Coming Up:
Advent Bible Studies via Zoom: Final study for this Advent is Wednesday Dec.17, 7-8:30pm. Please join us to rediscover the hope of the early church that fuelled their passion. We’ll be looking at two passages this time: Isaiah 35:1-10 and Isaiah 7:10-16. If you’d like to join in, please email me for the Zoom invitation (susan.montague2@gmail.com).
Advent Bible Studies In-Person: Last one for this Advent is Thursday, Dec. 18, 4-5pm, in the Trinity Centre. (See above for what we’re studying).
Monday, Dec.15, 4pm at St. James in Goulais River: “Blue” Christmas
Thursday, December 18th, 6:30pm at Zion Lutheran, SSM: Holden Evening Prayer for Advent
A Big Heads Up:
$5 monthly take-out/eat-in, 5:30pm in the Trinity Centre on Jan.2. This month will be chicken alfredo lasagna with garlic bread, vegetable, and dessert.
The Feast of the Epiphany is one of just seven Principal Feasts of our church year so we are going to have a feast on Epiphany – Tuesday, January 6 at 5pm in the Trinity Centre. Please join me for a worship service of the Holy Eucharist followed by a traditional supper (and a special surprise!)
A Liturgical Note For You: December 17…A Happening Day
Each year, my family schedules time to be together on December 17. We break out the festive drinks, lots of delicious appetizers, and we brave the basement to bring up the tree and boxes of Christmas décor. Why? Read on…
Decorating Your Church for Christmas: Since the Advent season is very important in our ongoing transformation as Christians, how can we be true to this liturgical season of Advent – that is, how can we not look like we’ve skipped from “The Reign of Christ” to “Christmas” in our worship spaces? When should we break out the Christmas decorations? There is actually an answer to this: December 17. Okay, so why December 17? This is the octave before Christmas Eve – the final thematic phase of Advent when we turn our minds toward the anticipation of the nativity of our Lord as an important event in our Story of Salvation. As mentioned last week, beginning on Dec.17, the ancient “O Antiphons” are used during Evening Prayer services when one antiphon is said/chanted before and after the Magnificat. Practically speaking, the date of December 17 means that we should decorate our worship spaces with “Christmas” stuff no earlier than after our worship services on the 2nd Sunday of Advent. The Nativity Scene, however, should wait until Christmas Eve. In fact, some liturgical experts will tell you that even December 17 is too early for Christmas décor in our worship spaces. The Christmas season begins at Evening Prayer on December 24. This does not mean we can’t put out any decorations at all but, rather, anything specifically Christmas themed really shouldn’t make an appearance until closer to Christmas. Let’s let the Advent Wreath be the eye-catcher during Advent.
This year, December 17 is important for another reason as well. It happens to be the first of the three Advent Ember Days. The Advent Ember Days are always the Wednesday, Friday, and the Saturday of the week of Third Sunday of Advent. Need a reminder on what Ember Days are? Ember Days are the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday of certain weeks through the Christian year – traditionally at the turn of the four seasons (so…in addition to the 3rd week of Advent, there is also the week of the first Sunday in Lent, the week after the Day of Pentecost, and the week after Holy Cross Day). According to McCausland’s Order of Divine Service, these are days on which the church engages “in intentional and deep prayer for its whole ministry: for the mission of the Church, for the ministry of the Church, for peace, and for the unity of the Church.” Okay, so if they occur at the “turn of the season” then why do Advent’s Ember Days happen during the third week of the Advent Season? Well, this week does indeed correspond closely with the beginning of the winter season in our neck of the woods (although it has looked and felt like winter for quite a few weeks already). Clearly, these particular days of observance are based on a western (northern hemisphere) sort of Christian experience with seasons.
This final octave of Advent is clearly an important time for us as we reflect on the sure and certain hope that Jesus Christ will appear among us once again and God’s kingdom will come on earth as in heaven. May your prayers and reflections at this time refuel your hope in a world that desperately needs us to shine with the light of Christ.
For Your Devotions:
Monday, December 15th is the commemoration of Simon Gibbons, First Priest from the Inuit, 1896. Simon was left an orphan at the tender age of six and spent the rest of his youth being cared for in an Anglican orphanage in Newfoundland. There he was educated and encouraged to seek ordination. He spent his first years as an Anglican presbyter as a missionary – regularly making the arduous 100 mile circuit – even during the frozen depths of winter – to hold services in isolated communities. Despite exhaustion and personal danger, Simon was always joyful in his service to the Lord. These physically strenuous years took their toll on his health and he died at just 46 years of age. To read more about this amazing individual, check out p.374 here: https://www.anglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/For-All-The-Saints.pdf
In the hope of Christ,
Susan
Deanery of Algoma 