THE SEASON OF THANKFULNESS
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The Third Sunday of Advent
GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
WEEKLY UPDATE: 12.10.10
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| PLEASE REMEMBER IN YOUR PRAYERS |
Janet, Doug Doller, Jack Seeman, Charles Drumm, Yasso Herath, Bob and Donna Weber, Elizabeth, Nick DeRosa, Patrick Kelly, Kyle Warnall, Thomas Humeston, Ellie, Peggy Lehrecke, Ruth Ingram, Bill and Catherine Lubeck, Linda McManus, Irene Fortunato, Peggy McCann, Fred Fee, Phil Cifuentes, Chris Brigando, Phyllis Darrin, Dale Brunken, Elizabeth Uccellani, Ruth Boepple, Matthew, Michael Barraclough, Margaret, Mark Ciraldo, Carmen, Deborah Federico, Peter Lubeck, John Federico, The Rev. Kenn Mann, Corporal Ryan Deis
The prayer list is refreshed monthly please call the office to add a name, or to request that a name be carried forward. There is a book in the narthex where -- before the service begins -- you may add names to be read during the Prayers of the People for the day. |
COLLECT OF THE DAY
Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
CLICK HERE to visit the Episcopal Church's weekly Bible study website. You'll find all the readings along with background and commentary, and there's an opportunity to add your own comments as well.
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The certainty of Christian hope lies beyond passion and beyond knowledge. Therefore we must sometimes expect our hope to come in conflict with darkness, desperation and ignorance. Therefore, too, we must remember that Christian optimism is not a perpetual sense of euphoria, an indefectible comfort in whose presence neither anguish nor tragedy can possibly exist. We must not strive to maintain a climate of optimism by the mere suppression of tragic realities. Christian optimism lies in a hope of victory that transcends all tragedy: a victory in which we pass beyond tragedy to glory with Christ crucified and risen.
It is important to remember the deep, in some ways anguished seriousness of Advent, when the mendacious celebrations of our marketing culture so easily harmonize with our tendency to regard Christmas, consciously or otherwise, as a return to our own innocence and our own infancy. Advent should remind us that the "King Who is to Come" is more than a charming infant smiling (or if you prefer a dolorous spirituality, weeping) in the straw. There is certainly nothing wrong with the traditional family joys of Christmas, nor need we be ashamed to find ourselves still able to anticipate them without too much ambivalence. After all, that in itself is no mean feat.
But the Church in preparing us for the birth of a "great prophet," a Savior and a King of Peace, has more in mind than seasonal cheer. The Advent mystery focuses the light of faith upon the very meaning of life, of history, of man, of the world and of our own being. In Advent we celebrate the coming and indeed the presence of Christ in our world. We witness to His presence even in the midst of all its inscrutable problems and tragedies. Our Advent faith is not an escape from the world to a misty realm of slogans and comforts which declare our problems to be unreal, our tragedies inexistent. . . . Our task is to seek and find Christ in our world as it is, and not as it might be. The fact that the world is other than it might be does not alter the truth that Christ is present in it and that His plan has been neither frustrated nor changed: indeed, all will be done according to His will. Our Advent is the celebration of this hope.
From Seasons of Celebration: Meditations on the Cycle of Liturgical Feasts by Thomas Merton (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1965)
Some more Advent counting: http://www.d365.org/followingthestar/ |
| Click here to go to our Facebook page -- our cyber-bulletin board. What's your favorite Advent tradition or holiday recipe or Grace Church memory? Remember to share items that you find of interest -- pictures, links, etc --make or ask for book or movie recommendations, etc.... Not into Facebook? Click here to send an email and we'll post your note to the Grace Church Nyack page. |
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THIS WEEK
CLICK HERE TO SEE IF YOU'RE ON THE SERVICE MINISTRY SCHEDULE
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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11
10:00amMidnight Run (Memorial Hall)
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 12
8:00/9:30/11:00am Holy Eucharist
10:10am ChurchSchool Classes
PARISH FORUM: Taking the Commercialism out of Christmas (Memorial Hall)
12:00pm Choir Rehearsal
2:30pm AGC rehearsal (Memorial Hall)
6:30pm French Creole Mass
6:30pm SYG: blanket making
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 14
10:00am Staff Meeting (Patterson Hall)
4:00pm Amazing Grace Circus After School
7:00pm Boy Scouts (Memorial Hall)
8:00pm Senior Choir (Choir Room)
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15
4:00pm Amazing Grace Circus After School
7:00pm Confirmation Class (Bradley Chapel)
8:00pm Senior Choir (choir Room)
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17
5:30pm Pageant rehearsal & Pizza party (Memorial)
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18
9:30am Rehearsal of Acolytes for 4:00pm Christmas Eve service
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 19
8:00/9:30/11:00am Holy Eucharist
12:30pm Christmas Pageant
6:30pm Senior Youth Group/Yankee Swap/Greening of Church
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PARISH FORUMS ON SUNDAYS - between the 9:30 and 11:00am services
December 12:Taking Commercialism Out of Christmas
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CHRISTMAS FLOWERS
This year, as in the past Grace Church invites your contributions for Christmas flowers. In the spirit of the season, they are the open and concrete prayer for the friendship of God and a testimony to the friends who make the journey with us. Offering envelopes are available in the narthex; please return by Sunday, December 19 for acknowledgement in the Christmas Eve service bulletins. You may place them in the offertory plate on Sundays, or drop them off at the office. |
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CHRISTMAS GIVING TREE
The Commission on Social Ministries is once again coordinating a Giving Tree to provide holiday gifts for residents of the Rockland Family Shelter . You'll find the tree located in the narthex of the church. Please take a tag (or tags) and return a wrapped gift with the tag taped outside by Sunday, December 19. Thank you for your concern for the less fortunate among us at Christmas time. If you'd like to find out more about the Rockland Family Shelter and its programs, take a look at their website, located at www.rocklandfamilyshelter.org. |
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HELPING HANDS
Grace Church will provide a "Safe Haven" in Memorial Hall for some of RocklandCounty's homeless for twelve nights next year. On each night the Social Ministry Commission will need volunteers to prepare and serve a meal for our guests, and one or two people who are willing to stay overnight.
The dates are: January 8, 9 and 10; February 25, 26 and 27; March 27, 28 and 29; and April 11, 12 and 13 Check your calendar, talk with your friends and family about putting together a team and be ready to sign up when the volunteer sheet is posted in the back of church. The Senior Youth Group will provide a meal for our guests on the Sundays that we host but we need volunteers who can be part of a team to cook and serve a meal on the other nights. We also need one or two people who can spend the night on the comfy couches in Patterson Hall to provide overnight supervision.
There will be a sign-up sheet in the Narthex prior to each date but if you know now when you would like to help you can email Charlie Cross at ccross3ny@yahoo.com and reserve your spot. |
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PEOPLE TO PEOPLE
This is a busy time of the year - shopping, wrapping, decorating, planning festive meals. It's easy to forget that there are people in Rockland who will be hungry on Christmas. Please remember to bring a non-perishable food item to church every Sunday for People to People. People to People has a freezer onsite, so you're always welcome to drop off that extra turkey at their offices in Nanuet - 121 West Nyack Rd. Nanuet NY 10954 845.623.4900. |
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HOLIDAY SERVICES
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24 ~ CHRISTMAS EVE
4:00pm Vespers & Holy Eucharist (family-friendly)
6:30pm Holy Eucharist
10:30pm Carols for Choir & Congregation
11:00pm Feast of the Nativity & Solemn Eucharist
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 25 ~CHRISTMAS DAY
9:30am Holy Eucharist & carols
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 26 - The First Sunday After Christmas
8:00am & 11:00am Holy Eucharist |
A request from parishioner Jim Gilbert on behalf of an Episcopalian friend in Guatemala
There is a critical need for two teachers (high school science and middle school English) at Inter-American School in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. The positions will be open for the second semester (4 Jan to 27 May 2011). Teaching certification is preferred but not required. All classes are taught in English. More information can be found at the IAS webpage http://www.ias-xela.org/, and any questions candidates may have can be directed to Laurel McMarlin (mr.mcmarlin@gmail.com). |
A BIG THANK YOU to the Fellowship Committee led by Kris Burns, and to everyone who planned, organized, baked, served, and cleaned up after not one, but two major events in quick succession -- a delicious reception following the Interfaith Thanksgiving service AND the warm and festive annual Parish Advent Party. A grand time was had by all! Please note: there is a a collection of serving dishes and utensils left from the events now loitering in the parish office --- claim them soon! Please!
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| The ASF Book Group had a very successful first meeting, and welcomes new and returning participants at their next meeting on January 19 at 7:30pm. The new selection is Marcus Borg's novel Putting Away Childish Things, described as "an engaging way for readers to learn about the important issues dividing Christians today. Along the way, we join with the characters to ask the hard questions such as what does the Bible really teach? Who is Jesus? What is the nature of faith today?" To find out more about the author and his first novel, CLICK HERE. |
PLEDGE 2011
To all of you who have sent in your pledge cards: THANK YOU! Our financial health depends on the generosity of every member of Grace. Extra pledge packages are in the narthex and in Memorial Hall at coffee hour; please take one, and consider your pledge prayerfully. If you have questions, don't hesitate to speak with, Fr. Richard, Mtr. Emily, Moriah Olsen, chair of the Stewardship committee, or vestry members.
Can't find your pledge materials? The pledge card is also available online (CLICK HERE); just print it out and mail to us, or place in the offertory plate on Sunday.There's also a very helpful new Question & Answer sheet that answers many of the questions we receive concerning pledging, and, for those who would like to make their pledge payments via scheduled credit card payments or electronic bank debits (e-pledge), the authorization forms are also on line. |
ONLINE NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE OF NEW YORK CLICK HERE
WEEKLY BULLETIN INSERT FROM EPISCOPAL LIFE CLICK HERE
DIOCESE OF NEW YORK WEBSITE CLICK HERE
EPISCOPAL CAFE For daily Episcopal news/reflection/commentary CLICK HERE
ON FAITH conversations about faith and current events from all angles CLICK HERE
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The Props assist the House
by Emily Dickinson
The Props assist the House
Until the House is built
And then the Props withdraw
And adequate, erect,
The House support itself
And cease to recollect
The Augur and the Carpenter -
Just such a retrospect
Hath the perfected Life -
A Past of Plank and Nail
And slowness - then the scaffolds drop
Affirming it a Soul -
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| GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH.130 First Avenue.Nyack.New York.10960.845-358-1297
The Reverend Richard L. Gressle, Rector
The Reverend Emily Sieracki, Assistant to the Rector
Robert Barrows, Organist & Choirmaster
www.gracechurchnyack.org |
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