Friday, December 3, 2021 Newsletter
COMMUNION SUNDAY SERVICES
IN-PERSON AND ONLINE VIA FACEBOOK LIVE:
9:00 a.m. Contemporary
NEW TIME! 11:15 a.m. Traditional*
(* also available on our website and via phone)
|
|
A MESSAGE FROM THE REV. J.C. AUSTIN: LOOKING FOR THE ‘TREATS’
Like many people, we have a tradition of using an Advent calendar in my family to mark the progress of days of Advent and the approach of Christmas. Our tradition is not what has become the most common way of doing this, however. Our Advent calendar is the same one that we’ve been using since I was a small child; it is a handmade calendar with small, reusable felt ornaments that have snaps on the back, one for each day of the month of December, and you simply pull the ornament for that day out of its little pocket and snap it onto the tree.
We did this every year for my whole childhood and adolescence, with my brother and me alternating days for who puts the ornament on. Now, my son Liam uses the same calendar and follows the same practice, except that as an only child, he doesn’t have to take turns!
|
|
We had been using this calendar for years before I was ever aware that not only was it not the only kind of Advent calendar, but it was a relatively unusual one. The most common one, it seems, is one that can only be used once. It is bought before Advent starts, and it is a sort of box with little compartments in it, one for each day of December.
And you mark time on the calendar by opening the little doors of that day’s compartment and finding a small piece of chocolate or other treat inside. I have to say, when I found out about these, I was a little disappointed.
|
|
|
I could have been having a piece of chocolate as a treat for every day of Advent for years, and nobody told me?!? It’s not as if I was deprived of treats or anything else during Advent or Christmas; we had wonderful celebrations every year. But not many kids would choose a wall hanging over a month’s worth of chocolate, all the same!
Most of these calendars don’t match up fully with the entire liturgical season of Advent, but simply start on December 1; our wall hanging calendar does the same, so we began marking the time this Wednesday despite having already observed one of the four Sundays of the season and several days that followed it.
But it got me thinking, as Liam placed the little felt star on our tree, that while I have deep nostalgia now for that wall hanging calendar, there is something to the ones that have you open a treat every day that I would like to hold up for you to consider.
So much of the reality of Advent really does function as a sort of countdown if we’re not very careful and intentional otherwise; we simply track the approach of Christmas with a combination of excitement and apprehension, depending on how many responsibilities we have for the season and how well we’re doing with all of our preparations. But the practice of pausing to find and enjoy a small treat each day of Advent is actually a pretty wonderful metaphor for how we can truly observe and celebrate Advent in its own right, and not simply as a countdown to Christmas.
So, whether you have a calendar or not, I want to invite you to take up a daily practice of observing Advent along these lines. The Advent devotional we’re using this year as part of our theme, “Close to Home,” would be wonderful to include as part of your Advent practice in this way.
But regardless: as you go through each day, look for the little “treat” that marks that day: something sweet that is a small sign of God’s coming kingdom that Christ is already at work building up and will ultimately bring to completion at the end of time. It may be something that you see, or hear, or read, or experience, but there will be something that embodies God’s love and grace in some small way.
And when you find it, take a moment to appreciate and enjoy it as a sign of what is to come, not simply on Christmas, but in the fullness of God’s love for us and for this world. And if you do, I think you will find yourself waiting in this season of Advent not simply counting down to Christmas, but with a greater sense of its themes (hope, peace, joy, and love) as realities that are alive in the world around us.
And that, in turn, will help you to practice the kind of “active waiting” that gives Advent its own power and purpose and beauty.
Grace and Peace,
J.C.
|
|
FOR THIS SUNDAY
Scripture lesson
Click the link to read the verses
|
|
-This week’s sermon: Prepare the Way:
A Foundation of Peace by The Rev.
Lindsey Altvater Clifton
-We post the video of each week’s
services and sermon text and audio
|
|
|
SUNDAY IS COMMUNION SUNDAY
If you would like to participate at home, please prepare your elements beforehand:
a bread or bread-like item (cracker, bagel, etc.) and grape juice, wine or water
|
|
TO DOWNLOAD AND PRINT on 8.5" x 11" paper for Sunday
|
|
FOR SUNDAY’S IN-PERSON WORSHIP:
-
Everyone over the age of 2 is required to properly wear a mask covering the nose and mouth.
-
Please maintain a minimum of a 3 foot distance between household groups/pods.
-
Child care will be available from 9:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m.; please ask an usher for directions to that space.
-
We will offer nametags for folks to wear – you can pick up as you enter the worship space; please write your first name.
|
|
ADVENT SERVICES AND EVENTS
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11
Bethlehem Luminaria Night – beginning at dark
Indoor Advent Walk from 5-7 p.m. in the Kirk Center
Against the backdrop of our city’s annual Luminaria Walk, we offer five stations that call up reflections on specific homecomings, dedicated to the themes of our ancestors, communities, personal guides, earth, silence, and self. These remembrances of past connections, wisdom texts, and supports remind us of those guides that have supported our own call to birth Christ in the world. READ MORE...
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15
The Longest Night Service
6:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary
Also livestreamed on Facebook and on our website
This service provides space for those who are grieving a loss in their lives (whether a person, a job, an experience, a dream) to engage the deep truths of Advent and Christmas without feeling forced into experiences of cheer that they are not feeling.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 19
Christmas Joy Concert
4:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary
Also livestreamed on Facebook and on our website
Join us for a selection of Christmas choral and handbell music to prepare your spirit for the coming of Christmas! Our guest ensembles this year include the Choir of St. Tikhon's Russian Orthodox Monastery and the Touring Choir of the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts, who will join our Chancel Choir and Chancel Ringers. A love offering will be collected with a suggested donation.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24
Christmas Eve Services
In person and livestreamed on Facebook and on our website
4:00 p.m.: Intergenerational Family Service
7:00 p.m.: Traditional Service
11:00 p.m.: Communion Service
|
|
POINSETTIA ORDERS FOR CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES
Special envelopes are available in the pews, Narthex and Rotunda, to return by Sunday, December 19. Make any donation and take home a poinsettia after the Christmas Eve service you attend; this is a lovely way to honor a loved one. If you need an envelope call us at 610-867-5865.
|
|
STEWARDSHIP UPDATE
Many thanks to those who have come forward with a pledge to support the church’s ministries for 2022. We had a wonderful response, for which we are very grateful.
If you have made your pledge you will receive an acknowledgement, and if you ordered envelopes the first packet will be mailed to you next month.
It’s not too late to make your pledge! You can pick up a pledge form at Sunday worship (on the table in the Rotunda outside the Kirk Center, or in the Narthex) or print one on the website. |
|
You can also elect to give through an Electronic Funds Transfer (automatic withdrawal from your account) – this can also be done on our website. This way helps us with cash flow over the year, so if it is an option for you, we will appreciate you considering it. |
|
|
SUNDAY’S FELLOWSHIP & FORMATION HOUR –
RESUMES THIS SUNDAY
Our Fellowship & Formation Hour is offered between our two Sunday morning services, at 10 a.m. There are options for adults and kids, and all are welcome.
HEARTS N MINDS
Hearts N Minds, our adult ed class, meets both in person and via Zoom (video as well as audio-only option). For Advent there will be special programming by guest presenters. For this Sunday:
|
|
Angels! What?
We Presbyterian types seldom talk about angels, having seen too many chubby cherubs with tiny wings on coffee mugs and (with all due apologies to Clarence in It’s a Wonderful Life) dubious
depictions of these messengers of God in the secular media. And yet, biblical stories abound with them, and during Advent and Christmas we happily sing about having heard them on high and
having seen them hovering above shepherds watching over their flocks by night, and, of course, about the angel Gabriel’s stunning annunciation to Mary, which started the whole thing.
|
|
|
This Sunday, we’ll take a closer look at the “heavenly host” through poetry, music, and film, as we consider what it is that we’re actually singing about. In the process, we’ll even try to take an angel’s eye view of human beings (what, after all, do they think of us?). Steve Simmons will lead our discussion.
PHYSICAL LOCATION:
We will meet in classrooms E3&4, which are on the second floor of the Kirk Center. Use the elevator that is outside Fellowship Hall (stage end), or if you enter the building via the double doors on the east side of the building (Kirk Center entrance), bear left to the elevator. Take it to the 4th floor. Exit the elevator and proceed through the rotunda. Turn right and continue down the hall to Neighborhood E (rooms 3&4).
ZOOM:
-
To join online for the video class, use this Zoom link: bit.ly/3aeqLLD
-
To join on the phone for audio only, call 929-205-6099, then enter the meeting ID: 385 500 4307, then press # and then # again.
Beginning on Sunday, January 9, the class will read the book, The Case for the Psalms: Why They Are Essential, by N.T. Wright (2013, Harper One Imprint, ISBN 978-0-06-223050-8).
KIDS CLASS
The Rev. Cynthia Simmons and Kate Arrington host kid-friendly faith formation on Zoom at 10:00 a.m. on Sundays. They will use the Family Story Bible to create interactive lessons about New Testament stories. To join online, use this Zoom link.
|
|
ARE YOU INTERESTED IN SHARING SOME BAKED TREATS? |
|
The Deacons are planning to assemble ‘goodie bags’ for some of our members who could use a special treat.
If you are interested in donating, please bring to the main church kitchen on Sunday, December 12 or on Monday, December 13 (by 10 a.m.) and mark “for Deacons.”
|
|
|
Cookies that travel well (about 2 dozen), and brought in a disposable container will be appreciated. If they contain nuts or are gluten-free, please mark.
Some of you asked for the recipe for the rolled sugar cookies at Sunday's Advent Festival; Jane Masters shares it here. |
|
LOOKING FOR SOME HELPERS
The Activity Department at Kirkland Village is currently understaffed and looking for volunteer helpers for our neighbors. Some of the available opportunities include: running bingo, supervising craft activities (materials supplied), musical performers (including leading hymn sings), visiting with your pet, and providing basic tech help (setting up email, Facebook, etc.).
These could be a one-time thing or more regular (weekly or monthly). If you are interested, contact Jen Laury at JLaury@psl.org or 610-691-4543 to discuss how you can help.
_________________________________________
Thank you to those who have answered the call to help staff the receptionist desk in our Church Office. We have one shift still available: Tuesday morning from 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. If you are interested please contact Cristy Mette. |
|
EXTRA POINSETTIAS AND WREATHS AVAILABLE! |
|
If you missed the Poinsettia & Wreath Sale offered by our Preschool - you're in luck!
We have a limited quantity of extra items available for pick-up on Sunday morning in Fellowship Hall.
Poinsettias are $19 each, and wreaths are $22. Please bring a check or exact cash. First come, first served!
|
|
|
As of press time, this was what was available: 11 wreaths, 11 pink poinsettias, 5 white, 11 marble and one red. |
|
A MESSAGE FROM THE BUILDING RE-OPENING TASK FORCE
Masks will be properly worn for all in-person activities, events, and meetings, by everyone over the age of 2. There is no eating or drinking in any gatherings within the building, except for specially-announced occasions. Outdoor eating and drinking are permitted.
Vaccinations are required for those attending in-person meetings, not including worship, and a virtual option should be provided, if needed. For programs (e.g. Hearts N Minds, Hi Neighbors, Boy Scouts), we require masks and no eating food or drink indoors, unless specifically-announced.
Please maintain a 3-foot distance where possible. Vaccinations are not required but are strongly encouraged and we recommend that individuals who are not vaccinated take advantage of the virtual options that are provided.
For events by outside groups held inside the church, vaccinations are required along with masks and no food or drink.
|
|
IF YOU ARE HOSPITALIZED…
We would like to know when our members are entering the hospital. Please tell the hospital that your church ID is 724 and they will contact us. You can also contact Phil
PRAYER REQUESTS...
|
|
Send us your news and photos to share:
**Deadline for next week's newsletter: WEDNESDAY at noon**
* * *
Your likes / comments / shares help us spread the word about First Pres!
|
|
CALENDAR
THIS SUNDAY
- 8:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.: Child Care (ask ushers to direct you)
- 9 a.m.: Contemporary Worship, in-person in the Kirk Center AND livestream on Facebook Live and our website
-
10 a.m.: Fellowship & Formation Hour – see details above for Hearts N Minds and Kids Formation Class
-
NEW TIME! 11:15 a.m.: Traditional Worship Service, in-person in the Sanctuary AND livestream on Facebook Live and our website; see below, to join us online or via phone
|
|
FOR THIS SUNDAY: : Worship with us “Live” on Facebook
-
Visit our Facebook page and look for the post with our live feed
-
If you don’t have a Facebook account, go to our website to view the service - click on the "Watch the Service" button
- Please check in with a comment so we know you’ve joined us!
- Captions will now be available on our livestream, for those who would like to use that feature
To watch a video – available after the services have aired: Visit our website archives
|
|
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE INTERNET ACCESS: You can participate on your phone to listen to the 11:15 a.m. Traditional service on Sunday
To listen on the phone (audio only): Call 929-205-6099; when prompted enter the Meeting ID: 848 4170 9518, followed by the # key. You will be asked for the participant ID – press the # key again.
|
|
TUESDAYS: 6 p.m. - Handbell rehearsal, Sanctuary
WEDNESDAYS: 7 p.m. - Overcomer’s Outreach Christian 12 Step Recovery Group weekly meeting, via Zoom (Meeting # 380 435 9056 / Password: overcomer)
THURSDAYS: 7 p.m. – Chancel Choir rehearsal, Sanctuary
ALL OTHER PUBLIC EVENTS AND GATHERINGS ARE CANCELLED AT THIS TIME unless offered online (see listings on our Facebook page under “Events”)
CHURCH OFFICE AND BUILDING INFO: The church office is open Monday –Thursday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Many of the office staff are working remotely for some of the time, so please make an appointment if you need to see someone specific. The answering service (610-778-7003) can take your urgent pastoral concerns, 24 hours a day.
CARE CONCERNS AND HOSPITAL VISITS: If members of the FPCB congregation are hospitalized and would welcome pastoral and hospital ministrant visitors and/or prayers, please contact: Phil Fair, Prayer Ministrant (prayer@fpc-bethlehem.org).
|
|
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF BETHLEHEM |
First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem, 2344 Center Street, Bethlehem, PA 18017 610-867-5865 | info@fpc-bethlehem.org
Cristy Mette, Administrative Operations Manager: ext. 228;
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
