Pictures and text from this Sunday, Dec. 2
The Week Ahead…
Dec. 2 – 4:00pm – Advent Lessons and Carols at the National Cathedral
Dec. 5 – 10:00am – Ecumenical Bible Study
Dec. 5 – 5:00pm – Village Dinner
Dec. 7 – 5:30pm -8:00pm – Port Royal Christmas Tree Lighting, 2018
Dec. 8 – 10:00am – Choir Retreat at Brad’s home
Dec. 9 – 10:00am – Living the Good News – Children
Dec. 9 – 10:00am – Adults – Conversation and Prayer in the Parish House -“Proclaim! What is God proclaiming to us, and what are we to proclaim to the world?”
Dec. 9 – 11:00am – Holy Eucharist, Rite II, Advent 2. Heifer banks due, Poinsettia form due
Dec. 9 – 5:30pm – Everett’s Christmas
Sunday, Dec. 9 Readings and Servers
A wonderful event! The story, pictures and videos are
here
We did it!! Thanks to those who contributed monetarily or in spirit. This provides 6 months support in 2019. It is also 25% higher than Giving Tuesday a year ago.
Deadlines Season of Giving
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Project |
Focus |
Items |
Collection |
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ECM |
Local |
Funds |
Nov. 4. By Nov 18 (Thanksgiving) Dec. 16 (Christmas) |
Heifer Project |
International. |
Funds |
Nov. 11 – Dec. 9, Fill the Ark! |
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Episcopal Relief & Development |
International |
Funds |
By Dec. 16 Help ERD support cleanup for Hurricane Florence and related disasters. Your gift provides their partners on the ground with critical supplies, such as food and water, pastoral care and other urgent needs for communities impacted by Hurricane Michael and other ravaging storms. Funds are also used to assist with the long-term efforts needed to rebuild and heal. |
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Village Harvest |
Local |
Food stuffs, Funds |
By Nov 21 (for Nov), By Dec. 19 (for Dec.) Please donate toilet paper, paper towels, Kleenex and other paper products |
Getting Ready for Advent!
The name “Advent” actually comes from the Latin word adventus which means “coming.” It is a reminder of how the Jewish nation waited for the Messiah and how Christians are now waiting for the return of Christ.
Advent which begins on Sunday Dec. 2 is like a breath of fresh air -a new church year, a new set of Gospel readings from Mark, and the anticipation of the birth of Christ.
The Advent season is a time of preparation that directs our hearts and minds to Christ’s second coming at the end of time and also to the anniversary of the Lord’s birth on Christmas. It blends together a penitential spirit, very similar to Lent, a liturgical theme of preparation for the Second and Final Coming of the Lord, called the Parousia, and a joyful theme of getting ready for the Bethlehem event.
The Advent wreath, four candles on a wreath of evergreen, is shaped in a perfect circle to symbolize the eternity of God. The Advent Wreath is beautiful and evocative reminder of the life-giving qualities of light. The evergreens used in the wreath are reminders of ongoing life, even in the face of death.
There are 4 candles, one for each week in Advent, are used with one larger white candle in the middle as the Christ candle. During each Sunday of the Advent season, we focus on one of the four virtues Jesus brings us: Hope, Love, Joy and Peace. Three of the candles are purple. This is the color of penitence and fasting as well as the color of royalty to welcome the Advent of the King.
The Third candle is pink, a color of joy, the joy that Jesus is almost here and fasting is almost order. Gaudete Sunday (from the Latin meaning “rejoice”) which is taken from Philippians 4:4-5, the Entrance Antiphon of the day.
Advent begins in a season of darkness but using the Advent wreath we see light winning over darkness. Lighting candles is a way we can keep time in Church And as the season passes, and another candle is lit each week, light finally wins out over darkness with the turn of the solstice in the stars and the birth of Christ on the ground.
At the center of the wreath is a white candle, which is called the Christ Candle. This candle is lit on Christmas Eve as a reminder that Jesus, the light of the world, has been born and has come to dwell with us.
It is a season of waiting, of rest but also a time to find new beginnings. Since the 900s Advent has been considered the beginning of the Church year. It is antidote for our society’s frantic behavior during the holiday season. There is so much in the world that tells you, you are not enough or you haven’t do enough before Christmas but you have to find out during Advent that you are enough.
The first week of Advent is all about hope. Lamentations 3: 21-24: “Yet this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; “therefore I will wait for him.” (NIV).
The altar changes during Advent to represent the new season, particularly in the use of color. Today, many churches have begun to use blue instead of purple, as a means of distinguishing Advent from Lent. Blue also signifies the color of the night sky or the waters of the new creation in Genesis 1. Blue emphasizes the season is also about hope and anticipation of the coming of Christ. Christ is about transformation as the sky changes from dark to light filling our lives with grace.
Advent Calendar
Click the calendar to open
A St. Peter’s Advent and Christmas
Advent is a season of preparation for the coming of Jesus as one of us. Jesus brought God’s light into the world during his lifetime and we expect him to return to reign in glory at the end of time.
1.Bethlehem Walk, Sun, Dec. 2, After Sun. Potluck luncheon This is a life-sized of outside reenactment of the city of Bethlehem at the time of Christ. The tour is outside and takes approximately 45 minutes Salem Baptist Church 465 Broad Street Road, Manakin, VA 23103 (6 miles west of Short Pump)
2.Village Dinner, Wed., Dec. 5, 5pm-6:30pm Spiral baked ham, Festive scalloped corn, BeBe’s green beans , Pineapple upside down cake –
3.Port Royal Christmas Lighting – Fri., Dec. 7, 5:30-8pm at the town Fire Hall. Food , games, songs and the lighting of the Christmas tree. –
4.Choir Retreat – Sat. Dec. 8, 10:00am–The choir will be gathering to rehearse Christmas music followed by lunch. Set aside some time to pray this morning for Brad Volland, our organist, and our dedicated choir.
5. Dec. 9 – Poinsettia form , ECM Christmas donations due
6. Everett’s Christmas – Sun. Dec. 9, 5:30pm. Gather round the Everett’s table for a delicious pot luck dinner, over the top Christmas decorations, and Christmas caroling. All are welcome.
7. Dec. 16 – Endowment Fund, Episcopal Relief & Development gifts due
8. Christmas Play on Advent 4 – Sun. Dec. 23, 11am. Videos Each year it’s unique and at the same time a wonderful introduction to Christmas week.
9. Christmas Eve – Sun., Dec. 24, 4:00pm music, 4:30pm service – Holy Eucharist Rite II. Celebrating Christ coming among us.
10. Lessons and Carols – Sun. Dec. 30, 11am. This traditional Anglican service, developed in England, gives us the opportunity to hear the story of our salvation in Jesus Christ through scripture and song.
11. New Year’s Eve Gala – Sun. Dec. 31, 6pm. Parish House
Two Opportunities for Adult Christian Ed.
1. Sundays in the Parish House during Advent – Conversation and Prayer
1. Behold! Dec. 2, 2018, 10am – What are you seeking during the season of Advent?
2. Proclaim! Dec. 9, 2018, 10am – What is God proclaiming to us, and what are we to proclaim to the world?
3. Rejoice! Dec. 16, 2018, 10am – What promises of God give you cause to rejoice?
2. Advent Online learning – Luke’s Canticles 4 canticles for Advent. Learn at your own pace, as little or as much.
Three years ago during Advent we used Paul Gordon-Chandler’s book Songs in Waiting to present Luke’s 4 canticles. It is appropriate to do this again as we are entering Year C which concentrates on Luke’s Gospel. These are wonderful stories of Mary’s Annunciation, Elizabeth and Zechariah, the Shepherds and Simeon that enlarge anyone’s Advent/Christmas season.
This time we are trying a new approach, an online course, which can be taken at any time in any order in any amount and anywhere there is an internet connection. It is optimized for both desktop and mobile devices. (Advent at Starbucks!) You don’t have to complete all lessons to get the benefits. 5 lessons – try one each week.
St. Peter’s art during Advent
Artist Mary Peterman has donated art to be sold during Advent.
This will be raffle open on Sun., Dec. 2 and close on Sun., Dec. 16 when the winner will be announced. Raffle tickets are 1 for $5 and 3 for $10, bought in the Parish House.
Proceeds from Mary Peterman’s art will go to the Heifer Project.
Why cows? Multipurpose animals like cows are reliable sources of lifesaving milk and milk products beneficial in combating malnutrition throughout the world. These animals also provide energy by hauling heavy loads and can be rented to neighbors for extra income.
Advent Connections
Explore with author Alexander Shaia connections – between the Creche and God’s greatest gift and the connection between the winter solstice in Dec, a few days before the birth of Christ
God’s Grace comes to us -St. Francis and the first creche. St. Francis creche represents God is here living with us in humanity.The Manger is the visible expression of when we find our lives in the deepest dark just as when nature on this planet is in the deepest dark that’s when God’s greatest grace comes to our lives. That’s when the turnaround comes. That’s when new hope, new certainty and new trust erupts and those names – hope, love compassion, reconciliation, justice – the freshness of those in us is like the birth of the baby Jesus.
What is connection between the Solstice and the birth of Christ ? The Gospel of John tells when God breaths out the cosmos, it the moving visible manifesation of Christ. Darkness through the winter solstice is the beginning of fresh radiance – the sun and the son
Advent 1 links
Explore Advent, Part 2
Second Advent readings affirm the coming of a deliverer, the Messiah—Jesus! Malachi announces the approach of God’s messenger, who will refine like fire. Baruch calls for the exiles to celebrate their return home. Paul reminds us to wait for Jesus’ return in glory. In today’s gospel, John the Baptist prepares the way for Jesus’ public ministry, calling his listeners to repentance.
“Advent is a time to look for “desert places”: the place of solitude, the place of true silence in which we can become fully awake to our sin and God’s forgiving grace which alone can heal it.”-Br. Robert L’Esperance
This week we focus on John the Baptist through scripture, art and commentary. Let’s move to Advent 2.
John the Baptist presentation.
St Nicholas Day is December 6.
Here is a presentation that provides the background of this saint who has had a colorful and varied history over 1800 years.
Additional Meditations:
Suzanne Guthrie – “A Way in the Wilderness” (2014)
Daniel Berrigan – “Advent Credo” (2004)
Catherine Adler – “Advent Hands”
From the Presiding Bishop- Advent Messages 2012-2017 – Link
From the Episcopal and Lutheran churches – Advent devotions for each Sunday in Advent
From the Archibishop of Canterbury – An Advent course “Getting More Out of the Bible”
From the Diocese of Virginia –
Learning the Art of Waiting in Advent (2012)
Rt. Rev. Susan Goff
Be Awake, Alert, Aware, Alive, Part 1 (2013)
Be Awake, Alert, Aware, Alive, Part 2 (2013)
Rt. Rev. Susan Goff
“Send us Now Into the World in peace.” (2018)
Rt. Rev. Susan Goff
2018 Devotions from the Diocese of Virginia (2018)
Liturgical Layers – Advent
Bishop Shannon Johnston
Christmas Flowers
Linda Hemming, Aquia Church
Advent Waiting in Hope
Jeff Borden
The surprising origins of the Twelve Days of Christmas
Make Ready the Feast highlights one scripture citation and one recipe during Advent
National Geographic special on Christ’s Tomb
From the Magazine:
Story from the December, 2017 issue The Real Jesus: What Archaeology Reveals About His Life
From the Story:
“At each stop on my journey through Galilee, Jesus’ faint footprints seemed to grow a bit more distinct, a shade more discernible. But it’s not until I return to Jerusalem that they finally come into vivid focus. In the New Testament, the ancient city is the setting for many of his miracles and most dramatic moments: his triumphal entry, his cleansing of the Temple, his healing miracles at the Pools of Bethesda and Siloam—both of which have been uncovered by archaeologists—his clashes with the religious authorities, his last Passover meal, his agonized prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, his trial and execution, his burial and Resurrection.
“…The traditional location of that tomb, in what is now the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, is considered the holiest site in Christianity. It’s also the place that sparked my quest for the real Jesus. In 2016 I made several trips to the church to document the historic restoration of the Edicule, the shrine that houses the reputed tomb of Jesus. Now, during Easter week, I return to see it in all its soot-scrubbed, reinforced glory.”
Christmas Deadlines
1. Poinsettias for Christmas Eve and Christmas – If you like to donate a poinsettia for Christmas, the cost is $10. Please complete the order form and include a separate check to St. Peter’s with poinsettia in the memo line. Deadline Sunday, Dec. 10th. Endowment Fund gifts are due Dec. 16.
2. The Christmas pageant will be Dec. 23, 2018 as part of the 11am service. If you would to participate, please let Catherine know.
2. Contact the Rev Catherine Hicks, Rector 5. Latest Newsletter-the Parish Post (Dec., 2018) 6. Calendar 9. Latest Sunday Bulletin (Dec. 9, 2018 11:00am), and Sermon (Dec. 2, 2018)
10. Recent Services: |
Print by Mike Newman
Projects
| Colors | Season | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Blue | Blue | Advent 1-2 | Dec 2-Dec 15 |
| Pink* | 3rd Wk of Advent | Dec 16-Dec 23 | |
| Dark Blue | Blue | Advent 4 | Dec 24 |
| Dark Blue | Blue | Christmas Eve | Dec 24 |
| White | Gold | Christmas | Dec 25-Jan 5 |
3-Minute Retreats invite you to take a short prayer break right at your computer. Spend some quiet time reflecting on a Scripture passage.
Knowing that not everyone prays at the same pace, you have control over the pace of the retreat. After each screen, a Continue button will appear. Click it when you are ready to move on. If you are new to online prayer, the basic timing of the screens will guide you through the experience.
Daily meditations in words and music.
Your daily prayer online, since 1999
“We invite you to make a ‘Sacred Space’ in your day, praying here and now, as you visit our website, with the help of scripture chosen every day and on-screen guidance.”
Saints of the Week, Dec. 2 – Dec. 9
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2
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Nicholas Ferrar, Deacon, 1637 |
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3
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Francis Xavier, Missionary to the Far East, 1552 |
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4
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John of Damascus, Priest & Theologian, c. 760 |
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5
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Clement of Alexandria, Priest & Theologian, c. 210 |
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6
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Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, c. 342 |
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7
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Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, 397 |
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8
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Richard Baxter, Pastor and Writer, 1691 Narcisa De Jesus Martillo Moran, Mystic & Worker of Charity, 1869 William West Skiles, Deacon & Missionary, 1862 |
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9
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Atilano Coco, Priest, 1936 |