Week of November 24, 2024

Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Collect for Thanksgiving Day

Tuesday November 26

12:00 PM Adventtide Study, Walden Hall

1:00 PM Organ Tuning, Church

3:00 PM Strategic Planning, St. James Room

Wednesday November 27

~ Angels' Treasures Thrift Shop Closed ~ Holiday Break - Nov. 27, 28, and 29

10:00 AM Staff Meeting, St. James Room

10:00 AM Wednesday Spirituality Discussions, Deacon Elizabeth Whitmore's Home

6:15 PM NO Parish Choir Rehearsal, Walden Hall

Thursday November 28

Happy Thanksgiving!

~ Parish Office closed

~ Angels' Treasures Thrift Shop Closed ~ Holiday Break - Nov. 27, 28, and 29

11:00 AM Holy Eucharist, Church

12:00 PM Community Thanksgiving Dinner, Walden Hall

6:30 PM Zen Meditation, St. James Room

Friday November 29

Native American Heritage Day

~ Parish office closed

Saturday November 30

3:30 PM Decking the Halls, Walden Hall

5:00 PM Holy Eucharist, Church

Sunday December 1

8:00 AM Holy Eucharist, Church

9:00 AM Monthly Coffee & Fellowship, Walden Hall

10:00 AM Holy Eucharist, Church

10:00 AM Children's Church, Walden Hall

11:15 AM Coffee and Fellowship - Walden Hall

Monday December 2

3:30 PM EfM Group, St. James Room

6:45 PM Cape Cod Chorale Rehearsal, Walden Hall

Tuesday December 3

8:00 AM Men's Fellowship, Walden Hall

9:00 AM Rector/Warden Meeting, Rector's Office

12:00 PM Adventtide Study, Walden Hall

3:00 PM Finance Committee Meeting, St. James Room

Upcoming Events

Save the Dates!

Please join us for a Community Thanksgiving Day Celebration. We will gather in the church for a Thanksgiving Worship Service at 11:00 AM. Immediately following the service, you are invited to join us in Walden Hall for our Community Potluck Thanksgiving Dinner. In the spirit of sharing our gifts together, we are asking everyone to contribute something towards the meal. We will provide the turkey, stuffing, and gravy and ask that everyone else please sign-up on our on-line sign-up form to bring either an appetizer, a side dish, a dessert or some beverages to share with the group. If cooking is not your thing please know you are still welcome to join us and you can sign-up for set-up or clean-up.

Please click here to sign-up. All are welcome! Please share this invitation to anyone you know who may be alone this Thanksgiving or is seeking community. All are welcome!

Please help us spread the word to any families with children between the ages of 5 and 12 years. The first Sunday of each month we offer Children's Church. The first Sunday in December, the children will be learning all about the Season of Advent. Each child will go home with a set of Advent candles for their families.

If you have any questions about Children's Church, please reach out to Barbara Hersey for more information.

Thursday afternoon, December 5, Movie Theology is going on a holiday field trip to Regal Cinema at the Cape Cod Mall to see the new film, Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin. The group will have their discussion over dinner at "Not Your Average Joe's Restaurant". Please click here for the invitation and more details. Time TBD.

St. Mary's Formation & Education

Join Fr. Michael for an Adventtide study as we prepare our hearts for the season of anticipation and hope. Beginning this Tuesday, November 26 and continuing each Tuesday in Advent on December 3, 10, and 17 at noon in Walden Hall. Bring your own lunch and come ready for meaningful conversation and reflection.

Together, we will reflect on the names of the Messiah found in Isaiah 9:6: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Together, we will explore the significance of these titles in their historical context and what they might mean for us today. We will use Walter Brueggemann's, "Names for the Messiah" as our study guide.

Dates: November 26, December 3, 10 and 17

Time: 12:00 pm

Location: Walden Hall

Facilitator: Fr. Michael

Education for Ministry (EfM) theme for this year is Living into the Journey with God. EfM meets each week for 3 hours from September through June. Year 1 participants study the Old Testament, Year 2 studies the New Testament, Year 3 studies Christian History, and Year 4 puts everything together in Theology. In addition each Year reads the same two texts, one around Christmas, Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman and the second around Easter,The Four Vision Quests of Jesus by Steven Charleston. The discussions are lively and engaging and the community that is developed is well worth your time. Speak with Amy Crocker if you are interested or have questions about the program.

You are invited to join The Wednesday Spirituality Discussion Group as they embark on a new series for Advent. They will be reading, "Watch for the Light," an anthology of the writing's of saints, theologians, philosophers, and poets. All are welcome to join the group. They will meet every Wednesday beginning Dec. 4 at 10:00 AM at the home of Deacon Elizabeth Whitmore - 1391 Hyannis-Barnstable Rd, Barnstable Village. All are welcome! Any questions? Contact Deacon Elizabeth

Please consider joining our weekly gathering on Thursday mornings in Walden Hall at 8:30 AM. Each week different participants take turns facilitating the discussion and contributing tasty breakfast treats. All are welcome!

This is a perfect time to join in if you have been considering participating. The group is beginning, a new book, The Problem of Pain by C. S. Lewis.

The Problem of Pain is a 1940 book on the problem of evil by C. S. Lewis, in which Lewis argues that human pain, animal pain, and hell are not sufficient reasons to reject belief in a good and powerful God.

Lewis states that his writing is "not primarily arguing the truth of Christianity but describing its origin, a task necessary if we are to put the problem of pain in its right setting". He begins by addressing the flaws in common arguments against the belief in a just, loving, and all-powerful God such as: "If God were good, He would make His creatures perfectly happy, and if He were almighty He would be able to do what he wished. But the creatures are not happy. Therefore God lacks either goodness, or power, or both."  



Topics include human suffering and sinfulness, animal suffering, and the problem of hell, and seeks to reconcile these with an omnipotent force beyond ourselves.

Supporting Our Church

PLEDGING FUN FACT:

The pledges we received for this year ranged from $200 to $20,000. Every little bit helps! It’s not too late to renew your pledge or become a new pledging member. We hope to receive 66 more pledges to meet our goal for 2025. Thank you!



You can see our progress in the charts below.

Cape Community News and Events

This much-anticipated holiday event features trees decorated by local non-profits – with not just tinsel and ornaments, but fantastic gifts! These trees feature incredible items like TV’s, sports tickets, gift cards, artwork, and even vacations. When you visit or check out the event online, you’ll have the chance to donate “Tree Bucks.” Each Tree Buck you drop into an organization’s box earns that non-profit $10. If you’re one of the lucky winners at the end, you’ll take home the beautifully adorned tree along with its treasures. And the best part? Even if you don’t win, your support ensures that the non-profit receives 100% of your donation! For more details, and to view online, click here.

Episcopal Church News

Get Involved With Volunteer Opportunities

Each year we gather toys and treats for all our furry friends who are living in the shelter awaiting their forever home. There will be a collection box for pet toys in the sunroom for the next 3 weeks. Amy Crocker will collect all of the toys and have them delivered to the animal shelter on Christmas Eve so all the animals will have a merry Christmas morning. Any questions? please contact Amy Crocker

The St. Mary's Outreach Action Team has assembled an flier to highlight some of the Inreach and Outreach opportunities that exist at St. Mary's. On one side we highlight current volunteer needs and on the other, we list some of the ongoing outreach ministries you may be interested in joining. The contact information for the ministry heads is included. We will continue updating this flier as outreach campaigns and needs change throughout the year. These fliers are always available at the back of the church and in the sunroom. Click here for the latest OAT flier.

Current Volunteer Opportunities

Jingle and Mingle Committee Team email the office

Village Christmas Stroll Greeters email the office

 Saint Mary's Episcopal Church

P.O. Box 395

3055 Main Street

Barnstable, MA 02630

508-362-3977

www.stmarys-church.org