The Cloak

Even as the son of a priest, it was not until my late teens that I understood that "Santa Claus", aka "Old St. Nick", was based on a actual person-- the 4th C. St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra (in Asia Minor, today Turkey). I only understood Santa Claus as a giver of gifts TO ME. It never even occurred to me that he was actually a symbol for the act of giving whose real purpose is to encourage and stimulate my own generosity to others, particularly those who in need while the world celebrates extravagantly around them in Advent and Christmas. So this year we are focussing on the Bishop of Myra and his lifelong ministries for the care of children, and for sailors at risk at sea. Santa Claus is a much more compelling character as one who encourages us to share, rather than simply one who contributes to our possessions. Please come this Saturday as we "flip the script" on this icon of Christmas, and share of your self and your gifts in service to all God's children, old and young alike.

Peace & blessings,

Chris+

St. Nicholas Celebration

A wonderful celebration to look forward to this season will be our Feast of St. Nicholas service and potluck supper this Saturday, December 9, starting at 5pm in church with supper being in the Gurley Room. We will have an opportunity to learn about St. Nicholas through readings and music. Some of those hymns will be more familiar Christmas tunes with words that teach us about the life and works of "Old St. Nick". We will also welcome a surprise visitor! Instead of St. Nick bringing us gifts, we will load him up with toys and food for those in need of them this blessed holiday. Come be a part of the season's holy sharing and merriment by bringing a potluck dish, and also something to make a child smile or another family's holiday meal special!

We invite you to come join us for spirit,

song and food on this special evening!

Outreach in Advent

We know that we have asked much from you over the past several months, and as always, you have responded positively. We hope, however, that you will find it in your hearts to support our two final outreach programs for 2017. We truly need your help to make Christmas special for ECS clients and the residents of St. Barnabas.

Last Call for ECS Gift Cards

Our collection of $25 VISA or Walmart (or Target) gift cards ends this Sunday, December 10th. Please donate a gift card or money so that we can purchase the cards. If you would like to contribute but will not be in church on Sunday, contact Myrtie Musetti or Pam Faber and let them know of your desire to participate.

Christmas Dinner Drive

On Sunday, December 17th, volunteers will be in the church parking lot from 9am - 10:30am to collect Christmas dinner makings for ECS/St. Barnabas. Please donate FROZEN turkeys or hams plus all the fixings such as mashed potato mix, stuffing, canned sweet potatoes, gravy, canned vegetables and fruit, cranberry sauce, etc. We will deliver all the donations that morning. If you are not going to be in church on the 17th and would still like to donate, please call the office at 610-688-4830 to make arrangements for a convenient drop-off.

Pledge Cards

Thank you to all who have returned their pledge cards for 2018. If you have not yet done so, please give prayerful consideration to making a pledge and return your card as soon as possible. If necessary, you can visit St. Martin's Stewardship webpage to download a copy of the 2018 pledge card.

Sunday School

The pageant is almost upon us. We have just two more Sundays before December 24th. This Sunday, when we gather in the large Sunday School room at 9:30 a.m., we will hear the pageant story and talk about what the four gospels say about Jesus's birth (spoiler alert...they don't all mention him as a baby.) At 9:30, the Confirmands and narrators will be with us practicing their pageant readings. The other children can have a chance to join in the drama. Our little Lego scene of the stable continues to have more animals and shepherds gather. But baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph have not arrived on the scene.

Reminder, the following Sunday is December 17 and the ONLY pageant rehearsal. Parents are encouraged to pick out costumes this week (Ms. Deb will be in the small Sunday School room after the service to assist). Then on the 17th we ask all youth to arrive at 8:45 a.m. in the small Sunday School room so they can vest and we can be ready for the younger children. I am asking parents to have all children upstairs in the church promptly at 9am (or if the 8am service is still using the space we will gather in the hall downstairs.) The choir is joining us at 9am and we will run through the entire pageant before we head back downstairs prior to the beginning of the 10am worship service. I look forward to seeing everyone, and if you have a question please contact Ms. Deb at [email protected].

Hurricane Relief - $1 Challenge

$1.00 per week in the hurricane relief collection plate is all it takes. All donations will be sent to Episcopal Relief & Development at the end of the year.

Christ Church Ithan Event

De-stress from the Holiday Stress - Monday, 12/11, 7 p.m.

All are welcome to join in exploring the dynamics and physical impact of this challenging holiday season, and learning realistic strategies to ease the stress and bring balance to this time of year. A panel of community professionals will be at Christ Church, Ithan to discuss mental and physical health and wellness, and offer useful strategies that will help everyone better enjoy this wonderful time of the year in spite of the hype!

Pilgrim's Prayer

Submitted by Deb Parker

I just opened the next day on the little paper Advent Calendar (they were out on the table in the Gurley Room last Sunday.) I search for the correct door with the date, reminding me we draw closer to Christ's birth. Closer to the light coming into this increasingly dark world. A small scripture passage is on the inside of the door...another reminder of the long-awaited Messiah.

One other reminder comes in my email "in box" each day. The author, Anne E. Kitch, writes: In my journey toward Jesus, each day is a door opening to revelation, offering opportunities for the recognition of joy, divine presence, and redemption. Day by day I am reminded that revelations of the holy are hidden in plain sight. Some searching, a bit of attentiveness, a modicum of intention opens the way and the heart to sacred love.

Invite Anne to join you daily by signing up for her Advent messages (https://tinyurl.com/advent400). They are a refreshing way to set out in new directions. Anne's posts are from her daily blog (http://sacredstumbling.blogspot.com/).

Holiday Greens

Submitted by Deb Parker

"Perhaps the most striking and the most universal feature of Christmas is the use of evergreens in churches and homes. Among ancient Romans evergreens were an emblem of peace, joy, and victory. Early Christians placed them in their windows to indicate that Christ had entered the home. Holly and ivy, along with pine, and fir are called evergreens because they never change color. They are ever-green, ever-alive, even in the midst of winter. Thus they can well symbolize the unchanging nature of our God, remind us of the everlasting life that is ours through Christ Jesus."

Source: http://stlukeslebanon.org/2015/12/14/hanging-the-greens-or-the-greening-of-the-church/

Upcoming Events

Confirmation Gatherings

Sunday, 12/17, 8:45 a.m. - Vest in albs for Christmas Pageant rehearsal. Rehearsal from 9-10 a.m.

St. Nicholas Celebration & Supper

Saturday, 12/9, 5 p.m. in Church and the Gurley Room

Christmas Pageant

Sunday, 12/24, 10 a.m.

Christmas Dinner Drive

Sunday, 12/17, 9-10:30 a.m.

Read and Ponder

this Week's Scriptures

The scripture readings for this Sunday are:

Isaiah 40:1-11
Exodus 15:1-6, 11-13, 17-18 (Canticle: The Song of Moses)
1 Corinthians 9:20-27
Mark 1:1-8

The Collect

O God, you make us glad with the weekly remembrance of the glorious resurrection of your Son our Lord: Give us this day such blessing through our worship of you, that the week to come may be spent in your favor; through Jesus Christ our Lord . Amen

The Old Testament

Isaiah 40:1-11

Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. A voice cries out: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken." A voice says,

"Cry out!" And I said, "What shall I cry?" All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand for ever. Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, "Here is your God!" See, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.

The Response

Exodus 15:1-6, 11-13, 17-18 (Canticle: The Song of Moses)

I will sing to the Lord, for he is lofty and uplifted; *
    the horse and its rider has he hurled into the sea.
The Lord is my strength and my refuge; *
    the Lord has become my Savior.
This is my God and I will praise him, *
    the God of my people and I will exalt him.
The Lord is a mighty warrior; *
    Yahweh is his Name.
The chariots of Pharaoh and his army has he hurled into the sea; *
    the finest of those who bear armor have been drowned in the Red Sea.
The fathomless deep has overwhelmed them; *
    they sank into the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, O Lord, is glorious in might; *
    your right hand, O Lord, has overthrown the enemy.
Who can be compared with you, O Lord, among the gods? *
    who is like you, glorious in holiness, awesome in renown, and worker of wonders?
You stretched forth your right hand; *
    the earth swallowed them up.
With your constant love you led the people you redeemed; *
    with your might you brought them in safety to your holy dwelling.
You will bring them in and plant them *
    on the mount of your possession,
The resting-place you have made for yourself, O Lord, *
    the sanctuary, O Lord, that your hand has established.
The Lord shall reign *
    for ever and for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
    as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

The Epistle

1 Corinthians 9:20-27

To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law) so that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I might by any means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings. Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable garland, but we an imperishable one. So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified.

The Gospel

Mark 1:1-8

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, "See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,'" John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, "The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

Optional parts of the readings are set off in square brackets.

The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel lessons are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the USA, and used by permission.

The Collects, Psalms and Canticles are from the Book of Common Prayer, 1979.

Martin

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Saint Martin's Episcopal Church of Radnor

400 King of Prussia Road

Radnor, PA 19087

(610) 688-4830

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