1Happy are those who find wisdom, and those who get understanding, for her income is better than silver, and her revenue better than gold.

~ Proverbs 3:13-14

Worship at St. David's Services:

Please see link below on left of page

Advent and active contemplation

Advent is the season of waiting; waiting and preparation. Well I remember as a kid how the days seemed to crawl by like cold molasses. Advent calendars didn’t really help, but only made too clear that only one day had gone by. Now, of course, it seems the time passes too quickly. That’s why I am grateful for the season of Advent. At least in our worship, we can slow the passage of time.

But Advent is for preparation, as well. We don’t often think of contemplation as a form of action; we tend to think of it as a quiet and still form of prayer. We imagine a dark room with a candle in front of an icon, or sitting cross-legged and chanting a few simple syllables. The ancient tradition, however, thought of contemplation as something much more active. Contemplation is the act of seeing the whole of creation and all of its individual aspects as fully illuminated with the divine light.

The ancient tradition taught that, since creation was simply the outpouring of the love of the Trinity beyond itself, all of creation was suffused with the divine energies. Each creature has its own purpose for existing in the praise of the Creator, and the divine energies flow through that creature in praise. Each stone, each tree, each star, each galaxy has its purpose in the divine creation. If God had wanted only one word of praise, God would have created only one creature, but God desired the full chorus of praise, and so created all the creatures in their infinite variety.

Contemplation is the discipline of seeing each creature’s participation in that chorus of praise, and then rendering thanks to God for the beauty of that song. In our eucharistic prayer, we join our voices with angels, archangels and the whole of creation when we sing, “Holy, holy, holy.” That song is the ultimate act of contemplation.

Each creature has its own unique purpose in the divine plan, its own unique reason for existence. The ancient tradition called that the logos of each creature. Logos is the Greek word that means word, or purpose, or reason. It is the word from which English gets its word logical. The divine Logos, the Second Person of the Trinity, shared in the divine act of creation, giving each creature its own logos, through which it also participates in the divine life. Contemplation is the discipline of training the attention on the logos of each creature, and how the divine energies work through it.

This means that contemplation can be very difficult. People who rub us the wrong way, People who irritate us, even people we hate, have their own logos within Logos of creation. They may certainly hinder the divine energies, but the goal of contemplation is to see the divine energies flowing through them even despite their hindrance – and then render thanks to God for their part in the great divine chorus of praise.

In Advent, we await the incarnation of the Logos of all creation, the Second Person of the Trinity. Our sin had hindered the great chorus of praise, and so prevented our awareness of the purpose of creation, but God was not willing that we should be forever separated for the song of creation, and so the Logos entered into creation. As we contemplate the birth of Jesus, the Incarnation of the divine Logos, we train ourselves to see the logoi (the plural of logos) of all creation. We await the dawning of the light in our darkness. This is not a passive waiting, but training our vision to see the divine not just in Christ, but in every rock, every tree, every ripple in every stream, in every star, and galaxy. Jesus entered into creation to restore our vision of the divine energies flowing through the whole of creation, and thus restore us to our part in the divine chorus of praise.

Continue to read or hear Bishop DeDe Convention Sermon: Click here

Listen or read Bishop Curry's opening comments to this years diocese convention,

Opening Comments:

Hello to Bishop DeDe Duncan-Probe and to all of the clergy and lay delegates who gather together for this, the 152nd Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Central New York. On behalf of your brothers, sisters, and siblings who are The Episcopal church, wherever we may be found, I bring you their greetings, assure you of their love and their prayers. Grace to you and peace from God our Father, in the Lord Jesus Christ...Click to continue

Blood Drive December 4th is Next Week!

As the winter season looms before us we are asking you to sign up to give the gift of life at our next American Red Cross Blood Drive, December 4^th from 2:00pm – 7:00pm.

As a 'thank you', donors who come to give blood Nov 15-Dec 15 will be automatically entered for a chance to win an Outdoor Living Experience, powered by Propane!* Prize includes a propane powered pizza oven, fire pit, outdoor heater and stipend towards propane.

Live stream service also available at 10 am

See link below

 https://www.facebook.com/StDavids

Dan's Blog:  

http://www.stdavidscny.org/;

https://episcopalchurch.org/

Debbie Menter

Judy McCumber

Debbie Menter

Marilyn Cleary

Susan Meyer

Roberta Heirath

Josh Echols

Maureen Kimber

Frank Beadel

Isabella Songco

Daniel Healey

Warren Bickerton

Hall Orcutt

Frank Cinque

James McDermott

Françoise Boulanger

Renate Seel

Lois Shaffer

Rose Demagio

Tim Orcutt

Yvonne Shaw

Diana Smith

Judy Finlayson

Colleen Bain 

Miggs Coleman

Lisa Smith

Msr. Robert Yeazal

Email either Kristen, Dan, or Cherie if there is something you would like to see posted.

And that means: love. For God is love. If we love [God] we possess [God]. Everything else about the monastic life is only a means to an end.  (Thomas Merton, The Waters of Siloe, Harcourt, Brace & Co., 1949)

Perhaps to paraphrase Paul, farming will cease, chanting will cease… fasting and reading will cease, as will vigils – they, too, will cease. Now abide faith, hope and love, and the greatest of these is love.

Continue reading: Click Here

Please join us Tuesdays at 7pm. Our normal Bible Study continues this week by virtual meeting because of the limitations the Covid-19 virus has put on all of us.

A zoom link with be emailed to anyone who has expressed an interest.

Join by Zoom:

Meeting ID: 393 321 833

Please email the Church Office to request a Zoom invitation to our weekly Bible Study, which resumes next Tuesday at 7 pm.

11/26/20

Our stewardship drive is done. Yes it was a strange one as this whole year has turned out to be. All our holidays have been different, our travek has changed along with our shopping and how we do business. The one thing that has not changed is the devotion and care the St. David's congregation shows to the community of Christ and to our own community.

Through all this confusion and turbulents of this year, you have stayed dedicated to our church and mission. A huge thank you and warm hug for your commitments.

Most of our pledges are in, again thank you for showing your dedication. St. David's is stable because of you. You have allowed our mission to go on and our community to continue to gather and do good works. We ask that if you have not pledged or turned in your pledges that you do so, Thank-you!

Stewardship is not only monetary though. As this year has presented many changes in our lives we did not forsee it presents changes for us too in our time and talent stewardship needs.

We are in search of a new treasurer. Denise Mako has done a tremendous job bringing our books and finances in line. She is a large part of our success and stability. Denise is a no nonsense treasurer holding us and our bottom line to the levels that have made us successful. Let's continue her hard work with a new treasurer. Please talk to Dan and Denise if you can help us out.

Carol Murphy also will no longer be able to help us with the MC job. Carol has moved to Skaneateles. we will miss her thoughtful and kind presence at St. David's. Carol id not the only MC at St. David's, but in order to make things easier, more MC's are needed. Please consider joining the small group we have to serve with Dan at the alter.

1 Peter 4:10 - As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace:

Pastoral Care:

* If you or a family member is sick or in the hospital.

Altar Guild

·       …… Pre-packaged cookies are needed and can be dropped off at the church while Kristen is there

Please contact Linda Williams email: [email protected], 315-637-6952

St. David's Court

Here are some of the items needed for the End of the Year Drive at St, David's Court. Please have them in by December 8th

Ivory bar soap

Toilet paper

Kleenex

Paper towels

Laundry detergent pods

Canned tuna fish

Canned foods

Dish detergent

Peanut butter

Microwave popcorn

Stamps and envelopes

Thanks so much for your continued support!

As the infection rates continue to rise in our region and around the US, Bishop DeDe Duncan-Probe has announced updates to the Diocesan COVID-19 response for all parishes.

These new guidelines go into effect on Sunday, November 29, 2020. We expect to follow these guidelines through at least January 1, 2021; they may be modified prior to that date.

Please visit the diocesan COVID-19 resource hub at cnyepiscopal.org/covid-19 to:

Key elements of the updated COVID-19 guidelines include:

Services at St. David’s will return to a Virtual format on our Facebook Page (Facebook/StDavids) every Sunday at 10am, with a Virtual Coffee Hour to follow around 10:45am on Zoom.

We are still in need readers and special music. Please contact Pastor Dan or Nick Fields if you’re interested in reading or providing special music.

It’s important to remember your fellow parishioners in your prayers during this difficult period of time. Thank you for keeping our communities safe, and for responding with creativity and love in this difficult time. May God continue to be with us as we learn to love God, one another, and all God has created.

We're putting together a virtual coffee hour as part of our Sunday Services. Can you please send me either individual pictures of yourselves or you and your spouse if applicable, Click Here to send the pictures to my my email for St. David's projects.

O that you would tear open the heavens and come down,

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus said, “In those days, after that suffering,