| This Weekend's Readings | The Feast of the Epiphany (observed)
Click HERE to view this weekends readings.
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This Weekend's Preacher
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The Reverend Joyce Matthews
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Usher Schedule
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To view the usher schedule, please click HERE.
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12/31 Thursday
| Church Offices Closed
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1/1 Friday
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Church Offices Closed
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1/2 Saturday
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5:00 PM - Sanctuary with Holy Eucharist: Rite II
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1/3 Sunday
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8:00 AM - Holy Eucharist: Rite I
10:00 AM - Holy Eucharist: Rite II
11:30 AM - God and Me
11:30 AM - Docent Tour
11:30 AM - Healing Ministry 6:00 PM - Choral Evensong
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1/4 Monday
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8:30 AM - Morning Prayer
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1/5 Tuesday
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8:30 AM - Morning Prayer
4:30 PM - God and Family
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1/6 Wednesday
| 7:30 AM - Bible Study
8:30 AM - Holy Eucharist: Rite II
9:30 AM - Adult Children of Alcoholics Meeting
11:00 AM - Baldwin Soup Kitchen (off-site)
6:00 PM - Renew Service
7:00 PM - Adult Confirmation Class
7:00 PM - Children & Youth Standing Committee Meeting
7:00 PM - Personnel Committee Meeting
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1/7 Thursday
| 8:30 AM - Morning Prayer
7:30 PM - Christ Church Choir Rehearsal
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Let the Darkness be Dark
The Light, Light
A Meditation for Epiphany | | Several years ago, I went through a spiritual crisis. It wasn't that I lost my faith, but that I had lost my way of holding it together. The common word for this is "theology," but that hardly explains what went missing. What I had lost was confidence in the way that I had grown accustomed to understanding God. Difficulties in my ministry and in my personal life had left this understanding lying at my feet, shattered into so many conceptual pieces.
In the stories of the mystics, such failures are greeted with wonder and surprise. But I was not, at that time at least, one of those mystics. Instead, I was filled with dread and fear. I had built my life around these cherished beliefs of mine - I had used them to justify the most important decisions I then faced in my life - or at least those decisions we are normally told are important, like a career. What would the future look like, I asked, if these beliefs were untrue, if I had built my life around an illusion? I felt unmoored, unsteady, at sea with no sight of land.
However, things began to get better when I saw this process as an important step in a deeper journey with God. When I learned to let the waters be rough, I began to get my sea-legs, as it were - to bend my spiritual knees just a bit so that the waves hitting the bow of my soul would no longer send me toppling.
To use an even better image, I learned to see the movement from darkness to light as ongoing. Light and darkness are often opposed - rightly - in the Scriptures. However, darkness has an important role to play, not only in the beginning of our faith-journey, but along the way. Because it is precisely in the interplay of light and darkness inside of us and our world that we experience deeper intimacy with God.
God knows the light, of course, and we know God easily when God comes to us as light. But God dwells even in the darkness, and therefore we can know God as well in the darkness - in those moments where we know God best by negation, by what we learn that God is not, by the via negativa, as the mystics called it. If I once understood God by the cherished beliefs I once built my life around, now I know that they are inadequate, that they fall short of who God was calling me to be. And that self-knowledge made me more compassionate, more humble, more connected with the world around me.
We commonly think of Epiphany as the time that remembers the coming of the three kings, and, of course, that is part of the story. However, the main teaching of Epiphany concerns the light. The season begins when the magi follow a star that is shining brightly and thereby find the newborn King.. It concludes with the Transfiguration, when that same heavenly light shines from Jesus as he makes his way to die in Jerusalem.
As we make our way this Epiphany, may God be present in the interplay of light and darkness that is, I suspect unavoidable in every life, no matter the beliefs or decisions each of us makes. Whether we stand, or are moving, from darkness to light or back again, may God's presence be known. May the movement bring deeper intimacy with God. I close with a prayer by John O'Donohue called "For Light" (To Bless the Space Between Us, 2008).
Light cannot see inside things.
That is what the dark is for:
Minding the interior,
Nurturing the draw of growth
Through places where death
In its own way turns into life.
In the glare of neon times,
Let our eyes not be worn
By surfaces that shine
With hunger made attractive.
That our thoughts may be true light,
Finding their way into words
Which have the weight of shadow
To hold layers of truth.
That we never place our trust
In minds claimed by empty light,
Where one-sided certainties
Are driven by false desire.
When we look into the heart,
May our eyes have the kindness
And reverence of candlelight.
That the searching of our minds
Be equal to the oblique
Crevices and corners where
The mystery continues to dwell,
Glimmering in fugitive light.
When we are confined inside
The dark house of suffering
That moonlight might find a window.
When we become false and lost
That the severe noon-light
Would cast our shadow clear.
When we love, that dawn-light
Would lighten our feet
Upon the waters.
As we grow old, that twilight
Would illuminate treasure
In the fields of memory.
And when we come to search for God,
Let us first be robed in night,
Put on the mind of morning
To feel the rush of light
Spread slowly inside
The color and stillness
Of a found world.
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| Special Notice | |
The Church Offices will be closed on the following days: - Thursday, December 31
- Friday, January 1
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! |
| This Week's Intercessions | | |
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| Choral Evensong & God in the City | | Sunday, January 3, 2016
Please join us the first Sunday of the month for Choral Evensong at 6:00 PM. There will be an organ recital preceding each Choral Evensong at 5:30 PM. The recitalist for January is Dr. James Kibbie, Chair of the Department of Organ and University Organist at the University of Michigan.
This year, at our Choral Evensong services, we will provide an opportunity for activists, academics, clergy, community leaders, and artists to share how they find God in the midst of their work in the Greater Detroit Area and beyond. After offering a sermon at our monthly Choral Evensong, they will offer additional remarks and take questions about the work they do during a special reception.
Our next Choral Evensong and God in the City preacher will be the Reverend Dr. Stephen Butler Murray, the president and professor of Systematic Theology and Preaching at the Ecumenical Theological Seminary (ETS) in Detroit. All are welcome.
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| Item of the Month | | |
The Item of the Month for January is "Birthday in a Bag." What is a birthday in a bag? For the children of Glazer Elementary, the reality of having a cake and candles on their birthday is very slim. Christ Church Cranbrook provides a special Birthday Bag for each child at Glazer to ensure that every child is celebrated and honored on his or her special day. We are asking you to contribute one or more or all of the items listed below and place them in the bins located in the church entrances. Items needed: 1 box cake mix, small bottle 6-8 oz of vegetable oil, 24 individual disposable aluminum foil baking cups, 1 container of canned frosting, bag of 25 balloons, cake candles, stickers, party plates and napkins. Thank you for contributing to this important Outreach Ministry at Christ Church Cranbrook.
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| Confirmation, Reception, and Reaffirmation Classes | | Confirmation is a pastoral rite in the Episcopal Church; therefore it is not a rite that notes fuller initiation into the Church, the Body of Christ. A person is a full member of the Church through Baptism. Confirmation is a "mature public affirmation of faith and commitment to the responsibilities of Baptism" BCP (p. 860). At Confirmation one receives strength from the Holy Spirit through prayer and laying on of hands by a bishop. There are some positions of leadership in the Episcopal Church that require one to be confirmed such as Vestry members, Eucharistic Ministers and Eucharistic Visitors.
Reception is common for people who have been active throughout their lives in other denominations. These folks have made a mature public affirmation of their faith and commitment to the responsibilities of Baptism in their previous denomination.
Reaffirmation means that you choose to re-state your commitment to Christ in the Episcopal Church honoring your growth in faith throughout your spiritual journey.
Our Adult (16 years or older) Confirmation, Reception, and Reaffirmation Classes are scheduled on January 6, January 20, January 27, February 3, February 17, February 24, March 2, March 9, and March 16 in room 201 and 202 at 7:00 PM. These classes will provide knowledge regarding the Episcopal Church. They are open to adults who not only want to be Confirmed, but may want Reception or Reaffirmation or just a refresher course to learn more about the Episcopal Church.
If you have any questions or would like to participate in the classes please contact The Reverend Joyce Matthews at 248.644.5210, Ext. 15 or email jmatthews@christchurchcranbrook.org.
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| New Children and Youth Liturgical Drama | | Mark your calendars for the new play to be performed on Saturday February 6 at 5:00 PM. The theme of the play is Transfiguration. Casting call is Sunday January 10 after the 10:00 AM worship.
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| Trinity Institute comes to Cranbrook! | |
Sponsored by Trinity Wall Street, an Episcopal parish in New York City, the 45th Annual Trinity Institute is a theological conference that equips lay and ordained Christians for imaginative and catalytic discipleship. TI2016: Listen for a Change - Sacred Conversations for Racial Justice- is being webcasted live at Christ Church Cranbrook on Friday, January 22 and Saturday, January 23. Participants from all faith perspectives are welcomed. Tickets for the events and lunch are $15 per day and more information is available HERE.
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| High School Hang Out | | An opportunity for High Schoolers to hang out and connect with their peers and make a connection. If you are in 9th - 12th grade come check it out, come to the parlor immediately following church service. Youth Leaders will be there to greet you: Pastor Manisha, Jill Bednas, David & Joan Jensen,or Michael & Maryilyn Roche. This is sort of High School coffee hour with guided conversation.
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| Women's Spirituality Group | | A new year, a new season. During the season of Music, Arts and Sciences, we will explore the differing visions of creationism, evolution and intelligent design. Come for one or all of the five weeks in the season (January 8 - February 5) being led by Susan Santoro. Next season: Internal Spiritual Life, where will explore writing a rule of life. WSG meets 12-1 PM on Fridays in Room 201-202, with a brown bag lunch at 11:30 AM.
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| Healing Ministry | |  Are you interested in joining our Healing Ministry? Members of Christ Church Cranbrook Healing Ministry are embarking on a new study for induction into the Order of St. Luke. The International Order of St. Luke the Physician is made up of clergy, health professionals, and lay people who feel called to make Jesus' ministry of healing a ministry they will engage in at their respective churches. Our brown bag studies will take place on Sunday from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM on January 3rd and February 7th. We welcome those from other Christian churches who want to discern their call to healing ministry. Please contact the Reverend Joyce Matthews if you are interested at jmatthews@christchurchcranbrook.org or 248.644.5210, Ext. 15. |
| Prayer Shawl Ministry | | Please consider joining the Prayer Shawl Ministry on the second Monday of each month, from 12:00-2:00 PM, in Rooms 201-202. Experienced knitters, beginners, and those who wish to learn are all welcome. Our next meeting is January 11. Many thanks to all for our 2015 accomplishments. Prayer shawls have been delivered to those in need and the Knit Extravaganza was a success due to your generosity. Numerous items from the sale were donated and all proceeds will go to CCC Outreach Programs.
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| Fact and Fiction Fun | |  The next meeting of FFF is Monday, January 25, 2016 in the Conference Room of Christ Church Cranbrook from 7:30 to 9:00 PM. The selection for January is Huck Finn's America: Mark Twain and the Era That Shaped His Masterpiece, by Andrew Levy. Everyone is welcome.
A provocative, exuberant, and deeply researched investigation into Mark Twain's writing of Huckleberry Finn, which turns on its head everything we thought we knew about America's favorite icon of childhood. In Huck Finn's America, award-winning biographer Andrew Levy shows how modern readers have been misunderstanding Huckleberry Finn for decades. Levy argues convincingly that Huck Finn was written at a time when Americans were nervous about youth violence and "uncivilized" bad boys, and a debate was raging about education, popular culture, and responsible parenting - casting Huck's now-celebrated "freedom" in a very different and very modern light. An eye-opening, groundbreaking exploration of the character and psyche of Mark Twain as he was writing his most famous novel, Huck Finn's America brings the past to vivid, surprising life, and offers a persuasive-and controversial-argument for why this American classic deserves to be understood anew. |
| Saint Francis Children's Choir | | St. Francis Choir meets on Sundays following the 10 AM Service! All children, 4 years old to second grade, are welcome and encouraged to join the St. Francis Choir and experience the joy of choral singing. Kate Bublitz will direct the choir again this year. Rehearsals are held in the Choir Room immediately following Sunday's 10:00 AM service. For more information contact Kate at kate.bublitz@hotmail.com.
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| Member Directory Advertising | | Cathedral Directories is publishing our annual member directory and is looking for advertisers in support of this publication. If you would be interested in advertising this year or would like more information please contact Cathy Hunley at Cathedral Directories, 248.545.1415, Ext. 110. The deadline for ads is February 15, 2016.
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| Do You Need a Ride to Church? | |  Do you or someone you know need a ride to the 10:00 AM service on Sundays? We now have a shuttle running from Fox Run retirement community in Novi to CCC every Sunday for the 10:00 AM service. The shuttle leaves Fox Run at 9:15 AM and will make stops between there and Christ Church Cranbrook. If you or someone you know lives in Farmington Hills, W. Bloomfield, Bloomfield Hills, Beverly Hills or Birmingham and would like a ride to church, please contact Mr. Don Canavesio at 586.747.6587.
If a ride is needed, you need to contact Don by Saturday at Noon for a ride for the next day. Seating is limited so rides are on a first come-first served basis. There is no charge for this service. |
| Cub Scouts / Boy Scouts / Venturers | | A religious education program is being offered at Christ Church Cranbrook to encourage the spiritual growth of youth. This Religious Emblem Program is recognized by the Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of the USA. The programs offered are: God & Me (grades 1 - 3), God & Family (grades 4 - 5), God & Church (grades 6 - 8) and God & Life (grades 9 - 12). Upon completing the program, a scout is awarded the religious emblem medal suitable for uniform wear. For registration and additional information, contact Scott Bednas at 313.686.1020, or email: sbednas@umich.edu
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| Old Rectory Resale Shop at All Saints', Pontiac | |
The Old Rectory Resale Shop at All Saints' Pontiac has new hours and all new stock. Fridays & Saturdays 10-2. All new, but gently used, fall and winter clothes, kitchen and decorating items, plus a huge stock of Christmas decorating items, at fabulous prices. The Produce Market is right next door, open Saturdays 10-2, with fresh fruits and vegetables at near wholesale prices. Our Book Nook has thousands of gently read titles for adults and children, Saturdays 10-12. Come by to shop or to volunteer. New help is always welcome for these major ministries of All Saints'. Pike & Exchange Sts., west of Woodward, between Orchard Lake and M-59. Check out our new website www.allsaintspontiac.org or Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/oldrectoryresaleshop.
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| Interfaith Question of the Week |
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As a way of learning about our neighbors of different faith traditions, we will be providing a link to the Question of the Week on the InterFaith Leadership Council (IFLC) of Metro Detroit's website. Please feel free to submit our own questions to IFLC for consideration to be featured.
The InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit is a faith-based civic organization made up of visionary religious and lay leaders of many faiths whose shared values compel them to work toward a community that lives together in harmony.
Our Goals:
BRING TOGETHER, encourage and nurture interfaith groups and networks
SUPPORT CONCILIATION between and among religious groups as well as the community at large through active conflict resolution
PROMOTE INTERFAITH EDUCATION so that the metropolitan Detroit community can benefit from the synergies and creative benefits that knowledge and understanding can provide. |
| CCC Services Live Streamed | | Christ Church Cranbrook is now live streaming our 10:00 AM Sunday service! No matter where you are you don't have to miss a service. To view services, please click HERE. Videos of previous services are archived on this page as well.
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| Online and Text Giving - It's Easy! | | |
 Contributions can now be made online and by text messaging. Please click HERE and see how quick and easy it is.
We invite you to consider our new electronic "Online Giving" program as a way to automate your donations to Christ Church Cranbrook. Read more
We encourage you to consider these new giving opportunities.
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| Follow CCC on Facebook! |
|  We hope you "Like" us!
 You can view our Facebook page even if you don't have a Facebook account! Our page show a more "relaxed" version of CCC! If you have a Facebook account, simply click the button above and then click the "Like" button on our page. We're just getting started and we need your help to really get moving. |
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