St. John’s Harvest Sale: THIS SUNDAY after worship
This Sunday be prepared to buy your Christmas gifts AND raise funds for the St. John’s operating budget by purchasing incredible handmade goodness! We have the following items for sale this year that were all made in the St. John’s Kitchen:Strawberry-Lime Preserves, Blueberry Conserve, Garlic Honey, Applesauce, Autumn Harvest Soup, Rectory Garden Pickled Green Beans, Rectory Garden Bread-n-Butter Pickles, Spiced Tomato Soup, Peach Jam, Lemon-Pear Marmalade, and Cranberry Conserve.
Plus: Ana’s Homemade Granola, Cathe’s Desktop Greeting Cards, and Jocelyn’s Studio-made Beeswax Wraps.
We’ll take credit/debit cards, checks, cash, and paypal!
Next sale date: December 11 after worship
Thank you to this year’s St. John’s Harvest Team: Kathy Burdick, Jeannette Baggot, Barbara Johnston, Sara Hutton, Jocelyn Bergen, and Ana Hernandez!
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!
Transgender Awareness Week
The week before November 20 is Transgender Awareness Week. This time is set aside because nearly 70% of people in the US believe they have never met a transgender person, which means our collective “experience” of transgender people is informed by more than 100 years of media mis-representation and mis-characterization of trans people. In order to raise our awareness and deepen our compassion for all God’s people, it’s important for us at St. John’s to take this time.
Last year, in 2021, the Human Rights Campaign tracked a record number of violent fatal incidents against transgender and gender non-conforming people, and most of this violence is directed at trans people of color. Christianity has traditionally been either silent about or has been a part of this violence. Yet I believe that Jesus, if he were with us today, living in our context, would recognize this as injustice, as evil.
As Christians, then, we cannot be silent. We must stand with our trans siblings in public ways and open up the space in our lives, so they know their place at God’s Table is theirs to claim. All are welcome at God’s Table. And “all” literally means “ALL.”
Here are 2 ways to participate this weekend:
A Name Greater: A live online workshop on Saturday, November 19 at 1:00 pm geared toward people who want to make their spaces more welcoming to our trans siblings. There is a cost to this so if you decide to attend, please let me know and I will reimburse you. Click here for information. A Name Greater: A Transgender and Christian Training
Transgender Remembrance Vigil: It’s Transgender Awareness week, and especially important that we show our support and solidarity for our trans neighbors. Come to Christ the King Episcopal Church in Stone Ridge on Sunday, November 20 evening at 7:00 pm for a candlelight vigil as we mourn the precious lives lost to anti-trans violence. 3021 NY-213, Stone Ridge.
I know it’s a busy week of Thanksgiving preparation. But I hope that our gratitude for all that God has given us can be channeled into standing with those who are marginalized in such violent ways.
You can learn more about Transgender Awareness Week here.
In God’s love and mine,
Rev. Michelle
Announcements for Reign of Christ Sunday
November 20, 2022
NEXT WEEK: 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 a Advent Candle Holder at home from previous years, bring it and redecorate with new supplies and candles.
NEXT WEEK: Guest preacher and deacon The Rev. Deacon Dr. Meg Stapleton Smith will be with us to preach and be our deacon for the day. Meg is a faculty member at Fordham University in the Bronx.
Sock Drive! 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.
Have an announcement for the bulletin?
Please send by Wednesday at noon to stjohnskingston@aol.com.