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Keys Archive: If you missed an earlier Keys newsletter and would like to see it, please
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Sunday, November 23
8:00 A Holy Communion
9:00 A Adult Bible Study
9:00 A Adult Choir Rehearsal
9:30-11:30 Nursery Care
10:00 A Baptism/Holy Communion
10:45 A Church School
11:15 A Coffee Hour
11:30 A Junior Choir Rehearsal
Monday, November 24
7:00 P Interfaith Thanksgiving Service
at First Parish Church, Weston
8:00 P AA
Tuesday, November 25
11:00 A Staff Meeting
Wednesday, November 26
Thanksgiving Day, November 27
Office Closed
Friday, November 28
Office Closed
Saturday, November 29
Sunday, November 30
8:00 A Holy Communion
9:00 A Adult Bible Study
9:00 A Adult Choir Rehearsal
9:30-11:30 Nursery Care
10:00 A Holy Communion
10:45 A Children's Special Activities
11:15 A Coffee Hour
11:30 A Finance Committee
11:30 A Junior Choir Rehearsal
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Website, Keys Notes and QuickLinks
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Nominations:
In keeping with the theme of the upcoming week, it is almost "election" time at St. Peter's. While we do not elect our parish leadership like this week's event, the parish does vote for a single slate of leadership to begin after our Annual Meeting in late January. The Nominating Committee will soon begin considering future leadership. Years ago, I was asked to volunteer for a minor task for St. Peter's. Over extended and too busy was my response. The leader that called thanked me graciously and empathized with being overextended, and then asked, and I quote," but it's time for you to step up to the plate for the parish." Is it time for you to step up to the "St. Peter's plate"? Can you offer your time to serve on the vestry or become a committee co- chair?
Speaking for myself, I have received far more than I have given to our parish over the years. I hope everyone will prayerfully consider this possibility, and then contact your wardens or any member of the Nominations Committee with the good news of your contribution to the future of St. Peter's.
Janice Corley and Marshall Bartlett- Wardens for St. Peter's
Nominations Committee:
Ned Rossiter
Marion Packs
Marshall Bartlett
Janice Corley
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From the Rector's Desk
THANKSGIVING DAY
When we think of Thanksgiving Day, it is natural to envision what has come to be considered "The First Thanksgiving" at Plymouth in 1621, rendered in a famous painting by Jennie Augusta Brownscombe (1850-1936). Such days of thanksgiving were observed for generations in various places, but it was not until over 240 years later that a truly national observance of the last Thursday of November (later changed to the fourth Thursday of November) as Thanksgiving Day began.
The circumstances are actually quite surprising. Abraham Lincoln began his October 3, 1863 proclamation with these lofty words:
The year that is drawing towards its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.
Given that the nation was engaged at that time in one of the the bloodiest, most destructive wars in history, this is a startling assertion of confidence in God's ongoing presence despite all evidence to the contrary. It is not that Lincoln was unaware of the reality of the war - far from it. Later in the proclamation, he calls upon the nation to offer:
...humble penitence for our national perverseness and
disobedience, commend to God's tender care all those who
have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the
lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged,
and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation...
Rather, I believe that Lincoln was deeply aware that God's mercy is something for which we are called to give thanks at all times and in all places, in peace or at war, in prosperity or adversity. May we in our own moment in history, faced with many challenges, join
with Lincoln in never allowing ourselves to forget all that owe to God's loving mercy.
Stephen
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Announcements
Adult Bible Study meets each Sunday at 9:00 a.m. in the Bidwell Room. On November 30, the Rector will lead a conversation on Mark 1:1-8.
Weston Interfaith Thanksgiving Service is at 7 p.m. Monday at First Parish Church. All are invited to attend!
The Finance Committee is currently preparing St. Peter's 2009 operating budget. This is an open and interactive process involving input from the church leadership, our various committees, and the members of St. Peter's as a whole. We invite anyone interested in gaining a better understanding of our church's finances and the 2009 budget to attend a meeting with members of the Finance Committee on Sunday, November 30th in the Bidwell Room following the 10 a.m. service. All are welcome!
The church office will be closed on Thursday and Friday for Thanksgiving. In case of a pastoral emergency please call Mercer Riis ( 508-785-2123 or cell: 508-783-4409 ) and she will be in touch with the clergy. The church answering machine will also be checked daily.
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FLOWER GUILD
 Important dates: November 30 -- Advent begins.
December 5 (Friday), 9:00-11:00 AM -- we'll make wreaths for church. Make one for church (we have frames, greens and wire) and one for your home (bring your own frame). If you have favorite clippers, bring those, too.
December 24 (Wed.), 9-11 AM -- we gather to decorate the church for Christmas Eve.
Please let me know if you would like to join us.
Carolyn Ellis
cellis@stpetersweston.org
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INTERFAITH THANKSGIVING /
BELL RINGERS AND ZINGERS!
 This is a reminder to come and ring the bell 350 times on November 24
at 7:45pm, just as the interfaith Thanksgiving Service at First Church
is ending. Come to the service if you're able, which starts
at 7pm. Our theme for the service is the GOODNESS OF CREATION,
and the Reverend Dr. Jim Antal will deliver the sermon. All sturdy
folks welcome, and let me know if you're planning on being there!
Hall ( hkirkham@stpetersweston.org)
ST PETERS ROCKS! WESTON
will meet at around 6PM (not 7!) on November 23rd
to meet and speak with Kathy McAdams from Ecclesia Ministries about
Homelessness. Come and see, and bring questions about CityReach
in January! WE MEET THEN AGAIN
in the Parish Hallat 5:30pm on December 7th, when
Nancy DiGiovanni returns for a second session on privilege and our own
formation towards service. Mark your books!! Hall ( hkirkham@stpetersweston.org)
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Middle Schoolers
of St Peters Church!!
Black
Nativity, 3:30pm Sunday,
December 14th,
showing of the holiday musical by Langston
Hughes...
Presented by the National Center of Afro-American Artists
 Based on the Gospel
of St. Luke, combined with the poetry of Harlem Renaissance poet Langston
Hughes, Black Nativity is a celebration that tells the original story
of the Nativity in scripture, verse, music and dance.
A joyous company of
160 singers, actors, dancers and musicians delivers its powerful message
of joy, hope, victory and liberation.
Boston's production is the longest running performance of this song-play
in the world. The December 1st opening marks its 39th consecutive season
of 12 exhilarating performances.
This season's performances are dedicated to the memory of John Andrew
Ross (1940-2006) for his 36 years of service as Musical Director of
Black Nativity.
"If you've
never seen the gospel-infused 'Black Nativity,' clear your calendar
for a performance...The chorus has children as young as five performing
alongside parents and grandparents, and many of the singers debuted
in the production decades earlier as infants in the role of baby Jesus."
Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company
We will
gather at St Peter's at 2:00pm, drive downtown to catch the 3:30pm
show, and then have time for discussion and dinner.
Our hope
is to have folks ready for pick-up at the Parish Hall by 8:00pm afterwards.
Questions?
Contact
The Reverend
Hall Kirkham (hkirkham@stpetersweston.org)
Beth Graham,
Church School Director (elizabethlgraham@gmail.com)
Margaret Randle
(bestillmlr@comcast.net)
Peggy Batchelder
(rdbatchelder@comcast.net)
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Outreach
Thanksgiving Baskets and OxFam Fast and fundraiser Thursday, November 20: This year we will again be preparing Thanksgiving Baskets for needy families in Waltham, working with members of Christ Church, Waltham, in this traditional outreach project. A number of you have already indicated interest in participating, and we invite more of you to participate. Please let us know if you are interested, and/or if you or a group of you would like to prepare breads, pies, etc. to go into the baskets. Please contact Judy Campos or any other member of your Outreach committee for more information. And, thanks to those who have already volunteered to participate!
Please also join us in celebrating a fast in support of OxFam (www.oxfamamerica.org). As we enter the Thanksgiving season, it is important that we remember those less fortunate. The task is simple: skip a meal or two (or a favorite part of a meal) to remember the more than 850 million people who are hungry. Then come to St. Peter's for a simple meal to break the fast, and contribute the money you saved to OxFam. After the meal we will prepare the baskets.
Volunteers needed for tutoring. St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in the Boston South End runs a highly successful after school program for inner city children of all ages. One of the programs, called Academic Nights, helps tutor teens in various subjects (biology, math, pre-calculus, Spanish, English, history, physics, statistics) and needs additional tutors. Academic nights meets Wednesdays, 6:00 - 7:30 PM. If you would like to help, or want more information, contact Ron Corley (rbcorley@...). You will enjoy doing this!
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Music This Week
For the last Sunday in Pentecost, the choir will present a  motet, "O sing unto the Lord," by the German composer Hans Leo Hassler (1564-1612). A contrasting mood will be set by John Rutter's calm "Gaelic blessing," composed in1978. The hymns include "At the Name of Jesus," another outstanding hymn from the pen of Ralph Vaughan Williams; the stirring "Lord, enthroned in heavenly splendor" by William Owen; and "Father eternal, Ruler of creation," composed by Geoffrey Shaw in 1925 for a text written at the close of World War I by Laurence Housman at the request of the rector of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, London. Impressionism akin to that in art may be called to mind by Arthur Honegger's Fugue and Choral for organ (1920); he was a Swiss composer who worked in Paris. To close the service, an organ setting of "Now thank we all our God" by the German composer Sigfried Karg-Elert (1877-1933) presages the coming festival.
Beverly Scheibert
Interim Music Director
bscheibert@stpetersweston.org
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