November 27, 2012

The next Full Moon labyrinth Walk is on Wednesday, November 28, at 6.30 p.m. Of course, the labyrinth is always available for you to walk alone or with a friend. At the Full Moon Walk you have the opportunity to experience the tranquility of the labyrinth under the light of the moon, to meet other "walkers," and ask questions about the labyrinth and its spiritual features. We look forward to seeing many of you as we approach Advent. Read more about St. Philip's labyrinth.



Join us Saturday, December 1, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. for our Advent Retreat, entitled "To Walk a Sacred, Holy Path." Led by the Rev. N. Jean Rogers and Dr. Kevin Justus, this retreat offers an inspiring day of learning, practice, and reflection around our labyrinth. Each participant will receive an Anglican Rosary, prayerfully created by a St. Philip's parishioner, with instruction for how to use the rosary for contemplative prayer. $25 includes materials and lunch. To sign up contact the Rev. Greg Foraker or call 299-6421.

Sunday morning breakfast is beginning again on December 2, served from 8 to 9 a.m. For a donation of only $5/person ($3 children), this is the best breakfast in town at the best price! We welcome Chef Karen Citino to our breakfast ministry. If you are interested in helping with this ministry (on a rotation basis such as once/month) please contact Warren Edminster or call 730-5568.

Advent begins Sunday, December 2. Our needs for the First Sunday Food Drive remain the same: canned meat, fruit, vegetables, dried pasta and sauce, canned and dry beans, soup, small jars of peanut butter, cereal, and, respectfully, money gifts. Donations may be dropped off outside the Church in the Fishpond Garden before morning services and in the office during the week. New volunteers are always welcome; contact Christina and Harry Caldwell, Philip's Pantry Coordinators.

First Sunday Music will be Lessons and Carols for Advent, presented by the St. Philip's Singers, Canterbury Choir, Canterbury Apprentices, and St. Nicholas Choir, with organ. The service will include music by Vaughan Williams, Poulenc, and Rachmaninoff, among others.

The Advent season brings the opportunity for all of us to reflect upon, prepare ourselves for, and anticipate the celebration of Christmas joy. As a very special gift, members and friends of our parish community share their spiritual reflections in St. Philip's Advent Meditations Booklet, now in its fifth year of publication. This year the meditations will focus on the inspirational music that surrounds us at this special time and will be accompanied by a link so that you may hear the music while you read the contributor's thoughts. You may pick up your Advent Meditations Booklet beginning on Sunday, December 2. Beginning December 2, meditations will be posted online. Read more.





Can you imagine anything more magical than nine Concert Grand Harps playing beautiful, originally arranged Christmas music? On Sunday, December 2, at 2 p.m. in the Church, Dr. Carrol McLaughlin and the amazing harpists of HarpFusion will present an inspiring concert which will honor many traditions, intricately weaving classical, jazz, world music, and holiday favorites into a concert that will warm the soul and celebrate the magic of the season. Included will be: Carol of the Bells, Air On A G String/Silent Night, Here We Come A Caroling, We Three Kings, Deck the Halls, and more. Start your holiday celebration off with the music of the angels, in this extraordinary program entitled, "Angels Among Us" Admission is by donation ($15 suggested).

Thanksgiving -- what comes to mind first? Parades? Football? More food at one meal than one can possibly eat? Probably some combination of all of the above -- yet also an opportunity to reflect and be grateful for all of life's blessings. For me, that includes a special thanks for St. Philip's, my spiritual home for 25 years and the place that has blessed me with more opportunities for service than I could ever count. This sense of gratitude leads quite naturally to pledging financial support to the continued ministry of my beloved parish-please consider joining me!

As of Monday, November 26, we have received 347 pledges for a total of $797,037. We are most grateful for this tangible expression of your commitment to growing in faith and participation at St. Philip's. If you have not yet returned your pledge materials, please do so as soon as possible. Forms are available in the office and on St. Philip's web site.



Interested in the impact of the Affordable Care Act? Want to know more about how it will be implemented, especially in Arizona? Pima County Interfaith Council (PCIC) has had a health care team working on these issues for several months. The team is now ready to present a Health Care Civic Academy on Sunday, December 2, 1:30-3 p.m., Our Mother of Sorrows Parish Hall, 1800 South Kolb Road. During the Academy, a panel of experts will discuss what health care will look like, with an emphasis on its future in Arizona. You will be able to ask questions of the panel, discuss the issues with others, and learn how you can have a voice in shaping the implementation of the ACA in Arizona. For more information, contact the Rev. Leah Sandwell-Weiss.

If you have ever been in the hospital, you know how reassuring it is to have a visit from your church.  Our clergy visits hospitalized parishioners every Tuesday and Thursday, but we have few clergy and many members. We are fortunate that some St. Philip's parishioners volunteer to go to hospitals in their neighborhoods (Northwest, Central or East) to visit hospitalized St. Philippians on Monday, Wednesday or Friday.  Join this needed and personally fulfilling ministry.  To discuss or volunteer, please contact Jim Prescott-Smith or call 577-3779.

Also, if you are hospitalized, or are planning a hospital stay, please let the office know! Because of the HIPAA Act of 1996, intended to protect your privacy through limiting what information can be released by hospitals and other institutions, the hospital cannot tell us if you are there. Our Hospital Visitors ministry would love to pay a call on you. Please call the office at 299-6421 between 8:30 and 4:30 Monday through Thursday, and give the information to the receptionist. Contact us even if you think someone else may have let us know - better to be notified twice than not at all! Also, when you check in, please let them know that you are a St. Philip's parishioner and you authorize priestly calls. You may also ask the hospital chaplain to notify us.

Don't forget to take advantage of the State Tax Credit by contributing to a public and/or private school before December 31. The Outreach Commission recom­mends Imago Dei Episcopal School (for more information click here), and one or more of the public low-income schools listed in our flier (available in the office and on the Outreach page of St. Philip's web site). This is a WIN-WIN situation as you get the full amount of your contribution back when you pay your Arizona state income tax. For more information call Peg Anderson, 575-8929.

We see the headlines and know of the tragedy unfolding in Gaza. Al Ahli Hospital of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem continues to offer compassionate care under the worst of circumstances. As a non-political, independent nonprofit, American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem acts as a partner with the Diocese of Jerusalem by helping to increase its capacity to teach and heal. AFEDJ promotes and raises program and infrastructure funds for humanitarian work of the Diocese of Jerusalem and its institutions so it may better serve the needs of all people in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and Israel. AFEDJ is devoted to equity, respect and human dignity. Your gifts support the work of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem in 14 schools, two major hospitals, 4 outpatient clinics, 4 institutes for the disabled in addition to parishes in Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan, an area of 121,000 square miles. Read more.

Through financial grants, Episcopal Community Services' mission is to continue to support our congregations and agencies in their many ministries of serving God by serving those in need. Your tax deductible donation of any size to Episcopal Community Services can make a huge difference. Click here for more information.


The Renouf/Nelson Library has available for checkout the books used in the JustFaith program. These books, written by some of the nation's most well-known theologians and social justice leaders, present in unequivocal yet highly readable terms the Gospel call for Christians to become involved in the care of our brothers and sisters living at the margins of society. Thanks to the Outreach Commission and the Border and Immigration Ministry for their generous support of Just Faith, which made this gift to the library possible.

Compassion: A Reflection of Christian Life, Henri J. M. Nouwen, Donald P. McNeill and Douglas A. Morrison, pub. Doubleday. "After years of study and discussion among themselves and with other religious men and women at the very center of national politics, the authors look at compassion with a vigorous new perspective. They place compassion at the heart of a Christian life in a world governed far too long by principles of power and destructive control."

Did you know that according to the Immigration Policy Center's 2010 publication, Giving Facts a Fighting Chance, The Cato Institute  found that legalization would boost the incomes of U.S. households by $180 billion in 2019. Cato also concluded that tighter restrictions and a reduction in less-skilled immigration would impose large costs on native-born Americans by shrinking the overall economy and lowering worker productivity. For questions/comments, contact BorderImmigrationMin@stphilipstucson.org.