Called to Worship. Sent to Witness. Led to Welcome.
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A Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving to All of You!
Blessings and hopes for a Happy Thanksgiving for all of you! I presume that many, if not all, of you have made plans to celebrate Thanksgiving in ways different from how you might otherwise being celebrating if we did not continue to be dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. Whatever you are doing tomorrow, I hope that each of you will find your gathering (or non-gathering) to be safe and healthy, your food be delicious and abundant, your communications with family be loving and fruitful (whether they be in person or virtual), and your afternoon nap be enriching and uninterrupted.
As you prepare for tomorrow, I offer you the following Collect for Thanksgiving Day, which is found on page 194 in the Book of Common Prayer:
Almighty and gracious Father, we give thee thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we beseech thee, faithful stewards of thy great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Please note that, given the Thanksgiving holiday, there is no Wednesday night Healing Mass tonight -- and the Parish Office will be closed tomorrow and Friday.
Preparing for the Season of Advent
with the Great Litany
Once our Thanksgiving festivities are done, we will turn our attention to celebrating the First Sunday of Advent and beginning another church year together this coming Sunday.
At Saint Andrew's, it is our tradition to chant the Great Litany on the two Sundays of the church year when we enter into the penitential seasons: Advent and Lent. Thus, normally, on the First Sunday of Advent, we would start our 10:30 AM Sung High Mass with the Great Litany chanted in procession around the congregation. However, given the limitations on choirs, chanting, and extended processions in the midst of our services right now (and our attempts to limit the time during which folks are gathered together in the church), we will not start our Sunday mass with the Great Litany this week.
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As an alternative spiritual aid for the parish as we prepare to enter this penitential season during which we seek to prepare ourselves to celebrate the gift of the Incarnation at Christmas, we are sharing a recorded version of the Great Litany (linked above) with me as Officiant and John Gilbert and Tommy Watson singing the responses. John, Tommy, and I recorded this offering of the Great Litany yesterday afternoon. You can find a copy of the Great Litany service bulletin that we used by clicking on this link. I hope that you will find it enriching and that it will offer some spiritual aid in furtherance of our traditions here at Saint Andrew's.
Congratulations to Dr. Tommy Watson on Becoming a Postulant for Holy Orders!
Finally, I wanted to share some wonderful and hopeful news with the parish. As you are aware, one of our parishioners, Dr. Tommy Watson, entered the diocesan ordination discernment process at the end of last year. As a result, Tommy was assigned to complete a discernment internship at another parish, Grace Episcopal Church in Anderson, over the course of the spring and summer of this year. Since then, Tommy has continued to move forward in the process--and, just this past week, we received the official notice from Bishop Waldo that Tommy has been made a Postulant for Holy Orders! As a result, Tommy is now working on his applications to seminary -- with the hope that he will enter seminary in the Fall of 2021.
In the meantime, however, Tommy will continue to participate in our common worship life--and we will continue to give thanks for his presence among us and his faithful response to God's call upon his life!
Grace and Peace,
Fr. Gary+
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2021 Annual Pledge Campaign Update |
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“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.”
– John 1:5
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This past Sunday was the date that we had set to conclude our Annual Pledge Campaign, but we are continuing to receive additional pledges this week (and likely beyond that). As of this afternoon, we have received 89 pledges (including 10 new pledges!) and the total amount pledged is now at $238,000. Thank you to all who have already submitted their pledges!
For everyone else, we hope that you will submit your pledges ASAP (by mail, the offering plate, or online), and help us reach our goal of 100 pledges and $270,000 in dollars pledged.
The pledge card can also be filled out electronically by going to:
A Note from Fr. Gary: Next week, I plan to begin making calls to parishioners who have not yet turned in their pledges. It continues to be my fervent hope, as your rector, that every member of the parish will participate, in some way, in offering a faithful financial pledge in support of our common life. If there is some particular concern -- or hardship -- that has kept you from making a pledge, I would be very interested to know that -- especially to the extent that we can be of assistance! Peace, Gary+
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Sign Up for 10:30 AM Mass
on Sundays through December!
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We now are able to accommodate up to 15 people in the church for mass--and, as a result, are offering 8 open slots for sign up for each Sunday 10:30 AM Mass. Please note that we no longer require people to sign up for the Wednesday Night Healing Mass (since we have not, in recent years, had more than fifteen people attend that mass).
Also, if you are currently uncomfortable coming to a "public" service or want to receive eucharist but don't want to go inside the church, just let Father Gary know, and he is happy to schedule a time to say mass that will work better for you (either inside the church or in the churchyard--or even on your porch!).
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NOTE: No Wednesday Healing Mass on Wednesday, November 25, due to the Thanksgiving Holiday |
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Sunday, November 29, 2020 - The First Sunday of Advent
8:30 AM Morning Prayer, Rite II (church courtyard -- but may be moved into the Parish Hall due to rain or extreme cold)
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Wednesday, December 2 - Feast of Clement of Alexandria, Priest (observed)
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The following people have been commended
to the prayers of the parish:
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Alvin, Ann, Annie, Arianna, Barbara, Bill, Brian, Broughton, Chris, Chuck, Corinne, Dick, Eddie, Ena, George, Ginger, Hannah, Jane, Jim, Jodi, Ken, Kenny, Kenneth, Leigh Ann, Linda, Lois, Margaret Lee, Marvin, Mary, Morgan, Nancy, Ray, Sandy, Sarah, Steve, Weesie, Willie, Winnie |
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To add someone to the Daughters of the King prayer list, please e-mail
daughters1913@gmail.com. There is also wooden box in the Narthex where you can fill out prayer cards. The Daughters will add your names to their prayers.
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11/28 Joyce Ford
11/29 Brian Brighams
11/30 Sidney Brunson
11/30 Riley Owens
12/1 Cooper Banks
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October Youth Group Photos! |
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This past Sunday, the youth of Saint Andrew's -- and some friends and visitors -- had a great time gathering once again in the churchyard for an evening of faith, fun, and festivity, including the creation of Advent wreaths that our youth were able to take home to share with their families! A special thanks to Cynthia Boswell for organizing and leading this month's joy-filled gathering!
Our youth group will not meet in December -- but please mark your calendars for the next youth group on Sunday, January 24, which will be led by the Shields!
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Poinsettia Orders for
Christmas Eve & Christmas Day
If you would like to dedicate poinsettias for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services, the dedication forms can be found in your Sunday bulletins. You can also email the Parish Office with your order and dedication. The deadline for orders will be Sunday, December 13.
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First Wednesday Men’s Group | Wednesday, December
7:30 AM | Via Zoom
Next week, the Saint Andrew’s Men’s Group will gather via Zoom for Morning Prayer (Rite II). If you have any questions or are willing to read scripture during the service, please contact Tommy Watson.
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Parish Office Hours & Staff Schedule This Week
Our Parish Administrator, Marie Ridolfo, is out of the office through November 30 (the Monday after Thanksgiving). She will return to the office on Tuesday, December 1. Since Father Gary is not in the office on Mondays, we will have a parish volunteer in the office on Monday. As is our usual practice, the Parish Office will be closed on Thursday and Friday of Thanksgiving Week.
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Ordo Kalendars Available
The 2021 Ordo Kalendars are available in the Parish Office for $5 each. Reserve yours today by emailing office@standrewsgreenville.org or calling 864-235-5884.
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Worship Schedule & Protocol
Here is a brief overview of our current schedule and related protocol:
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All Services - Face Masks & Six Foot Social Distancing by Household Required
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8:30 AM Sunday - Morning Prayer (Rite II) (Holy Eucharist on First Sunday of the Month) - Outside, In-Person Only, No Sign Up Required - This shorter, less formal service takes place outside in front of the columbarium courtyard. You are welcome to bring your own water or coffee to this service. In case of inclement weather on Sunday morning (defined as raining hard enough that most folks would not want to be outside--or temperature below 40 degrees), this service will be moved into the Parish Hall.
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10:30 AM Sunday - Low Mass (Rite I) - In-Church, In-Person Limited to Fifteen People, Sign Up Required, Also Live-Streamed - The limit on in-person attendance has now been increased from ten to fifteen people — with approximately seven of those spots already allocated (priest, organist, choir member, subdeacon, lector, altar guild member, usher). You can sign up for the eight remaining spots here: standrewsgreenville.org/signup
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6:30 PM Wednesday - Healing Mass (Rite II) - In-Church, In-Person Limited to Fifteen People, No Sign Up Required, Also Live-Streamed - This service is also limited to fifteen people — with three of those spots already allocated (priest, server/lector, altar guild). Given that we have not, in recent years, had more than fifteen people attend this service, we are no longer requiring sign up for Wednesday night mass.
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Sunday Altar Flower and Presence Candle Dedications |
On Sundays, we have the opportunity to offer a special dedication of the altar flowers or presence candle in honor, memory, or celebration of loved ones. The cost to the church for altar flowers is now $100 per Sunday, so we are suggesting that donations for dedicating altar flowers be in the range of $50 to $100 to help us cover those costs. The suggested donation for a presence candle dedication is $10.
If you would like to sign up for a Sunday, please see the sign up sheet on the bulletin in the Parish Hall or click on the button below. You may place a check in the offering plate with "Altar Flowers" or "Presence Candle" noted in the memo.
Given the penitential nature of the upcoming Season of Advent, we will only have flowers on the altar on the Third Sunday, "Gaudete Sunday." After the Christmas season, we will continue to only have Altar Flowers if someone has signed up and paid for the arrangements. As a result, we will need to know by the Tuesday prior to the upcoming Sunday if you would like to sign up.
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, FTN continues to serve a hot breakfast to those who are the most vulnerable in our community every Saturday of the month. Saint Andrew's parishioners handle the third Saturday of each month, and Christ Church, Saint James, and Saint Peter's handle the other Saturdays--with volunteers from the Roe Cassidy Law Firm serving whenever there is a fifth Saturday in a month. Though it's not the usual hot breakfast under current circumstances, our guests continue to be very appreciative.
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