In this edition: Annual Diocesan Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols; Advent, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day Services and Events; Fun Fact; Check it Out!; Did You Know?; Upcoming events; News in the ECD community, Episcopal Church, and Anglican Communion
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If you are looking for Advent offerings or a place to worship on
Christmas Eve or Christmas Day,
take a look at what our churches are planning:
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Advent | Christmas Eve | Christmas Day |
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Note: If your parish is not included, please send the information to [email protected] and we will update. The above service information is provided on the front page of our website and will be posted to our Facebook and Instagram platforms. |
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Fun Fact
Question: Who invented the printed Advent Calendar?
Clue: Advent Calendars originated with Lutherans in Germany in the 19th/early 20th century.
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Advent Traditions Around the World |
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Chinese Advent decorations
include lanterns?
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Chinese Christians light up their homes with colorful paper lanterns during Advent, and you might find and placed in windows. They call Christmas Sheng Dan Jieh, or Holy Birth Festival and decorate their homes with evergreen plants, posters, bright paper chains, and a Christmas tree, which they call a Tree of Light, adorned with paper lanterns, flowers, and red paper chains that symbolize happiness. An emerging Christmas tradition is the giving of apples, sometimes sold in stores wrapped in colored paper.
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The ceremonies known
as The Inns
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Advent in Mexico brings the religious ceremonies known as Las Posadas, (Spanish for "The Inns.") This nine-day celebration marking the journey of Mary and Joseph is held from December 16 to 24.
Each evening a child dressed as an angel leads a processional, usually made up of children. They go to selected homes, where they are denied entry but often given refreshments. This custom is followed in some parts of the United States, too, including Trinity Parish, Wilmington.
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Cycle of Prayer in the Episcopal Church in Delaware |
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Diocesan Clergy Authors: New Books and Book Signings |
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The Rev. Carlyle Gill
New book published
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The Rev. Carlyle Gill has written a new book, The Inescapable God. "There is no ego, no performance anxiety or theological muscle-flexing....There is only the desire to speak clearly, truly, and freshly of what faith looks like in plain clothes a desire that is realized on every page of this generous book" — Barbara Brown Taylor, author of Always a Guest. The Inescapable God is available from Amazon.com here
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The Rev. David Beresford
Book signing
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The Rev. David Beresford will be signing copies of his book Above and Below Sunday, December 12 St. Barnabas, Wilmington,11am
Monday, December 13, Christ Church Christiana Hundred Rectory, 5-8pm. (Official launch including light refreshments)
Sunday, December 19, St. Martha's, Bethany Beach,
8:45 am and 11am.
Books can be purchased on the day or pre-ordered here
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The Rev. Chris Moore
Book signing
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The Rev. Chris Moore, will be signing copies of his book Soul Stages: Surviving and Thriving in the Second Half of Life, at the conclusion of Living in Anticipation: An Advent Quiet Day, Grace Episcopal Church, Wilmington, Saturday, December 11, 12:30pm. Soul Stages is available from the publisher, Morehouse, here, Amazon here, or Barnes and Noble here.
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Christ Church Christiana Hundred, Wilmington, Clergy Announcement
Upon the birth of his first child, Michael Kurth, associate rector, will take family leave for six weeks. With the Christmas season approaching, it was deemed wise to have a priest to relieve Michael of his responsibilities, while supporting the worship and work of the parish. We are pleased to announce that we have a priest in residence able to supply leadership: the Rev. David Beresford will be serving during Michael's absence. He will preach some of the Christmas and weekly services and lead occasions for devotion and learning this Advent and Epiphany, sharing the care for the congregation with the Rev. Ruth Beresford, rector, and the Rev. Paul Gennett, pastoral associate.
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Choir School of Delaware, Lift Every Voice and Sing:
Advancing Equity in Nonprofits and the Arts
Arreon Harley-Emerson, Director of Music and Operations at the Choir School of Delaware, joined Delaware Community Foundation President & CEO, Stuart Comstock-Gay, for a conversation about how nonprofits and arts organizations can build equity - and opportunity - in the communities they serve. Comstock-Gay and Harley-Emerson also discussed how organizations can consider questions of equity internally, and what’s needed to turn new diversity and inclusion initiatives into long-lasting, systemic changes for the betterment of all. Listen to podcast here.
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Upcoming Events in Our Community |
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Holiday Brown Bag Concert Series, Concord High School, Madrigals and Chorale, Grace Church, Wilmington, across from the Concord Mall, Friday, December 10, 12:15-1pm
Free and open to the public. Please wear masks. Bring a brown bag lunch and enjoy a peaceful haven in the midst of the busy holiday season. Punch/Tea/Coffee provided. Fun for the whole family! More information
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Keep Christ in Christmas Nativity Display, Church of the Ascension, Wilmington, Saturday, December 11, 12-6pm, Sunday, December 12, 10am-4pm
“Keep Christ in Christmas” features more than 100 Nativities, from many countries and cultures, created from the materials available, and reflecting the traditions of Christian faiths around the world. Plan to make time for this very special exhibit and enjoy beautiful Christmas music while you unwind for a while, away from the stresses of the holidays. Donations of non-perishable foods for the Claymont Food Closet are welcome. More information
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Sounds of the Season, Choir School of Delaware Holiday Concert, Winterthur, Saturday, December 11, 4pm
Enjoy new and old favorites: Margaret Bonds' The Ballad of the Brown King, a Christmas cantata written in collaboration with poet Langston Hughes, opens the program. Holiday works composed and arranged by musicians of color round out the program. More information and tickets here,
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Open-Air Christmas Market & Sankta Lucia Celebration, Old Swedes Church, Wilmington
December 12, 12noon-3:30 pm
The Open-Air Christmas Market returns, featuring local arts and crafts vendors, raffle baskets, music and food, plus items from our Gift Shop. Tours of the site are ‘Pay What You Wish’ during market hours. At 2pm, join us for a traditional celebration of the Feast Day of Sankta Lucia, a holiday that is still marked by light and music in Sweden today. The Delaware Swedish Colonial Society and Old Swedes Historic Site co-sponsor the annual December celebration of Sankta Lucia, bringer of light and herald of the Christmas season.
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Piffaro Band Concert: Let the Holidays Resound, Christ Church Christiana Hundred, Wilmington, December 12, 3pm
December is a month of music like no other! Decorate your holiday season with the glorious sounds from the celebrations around Christmas, Hanukkah, and Solstice traditions generated from Renaissance composers. Enjoy the best of Piffaro’s four decades. Tickets $29-$49 may be purchased here.
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Advent Lessons and Carols, Sung by The Immanuel Choir at Immanuel Church, New Castle, Sunday, December 12, 4pm
One of Immanuel's cherished seasonal traditions is coming soon! Join us as Immanuel's choir offers a unique experience of spiritual reflection and refreshment through music, scripture, and prayer—presented in the conviction that an Advent well-observed prepares us to experience the full meaning of Christmas. You are invited to join us and invite a friend to share the experience with you. The service will be followed by a holiday dinner and pageant. For more information, please contact 302.328.2413, or [email protected].
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Posadas, presented by Trinity Parish, Wilmington: a Latin American tradition of recreating the journey of Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem, December 16 to Christmas Eve 7pm.
They are held in parishioner’s homes or at Trinity Church each night. If you would like to know more, please contact Trinity’s parish office at [email protected] or at 302-298-2670.
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Holiday Brown Bag Concert Series, Trinitas Trio (piano, flute and cello) Music of the Season & More, Grace Church, Wilmington, across from the Concord Mall, Friday, December 17, 12:15-1pm
Free and open to the public. Please wear masks. Bring a brown bag lunch and enjoy a peaceful haven in the midst of the busy holiday season. Punch/Tea/Coffee provided. Fun for the whole family! More information
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Service of Lessons and Carols,
Trinity Parish, Wilmington
Sunday, January 2, 2022
8am and 10am services
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Epiphany Celebration, BCM, Church of the Ascension Parish Hall
Saturday, January 8, 2022
5pm Meet in the Parish Hall for Kings Cake, persons finding the Beans will be crowned Kings/Queens
5:15pm Service will be held in the Parish Hall. Reading of Humphrey the Camel by Sandy Pierce. Pajamas are encouraged for those attending.
6pm BCM will provide a meal ($5 donations per person would be greatly appreciated to cover the cost of the meal) Please RSVP to the BCM Office [email protected] by December 22. More information
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News from the Episcopal Church and beyond |
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Presiding Bishop joins interfaith support letter for Global Fund
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All Episcopalians are invited to review and offer comments on The Episcopal Church Executive Council’s draft budget for fiscal years 2023-2024. Feedback must be received by December 15 and can be submitted using this form. While all feedback is welcome, the Executive Council Joint Standing Committee on Finance is particularly seeking the church’s wisdom on three mission and values questions as it pertains to the budget:
- Are there areas out of alignment with where The Episcopal Church is going?
- Are there areas where The Episcopal Church is reverting to “empire” behavior or otherwise misusing its power?
- Are there areas where The Episcopal Church can lessen disparities created by the pandemic?
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Applications open for General Convention Official Youth Presence 2022, due by December 23
The Episcopal Church invites teens age 16 to 19 to apply to become part of the 80th General Convention’s Official Youth Presence, a group whose members have seat and voice in the House of Deputies. Up to two youth from each of the church’s nine provinces will be selected to participate in the Official Youth Presence from July 4-14 in Baltimore, Maryland. Youth who are selected must also attend orientation and training in Baltimore from March 31 to April 2. Applications and nomination forms are due by December 23. Nominators must not be related to the applicant. Spanish applications and nomination forms are also available. More information
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The Episcopal Church applauds the passage of H.R.5376, the Build Back Better Act in the House of Representatives. This transformative legislation will reduce child poverty, expand health care, make the tax system fairer, and invest vital funds in our effort to confront the climate crisis. More information
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UN anti-violence campaign inspires Churches Beyond Borders 2021 Devotional
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News from the Anglican Communion |
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Primates write to Special Session of the World Health Assembly (WHA) following Primates’ Meeting
The Primates of the Anglican Communion have called on the Special Session of the WHA, meeting from 29 November to 1 December, to be bold and courageous in its plans for an international agreement and treaty on global health emergency preparedness and response. In a letter to the WHA they call for the need to address and improve both equity in the distribution of vaccines and education to counter vaccine hesitancy around the globe. Read full article here
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The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Moderator of the Church of Scotland, have issued a joint statement about the plight of refugees and asylum seekers.
“The Church of England and Church of Scotland, along with Christians around the world, believe that every person is made in God’s image. We celebrate our work supporting vulnerable people seeking refuge and asylum. In a climate that is often hostile towards these men, women and children, we commit to offer them welcome and compassion. In too many cases, the..." Read full statement here
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