The Visitor for November 2018 Vol 2

From: Calvary Episcopal Church ofﬁ[email protected] Subject: The Visitor for November 2018, Vol. 2 Date: November 29, 2018 at 4:36 PM To: [email protected]

Calvary Episcopal Church - Rochester, Minnesota

A message from our Rector

Dear Friends: Advent is upon us. The best description I have heard for these four weeks preceding Christmas is by Presbyterian Minister Frederick Buechner. He describes Advent as that moment after the orchestra conductor raises her baton, holding it in the air, that moment right before she drops it to begin conducting. Just that intake of breath, that few seconds, when everyone in the orchestra and in the audience simultaneously takes a breath in, right before everyone breathes out. Advent moves by quickly. It is a gift of time for us in the church, and if we choose, in our lives, to breathe, to find some quiet, and to prepare our lives and our souls, ourselves and our families, for the yearly remembrance of the birth of Jesus Christ our Savior. We all know how difficult it is to keep Advent, with the cacophony of Christmas all around us, with the Christmas culture creeping earlier and earlier into our stores and media. Christmas is lovely, and meaningful, and precious, but the Church season of Advent gives us permission to not rush headlong into Christmas without finding some time, even just a few minutes in a busy day, to pray and process just what it means to be a person of faith right now. There are several things happening around Calvary to help us keep Advent, beginning with our worship on Sundays, the Advent Quiet Day on December 1, the Advent Procession at 4pm this coming Sunday, an Adult December 1, the Advent Procession at 4pm this coming Sunday, an Adult Formation group each Sunday, the St. Nicholas event on December 2, the Greening of the Church on the 9th and the Longest Night Service on December 20. There are a number of resources online to use for your own prayer life this season. One I especially recommend is #AdventWord2018. You can go to www.adventword.org and sign up to be a part of a Global Advent Calendar. Each day you will receive an Advent word in your inbox along with a short meditation. You are invited to find ways to share that word in art, poetry, photography, or any medium and share that online with the #adventword2018 hashtag, or not share it at all but simply use the word in your own devotions. However you choose to keep Advent, I hope that you find this to be a season of meaning, purpose, and joy. In peace,

Beth+

This Week at Calvary...

Meditation Series Tuesdays, November 20th, 27th and December 4th and 11th 6:00 - 7:00 pm in Crawford Hall

Doug McGill, founding Director of the Rochester Meditation Center, has practiced meditation for over 30 years and will offer a 4-week series of meditation appropriate for both beginners and those wishing to deepen their practice. Each weekly session will include instruction (20 min), guided practice (20 min) and review/sharing (20 min) with one theme per week (breath, body, compassion, loving-kindness) expanding on the previous week’s instruction. All are welcome. This will be a donation-based course and a free-will offering will be collected each week. For more information, please contact Paul Ehling at home phone - (507)281-5663 or Email - [email protected]. Please register by calling Linda in the church office at (507)282-9429 or by the online link to Sign-Up Genius.

Sacred Circle invites you to join us for a morning of quiet, contemplation and prayer at the start of Advent.

~ 9:00 am - Noon Reverend Beth will be available in the candle-lit church for counsel, confession and companionship

~ 9:00 am - Noon Open Labyrinth walk The Calvary labyrinth will be open for walking in Crawford Hall with Elise Lewis. Please plan to arrive by 11:30 am to ensure time for your walk. This is appropriate for teens and adults.

~ 9:00 - 10:30 am Prayer Beads Workshop Margaret Ehling (Paul's mother) will be sharing her knowledge of making and using prayer beads in Brackenridge Hall. There is room for up to 15 participants Please contact Linda in the church office to sign up.

* Please note you are welcome to bring something special from your life to add to your beads (i.e. a stone, jewel or small bauble).

Advent Procession Sunday, December 2nd - 4:00 pm

Our annual greeting for the Advent Season in a special service of seasonal music, scripture readings and prayers. All choirs will participate. The service is followed by the lighting of the great tree in the Oasis Garden and a reception of cookies and cider. Please bring cookies to share!

Adult Forum ~ “Jesus on the Front Page” December 2, 9, 16 & 23 10:10 am in the Larsen Fireside Room

The Advent Season is a time to prepare for the yearly The Advent Season is a time to prepare for the yearly remembrance of the birth of Christ. We live now in “in -between times; “ Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again. Join us as we take a look at some of today’s news headlines and reflect theologically on how to live as people of faith in “in-between times.” Please bring any newspaper article (or on-line reference) for some local, national or international story you would like to discuss. We will not be taking any political side, but will be looking at the daily news through theological eyes. All are welcome

~ Advent ~ New Beginnings in the 9 am Service

Our new Child-Friendly Worship service will begin in Advent (Sunday, December 2nd) at the 9am service. We'll have liturgy, youth participation, and worship bags to help families worship more easily together. Please come check it out and if you have any ideas or tweaks that could help, please pass them on to Kate, Beth, and Brian.

ADVENT WREATH WORKSHOP - #2 Sunday, December 2

An Advent Wreath Workshop will be held on Sunday, December 2 beginning immediately following the 8:00 am service and continuing throughout the morning. Supplies are provided for a fee of $5.00, or a free- will offering. Please bring your own decorations and greenery if you wish to add to the greenery and candles that will be provided. Advent begins on Sunday, December 2 so come get your wreath ready!

GOD IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ANGEL TREE

In the spirit of the season and being good neighbors, please consider taking one or more tags to donate to the participants of JOY and Project Legacy. A link to an additional online sign up items is below & will be on the Website & Facebook SignUp Genius

JOY-Justice and Opportunity for Youth meets AT CALVARY on Monday nights. JOY connects with young women and girls in middle school and high school, encouraging healthy relationships and good decision-making skills. JOY strives to build them into leaders in their schools and communities.

Project Legacy Provides hope, connections and support to youth of color ages 17-24 who are refugees, homeless, formerly gang-involved or recently incarcerated allowing them to transform their lives and become contributing members of our community.

All items are due at the church on the Outreach table UNWRAPPED by Sunday, December 9th.

Upcoming Events ...

SALVATION ARMY BELL RINGING

The Rochester Salvation Army has set out the Christmas season red kettles. Basic needs of food, housing, youth services along with dental and medical care are supported by monetary donations collected in the red kettles. Bell ringers make a difference in the donations given. Opportunities for supporting this effort will be at Crossroads Hy-Vee on 3 different days at a variety of times. Please consider this worthy endeavor by signing up through the signup genius link below.

Here is a quote from parish members who are among Calvary’s faithful bell ringers: “Thank you for giving us a chance to ring a bell over a Salvation Army kettle this holiday season - and to the Salvation Army for giving us the opportunity to have a good time doing good. The first time I rang the bell I was assisting a Youth Pastor with his group. I fumbled with my courage I was assisting a Youth Pastor with his group. I fumbled with my courage but rang the bell. To my amazement, I got out of my shy little self and shared the spirit with shoppers going in and out of the store. It was a wonderful experience. For us it has become an important part of our Christmas tradition. We’re looking forward to next year. Merry Christmas!”

Contact Martha Mangan ([email protected]) for any further information.

SignUp Genius

CHRISTMAS POINSETTIAS DONATION

If you are interested in giving financially towards the Poinsettias that will adorn our altar and church in the Christmas season, please email office@calvary- rochester.org, or give the church office a call. You may also fill out the forms in the bulletin in church for the next few Sundays. Poinsettias may be given in honor of, in thanksgiving for or in memory of someone, or to the Glory of God. The suggested donation is $13.00 per poinsettia. The deadline for giving is December 9th.

Save the Date...

CONFIRMATION WITH BISHOP PRIOR - MAY 7, 2019 at 6:00 pm

Bishop Brian Prior will be visiting Calvary on Tuesday, May 7 for a 6:00pm worship service of Confirmation/Reception and Renewal. Since this is Bishop Prior’s final year as our Bishop, this will be his last visit to Calvary. All 10th - 12 graders are invited to consider confirmation, and all adults interested in confirmation, reception or reaffirmation should call the church office. Confirmation classes for 10th - 12 graders will take place during the regular Sunday school hour. Classes for adults will be planned when we have an idea of how many people are interested in this liturgy.

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Calvary Episcopal Church | 111 Third Avenue SW, Rochester, MN 55902

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