Bp. Mark writes about The Gift Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.

Weekly Compass † December 25, 2020

The Nativity - Eleanor Fortescue-Brickdale, c. 1910. Watercolor. Public Domain.

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking on the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. — Philippians 2:5-7 There are many things that make a great gift great. One thoughtfully considers the recipient and gives a gift that is really needed. Lovely wrapping always helps a gift to be special. Great gifts are costly. If one does not spend a lot of money on a gift, one likely spends a lot of time on it and pours themselves into the gift in a tangible way. Today we commemorate the greatest gift of all time. We remember when God gave his only begotten Son to sinful humanity that they themselves might become children of God.

Many have a very hard time with this gift. To accept it means having to believe in the mystery of the Incarnation. It means accepting a miraculous birth from a young virgin mother. It means that God loved the world he made so much that he took on flesh and became one of us. Many can’t accept mysteries, miracles, and many can’t accept that God loves us so much even when we are so broken. Christmas for those who can’t accept these things is about the birth of a good man, the birth of a man that might even have had a “strong god consciousness.” For these folks, Christmas is all about the wrapping, the lights, the warm feelings. We remember a nice story about a birth in Bethlehem, but it is a birth like any other. We are happy for Mary and Joseph, the biological parents of Jesus, but the gift meant little in meeting the ultimate needs of sinners, and it didn’t really cost God anything.

But for those who can accept the mystery of the Incarnation, there is a realization that the cost was beyond belief. We get a feel for it in Genesis when God asks Abraham to sacrifice “his son, his only whom he loves.” Abraham had waited 100 years for this child. His birth was miraculous. Isaac meant everything to Abraham. In the end, God provided a lamb for the sacrifice so that Isaac was spared. God would not make Isaac sacrifice his only beloved son. However, the lamb that replaced Isaac on the altar foreshadowed his own Son, his only Son, whom he loved, who would be sacrificed upon the cross. Abraham had loved Isaac for twelve years. When God sent his Son to take on flesh, he had known him forever. I can’t imagine the pain of that separation.

We tend to think Jesus got started in Bethlehem. How quickly we forget that he was with the Father from the beginning of creation and beyond that. He made the stars and hung them. Philippians states that though he was in the form of God he did not grasp it, but humbled himself. Jesus was not simply in the form of God, he was and is and will forever be God, coeternal with the Father and the Spirit. We sing songs about “movin’ on up.” Part of the mystery of the incarnation is the way Jesus “Came on down.” It is impossible to comprehend what Jesus gave up to be born as one of us in a manger. He sacrificed all the prerogatives of being God the creator and King of Kings to make himself the servant of all. For the Father and the Son, the cost of the Christmas gift was enormous.

The gift also gave us precisely what we need on an eternal spiritual level. We didn’t need another good man to show us how to behave, we needed a savior to redeem us from sin and death. This Christmas I pray that we all might unwrap the best gift that we can receive. “To all that receive him, who believe in his name, he gives the right to become children of God.” —John 1:12

Merry Christmas,

†Bp. Mark

Scripture readings for the week

 This Sunday - Isaiah 61:10-62:5; Psalm 31:1-27; Galatians 3:23- 4:7; John 1:1-18  Next Sunday - Isaiah 60:1-9; Psalm 72; Ephisians 3:1-13; Matthew 2:1-12

Prayer requests for the week

 Members: Barbara, Glenda, Ellis, Matt and Liz, Megan, Christina, Lynne and George  Cycle of Prayer: The Anglican Diocese of the South, Archbishop Foley Beach, his wife, Allison, and , and his wife, Shawnee.  Diocesan Cycle of Prayer: All Saints', Long Beach, CA and its Rector, The Very Reverend Scott Pedersen, Dean LA and The Reverend Michael DiMarcangelo

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Year-End Giving All donations made on Sunday, December 27, by law must be credited toward 2020 donations unless the check is dated with a January 2021 date. If you intend to give towards your 2021 pledge on that day, please be certain to date your check as of January 1, 2021. All checks that are postmarked by December 31 with a December date on the check will also be applied to the 2020 year. If you would like to bring a check to the office prior to the year’s end, please do so by noon on December 31 in order for it to be processed as a 2020 donation. Thank you!

Saturday Evening Services Suspended Beginning December 26, we will be suspending the Saturday evening, 6:00 p.m. Eucharist Services until further notice. We will continue to offer two identical services with music on Sunday mornings at 8:00 and 10:00 a.m.

Next Baptism Opportunity On Sunday, January 10, we celebrate the Baptism of our Lord and it is a traditional time for the Sacrament of Baptism. If you or a loved one would like to be baptized, please contact Cheryl at [email protected].

2021 Vestry Slate The Vestry Nominating Committee work is completed and the following candidates will be presented for a vote at the Annual Meeting on January 31, 2021: Junior Warden – Beth Weicht; Vestry Members – Julie Bennett, Mark Kaech, and Sarah Thomas. Their pictures and biographies will be displayed in the Narthex and linked to the weekly compass. Additionally, Doug Irish has been appointed as the Senior Warden for 2021.

The following is cited for your information:

Per the Christ Church Anglican bylaws, CCA Members may nominate candidates to the Vestry in addition to the slate of candidates the Vestry presents. Members must submit nominations at least two weeks before the Annual Meeting. To nominate a candidate, a Member must obtain the concurrence of the Candidate and present the nomination to the Interim Rector. To be valid, the nomination must include the concurrence of ten other Members as evidenced by their signatures.

Instructions for Worship Services Please note: Due to Covid-19, local governments are requiring those in public spaces to wear masks or face coverings. We ask that congregants at Christ Church abide by the city ordinances as they are able.

On Sunday mornings, we will continue to have two identical services, with music, one at 8:00 and a second at 10:00 a.m.

Please remember that you must sign up for a slot each week in order to attend any of the services to ensure we do not exceed the maximum number of people allowed! https://bit.ly/CCA- Services The link is also available on the website under the Worship tab, in “Time and Location.” If you or someone in your household is not feeling well or has not been feeling well recently, please do not come to church, even if you have signed up for a time slot.

 For the time being, we are suspending congregational singing. Only Matt Flora with choir members and Jessica will sing their selected service music.  Every other pew will remain roped off, but we ask that you also be mindful of how much space you are allowing between yourself and others in any of the pews to your left and to your right.  We still need volunteers for the various ministries that lead us in worship on Sunday mornings, so please be sure to volunteer in the needed areas for the service you are attending.

Children During Sunday 10:00 a.m. service The nursery is open to children 1-4 years. Children play, sing, and hear a biblical story. Our Godly Play program is offered for children entering preschool through the third grade in Room 8. Godly Play is a multisensory style of storytelling that leads children to encounter and worship God. For more information about health precautions please contact Lara Milford: [email protected]

DONATION OPTIONS

Zelle Donations through Your Bank Christ Church Anglican is now able to accept online donations made via Zelle. If your bank uses Zelle (other bank versions of this type of payment are not yet available to us) as an online bill payment option you may send a donation to Christ Church Anglican by entering the following email [email protected] and the donation will be made directly to CCA’s account with no extra fees. This is our favorite method of accepting online donations.

Online Giving through our Website Credit Cards and PayPal donations are accepted through our website. Go to www.christchurchphoenix.org, select the “Giving” option at the top or click here, and click on the Donate Online box. Note that donations made this way are subject to a 2.2% credit card fee.

US Mail If you prefer to send a check via US Mail, please use the following address:

Christ Church Anglican PO Box 10219 Phoenix, AZ 85064-0219

We are a community around Jesus bringing God's love to a hurting world.

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