Mission Statement of Christ Church

To the glory of God, the mission of Christ Church Parish is to serve Jesus Christ and all the people of God; to
encourage and facilitate spiritual development for people of all ages; to grow as Christians in a loving and
forgiving fellowship, thereby confirming, witnessing, and leading others to the faith by the power of the Holy
Spirit.

Dear Friends,
Advent is the season of hope. Advent has been set aside as a time of
preparation for Christmas since at least the last half of the 6th century.
Advent is a time for self-examination and asking for forgiveness, as
the church is preparing for Christs Second Coming even as it prepares
for Christmas. The color of the season is blue or purple. It is a time to
journey towards something better, something fuller, and something
more joyful. As we journey toward the light, we know that there will
be a bursting forth into light, into fresh air, into the newness that
Christmas brings.
Please join us for Advent soup suppers with soup, bread, salad and dessert each Tuesday at
6:00 p.m., followed by a Taize service at 6:45 p.m. in the chapel. On Christmas Eve at 4:00 p.m.
there will be a candlelight family service in the Chapel. The choir will lead us with Christmas
hymns at 10:30 p.m., followed by Eucharist at 11:00 p.m.
The following day, Christmas Day, there will be Eucharist at 10:30 a.m.. Sunday December
28, will be Lessons and Carols at 10:30 a.m. (No 8:00 a.m. service on that day). And to end the
calendar year, there will be a New Years Eve service at 6:00 p.m. in the Nave. The service will
include the opportunity to chant the Litany of the Holy Name, from the St. Augustine Prayer Book.
Let us enter each day with hope and joy, awaiting blessings from God.
Mother Susan

Keep Awake
I was introduced to Forward Day and Day over 25 years ago
and have been a faithful reader since. Day by Day is a daily devotional which provides meditations based on Bible Scripture readings appointed by the lectionary and Daily Office. The publication
comes out four times a year and each month has a different author.
(You can find the booklet offered in the Narthex of the church.)
The publisher, Forward Movement, a ministry of the Episcopal Church, grew from determination of the 1934 General Convention to counter a period of anxiety, distrust, and decline in the Episcopal Church with a forward
movement charged to reinvigorate the life of the church and to rehabilitate its general, diocesan,
and parochial work. (Forward Movement website)
I set aside time early each day to read the meditations. Over and over I have been amazed at
how relevant the reading for the day is to what is going on in my life at that time.
We are now coming to the season of Advent, the beginning of a new liturgical year. It is also
the beginning of the holiday season a time that can leave us overwhelmed. It is a time that can easily cause us to forget as Christians what should be foremost in our minds.
In his November 30th writing, Day by Days November author Aaron Klinefelter reflects on
Mark 13:37. Jesus said, And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake! Klinefelter writes,
During the busyness and business of Advent, it is especially important for us to stay awake, to stay
alert to how the Spirit may be breaking into the chaos and craziness of our lives. . . Life has a way
of numbing us to the mystery, the beauty, and the truth of Gods inbreaking Spirit in our midst. We
become distracted by the lights and sounds, the emails and the tweets, the to-do lists, and the mounting demands of work and home. We may, if we arent careful, miss the unexpected tear in the heavens But if we allow ourselves the space to watch with eyes wide open, we may yet witness the
coming of the Son of Man.

Advent is less about preparation for the birth of Christ than it is

about preparing for Christs coming in glory at the last day. As our Bishop
said in his recent Diocesan eNews message: Advent is a season when we
are asked to note the signs of the coming reign of God in the world, and to
prepare ourselves for our Lord's return.
It is a central tenet of our faith that on his return, Jesus Christ will be
our judge. We affirm this weekly in the Nicene Creed when we say, He
will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom
will have no end. Of Jesus parables and other biblical writings, many
have interpreted literally the harshness and finality of this Judgment Day.
Is there another way to understand divine judgment? I think there is. If we
believe that God is already working in the world to reconcile us to one another and to him, as theologians today overwhelmingly believe is the case, why is it not feasible that
we are also being judged in the process in a loving and merciful way by our savior who lived and
died for us?
How can we keep awake in preparation for this judgment? We can live our lives as if we will
be hauled in before Christ at any moment. But not in fear, for our judge is loving and merciful and
wants to help us grow daily toward that life that God intends us to have. In our baptismal vows, we
promised to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving [our] neighbor as [ourselves]. At any given
moment ask yourself how you are doing with this! Be alert to the choices you make each day as you
react to various annoyances and selfish desires. This Advent, be honest with yourself. Be attentive
and watch for the signs of Gods reign in your midst. Live fully. Keep awake!
Let us pray:
Grant, O Lord, that each day before we enter the little death of sleep, we may undergo the little
judgment of the past day, so that every wrong deed may be forgiven and every unholy thought set
right. Let nothing go down into the depths of our being which has not been forgiven and sanctified.
Then we shall be ready for our final birth into eternity and look forward with love and hope to standing before [you], who are both judge and savior, holy judge and loving savior. Amen.

ECW
If you are able, please come for the Healing Service and Holy Eucharist at 11 a.m. on December 10
in the Heritage Room. We will gather at 11:45 a.m. in Lewis Hall for a potluck and some keyboard
music by Helen Hui. All parishioners are invited to join us !

9:15 FORUM SCHEDULE December 2014

December 7
December 14
December 21

Gospel of Mark study group

Gospel of Mark study group
Gospel of Mark study group

Quilters Plus
Ladies of Quilters + have completed their dozen prayer quilts and given them to the St. Joseph's Radiation Oncology Center. Please join us as we begin anew. New wildly colored fleeces
have recently been purchased and your creative action is needed. Wednesday, December 3rd at 9:30
a.m. or whenever is convenient for you. All supplies provided. Coffee, treats and conversation plus
instruction as needed. Many jobs are available if you are not a regular seamstress. Questions? Call
Peg, 443-9627 or Joan 443-9637.

Donations for Betty Chinn

January - Warm Outer Clothing
Are your drawers and closets full after the holidays? Bring extra clean, gently used jackets,
sweaters, sweatshirts, hoodies, hats, gloves, etc., for Betty to share with those who need warm clothing during the cold winter months.
Lent - School for Deacons Socks Project
Watch for information about the socks collection project. Ash Wednesday is February 18th this
year. Socks for adults will be delivered to Betty Chinn, and children's socks will be donated to TFI
for foster children.

The Forgotten Initiative

Pajama Time!
Peg Gardner
During December we will be collecting pajamas as part of our partnership with TFI (The Forgotten
Initiative). Because children - from infants to teens - usually join their foster families suddenly and
with few, if any, belongings, TFI has found the need for pajamas to be a high priority. Since these
transitions occur throughout the year, we suggest donating pajamas without a Christmas theme. The
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pajamas will be included in 'journey' bags that are made available to new foster children. The collection table is located in the Heritage Room.
(In addition, diapers and diaper wipes are an on-going need, as is clean, gently-used clothing. There
is a collection basket in Lewis Hall.)

Lay Ministries
Its time to consider our celebration services for Christmas and New Years. If you would like to be a
part of the behind-the scenes fun, consider becoming one of our Lay Ministers. We have openings
for:

Lectors and Intercessors

Acolytes and Eucharistic Ministers
Announcers
Ushers and Greeters
Eucharistic Visitors
Nursery and Sunday School
Coffee Hour Hosts
Contribution Counters
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Marty Vega would be happy to chat with you about any of these. Call her at 443-9782 or send an
email to mjv523@reninet.com.

2015 Offering Envelopes

Offering envelopes for parishioners who have returned pledge cards will be available in the
Heritage Room before Christmas. If you still need a pledge card, more are available in the back of the
church.
Envelope numbers are assigned by the computer and usually change each year, so please use
2014 envelopes through December 28th only. Then begin using 2015 envelopes after January 1. This
will help ensure that your financial gifts are credited to the correct tax year. Since computer numbers
and envelope numbers must match, envelopes are made available to all who pledge.
Should you choose not to pledge, but still want envelopes, please use one of the pledge cards,
print your name on it and write "envelopes only."
IRS tax statements for 2014 will be available in the Heritage Room after mid-January. Any not
picked up by the end of the month will be mailed to meet the IRS mandated distribution date.
Peg Gardner

Scenes from last months Stewardship Dinner

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Stewardship
Thank you, and Hello from your Stewardship Committee.
We want you to know that the Stewardship Campaign has been a great success this year because we have met our minimum operating goal of $195,000.00 in pledges that will keep everything
at Christ Church going for the next year.
We are hopeful that more pledges will come in before the end of the year so that we may budget funds into savings accounts for repairs and maintenance of our buildings and for our imminent
search for a fulltime Priest before Mother Susan retires in 2018.
As you know, we would like to have the search funds available before the search starts. No
need to burden the new priest with debt. We know it is going to happen and we need to be prepared.
Please use your pledge envelopes. Your gift to the church is tax deductible, a win-win for all of us.
Thank you for all that you have done to help keep serving the mission of Christ Church for the
Glory of God.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact any of us on the Stewardship Committee.
Sincerely,
Sanford Pyron, Beth Powell, Katherine Clague

Christmas Flowers
If you would like to donate money to decorate our sanctuary with flowers for Christmas, please take
your money or check to the office or put it in the offering plate. Please clearly mark your donation
"Christmas Flowers" and also indicate a wording for the Christmas Bulletin. Thank you for adding to
the beauty of our worship.

Stewardship dinner
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November Birthdays & Anniversaries

Dan and Marty Vega

Dec. 2

Paul Gossard

Dec. 20

Richard Streufert

Dec. 6

Howard and Peg Gardner

Dec. 22

Curtis and Betsy Schlueter Dec. 8

Anne Pierson
Dec. 13

Angus and Joan Stewart

Dec. 24

Jim Fassio

Dec. 25

Carol Moorehead
Anne Van Zandt

Chris Hamer

Dec. 25

Dec. 16
Dec. 19

A letter from Marvin Davis to Peg Gardner

November 29
Hello Peg,
It is always good to hear from you and your husband. Yes, we have so much to be thankful for. I
remember that it was just few months ago that Lynn died and my life lost complete direction. Just
few months ago that Christ Church made an obligation to see me through my master's program and
just few months ago that my wife brought into this world a little boy that changed our lives for the
better. So much to be thankful for Peg, I am also thankful for the relationship I have built and established with you. You have really been
there for my family and I and we value the relationship.
Liberia and America have close history; I am assuming you are
aware. Thanksgiving in Liberia is first Thursday in November of every
year. We do not eat turkey but we do have thanksgiving dinner where
traditional food such as rice, cassava leave, potatoes greens, cabbage,
palm butter etc are served and family gather to have thanksgiving dinner. Thanksgiving here in Liberia is more of a church holiday, people go
to church to be thankful to God for everything he has done for their
lives.
I appreciate everything Christ Church continues to do for my family
and I. The church has supported my goal through finances and prayers
and Nyanda and I are really grateful. I am glad I have the visa but I do
not have any plans at the moment to come to America. I am looking forward to coming in August when Nyanda starts school.
Ebola cases may have reduced in Liberia but there is so much still
left to be done. My wife has gotten assurance for funding for her Masters at George Washington in August. From what we hear, the President
of Liberia is to appoint her officially as the Director for Passports and
Visas soon. We hope that she gets the job official because she has been
acting almost 9 months now and a lot of improvement has been made in
Lyndon Davis
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the passport division of Liberia.

I miss southern California and I am glad your daughter and family
from Davis were able to go for a soccer tournament
there. Soccer is a really big deal in Africa, I love soccer
and I grew up playing. Youve been blessed Peg with a
wonderful family and amazing grandchildren, I am sure
you are proud of every one of them.
The Country Director of ActionAid is currently in
America and is coming back to Liberia early in January.
Jasmine, my wifes friend, who happens to be one of the
Consular at the US embassy here in Liberia, is also
coming for her vacation on December 8 and returns to
work early in January. I will email you one of these addresses, once I confirm with any one of them.
I would love to write more but my wife and I just got
back from her sisters wedding. I was the best man and
she was the maid of honor and we are pretty much exhausted. My love to your husband and to all the wonderful people of Christ Church. I will send you new pictures soon.

Marvin and Lyndon

Love, Marvin

Ministry Outreach
You shall love your neighbor as yourself *
When we talk about Christian ministry, ministry outreach and service, there is a tendency to
think that it is either starting, working for or volunteering for the church, i.e., Camp Living Waters, or
for a large program in the community like Food for People or the Betty Kwan Chinn Day Center. Yes, these are substantial examples of serving in the church and community, but is that the only
way we can and do serve?
Weve heard the stories of ministry provided by a few members of our church family, the
Silent Servers, and their stories have provided us with examples of substantial ways in which we
can be of service to others. But - there are also many seemingly insignificant ways of ministering to
others. We dont think of the following as having much value but they touch peoples lives every day
in small but important ways. Collectively, they are being Christ in the world every much as the substantial projects we read and hear testimony about. They are acts of loving our neighbor as our11

selves (*Matthew 22:39, Mark 12:31, Luke 10:27):

Sending a card to acknowledge a birthday, anniversary or other significant event in someones life
Making eye contact and acknowledging a homeless person
Giving an ailing friend or neighbor a ride to an appointment
Taking over food to someone who is sick or suffered a significant loss
Taking the time to listening to others
Giving the gift of healing laughter
Praying for individuals, families, our community, our nation and the world
Being there for a care giver so they can have some precious time off
Treating the person serving you as a person, not as a servant
Giving someone our undivided attention
By not offering advice unless it is asked for
Saying I love you or showing our love
Thanking someone for how theyve been and are a blessing in our life
Acknowledging the gifts of others
This is a very eclectic list of ways we minister to others everyday and we probably dont think
of them as such. They make a difference in peoples lives - to know they are acknowledged, remembered, heard, served, loved. Im sure, at this point, youve thought of other ways of ministering. Good. With awareness, we can bring a little bit of light to the world with everything we think,
say and do.
Anne Pierson

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Local Artist Contributes to New Book

Meeting God Day by Day
Where do you meet God? And where does God meet you? More than thirty authors from across the
United States share their experiences with the Divine in Meeting God Day by Day, a new book from
Forward Movement. In brief, daily meditations, the authors offer heartfelt, authentic stories about
meeting God in the birth of a child or the diagnosis of a disease, in the first blooms of spring or the
expanse of a desert sky.
Kathrin Burleson is a featured artist. A long-time member of Christ
Church she is a founding member of Saints Martha and Mary Mission
in Trinidad.
Other writers include Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of
The Episcopal Church; Gay Clark Jennings, president of the House of
Deputies; and Jay Sidebotham, a priest and well-known cartoonist.
As people of faith, we are called to share our stories, our struggles,
and our joys, said Richelle Thompson, deputy director and managing
editor of Forward Movement. In Meeting God Day by Day, these
writers remind us of the big and small ways in which we encounter
God, and their powerful reflections offer readers a wonderful companion to 2015, a time each day to be still, to pray, and to give thanks.
Meeting God Day by Day is available now, with a cover price of $16.

If you would like to order a copy of this book

please see Barry in the office. The price is $16.00

Forward Movement is an official, non-profit agency of The Episcopal Church located in Cincinnati,
Ohio. Since 1935 our mission is to reinvigorate the life of the church.
Come. Join the journey. And meet God, day by day.
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November 24, 2014

New Book from Forward Movement

Forward Movement is pleased to announce the release of

The Souls Journey: An Artists Approach to the Stations of the Cross.
Walk the historic tradition of the Stations of the Cross in new ways. This beautiful coffee table book
features the paintings of artist Kathrin Burleson as well as soul-searching reflections on her creative process and spiritual journey. Each station also offers devotions from key leaders in The Episcopal Church, including Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and the Rev. Alberto R. Cuti. In images, stories, and prayers, these stations reflect the Passion of Christ, exploring betrayal, judgment,
and suffering but ultimately celebrating the great triumph of life over death, the Resurrection of
Christ Jesus.
An artist and writer, Kathrin Burleson was born in Petaluma, California, and has lived most of her
life in Northern California. Whether painting people, animals, or liturgical themes, her work explores the interconnectedness of all of creation. The recipient of numerous awards, she has exhibited her work in museums, galleries and churches throughout the United States. She is a founding
member of Saints Martha and Mary Episcopal Mission, Trinidad, California, and is an associate of
the Community of the Transfiguration, a religious community for women in The Episcopal Church.
To order copies of The Souls Journey: An Artists Approach to the Stations of the Cross, visit
www.forwardmovement.org or call 1.800.543.1813.
Forward Movement works to reinvigorate the life of the church by providing print and digital resources to all who wish to deepen their spiritual engagement. Based in Cincinnati, OH since its inception in 1935, Forward Movement is best known for the popular daily devotional Forward Day
by Day. Forward Movement is a ministry of The Episcopal Church.
For more info contact:
Heidi Weaver
Marketing Manager
Forward Movement

If you would like to order a copy of this book

please see Barry in the office. The price is $40.00

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The next Cinema Chat film will be The Fisher King, starring Jeff Bridges and Robin Williams, directed by Terry Gilliam. As usual, Cinema Chat will be held on the second Saturday of the month
(December 13th) at 6:00 p.m. in The Chapel of Our Merciful Savior on the corner of 15th and G
Streets in Eureka. Description from Wikipedia:
The Fisher King is a 1991 American fantasy comedy-drama film written by Richard
LaGravenese and directed by Terry Gilliam. It stars Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges, with Mercedes Ruehl, Amanda Plummer, and Michael Jeter in supporting roles. The film is about a radio
shock jock who tries to find redemption by helping a man whose life he inadvertently shattered.
Plot
Jack Lucas (Bridges), a cynical, arrogant shock jock, becomes suicidally despondent after
his insensitive on-air comments inadvertently prompt an unstable caller to commit a mass murder
at a popular Manhattan bar. Three years later, Jack is working with his girlfriend Anne (Ruehl) in
a video store in a mostly drunken, depressed state. One night while on a bender, he attempts suicide. Before he can do so, he is mistaken for a homeless person and is attacked and nearly set on
fire by thugs. He is rescued by Parry (Williams), a deluded homeless man who is on a mission to
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find the Holy Grail, and tries to convince Jack to help him. Jack is initially reluctant, but comes to
feel responsible for Parry when he learns that the mans condition is a result of witnessing his wifes
horrific murder at the hands of Jacks psychotic caller. Parry is also continually haunted by a hallucinatory red knight, who terrifies him.
Jack learns that Parry had slipped into a catatonic state following his wifes death and had remained there for a few years. When he emerged he was obsessed with the legend of the Fisher King,
a form of which he recounts to Jack. The Fisher King was charged by God with guarding the Holy
Grail, but incurred an incapacitating wound for his sin of pride. A simple-minded Fool asks the King
why he suffers, and when the King says he is thirsty, the Fool gives him a cup of water to drink. The
king realizes the cup is the Grail and is baffled that the boy found it, as demonstrated in the closing
exchange: How did you find what my brightest and bravest could not? The Fool laughed and said
I dont know. I only knew that you were thirsty.
Jack seeks to redeem himself by helping Parry find love again. He sets Parry up with Lydia, a
shy woman with whom Parry is smitten and who works as an accountant for a Manhattan publishing
house. Jack and Anne then join them for a dinner date. Following dinner, Parry declares his love for
Lydia but is once again haunted by the Red Knight. As he flees his hallucinatory tormentor, he is attacked by the same thugs who had earlier attacked Jack. The beating is not fatal but causes Parry to
become catatonic again.
Wearing Parrys clothing, Jack infiltrates the Upper East Side castle of a famous architect and
retrieves the Grail, a simple trophy which Parry believed to be the real Grail. When he brings it to
Parry, the catatonia is broken and Parry regains consciousness. Jack also thwarts the accidental suicide of the famous architect by tripping the alarm when leaving the Upper East Side castle. Lydia
comes to visit Parry as usual in the hospital. She finds that Parry is awake and hears him and Jack
leading the patients of the mental ward in a rousing rendition of How About You? Parry and Lydia
embrace. Afterwards Jack goes back to the video store and tells Anne that he loves her. She slaps him
and then grabs him and kisses him.

Directed by Terry Gilliam

Produced by Debra Hill
Lynda Obst
Written by Richard LaGravenese
Starring Robin Williams
Jeff Bridges
Music by George Fenton
Cinematography Roger Pratt
Edited by Lesley Walker
Distributed by TriStar Pictures
Release date September 20, 1991

Running time 137 minutes

Country United States
Language English
Budget $24 million
Box office $41,895,491

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The Rt. Rev. Barry L. Beisner

Bishop, Diocese of Northern California
Staff
The Rev. Dr. Susan J. Armstrong
Priest in Charge
The Rev. Lesley McCloghrie
Associate Priest
The Rev. Nancy Streufert, The Rev. Diana Doncaster
Deacons
Merry Phillips
Organist and Music Director
John Hammond, Sexton
Barry Ross, Administrative Assistant
Vestry
Lyn Klay, Senior Warden
Barry Ross, Junior Warden
Bob Rex, Sr. Alice Reid,
Beth Powell, Lynne Bean,
Margo Fassio, Julia Lawson, Helen Hui,
Paul Gossard, Katherine Clague, Gail Freeman
Bob Hines, Treasurer, Lynne Bean, Clerk
625 15th Street
P.O. Box 861
Eureka, California 95502
Phone (707) 442-1797
Fax (707) 442-5647

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