ONLINE PARISH NOTES
November 30, 2014
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| Michelangelo, The Last Judgment Sistine Chapel, 1536-1541 |
FROM THE RECTOR
Advent begins a new liturgical year with a wake-up call: Watch! Stay Awake! The theme of this First Sunday of the season is watchfulness. The Lord is coming, but we know neither the day nor the hour. Therefore it is necessary to stay awake at all times. If we have been growing dozy or lax in our Christian observance, now is the opportunity to wake up, pay attention, and recommit ourselves to following the Lord in all the classic disciplines of the Christian life. That way, when he comes, we will not be caught sleeping. -- Fr. John D. Alexander
THIS SUNDAY’S READINGS
Advent I, Year B
Isaiah 64:1-9, Psalm 80:1-7, 16-18; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9, Mark 13:24-37
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Christmas Flower Offering – If you would like to make a Christmas offering of flowers to the church in thanksgiving or in memoriam, please fill out the envelope included with today’s Kalendar, and put it in the offering plate or bring it to the parish office no later than Friday December 19th.
Confirmations – All are warmly invited to the Lady Chapel at 5 pm on Tuesday 2 December 2014, when Bishop Knisely will confirm several members of the EMBR campus community. This will be a great opportunity to show our support for these persons in their life in Christ, and for the campus ministry as a whole. Please come if you can! If you have not already been confirmed, and would like to investigate the possibility, please be in touch with the Rector. Those being confirmed or received are Lynne de Benedette, Jason Connell, Jee Won Park, Frank Pisaturo, Jacqueline Rice, and Elizabeth Rule.
Society of Mary – will meet on Saturday 6 December for 9 am Morning Prayer, 9:30 Mass, then recitation of the Rosary. Breakfast and a program follow. Everyone is invited.
Advent Lessons & Carols – Next Sunday 7 December at 5:30 pm we will offer our annual service of Lessons & Carols. Seasonal readings and musical selections set the stage as we prepare for the coming of the infant Lord. A reception follows in the Great Hall. All are welcome and invited to attend.
Commemoration of December Departed – Those on the parish Year’s Mind list whose anniversaries fall during December will be prayed for at the Mass on Monday 8 December, (The Feast of the Immaculate Conception) at 6 pm. If you have names of departed family or friends to be remembered, please send them to Fr. Alexander at rector@sstephens.necoxmail.com and come join us if you can. The Parish Branch of The Guild of All Souls will meet following Mass for fellowship at a suitable location on Thayer Street. Everyone is welcome and invited to join us.
Nominations Committee – candidates for the following positions need to be elected at the Annual Parish Meeting on January 25, 2015: Vestry – one four-year term (incumbent is eligible for re-election); Treasurer – one year term; Clerk – one year term; Diocesan Convention – two Delegates, two Alternates, one-year term. The Nominations Committee consists of Susan Brazil (Chair), John Chamberlin, Modu Johnson, Erica Medvedev, and Charles Rejto.
Advent Quiet Day – On Saturday 13 December from 9 am to 2:30 pm, we will offer our annual Advent Quiet Day, with addresses by The Rev’d Canon Scott Gunn, Executive Director of Forward Movement Publications in Cincinnati, Ohio. We will begin as usual with Morning Prayer at 9 am, and Mass at 9:30 am followed by a light breakfast. The day will include a simple catered lunch, and we will conclude at 2:30 pm. The donation is $15 per person, payable on the day, which will help cover the cost of both breakfast and lunch. (Assistance is available to anyone for whom this may be a hardship.) So we have an idea of how many to plan for, please RSVP the parish office by Wednesday 10 December, indicating your plans to attend, via email to office@sstephens.necoxmail.com, or by calling Cory MacLean at 421-6702, ext. 1.
Christmas Decorations – This year we hope to engage a group of volunteers to decorate the church between Advent IV (Sunday 21 December) and Christmas Eve (Wednesday 24 December). If you are interested in joining in this festive tradition, please contact the parish office via email to office@sstephens.necoxmail.com or phone at 421-6702, ext. 1.
Christmas Pageant and Family Mass – The Sunday School will be presenting its annual Christmas Eve Pageant at the Family Mass on Wednesday, 24 December at 5:30 pm. Children of all ages are welcome to participate. Please see Alison Huff or Devon Callanan for details.
New Seating Arrangement in Lady Chapel – Starting in Advent, which begins today, we are experimenting with a new arrangement of the seats in the Lady Chapel, in the “collegiate” style of rows of seats facing each other rather than facing forward. We hope this arrangement will enhance our worship in this space; and we will evaluate how well it works over a period of several months.
FOR YOUR PRAYERS
Prayers have been requested for: Maggie, Nicholas, Jonno, Nancy, Patrick, Will, Townsend, Norman, Hannah, Kaitlyn, Mary, Harrington, Davaughn, Steven, Richard, Beverly, Deborah, Beverly, Angela, Rhoda, Henry, Jim, James, Richard, Lynne, Dianne, Kathleen, and Richard.
The faithful departed: Year’s Mind: Jimmy Chancey Black (4 December 1992); Recently Departed: Hugh McNamar.
Birthdays this week: Cory MacLean (1 December), Sandra Bartlett (2 December).
Anglican and Diocesan Cycles of Prayer – In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, please pray for pray for Falkland Islands (Extra-Provincial to Canterbury): The Rt. Rev’d Stephen Venner; and in the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, please pray for the leadership and people of St. Andrew’s, Little Compton.
THE SUNDAY ROTA
Acolytes - MC W Dilworth; SD R Noble; Thurifer L Verdelotti; Crucifer K Hooks; Torches G Benziger, D Callanan
Lector – J Steiny
Ushers – S Newby, R Viti
Coffee Hour – C & T Bledsoe
THIS WEEK AT S. STEPHEN’S
PARISH PROGRAMS, EVENTS & MEETINGS
Wednesday 3 December
Afternoon Tea 4 pm
Saturday 6 December
Society of Mary (following Mass & Rosary)
Sunday 7 December
Advent Lessons & Carols 5:30 pm (Reception following)
EXTRA-PAROCHIAL EVENTS HOSTED AT S. STEPHEN’S
Friday 5 December
Zefiro Ensemble Advent Concert 8 pm
Saturday 6 December
Epiphany Soup Kitchen 2 pm
Brown Madrigal Ensemble Concert 7 pm
LITURGICAL CALENDAR & SERVICE SCHEDULE
Sunday 30 November
FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT (Blue)
Morning Prayer 7:30 am
Low Mass 8 am
Solemn Mass 10 am
Evening Prayer with EMBR* 5:30 pm
Weekday Office and Mass Lectionary: Advent I, Year 1
Monday 1 December
ST. ANDREW THE APOSTLE (Transferred) (R)
Evening Prayer 5:30 pm
Low Mass 6 pm
Tuesday 2 December
Tuesday in Advent I (V)
Morning Prayer 8 am
Low Mass 8:30 am
EMBR Confirmation 5 pm
Wednesday 3 December
Francis Xavier, Apostle of the Indies, Missionary, 1552 (W)
Evening Prayer 5:30 pm
Low Mass 6 pm
Thursday 4 December
John of Damascus, Monk, Teacher, c. 749 (W)
Morning Prayer 8 am
Low Mass 8:30 am
Friday 5 December
Friday in Advent I (V)
Clement of Alexandria, Priest, Teacher, c. 210
Angelus 12 noon
Low Mass 12:10 pm
Saturday 6 December
Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, c. 326 (W)
Morning Prayer 9 am
Low Mass 9:30 am
Holy Rosary 10 am
Sunday 7 December
SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT (Blue)
Morning Prayer 7:30 am
Low Mass 8 am
Solemn Mass 10 am
Advent Lessons & Carols 5:30 pm
*EMBR = Episcopal Ministry at Brown and RISD
NEXT SUNDAY'S READINGS (December 7)
Advent II, Year B
Isaiah 40:1-11, Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13, 16-18; 2 Peter 3:8-15a, Mark 1:1-8
