 |
| Advent |
“A Sacred Meal
for a Dispersed Community” with Advent Candle Lighting
Those from St. Andrew’s who attended the diocesan service, “A Sacred Meal for a Dispersed Community” voted unanimously to continue using this service for the rest of Advent. This will be a parish service on our usual Zoom link (not the diocesan service), which you will receive on Saturday with the bulletin.
The candles on the parish Advent wreath will be lit at the beginning of the service. You are invited to light yours at home as well, and, if possible, to have it in your camera view.
Please have ceremonial food prepared prior to the service. Bread could be one of the following suggestions: Jewish braided challah, a sweet bread such as Moravian Love Feast Buns (see links to recipes below) or any bread you have on hand. The drink could be juice, water or a beverage of your choice.
This service is based on the Agape Meal for Maundy Thursday found on page 84 in the Book of Occasional Services. There is acknowledgement of a connection with the Jewish shabbat tradition of a Friday night ceremonial meal usually celebrated in the home, remembering the dispersal of the Jewish people and God’s provision in exile.
Suggested bread recipes are found here: Challah or Moravian Love Feast Buns.
Please join us!
Caroline
via Zoom (email RectorSAITV@gmail.com for Zoom information) or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/standrewsinthevalleytamworth/
AND...
JOIN US FOLLOWING THE SERVICE FOR
A VIRTUAL
on ZOOM
AND...
JOIN US FOLLOWING THE SERVICE FOR
A VIRTUAL
on ZOOM
The Second Sunday of Advent
COLLECT OF THE
DAY
Merciful God, who sent your messengers
the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give
us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with
joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and
the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
The
First Lesson Isaiah 40:1-11
The first reading is a message of comfort
and new hope to God’s people. The time
of exile in Babylon is coming to an end.
A new way is made through the desert, and the mighty Lord comes,
bringing peace and pardon to Jerusalem.
Though all human powers fail, the Lord’s word will stand. Like a shepherd, God will care for the
people.
The psalm both celebrates and prays for the Lord’s
gracious favor, for God’s forgiveness, deliverance, and justice.
The Second Lesson 2 Peter 3:8-15a
This lesson is a reminder that the divine perspective on time can be
very different from that of human beings.
Many wonder why the Lord seems so slow to fulfill the promises of
salvation and judgment. God, however, is
patient and has divine purposes. Still,
the day of the Lord will come suddenly, bringing a new heaven and earth. Christians must live both in patience and
with a zeal for righteousness and peace in readiness for that judgment.
The Gospel Mark
1:1-8
The Gospel of Mark begins
with the ministry of John the Baptist.
He is the messenger spoken of in the scriptures, the voice that cries
aloud in the wilderness. He is sent to prepare the way of the Lord through his
call for repentance and baptism in water for the forgiveness of sins. The people flock to him, but he tells of a
mightier one still to come who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.
TWO ADVENT OFFERINGS FOR THIS YEAR:
Christi Humphrey will offer an Advent Quiet Morning on Saturday, December 5 at 10:00 – Noon. Thank you for once again helping to feed our souls, Christi!
ADVENT: A SEASON OF WAITING WITH A SENSE OF PROMISE
As the calendar turns toward Christmas, the liturgical season moves into Advent. It is a season of preparation and waiting. Advent arrives in 2020 in an atmosphere of stress, worry, and loss. Our routines have been upended for months, there are still many unknowns and it is difficult to wait for answers, relief, and clarity.
In the scripture readings for Advent, prophets, saints, and shepherds proclaim the incarnation of God in the world. Is the waiting in Advent different from our waiting for the results of a medical test, a vaccine, or to be able to gather with family? Advent waiting has been described as holy waiting. Waiting that requires profound patience and trust and is colored by hope.
A quiet morning is planned for Saturday, December 5, 2020 from 10:00am-noon for cultivating the practice of holy waiting. Gathering virtually, our time together will include prayer, guided meditation, individual contemplation time, and fellowship. Christi Humphrey will facilitate. Christi is a spiritual director, retreat facilitator, and a colleague at the Bethany House of Prayer in Arlington, MA.
No matter where you are on your journey of faith and your ability to wait, please plan to join. To indicate your interest in attending and receive login information, please contact Christi Humphrey at cchumphrey@comcasat.net or 508-633-7466.
MAYA ANGELOU AND THE FREEDOM POETRY OF ADVENT
This Advent we are meeting weekly to discuss this resource from the SALT Project. It is very similar to the Lenten sturdy we did two years ago using Mary Oliver’s poetry. Booklets are available to download here. We meet via Zoom for discussion on Wednesdays at 1:00 pm. All are welcome, even if you missed the first session.
Here is the info:
In this Advent devotional, biblical texts and simple, accessible practices interweave with Maya Angelou’s stirring vision of faith, freedom, and dignity. All you’ll need is your favorite Bible and Maya Angelou’s The Complete Poetry (all the poems are also available online). Week by week, as we wait, and watch, and pray, we’ll walk toward Bethlehem - with Maya Angelou as our guide.
For our First Nation people and those in this country who are living in impoverished areas of the Ninth Ward of New Orleans and the inner city areas populated by some of our poorest citizens.
For all those who are on the front lines serving communities during these difficult times.
Updating the Prayer List
Please let Deb know if you want to put someone back on the prayer list going forward. Thank you for helping us keep our prayer list up to date.
Making the House Ready for the Lord
Dear Lord, I have swept and I have washed but
still
nothing is as shining as it should be
for
you. Under the sink, for example, is an
uproar
of mice – it is the season of their
many
children. What shall I do? And under the eaves
and
through the walls the squirrels
have
gnawed their ragged entrances – but it the season
when
they need shelter, so what shall I do? And
the
raccoon limps into the kitchen and opens the cupboard
while
the dog snores, the cat holds the pillow;
what
shall I do? Beautiful is the new snow falling
in
the yard and the fox who is staring boldly
up
the path, to the door. And I still believe you will
come,
Lord; you will, when I speak to the fox,
the
sparrow, the lost dog, the shivering sea-goose, know
that
I am really speaking to you whenever I say,
as I
do all morning and afternoon: Come in, Come in.
~ Mary Oliver, Thirst
13 Suzanne Morgan
21 Chris & Carolyn Boldt
