Loving the Darkness  

Today is the winter solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year. We don't usually give thanks for the darkness, but did you catch the line in the Advent eucharistic prayer these past weeks: "Blessed are you in the darkness and in the light."

Perhaps the midnight service on Christmas Eve is most powerful because it is held in the middle of the dark night. After all, today's sunrise was at 7:15 a.m. and sunset will be at 4:22 p.m. this afternoon!

More people love summer more than winter, and some are affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder. Yet, in a spiritual sense, there are many things to love about the darkness. As you prepare to celebrate the coming of the Light, read the poem below and ponder some of the gifts it mentions. Light some candles and sit in the darkness, perhaps with some moments of silence or with some reflective Christmas music in the background.  

In these final days of Advent, we pray that Christ would come anew to our world and to our lives: Come, Lord Jesus. 

A very blessed Christmas to you,
Pr. Craig M. Mueller

O God, black can be beautiful!
Let us be aware of black blessings:
Blessed be the black night that nurtures dreams.
Blessed be the black hole out of which creation sprang.
Blessed be the black cave of imagination that births creativity.
Blessed be dark wombs that cradle us.
Blessed be black loam that produces nourishing food for our bodies.
Blessed be black jazz that nourishes our souls.
Blessed be black energy that swirls into gracefulness.
Blessed be black coal that heats us.
Blessed be black boiling clouds hurling down lightning and cleansing rain.
Blessed be even our own darkness, our raw, undeveloped cave of shadows.  

O God, help us to befriend black and not deny its power.
Help us not to cover over the dark with fear but to open to it with your grace and to be open to your life within the dark.
May we discover the blessings that lie deep within our holy dark so that we may freely affirm that
Black is beautiful indeed!   

(William John Fitzgerald)

CHRISTMAS/EPIPHANY SERVICES    

4:30 p.m. - CHRISTMAS EVE EUCHARIST 

This service is especially for families with children. The Christmas story will be read, interspersed with carols. Pr. Miller will read a special story (there will be no sermon) with the children, and then they will gather around the manger scene for prayers. 

10:00 p.m. - CHRISTMAS EVE: THE CHRIST MASS
Pre-service music begins at 9:45 p.m. 

The liturgy begins with the Proclamation of the Birth of Christ. Music by the Holy Trinity choir and a small string ensemble. Hymns will include familiar carols as well as Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming and A Stable Lamp is Lighted. Sermon by Pastor Mueller: Upside Down Christmas. Incense will be used at this liturgy.

10:30 a.m. - CHRISTMAS DAY EUCHARIST

The gospel for Christmas Day is from John 1 which tells the mystery of the Word made flesh. Hymns will include: Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful; Of the Father's Love Begotten; In the Bleak Midwinter; Good Christian Friends Rejoice. Sermon by Pastor Mueller: Christmas 365. Incense will be used at this liturgy.

 No Contemplative Eucharist on December 28

NEW YEAR'S SUNDAY, January 1, 2012  

The Feast of the Name of Jesus
One service at 10:30 a.m.

January 1 is the feast of the Name of Jesus, referring to Luke 2:21, Jesus' circumcision and naming eight days after his birth. Carols will include: Once in Royal David's City, From Heaven Above, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, and others.  

EPIPHANY, January 8, 2012
8:30 a.m. Simple Eucharist
9:30 a.m. Sunday School/Adult Forum

10:30 a.m. Epiphany Festival Eucharist  

The 10:30 a.m. liturgy will celebrate the three-fold mystery of Epiphany: the visit of the Magi (January 6), the baptism of Christ (observed today), and Jesus' miracle of turning water into wine. Holy Trinity's annual Epiphany festival is a favorite service as it features beloved Christmas/Epiphany carols, and a special visit by the Magi to the children as "We Three Kings" is sung. Baptism will also be celebrated today, and with all the extra festivity and music, there will be no sermon. Incense will be used at this liturgy.    

Weekly readings 

Contemplative Eucharist - Tonight, 6:00 P.M.

Take a break from the busy city life, and join us for this simple, contemplative eucharist. 

--Winter Solstice Ritual and Christmas Decorating Party

Following the service, you are invited to join us for the following: at 6:30 p.m. there will be a brief winter solstice ritual (on the shortest day of the year), at 7:00 p.m we decorate the tree, put up lights, arrange flowers, set up the creche and fellowship together! You are welcome to one, two or three of the evening's events!  

Hearing Assistance Devices Available

Thanks to a generous, anonymous donation, we are proud to make available two hearing assistance devices for use in church. They are simple to use and amplify sounds very well! For more information, speak to Josh in the office. To borrow one during a service, for yourself or someone you know, inquire with the ushers before services.

Holy Trinity's Cookbook

Still searching for the perfect holiday gift for that special someone? There's still time to purchase Holy Trinity's cookbook, "Cook with Joy"! Each book costs $15 and makes a great gift. Cookbooks will be available for purchase via cash or check at the back of the church at both Christmas Eve services.

LAST DAY TO ORDER IS TODAY:
Sponsor Poinsettias/Greens 

Sponsor the greens and poinsettias that will decorate our church at Christmas in honor or in memory of a friend or relative. To donate now, head to our online donation page and enter an amount from $20 - $100, as well as a designation. You can also bring or send a check to the office and just indicate "Christmas Greens" in the memo line. 

Help The Sunday School Children Buy A Farm

This Christmas, the children are thinking about a big gift - not for themselves, but to help a family get a fresh start. Their goal is to raise $715 by Christmas to purchase the gift of a Family Farm through the ELCA's Good Gifts catalog. This will provide a family with a cow, a couple of goats, 10 chicks, two pigs, a duck, farming tools plus training and market support. The kids will be collecting donations after church, or you can talk to Pastor Miller or Becki Fiegel to learn more.

Antiracism Discussion Opportunity

You are invited to join other HT members in a 6-week study of racism and white privilege. We're using a workbook called "The White Elephant" to explore this subject. We'll meet on Sundays, Jan. 8 ,15, 22, Feb, 5, 12, 19 from 11:45 to 12:30. While each lesson will build on the one before, you can come for one, two, or all sessions. Please see Karen Andersen Moran, Claire Evans, Ken Duckmann or Barbara Wahler for more information. You can get your own copy of the workbook from Claire for $15; there will also be some common copies to share.

January Book Club

The first book group meeting of the new year will be Tuesday, January 24 at 7:30 p.m. at the home of Becky Sims, 1702 W. Barry, 773-388-3590. We'll be reading A Book of Secrets: Illegitimate Daughters, Absent Fathers by Michael Holroyd. Intrigued? Please join us whether you have time to read the book or not!

Attendance Last Sunday

8:30 - 29; 10:30 - 159

Worship Assistants for Christmas Services

Please e-mail the office if you are able to help with any of these Christmas services:
Christmas Eve, 4:30 p.m. - Communion assistants
Christmas Eve, 10:00 p.m. - Ushers, communion assistant
Christmas Day, 10:30 a.m. - Ushers
New Year's Day, 10:30 a.m. - Usher 

Meditation Retreat: Holding Intentions With Wisdom and Compassion

Start your new year by joining the Chicago Weekly Sitting Meditation Group for a one day Mindfulness meditation retreat, Saturday, January 7, 2012, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. here at Holy Trinity in Passavant Hall. We will explore how the meditative practice of Mindfulness can help us embrace life with more joy. This retreat is appropriate for both newcomers to Mindfulness and meditation as well as for experienced practitioners. For more information, download the flyer here or head online for more information on the retreat and how to register.

"Team Trinity" Volunteer Opportunities

Please consider joining Team Trinity today! VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Check out Volunteer website for upcoming opportunites.  It is Holy Trinity's goal to register as many members on-line to assist in helping with our ministry projects within the community.  Simply log-in now and sign-up online to volunteer today

--The Crib

The Night Ministry has reopened their youth/young adult homeless shelter, The Crib. Holy Trinity will be preparing and serving a meal once per month. On the third Saturday of each month, volunteers will meet at Holy Trinity at 7 p.m. to prepare the meal, then will head to The Crib to serve the meal. For more information, speak with or email Ken Duckmann.

--The Night Ministry Outreach Van

Holy Trinity will be assembling and distributing 'meals in a bag' with the Night Ministry in Rogers Park on a quarterly basis. Stay tuned for more information and how to help out.

Next Baptism Dates: January 8, February 12. More info.

Next New Member Orientation Date: January 22, April 15.  More info.

Office Hours: Mon., Tues., Thurs., 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.; Wed., 12:00-7:00 p.m.; and Sun., 8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. 

Fourth Sunday in Advent
December 18, 2011
Luke 1:26-38
Pr. Craig M. Mueller

There are a lot of things we are expecting this time of year. We expect to get a few Christmas presents a few days from now. We expect we'll probably indulge in some sweets and maybe even gain a pound or two. We expect some wonderful holiday moments along with a few that are stressful, emotional, or even downright difficult.

Expecting. It's also a word we use for pregnancy, of course. "She's expecting, you know."

I was struck by the title of what is described as the "pregnancy bible," read by 90% of women who read a pregnancy manual. It's called: What to Expect When You're Expecting. It's meant to be empathetic and reassuring. But the first review I read-no, I'm not pregnant, just curious-said she followed her midwife's advice and threw it away. She thought it was a "misinformed alarming guide to complete freak out." She concluded by saying her anxieties subsided when got rid of the book.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21

    6:00 p.m.  Contemplative Eucharist

    6:30 p.m.  Winter Solstice Ritual

    7:00 p.m.  Church Decorating Party 

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 24

    4:30 p.m.  Christmas Eve Eucharist (especially for families with children)

    9:45 p.m.  Pre-service music

    10:00 p.m.  The Christ Mass

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25

    NO 8:30 service    

    NO Choir, Forum or Sunday School

    10:30 a.m.  Christmas Eucharist    

MONDAY, DECEMBER 26

     Church Office Closed 

    7:00 p.m.  Meditation Group  

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28

    NO Contemplative Eucharist

    7:30 p.m.  AA & SAA (St. Mark's Room & Passavant Hall) 
SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, New Year's Day

   No 8:30 service, choir, forum or Sunday School

   10:30 a.m. Eucharist for Feast of the Name of Jesus  

MONDAY, JANUARY 2

     Church Office Closed 

Full Calendar of Events 

COMMEMORATIONS FOR THE WEEK

From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2010 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #26481.

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A Kid's View of the Christmas Story