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A Prayer for Young Persons

God our Father, you see your children growing up in an unsteady and confusing world: Show them that your ways give more life than the ways of the word, and that following you is better than chasing after selfish goals. Help them to take failure, not as a measure of their worth, but as a chance for a new start. Give them strength to hold their faith in you, and to keep alive their joy in your creation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Learning to Chant in Masks

Fr. Zeb Treloar

All Saints’ Day this year felt like coming home for me, and many who attended shared how beautiful and meaningful the day was. I don’t think it was just Avery and Phoebe who were reborn in the waters of baptism that day, I think in many ways, St. John’s as a whole was. We lived into our full selves as a community together. We celebrated, mourned, and declared the power of resurrection.

One thing I did that day was chant the Eucharistic Prayer. It was a relatively small change, but one that had a ripple effect, as many shared how meaningful it was. To be honest, the only reason I had not done it sooner was because I stressed about chanting in a mask. If you listen to me during the first hymn most Sundays, my voice cracks and waivers (there’s a reason why I ensure my mic is off!). Masks just make singing different. But chant is a four note pattern that has been ingrained in me. When I went to practice, to see if it was possible, I found myself able to push past discomfort and lean into what I knew. Chanting is now once again part of our worship.

As we move into a new season of increased vaccine availability, especially for our children, we’re exploring what might not have been possible before, but is possible now. The vestry and I are looking at the essence of St. John’s, what makes this community come alive, and we’re asking how we might lean into that, masks and all. At the top of our list was coffee hour, and we’re making it happen! We’ve started simple with pre-packaged snacks, but will expand in the future. We’re also talking about game nights and outreach in the community. We’re learning how to adapt. Masks will be required for a while, but we don’t have to be as limited as we once were.

The season of Advent is all about adaptation and expectation. It’s about learning how to do things in new ways, finding ourselves in the midst of the changes and chances of life. Just as expectant parents change while the baby grows in the womb, looking forward to new life, but also experiencing aches and hardships, we change and grow as we await the new birth of Christ. It’s not an easy process. There’s uncertainty and trepidation. We don’t know if we’ll be ready for the moment when it comes. But we await, we watch, we wonder, and all along the way, we learn new possibilities. We learn how to live in an uncertain world holding onto hope.

Part of our waiting is learning how to come alongside in the midst of pain. It’s sharing grief without trying to push away the hard things because they make us uncomfortable. This year, knowing how painful this season is for those who have lost loved ones, who feel lost, alone, or depressed, we’re having a Blue Christmas Service of Lament on Dec. 21 at 7:00 pm. This is our way of embracing anyone who needs a space to name the pain, to voice their sorrow. It’s a space to come to Jesus just as we are, no matter where we find ourselves. I invite you and hope you will share this service with those around you who may benefit from it.

I also invite you and encourage you to invite loved ones and friends to both our Wednesday Noon Eucharists, which begin Dec. 1 and our Christmas Eve service, Dec. 24 at 7:00 pm. These are times to grow into and embrace the new life Christ gives us.

May we lean into this season of expectancy, of adaptation and of hope. May we continue to seek new ways to reach out, to engage with one another, and the larger community around us. May we never stop waiting for Christ to break into the world. Amen.

Liturgically Speaking

Liturgically Speaking—What is the meaning of the Season of Advent and why do we use an Advent wreath?

Advent is the beginning of the Church Year for the Episcopal Church as well as for most churches in the Western tradition. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas day (November 28^th this year) and ends on Christmas Eve. The word Advent means “coming” or “arrival” and the Advent season focuses on the birth of Jesus the Christ (his first Advent) as well as on the anticipation of the return of Christ the King (his second Advent). In this dual focus on past and future, Advent also symbolizes the spiritual journey of individuals and congregations as they affirm that Christ has come, is present in the world today and will come again in power.

Advent is marked by a spirit of expectation, anticipation, preparation and longing. It is the celebration of a truth about God, the revelation of God in Christ whereby all creation might be reconciled to God. The Scripture read during Advent focuses on themes of accountability, judgment on sin, and the hope of eternal life. While some church traditions, such as the Eastern Orthodox Churches, focus on fasting and penitence during Advent, a different emphasis for the season of Advent has gradually unfolded in much of the rest of the church, including the Episcopal Church. The season of Advent has come to be celebrated more in terms of expectation or anticipation. Rather than a time of mourning and fasting, Advent is celebrated as a time of joy and happiness as we await the coming of the King.

Historically, the primary liturgical color of Advent is purple, the color of royalty to welcome the Advent of the King. The purple of Advent is also the color of suffering used during Lent and Holy Week. This points to an important connection between Jesus’ birth and death; the Incarnation cannot be separated from the Atonement. A number of churches, however, have begun to use the color blue to distinguish the season of Advent from Lent. Blue symbolizes royalty as well as the night sky, the origin of the announcement of the King’s coming, and the waters of Genesis, the beginning of a new creation.

Advent wreaths, circles of greenery with five candles, are used in churches and homes for devotional purposes. The circle of the wreath reminds us of God’s eternal and endless mercy, which has no beginning or end. The green of the wreath is a symbol of the hope that we have in God. The candles symbolize the light of God coming into the world through the birth of Jesus. The wreath has four outer candles representing the period of waiting during the four Sundays of Advent and one inner candle. Three of the candles are purple or blue, corresponding to the liturgical colors of Advent. One of the purple candles is lighted on the first Sunday of Advent; on subsequent Sundays, previous candles are re-lighted and an additional one is lighted. The candle for the Third Sunday of Advent is traditionally pink or rose and symbolizes joy at the Advent of the Christ. On Christmas Eve, the center candle, which is white and is called the “Christ Candle,” is lighted. The central location of this candle reminds us that the Incarnation is the central focus of the season, giving light to the world.

Prayers for the Lighting of Advent Candles:

The First Candle:

Come, O Holy One, as the morning light after a wakeful night!

Keep us mindful that at any moment you may ask of us an accounting of our lives;

help us to love you and love one another in all we do, and so clothe us with your light

that we may bring others to love you also; through Jesus our Saviour. Amen.

The Second Candle:

Come, O Holy One, as the water of life and refiner’s fire!

Strengthen us with courage for your work of justice

that in all the creation and among every people your peace may be established

and your joy abound; through Jesus our Deliverer. Amen.

The Third Candle:

Come, O Holy One, breaker of chains and renewer of life!

Open our eyes to your presence in all the earth.

Stir us to proclaim gladly the signs of your love:

the liberation of those oppressed, the healing of those frail and broken,

springs of water in all the parched places,

and Jesus Christ risen and alive, through whom we pray. Amen.

The Fourth Candle:

Come, O Holy One, as the beloved child, Emmanuel!

Soften our hearts and open our arms for your coming

that we may make this a place worthy and warm,

kindly and safe for all your children; in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Source: Gleanings: Essays on Expansive Language and Prayers for Various Occasions. (2001) Edited by Ruth A. Meyers and Phoebe Pettingell. New York: Church Publishing Inc.

The Ven. Rose Bogal-Allbritten, Deacon

Formation Update

Adult Forum is finishing up a series on Paul with Dr. Luke Timothy Johnson. They meet Dec. 1 & 8 at 7:00 pm. They will then take a holiday break until January.

Children's Formation is currently on a holiday break and will resume again in January.

We will kick off the return of formation classes with a pop-up, no rehearsal needed pageant on Sunday, January 2nd. We will assign roles at 10:00 am and perform during the 10:30 service. All children are invited to join us!

Unless Covid has other plans, all formation classes will meet on Wednesday evenings indoors beginning January 12th.

*Godly Play 1(K-5) will meet at 5:30 pm in the parish hall and
*Godly Play 2 (6-8) will meet at 7:00 in the Godly Play classroom.

*Toddler Time will meet at 5:30 in the old parish hall with as much outdoor time as weather allows.

We will also have activities for our teens, meeting time TBD.

*Adult Forum will continue to meet in a hybrid fashion, with both Zoom and in-person options at 7:00. They will meet in the adult classroom in the parish hall.

American Red Cross Blood Drive

There are upcoming blood drives at St. John's in the New Parish Hall from 11am-4pm. You can pre-register for your donation appointment here.

Schedule Yourself and a Friend a time to donate.

 Future drives that are available at St. John's 

                    December 2          January 13th          March 10th          March 23

Would you like to be more involved? Click the link below to fill out our form and find the volunteer opportunities that are perfect for you! Please submit your form by December 15th.

Are you curious about how to submit information for the newsletter?

If you want to submit information to be included in the newsletter, please send your submission to the parish administrator at stjohnsmurray@gmail.com and they will include it in the next month's newsletter if appropriate.  Please contact the Parish Administrator with any questions.