 Advent Meditation
Similar to the Bishop's Holy Week meditations, the Bishop is publishing a meditation each week for Advent via Constant Contact. A selection from his Week 2 meditation can be found below. The complete meditations can be found on our Facebook page and here for Week 1 and Week 2.
A month ago I had the privilege to celebrate the Eucharist for a congregation of over forty and preach at a midweek liturgy. I confirmed five candidates, and the congregation renewed their own baptismal promises. The laying-on-of-hands and anointing with oil for healing was received by thirty people. It was a moving liturgy at which I was assisted by Deacon Rose Bogal-Allbritton and Father Matt Bradley. Together we packed up our supplies, left the recreation center where the service was held, passed through a checkpoint, signed out, received our IDs, and thanked the guards for their help. The monthly Episcopal Service at the Western Kentucky Correctional Complex provided by St. John's, Murray, was completed for November.
This is the second time I have visited. I have preached, baptized, confirmed, and offered the Eucharist. But to be very honest, the most blessed recipient at these liturgies has been me.
For example. Entering the WKCC I surrender control or at least the illusion of control, and become dependent upon others, if I am to carry out what I am supposed to do. I experience a loss of freedom and control as I walk through gates in fences that are topped with razor wire. Guards in towers and at camera monitors observe my movements. I am uneasy in unfamiliar territory, yet a sense of anticipation begins to grow because I know I will encounter Christ in the proclamation of the Gospel, the Holy Sacrament of the altar, and in the people who will join me at the liturgy.
The lessons for Advent 2 speak both of harmony, as found in Isaiah's vision of the Peaceable Kingdom, and of dissonance, the cries of John the Baptizer. John calls God's people to radically commit to God's vision, to change inside and out, as individuals and as the community of faith, if harmony, the Peaceable Kingdom, is to be created.
There are illusions of control, and places of comfort we need to leave behind. A journey, whether across a prison compound, or in my heart in this season of preparation, provides us opportunities to surrender to and trust in God. Isaiah's vision is centuries old, but has it truly been tried? Is this not the right time to trust in God so completely that our landscape is forever changed? There are chains to cast off, gates to pass through, the illusion of control to banish, and God's own work to do.
Hark, a thrilling voice is indeed sounding! Christ is nigh! Cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light. Then build the peaceable reign of the Lord.
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 In Our Community
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Shopping for a Cause
By: St. George's Community Center
Do you still need a gift or two before the holidays or do you just love to shop? Don't miss out on the perfect shopping opportunity while simultaneously supporting our community. Two Chicks & Co. will be hosting a special benefit from now until Friday, December 13th.
A percentage of the proceeds will be donated to St. George's Community Center in order to help fund cutting edge and creative programming to launch youth into flights of self-discovery. You will need to mention St. George's Community Center as you check out.
Two Chicks & Co. is a vibrant shop that offers great gifts, jewelry, home decor, purses, shoes, collegiate collections, accessories, and much more! Visit their website at www.twochicksandcompany.com for just a sample of the treasures you may find in store.
Two Chicks & Co. is located at 12121 Shelbyville Road in Middletown, Kentucky, next to the Cheddar Box Cafe. For more information, please call 502-254-0400.
Mark your calendars for this special holiday shopping opportunity!
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Diocesan Office Holiday Closures
By: Bishop's Staff
The Diocesan Office will be closed Tuesday, December 24th through January 2nd for the Christmas and New Years holidays. Merry Christmas and blessings for Jesus has come! |
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Celebrating 100 Years on State Street
By: Christ Church, Bowling Green
The centennial of Christ Episcopal Church on State Street was marked by a dinner, an exhibit of historic photographs, newspaper articles and memorabilia on Friday, November 22. In addition, there was also an exhibit of works by local artists reflecting the life and history of the church and the Bowling Green area.
In keeping with their commitment to serving their community and those in it who are in need, and auction was held whose proceeds benefited HOTEL INC.
As a faith-based non-profit, HOTEL INC breaks the cycle of poverty and homelessness to build self-sufficient households. Staff and volunteers develop innovative programs to meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of clients, so they might break free from cycles of poverty and homelessness.
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Kilgore Samaritan Counseling Center Announces New Executive Director - Ken Fleming
The Board of Directors of Kilgore Samaritan Counseling Center is pleased to announce that Ken Fleming will be assuming the role of Executive Director effective January 1st.
Mr. Fleming has a wide variety of business and public service experience. He has served as Metro Councilman for District 7since 2002.
Wayne J. Harper, EdD, the current executive director, will remain with Kilgore as a staff Psychologist.
"We believe that Ken's business and public service background will be a great benefit to Kilgore," said Dan Russell, Board Chair. "We want to thank Dr. Harper for eight years of valuable service. Wayne has done an outstanding job of growing the counseling center and has been dedicated to our mission. Since he arrived, the Kilgore Samaritan Counseling Center successfully completed a capital campaign, moved into its own purchased building and developed new lines of therapy related business. Over 700 clients are seen each year, with over 400 new clients among them, totaling about 4,500 face-to-face counseling hours provided to families in need."
"I am honored to be named Executive Director of the Kilgore Samaritan Counseling Center," Mr. Fleming said. "This opportunity allows me to draw on my years of business and public service experience and use that for the benefit of a faith-based organization."
About The Kilgore Samaritan Counseling Center
The Kilgore Samaritan Counseling Center was established in recognition of the importance of pastoral counseling to persons in crisis and pain. The Kilgore Samaritan Counseling Center offers emotional healing, hope and new life perspective in the context of Judeo-Christian values to individuals, couples, youth and families experiencing the pressures of living in our complex society. In its 28-year history, the Kilgore Center has never turned away a person needing help because of inability to pay the standard fees.
The Kilgore Center is affiliated with the Samaritan Institute, a nationally recognized organization that develops and accredits pastoral counseling centers across the country. The first Samaritan Center was established in Elkhart, Indiana by a Presbyterian minister, a physician and a seminary professor who recognized the need for an integrated approach to mental health - one that includes attention to the religious dimensions of grief, depression, and marriage and family relationships.
The Kilgore Center is a ministry of Second Presbyterian Church and St. Francis in the Fields Episcopal Church.
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Louisville office space for rent
By: St. Thomas, Louisville
Two offices for rent on the east end of Louisville. Located near the corner of Westport Road and Hurstbourne Parkway.
$600 per month (total of 1174 sq. feet)
Great for a non-profit satellite office, business association or small non-profit.
Ample parking. Front desk area has built-in storage and is 10 by 17 feet. Private office is 12 by 17 feet. Access to 2 bathrooms, large meeting room and small kitchen area. Building has central heat and air
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Kentucky Refugee Ministries Winter Coat Drive
Fall is upon us! With these cool mornings and moving into winter, KRM is in need of winter coats for newly-arrived refugee families. We can accept new and gently used coats. We are also in need of warm blankets, hats, gloves, and scarves.
Items can be dropped off at
Kentucky Refugee Ministries
969B Cherokee Road
Louisville, KY 40204
Please also consider hosting a drive at your workplace, school, place of worship, etc. You may contact them via 502-479-9180 or www.kyrm.org
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#WATCHthisCAP: Small Hats Making a BIG Difference
The Seamen's Church Institute
 Knit, Tag, Drop Off and Share Online: the instructions for SCI's campaign to awaken the nation to the contributions of mariners.
Between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, the Seamen's Church Institute (SCI) asks knitters to help increase awareness of mariners' contributions by making-and hiding in plain sight-mini mariners' watchcaps. The hats draw attention to the fact that mariners, whose work is often hidden in plain sight, deliver more than 90% of all imported goods.
SCI makes available a pattern for a miniature mariners' watchcap (along with an informational tag to attach) as part of a nationwide activity called #WATCHthisCAP. Knitters and their friends place completed knits in conspicuous places to educate the public about the world's maritime workforce. SCI's #WATCHthisCAP movement hopes these handknit creations will reveal a fact few realize: much of what shoppers purchase on a day-to-day basis comes courtesy of the men and women of maritime commerce.
The hats fit bottle tops-from olive oil to wine-but also can garnish other things like gas pumps or bicycles. People can track the placement of the mini hats and monitor their impact on Twitter and Facebook using the hashtag #WATCHthisCAP. The colorful wool on top of everyday items might draw some strange looks, but people examining the tag affixed to each hat soon understand: "From smartphones to blue jeans, cars to fuel, mariners bring us the comforts of our daily lives."
SCI designed the miniature cap to mirror a life-sized watchcap, a hat design that has protected mariners traveling on cold waters for hundreds of years. Annually, thousands of SCI volunteers handcraft these hats to keep mariners' heads warm. Knitters and crocheters send in their creations-hats and scarves, vests and socks, too-to SCI's volunteer knitting program, Christmas at Sea, which distributes the garments to mariners arriving into ports around the United States.
Anyone interested in participating in this project should visit seamenschurch.org/WATCHthisCAP to learn more. SCI supplies tags, patterns and project promotion materials free of charge.
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Bible Challenge ongoing
Christians from across our diocese have begun their journey to reach the goal of reading the Bible in one year as part of an initiative called The Bible Challenge. You can follow them on Facebook here, or read their weekly meditations on their blog here.
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In Our Wider Church
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Applications now accepted online
for Episcopal Church Young Adult Service Corps
By: The Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs
Deadline is January 3
The Episcopal Church offers untold opportunities for young adults to provide service and share their expertise worldwide through the Young Adult Service Corps. Commonly known as YASC, applications for 2014-15 are now being accepted for the Young Adult Service Corps from young adults between the ages of 21-30.
"YASC provides an opportunity for young adults to explore their faith in a new capacity and to live out the Baptismal Covenant by seeking and serving Christ in all persons," noted the Rev. David Copley, Mission Personnel Officer. "Applicants must have a high degree of maturity and possess a faith commitment and the willingness to be a humble guest, and the ability to be an authentic companion." The application is available online here. The application deadline is January 3, 2014. Where are the YASC?
Current YASC members can be found throughout the Anglican Communion. They are working in administration, agriculture, development, education, and technology. They are serving in Brazil, Cuba, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Panama, the Philippines, South Africa, South Korea, and Tanzania. Read their thoughts and reflections on their blogs here.Among the possible placements for 2014-15 are Brazil, Burundi, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Mexico, Panama, the Philippines, South Africa and Taiwan.
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Three live Advent services offered
By: The Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs
Three beloved Advent services will be presented live by the Episcopal Church Office of Communication.
The live webcasts can be accessed on the website of the Episcopal Church here
All of the performances originate from Grace Church in New York City; the Rev. J. Donald Waring, rector of Grace Church.
December 8: Advent Lessons and Carols at 4 pm Eastern (3 pm Central, 2 pm Mountain, 1 pm Pacific). Lessons and Carols is a well-loved traditional observance in the Episcopal Church, featuring Scripture readings and favorite seasonal musical selections.
December 15: Evensong with Benjamin Britten's Ceremony of Carols at 4 pm Eastern (3 pm Central, 2 pm Mountain, 1 pm Pacific). This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Benjamin Britten, and his Ceremony of Carols is a worldwide, world-loved Christmas choral presentation.
December 24: Children's Pageant, a traditional favorite at 4 pm Eastern (3 pm Central, 2 pm Mountain, 1 pm Pacific).
The Advent services are part of the ongoing live webcast offerings from the Office of Communication produced by Mike Collins, Manager of Multimedia Services. The services will be available on-demand as well.
Grace Church is located at New York 802 Broadway (at 10th Street) in New York, NY.
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Where Tomorrow Meets Today: expanding the future of young adults in the Church
The Young Adult Community of the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida is HOSTING a Young Adult Ministry Conference.
This gathering is intended for all audiences: young adults, young adult ministry leaders, clergy, and lay persons. It is open to all denominations and traditions & includes speakers/teachers from a variety of Christian backgrounds and experiences.
In a time in which the current state and future role of Christianity in our western world is the question being discussed all over, young adult ministry is the concern of all of us.
Young Adults [persons aged 18-30s] are the present and the future of our churches & we have to address their needs and feed their souls today so that we will have an engaged, rich, and healing Christianity for tomorrow.
Join us in embodying our Christian present & working towards our Christian future together!
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New downloadable Liturgical eCalendar for 2014!
 Developed to be easily integrated into your Windows or Mac calendar system - as well as your mobile device - the Liturgical eCalendar provides easy access to the appointed Episcopal lectionary readings and proper liturgical colors for 2014. Simply download the eCalendar then import it into iCal, Outlook, Google calendar, or other standards compliant calendar program, to have access to the information you need to organize the liturgical year without need for a separate planning program. Download here
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| Events to Come |
Financial Peace University Coming to Calvary
By: Calvary, Louisville
Calvary Episcopal Church, 821 South 4th Street, Louisville, is providing Dave Ramsey's 9-week Financial Peace University course starting Sunday, January 12, from 1:00 to 3:00 in the Parish Hall.
This life-changing class taught by Dave Ramsey and the FPU teaching team on video and coordinated by Sandra Cherry will help you achieve your financial goals by showing you how to eliminate debt, save for the future, and give like never before. You will be challenged and motivated to make a plan for your money and change your family tree forever. In 9 action-packed lessons, you'll learn how to beat debt, build wealth, invest for the future, give like never before, and much more! Call Calvary (587-6011) to register.
The discounted cost for the first 10 registrants is $95 per family. There will be a Preview/Orientation session on Sunday, December 15 for those who might be interested from 1:00 to 1:30. For the classes, child care will be available for a nominal fee. This course is available for all adult ages, but somewhat targeted to young families with children and college graduates with much loan debt.
The lessons include:
- Super Saving: Common Sense for Your Dollars and Cents
- Relating With Money: Nerds and Free Spirits Unite
- Cash Flow Planning: The Nuts and Bolts of Budgeting
- Dumping Debt: Breaking the Chains of Debt
- Buyer Beware: The Power of Marketing on Your Buying Decisions
- The Role of Insurance: Protecting Your Health, Family and Finances
- Retirement and College Planning: Mastering the Alphabet Soup of Investing
- Real Estate and Mortgages: Keeping the American Dream From Becoming a Nightmare
- The Great Misunderstanding: Unleashing the Power of Generous Giving
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A Call for Remembrance and Resolve on Sandy Hook Anniversary
By: Advent, Louisville
On Saturday, December 14, the one-year anniversary of the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, join Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and members of our community to honor and remember the 26 lives lost at Sandy Hook Elementary School, as well as the thousands of Americans lost to gun violence every single year.
Our short program will culminate in a bell-ringing, honoring the 26 educators and children who died in the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre, as well as the thousands of Americans lost to gun violence every single year.
Speakers include Congressman John Yarmuth (KY-3); community activist Christopher 2X from Louisville; gun-violence survivor Sheronda Morris; and Tonya Lindsey, a Lexington mom whose son was taken by gun violence this year.
Saturday, December 14, 2013, 9:00 a.m.; Bell-ringing will commence at 9:30 a.m.
Episcopal Church of the Advent, 901 Baxter Ave, Louisville, KY, 40204
Note: This is a simple and solemn event; not a political rally. Please refrain from bringing signs, buttons or other items of a partisan or political nature.
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"Blue Christmas" service
By: St. Thomas, Louisville
 St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 9616 Westport Road, will be offering a "Blue Christmas" service on Wednesday, December 18 at 6 p.m. This service will include healing prayers and anointing with oil, as well as a quiet and caring space for prayer, for those feeling "blue" and low in spirit this holiday season. In this service we will be invited to reflect on the pain, the loneliness, and the sorrow we may feel and offer it all to our great sign of hope, the God who comes to us in the fragile flesh of a baby in a stable.
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How Open IS Our Table? conversation series hosted by St. Matthew's, Louisville
 Join St. Matthew's, Louisville for a three-week Advent conversation
Thursday evenings, 6:15 - 7:30 p.m.
December 5, 12 and 19, 2013
"All baptized Christians are welcome to receive Communion" has been the standard invitation to the Eucharist in the Episcopal Church until recently. Many Episcopal congregations, including St. Matthew's, have begun issuing an invitation to "all people," including people who have not been baptized and may even be adherents of another faith. What happened?
Why do some believe that the Eucharist should be available to anyone who chooses to receive while others reserve it for baptized Christians? What should be the practice in the Episcopal Church? In a church that claims to offer an "open table," what might that really look like? What do the words "open," "table" and "our" mean to 21st century seekers and followers of Jesus?
Join us as the Rt. Rev. Terry White, the Rev. Anne Vouga and the Rev. Tom Momberg take turns sharing their theological understandings of important dimensions of our Christian faith, such as Baptism, Eucharist, hospitality and community. There will be time for reflection, questions and responses. Come and bring a friend!
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Follow us across the web!
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| Prayer |
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December 8th
We pray for the Diocese of Western North Carolina, USA and The Rt Revd Porter Taylor. In our diocese we pray for Trinity Episcopal Church, Owensboro.
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December 22nd
We pray for the Diocese of Yokohama, Japan and The Rt. Revd Laurence Yutaka Minabe. In our diocese we pray for the St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Campbellsville.
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December 29th
We pray for the Diocese ofLake Rukwa, Tanzania and The Rt Revd Mathayo Kasagara. In our diocese, we pray for Christ Church Cathedral, Louisville.
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| ECF |
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 Love Laundry
by Nancy Davidge
Nancy Davidge shares the story of a tiny worshipping community in Southern California where community engagement takes precedence over worship.
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 College Ministries to Go
by Ruth Meeter
From addressing hunger issues to starting "to go" ministries, Ruth Meteer shares how St. Austine's has strengthened their relationships with nearby college students.
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 Diaper Bank Ministry
by Lu Stanton León
"The Diaper Bank gives us a real profile, a real identity." Lu Stanton León shares the story of how St. Paul's ministry grew and involved others in their community.
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 I'll Go With You
by Ema Rosero-Nordalm
Medical visits can be full of anxiety, fear, or pain. Ema Rosero-Nordalm shares how she discovered a gift we can offer each other in such moments.
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 Reading Camp rocks kids' worlds -- and helps them read better
by Mary Frances Schjonberg
Being able to read well is a basic skill that not every young student masters. That lack of mastery can lead to a lifetime of low achievement - and poverty. That is the basic premise of Reading Camp, an 11-year-old ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Lexington...
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 Prison storytelling project transforms lives, educates the community
by Lynette Wilson
The words coming from the mouths of the five actors can be difficult to hear. It's not the profanity, of which there isn't much; it's the descriptions of neglect, abuse, abandonment, addiction and loss experienced by 12 incarcerated women that weigh heavily on listeners...
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 Presiding Bishop's Advent Message 2013
"Advent is a quieter time of the year in the Church's understanding," Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori says in her Advent Message 2013. "It's a time to be still and listen, listen deep within to what is growing, ready to emerge into new life."...
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 Searching for understanding one day after fatal church fire
by Mary Frances Schjonberg
Instead of celebrating a Thanksgiving Eve Eucharist on the morning of Nov. 27, the members of St. Paul's by-the-Sea Episcopal Church remained stunned after a fire at the church the morning before killed two people, including their rector.
The Rev. David Dingwall, who would have turned 51 on Dec. 26, died hours after the fire occurred in the office area of the church at 3rd Street and Baltimore Avenue in Ocean City, Maryland...
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