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From the Vicar...
A beloved tradition returns
Dear People of God: In this Christmas Season, let it be our duty and delight to hear once more the message of the Angels, to go to Bethlehem and see the Son of God lying in a manger.
So begins the heart-catching Christmas Festival Lessons and Carols, a beloved service that returns to our liturgical calendar in both churches the Sunday following Christmas Day.
The Festival is one that has been used, in some form or another, by Christians (Anglican or not) throughout the world. Why is it so compelling? Is it the beautiful sacred spaces in England that are associated with it? No. The service originated in a cathedral, but the cathedral, Truro, was at the time a wooden shed and resembled not even faintly the cathedral that it is today. Is it the exquisite music? It, too, is beautiful, but I think not. It's my belief that the deeper power of this service lies first in its lessons which tell the story that pierces the human heart and fills it, too.
The original service was adapted from an Order drawn up by E.W. Benson, later Archbishop of Canterbury, for use in the wooden shed, which then served as his cathedral in Truro, on Christmas Eve 1880. Almost immediately other churches and institutions, including, most famously, King's College, adapted the service for their own use. Wherever the service is observed and however it is adapted, whether the music is provided by choir or congregation, the pattern and strength of the service derive from the lessons and not the music. The center of the service is still found by those who "go in heart and mind" and who consent to follow where the story leads.
I would encourage you to invite friends to join you on Sunday, Dec. 29 as we hear again the readings from Holy Scripture that tell the story of God's enduring promise of redemption through the birth, life, death, and resurrection of his Son, Jesus. The carols sung are chosen to reflect on these passages and meant to help anchor us more securely in heart and mind as we rejoice in the birth of our Lord and Savior. It is a fitting way to remind ourselves that Christmas is a twelve-day feast, full of rich opportunities for enjoying the narrative and music that open to us the mystery of the Incarnation.
Fr. Chip
Advent Quiet Day, Saturday, Dec. 14
9:00 a.m.-12:00 noon in the Christ Church chapel
 Advent is often billed as a season of preparation for Christmas. It is that, but it is so much more. Advent waiting is filled with hope and expectation that carries us far beyond Christmas. Our Advent Quiet Day will explore the Promise that makes such hope and expectation possible.
We will meet in the context of the Eucharist as follows:
9:00 a.m. Opening Thoughts and Liturgy of the Word
9:30 a.m. First Meditation followed by Silence for Reflection
10:10 a.m. Second Meditation followed by Silence for Reflection
10:50 a.m. Third Meditation followed by Silence for Reflection
11:30 a.m. Liturgy of the Table
All in both congregations are welcome. The Meditations are designed so you can come and go as your availability allows. Though they build on one another in certain ways, each is self-contained so you can attend the Quiet Day either in whole or in part.
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Christmas Eve
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December 24
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| 4:30 p.m. | Carol Sing at Christ Church followed by... |
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| 5:00 p.m. | Festival Holy Eucharist of the Nativity at Christ Church |
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| with children's sermon - and involving children of the congregation |
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| and Little Blessings |
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| 7:30 p.m. | Carol Sing at Trinity Church followed by... |
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| 8:00 p.m. | Festival Holy Eucharist of the Nativity at Trinity Church |
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| with music and choir |
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Christmas Day
| December 25 |
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| 10:00 a.m. | Holy Eucharist, Rite One, with Hymns at Trinity Church |
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Eve of I Christmas
| December 28 |
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| 5:00 p.m. | Holy Eucharist, Rite One at Trinity Church |
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I Christmas
| December 29 |
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| 8:45 a.m. | A Christmas Festival of Lessons and Carols at Trinity Church |
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| 10:30 a.m. | A Christmas Festival of Lessons and Carols at Christ Church |
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Feast of the Holy Name
| January 1 |
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| 10:00 a.m. | Holy Eucharist, Rite Two, in the Christ Church Chapel |
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Eve of the Epiphany
| January 4 |
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| 5:00 p.m. | An Epiphany Feast of Lights at Trinity Church |
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| a quiet candlelight celebration |
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Feast of the Epiphany
| January 5 |
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| 8:45 a.m. | Holy Eucharist, Rite Two, at Trinity Church |
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| 10:30 a.m. | Holy Eucharist, Rite Two, at Christ Church |
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| 3:00 p.m. | Seacoast-wide Choral Epiphany Celebration |
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| with massed choirs from several area churches |
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| First Congregational Church, 127 Winnacunnet Rd., Hampton |
Blue Christmas Service
St. George's Episcopal Church, York Harbor, ME
Are you having a blue Christmas season? The joy of decking the halls with boughs of holly can be a stark contrast with the interior realities of those of us who have experienced loss in the last year. The pain of broken relationships, lost employment, ill health, loneliness, the gut-wrenching loss of a child, the emptiness of no longer having a beloved spouse or partner to share each day, the death of a dear family pet-all these can contribute to a feeling of being alone, of feeling "blue" in the midst of the society around us which seems bent on being happy and celebrating. There are years when we hurt at Christmas time and can't get into the festivities others seem able to enjoy.
St. George's Episcopal Church, 407 York Street, York Harbor, Maine, invites you to a Blue Christmas service at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 17. Please accept this invitation and feel free to invite others to come with you, as your support, or if you know that they, too, are finding that Christmas hurts.
FMI contact the church at 207-363-7376 x-101 or office@stgeorgesyorkharbor.org.
Christmas Home Communion
The Sacrament of Holy Eucharist is available to any church member at home or in the hospital who desires to receive it. Fr. Chip will be setting aside time during Christmas week to make visits. If you find yourself temporarily sick or confined at home or in the hospital and would like communion brought to you, please call the shared ministry office, 603-926-5688, to set up a convenient time.
Healing ministry at Trinity Church
Saturday evening, Dec. 14 at the 5:00 Eucharist
This October, we began offering the laying on of hands for Christian healing on the Saturday evening preceding the third Sunday of each month. This month's prayers will be offered this Saturday, Dec. 14 at the 5:00 p.m. liturgy (even though it's only the second Saturday of the month).
This ministry is offered with the understanding that healing is a central part of Jesus' proclamation of the Good News. It is a visible reminder that Jesus teaches us to pray for one another both individually and as a community. As we are still just getting started with this ministry at Trinity Church, I thought I would share a few thoughts on how this ministry can be most effective. (These things are equally true when we offer healing the first Sunday of each month at Christ Church.)
- When you come forward to receive the laying on of hands, feel free to bring with you someone who can stand with you in prayerful support. This person (perhaps a family member or close friend) may place a hand on your shoulder as the prayer is offered.
- If you feel so moved, come up and be a prayerful supporter for someone who has come forward for prayer. Prayer offered in the company of faithful friends can be of powerful comfort.
- If you remain in your seat as others are coming forward, silently pray for them.
- The practice of receiving the laying on of hands over a longer period of time has often been referred to as "soaking prayer." As we continue praying over time, we gain a deeper awareness of how God is working to bring us more fully into a place of healing and refreshment.
- Don't be bashful about coming up for prayer. It can feel a bit "awkward" the first time - but those who have been coming regularly can tell you that, over time, it becomes a truly meaningful experience as we open ourselves to God's presence.
- Finally, remember that God's healing takes place in many ways. God's timetable is not ours and the form of healing may not be what we initially expect.
Fr. Chip
More about our Christ Church Capital Campaign
Last week in this space, began to describe the tasks ahead as we "gear up" for a campaign to help pay for our new Christ Church boiler and, possibly, some "spruce-ups" that have fallen prey to neglect in recent years.
This week: Proposed timing for the campaign
While some background preparations are already underway, the public portion of the campaign will begin in March of 2014 so we can concentrate on the campaign and not be distracted by other events (Annual Meeting, Come and See, Advent/Christmas, etc.). Accordingly, here is the timeline we are anticipating for the conduct of the campaign:
Currently (through February):
- Introduce the campaign to the congregation to keep everyone aware of the plans underway.
- Recruit team leaders for at least the core functions.
- Begin orienting the team leaders so they can begin recruiting people to work with them. The key is easy-to-do, limited tasks for each person rather than have any one person be loaded down with too much responsibility.
- Train the teams and begin identifying lead donors. Develop a working goal and a gift range chart for use in soliciting lead donors.
- Begin soliciting lead donors to get a sense of what is possible and realistic for a final campaign goal and gift range. (Note: If you would like to make a gift to the campaign before the close of 2013 to enable a charitable deduction for this year, you do not have to wait until the "public phase" begins to do so.)
March/April/May:
- Begin the public phase of the campaign, using a revised goal and gift range chart based on the outcome of the lead gift solicitations.
- Hold celebratory event to announce results and thank volunteers and donors. By this point, personally addressed thank you letters should have also gone to all volunteers and donors.
July 1, 2014 - June 30, 2017:
- Donation period for monthly, quarterly, or annual gifts. Envelopes should be provided for the purpose. Donors may make an initial one-time gift in late 2013 for tax purposes - and add to that periodic gifts through the three-year donation period.
Our next communication regarding this campaign will be in conjunction with Annual Meeting in January. By that time, we hope to have completed recruiting for key leaders, and can introduce them and invite broader participation as we prepare for the public phase of the campaign.
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