sale
Everything is 25% OFF!
Tuesdays, Thursdays, & Saturdays!
12:00 to 3:00 pm
The Thrift Shop will be closed from December 23 to December 31, 2021.
We will open again on Tuesday, January 4, 2022
Volunteers are needed - We are still bulding our Thursday and Saturday teams. If you wish to become a volunteer, please contact Lilly Welch (welchr@optonline.net).
Donations - We accept donations of new or gently used seasonal clothing, household items and accessories. Please no books, out-dated electronics or damaged items. Please contact Mary Beth Dieterle (mbdieterle@yahoo.com) with any questions about donations.
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St. John's Prayer Shawl Ministry meets on the 2nd Thursday of each month. Please contact Noelle DeLorenzo ( ndelorenzo217@gmail.com) for the Zoom link to join this group. |
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2022 STEWARDSHIP THANK YOU! |
Thank you to everyone who has submitted a pledge for 2022! Your stewardship is a commitment to sustaining St. John’s ministry today and going forward. We are so grateful for your pledge.
Through Advent we will leave our "Joy Thoughts" poster in the back of the church for you to continue to share what brings you JOY!
Please turn in your 2022 pledge card if you have not done so already. Our Joy will increase exponentially as we give of our time, treasure, and talent!
You may also submit your pledge online using our online pledge form. Then beginning in January of 2022 you may send your regular stewardship payments in the mail, leave them in the collection plate on Sundays, or set up automatic, recurring payments online.
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ST. FRANCIS IN THE VALLEY |
Mission Trip to Arizona: April 25- May 2, 2022
OUTREACH is sharing Christ’s love with all our neighbors!
Upcoming Meeting with all hoping to travel to Arizona: January 7, 2022, at 4 p.m. on Zoom!
To learn more about this trip, as well as all the outreach we are doing, please join us at our monthly Zoom meeting.
If you are interested in participating in the mission trip, please contact Claire Mis or Fr. Duncan by January 15, 2022.
For those of us present at the second Advent program, Jeanne Provenzano shared her effort to assist two young children in getting asylum through the court system. She was very disappointed that her efforts failed and we learned that it is extremely difficult for asylum to be granted in the United States. The following newsletter shows the efforts of many to bring hope to asylum seekers.
The November Newsletter pays homage to the months of dedicated work by volunteers who have brought education, hope for many new possibilities for families seeking asylum. Teachers have been trained and are present at many of the local shelters. Please check out this newsletter. The picture shown in the first article is the façade of La Casa de la Misericordia – a shelter we are hoping to visit when we travel to Arizona at the end of April.
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ALTAR FLOWERS & PERPETUAL LIGHT |
If you would like to remember a loved one or give thanks for an important event with altar flowers or Perpetual Light, please complete an Altar Flower Form and return it to the Parish Office with your check made payable to "St. John's Altar Guild."
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PRAYER CONCERNS FOR ST. JOHN'S |
We pray for the sick: Fred, Lynn, Jackie, Manny, Cory, Richard, Barbara, Edward, Christine, Patricia, Alberta, Patti, Tom, Allison, Mike, Gabe, Joann, Patti, Christian, Anthony, Joanne, Harry, Christine, Gabriel, Frank, Theresa, Sue, Spencer, Tom, Stephanie, Matt, Wylie, Susan, Maggie, Ursula, Christina, Bill, Amy, Kate, Cheryl, John Michael, Lauren, Mikey, Marie, Dianne, Ryan, Rich, Preston, Lucy, Irene, Jim, Debra, Rhys, David, Denise, William, Walter, Belle, Jackie, Hal, George, Jack, Bonnie
The Perpetual Light is given this week in loving memory of Charles Butler by his family.
We have started a new prayer list in Advent. Please send your updated prayers for the Advent season to Coral in the Parish Office, prayers@stjohns1745.org.
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St. John's Episcopal Church
12 Prospect Street
Huntington, New York 11743
(631) 427-1752
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