December 5, 2021

The Second Sunday of Advent

FROM THE   RECTOR      

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and were able to spend time with family and/or good friends. I visited my sister and two nieces and had a lovely time. An added bonus was these kittens!! I’ll be bringing one home in January or February.




 

CHRISTMAS SERVICES

A Blue Christmas service will be held at 5:30 on Tuesday, December 21 at 5:30 pm. This is a quiet, contemplative service designed to offer comfort and consolation to those who have lost loved ones. Everyone is welcome – spread the word!

Christmas Eve services will be held at 5:00 and 10:00 pm on December 24. The 5:00 service will be livestreamed on Zoom and Facebook Live for those who do not wish to attend in person. The 10:00 service will be in person only.

We will have a Christmas Day service at 10:00 am if people are interested in attending. Please let me know if you would like to attend. If no one contacts me that service will be cancelled. (Attendance has been very low in recent years, but I am more than happy to hold it if there are some who are interested.)

On Sunday, December 26 there will be services at 8:00 and 10:00 as usual.

On Sunday, January 2 there will be a Service of Lessons and Carols at 9:00 am led by our lay Worship Leaders

 Our Advent Study Group is underway.  We are meeting on Zoom using “The Poetry of Advent, an Advent Companion to Mary Oliver’s Devotions” this year. Booklets are available at the church, or we can email a digital copy to you. Let me know if you’d like a digital copy. Future meetings are at 3:00 on December 8 so that people can attend Lunch Bunch, 1:00 on December 15 and 1:00 on December 22. We had a rich discussion this week, and it’s not too late to join the group! Contact me if you have any questions.

Blessings,  Caroline

SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP
JOIN US FOR WORSHIP
The 1st Sunday of the month at 9:00 AM
The remaining Sundays at 8:00 and 10:00 AM

This Sunday-December 5

The Second Sunday of Advent

at 9:00 a.m.

Join us for the service
 via Zoom (email RectorSAITV@gmail.com for Zoom information)
or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/standrewsinthevalleytamworth/

READINGS FOR SUNDAY                
Sunday, December 5, 2021
Second Sunday of Advent, Year C

The Collect

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.

First Lesson                              Malachi 3:1-4

In our Hebrew scripture reading the prophet promises that, as the day of the Lord’s judgment nears, God’s messenger will be sent to make ready the Lord’s way.   The priests and temple servants, who say they are waiting for the Lord, need cleansing and purifying most of all.  Suddenly the refiner will come to the temple, and then the offering of the people will be pleasing to the Lord.  On this day Christians recognize that, with the bringing of the child Jesus to the temple, the time of purifying judgment has begun.

Canticle 16, The Song of Zechariah              Luke 1:68-79

A song of thanksgiving and prophecy.  The child will be called the prophet of the Most High and will make a way for the Lord.

The Second Lesson                             Philippians 1:3-11

In this lesson Paul greets the new disciples in the town of Philippi, gives thanks for their sharing in the gospel, and prays that they may be found without fault on the judgment day of Christ.  It is likely that this message of affection and appreciative joy was written toward the latter part of Paul’s ministry, perhaps while he was in prison.  He expresses great confidence that the work of grace begun by God in his converts will be brought to fruition.

The Gospel                               Luke 3:1-6

The Gospel of Luke sets the prophetic ministry of John the Baptist in the context of its time in history.  It was customary during this era to date events with reference to the lives of rulers and well-known public figures.  Within this history the word of God comes to John as he preaches his baptism of repentance.  His ministry is in fulfillment of the words of Isaiah concerning the one who prepares the way of the Lord.





Click below to see the readings: 


PRAYERS FOR EACH OTHER

One thing we can always do while we stay at home is to pray for each other! We would like to keep our prayer list up to date and publish it each week in the Thursday Memo. Please email Deb at office@standrewsinthevalley.org with any updates.


This Week We Pray for

Health and Wholeness for: Melody, Cordelia Adams, Megan Adams, Clementine Adams, John Appleton, Angela B, Carolyn Boldt, Jennifer Brady, Marilyn Cloran, Gary Cole, Grace Dick, Ellen, Tracy Forde, Bev Hammond, Josh Hammond, Zac Hammond, Sue Huckman, Carolyn Jarvis,  Jack Lamberti, Chris Mains, Margaret, Joan Marshall, John McGowan, Pam, Mackenzie Paine,  Peg Patenaude, Curt R., Sage, Sharon Sousa, Steve Thompson, Carol Tubman, Gabriele & Bob Wallace, Johnathon Walty.

For those who are home: Audrey Berry, Joyce Gendron, Judy Grace, Marge Hagerup, Joan Marshall, Elizabeth Pease, Elizabeth Wiesner.

For those who have died: 

Updating the Prayer List

Please let Deb know if you would like to add someone to the prayer list. Thank you.

DINNER BELL      


No DINNER BELL until further notice.

Thank you for your volunteer
work in this special Outreach program!

COMMUNITY FOOD CENTER
The Food Pantry thanks you for your contributions throughout the year.
Food pantry continues to serve the communities needs with new hours.
Alternating Wednesdays

December 8th and 22nd
January 5th and 19th

Any questions please call 603-960-4067.


FOOD FOR THOUGHT


      What to Do in Darkness

Go slowly

Consent to it

but don't wallow in it

Know it as a place of germination

and growth

Remember the light

Take an outstretched hand if you find one

Exercise unused senses

Find the path by walking it

Practice trust

Watch for dawn

                                -Marilyn Chandler McEntyre

BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES
If you do not see your birthday or anniversary listed, please make sure Deb in the office has an information sheet on file for you.

     Birthdays
6        Carolyn Seston
12      Hettie Buck
13      Suzanne Morgan
27      Debra Hoyt
30      Gretchen Behr-Svendsen

     Anniversaries
8        Bob & Carolyn Seston
21      Chris & Carolyn Boldt

FROM Deb in THE OFFICE
May the Light of Season
brighten your path to the New Year!


LINKS