Spirit of the Eagle – December 2012
Out in the fields, an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds who were tending their flocks of sheep by night. The angel announced that the Savior had been born in the town of David. Suddenly a great host of heavenly beings appeared with the angels and began singing praises to God. As the angelic beings departed, the shepherds decided to travel to Bethlehem and see the Christ-child.
There they found Mary, Joseph and the baby, in the stable. After their visit, they began to spread the word about this amazing child and everything the angel had said about him. They went on their way still praising and glorifying God. But Mary kept quiet, treasuring their words and pondering them in her heart. It must have been beyond her ability to grasp, that sleeping in her arms—the tender child she had just borne—was the Savior of the world.
St. John’s Christmas Outreach
Thank you to everyone who contributed to a successful Thanksgiving outreach effort this year. Eleven families were assisted for the holiday.
For Christmas, we will be providing Christmas meals, non-perishable items and gifts for the children through our Giving Tree. The Giving Tree will be in the parish hall on Sunday, December 2nd with names of children for whom a gift is requested. If you would like to participate, please select a name off of the tree, sign the gift tracking sheet, and return your gift NO LATER than Sunday, December 23rd.
After the Thanksgiving outreach effort, we are in need of food items and cash donations to ‘refill the pantry’. If you would like to make a monetary donation by check, please make the check payable to “St. John’s ACC” with a designation in the memo portion of “ACM Outreach”. The donation will be processed through the general fund and directed to the ACM group. Thank you for your participation and generosity in this holiest time.
Dessert Raffle for Christmas Outreach
At our St. Nicholas Christmas luncheon today, we will be having another dessert raffle to raise money for our Christmas food outreach. Lori Seyberth will have two special yummy desserts to raffle off for only $1.00 a chance, so if you’re feeling lucky please give Lori a shout. Thanks to your generosity, the last dessert raffle netted an awesome $58 for our Thanksgiving food outreach!
Spiritual Tidbits for December from Father Tim
NICHOLAS FERRAR
Deacon and Confessor, Man of Prayer (1592-1637)
Commemorated 1st of December
Nicholas Ferrar, founder of an Anglican religious community that lasted from 1626 to 1646. After Nicholas had been ordained as a deacon, he and his family and a few friends retired to Little Gidding, Huntingdonshire, England, to devote themselves to a life of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving (Matt. 6:2,5,16). They restored the abandoned church building, and became responsible for regular services there. They taught the neighborhood children, and looked after the health and well-being of the people of the district. They read the regular daily offices of the Book of Common Prayer, including the recital every day of the complete Psalter. (Day and night, there was always at least one member of the community kneeling in prayer before the altar, that they might keep the word, “Pray without ceasing.”) They wrote books and stories dealing with various aspects of Christian faith and practice. They fasted with great rigor, and in other ways embraced voluntary poverty, so that they might have as much money as possible for the relief of the poor. The community was founded in 1626 (when Nicholas was 34). He died in 1637 (aged 45), and in 1646 the community was forcibly broken up by the Puritans of Cromwell’s army. The memory of the community survived to inspire and influence later undertakings in Christian communal living, and one of T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets is called “Little Gidding.”
From Little Gidding by T.S. Eliot:
If you came this way,
Taking any route, starting from anywhere,
At any time or at any season,
It would always be the same: you would have to put off
Sense and notion. You are not here to verify,
Instruct yourself, or inform curiosity
Or carry report. You are here to kneel
Where prayer has been valid. And prayer is more
Than an order of words, the conscious occupation
Of the praying mind, or the sound of the voice praying.
And what the dead had no speech for, when living,
They can tell you, being dead: the communication
Of the dead is tongued with fire
beyond the language of the living.
Here, the intersection of the timeless moment
Is England and nowhere. Never and always.
Advent
Yes! Advent is here! Our Lord and Saviour is coming! Advent is a time for each of us Christians to pray and contemplate our salvation, our gift of life given to us by our Creator, and its meaning. Where are we going? What is the reason of our existence? Advent signals each of us to repent, stop our daily struggles, and ponder the only answer to these questions: we are travelling through life toward our Father’s house. Jesus Christ has opened The Way for us and left road signs for direction pointing out The Truth which will lead us to The Life eternal. Thank you Lord Jesus!!! ~Father Tim
Holy Sonnet 15 – John Donne
Wilt thou love God as he thee ? then digest,
My soul, this wholesome meditation,
How God the Spirit, by angels waited on
In heaven, doth make His temple in thy breast.
The Father having begot a Son most blest,
And still begetting—for he ne’er begun—
Hath deign’d to choose thee by adoption,
Co-heir to His glory, and Sabbath’ endless rest.
And as a robb’d man, which by search doth find
His stolen stuff sold, must lose or buy it again,
The Sun of glory came down, and was slain,
Us whom He had made, and Satan stole, to unbind.
‘Twas much, that man was made like God before,
But, that God should be made like man, much more.
Donne shows the connection between the Incarnation and the Crucifixion. “The Sun of glory came down, and was slain, / Us whom He had made, and Satan stole, to unbind.” We are bound by sin, misled by Satan to put our own wills higher than the will of the One who made us. Despite the fact that our situation is, to put it bluntly, all our own fault, the Son, the Light of the World – the Sun of Glory – came infinitely far down to us, to loose us from the chains of sin.
And at what a cost? He made us, and so we are rightfully His, but even so, He chose to pay for us again – to pay the ultimate price of His own perfect and sinless life, for us: “And as a robb’d man, which by search doth find / His stolen stuff sold, must lose or buy it again, / The Sun of glory came down, and was slain.”
Yet Donne reminds us that our Lord offers not just rescue from sin, but eternal life as adopted children of God. “The Father… Hath deign’d to choose thee by adoption, / Co-heir to His glory, and Sabbath’ endless rest.” It is an offer that seems too good to be true… except that it comes from the hand of the Father, who is perfect Good, and so it is an offer that we can trust.
•••
What does Christmas Day mean to us? It means that on a particular day in history, God Himself took on mortal flesh and was born as a human baby, in cold and poverty, in fear and uncertainty and the shadow of Herod’s murderous intentions. We could not reach up to Him, so He came down to us. “Twas much, that man was made like God before, But, that God should be made like man, much more.”
John Donne (1572-1631) was an English poet, satirist, lawyer and a priest in the Anglican Church of England. He is considered the pre-eminent representative of the metaphysical poets.
•••
As St. Basil says, he was at a loss as to what to do in return: “What shall I give to the Lord in return for all His benefits towards me?” (Ps. 116: 12). For our sakes God lived among men; because of our corrupted nature the Logos became flesh and dwelt among us. The Source of Blessing visited the ungrateful, the Liberator the captives, the Sun of Righteousness those sitting in darkness. The Man of Dispassion came to the Cross, Light to Hades, Life to death, Resurrection to the fallen. To Him let us cry: “Our God, glory to Thee!” St. John of Damaskos says: “Heaven was amazed, and the earth’s ends were astounded, that God should appear in bodily form to men and that your womb, O Mother of God, became capable of containing the heavens; because of this the orders of angels and of men magnify you.” And again: “All who heard shuddered at the ineffable condescension of God; how the Most High of His own will descended even to the body, born man from a virgin womb. Because of this we the faithful magnify the pure Mother of our God.”
“Come, all peoples, and believe. Let us climb the holy and heavenly mountain; free from materiality, let us stand in the city of the living God and behold with our intellect the immaterial godhead of the Father and the Spirit blazing forth in the Only-begotten Son. Thou hast enraptured me with longing for Thee, O Christ, and hast transformed me with the intensity of Thy divine love; with immaterial fire consume my sins and fill me with delight in Thee, so that in my joy, O Lord, I may praise Thy first and second coming. Thou art all tenderness, O Saviour, all my desire, truly the goal of my insatiable longing; Thou art all beauty irresistible.” (St. Peter of Damaskos – The Fourth Stage of Contemplation)
•••
Please join us in our Spirituality Class on December 23rd to discuss “fasting, food, fast-days and feasts”. Advent is actually a penitential season which should always include fasting. Why should we fast? What does fasting do for us? When should I fast? What type of food should I choose to fast? What can I fast from other than food? Questions abound when this subject is brought up and I hope to supply some answers. We can even discuss this on non-related church subject matter if time allows. I have 30 years of experience in the “food” industry and Janet’s education and degree is in Dietetics and physical fitness. Trust us when we tell you there are some foods (and food ingredients) you should “fast” from indefinitely. Join us in an open discussion on when to consume and when not to consume!
Have a very merry Christ-mass and Happy New Year!
Father Tim, Janet, Brittany, and Savannah!
Christmas Clergy Appeal 2012
St. John’s Parishioners,
As we approach the holiest of seasons within the church, it’s appropriate that we reflect on the blessings we have received through the year. In this year of renewal, St. John’s has been blessed to be served by very passionate and dedicated clergy. We would like to ensure all parishioners have the opportunity to contribute towards a Christmas gift for our clergy this year.
If you would like to make a donation to this Christmas Clergy Appeal, please place your donation in an envelope into to the collection plate labeled “Clergy Appeal” or mail to the church at 619 O’Fallon Ave. Dayton, KY 41074. If you are making a donation by check, please make the check out to “St. John’s ACC” with a note in the check memo to “Clergy Appeal”.
We would like to have your donations by Sunday, December 16, 2012. If you have any questions, please contact a member of the Vestry.
Thank you for your generosity,
St. John’s Vestry
End of the Month Club
The End of the Month Club is a chance for parishioners and friends to meet at a local restaurant to share a meal and fellowship. All are welcome. Most times we meet for lunch on the last Thursday of the month. A few times a year we meet for dinner, so those who can’t make the lunches have a chance to share in this fellowship. Due to the busyness of the holiday season, our November and December meetings will be cancelled. We will resume after the first of the year.
Altar Guild
The Altar Guild is responsible for making the sanctuary ready for all services. Its members maintain the church’s liturgical requirements for services by preparing the altar, laundering linens, preserving the sacred vessels, and arranging the floral displays that beautify the church. If you would be interested in serving on the Altar Guild, or if would like to give flowers for a Mass in memory of a loved one, please contact Joyce Murray. Also, we are in desperate need of an individual or two to begin serving on our Altar Guild. If you are interested, please see Joyce and she would be happy to let you to shadow her for a couple of weeks until you are ready.
Sunday School Director Needed
Our Sunday School Program is in need of someone with drive and vision, who has a passion for the welfare of children and a desire to help them come to know Christ. We need an individual who has a gift for organization and leadership who can pull together all of the resources we have available and run a program to educate our children to prepare them for life in the Church. If this sounds like something you may be interested in, Please let Fr. Newman know.
December Birthdays & Anniversaries
Sarah “Helen” Foster – Birthday – December 1
Jim Barnett – Birthday – December 3
Fr. Timothy Butler – Birthday – December 4
John & Sally Whalen – Anniversary – December 21
Michael T. Whalen – Birthday – December 22
Gary & Joan Blade – Anniversary – December 22
Artie Robbins – Birthday – December 24
Jesus Christ – Birthday – December 25
Junior Warden’s Report
On behalf of the Vestry, I would like to thank everyone who attended our Annual Parish Meeting. I am particularly pleased that most of you are in agreement that we complete our remaining maintenance issues and your input at the parish meeting was very much appreciated. As Fr. Neuroth has reminded us many times in the past of a statement made by our late member George Seldon, “A good Vestry should be the conduit for the purpose of executing the wishes of a congregation”. What a good and wise man George was.
Speaking of good and wise men, I would like to thank Steve Marvin, who along with his sweetheart of a wife Juanita, has offered to pay for the carpet in the chancel of our Church. This will cut the cost of the project by 33%. Their generosity to St. John’s is never ending!
I hope to see everyone in the Church Hall today after Mass for our Annual Christmas Luncheon / Visit from St. Nicholas. It is always a jolly event, and Robert Hooks will once again spoil us with a great home cooked meal and his ever-present smile. Before you leave, be sure to check out a sample of the chairs we hope to purchase.
I am also pleased to announce the Vestry will gather for a few minutes today in Fr. Newman’s office to officially vote to accept a bid of $3200 for a new roof for the Parish Hall. After receiving two other bids of $5900 and $5000, we received this fantastic bid from the son of Bill and Peggy Minor. Incidentally, Brad Minor’s roofing business is called BIC Roofing, LLC. The BIC stands for Brothers in Christ. Thanks for the great referral Bill!
So there you have it; without even having to write a Letter to Santa, our wish list is being filled, thanks to the generosity and input of the members of St. John’s! I would like to wish everyone at SJC a Merry and Blessed Christmas, and a healthy and prosperous New Year!
Mike Lenz
