pastor’s corner: let my thanksgiving be shared · 22/11/2017 · contact betty lou bowles for...
TRANSCRIPT
In This Issue:
Pg 2 - Calendar of
the week
Pg 3-6 - Bazaar
Pg 7-8 - Community
Services
Pg 9 - Readings
Pg 10 - Advent
Words
Pg 14 - Participating
© 2017 St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 294 Main Street South, Woodbury, CT 06798 • (203) 263-3541 • [email protected]
November 22, 2017
Pastor’s Corner: Let My Thanksgiving Be Shared
Dear friends in Christ,
F rom Bishop Steven Charleston, in his collection of
reflections, "Hope as Old as Fire,” Red Moon
Publications, © 2012.
"Each Thanksgiving my
heart turns in two directions.
I am thankful for all that God
has given me, but I cannot
help but think of those with
so much less.
Please join me and
a prayer, a
Thanksgiving tithe:
thank you, God, for your many blessings, for your
mercy and grace, but take a portion of what I have
received and give it to those for whom this day is
dark. Let them see your loving light and feel there
hope restored. Let my thanksgiving be shared, no
empty chair at your table."
God bless you all.
Rev Lois
T his final week of this church year has for its Gospel, the Great Commission, which ends “Just as you did
it unto the least of these who are members of my family, you did it for me.” As we prepare for Advent and a new church year, how will you covenant to feed the hungry, give sustenance to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the needy, visit the prisoner, and/or tend the sick? We live in a world crying for all kinds of compassionate care. How will you be the face and hands of Jesus?
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THIS WEEK AT ST. PAUL’S
Thu Nov 23 Sat Nov 25 5:00 pm Holy Eucharist Sun Nov 26 8:00 am Holy Eucharist 10:00 am Holy Eucharist Mon Nov 27 6:15 pm Christian Yoga, Basement 7:00 pm Transition Team Meeting, Seabury Room Tue Nov 28 7:00 pm Vestry Meeting, Seabury Room Wed Nov 29 12:00 pm Men’s Lunch, Charcoal Chef Thu Nov 30 8:00 am Holy Eucharist, Seabury Room 10:30 am C.I.A. Discussion Group, Louise Smith’s Home 7:00 pm House Church at Fr. Fred’s Sat Dec 2 10:00 am Christmas Bazaar 5:00 pm Holy Eucharist Sun Dec 3 8:00 am Holy Eucharist 9:00 am Church School - Advent Wreath Making 10:00 am Holy Eucharist
F ood Collection Sunday The third Sunday of each month we encourage everyone to bring in food
donations for the Woodbury Food Bank. For an up to date list of the priority needs of the
Woodbury Food Bank see the handout sheet in food collection basket in the narthex. The food bank is not able to accept items past their labeled expiration date.
Lay Schedule - We are beginning work on our winter & Christmas lay schedule. Please
contact the parish office or your lay ministry coordinator as soon as possible about your
schedule availability for this period (December thru March 15).
Congratulations Shahrokh - Fr. Dezhbod is the new Missional Priest-in-Charge at Christ Church in Watertown. On Sunday, December 3rd at 10 am Christ Church Watertown is officially welcoming him and will be holding a reception for him following the service. All are welcome. Contact Betty Lou Bowles for more info.
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Christmas is Coming . . .
along with St. Paul’s Christmas Bazaar!
The time is speeding by and before you know it December will be
here. More specifically, planning, preparing and setting up our
Annual Christmas Bazaar to be held Saturday, December 2nd
will get under way very soon. Volunteers are needed to help
prepare for the Bazaar the entire week before, Nov 27 to Dec 1.
Additionally bakers are requested to fill our newly expanded
Heavenly Bake Shop. Donations up will be accepted until
Friday, Dec 1. We especially need paper, plastic bags and
newspaper for wrapping and sales. We’re hoping new
parishioners will share the fun and friendship as we
come together to make our 2017 Christmas
Bazaar a standout in the community!
House Church - Small Group Gathering - Now meeting each Thursday night at 7:00 pm a small group gathers at Fr. Fred’s for an evening of prayer and study, concluding with Compline. If you would like to join House Church please contact Father Fred at [email protected] or Betty Lou Bowles at [email protected].
S tewardship can be defined very simply as “taking care.” In Sunday’s gospel passage Jesus
talks about people who take care of other people, namely those who are hungry or thirsty, those who
are foreigners, those who lack clothing, as well as those who are sick or imprisoned. Thinking about that list, you might want to ask yourself: what kind of a steward am I?
Coming Next Summer!
Are you ready to travel to the Biblical land of the Pharaohs,
Jacob, Joseph, and Israel during the famine? Plans are
underway for another awesome Christian pilgrimage. This time
to Egypt with a Nile River cruise and
a climb up Mount Sinai. There will be options
for those who haven’t been to Jordan and Israel as
well. We depart for Egypt on June 28th and return on
July 19th. The Israel only trip leaves on July 10th.
Pricing and more details are available here.
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Christmas Bazaar
BASKET RAFFLE...Yet another great showing coming up!
Over 20 baskets are expected, some already done, but 10
more are wanted. You can make the basket yourself OR
purchase the basket and all the fillings and bring it in to one
of the "basket-eers" to be put together. Call Julie Calkins
203-262-1086 to let her know you will be doing a basket.
ALL THEMES ARE WELCOME !
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TREASURE CHEST...In past years, this "high end" merchandise
was called the Treasure Chest. We are now eliminating this name, and
the merchandise will be merged into White Elephant, but the quality level will
remain "treasure." It will be displayed on the cemetery wall, as in the past..
For sorting and set-up purposes, we can think of it as White Elephant CENTER,
and White Elephant WALL, Some nice donations for each level have already
come in
BUT WE HOPE FOR MUCH MORE.
______________________________________________________________
FRESH GREEN SPRAYS WITH BOWS...Judie Ferris and Kathy
Baird have
become experts at making the sprays with gorgeous bows, and they fly
out
the door. But more help is needed. Please call Judie at 203-263-3271
_________________________________________
COOKIES FOR COFFEE…
How our visitors love our free coffee and
hot chocolate and COOKIES! Sooo many
cookies are needed....please
add your name to the sign-up sheet in the parish
hall, that you will make
cookies for this really popular item.
Tasty thanks in advance!
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BAZAAR '17 is delighted to present.....
The Heavenly Bakery
When Bazaar '16 generated a fantastic $750 profit, while
all scrunched up
at the end of one table, it became time to
consider what greater things we
could do with this VERY popular event.....and thus was born
The Heavenly Bakery,
at the post-'16 evaluation meeting..."Baked Goods" transformed !
The new HB (short for Heavenly Bakery) will now be located on the
cemetery wall, from the first window to the center of the wall. Shelving will
be created on the wall side, with tables in front. So much wonderful space!
Kathy Gaydosh will again bake dozens of loaves of bread, finishing many
of them off on bazaar morning at 6 am, so the aroma fills the parish hall.
Thanks to Kathy for this exceptional labor of love
Now we hope you will be an HB ANGEL and fill this great new "store" with
Cakes * Pies * Breads * Brownies/Bars
Cookies * Specialty Loaves * Cupcakes
Relishes/Pickles * Nuts & Candies * Sauces
Jams- Jellies- Chutneys * Tarts
Baked Beans * Applesauce & Preserved Fruits
and anything else you love to prepare !
If your contribution contains N U T S, please so mark clearly.
ONLY 2 WEEKS until the great event...
can you feel the excitement?? !!
Please use the sign-up sheets in the
parish hall..they are so helpful to the
planners.
WE INVITE YOU TO SHARE IN OUR
JOY THROUGH SERVICE
Any questions call Dory Holmes..203-263-8538 or Diane Heavens..263-2468
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Coffee Tins Needed - Metal coffee tins (empty) with lid are needed to transport altar flowers to those unable to get to church. You can leave them by the mailboxes near the office stairway or give them to an Altar Guild member.
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Holiday 2017 Priority List for Woodbury Food Bank Donation Requests
Critical need: Soups, especially chowders, chicken & beef broths, pea soup, lentil soup,
pasta & bean soup, Italian wedding soup, chicken combo soups, beef combo soups
Special holiday needs: Stuffing (bagged & “stove-top”) Canned & boxed potatoes
(plain & flavored) Canned yams French-cut green beans Cranberry sauce Gravy
(jarred & canned) Turkey broth Pie fillings (pumpkin, cherry,
apple, berry) Sugar (granulated, confectioner’s & brown)
Brownie mixes Cake mixes Frosting Pie shells Pie
dough mixes Quick bread mixes Baking chips (milk
chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, butterscotch)
Cookie mixes Nuts for baking
Pasta sauce Pastas especially farfalle (bowtie),
rotini, rigatoni, linguine, fettucine, angel hair &
lasagna
Canned tomatoes, especially stewed, diced, crushed &
paste
Canned fruits & fruit cups, especially peaches, pears,
pineapple & fruit cocktails
Canned chili
Canned beef stew
Canned chicken
Canned Spam & Vienna sausage
Canned hash
Canned tuna & canned salmon
Sloppy Joe sauce, canned spaghettios & mini-ravioli
Cereals, oatmeal, pancake/waffle mixes, syrup
Juice bottles & juice boxes
Canned carrots, canned beets, canned mushrooms & canned
olives
Regular, half-caf & decaf ground coffee, and regular & decaf teas
Shelf-stable milk & powdered milk
Rice & pasta mixes
Instant pudding mix & pudding cups
Peanut butter, jams & jellies
Mayo
Ketchup & mustard
Salad dressings
Cooking oil (vegetable, canola, olive, corn)
Dish detergent
Laundry detergent
Personal care items including toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo & conditioner, bar soaps
Paper towels, toilet paper, napkins & facial tissues
Organic, low-carb & gluten-free food products
Pet foods
Donations are received Fridays 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturdays 9 to 11 a.m. at the Food
Bank (our entry access is from the rear delivery lot behind the buildings in the LaBonne’s
plaza— the Food Bank is located at the basement level of Newtown Savings Bank).
Please call Bob Taylor at (203) 263-3869 or email Bob at
[email protected] if you need to make special arrangements.
Thanks so much on behalf of our clients and volunteers for offering the gifts of
nourishment and compassion!
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Warm homes & hearts for the holidays
Community Services Council of Woodbury
2017 Holiday Program
The Community Services Council of Woodbury, serving families in need in
our town for three decades, invites you to join us in continuing the
tradition of warming homes and hearts with the special gift of
compassion during the holiday season.
Financial donations to the Community Services Council during our Holiday
Appeal will meet the special costs of supplying clients of the Woodbury
Food Bank with turkeys and the dinner trimmings for Thanksgiving,
turkeys and hams for Christmas, fresh vegetables and fruit for the
holiday table, and grocery store vouchers to purchase other food items. A
donation of $15 will pay for a turkey, and a gift of $40 to $50 will provide
all the dinner trimmings to grace the table of a grateful family on
Thanksgiving Day. Financial gifts to the CSCW also will be gratefully
received to meet the needs of families who seek energy, heating and
crisis assistance from the CSCW, enabling us to keep the homes of our
neighbors warm during the winter and preserve our clients’ personal
security.
The CSCW welcomes donations of new toys, games and craft items
suitable for children from toddlers through teens for the Council’s annual
“Santa’s Shop” on Thursday, Dec. 7, which offers families in need the
opportunity to find special holiday gifts for their children. We also
gratefully accept donations of gift cards for local retail and grocery stores
to brighten the holidays for our client families by allowing them to shop
for holiday gifts, winter clothing and holiday meals, while conserving their
resources to meet essential financial obligations.
Financial donations and individual gift card donations may be mailed to
the Community Services Council, PO Box 585, Woodbury CT 06798.
Special dates for dropoff of toy, game and craft donations at the
Woodbury Food Bank will be from 10 am to 2 pm Nov. 22, from 9 to 11
am Nov. 30, from 9 am to 2 pm Dec. 1, and from 9 to 11 am Dec. 2.
For additional information about the Council’s 2017 Holiday Program,
please contact CSCW president Bob Taylor by email at
[email protected] or by phone at (203) 263-3869.
Your generosity warms the homes and hearts of our client families year-
round. Please know that your neighbors in need are most grateful for your support!
With warm wishes that your home is filled with joy and peace this holiday season,
Bob Taylor, President Community Services Council of Woodbury, Inc.
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This Weekend’s Readings
Jesus’ Sovereignty
Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
I n our opening reading the Lord promises to be the shepherd of the people. God will bring them home and heal them. God will feed and protect them. The exile of Israel is
coming to an end. Ezekiel has prophesied against the false shepherds, the rulers who only fed off the flock. Now God will tend the sheep who have been dispersed and preyed upon, but the overfed will be judged.
Psalm 100 A call to praise and to offer thanksgiving to the Lord. Ephesians 1:15-23 In this lesson Paul gives thanks for the faith and love of the Ephesians and prays that they
may see with their inward eyes the power of God, who raised and enthroned Jesus far above all earthly and heavenly dominions. How vast is the treasure that God offers to those who trust in the Lord!
Matthew 25:31-46 Our gospel presents a picture of the universal judgment when the Son of Man, acting as
judge and king, will separate humankind into two groups: those who have cared for the Lord in the needy, the stranger, and prisoners - and those who have not. On one level the evangelist intends those in need to be understood as Christian disciples. But the bringing of all peoples into judgment has caused Christians to realize that the Christ is to be recognized in
every individual. Beneath this awareness lies a profound theological mystery; the likeness of God, which has been decisively revealed in the human person of Jesus, may be perceived in each human being.
Stewardship Minute
“…whatever you did for one of the least of my brothers, you
did for me.” - MATTHEW 25:40
M ost of us are generous when it’s convenient for us. We
are generous when we have the time or the money.
But, generosity is the opposite of that. It means giving of one’s
time, money, compassion, forgiveness or mercy when it’s not
convenient; when it’s not on our schedule, but on the other
person’s schedule.
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Men’s Group
E ach Wednesday at noon the men’s group, a growing and
informal gathering of men, meets for lunch at the Charcoal Chef. Please join us next week!
SAVE THE DATE
Woodbury Boy Scout Troop 480 is expecting a visit from Santa on December 2, 2017!!
“Twas the day of the Woodbury Christmas Festival, when all through the town People were shopping and bustling around;
Wreaths were laid on the North Green with care, In hopes that the townspeople soon would be there;
The Scouts of Troop 480 were preparing to host, The kind of warm meal SANTA likes most;
Sauce on the stove, bread in the oven, Top it all off with a cupcake or muffin;
And while the Troop 480 Scouts serve you a wonderful treat, Look out for SANTA who has stopped by to eat;
Whether you have been naughty or you have been nice, Tell SANTA your wish list for Christmas Eve Night;
He’ll pose for a picture in between bites, That you can post to your Facebook page for relatives to like:
There will be raffles, meatballs, salad and beverages galore, Your heart will be filled with Holiday Cheer as you head to the door.
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Please remember to arrange for your own replacements and to keep the office informed of
any changes at [email protected].
Participating in the Services
Saturday, November 25th
5 pm
Usher Jeff Leavenworth
Lectors John Dransfield, JoAnn Plunske
Chalicer Gaby Drews
Sunday, November 26th
8:00 am
Ushers Rick Hammer, Kathie Nichols
Lector Joan Wilson
Chalicer Beverly Deickler
Intercessor Dick Leavenworth
10:00 am
Ushers Julie & Tom Calkins
Lectors Duke Breon, Betty Lou Bowles
Chalicers Peter Bowles, Lois Zane
Intercessor Amy Williams
Counter Peter Bowles
Altar Guild: Marianne Daly, Pam Lehman,
Isobel Moore, Lois Zane
Lay Eucharistic Ministers: Betty Lou Bowles,
Dory Holmes, Joan Wilson
COFFEE HOUR HOSTS
Contact Barbara Elmore to volunteer!
St. Paul’s Church 294 Main Street South
Woodbury, Connecticut 06798
Office: 203-263-3541 [email protected]
Website: stpaulswoodbury.org
Hebrews 13:2 - Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.