Bell Tower the Church of the Holy Innocents Newsletter
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The Bell Tower The Church of the Holy Innocents Newsletter Volume 13 - Number 12 December 2017 memories made up of stories I was told Inside this Issue as a child and which remain so vivid that from the Rector they seem to be memories of events I experienced myself. What I can say with The Rev. Donald Lowery From the Rector certainty is that they are a part of my St. Nicholas, MDA… family lore and a part of who I am as a 1 person. From the Rector...cont. Two of my cousins were born with Parish News… Muscular Dystrophy. Their parents were 2 a great aunt and uncle of mine, a younger Wednesday Services sister of my grandmother and her Youth Group News Christmas Eve... From the Rector cont. pg. 2 3 Parish News ...cont. Treasurer’s Report ECW News Altar Guild News December Schedule of Events ADVENT & CHRISTMAS 4 Deacon’s Bench... SERVICES ADVENT LESSONS & CAROLS November Event Photos St. Nicholas, Muscular 5 Dystrophy and Bailing the - Sunday, December 17 - 5:00 p.m. Old St. John’s Rector out of Jail December Birthdays CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES and Anniversaries In November, I was contacted by - Sunday, December 24 - the local Muscular Dystrophy 6 Remember in Your Prayers (No 8:00 a.m. Service) Association and asked to “Go to Jail” on Special Dates 10:30 a.m. Service as Advent 4 December 6 for MDA as a fundraiser 12:30.p.m. Noche Buena Missa Unified Serving Schedule for the association to support research, 5:30 p.m. Early Christmas Eve medical care, family support, summer (Children’s Homily) Special… camp programs and other programs that 10:30 p.m. Choir will sing Christmas 7 make life better for children and young music prior to the service at adults with this disease. I almost said 11:00 p.m. The Church of the Holy Innocents “No,” because the season from 11:00 p.m. Midnight Mass 210 South Chestnut Street Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day (There will be NO INCENSE Henderson, North Carolina 27536 is very busy but a flood of precious used in deference to folks with Telephone: 252-492-0904 memories came to mind. allergies.) E-mail: [email protected] Honestly, I have to tell you that I CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICE Church Web Site Address: www.churchoftheholyinnocents.org am not sure if these memories are truly - Monday, December 25 - mine, or if they are what psychologists 10:30 a.m. Quiet service ( no music) Visit us on Facebook call “constructed memories” that is, DECEMBER 2017 husband. The cousins were twin boys, generous as your circumstances permit. together. There will be no Youth Group David and Dennis. The disease required When you pass the “dravy” or the meeting on December 17 because of that they be confined to wheelchairs by “drease” at a holiday meal, remember Lessons and Carols or on December 24 the time I knew them. They were bright, David and Dennis and help banish the because of the Christmas Eve Services. talented and funny as they could be scourge of Muscular Dystrophy. despite the dread condition they battled. We will meet on December 31 at I can also say they received the best 5:00 p.m. and will end around 8:00 p.m. so medical care the era provided and were that folks are safely home early on New lavished with love by their family. Donations may be dropped by the Year’s Eve. † church office. Checks can be made out to My great aunt was very strict “MDA” and on the memo line indicate it about good manners. Adults were is for Fr. Don Lowery’s Bail. Checks can answered with “Yes, Sir and No, Sir; be mailed directly to: MDA, 110-A Yes Ma’am and No Ma’am. Being in a Cinema Drive, Wilmington, NC 28403. wheel chair or having special needs was Christmas Eve , Christmas Day and Donations may also be made on- New Year’s Day no excuse to be rude or crude in that line. “Right-Click “ on the following link household as was the case with all the and then click on “Open Hyperlink” : The Rev. Donald Lowery kin on mother’s side of my family. For Every few years, the Fourth Sunday the most part, my people were not rich, MDA of Advent and Christmas EVE fall on the but they were “raised right” as we say same day. The morning is Advent down here and it showed. Four while the evening is Christmas Eve. Parish News… This year is just such a time. If you listen One of my fondest memories was closely, you can hear clergy in liturgical a Thanksgiving meal when they were churches shrieking in agony while our non- older teenagers. Did I mention they both liturgical friends are offering thanks to God had slight speech impediments? David The Rev. Donald Lowery for making their lives easier. The fact that wanted to dress up his mashed potatoes Fourth Advent and Christmas Eve fall on the and asked, “Pwease pass da dravy.” On December 6, We will have our same day also impacts Lessons and Carols at Dennis replied, “If cou’nt say dravy no usual first Wednesday Communion Old St. John’s. Our Schedule for those days better dan dat, I’d just say ‘drease’.” We Service combined with the Healing is with adjustments made to take into all nearly rolled out of our chairs Service as is our custom. We will keep account the changes required by the way the laughing, not in mockery, but in the the proper lessons for the feast of St. calendar falls this year. certain knowledge that they knew Nicholas of Myra, the saint from whom exactly what they were up to and were the modern American Santa Claus looking for a laugh. Sadly, they both Lessons and Carols begin at 5:00 p.m. evolved. On December 13 and 20, we at Old St. John’s on December 17. Bring a died shortly after that family day, a few will have Holy Communion. We will not months apart, from the ravages of the friend and bring a flashlight because it can have a service on December 27 as I hope be mighty dark out there this time of the Muscular Dystrophy they battled for a to be visiting family. All these services life time. year. On December 24 in the Morning as begin at 5:30 p.m.† Advent 4 there will only be one morning service at 10:30 a.m. and will be no 8:00 December 6 is the Feast of St. Nicholas, the real historical character a.m. service. On December 24 as from whom “Santa Claus” evolved. T he Rev. Donald Lowery Christmas Eve there will be Holy Bishop of the port city of Myra in the Communion with emphasis on children and Roman Empire in the fourth century, he Our Youth Group Schedule will be their families at 5:30 p.m. We will have a had a particular concern for the well- impacted by Christmas Eve falling on Christmas story told at an elementary level being of sailors and children. His gifts Sunday. On December 3 we will meet as and we will hunt down the figures for the rescued children of poor families from usual at 5:00 p.m. On December 10 we Crèche and build the manger scene as is our being sold into slavery. He kept an eye will have a multi-tasking Youth Group custom. Then at 10:30 p.m. the Choir will on sailors, often prone to being exploited meeting. We will gather at 4:00 p.m. to sing Christmas music prior to the service. by unscrupulous merchants and tavern put up and decorate the Chrismon Tree. The Midnight Mass begins at 11:00 p.m. keepers in the ports where they were We will also have acolyte training with goal of hitting the singing of Silent strangers. Again, his gifts bailed many a connected to the event with special Night as the communion hymn as close to poor sea-farer out of trouble in a foreign emphasis on training any new acolytes the stroke of midnight as possible. On land. For his generosity, he became the and reviewing skills with experienced December 25 there will be a Quiet Service symbol of Christian giving at Christmas. acolytes. I have a special event in Kitrell at 10:30 a.m. On January 1 there will be a My “incarceration” on December 6 is an and will join the group at 6:00 p.m. We quiet service observing both the Feast of opportunity to emulate his generosity will eat Pizza together with youth group Holy Name of Jesus and New Year’s Day at with a donation to fight a terrible members and acolytes when I arrive. 10:30 a.m. I can think of no better way to disease. Middle School Youth Group members are begin a New Year than with receiving the invited to attend with the Senior Youth Holy Communion at a quiet meditative Group to help decorate the tree. Many of service. It is excellent medicine for a I am aware that there are many hangover as well! † demands on our budgets this time of you will be at acolyte training as well and year. Nonetheless, I ask you to be as we will, as mentioned above, eat Pizza 2 THE BELL TOWER Treasurer’s Bob Nelson, Treasurer Report December Schedule of Events Choir Weekly Practice Schedule Hand Bell Choir — Wed.