November 13, 26th Sunday after Pentecost

 Daily Scripture Readings;  bookofcommonprayer.net/daily_office.php

Sunday Scripture Readings:  bookofcommonprayer.net/lectionary.php

All Saints Sunday

A big thank you to Anne Miles and Bill Woods for giving us wonderful Saint Stories for All Saints Sunday.  They will be attached to the email for By Way of Reminder, and on the back table on Sunday.

Vote Early Vote Often

While there are a lot of differing opinions about the outcome of yesterday’s election, the process of getting there as played out in COA’s Parish Hall was wonderful on many levels.

The Poll Workers said that they had a potential of 531 voters for the precinct served by Church of the Angels.  Of that number (as of 5:00 p.m.) 322 people came and voted.  Another 73 came and cast Provisional Ballots.  50 people brought in their Mail-In Ballots. 

 We reserved the parking places across from the Keck Center for the voters.  Fr. Bob set up tables, made coffee, and put out bagels left over from a meeting on Monday for the volunteers. 

 It was great to see and meet neighbors.  What was really wonderful was the number of parents who brought their children to the polls.   There was a steady stream of people all day long.  It is one of those wonderful events where different people come together.  It illustrates the American tradition of volunteerism, and how organizations representing both government and civil society, open their doors giving support to and participating in, our  exercise of self government.  

 As far as we can tell, Church of the Angels has been a polling place since time out of mind. We’ll continue to do our part and make our contribution to the upholding of our democratic institutions.

Annual Giving for 2017 is underway

Church of the Angels Annual Giving for 2017

Annual Giving for 2017 has  begun.   We ask everyone to make a pledge of financial support for our parish life for the year to come.  . 

New:  Fill out your Pledge Card online

It is possible for your to fill our your Pledge Card for Annual Giving online. 

 Go to:  http://www.coa-pasadena.org/pledge

 You will find a Pledge Card on the page of our Website.  You can fill in the information.  When you press the “Submit” button your pledge card will automatically go to an email address specifically for the Parish Treasurer. 

Year of Grace Calendars.

The Year of Grace Calendars for the Christian Year which begins on the First Sunday of Advent, November 27, will be available for purchase on Sunday.  They come in three sizes:  Laminated Poster, which is great for hanging on your refrigerator door, Laminated Notebook size which is 11 x 17, and Paper Notebook size.   An envelope will be available for checks and cash. 

Advent Event:

Following the 10:15 Liturgy on Sunday November 20

 The First Sunday of Advent is November 27.  To help us prepare for Advent we will have the Advent Event on the Sunday of Christ the King, November 20.  

Advent Potluck, 

The Sign Ups are a little slow.  We’ll make a big push this Sunday.   Year by year as we do this, we see parishioners really spend a lot of time talking together both during and after the meal.  People linger for a long time.  It’s as though the Advent Event gives us an oasis of calm before everything gets crazy with the “Christmas Season” gets underway on Black Friday.   So, please come and enjoy each other’s company.

For the Potluck  Sign Up’s so far

 Appetizer:                                                                             Need 7

Salad/Vegetable Dish:  Chris & Shanna Tellez                           Need 6

Pasta Dish:                                                                            Need 7

Main Course:  Amy Riker, Woolery Family                                   Need 11

Dessert:                                                                                  Need 7

Advent Wreath Making

The Sign Up Sheet for the Potluck and Wreath Making will be on the table outside Church on Sunday.

For those who don't know or who have never made or had one,  The Advent Wreath is of German origin.  It contains four candles, three are purple (The color of preparing, as we say to the children in the atrium) and one pink or rose.  Each candle stands for one of the four weeks of the Season of Advent that precede Christmas.   We have a large Advent Wreath in the Church, and there is a small one of the Prayer Table in all three Atriums. 

 Making your Advent Wreath is a fun activity and a way of bringing Church into the Home.  You can place it on your dining room table and light the candles when you have dinner. 

 Why three purple and one pink you ask?  That's because on the Third Sunday of Advent, the Traditional Old Testament Reading was from the prophet Isaiah where he says that "The desert shall rejoice and blossom.  Like the Rose it shall blossom abundantly."   That of course leads us into the Christmas Hymn  "Lo How a Rose er'e Blooming."   So it all goes together. 

 We will have wire frames that have four holders for candles and we'll have a variety of greens that you can weave into them and make something unique and personal.  We'll have the candles for you as well. 

 We ask $10.00 for materials. 

Altar Flowers for 2017

This Sunday we’ll begin taking sign ups for Altar Flowers for 2017.  See the Sign Up Sheet on the table outside Church on Sunday.

Food For Thought

On the Food For Thought Table this Sunday an article from The Wall Street Journal,  “Vatican, China, Consider Deal on Selection of Bishops After Decades of Division.”  You think our politics are complicated?  Try this one on for size as the Vatican and China try to resolve their differences about the Chinese Catholic Church which comes in two versions, the state sponsored Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, which operates under the control of the government, and the Underground Catholic Church which remains faithful to the jurisdiction of the Pope.   Talk about a stately dance!

Emmaus Road:  Monday November 14, 7:00 p.m.

The Great Courses:  Reading Biblical Literature from Genesis to Revelation

Emmaus Road begins a program looking at portions of a new class from The Teaching Company’s Great Courses.  Reading Biblical Literature From Genesis to Revelation.   The Great Courses are lectures on a wide range of subjects given by outstanding, award winning college professors.  The lectures are a half hour in length.   We will jump around the course on the Bible and viewing specific topics in order of interest rather than chronology.  The lectures for Monday will be:  Creation, Chaos, and Genesis,    No reading is involved, Everyone is welcome to participate and you canvcome to any or all.