The "Kirking o' the Tartans" will be celebrated on Sunday, November 24, at the 9 and 11:15 a.m. services. The Tucson Highlanders, a pipe band dedicated to the music of the great Highland bagpipes and Scottish-style drumming, will head the procession to and from the church on that day. Scottish and nae-Scottish parishioners and visitors are encouraged to wear their tartans to this service. You will be invited forward at the conclusion of the service to have your tartans blessed. St. Philip's uses this occasion to celebrate the Scottish heritage of the Episcopal Church by using a Eucharistic Prayer from the Scottish Prayer Book. The 9 and 11:15 a.m. services on November 24 will also be instructed music services, an opportunity to learn more about the music used in church services and how it is integral to worship. Verbal and printed explanations will be offered throughout the service, in place of a sermon.



Gobble, gobble, gobble!!!!!! Join your St. Philip's family and friends for our annual Thanksgiving dinner in the Murphey Gallery following the 11 a.m. Thanksgiving Eucharist, on Thursday, November 28. We are pleased to announce that parishioner Patricia Harris will provide lovely harp music while we dine. Parish life will provide turkeys. Please bring one of the following dishes for 8-10 guests, based on your last name. A-B, breads; C-H, vegetables/salads; I-M, potatoes/stuffing; N-T, desserts; U-Z, sauces including cranberry. And, mindful of those less fortunate, please also bring a nonperishable food item for the St. Philip's Food Pantry. We will be serving "two buck Chuck," so if you are a wine aficionado you may wish to bring a preferred bottle to share. You can let us know what you plan to bring and how many in your party by e-mailing Joe, signing up at the hospitality table in the Perry Garden during Coffee Hour, or phoning the church at 299-6421. Bring your friends and come share delicious food and good company!

The Advent Festival of Lights service, entitled "Maiden, Matron, Matriarch," will be held on Tuesday, December 3, at 6:30 p.m. This annual candlelit service seeks to illuminate the feminine face of God, with a focus this year on the power of female generations. The service will feature readings, prayers, instrumental music, and congregational singing. Prior to the service, beginning at 5:30 p.m., a light-fare potluck dinner will take place in the Murphey Gallery. A freewill offering will benefit Emerge! Center Against Domestic Abuse. All are welcome to attend -- men too!

The Advent season at St. Philip's brings with it the wonderful 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 sixth year of publication. This year the meditations focus on the meaning of pilgrimage. We invite you to join us in moving slowly through these meditations, day by day, reflecting in your own way on this season of waiting, expectation, and hope. You may pick up your Advent Meditations Booklet beginning on Sunday, December 1. And as usual, meditations will be posted online beginning December 1.

On Saturday, December 7, from 9 a.m. till 2 p.m., join the Rev. Allen Breckenridge for a quiet day of prayer and exploration to enrich your Advent journey. Reflect on your life of prayer, discover new ways to encounter God, and have time to practice several forms of prayer, all within a welcoming community. After 35 years in active ministry, Allen is a prayer seeker who is both struggling and, with some success, exploring different ways of prayer. He is continuing to expand his own devotion to God and especially enjoys assisting others in deepening their journey with God. $20.00 retreat fee includes materials and lunch. Scholarship assistance is available. Contact the Rev. Greg Foraker to register.

This week you should be receiving the print "digest" version of Good News from St. Philip's. This issue contains a schedule of services and events, Advent to Epiphany. Also enclosed is a Christmas Memorial Offering envelope for you to use to make an offering in memory of loved ones to be printed in the Christmas Eve bulletins. Please return it no later than Monday, December 9: mail it, drop it in an offering plate, or leave it at the church office (in Steve Brong's box). Christmas 2013 memorials go into a special restricted account to help pay for the special 2014 Easter decorations and for our wondrous Easter 2014 music. Easter memorial offerings from this past spring are being used to help provide the special Christmas decorations and music this season.

Learn about parishioner Bob Walling's recognition for his World War II service.
Read the Rev. Paul Buckwalter's review of Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth.
Relive the spectacular Friends of Music Halloween event.
Find out what our Church School participants do on Sunday mornings and what went on last summer in the Children's Center.
Experience Walt Whitman through the stories of Ron Lancaster.
... and more

During Stewardship season, many of us, including myself, tend to think first in terms of financial support--but how many of us stop to think what that check or electronic transfer can mean for the many ministries offered at St. Philip's? As an example, those of us in the Mental Illness Ministry are grateful beyond words to the staff who have gone above and beyond the call so many times--whether it be for scheduling a forum on an already crowded Sunday schedule, accommodating the Candlelight Prayer Vigil two years in a row during Mental Health Awareness Week, finding space for several support groups and a monthly book club--and all towards the goal of providing a safe, welcoming environment for folks who might otherwise have felt alone and disconnected. Multiply this by over 90--the number, at last count, of groups dedicated to "doing God's work in the world"--and imagine the ripple effect into the rest of our community. And of course, we depend as well on the commitment of our many volunteers--please think as well of how much a donation of your time can mean!
As of Wednesday, November 13, we have received 256 pledges for a total of $647,424. We are most grateful for this tangible expression of your commitment to growing from interior journey to outward mission at St. Philip's.