THE

SCROLL

December 2013

From the rectors desk:

Advent
The problem with a church named Church of the Advent is you dont have a festival day. If the church is named St. James the Lesser, you celebrate your name day on the 3rd of May. For a Church called Advent, we celebrate our name during a season. We always set aside the First Sunday of Advent as a liturgy in which to remember our name (it helps that it always falls on a Sunday), but we dont have a picnic or a party or any such thing, as those seem a bit out of place in Advent. The readings on the first Sunday of Advent always concern the final return of Jesus and the full inauguration of the Reign of God, the restoration of all things in Christ. As Advent moves along, the Sunday readings slowly change their focus to the first arrival of the Christ. We seem to begin our church year backwards: we begin with the end of history, and only then shift our focus to the birth and Gospel of Christ. Upon further reflection, it may make some sense to begin there. After all, we believe the birth and life and death and resurrection of the Christ to be the inauguration of the restoration, the beginning of the end. We are living in the meantime. The end has begun, but is not finished yet. That means, we are (or at least can be) part of the process of the ending, the goal of Gods creation. In Christ, God was in the world, reconciling all things to the divine self. To the extent that we seek to live our lives in reference to God, we help the process of bringing all things into relationship with God. Thats why the story begins with such a small event, the birth of a child on the margins of Empire. Our efforts may seem small and insignificant, but then again, so did that birth. Yet that birth changed everything
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Christmas Services
Tuesday 24 December 2013, 7:00 pm Holy Eucharist with childrens sermon Tuesday 24 December 2013, 11:00 pm Holy Eucharist (with incense) Wednesday 25 December 2013, 10:00 am Holy Eucharist

In this issue:
Advent by the Rev. Dan Handschy...................................1 Giving Tree,Tutoring Ministry..............................................2 November Vestry Report ....................................................3 Life of the Parish calendar..................................................4 The Holiday Season by Bob Zimmer...............................5 Liturgical Ministries Calendar............................................6 City Mission Gift Wrapping Party.....................................7 Diverging Route by by Deb Goldfeder.............................8 City Mission Holiday Gift Ideas ........................................9

Editor: Marla Dell

9373 Garber Road, Crestwood, MO 63126

314-843-0123 www.advent-episcopal.org advent-episcopal@sbcglobal.net

Advent continued
there was no longer any gap between God and Gods creation. God had entered that creation and began the process of drawing it into the divine self. Christs ministry, death and resurrection show us what that restoration looks like and guarantee that in the end, it will happen. The gift of the Spirit to the church makes us part of that Incarnation. As we worship, we bring with us all of the creation that we touch, all of our entanglements, our work, our relationships in the world, and present them to God. We allow God to transform what we offer into the vehicle of Gods transformation in the world. In our daily round of prayer and worship, our work in the world, our loves and hates, our lives, our joys and sorrows, we gather up the bits of Gods creation and bring them into relationship with God. We see the divine energies at work in the world, and seek to make them manifest. In a way, then, we participate with little advents of the divine work in the world. We worship and offer ourselves to the divine work, trusting that the end has begun at Advent, and we are part of it.
The Rev. Dr. Daniel Handschy is Rector of Advent Church

Advent Church Women- Adopt-a-family Giving Tree

Thank you to everyone who has donated to the FMP Adopt A Family giving tree and cleaner/personal care item drive.We are still in great need of laundry detergent, deodorant, bathroom cleaner, dish soap, feminine personal care products, shampoo and toilet tissue. We will be delivering all of the presents and donations on Monday, December 9. The next ACW meeting will be TUESDAY, December 17 at 7:00 p.m. in the parish hall. It will be our annual Christmas party when we play white elephant Bingo. All ladies are welcome. Clare Kujath

St. Francis Tutoring Ministry

For the past three school years, St. Francis Episcopal Church in Eureka has provided a free tutoring service for elementary through high school students in our area. Our program is run by Jackie Selle, a Missouri certified teacher with nearly three decades of classroom experience. All tutors are volunteers with various areas of expertise. Jackie maintains a database of volunteer tutors and then schedules sessions based on the students requests and tutors skills and availability. The tutoring sessions are at the Masonic Lodge in Eureka every Wednesday night during the school year from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. This muchneeded ministry has grown to the point that we need additional volunteer tutors. We are asking for your help. If you enjoy helping your children or grandchildren with their homework and are willing to share that skill, please consider helping a student in need. For more information, please contact Jackie Selle at 314-799-9715 or via email at homeworkhelpsf@gmail.com The Rev. Sally S. Weaver,Vicar, St. Francis' Episcopal Church

The Scroll - December 2013

November Vestry Report

Our November Vestry meeting was a Vestry Not As Usual. It was held between the 1st and 2nd services on Sunday, November 10. The subject explored was the nature of our two Sunday services and the wisdom of having a single service year-round instead of just in the summer. Fr. Dan explained how we came to have a single service in the summer. He also asked that we have a discussion of what Advent members like about each of the services. Between 40 & 50 Advent members attended and a wide range of opinions and subjects were covered. It was suggested that the single service in the summer allowed for 8:00 and 10:15 people to get to know each other. One person suggested a single service each quarter to promote this community fellowship. Others suggested that members from both services attended luncheons, the knitting fellowship, work days and other church functions and that this allowed for socialization of the early and late people. It was also mentioned that we currently had two services with only half the pews filled in each and a single service would have a more of a full church feeling. There were also a wide variety of opinions expressed about the nature of our two services. One person articulated that one or two services was not the issue, it is what we do at these services that was what is important. Some preferred the solemn nature of the 8:00 service while others preferred the more contemporary structure of the 10:15 service. Some members enjoyed the music at 10:15 and others preferred a worship service without music. Some members suggested that free time was an issue. They preferred the earlier service to free up their day and that even a 9:00 service takes up the whole morning. Fr. Dan emphasized that moving to a single service was not imminent and that this meeting was just exploring ideas. He also assured us that there would be no vote on the issue. As rector, this decision rests in his hands. Vic Kremar Vestry secretary

The Episcopal Church of the Advent welcomes you

DECEMBER
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9th

Adopt-a-family

Thank you to everyone who has donated to the FMP Adopt A Family giving tree and cleaner/personal care item drive. We are still in great need of laundry detergent, deodorant, bathroom cleaner, dish soap, feminine personal care products, shampoo and toilet tissue. We will be delivering all of the presents and donations on Monday, December 9.

11th

Prayer Shawl Group

Our Prayer Shawl group will meet on Wednesday, December 11th . Members will bring snacks and finger foods for a Christmas mini party. We had a Shawl blessing on the altar of Advent Church on Sunday, November 17th so there are many shawls ready to be sent out. Please request a shawl by contacting Mary Peck at 894-5460 or requesting a shawl by any prayer shawl group member. We welcome new members.

14th

Peace Meal

Advent will cook and serve the Peace Meal at St. Johns, Tower Grove on Saturday 14 December 2013. We arrive at 2:00 pm, and are usually out the door by 6:15 pm. Speak to Fr. Dan or Bill Witte if you would like to participate.

17th 24th 25th 29th

Advent Church Women

The next ACW meeting will be TUESDAY, December 17 at 7:00 p.m. in the parish hall. It will be our annual Christmas party when we play white elephant Bingo. All ladies are welcome.

Christmas Services

Tuesday 24 December 2013, 7:00 pm - Holy Eucharist with childrens sermon. Tuesday 24 December 2013, 11:00 pm Holy Eucharist (with incense) Wednesday 25 December 2013, 10:00 am Holy Eucharist.

The Celebration & Blessing of the Marriage of Jim Rode & Jan Tague

On Sunday, December 29th, we will celebrate the marriage of Jim Rode and Jan Tague at the 10:15 am service. All are invited. A reception will follow in the parish hall.

Tuesday Lunch Bunch Mens Club Dine Out

The Tuesday Lunch Bunch not meet in December - watch this space for time and place in the January edition of the Scroll.

Since the regular meeting night is so close to Christmas the Mens Dine Out meeting will not be held in December. The next Dining Out Night will be Thursday, January 16th at Mike Duffys in Kirkwood. The address is 124 W Jefferson Ave #104, Kirkwood, MO 63122. We will meet at 6:00 PM.

The Scroll - December 2013

The Holiday Season

Time keeps moving on. Time never speeds up or slows down, but seems to pass so quickly. Already Halloween is in the past, and we have just finished Thanksgiving. The aroma of the Thanksgiving dinners may still be lingering in our homes and maybe some forgotten leftovers are buried deep back in the refrigerators. The Christmas and New Year holiday season is just beginning. Christs birthday is about here. We will be soon celebrating his birth at our church services and in our homes.. Our church and homes will be brightly decorated with the spirit of Christmas. To help with the excitement of the holiday season, business establishments are decorated with all the glitter, lights, music and greenery to help us get us pumped up. Like Advents display of Baby Jesus in the Manger, so will our homes and establishments have such displays to remind us of the birth of Christ and reason for Christmas. Baby Jesus birth was shared by Gods creatures, quietly standing by, giving warmth to the baby with their warm breath. Visitors came from afar bearing gifts. While looking at these displays we should take a little time out of our lives to quietly stand by and reflect on this wondrous event. If we think hard enough maybe on Christmas Eve, when we retire, our dreams might take us back in time to be part of his birth. The spirit of Christmas is the time for sharing. We share with our adopted families by providing them with items which they have difficulty in obtaining, or cannot obtain

themselves.We share meals with our families and friends. We take time to share a togetherness, and to reacquaint ourselves with relatives and friends who live in faraway places. The spirit of Christmas is also the time for gift giving. Gift giving may have began with Christs birth when the visitors came with gifts for Baby Jesus. In celebrating his birth we give gifts to family, relatives and friends. Some gifts may have been purchased, while some gifts have been personally made. It is the thought behind the gift that means so much. There are families with very meager means who cannot afford purchasing gifts, but knowing Christmas is Christs birthday and is for gift giving, will make great effort to make gifts from whatever material they have available. For children this could be a homemade doll or a simple handmade wooden toy. Gifts are given truly from the heart. Happy Holidays, Bob Zimmer

The Episcopal Church of the Advent welcomes you

Liturgical Ministries: December 2013

December 1 Debra Sue Bailey Deb Goldfeder Bill Sanders Ralph Peck Jocelyn Sanders Austin Henry Adam Witte Jasmine Wisdom Rene Sanders Deb Goldfeder Kevin Williams John Kroes Gina Wisdom Nancy Kroes Jasmine Wisdom Elizabeth Kroes Chris Vogel Deb Goldfeder Rob Gyngard Rene Sanders Jocelyn Sanders Don Hopkins Phyllis Powers Deb Goldfeder Alexander Kroes December 8 December 15 December 22 December 29

6
Bill Bottoms Mark Naes Bailey Perez Difani Bill Witte Dale Iffrig Hovious Sanders Gyngard Greg Dell Jim Rode Ella Lancaster Gwen Brown Gyngard Family open Kroes Janice Evans Harry Dengler Phyllis Powers Sharon Knox Greg Dell Jim Rode Mary Ann Tombridge Gwen Brown Jan and Jim Reception

Worship Leader 8:00 am

Worship Leader 10:15 am am

Lector

Intercessor

Crucifer

Torch Bearers

Ushers

Oblationers 8:00 am Oblationers 10:15 am

Liturgical Ministries: December 2013

Coffee Hour Host(s) John and Nancy Kroes

Counters

Vestry Prayer Cycle

Advent 1 (A) Advent 2 (A)

Greg Dell Jim Rode Carolyn Bailey Vic Kremar Jim Rode

Bill Sanders Bill Bottoms Jessica Gerth Don Hopkins Billie Hall

Greg Dell Mark Naes Larry Brown Phyllis Powers Bruce Stotler
Advent 3 (A)

Nancy Kroes Bill Witte Loy Hovious Claudia Svoboda Bill Witte
Advent 4 (A)

Greg Dell Jim Rode Carolyn Bailey Vic Kremar Jim Rode
First Sunday after Christmas

Propers.

Isaiah 2:1-5 Psalm 122 Romans 13:11-14 Matthew 24:36-44 Alexander Kroes Don Hopkins

Isaiah 11:1-10 Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19 Romans 15:4-13 Matthew 3:1-12 Alexander Kroes Don Hopkins

Isaiah 35:1-10 Psalm 146:4-9 James 5:7-10 Matthew 11:2-11 Alexander Kroes Don Hopkins

Isaiah 7:10-16 Psalm 80:1-7, 16-18 Romans 1:1-7 Matthew 1:18-25 Alexander Kroes Don Hopkins

Isaiah 61:10 - 62:3 Psalm 147:13-21 Galatians 3:23-23; 4:4-7 John 1:1-18 Alexander Kroes Don Hopkins

Can't make it - plans changed? - Please call the church office 314-843-0123
Can't make it - plans changed? - Please call the church office 314-843-0123

The Scroll - December 2013

Altar Guild

Gift Wrapping Party

Please join the ECM chaplains and staff in a rewarding holiday tradition. ECM makes sure that every child who spends the holidays in detention will have a gift to open. We need volunteers to help us wrap all of the donated items.

Monday, December 16, 2013

11 am 1 pm Emmanuel Episcopal Church
Dining Hall 9 South Bompart Webster Groves, MO

A light luncheon will be served. It would be appreciated if you can bring scissors! Please call or email the ECM office to volunteer. 314-436-3545 ecitymission@sbcglobal.net

The Episcopal Church of the Advent welcomes you

Stories from the Good Road

Diverging Route by Deborah Goldfeder

I scared someone yesterday. I wasnt trying to. She was standing in the lobby of our building waiting, I suppose, for her ride home. She was standing with her back to me glancing at the headlines of the newspapers that had been piled up for the subscribers in our building. It happened that it was the anniversary of the assassination of John Kennedy and I can imagine she found the images compelling. I had walked out to get our paper and she jumped as if she had been doing something wrong. She said, Oh! I was lookinglet me catch the door for you [it locks behind us]! I told her it wasnt necessary as I had my key. Then she said, I work here. Im not trying to do anything. I belong here! I work for [neighbor] and Im not trying to do anything! I looked at her and said, Oh, no, Im not worried about you! How is [our neighbor] doing? I havent seen her lately. We chatted for a moment and then I went back to our apartment but I have been a little unsettled since then and it caused me to reflect more on the power I have to make others fear me simply because of my appearance. I can look pretty scary in the morning, I admit, but this morning I was dressed for work and my hair combed so I didnt look any scarier than I usually do. No, in that moment, I recognized that she perceived me as a threat because of the differences in our skin colors. I dont live my life aware of my advantage by virtue of genetic accidents but I have been thinking more about it for the past couple of days. The Moru people are very dark people (they will tell you they are the blackest people in Africa) so I was very conscious of my pale skin for a long time. After several months, I forgot that I was so pale. All the people around me were black and I stopped seeing black and began to see peoplenot black people but just people. What made me know this was when I saw my first white people and how startled I was to see them! Who were these kawajas? What were they doing in Lui? I found myself not quite trusting them and their motives! It was very strange. Children, of course, saw our differences and were sometimes frightened by kawajas [white people]. Little patients at the hospital sometimes screamed when I got close to them because they had never seen anyone so pale. Many times they were curious about whether or not the color of my skin would rub off on them so they would shake my hand and then look at theirs to see if it had. Most of the time they were simply curious about me and would sit near where I was sewing and chatter to me not caring if I understood them or not. Sometimes they would bring something they had found to show me. Mostly they were just kids like any others. There was one girl at the hospital named Dawa who made me acutely aware of our differences because, although Dawa liked me, she was afraid of my hair! I dont know what it was about my hair that scared her particularly. I wondered if it reminded her of spider webs or other creatures nests or if it was simply too different. Dawa [her name means medicine] was someone who touched my heart and someone I think of frequently.
The Scroll - December 2013

Dawa was maybe eleven years old and was paralyzed from the waist down. She had been brought from a distant village to the hospital following an accident. I was never quite clear about what happened. I just knew that she was facing a lifetime of suffering as a result of whatever happened. She spoke a different Sudanese language so I was even less likely to communicate effectively with her but we both understood smiles and other facial expressions so became friends in spite of our differences. She had a catheter for her bladder that would, from time to time, get clogged. She also had frequent infections. I worried for the life she would have. As I worked on the catheter, I would have to bend near her putting my hair closer to her so she would give a squeal of either fear or delight (maybe a mixture of both) so, one day, I offered to let her feel my hair but she wouldnt do

it. She just laughed shyly and we left it at that. I learned later that she had suffered the spinal injury when her older brother was beating her and she fell against a rock. This was not a particular scandalous thing to them. The brother had a good reason to beat her and she fell. It was just an accident. Oh, God, this is a culture where men can beat women without recourse and they start young. God, help women everywhere who are beaten by men, I prayed. She wasnt afraid of men. She was afraid of my hair. The woman in our lobby was afraid of me because I could call the police and have her taken for questioning for loitering. I could have ruined her morning and, perhaps, made her late for her next job. I had the power to ruin her day and make her lose another job just because she was waiting in the warm for the cab to come. I dont want to have that power but I do.

Episcopal City Mission: Holiday Gift Ideas 2013

Books (Bluford series is recommended) at www.townsendpress.com Sports team sweatshirts and t-shirts--All (adult) sizes: large, x-large, 2x-large Gift Certificates from Wal-Mart, Target, Sports Authority Composition Notebooks for use as journals No wire/spiral binding, black and white only Additional items for the units in detention (Not Individual Children) Games: (Connect 4, Monopoly, Jenga, Phase 10, UNO, SkipBo) Chess (High quality, sturdy sets) Ping Pong Paddles and Balls Dominos Coloring Books and Crayons Word Search books (no wire/spiral binding) Newly released PG-13 DVDs Individually wrapped candy (no bubblegum or lollipops)

The Episcopal Church of the Advent welcomes you

Episcopal Church of the Advent Episcopal Church of the Advent 9373 Garber Road 9373 Garber Road Crestwood, 63126-2849 Crestwood, MOMO 63126-0123 Episcopal Church of the Phone: 314-843-0123 Phone: 314-843-0123 Email: advent-episcopal@sbcglobal.net Advent E-mail: advent-episcopal@sbcglobal.net Website: www.advent-episcopal.org 9373 Garber Road www.advent-episcopal.org Dec. Website: 2013 edition of the Scroll Crestwood, MO 63126-2849
Phone: 314-843-0123 E-mail: advent-episcopal@sbcglobal.net Website: www.advent-episcopal.org

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