People’s Place Project Santa
SOCK DRIVE!
This Sunday and next Sunday are the final days to bring socks to support the People’s Place Project Santa Sock Drive. We need all the new socks you can bring for all ages… infant through ages 16. If you don’t want to do the shopping, give your money to Deacon Sue and she will be happy to purchase socks on your behalf. Let’s help keep our neighbors warm this winter!
Sundays are in bold.
St. John’s Forum – Advent Meanings and Celebrations with Advent Wreath Making after worship
Dec 3: Diocesan Bishop Electing Convention, Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, NYC
Dec 4, Advent II: All Ages Worship, Pastoral Care Meeting after worship
Dec 11, Advent III: St. John’s Harvest Sale after worship, Rock Academy Concert and Youth Project from 3:00-5:00 pm
Dec 18, Advent IV: Godly Play offered for kids during worship and the Greening of the Sanctuary after worship
Dec 20: Longest Night Service 7:00 pm A space for grief, sorrow, and woundedness. Join us in person or online for a service of quiet prayer, readings, music, and healing.
Dec 24, Christmas Eve: Family Worship, 3:00 pm; Choral Festival Worship, 8:00 pm
Dec 25, Christmas Day: Morning Prayer, online at 10:00 am
Jan 1: Come as You Are Sunday. It’s New Years’ Day so come as you are for a relaxed worship service.
Jan 6, Feast of Epiphany: Epiphany Celebration 7:00 pm. Come for a Friday evening celebration of light and love. Firepit, hot chocolate, singing, and storytelling – activities for all ages!
__________________________________________
Current Income and Expenses
It’s important to keep everyone as informed as possible about parish finances so that we all can have a better picture of what it takes to have a common life together. Below is the Income and Expense Report as of the end of October 2022. If you have questions, please reach out to our Treasurer, Wes Dangler or one of our Wardens, Lynn Dennison or Claudette Ford.
Moving Into Advent
Advent is one of my favorite times of the year. As Christians, we celebrate this season as a “threshold time,” a time in between when the end has quite taken place and the beginning isn’t quite in sight yet. But we know that both are happening at the same time. And as humans, this makes sense to us. Although, I think we would like for endings and beginnings to be a little more definitive than they really are.
The truth is that we are always becoming. God created us to live into God’s dream – an existence where the Reign of God is not only possible, but is already on the way, the already-but-not-yet. Hope fills our hearts as we learn to look East – to the sun rising into a new day dawning. And as we live into this this reality, we become changed, awakening to God’s abundant and wild Love that is ours to share.
This liminal space of Advent is one of transformation, I have come to believe, when our hearts seem to be open to learning more about who we are becoming and what we are being called to bring to the manger as the Light of Christ draws us nearer to God. On Sundays, you will note several ways in which we will incorporate silence into our worship, offering us all a gift that we don’t often offer ourselves in our day-to-day lives. And I hope you will take time during this season away from the busyness of the world to reflect quietly.
In God’s love and mine,
Rev. Michelle
Announcements for Advent I
November 27, 2022
Advent Wreaths and Advent Spirituality Forum – Stay after worship next Sunday, November 27. There will be supplies to make your own Advent Wreath and Rev. Michelle will offer a forum on Advent Spiritual practices. There are things for all members of the family to do and learn about. If you have an Advent Candle Holder at home from previous years, bring it and redecorate with new supplies and candles.Sock Drive! Next week is the FINAL SUNDAY. Let’s help People’s Place with their Project Santa this year by buying all the socks! We need socks for ages infant through 16 years (adult)… all ages, all genders! Bring them to St. John’s before Dec 10!Page Turners Book Club Meetings are on the first Thursday of the month at 2 p.m., in the parish hall. Upcoming books: Dec 1-‘Horse’, by Geraldine Brooks.
NEXT WEEK: All Ages Worship! We’re celebrating St. Nicholas next week so be sure to bring shoes and boots to leave by the door (or be prepared to take them off when you come in!). After worship, Terry will lead us in a carol sing in the parish hall. Hot chocolate will be served!
Have an announcement for the bulletin?
Please send by Wednesday at noon to stjohnskingston@aol.com.