From: [email protected], To: [email protected], Subject: The Curate: November 2020 Date: Fri, Nov 27, 2020 7:30 pm The Curate November 2020 In This Issue: A Message from the Rector: Blessing an Advent Wreath Stewardship: A Letter from the Stewardship Ministry, a Stewardship Spotlight Video Music and Liturgy Notes Parish Happenings: Carrie Downey Christmas Food Basket Drive, Movie Night, Feeding Ministry Updates, Christmas Pageant, Advent Prompts: Week 1, Regathering Certification Rector's Virtual Office Hours via Zoom Sunday Compline: live worship on Zoom Flower Memorial: Christmas Memorials and Thank Offerings Form Prayer List A MESSAGE FROM THE RECTOR Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, This Sunday marks the beginning of the liturgical season of Advent, a time of spiritual preparation leading up to Christmas. Advent begins on the Sunday closest to the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle (Nov. 30). It spans four Sundays and four weeks of preparation. The celebration of Advent has slowly evolved in the spiritual life of the Church. The Gelasian Sacramentary (Altar Book), written in the mid 5th century), was the first to provide Advent liturgies for five Sundays. Later, Pope St. Gregory I (d. 604) enhanced these liturgies composing prayers, antiphons, readings, and responses. Finally, about the ninth century, the Church designated the first Sunday of Advent as the beginning of the Church year. The Advent season is a time of preparation that directs our hearts and minds to Christ’s Second Coming at the end of time and also to the anniversary of the Lord’s birth on Christmas. Advent devotions including the Advent Wreath, remind us of the meaning of the season. The blessing of an Advent Wreath takes place on the First Sunday of Advent or on the evening before the First Sunday of Advent. The candles represent the four weeks of Advent and the number of candles lighted each week corresponds to the number of the current week of Advent. If a rose candle is used, it is lighted on the Third Sunday of Advent, also known as Gaudete Sunday. When the blessing of the Advent Wreath is celebrated in the home, it is appropriate that it be blessed by any member of the family. The leader says: Our help is in the name of the Lord. Response: The maker of heaven and earth. The leader says: Lord our God, we praise you for your Son, Jesus Christ: he is Emmanuel, the hope of all peoples, he is the wisdom that teaches and guides us, he is the Savior of every nation. Lord God, let your blessing come upon us as we light the candles of this wreath. May the wreath and its light be a sign of Christ’s promise to bring us salvation. May he come quickly and not delay. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. The blessing may conclude with a verse from “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”: O come, desire of nations, bind in one the hearts of all mankind; bid thou our sad division cease and be thyself our King of Peace. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel. May each of you have a blessed and joyful Advent! Fr. Keene STEWARDSHIP Dear Immanuel on the Green Family, Greetings in the name of Christ! As we journey through the season of Autumn towards Advent and a new calendar year in the life of the church, one’s thoughts and aspirations begin to focus on the life of our parish and the worship, fellowship, and ministry we all share together. This year it is even more so, as we face the challenges of continuing to worship and gather in a new way as a result of the pandemic that has significantly impacted all of us and those whom we serve. We are not able to gather and worship as we have done in the past. Our ministries have been severely impacted by the restraints the virus has put upon us. Our Vestry and leaders have adapted the best that they can in these new times. We have also had to suspend some of our most beloved traditions, such as our Holy Week observances, congregational and choral singing, social gatherings, and “Seersucker Sunday.” But, in spite of all the challenges we face, the work of the church must go on. We have learned to use technology to gather together, and we have welcomed new worshipers via the broadcasting of our weekly services. We have found new ways to reach out to each other and care for those around us. Someone most famously said that “God will not give us more than we are capable of handling.” Our witness for Christ, here in this space these past 331 years, is a testament to that! In its lifetime, this congregation has faced pandemics, a Revolution, the birth of a new nation, financial struggles, a Civil War, two World Wars, civil unrest, and a devastating fire, to name just a few challenges. We will face whatever comes today and tomorrow because we are Immanuel… “God with us!” We know this because the commitment of time, talent, and treasure of all our brothers and sisters in Christ and the leadership of both the clergy and laity have seen us through our darkest hours and greatest joys. We know that God has a purpose for us here in this place and his work is never done. We have been and remain an important witness to our city, state, and the world—there is nothing that can stop us from proclaiming the word of Christ. We live our Baptismal Covenant and proclaim the Great Commission that Jesus left to us; “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20) We have entered into another new reality this year—stewardship in a time of pandemic. It is now time that we express our gratitude for all that God has given us. It is a time in which we ask ourselves: what has God asked me to do in carrying out my ministry? It is a time to express support for that which we are asked to do by generously giving of our time, talent, and treasure. Given the challenges we face, there is an even greater urgency to our commitment. Stewardship is a time, especially now, to focus on the responsibilities of our Baptismal Promises through the worship, mission, and ministries of this church. It is a time to pray, work, and give of ourselves for the spread of the Kingdom of God. Make prayer with a gathered community (however that may be) a part of your spiritual practice by participating in Sunday and weekly worship whenever and wherever you are able. Look for ways, however modest or ambitious, to work by offering your time and talents in God’s service as we seek the love of Jesus Christ with each other and the world. Give by prayerfully committing a portion of your personal budget to the common life and ministries of Immanuel on the Green by making an annual financial commitment. In closing, we leave you with the following meditation about giving back to God from the Christian Apologist, C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity; “Every faculty you have, your power of thinking or of moving your limbs from moment to moment, is given you by God. If you devoted every moment of your whole life exclusively to God’s service, you could not give God anything that was not in a sense God’s own already.” On behalf of the entire Stewardship Ministry, we are yours in Christ, Jonathan Barrett Stewardship Spotlight - Bob Irwin God is everywhere. We celebrate God and his love each time we meet at Immanuel on the Green. Listen as our junior warden tells us what he has learned about his relationship with God and what he misses about our church. MUSIC AND LITURGY NOTES Music for Thursday, November 26th 2020 - Thanksgiving Day Organ: "Sing praise to God who reigns above" - Ernst Pepping Hymn 397: "Now thank we all our God" Offertory: Jubilate Deo - Leo Sowerby Organ: "Now thank we all our God” - J. S. Bach Singers: Jeannette Burnam & Michael Westman Music for Sunday, November 29th 2020 - The First Sunday of Advent Organ: "O come, O come, Emmanuel" - Gerald Near Hymn 59: "Hark! a thrilling voice is sounding" Offertory: Benedicam Dominum - Leon Leoni Organ: Plein jeu - Pierre duMage Singers: Hayley Collins & Bob Davis PARISH HAPPENINGS Carrie Downey Christmas Food Basket Drive Friends, We have been contacted by the guidance staff at Carrie Downey Elementary School to help with their annual Christmas Food Basket Drive. I spoke with staff there had hoped that we could help out again this year. The message from Carrie Downey was that the need is greater this year than it ever has been in the past due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Carrie Downey also recognized that we may be experiencing the same stresses but were hoping that they could get 10-15 food baskets from us. This request was brought up at last week's Vestry meeting and there was an immediate response from Vestry members and a commitment of seven baskets was realized. We are now sending out this request out parish wide as a plea to help the many people who are struggling in our community.