November 29, The First Sunday of Advent
Wednesday, November 25, 2015 at 9:34AM Daily Scripture Readings; bookofcommonprayer.net/daily_office.php
See the different options. There is full morning and evening prayer. There is also the option of the readings only. There is also an app for receiving the daily readings by email, or on a mobile device
Sunday Scripture Readings: bookofcommonprayer.net/lectionary.php
Set it for 1979 Contemporary, and the Bible version used in Church is Revised Standard Version
Thanksgiving
Liturgy for Thanksgiving: Wednesday, November 25, 7:00 p.m.
We will celebrate Thanksgiving on the evening before, Wednesday, November 25 7:00 p.m. with the Holy Eucharist. This liturgy is wonderful as we hear Scripture that touches very deeply our American consciousness, along with hymns that recall us to our heritage as well. Doing the Eucharist on the Eve of Thanksgiving gives us the benefit of touching our deep Christian and American roots, as well as leaving Thanksgiving Day free for family and friends.
Anglican Rosary: Saturday, November 28, 9:00 a.m
The Anglican Rosary devotional group meets Saturdays at 9:00 a.m. in the Church. Everyone is welcome.
Advent Proclamation
2015
Dear sisters and brothers, the glory of the Lord has shone upon us and shall be ever manifest among us until the day of Christ's return.
Through the rhythms of time and the change of seasons let us call to mind and live the mysteries of our salvation.
The center of this Year of Grace is the Paschal Triduum of the Lord - crucified, buried and risen - celebrated between sunset of Maundy Thursday March 24, and sunset of Easter Day March 27.
Every Sunday, Holy Church makes present that great and saving deed by which Christ has forever conquered sin and death.
From the Paschal Triduum there come forth and are reckoned the forty days of Lent, begun on Ash Wednesday the 10th of February and the fifty days of Easter completed on Pentecost the 24th of May.
In the winter the Church gives witness to the glorious Nativity and Epiphany of Christ and exults in the blessed hope of the Lord Jesus' advent at the end of time.
Likewise the pilgrim Church proclaims Christ died, risen, and with us today in the mysteries of the Lord, in the feasts of the holy Mother of God, and of the apostles and saints, and in the commemoration of all the faithful departed.
To Christ who was, who is, and who is to come, Lord of time and history be endless praise, for ever and ever Amen.
Something New This Year:
Advent Poster prepared by the Episcopal Church Publishing Company
This is a wonderful addition to help us really enjoy the season of Advent. The poster gives a reflection or prayer for each day of the Advent Season. They will be available at Church on Sunday.
Emmaus Road: For Advent: Watch for the Light Mondays 7:00 p.m.
As we’ve done for many years, The Emmaus Road Group will read selections from the anthology Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas. This anthology contains short selections from across the entire Christian Tradition and focuses on themes connected to Advent and Christmas. Everyone is welcome to participate. You can join us for the conversation on Monday evenings. You can also read along as the selections will be on the Food For Thought table each Sunday in Advent. Consider making this part of your Advent observance.
This Just In: Mission Giving
From Global Hands in Hope: All the Children are sponsored.
We just got this message from Global Hands of Hope, “All of the children in the school are sponsored! Thank you so much for all of your hard work to help accomplish that goal!” Many of you are coming up for renewal, they are hoping that you will renew on a monthly basis through Pay Pal, but any way helps.
Thank you so much for helping the children in Uganda live a healthier life, with a future ahead of them. Church of the Angels parishioners are the greatest!!!
They are now in desperate need of getting the elementary school built so that children will have classrooms in February. Church of the Angels is offering cards if you would like to make a donation to help build a school for the children to attend. Donations can be made through Church of the Angels (mark your check “GHOH”) or directly to Global Hands of Hope at Global Hands of Hope, 1210 Hillcrest, Normal, IL 61761.
Outreach: Mission Giving
Helping to Build a School
Outreach Needs Your Help!!!
The school in Uganda, named Subbi, which is “HOPE” in Lugandan must grow. They currently have 2 classrooms in the church building. These classrooms are open to the elements and must be rearranged every Sunday to accommodate the growing congregants, and again every Sunday afternoon in order to be ready for classes to resume on Monday. Here are a couple of photos of the classrooms:
The elementary school cannot grow and a new class of students cannot enter until the main floor of a new school building is built. This needs to be built for classes to begin in February, the foundation has been poured, but the money has not been raised to finish the building.
Here is the current foundation:
To the left you can see the church and school building. Walls need to be raised and furniture placed. We need your help!
It has been suggested by Sue Tutt that we let the parish buy or gift others with parts of the school building. $5,000 will build a room but there are many other ways to help. $500. Will put steel into the walls, $105 will buy 7 bags of concrete. $15 will buy 1 bag of concrete. Sue has donated some cards to gift people on your Christmas list. Won’t you please help? A donation can be sent to COA marked Global Hands of Hope in the message (and we will get a card to you), or you can send a donation directly to Global Hands of Hope at Global Hands of Hope, 1210 Hillcrest, Normal, IL 61761.
Christmas Flowers and Decorations for the Church
We will begin taking sign up for donating toward the decorating of the Church for Christmas. People can sign up to decorate for the various flower arrangements.
Entrance Arrangement: $50.00
Window Arrangements $40.00 each. Need 7
Altar Arrangements $50.00 each Need 2
Greenery around the baptistery: $70.00
Poinsettias $10.00 each.
We’ll have some pictures so everyone can see what they are donating.
Along with the Sign Up there will be a place to write your memorial or offering. All those will be acknowledged in the Christmas bulletins.
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd: Level 3 age 9-12
Advent 1
The History of the Kingdom of God and the Plan of God
Since the beginning of time, a plan has been present in the mind of God for a covenant that would unite all people and all creation to God in a cosmic communion. The kingdom of God is for all people. It was first announced to the children of Israel through Jesus, who is pivotal to the plan and opens up the vertical bridge between heaven and earth. Humans have a role in the Plan of God; and, we are linked to God through the work of our hands. Christ speaks today through the word of God and acts through the Sacraments as we work toward the fulfillment of God’s plan at the Parousia.
The History of the Kingdom of God and the Plan of God is the primary motif of the Level III atrium. This extraordinary work was assembled by Sofia and Gianna to announce and make visible God’s loving plan for cosmic communion between all people, all things and God. It is the first of a series of CGS presentations on the history of the kingdom of God. It is such a big work it could easily take four weeks to touch on all moments of the presentation.
It is designed to lift up key moments in the covenant relationship between God and humankind; for example, the role of Israel as first in the vertical union of covenant with God which opens to all people in Jesus Christ, the New Covenant, how the Bible and the Sacraments are ways Jesus speaks and acts with us in the world today, how the network of invisible bridges runs through time and spreads throughout space creating union between peoples, and finally how love and unity work toward the fulfillment of God’s plan.
The presentation lays the foundation for further work in the History of the Kingdom of God: Holy Bible and the Sacraments, Peoples and People of God, My Century, 2000 years, the History of the Kingdom of God and My Place in It, the History of the Jewish People. It makes visible the unity of sacred and secular history. It also places the seed of what is my vocation or role in the Plan of God.
The material we use to guide the presentation is a very long timeline control strip. It is currently hanging on the wall of the Level III atrium. On the time line is the representation of the presence of God through a yellow line along the top of the strip. The story begins without dates because they are unknown and then we move to recorded dates. We reflect on early tools, inventions, numbers and alphabets and how they were shared through the invisible bridges between peoples and cultures. The map focuses on the Mediterranean Sea because this is the area read about most in the Bible. Lines of civilizations emerge first as dotted, then solid as peoples rise to prominence, and then decline. Christ speaks to us with the Word and acts with us through the Sacraments. You have often heard of the blank page. It represents how God continues to write history in cooperation with the people
The catechist directs the conversation around our role in God’s plan asking which of the gifts is most important in their life and what would they do that day that can be written on the blank page to help fulfill God’s plan? What are you doing?
Ms. Georgie
Das Boot: Working on the “Boat” that is COA’s infrastructure
We’ve been preparing for El Nino as you’ve seen in previous editions of By Way of Reminder. Here we have two things.
1. Repair of the driveway. Our driveway is constructed of enhanced decomposed granite built over a freeway class base. The enhancer causes the decomposed granite to harden after it dries from getting wet. Still we have erosion problems. In the photo you can see where the decomposed granite sits next to the concrete swails which carry the water away when it rains. Sometimes if the rain comes down very fast, it rolls down the driveway faster than it rolls off to the side into the swail and this begins to create small ruts that gradually get bigger. We’ve filled in those ruts with extra material, but we will probably have significant erosion on the driveway this winter. However, a call to the Church Insurance Company revealed that we will be able to make a claim for repairs which will probably mean installing more material and re-grading. It will probably be a bit bumpy until after the rainy season.
2. The Lawn. We’ve had the services of Trugreen which has put on fertilizer, a product that causes the water to penetrate the soil more quickly, insect control, and some overseeding. Our lawn has looked better at the end of the summer than it has for many years, and in keeping with conservation efforts we’ve used only 50% as much water this years as last year. With the cooler weather there is some die back. The lawn should look good in the winter and spring.
The Financial Page
Before going off to Connecticut for the Thanksgiving Holiday, Treasurer Leigh Torgerson entered the contributions from Sunday November 22 into the computer. We’ve made a statement of everyone’s giving through that date. It will go out into the mail on Monday. This is to give everyone a chance to catch up on their 2015 Annual Giving Pledge before the end of the year. With some big expenses coming in December, we really need everyone to bring their giving up to date.
Mistakes were made. It’s easy for errors to creep in during data entry. If there is a mistake on your statement, we’ll fix it. Also the computer has been causing some weirdness on a few people’s statements showing giving from previous years. Leigh is working to figure out the problem and correct it.
Annual Giving for 2016 Thank you to everyone who has sent in their Annual Giving Pledge so far. We’ve got a ways to go. We’ve piggy backed on the statement mailing, including a pledge card. If you’ve sent your pledge in already, you have a nice Church of the Angels bookmark.
Music with the Angels
We have some fun things coming up for Advent
Saturday, December 5, 2:30 p.m. -- Red Car Trolley: A vocal quartet that performs an eclectic blend of music ranging from sacred to secular, classical to contemporary, and featuring original compositions by Southern Californian composers.
Sunday December 13, 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. -- Traditional Nicholas/Krampus play
and a new Krampus documentary film for Christmas produced by Al Ridenour. Krampus is the figure who, according to German-speaking Alpine folklore, accompanies St. Nicholas and punishes the bad children on St. Nicholas Day. The folk theater "Nicholas Play" dates back to the 18th century. Following the short play is the U.S. premiere of the documentary, "Krampus, an Austrian Folk Tale." Hannah Jakubowski explores the tradition, craft, family rituals, and riotous parades of contemporary Krampus practice. And don't miss Bay Area artist Kimric Smythe's Krampus-driven Steamcar. Visit the Krampus website for more details. Admission $20.00, advance tickets only: purchase 5 p.m. tickets or 9 p.m. tickets online.
Parishioners can get discounted ($10) tickets for the Dec. 13th Nicholas/Krampus play by signing up in advance. Susan Stanley will have a sign up sheet on the Food For Thought Table starting this Sunday.
Food For Thought
On the Food For Thought Table this Sunday, an article contributed by Jim Stanley from a recent issue of The Week, The Real Meaning of the War on Christmas. No it’s not about the coffee cups at Starbucks. Rather than being a War ON Christmas the article reveals the War OF Christmas. Those familiar Scriptural passages everyone loves so much are actually a declaration of war. St. Luke uses the very titles and proclamations about Caesar Augustus as “divi filius,” “son of the divinized one,” later shortened in Greek to “huios theou,” son of God, not for the one who brought peace to the empire, linked everyplace together with roads, cleared the Mediterranean of pirates, but for a child laying in a manger. In other words, there’s a new Sheriff in town, and such good news will not go down well.