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Home , January 15

SAINTS ALIVE!

January 2021 Friday, 15 Mark 6:30-44 Online Services Saturday, Mark 6:45-56 Once again, in-person worship services have been suspended. We are still live streaming the Morning Sunday, Mark 7:1-13 Prayer worship service on Sundays at 10:15am. Join the Monday, Mark 7:14-30 * service online by going to our home page at (Confession of St. Peter) allsaintsrichland.org and clicking the “Sunday Service at Tuesday, Mark 7:31-37 All Saints” link on the top left corner of the image of the Wednesday, Mark 8:1-13 church. Thursday, Mark 8:14-26 Morning Prayer is offered each weekday at 9:00am Friday, Mark 8:27-38 via Zoom. Join in by going to the All Saints’ website and Saturday, Mark 9:1-13 clicking on the link on the homepage under the Worship Opportunities heading. Sunday, Mark 9:14-32 Monday, Mark 9:33-49 (Conversion of St. Paul) Adult Formation Tuesday, Mark 10:1-12 Begin 2021 with the Gospel of Mark! The Good Wednesday, Mark 10:13-31 Book Club returns in Epiphany to read the earliest and Thursday, Mark 10:32-52 shortest of the four gospels. Together we will read a Friday, Mark 11:1-11 section every day through the Epiphany season. We’ll Saturday, Mark 11:12-19 start Friday, , 2021, through Shrove Tuesday, 16. Then we’ll return to meeting “Tuesdays at Sunday, Mark 11:20-33 2” via Zoom to share what we’ve read and learned. The reading list for January is below. You can also find more resources, and sign up to receive weekly Children and Youth Ministry updates, on the Good Book Club website: https:// Godly Play in January. Our Godly Play Zoom sessions www.goodbookclub.org/. continue at 9:00 AM on Sundays. In January, we are telling the following stories: –Epiphany; Friday, January 1 Mark 1:1-11 –Holy Baptism; January 17–Parable of the (Holy Name) Good Shepherd; January 24–Parable of the Good Saturday, Mark 1:12-20 Samaritan; January 31—Parable of the Great Pearl. This is a great time to join in on the Godly Play experience Sunday, January 3 Mark 1:21-45 from the comfort of your home! Our families will be Monday, Mark 2:1-12 receiving an Epiphany bag with at-home response items Tuesday, Mark 2:13-28 * for the January stories. If you are new to Godly Play, Wednesday, Mark 3:1-12 contact Theresa Grate to get the Zoom link and the at- (Epiphany) home response box. Thursday, Mark 3:13-35 * Friday, Mark 4:1-20 Footsteps in Faith, Zoom series for Youth. The Youth Saturday, Mark 4:21-34 Leadership Team of the Diocese offers a monthly Zoom series focusing on different themes. These youth-led talks Sunday, January 10 Mark 4:35-41 are available to all youth in 6th grade and up. The next Monday, Mark 5:1-20 one is Saturday, January 2 at 4:30 PM on the topic of Tuesday, Mark 5:21-43 “Questioning, doubt, and struggle.” If you are not already Wednesday, Mark 6:1-13 getting our Youth Group emails, contact Theresa at Thursday, Mark 6:14-29 [email protected] for the link.

1 writes about the natural world from a place of such Youth Book Study. Our Youth class will be holding abundant passion that one can never quite see the world discussions over Zoom on “The Faithful Spy: Dietrich the same way after having seen it through Kimmerer’s Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler,” a graphic novel by eyes. In Braiding Sweetgrass, she takes us on a journey John Hendrix. Look to receive the book during the first that is every bit as mythic as it is scientific, as sacred as it week of January. The Youth Class meets on Sunday is historical, as clever as it is wise. She is a great teacher, afternoons, from 4:00 to 5:00 PM beginning on January and her words are a hymn of love to the 10. If you are not already receiving the emails about All world.”―Elizabeth Gilbert Saints’ Youth, and would like to, contact Theresa at We will meet to discuss the book on Thursday, [email protected]. January 7, 2021 at 7 PM over Zoom. Anyone is welcome to join the discussion! Donations needed for Blessing Bags. The Youth will be packing the Blessing Bags with food, toiletries, and warm clothing for the homeless on Reflection January 24. The complete list of I’m writing before Christmas, somewhere in the what we put in the bags is here; tension of liturgy planning, sermon writing and listening especially needed are canned meals to music that all point toward Christmas even as I try to with pop top lids, crackers with remain in the spirit of Advent. It’s , but it’s peanut butter or cheese, foil pouches almost January, and I’m less and less willing to even hope or small cans of tuna or chicken, that all the challenges of 2020 are going to wrap up on or small bags of nuts, fruit cups, and near January 1st. And alongside all these transitions is the warm socks, hats and gloves. Your nagging feeling that, really, nothing much has changed donations are very much appreciated! Please bring any since the stay at home order back in . donations to the church by January 17 so we can Of course, things are changing, even if I sometimes purchase what else is needed; our goal is to pack between still feel like I started working from home just yesterday. 50 and 70 bags. We will be packing the bags taking all The stories of Jesus’ birth—and really, every account Covid precautions. The Blessing Bags will then be in the Bible—tell us a great deal about those who were available for parishioners to pick up and keep in their cars most impacted by the arrival of Jesus, God made to distribute as they see need. incarnate. Mary bears Jesus, raises him with Joseph; shepherds follow the angel’s direction and meet the newborn Jesus, going on to tell the good news of what All Saints’ Book Group they saw; and magi follow a star, uprooting themselves in Our next book to read is Braiding Sweetgrass: pursuit of that strange and wonderful sight in the sky. It’s Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the quite a stir, but it seems that there were plenty of people Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer. in Bethlehem who go on without recognizing that The author is a trained botanist and a member of the anything special has happened, both residents and the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. Hopefully, this book will be a others who, like Mary and Joseph, have flooded the pleasant and uplifting read through the holidays! It has community to be present for the census. earned rave reviews! Despite those who didn’t know what was happening “Drawing on her life as an indigenous scientist, and when Jesus was born, plenty has changed. News of Jesus as a woman, Kimmerer shows how other living has spread around the world, countless people have beings―asters and goldenrod, strawberries and squash, believed and found their lives changed. Yet God’s vision salamanders, algae, and sweetgrass―offer us gifts and of justice, mercy and reconciliation is far from complete. lessons, even if we’ve forgotten how to hear their voices. Still, in a year of pandemic and online holiday In reflections that range from the creation of Turtle Island celebrations, Christmas comes, Jesus is met, celebrated to the forces that threaten its flourishing today, she circles and worshipped, and perhaps that is the miracle and toward a central argument: that the awakening of scandal of the incarnation: the circumstances don’t have ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment to be perfect—God still comes. To a young woman in and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest Bethlehem, to a world aching from pandemic and racism of the living world. For only when we can hear the and climate change, God comes and, indeed, never languages of other beings will we be capable of abandons us. understanding the generosity of the earth, and learn to give our own gifts in return.” Yours in Christ, “Robin Wall Kimmerer is writer of rare grace. She Shanna

2 Rector’s Corner This be the first newsletter of the New Year; but as I write we’re nearly at the end of Advent, and still Save the Date getting ready for Christmas. Still, the days march on, and All Saints’ Annual Meeting January 1 is in sight. Sunday, I’m always a bit more introspective this time of year. Time TBD For all that calendars are human constructs, the turning of the page seems to trigger contemplation. Look for more information in the coming weeks And so I think back over the last year. As I do so, I on our website, social media, and email blasts. freely admit that 2020 is one year that I will be glad to see The meeting will most likely be an online in the rear view mirror. It has been so… so… just so livestream event. much. Strange and unexpected, often strained and sometimes just plain hard. I recently read someone’s description of a “shadow year,” and thought that description summed up quite well how this year has frequently felt to me. Perhaps that’s why I’ve been so very grateful when I’ve had glimpses of hope in the shadows. Thanks be to God, there have been those! In the midst of the most tumultuous election season in my memory, citizens Blessing Bag Checklist became engaged and active, and turned out to vote in record numbers. When the pandemic threatened our most Any donations of the below items are much appreciated. vulnerable neighbors and turned our lives inside out, so many simply redoubled their efforts to care for one Basics: another—phone calls and cards and socially distanced __ warm beanie hat drop-offs. When we could not safely gather in our usual __ knit gloves ways, we found new ones—outdoor meetings and __ handwarmer packs __ warm socks livestreams and videoconferencing. The Holy Spirit has indeed been living and active, Toiletries: just as in that first Christmas so long ago: “The light __ toothbrush and toothpaste shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome __ deodorant it.” May we always see the Love as revealed in our __ soap __ wash cloth Savior, and show the light of that love to the world __ small shampoo and conditioner around us. __ comb __ razor Bring on 2021! __ package of wet wipes __ lip balm (plain, non-medicated) God’s peace, __ feminine hygiene products Jane+ Food: __ canned ready-to-eat meal with pop top __ ready-to-eat tuna or chicken in pouches Thank You __ crackers with peanut butter or cheese -To Anna and Nicholas Loer, Bethany Riedinger, and __ granola or protein bars Cynthia Barragan for their artwork for the Outreach __ trail mix or nuts Christmas cards. __ fruit cups __ individual juice or water bottles -To Steve Wiley, and his small team of helpers, Rick __ hot chocolate pouches Walling and Al Wells, for their faithful work to make sure __ hard candies or gum the livestream of our services is available every week. And a special Thank You to Steve for coordinating, Please bring your donations to the church office recording, and inserting the video of the choir and readers by Jan. 17, 2021 into the Christmas services.

3 shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on What is Epiphany? your gates.” Chalking the door is a tangible way to honor by Sara and Justin Kraft from coraevans.com; Jan 5, God in our lives. What Do the Numbers and Letters 2020 Mean? The first and last numbers simply refer to the Epiphany is the celebration of the manifestation of current year. The letters C M B come from the traditional Christ, the son of God and his divinity to the world. It names for the three kings: Caspar, Melchior, and celebrates the coming of the Magi, or the Wise Men. Balthazar. Some also suggest “Christus Mansionem Traditionally, most nativities picture three Wise Men, Benedicat” which means, “May Christ bless this perhaps because the three gifts of gold, frankincense, and dwelling!” myrrh were given. 1. Mark your calendar: Epiphany is on January 6th. During Advent, we prayed and waited in darkness for 2. Find some chalk: Any color will do! the coming of Christ. At Christmas, the Light of Christ 3. Gather your household: Everyone should be involved. shined, but only to those gathered around the manager: For those who live alone, consider inviting a friend or Joseph, Mary, and the shepherds. On Epiphany, the light neighbor. shines forth to people of all nations. The revealing of 4. Pray: Use the prayers and liturgy below. Christ to the kings at Bethlehem is a symbol of His 5. Write the inscription: Using the chalk, and taking revelation to the entire non-Jewish world. Epiphany turns, make the following inscription above the presents to us the calling of not merely a chosen few, but outside of your door: 20 + C + M + B + 21 all nations to Christianity. Make sure to change the last number to the current year. In the United States, we celebrate the epiphany the An Example of a simple Liturgy: second Sunday following Christmas. In other countries, Peace be to this house, and to all who enter here. Amen. the more traditional date of January 6 is observed. Loving God, bless this household. May we be blessed with Pope Francis explains: “The destiny of every person health, goodness of heart, gentleness, and abiding in your is symbolized in this journey of the Magi of the East: our will. We ask this through Christ our Savior. Amen. life is a journey, illuminated by the lights which brighten As participants take turns making the inscription, the our way, to find the fullness of truth and love which we leader says: The three Wise Men, Caspar [C], Melchior Christians recognize in Jesus, the Light of the World. Like [M], and Balthasar [B] followed the star to Bethlehem the Magi, every person has two great ‘books’ which and the infant Jesus two thousand [20], and twenty-one provide the signs to guide this pilgrimage: the book of years ago [21]. May Christ bless our home [+ +], and creation and the book of sacred Scripture. What is remain with us throughout the new year [+ +]. Amen. important is that we be attentive, alert, and listen to God End with the Lord’s Prayer. who speaks to us, who always speaks to us. As the Psalm says in referring to the Law of the Lord: ‘Your word is a King’s Cake: Make or buy a lamp to my feet and a light to my path’ (Ps 119:105). king’s cake and enjoy taking Listening to the Gospel, reading it, meditating on it and turns cutting and serving making it our spiritual nourishment especially allows us each other slices of the cake. to encounter the living Jesus, to experience him and his Everyone eats their piece at love.” the same time and if one finds a trinket or baby figure in their slice, that person becomes “King for a Day”. Ways to Celebrate Epiphany at Some traditions also say that the person who finds the Home trinket hosts the next year’s Epiphany celebration. Chalking the Door: This short liturgy is a way of Crowns: Use construction paper, bulletin board boarder, marking our homes, usually at the front or main entrance, or poster board to cut into crown shapes and decorate with sacred signs and symbols as we ask God’s blessing with jewels, stickers, or glitter and display in windows or upon those who live, or visit, throughout the coming year. on doors. Or curve them In Exodus, the Israelites marked their doors with blood so into circles and wear them, that the Lord would pass over their homes; but in this or make a special one, service, we mark our doors with chalk as a sign that we bigger and more elaborate have invited God’s presence and blessing into our homes than the rest, to adorn the In Deuteronomy 6:9 God tells the people of Israel: person who finds the baby “These words that I command you today shall be on your in their King’s Cake. heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house… You

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