December 2011 Edition
STINA’S MESSAGE
Sarum Blue for Advent
If you have been able to come to church this Advent, you have seen the beautiful blue vestments and paraments. (Vestments are what people wear, paraments are what things wear. Right now there are blue paraments on the altar and lecturn.) Many people have never seen blue for Advent, but it comes from an old English tradition. Salisbury Cathedral in England is the home of the Sarum or English Rite, and they use blue for Advent. So what does it stand for and what is the difference? You may have noticed that the majority of the Gospel readings for Advent are not about the birth of Jesus. Rather, they are about the second coming of Jesus, and they urge us to prepare for the time when Jesus will come again. Originally, the birth of Jesus was not important to the church, but the second coming was extremely important. Therefore it made sense to prepare for this with penitence, which is what the purple stands for. As the focus in Advent has shifted to a time of preparation more than penitence, it makes sense to use a different color. The other tie to blue is that it is the color associated with Mary.
That is the background, so what should we do with this today? For me the question comes down to this: Are you ready? Jesus is coming. We don’t need to be terribly concerned about whether this is focused on Christmas or Second Coming. This is not about “being ready for Christmas.” This is about opening your heart.
The Benedictines remind us that “always we begin again.” This is helpful to me, and why I like our calendar. Each season reminds us again that we need to pay attention to this or that part of our spiritual life. In the midst of the pre-Christmas chaos, do remember the reason for the season, and do take a little bit of down-time to think about how you can open the door to your heart for the Lord of life.
Stina
UPDATE
The Bishops Committee decided to paint the main floor of the building and do some other needed repairs. The paint in the hallway will match the color of the paint in the upstairs hallway. The color of the walls in the church will be approximately the same as they are now. In addition, the kitchen/back room will be renovated. We are also discussing some new programs which the Vicar is very excited about. All of this takes money, of course, so we very much appreciate your help.
SPECIAL COMING EVENTS
CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE – Saturday December 24th 4:30 PM, appetizers following
JUST ASK
Consider inviting everyone you know who is not currently attending church/temple to come to Christmas Eve at SKK with you. This is a thoughtful invitation. “Do you have a place to celebrate Christmas Eve?” If the answer is simply no, then invite them to our 4:00 service. If the answer is no, I’m not Christian, I’m …,” then we can rejoice that they have a faith community. Obviously, if they they say yes, we are also pleased they have a faith community. Many people would come, if they had an invitation. Perhaps they do not attend where they used to but have not yet found someplace new. Perhaps they have not been raised in a faith community. The invitation makes all the difference. Sometimes people will say, “I don’t think I believe.” You can answer, “In our church, doubt is acceptable, and questions are welcomed. Come and see.”
Christmas Service, Sunday, Dec 25, A traditional service. Lessons and Carols Service which we will have on Sun, Dec 26 at 10 AM is the fun service where we get to sing all the great carols in our hymnal. While we may not have the polish of King’s College (they do a big famous one) we will have a great time. I hope you join us, and bring a friend!
SAVE THE DATE PLEASE!!!
SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL – (Formerly the Summer Frolic) Sun, July 10, 2011, 2:00 PM at Grace Cathedral. Please note the correction of the date and save the date. ALL ABLE SEI KO KAI MEMBERS AND FRIENDS WILL BE NEEDED IF WE ARE SUCCESSFULLY TO MEET THE BISHOP’S CHALLENGE TO US.
SCHEDULE
10:00 Eucharist, please remember that parking is atrocious and give extra time.
AFTER CHURCH ACTIVITIES
- 1st Sunday – Small Church book, after church, a group practice* Dec 5.
- 2nd Sunday –Bishop’s Committee – Dec 12, after church
- 3rd Sunday – Baptism December 19th
- 4th Sunday — Bridge Game – cancelled for December-
DESCRIPTION OF THE CLASSES
Creating Safety (3rd Sunday after coffee hour) – Are there times in your life when you feel unsure or even unsafe? Sometimes those unhappy times are logical, such as when we have to park in a dark lot in an area that is unfamiliar. But sometimes those feelings happen when we have to deal with people we don’t like at work, or even family members! This class will teach you an interesting technique to use that helps you protect yourself emotionally in a way that enhances relationship. Sound impossible? Come and see for yourself!
December 19th: Service of Baptism of Cooper James Ichiro Tsang.
December 26 – Service of Carols. A traditional service. Lessons and Carols Service which we will have on Sun, Dec 26 at 10 AM is the fun service where we get to sing all the great carols in our hymnal. While we may not have the polish of King’s College (they do a big famous one) we will have a great time. I hope you join us, and bring a friend!
December 26 – Kwanza begins
FLOWERS
Thanks to the many people who have signed up to donate flowers each Sunday.
The “Flower Chart” for 2011 is posted in the Church soon. Please sign up or call the Vicar to donate flowers on a given Sunday.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
The recent elections showed the effects of not only the hardship brought about by the Great Bush Recession of 2008 but by an onslaught of what’s in it for me political advertizing playing on peoples’ fears and prejudice. As we approach the Christmas season with its message of hope one must wonder. Are we the country of the Ghost of Christmas Past or the country of the vision of Tiny Tim? Merry Christmas and all best wishes for a happy and fulfilling New Year. the messnger
THE LAST WORD
You have not lived until you have done something
For someone who can never repay you.
John Bunyon
MESSENGER’S NOTES
In order that the membership understands the difficulty maintaining current operations the Messenger will strive to provide:
- Information regarding events of significance to the whole congregation.
- Information regarding the customs and practices of the Protestant Episcopal Church, USA and of our Nikkei community.
- Information regarding efforts made to advance the program goals established by the Vicar, Bishop’s Committee as the goals themselves are made known.
- Information regarding events relevant to the mission of the church.
The Messenger will not list individual monetary gifts or donations as it has no direct access to such information. However, donors will be acknowledged as their names are provided. Institutional grants for project goals of the Mission will be acknowledged as a part of information regarding the programs themselves.
Deadline for next issue is January 10th at messenger@seikokai.org
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