DECEMBER 2009 NET - St. Andrew's Episcopal Church

X St. Andrew’s Net X
December, 2009

PASTORAL LETTER

Dear Friends,

Happy New Year! It’s Advent, the time when our church cycle of seasons begins again. We Episcopalians “celebrate” our new year quite a bit differently than the secular world celebrates on December 31st. Our new year is not a wild and crazy celebration full of noise and parties, but rather a time of quiet, joyful anticipation and preparation.

For our children, Advent is filled with the anticipation of gifts. In the weeks following Thanksgiving they are constantly asked the question, “What do you want for Christmas?” Finding exactly what they really want under the tree on Christmas morning often has a lot to do with the clarity with which they can answer the question.

It’s a question for adults as well, and Advent is the time to answer it. What do we really want for Christmas? What do we need? What do we hope God will give to us and to the world? I pray that each of you will make time for silence in your busy lives each day and take the time to probe these questions in your heart.

The words of the Bidding Prayer from the Book of Occasional Services, Advent festival, speak to our history, our hope, and our desires for the world:

Dear People of God: In the season of Advent, it is our responsibility and joy to prepare ourselves to hear once more the message of the Angels, to go to Bethlehem and see the Son of God lying in a manger.
Let us hear and heed in Holy Scripture the story of God’s loving purpose from the time of our rebellion against him until the glorious redemption brought to us by his holy Child Jesus, and let us look forward to the yearly remembrance of his birth with hymns and songs of praise.
But first let us pray for the needs of his whole world, for the peace and justice on earth, for the unity and mission of the church…
And because he particularly loves them, let us remember in his name the poor and helpless, the cold, the hungry and the oppresses, the sick and those who mourn, the lonely and the unloved, the aged and little children, as well as all those who do not know and love the Lord Jesus Christ…

Please join us in worship during the Advent season. We will have the children help us light the Advent wreath, week by week we will add pieces to the crèche so that it will be complete on Christmas Eve, and we will have a place for intentional silence during the service. Take the time to reflect, to join in corporate worship and watch and wait with the family at St. Andrew’s.

“May the Sun of Righteousness shine upon you and scatter the darkness from before your path.”

God’s blessings and peace to you,

Jean+

FROM THE DEACON’S BENCH

First of all, a blessed, reflective, centering Advent wish for all of you/us.

When I reflect upon the miracles of love and grace which are occurring all around our little parish of St Andrews, I am truly astounded. As the 'ordained person' whose special responsibility is to bring the needs of the world before the church and the resources of the church to the people of God, I can't help but be astonished by what amazing new things the Spirit is working on within us! As our Epistle portion for the First Sunday of Advent tells us in the words of Paul to the people of Thessalonica: '... and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all', we have been moving away from worries and anxieties about the 'form' of our worship (though maintaining our Anglican traditions) towards the 'functions' of our various ministries, many of which will be detailed in this edition of 'The Net'. It has been wonderful to be a part of so many people doing so many things - both out front, and also 'behind the scenes' - to offer the gifts of God through St Andrews, to those in need. We have begun to feed the hungry; we are considering what to do to provide shelter for the homeless in our new downstairs space; we find unique and fantastic new ways to 'fundraise' to increase our financial gifts to the community at large. We are also attempting to firm up our own Pastoral Care services for our parishioners, train new Eucharistic Ministers and Eucharistic Visitors, and have a slew of new and eager acolytes. Our outreach to our kids has enlarged to include engaging learning programs for our little ones, as well as for our older teens! And our priest is able to use our discretionary funds for various emergencies our community members may be struggling with.

We have a 'garden angel', several financial angels, a carpentry angel, a vestments and seamstress angel, a plasma TV angel, an organizational angel, several musical angels, healing angels... and many more who are stepping up to share their ministries with the rest of us for the good of the people of God. If I've left any 'angels' out, please be sure to tell me; they also deserve our praise and thanksgiving.

My own small and rather insignificant part in all of this has been to try to offer support and (when necessary) training for these ministries, as well as to have the good fortune to participate more actively in some of them. A new opportunity has arisen for me to become a Board Member of the Brookhaven School for Boys, an Episcopal Diocese- supported residential and day treatment and education program for young boys and their families, located in Chelsea, Vermont. I'm very much looking forward to re-joining this group with whom I worked for a number of years a while ago. Oh, and, yes, I've had the great good fortune to preach amongst you and our sister parish in Lyndonville about the Gospels' meanings about service and outreach to those in need. But, I must admit, I have been far more the beneficiary of great things for doing this than a benefactor: my vestments, books and other 'stuff' have largely been the gifts of love from some of our 'angels' both local and from afar.

We are doing much; yet there is much yet to be done. While we can take some pride from our efforts, we also need to use this reflective time of year to help us all consider what also still needs to be done. And, it's highly likely that you and I will be asked! Are we prepared to stretch ourselves just a bit more?

As Jean, our priest, puts together a commissioning service to acknowledge our gratitude and support for these many new ministries, let us enjoy being in community with one another, sharing our problems, gifts, ideas, inspirations with one another, and love each other 'as Christ has loved us'.

God's peace be upon you,

+Armand

ATTENTION
Annual meeting is coming up soon and that means electing Vestry members. Our goal is to have a total of five on the Vestry. This year we will need to elect 3 new members. Vestry members need to work well with people and have a desire to help move St. Andrew's ahead in discerning and doing God's work. Vestry members do not need to always agree but they do need to have a positive and team building attitude. Meetings are usually one and a half hours long once a month. Hearing a call to Vestry work? Please speak with Jean or any current Vestry member to be considered for nomination. – Robin Bergman

Advent-Christmas Choir!!
Come! Let us sing praises together
to welcome the Christ!
Sunday, December 20th rehearse at 9 a.m.
Christmas Eve, December 24th, rehearse at 10 p.m.
(Call/email Diane with your YES or with questions)

ANNONCEMENTS

If borrowing something from the supply drawer in the sacristy, please return it. The altar guild would appreciate it.

The crèche will be displayed for advent. The wisemen and camels will be journeying through the church on their way to Bethlehem. Please do not disturb them on their quest. Thank you!

EPISCOPAL HOSPITAL CHAPLAINCY
If you have been a patient at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center or visited an Episcopal friend there, you may well have met the Episcopal Chaplain who ministers to the patients of our faith and their family members. This ministry has been continuous for some 35 years.

Although the medical center recognized the need for a religious presence in the life of its patients and authorized chaplaincy services in 1955, a chaplain specifically for Episcopalians has not been a consistent part of that office. In order to insure that Episcopalians will be served by a chaplain trained in our rites, a volunteer board incorporated as the Episcopal Hospital Chaplaincy (EHC) was formed as a nonprofit corporation in April 1996 under the direction of a Board of Directors then headed by the Rev. John Van Siclin of St. Paul’s White River Junction Vermont. Today, over a decade later, this corporate form continues.

The service of the EHC has proven to be an essential part of our religious life at the hospital. From the time that the EHC was formed, the chaplain visited about 500 Episcopal patients annually from parishes in the two states. Parish rectors, of course, attempt to visit their people when they can, but that is not always possible as the number of visits by the Episcopal chaplain testifies.

The Episcopal chaplain now works out of the hospital Chaplaincy Office. However, the hiring, overseeing, and compensation for that person remains the responsibility of the EHC. We estimate that each visit made by the chaplain incurs a cost of about twenty-five dollars. The EHC depends upon the generous gifts of the Episcopal dioceses, congregations, and individuals in VT and NH. We have no endowment.

Please help us ensure that the healing, caring presence of an Episcopal Chaplain will continue to be present for those confined to the hospital. Send your tax deductible contribution to: Episcopal Hospital Chaplaincy, 9 West Wheelock Street, Hanover, NH 03755.

Robert Strauss, Chair EHC Board of Directors

A PEW FOR YOU???
St. Andrew's pine/oak pews are available for you
at ANY size you want
at $100 each
($75 to St. Andrew's and $25 to David Montague
who is doing the carpentry work)
Call 802-751-8646
OR
email vermontague@juno.com (David's email)
to place your order and support St. Andrew's.

STEWARDSHIP UPDATE
We are grateful for the 16 pledges we have so far received to help us meet our 2010 budget. We have been the recipients of pledges in the amount of $24400 for St Andrew's good works in our church and in our community. For your information, if you pledge and then find you have some financial difficulties, it is always possible to change or reduce your pledge. There are wonderful things happening at St Andrew's! If you have not yet sent in your pledge we urge you to consider how your full participation will help make a difference in the life of our church and in the life of many in the community.

With sincere appreciation
The Stewardship Team
Nancy Norton Betty Maynard Carl Stoneham Nicole Stevens

The Advent Wreath

One of the most familiar of all Advent customs is the Advent wreath: a simple circle of evergreens, representing eternity, into which are set four candles, one for each of the Sundays of Advent. The Advent wreath comes from Germany but has been adopted by churches throughout the West. It was originally used in homes, and still is, but it is now found in churches, as well. The candles may be any color. However, many people choose to follow the color of the liturgical season. In that case, the candles may be either blue, following the old English use that is increasingly used in Anglican churches today or, following the traditional Roman use, there may be three violet (or purple) candles and one rose (pink) candle. In addition to marking the passage of time, the candles symbolize the movement from the darkness of sin to the coming of the light that is revealed in the person of Jesus Christ.

While an Advent wreath in the church can be a good seasonal focal point, their real value is in the home as a daily call to be prepared for the coming of the King. The wreath should be in a place that the members of the household gather regularly. The dining table is a good place, if the household actually gathers for meals, something that can no longer be taken for granted in the hectic pace of the modern world. The Advent wreath may also be used in conjunction with other devotions, either the regular daily prayers of a family, or other special Advent devotions, such as a Jesse tree. The daily lighting of the wreath does not need to be accompanied by elaborate ceremony, but it should certainly involve more than simply lighting a candle. Here is a simple devotion that may be used at the beginning of a meal, at the beginning of Morning or Evening Prayer, or at the beginning of family prayers each day in Advent.

The First Week of Advent

Leader: Watch, for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning, lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. (Mark 13: 35, 36)

Light the first candle. Unless Morning or Evening Prayer is to follow immediately, a lesson from Scripture may be read. Lessons may be chosen from the Daily Office lectionary in the Book of Common Prayer or the Jesse Tree devotion (below).

Leader or all together: God our Father, we ask for the light of your peace and love to shine in our hearts and in our world. Help us to prepare ourselves and our homes to receive the Light of the world, our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.
(Or, the Lord's Prayer and the Collect for the First Sunday of Advent)