Grace Notes

The Newsletter of Grace Episcopal Church, P.O. Box 18, Casanova, Virginia 20139       (540) 788-4419         December 2009

 

­­“Grace Church – Reaching the world for Jesus Christ, beginning in Casanova – Acts 1:8”

 

                                         RECTOR’S REFLECTIONS

Dear Ones at Grace,

 

Advent comes each year as a season of prepara­tion for the wonderful feast of Christmas.  For most Americans Advent is usually drowned out by the competition of the commer­cial and social aspects of the Christ­mas holidays.  Some like it that way because Advent is seen as a mini Lent with it’s penitence and all that goes with it and since we want to have fun at Christ­mas, we ignore Advent.  What’s interesting is that while Advent, which is from Latin and means come or coming, was originally a season of penitence that was as long as Lent, it was not originally about Christmas at all.  Advent was the 6 week season before the feast of the Epiphany.  Christmas didn’t even exist as a church feast till centuries after the birth of Jesus.  Even at that it was started as a way to enfold the pagan feast of Saturnalia at the change from fall to winter into a Christian cel­ebration.  With that, the season of Advent was shortened to the four Sundays before Christmas day and the days between Christmas day (December 25) and the Epiph­any (January 6) became the liturgical season of Christmas, also known from the well known song as the 12 days of Christmas.  Having said all of this, Advent is more than just a preparation for Christmas.  Advent has histori­cally tied the First Advent (the coming of Jesus Christ in the man­ger at Beth­lehem) to the Sec­ond Advent (the coming of Christ to the earth in Rev. 1:7, 19:11-16).    So each year we have read­ings in Advent that look back to the promise of a messiah in OT prophecy and that also look ahead to the arrival of Christ in power and majesty.  But let’s switch gears for a moment.

Historically, of course, the root of the church year is the cycle of events of Holy Week, especially Good Friday and Easter. Every Christian weekly worship was a remembrance of Christ "crucified for our offenses and raised for our justification." (Romans 4:25). The modern liturgical movement has emphasized the centrality of this focus with the weekly remem­brance of Jesus’ saving act through the celebration of Holy Communion.  This is the main focus in the New Testament which is cross and resurrection centered.  Only small parts of it deal with the birth of Jesus at all.  So Christmas is secondary.  But Christmas is not unimportant.

Why?  Was Mark's gospel not sufficient?  Why did both Mat­thew and Luke add stories of the birth of Christ?  The answer seems to involve more than hu­man curiosity.  Jesus in Mark (and to some extent in John) suddenly appears.  His humanity is not self-evident allowing for a belief sys­tem surrounding Jesus which could keep him as a mystical sort of spirit only being. (Heresies did develop around this called docetism and gnosticism).  The birth stories underscore the hu­man Jesus and tie Him down to a particular place, time, and peo­ple—Israel, those who had re­ceived the promises of God.

Christianity needed Christmas to avoid becoming a mystery cult, overly focused on the death and resurrection of Jesus (and our own dying and hopes beyond death). While this is perhaps the deepest human question (What happens when we die?) Advent and Christmas causes us to also ask another question: (What is the meaning of this life?)

But almost as soon as we spot the potential significance of Christ­mas (this Incarnational thrust) we can also anticipate the great prob­lem. Any claim for God to be with and in and for the world will sooner or later run the risk of tying God to the world too closely, too uncritically. The com­mercialization of Christmas, the often uncritical adoption of pagan ceremonies, the confusion of the New World Order with the King­dom of God—all of this is already inherent in the risky message that God has entered into human life in Christ.  And yet God takes that risk!  So even though Christmas is secondary, in the liturgical cy­cle, it comes first and gives im­portant perspective to the signifi­cance of the cross and the cele­bration of Easter.  So don’t over­look Advent in the busyness of this season or on the way to the presents Christmas day.  It is a season with a message of always looking for God.  He came in the flesh in the past and will do so again in the future.  And as the name Emmanuel implies, He is with us in the present as well.  Have a Blessed Advent and  Merry Christmas.    Jim+

 

PROJECT LOGAN

PILLOWS FOR PATRIOTS

 

Our own Logan Shipe has a mis­sion.  That mission is to help some of our servicemen and women to be a little more com­fortable while they are deployed in a war zone.  And he would like you, the people of Grace Church, to help.  What we can do is take Logan’s mission and partner with others who have the same mis­sion and make it happen.  Here’s the story.

 

Comfort is a rare commodity for American soldiers serving over­seas in Iraq and Afghanistan, but Harris Pillow Supply is hoping to change that with its “Pillows for Patriots” program.

The 51‑year old family owned company out of Beaufort, SC, launched the initiative in late July after Barb Farrior had come to them seeking materials to make pillows for her Army captain son and his military unit.

 

Justin Farrior was about to head off to Iraq for his third overseas campaign. Thus, he was quite familiar with how uncomfortable it is to sleep on the ground with only a pack or a rolled up shirt for head support.

 

Barb Farrior had gotten the idea after watch­ing a segment on The Today Show about a sewing school in Midland Park, NJ, that had sent more than a thousand pillows to troops who had been deployed overseas.

 

Realizing there was a pillow man­ufacturer conveniently located in her hometown, she contacted John and Patrick Harris, the fa­ther and son team who serve as president and vice president of Harris Pillow Supply.

 

“We said, ‘Well, we’ll just do it for you.’ We donated the first 250. It kind of skyrocketed,” re­called Patrick Harris. “The rest of them — we’re not making any money on it — we’re donating them at our cost. We’re doing them for a dollar and a half a piece.”  Ordinary‑sized pillows would not work as soldiers have no choice but to travel fast and light. So, Harris Supply chose to make them at a very compact size.  So far, over 3,000 pillows altogether have been manufac­tured and distributed as part of the charitable program.

 

We want to make that number grow.  If you would like to help, then make out a check payable to Grace Church and marked Project Logan in the memo section.  Keep in mind that a pillow can be made for just $1.50 so even a small gift CAN accomplish something.  Whatever you may give, we will send the money along to Barb Farrior and let her and Harris Pillow Supply work their magic for our patriots overseas.

 

Lighting of the Community Christ­mas Tree

 

We will once again host the light­ing of the Casanova Community Christmas tree which sits in the Casanova Green.  The date will be December 6, which is St. Nich­olas Day in the church’s calendar.  Who knows, we may see St. Nick that night.  The church will pro­vide soups and chili as well as beverages and we will ask those who come to bring a potluck side dish or dessert to share.  In addi­tion to lighting the tree and eat­ing, we will do some caroling both in the Parish Hall and at the tree so remember to bring a flash­light.  Please bring food to the Parish Hall before going to the tree which will be lit at around 5:15 pm.

 

Summary of Jim’s ministry in October of 2009:

 

In October I made 7 home visits, 2 hospital visits, met with 6 peo­ple in my office and had 6   “other” visits by phone or some other place.  I began teaching a new adult education class on the Book of Romans which should run through the whole school year.  I served as “dean for a day” at the Region 13 Clericus meeting leading the meeting on behalf of our dean, the Rev. Jennings Hob­son.   In addition, I attended both the Fall Clergy Retreat and Fall Camp at Shrinemont.  As a VA Defense Force Brigade chaplain, I attended drill one Saturday, made phone calls to some of the VDF volunteers and visited with the 33rd Battalion chaplain on my way to fall camp.

 

 

TREASURER’S REPORT

OCTOBER, 2009

 

Income for the month of October was $9,051.48; expenses totaled $9,228.37, resulting in a deficit for the month of $176.89.   We also received gifts of $1,875 for the labyrinth garden and spent $1,101.76 for the plantings.  Our year-to-date income is $112, 566.72(budg­et - $111,117.50.00) and expenses are $113,997.75 (budget - $110,650.00), resulting in a year to date deficit of  $1,431.03.

 

Please continue to pray for Grace Church that it will grow spiritu­ally, financially and numerically.  If anyone has any questions re­garding this report or any finan­cial matter, please feel free to contact me.                      

                                     Judy Ball

Treasurer

 

LABYRINTH GARDEN

UPDATE

 

Our Labyrinth Garden has been planted and is very lovely! 

 

Jimmy Walton has built and in­stalled a beautiful natural stone bench at the center of the Laby­rinth.

 

Since we have had so many gen­erous gifts for the garden, our pathway will be built within the next several weeks – it should be accomplished by the time this newsletter is published.

 

Our next step will be to place benches in the garden and Greg Huddleston and I will be shopping for the benches – we may wait until Spring when there is a better selection. The last step will be to plant low growing shrubs along the pathway, but I believe that also will be done in the Spring.

 

If you would like to make a con­tribution, please make your check to Grace Church and note on the check that it is for the Labyrinth Garden.  If you would like to honor or remember someone by your gift, their name should also be noted on your check

 

I thank everyone again for your generous gifts.  Let me know if you have any questions or sug­gestions.

                                     Judy Ball

 

 

           Letter of Thanks

 

Like the lover who can only stam­mer "I love you, I love you, I love you..." I scarcely know where to begin to offer my thanks for the wonderful surprise last Sunday; you will never know how very, very deeply I am touched yet again by the goodness of our won­derful congregation. Grati­tude is indeed one of the emotions least susceptible of expression; Hermann Hesse said "There are some debts so great that they may never be repaid‑‑" and such is what I have experienced‑‑again‑‑in my time here. Yet it is I who owes Grace the greater debt‑‑for the kind understanding and support through an odyssey of twenty years of  worshipping together, for your overshadowing and un­failing love and support, or letting me join your reservoir, treasure trove, school of divine love. If in my time here I have pleased you, to God Alone be the glory; and for my many "oops" moments, I beg your forgiveness. I remember Grace Church every day in my prayers with gratitude, admira­tion, and love; I am blessed every week by each of you, and I pray that God may bless each of you  all now and always.

 

With gratitude and love,

Michael

 

                                                                        Grace Church                     December 2009

 

 

     SUNDAY

 

     MONDAY

 

     TUESDAY

 

WEDNESDAY

 

   THURSDAY

 

       FRIDAY

 

    SATURDAY

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

2         

11:00 AM Se­nior Center        

 

 

3

 

 

 

 

4

 

5

 

6

Advent 2

Worship 9:00

 

5:00 PM

Casanova Christ­mas Tree Lighting &

Pot-Luck

 

7

6:30 Vestry Dinner/Meeting

 

 

 

 

 

8

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Carolyn Mar­tin

 

9

11:00 AM Se­nior Center        

 

 

 

 

 

10

 

 

 

 

 

11

 

 

 

 

 

12

 

 

 

 

 

13

Advent 3

Worship 9:00

 

 

 

14

 

 

 

15

 

 

 

 

 

Jan.  Grace Notes dead­line  

 

16

11:00 AM Se­nior Center -

Christmas Party

 

 

 

 

17

 

 

 

18

 

 

 

 

 

19

 

 

 

 

Melba Hendrix*

Roger Woorward*

 

20

Advent 4

Worship 9:00

 

 

 

 

 

 

21

 

 

 

 

22

 

 

 

23  

No Senior Center today

 

24

 

Christmas Eve

Worship 5 & 10 PM

 

 

 

 

25

 

Merry

Christmas

No services today

 

 

 

 

 

 

26

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carol Grove*

 

27

Christmas 1

Lessons & Carols

Worship 9:00AM

 

5:00 PM

Healing Ser­vice

 

28

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

29

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Warren Schaeffer*

 

30

No Senior Center today

 

 

 

 

 

 

31

 

 

 

Jan 1

 

Church Of­fice closed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* = Birthday        #Anniversary

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO

 

Dec 8                    Carolyn Martin

Dec 19                   Melba Hendrix

                   and Roger Woodward

Dec 26                      Carol Grove

Dec 29               Warren Schaeffer

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                      Grace Church Serving Schedule -- December 2009

 

Date

 

Svc

 

Day

 

Lessons

 

 

 

Lector

 

Acolyte

 

Altar

 

Coffee Hosts

 

Dec 6

 

HE

9:00

 

Adv 2

 

Canticle 16

Malachi 3:1-4

 

Philippians 1:3-11

Luke 3:1-6     

 

Betsy

Anderson

 

Jack Perry

 

Carol

Goshorn

 

Charlotte & Jack Perry

 

  Dec 13

 

HE

9:00

 

Adv 3

 

Canticle 9

Zephaniah 3:14-20:

 

Philippians 4:4-7

Luke 3:7-18

 

B. Gould-

thorpe

 

Madell Day

 

Barbara

Jacobs

 

Sue Ballentine

 

Dec 20

 

HE

9:00

 

Adv 4

 

 

Psalm 80:1-7

Micah 5:2-5a

 

Hebrews 10:5-10

Luke 1:39-55

 

Linda Swann

 

Jack Perry

 

Betsy

Anderson

 

Barbara & Greg McLeod

 

Dec 24

 

HE

5 PM

&

10 PM

 

Christ­mas

 

Psalm 96

Isaiah 9:2-7                    

 

Titus 2:11-14

Luke 2:1-20

 

Dee Garrett

 

Madell Day

 

Betsy

Anderson

 

NONE

 

Dec 27

 

HE

9:00

Heal

5 pm

 

Chrs-mas 1

 

Psalm 147

Isaiah 61:10---62:3

 

Galatians 3:23-25; 4:4-7

Luke 1:1-18

 

Judy Ball

 

Jack Perry

 

Charlotte

Perry

 

Judy Shipe & Sharon Woodward

 

Jan 3

 

HE

90:00

 

Chrst-mas 2

 

Psalm 84

Jeremiah 31:7-14

 

Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-19a

Matthew 2:1-12

 

Betsy

Anderson

 

Madell Day

 

Mignonne

Spell-meyer

 

Judy Ball & Barbara Whitbred

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non Profit Organization

      U. S. POSTAGE

             PAID

  Casanova, VA 20139

        Permit No. 1

GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH

The Rev. James Cirillo, Rector

   P.O. Box 18

   Casanova, VA 20139

   (540) 788-4419

Website: gracechurchcasanova.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Services every Sunday at Grace Church on Route 602 in Casanova at 9:00 AM, followed by a coffee fellowship and Sunday School for all ages in the Family Center near the church.