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Dear Friends in Christ,
As some of you may know, I walk a little over two miles every morning (except for Sundays when I’m preaching and need to be at church early for the first service). I get out of bed at 5:40ish. I start the coffee, take the dogs out, and sit in my chair in the living room for prayer and meditation. Then, about an hour or so after getting out of bed, I begin my walk.
I follow this routine religiously with one exception. Occasionally, I wake up significantly earlier than my alarm and can’t get back to sleep. After a few futile attempts at rolling over, I become impatient with lying in bed waiting for the day to start. So, I get up quietly to avoid disturbing Stephanie and the dogs. I change into my exercise clothes — which this time of the year include a headlamp and reflective vest — and then, prepared for whatever the weather conditions may be, I start my walk.
If you’d told me a few years ago that I would be out for a walk before sunrise, I would have said you were crazy. But over the past couple of years, these pre-dawn walks have become sacred opportunities to experience the awakening of a sleeping world. Though I seem at first to have the neighborhood all to myself, gradually I recognize that I am not alone. As the horizon in the east begins to brighten ever so slightly, a few neighbors turn on lamps inside their homes while others stumble out to get their newspapers. A neighbor jogs by, almost invisible in the dark as we greet each other with a simple, “Good morning.” Then I see a variety of wildlife, some emerging to start the day, others finishing a night of hunting and foraging.
In the northern hemisphere, the season of Advent arrives during the darkest time of the year, so light takes on added significance. During this season of waiting, we wait for Jesus, the Light of the World, to come. The “holiday season” swirls around us attempting to sugarcoat our waiting, promising us that all will be “merry and bright.” Advent, on the other hand, does not promise that our waiting will be easy. Instead, Advent appeals to our deepest yearnings and unmet hopes. “Come, Lord, come quickly,” we earnestly pray.
When life is at its darkest — when the unjust prevail, when the diagnosis we’ve received disrupts our sense of security, when grief overwhelms us — waiting for Christ’s justice, healing, and comfort can feel as interminable as laying awake in the dark waiting for the sun to rise.
But Advent waiting is not an invitation to passivity (Beth spoke of this in her excellent sermon this past Sunday). Jesus tells us to “keep awake” (Mark 13:35) not so we lie hopelessly in the bed but to encourage us to step out into the dark. Why? Because one of the paradoxes of our faith is that it is from the dark that we see Christ’s light emerging. Being awake and active in the dark allows us to participate in the emerging new dawn of God’s justice, peace, grace and healing.
In The Universal Christ, Richard Rohr writes, “Those who respond to the call and agree to carry and love what God loves — which is both the good and the bad — and to pay the price for its reconciliation within themselves, these are the followers of Jesus Christ. They are the leaven, the salt, the remnant, the mustard seed that God uses to transform the world. … Saints are those who wake up while in the world instead of waiting for the next one.”
Your Friend in Christ,
The Rev. John Denson, D.Min., Rector
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GREENING OF THE CHURCH
10:15 a.m.
All are invited to stay after the 9 a.m. worship service to help decorate St. Paul's for Christmas! Due to the Greening, services will only occur at 7:45 & 9 a.m. There is no 11:15 a.m. service on Sunday. Please note: Sunday School will occur that day.
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ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN: ORGANIZING FOR JUSTICE
10:15-11 a.m., Room 207 (second floor, Parish Center Building)
Andrew Stacy invites fellow members of St. Paul’s for lay-led dialogues concerning social justice in action. Questions, email Andrew Stacy.
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OUTREACH OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE PROJECTS
Before and after the 9 a.m. service, Burrows Commons
Christmas Families & Alternative Gift Market:
Christmas Families: Help Outreach assist families from School #43 this Christmas. Click here to make online donations, text SCHOOL43 to 97000 or donate in person to Outreach committee members in Burrows Commons.
Alternative Gift Market: Purchase cards to donate in a loved one's name to one of six organizations. Click here to make online donations, text MARKET to 97000 or donate in person to Outreach committee members in Burrows Commons.
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CHRISTMAS SERVICES
Sunday, December 24, 3, 5 & 11 p.m.
Monday, December 25, 10 a.m.
Sunday, December 31, 10 a.m.
Click here for full Christmas Pageant, Festival of Lessons & Carols and Festival Choral Eucharist details.
Click here to learn more about/sign children up for a role in the 3 p.m. Christmas Eve Pageant. Walk-on roles are also available.
A simple Holy Eucharist service celebrating Advent 4 will be held on Sunday, December 24 at 10 a.m. There will be no 7:45 or 11:15 a.m. service that day or on Sunday, December 31.
Christmas Eve invites are available in Burrows Commons. Please feel free to take them to share with family, friends and neighbors.
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CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY OFFICE HOURS
St. Paul's office will be open Tuesday - Thursday, December 19-21, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
The office will close at 4 p.m. on Thursday, December 21 and will be closed through Monday, January 1. The office will reopen on Tuesday, January 2 at 9 a.m. If there is a pastoral need, you may call the office at 317.253.1277 and press "1" to reach clergy on-call.
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'TIS THE SEASON TO GIVE
Advent and Christmastide are traditionally times of thanksgiving and remembrance; we give gifts to celebrate our lives in relationship with others. Your gifts today provide for our ministry tomorrow and beyond. Please consider making a special gift this season to ensure our ability to live more fully into our call to be a church transforming the world around us. The following are ways to give:
• Text MYGIFT to 97000
• Give checks/cash to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 6050 N. Meridian St. Indianapolis, IN 46208
• Make gifts online, stpaulsindy.org/give
• Automatic Debit
• Online Banking
• Stocks
• Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) from an IRA: click here to learn more
Charitable gifts are tax deductible in accordance with IRS regulations: click here to learn more
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LGBTQ+ FAITH HOLIDAY GATHERING
Thursday, December 21, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Youth Lounge (first floor, Parish Center Building)
Adults (18+) in the LGBTQ community are invited to join for a holiday meeting. Please bring a favorite dish to share. Questions, click here to email Mark Carpenter.
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REGISTER SOON TO LEARN SPANISH
Wednesdays, January 10-February 28, 6-7:15 p.m. or
Thursdays, January 11-February 29, 2024, 6-7:15 p.m.
CRR (Second floor, Parish Center Building)
St. Paul's is offering an opportunity for the community to come together and embark on a cultural and linguistic journey! In collaboration with parishioner and Cathedral High School Spanish teacher Cindy Seley, we are offering eight weeks of Spanish classes. Whether you're a beginner or brushing up on your Spanish skills, this class is designed for all levels. Class sizes are limited - please click below to register by Sunday, December 31. Choose from eight weeks of Wednesday or Thursday classes for the low cost of $40. Questions, click here to email the Rev. Jeff Bower.
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EPIPHANY LESSONS & CAROLS & BSA TROOP RECEPTION
Sunday, January 7, 4 p.m., Sanctuary
St. Paul’s Choir sings a reflective candlelit service of scripture and song, reaching beyond the Nativity story to the Flight into Egypt, the appearance of the Magi, and Jesus being presented in the Temple. Epiphany celebrates the appearance of God’s glory in the world through the birth of Jesus, our Emmanuel (“God with us”), and the revelation of the incarnation. The Greek word epiphany means literally “sudden appearance” and refers above all to the manifestation of God. Featuring music by Stanford Scriven, Kerensa Briggs, James Whitbourn, Philip Stopford, Wayne Marshall and more.
All are invited to a fireside hot chocolate reception, outside following the service. BSA Scout troops #73 & 173 will host this reception and will be providing to-go dinner options for purchase ($15/ea for chili - meat and vegan, chicken pot pie and beef stroganoff); baked goods and handmade items will be for sale also.
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ABC CHOIR
Children (ages 4–7) are invited to join for fun-filled evenings of singing, musical activities and free dinner. No commitment is necessary! ABC Choir will resume on January 18, meeting on Thursday evenings from 5:15–6 p.m. in the music room. From Burrows Commons, take the stairs or elevator up to the music offices, and you won’t miss it. After rehearsal, ABC choir kids join the St. Paul’s choir kids for dinner from 6-6:30 p.m. in the Lilly Room. If you are interested or have questions, please click here to email ABC Choir Director Emma Page.
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GET INVOLVED, STAY INVOLVED | |
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SUPPORT SCHOOL #43
St. Paul's Outreach team continues to provide math and reading support to students in different grades at School #43. Additionally, support is offered to new teachers at the school and supplies and materials are provided to classrooms in need. Staff, students and families are so appreciative of our the help. If you are interested in volunteering or providing support to School #43, please click here to email Janie Frazier.
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MEAL TRAIN
"Meal Train" allows volunteers to support others by bringing food. The Meal Train Ministry would love to have you on the team. Email notifications arrive when there is a new meal train, and you may view details and decide if the dates listed will work for you to deliver a homemade or store-bought hot meal. Email Laurie Pierce if you would like to be added to the team. Please let Clergy or Laurie know if there is someone in our church community that could benefit from a Meal Train.
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MLK CENTER
Help to nurture the relationship between MLK Center and St. Paul's. If you would like to help deliver food from the MLK Center to School #43 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays from 4:30-5:30 p.m., or have general questions, click here to email Laurie.
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