News & Notes 12/3/09
Hello Friends of St. John’s,
Lots to share with you this week, so I’ll dive right in!
What a wonderfully gifted congregation we have! Last Sunday’s “Hanging of the Greens” bears . . . bares . . ? . . witness to that fact most clearly! From the Worship Committee (and friends) who made preparations for the service; to Cheri Nixon who created the Advent wreath; to Ted Mitchell and the new Brass Choir; to the incredible youth who did the readings and led our service; to Lisa Perrine and the Handbells; Jinny Scott and several of our Sunday School teachers who costumed and directed our “live nativity; the kids who decorated the tree with Chrismons and then became the nativity scene; to Barb Johnson our fantastic Adult Choir! Wow! You’re all the best! Thanks very much!
I would mention that there are some stars remaining on the Angel Tree, plus we have had three more families request some help - so there are more stars than last Sunday! It would be wonderful for us to “adopt” all the gifts! The stars that have been on the tree for awhile - as well as all of those that have been “adopted” need to be back to the church Thursday, December 10th. The stars designated for the three “new” families can be returned as late as December 20th. Thanks for your wonderful generosity!
I want to mention one more time that the funeral service for our brother in Christ, Bob Marshall, will take place this coming Saturday, December 5th, at 10 AM, at St. John’s. A reception will follow.
Then on Saturday evening we’ll have our Mission Team’s only fund raiser for their trip - a Louisiana style (but not TOO spicy) dinner - with decorations and music! As I mentioned in a “special” News & Notes earlier today, the Team would love to have some help - plus any donations toward the expenses of the supper - in order to maximize the “profits” from the supper income.
We’ll celebrate Communion this Sunday morning - using Christmas carol tunes for some of the liturgy. And since it’s communion, that means we’ll be receiving donations toward the Pastor’s Discretionary Fund. We presently have $293 in that fund - the lowest that it’s been in quite some time.
No one has signed-up to host Coffee Fellowship for this Sunday. If you’re of the mind to do that, could you give Ann Kippley a call? She’d love to hear from you.
Let me lift up a reminder to those who ordered Christmas wreaths, that they will be ready for pick-up this weekend. Actually, they’ll be assembled by Friday afternoon - you can come pick them up anytime after that. With the funeral reception and the Public Supper taking place in Hartford Hall on Saturday, I’ll have them waiting in my office for you . . . . ahhhh, the wonderful smell of pine needles!! Oh, and by the way, “Thanks for your business!”
During worship on December 13th, we’ll be blessing some Prayer Shawls. If you have anyone that you think would be blessed by this ministry, please let me know soon, so we can have a shawl designated for him/her.
A week from Sunday, December 13th, our Adult Choir and Brass Choir will be presenting an hour-long program at the Fox Run Mall - beginning at 3 PM. You may have heard about that. We HAD asked for folks to bake cookies to give away at the concert, BUT then someone pointed out that in this day of weariness concerning the flu and colds, folks might not want to accept “homemade” goods from people they don’t know. So the Worship Committee changed direction, and decided to purchase candy canes and Hershey’s kisses, and bag them together with an invitation to come to St. John’s - as our gift to the “passers-by.” We want to thank those who were willing to bake! We’re sorry we can’t take you up on your offer!
What if you went shopping for hope instead of giving in to hype this Christmas? How much difference could you make in the world? The UMC is encouraging people to think “outside the gift box” to make Christmas more about substance and less about stuff as it launches its Advent advertising campaign airing on CNN Headline News Nov. 24-Dec. 27. The “Rethink Church” commercial <http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=kjJUL6PSIpIWKgJ&s=flKYLhMVKeKRL9NYIyH&m=ptK1K6PFKaKZG> features a homeless woman with a shopping cart. Christmas music is playing in the background. The message rolls across the screen: “This Christmas, remember those who are shopping for hope, acceptance and love.” The commercial directs viewers to www.10thousanddoors.org <http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=edKIIOMuHjLLLZI&s=flKYLhMVKeKRL9NYIyH&m=ptK1K6PFKaKZG> for more information.
Looking ahead, let me mention just a couple of things:
Our Christmas Eve services are: 6:30 PM Service for all ages - with a telling of “Silver Packages: An Appalachian Christmas Story” and communion; 8:15 PM concert by Andy Galt and Guy Eaton on the Charles Brown Memorial Carillon; 9 PM Candlelight service with communion - led by Rev. Les Pettit; and 11 PM Candlelight service with communion - led by me
We will have just one Worship Service at 9:30 AM, on Sunday, December 27th!
Let me close with a final installment of these “alternate” definitions to common words:
INFLATION: Cutting money in half without damaging the paper.
MOSQUITO: An insect that makes you like flies better.
RAISIN: Grape with a sunburn.
SECRET: Something you tell to one person at a time.
SKELETON: A bunch of bones with the person scraped off.
TOOTHACHE: The pain that drives you to extraction .
TOMORROW: One of the greatest labor saving devices of today.
YAWN: An honest opinion openly expressed.
and last but not least…..
WRINKLES: Something other people have, similar to my character lines.
That’s it for today. See you in church! Peace, Mark