January 2, 2025 | VOLUME 37, ISSUE 1

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Second Sunday after Christmas

January 5, 2025

SCRIPTURE READINGS

Jeremiah 31:7-14

Ephesians 1:3-6,15-19a

Matthew 2:13-15,19-23

or Luke 2:41-52

or Matthew 2:1-12

Psalm 84 or 84:1-8

Preacher: The Reverend Jennifer Wagner Pavia

Bible and Breakfast

Tuesdays | 9:30 AM

Luther Hall & Zoom

Midweek Eucharist:

Wednesdays | 7:00 PM

Sanctuary

Our next monthly ingathering for St. Joseph Center in Venice is Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. 

Below is an updated list of high-need items:

ST. JOSEPH CENTER DONATIONS LIST 

Cleaning (disinfectant) wipes

Adult diapers: women’s small/medium/large and men’s medium, large, X-large

Baby diapers size 6

Cat and dog food (dry)

Shampoo, conditioner, body wash

Dish soap for washing dishes by hand

Laundry detergent--pods are preferred

Baby wipes: Non-flushable are preferred, but flushable wipes are accepted as well.

Please note: the most needed items are boldfaced. In addition, peanut butter has been moved from the donations list. 

Every donation counts! And Lorena Gonzales, program manager, extends her heartfelt gratitude to St. Bede’s for our years-long support of St. Joseph Center!

The whole Townsend family gathers at the award sign, above, in August 2024 

By Carl Townsend

As many of you might recall, Coburg Tree Farm, the Townsend family forest, took the crown as Washington State’s Tree Farm of the Year in 2023.  (See the June 1, 2023, Quill). This award automatically put us in the running for the Western Region.  

We faced stiff competition from our Oregon contenders, but we prevailed and moved on to the National judging.  

We had one final judging visit in August 2024 by a pair of judges from the Eastern Region, who brought a fresh perspective.  Apparently, they were impressed by our operation.  Ultimately, the group of regional judges convened and decided that Coburg Tree Farm was the nation’s best.  I’ll be joining the family in Portland, Maine, in March to accept the award.  

The recent awards were not our first foray into the tree farming spotlight.  In 1976, my parents won the Washington State TFOY award, and went on to win the Western Region in 1977.  

Mom was elated as her four boys won the 2023 award.  Sadly, she passed away before the National award was announced. But, I know that now, as she has joined Dad, they can look down on us and take pride in their family legacy.  

My brothers and I are now challenged with the task of passing on our legacy to our nine children and several grandchildren. 

The official announcement from the American Forest Foundation can be found here.  

Our official entry video starring Carl can be found here.

And a good write-up from the local home blog can be found here. 

The St. Bede's Mission Committee is organizing a clothing drive for cold weather items: new or gently used clothing and new underwear and socks. We will have a donation bin in the narthex (through Jan. 12) that's clearly labeled to collect the clothing.

In addition, as part of our Alternative Christmas Market (please see  above!), we are helping to collect monetary donations to help the Neighborhood Youth Association with plans for holiday crafts and gifts. (If you write a check, please write it to St. Bede’s with “Neighborhood Youth Association” in the memo.)

Questions? Please see a member of the Mission Committee. Thank you!

Visit the St. Bede's website and at the top of every page, look for the "Donate" button. When you click on the "Donate" button, you will be transported to St. Bede's Vanco eGiving and Payment Process Site.

Vanco is an industry leader in online payments. More than 40,000 churches, faith-based groups, nonprofits, schools, and educational organizations trust Vanco to securely complete transactions every day. Vanco complies with PCI Level 1 standards, the highest security standard in the payment processing industry.

You are invited to set up one-time or recurring gifts using credit, debit, or bank transfer on Vanco's secure payment processing platform. Giving online through the Vanco site saves time and the hassle of remembering to bring your offering. In addition, you decrease the expense incurred by St. Bede’s from handling and processing checks and cash.

Washington National Cathedral in the United States’ capital will host and livestream the state funeral of former President Jimmy Carter at 10 a.m. Eastern Jan. 9.

Jimmy Carter’s state funeral to be held Jan. 9 at Washington National Cathedral

By David Paulsen

[Episcopal News Service] Washington National Cathedral, the Episcopal cathedral in the United States capital, is preparing to host the Jan. 9 state funeral of former President Jimmy Carter,, who died Dec. 29 at age 100.

The funeral will be held at 10 a.m. Eastern Jan. 9, and it will be livestreamed on the cathedral’s YouTube channel.

National Cathedral, the seat of both The Episcopal Church’s presiding bishop and the bishop of the Diocese of Washington, has been chosen for several past presidential funerals, including services for Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush. Carter’s funeral is expected to be attended by former presidents, as well as numerous military and congressional leaders, though an official list of invitees has not been released.

The 39th president served one term, from 1977-1981, and went on to work for peace and human rights. In 2002, Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts,” most notably in the Middle East.

Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe, in a message issued after Carter’s death, called him “a devoted peacemaker and steadfast public servant whose faithful labor for his country, his church and the cause of global democracy and human rights has long been an inspiration to Christians across the world.”

READ MORE HERE

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