November 25, 2020
Dear Friends in Christ:
I'm sending this a day early so that we all can spend Thursday enjoying our Safe Thanksgiving holiday.
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WORSHIP
Next week, we are back to five services. You can find this week's bulletin insert HERE.
Sunday Services 11/29
8:00am Holy Eucharist Rite I, including distribution of bread, for those who wish to partake. Please remember: everyone must wear a mask, so please bring your own. All must enter through the parking lot doors, and provide contact information (if we don't already have it).
10:00 am During the Advent season, we will stream a Rite II service of Holy Eucharist, using Choirmaster Andrew Bolden's "Third Street Mass," which can be found HERE.
This week's service outline is HERE, and hymns are HERE.
This service will only be available online, due to restrictions against singing together in person.
Tuesday 12/1 7pm:
We will stream The Great Litany and sung Compline at 7pm, on Facebook and at our website. You can find those programs HERE and HERE.
Wednesday 12/2 12:30pm:
Rite II Holy Eucharist. Though we are unable to offer anointing for healing due to social distance restrictions, we will have distribution of bread for those who wish to partake. (Restrictions and guidelines are the same as Sunday 8am service.)
Thursday 12/3 7pm:
Our weekly service, based on the Taize' model. You can tune in at 7pm, on Facebook and at our website. You can find an outline of the service HERE.
More information on all our services can be found at the Calendar page of our website, and all streamed services are then uploaded to our youtube page.
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RESERVATIONS AND KEEPING WARM
I want to remind you once again to bundle up whenever you are coming to our in-person worship services. We will have the heat on, but we must have the windows open for airflow.
You can now make reservations for our Christmas Eve 7pm service, and our weekly Advent Organ Recitals at THIS LINK. (Or, you can call the church office and we can reserve seats for you.)
We won't turn you away as long as we have room, but those making reservations will get top priority, given our limited seating.
Our guest performers for the organ recitals will be 12/2 Dr. Robert Morrison, 12/9 Mr. Jay Spencer, 12/16 Mr. Loren Veigel, and 12/23 Mr. Levi Muriuki. Again, reservations can be made HERE.
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CHRISTMAS OUTREACH & BELL RINGING
As usual, Ann Higgins is working overtime coordinating our end-of-the-year outreach projects. The five families we sponsored for Thanksgiving are the same five families we will be sponsoring for Christmas. If you are interested in helping to bring some joy into local children's lives this Christmas, you can find out the details by reaching out to Ann directly. (Check your church directory for her contact details.)
Also, we are once again ringing the bell for the Salvation Army, Thursday Dec. 10 from 4pm to 8pm at Buehler's on the west side. (Ann managed to get us an indoor location!) Again, if you'd like to sign up for bell-ringing, contact Ann, or call the church office.
Thanks Ann!
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WEEKLY PUZZLE
All I'm gonna say is, Happy Safe Thanksgiving!
(But also, thank you to Bonnie and Lisa.)
You will find the puzzle by clicking HERE. You can choose your background color, number of puzzle pieces, and even set it to display just the edge pieces. Plus, you get a very affirming crowd reaction once you have completed it!
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BIRTHDAYS and ANNIVERSARIES
Nancy Jobe gets the birthday solo this week, on 12/5.
Bob and Jane Meyer will celebrate their anniversary on November 29th.
Be sure to send happy thoughts and good wishes to all who celebrate this week!
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PRAYERS REQUESTED
Please keep these friends and parishioners in your prayers.
David Wigginton, Brian Dorosch, Don Zimmerman, Rachel Sanchez, Anne Smith, Bob Meyer, Chris Lane, Chelsey Levin, Judy Wigginton, Don Merrill, Trish Dwigans, Priya Kurian, Sarah, Ben, Chuck Tilley, Mike Requa, Becky, Michael Flamm, Dave Cottrill, Leslie, Bob Long, Chester Brumbaugh, Stormi, Jeff Frank, Eve, Megan Wood, JoAnn Ely, Dave & Ann Renkert, Rick & Etta Trimpi, Charlene Lochland, Dan, and all those affected by COVID 19.
And do call the office if there's anyone you'd like to have added.
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ALTAR FLOWERS
For the season of Advent, we will be adding two poinsettias to the Altar each week. Some Sundays (like this one), we receive more requests for dedications and memorials than we have actual plants. I just want to assure you that all your contributions toward flowers go into the general fund for flowers (rather than specifically for the actual plant you see on the Altar). Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions about that.
Also, we will be mailing out an order form for Christmas poinsettias in early December, just FYI.
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A DIFFERENT KIND OF GREENING
As you can imagine, there's really no safe way to have our usual "Let's Decorate" morning here at church. So, things will be pared down and a little more sparse than usual. (It's going to be more of a work in progress . . . just like everything else in 2020.)
A special thank you to Joel and Margy for fluffing up the wreaths and steaming the bows. These will all go up this afternoon, following our midweek worship service.
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It's beginning to look a lot like . . .
the first Sunday in Advent
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ADVENT & CHRISTMAS
In the next day or so, you should be receiving the packet of materials that Candy mailed out on Monday. Inside, you'll find a cover letter, some thoughts on decorating your home, and a series of envelopes to open each Sunday, leading up to Christmas.
For those not on our postal mailing list, I will be posting each week's thoughts at the sermon tab of our website, which you can find HERE. If you're feeling impatient, you can find the cover letter HERE, and the thoughts on decorating HERE. Or, in the spirit of Advent, you can wait patiently for your mailed package to arrive.
Meanwhile, I hope you have a very safe and festive Thanksgiving. I don't have the words to express how much I miss seeing you all each week. I do continue to pray my way through the church directory on a regular basis, and I encourage you to do the same.
May God bless us every one.
Fr. George
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