E-Log Newsletter | December 6, 2017
 
Rector's Corner

Happy Advent! 
As we welcome a new liturgical year, the church invites us to take a break from our typical busyness to get in touch with the deepest longings of the human heart.  We all long for connection, security and peace. God encourages us to wait in hope for the fullness of salvation promised in Jesus.  I do hope that you can find some time to rest in the spaciousness of this season of joyful expectation. Our parish has many opportunities to pray, reflect and serve.  Please join us for any event that meets the needs of your family.
 
Discipleship update: Pledges continue to come in slowly as we attempt to fund our many ministries for 2018. I am happy to report that 122 households have pledged $369,791 toward our necessary goal of $425,000. The Finance Committee is preparing a preliminary budget this week.  Please formalize your relationship and commitment to St. Andrew's by making a pledge today. If you did not receive a Discipleship packet for some reason, please call Ruby at 206.523.7476 to request one.  You can also find all of the pledge materials on-line at our website www.saintandrewsseattle.org by clicking "PLEDGE" in the upper right hand corner.  You can even click on the "Pledge Now" button to make your gift through auto-debit from a bank/credit account or check. I thank you in advance for your tremendous generosity.
 
Special Christmas Offering envelopes are inserted in this LOG if you wish to make an end-of-the year gift to St. Andrew's Episcopal Church.  I hope to see you all in the coming weeks!

Your brother in Christ,
The Reverend Richard C Weyls+
Rector

Advent Reflections
AN ADVENT POEM
by Sean Johnson
I
Now this is the quiet season that travels so far within and without.
Her radiance dazzles us in the flicker of dancing candlelight --
Wisdom rich and unfading, she is we learn, the wise bridesmaid sitting by the midnight gate, our key in her hand.
And who are we? Filaments bright we see a luminescence but not our own light.
And She might be the sacred feminine within, the natural grace, and like us shade of mother and child.
This then is the quiet season that travels so far within and without.
This too is the winding and weaving season, a voyage out, a journey in,
A season of dark and hope, of lifegiving rain and time for a spirit Wind to Whistle through us. A time of approach, yes and a time to lose time, a Moment to forget, A moment to reflect. All we need know ...
We are on the verge.

II
This now is the season of the roaring silence, the moment brimming with Questions stamped In our book of days. The echo and re-echo of His Coming, wave upon wave lifting us to safety. We are each of us eager Seasons folding into days of expectation.
He is already the lofty Swift we see coming in flight. And what path is this That we In seeking have already crossed? In readying our minds and Hearts?
This too is our uplifting season that travels so far within and without.

Advent, Christmas & Epiphany at St. Andrew's
Emanuel Blue Advent Hanging The holiday season is upon us which means a bevy of activity at St. Andrew's. Below is a sampling of activities, services and outreach that should help you to plan your time, talent and gifts accordingly.

Advent Giving Tree 
If you've taken a tag from the Advent Giving Tree in the Narthex, please remember to return your Advent Giving Tree gifts by the dates marked on your gift tags.

Other Advent Outreach Opportunities
Jubilee Dinner Gifts and Donations: We are collecting
personal care items for our Jubilee guests. Please place your donation in the appropriate boxes in the Parish Hall during Advent. Fresh fruit will also be distributed to our Jubilee Dinner guests. Please bring your fruit donations when you attend Christmas services and place them in the boxes on the stage. These items will be distributed at the next Jubilee Dinner on December 31. 
 
A Service of Lessons & Carols  The vocal and bell choirs at St. Andrew's will present an Advent Service of Lessons & Carols on Sunday, December 10 at the 10:00 a.m. service. This service, combines traditional Advent Carols with readings and reflections appropriate to the season.

Christmas Caroling at St. Andrew's 
Join us for one of the most fun holiday traditions going! We will gather at St. Andrew's on Saturday, December 16 at 6:00 p.m. for an old fashioned walk around the neighborhood while we serenade our neighbors with Christmas Carols and bring holiday cheer. We'll return to the church and warm ourselves with hot wassail
. Bring your friends to join - all ages welcome!

Christmas Eve Dessert
Following our 10 pm Christmas Eve service, we will have our annual festive dessert party in the library. Cider and champagne will be served and you are invited to bring a dessert to share. 

All are Welcome


Christmas Services at St. Andrew's

Christmas Eve December 24 (4th Sunday in Advent)
Regular Sunday services at 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. 
 
Christmas Eve Family Service December 24 at 4:00 p.m.
Holy Eucharist and carol singing  
 
Christmas Eve Carol Singing and Candlelight Eucharist
Carol singing,  10:00 p.m. followed by Candlelight Holy Eucharist at 10:30 p.m. Dessert reception follows in the Library   

Christmas Day December 25
Holy Eucharist with carol singing at 10:00 a.m.

 
Advent & Epiphany Journey at The Center  
Rest on the Journey: Centering Prayer Advent Special
Wednesdays, Dec. 6, 13, and 20, 5:45-7pm, Chapel of the Resurrection. 
Come to the Chapel in candlelight and the hush of resting and waiting for one 30-minute period of Centering Prayer followed lectio divina in the monastic style on the themes of Advent from scripture and other writings. We will conclude the evening with some brief sharing. Please note that there will be no centering prayer gatherings Wednesdays,  December 27, or January 3. Contact Cherry Haisten to RSVP or ask questions.   
Ad vent Journey with Music and Labyrinth 
Sa turday, Dec ember 16, 2017, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon, Library.
Mary and Joseph left everyone and everything familiar behind to journey to an unknown destination in order to bring The Light into the world. In this beautiful season of Advent, their journey may remind us of our own journey and inspire us to find and give birth to The Light within ourselves, and to take that light into the world. Music - chanting and listening - as well as journaling and walking the Labyrinth in St. Andrew's Sacred Grounds will guide us to focus on what is truly important and to receive a respite from the rushed and hectic pace as Christmas rapidly approaches. 
Your guides: Donna Gates Hawkins and Valerie Piacenti
Registration: Class size limited to 12 so please register ahead (please click here for registration form). Early bird fee by Sunday, December 10, $25.00. After December 10, fee is $35 for any available spaces. To register, click on "Donate." Or you may sign up at Coffee Hour in the Parish Hall, or email thecenter@saintandrewsseattle.org.  

A Centering Prayer Epiphany Party: A Special Evening to Welcome the Light
Wednesday, January 10, 5:45-7:15 p.m., Chapel
Let's celebrate Epiphany together by joining in two periods of Centering Prayer followed by some Epiphany-appropriate refreshments (there may be a surprise!), and some reflection on the significance of Epiphany from a contemplative point of view.
Contact Cherry at cherryh@saintandrewsseattle.org to RSVP, to ask questions about Centering Prayer or this event, to offer to help with set-up and hospitality-or to just come!  
Continues 1st and 3rd Mondays throughout the program year, 7:00-8:30 p.m., Chapel - next meeting, Monday, December 18
Thomas Keating DVD and sharing. Questions? Contact Sue Kraemer at smkraemer@gmail.com
 
More Sassy and Soulful Gratitude
With so many wonderful volunteers for The Center's "Sass & Soul" evening, it's not surprising that I left some out. These may be last but they are certainly not least. A huge thank you to Sydnie Sliker, our St. Andrew's bookkeeper who does so much to support The Center with a gentle and patient approach, and to Wes Rogers who helped Syd with finances on the night of.
 
Here's the thank-you note LaVon Hardison, one of our lead singers for the evening, sent us!
 
"I was sitting at my kitchen table admiring the beautiful flowers that you kindly gave me [thanks to Meredith Easton Brown's thoughtfulness]. I wanted to thank you for your hospitality. Frank and I had lovely time making music for and with you."
 
Frank Anderson adds:
"I'm very lucky to know you guys at St. Andrew's."

I think it says something about our community that our guest artists thank us!
 
And here is Ruby's list of favorite things about our "Sass & Soul" evening:
Let's do this again next year! 
What do you say?
   
Stand with our Neighbors: Field Trips
Final Field Trip: Wednesday, January 17, 2018 (7:00 - 9:00 p.m.):
A Mosque visit to the Muslim Association of Puget Sound. 17550 NE 67th Court, Redmond, WA  
Join folks from St. Andrew's
and others at the Muslim Association of Puget Sound (MAPS) in Redmond for a mosque visit.  You will have the opportunity to tour the mosque, observe a prayer service, listen to a presentation on Islam, engage in a Q&A session to have your questions answered, and meet some of your neighbors in the Seattle area!  Thank you to Aneelah Afzali of MAPS, one of our speakers for the fall immigration series, for this gracious invitation! 
The Center at St. Andrew's and the St. Andrew's OneWorld group will be arranging carpooling from St. Andrew's. More information on carpooling arrangements coming soon.
More Info: www.mapsredmond.org/amen |   www.saintandrewsseattle.org . St. Andrew's contact: Cherry Haisten, cherryh@saintandrewsseattle.org . We will have an informal carpooling arrangement from St. Andrew's. Watch for more information.   
 
All are Welcome at The Center 
Children & Youth
Director's Corner
I love Advent. It's a wonderful time of anticipation and preparation. I was recently talking with our 3rd-5th graders about how Advent is a time of waiting and what that means. There's many ways to wait. Among them I mentioned that there's passive waiting and active waiting. One of them mentioned that they were waiting for a package, which was a perfect example of passive waiting. You don't do anything, there's nothing you can do to make it arrive sooner, so you wait for the day when it will arrive. But during Advent we do not wait passively, we wait actively. Active waiting means preparation in addition to anticipation. During Advent we actively remember Christ's birth and actively await his return. We prepare for his return by participating in the work of God's kingdom. Sometimes that work is serious, sometimes simple and sometimes silly. With our children and youth we're getting ready for Christmas by singing and enacting the story of Christ's birth. Our youth will be having Christmas parties. I feel that in some way, whenever we feast we are anticipating the joy when we will feast with Christ in the resurrection. During our last High School Youth Group we began a discussion about how we can volunteer and serve together more. During this Advent, I'm excited about all the things, big and small, that we're doing as we actively await Christ's birth and his return. Advent blessings!
Jordan Uomoto, MDIV 
Director of Faith Formation for Children & Youth

Middle School Youth Update 
In Middle School Youth Group this season, we have been talking about testimonies; those of the Church, and the stories of the people that have lived before us in our faith. Over the last two months we have heard the testimonies of some of the middle school leaders and talked about the life of Mother Teresa, and in all asking how each of us hear and feel God differently. When asked where and how the students know God's presence, I have heard that they feel God "during service" and "while serving as an acolyte." We have talked about experiencing God through nature, and how God sometimes speaks in the small moments or coincidences in life. Through talking about Mother Teresa, we discussed why there are times in our lives in which we cannot "hear" God at all. What does this mean? Does it mean that God is not actually present in our lives? These all led to a rich conversation on how God is present with us both inside and outside of Church. We also talked about how God is present even when we cannot feel God's presence. Along with good conversation, we have also had good fun! Over the last two months we have played many fun games such as: "bigger and better,' telephone charades and had a church wide scavenger hunt. All of these things combine together not only to make good fun, but also rich conversation.
Megan McInnis
Faith Formation Intern

Christmas Pageant (December 17, 10:00 a.m.)
Join us for our annual Christmas Pageant on Dec 17th during the 10am service! Our children and youth will help lead us in celebrating the birth of our Lord with song, word, and play. We will have one more rehearsal, this Sunday, December 10th after the 10 a.m. service with lunch provided. We'd love for you children and youth to participate! Whether that's as a donkey, shepherd, star, Magi, reader, props person or something else!

Progressive Dinners (December 17, 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.)
What's better than appetizers, dinner, and dessert? Appetizers, dinner, and dessert at three locations! That's exactly what our Progressive Dinners are. They're our MS and HS Youth Groups' Christmas parties, which include food, games, and a white elephant gift exchange ($10 limit, but preferably something you don't want from your home). Both youth groups will gather at St Andrew's for appetizers and then split up and head to different homes for dinner, dessert, and the gift exchange. It's also an occasion when youth group graduates are welcomed back to join in the high school festivities. We'd love to see you there! And let me know if you'd be willing to be a driver. Thanks to these families who have volunteered their homes:
  • MS Dinner: Glidewell's / MS Dessert: Lommer's
  • HS Dinner: Feldman's / HS Dessert: Dorn's
Wreath sale wrap-up; Chinook Books Still Available 
Thanks to everyone who ordered a wreath or purchased a Chinook Book! If you haven't yet picked your wreath up, don't forget it. They are on the stage in the Parish Hall.

Chinook Book sales are continuing. You can continue to purchase and refill your Chinook coupons on the St Andrew's website (under the "Youth Programs" tab under Children & Youth), or you can go to this site with your phone:
https://chinook.co/saintandrewsseattle .

Proceeds from both these fund raisers continue to support our youth programming. Thanks for supporting our youth!
!     Middle School Retreat (January 12-14, 2018)
This is the highlight of the year for our Middle Schoolers! Every year our Middle School Youth Group joins with other Episcopal Churches from around Seattle and the Eastside for this retreat. I can't recommend it enough! We go to Miracle Ranch where there is horseback riding, paintball, a ropes course, great food, great games and more. The youth ministers who lead the weekend do an amazing job of planning the programming, the discussions, and all the details. If you could only go to one event out of the whole year I'd recommend that you make space for this one. More details and the registration form are forthcoming, but until then, put this weekend in your calendar.

Parish Camp (April 28-29, 2018) We're excited to announce that we're doing Parish Camp this coming Spring! It's a weekend at Camp Huston for camping, games, music, time with other parishioners, and more. Stay tuned for more details and mark your calendars!
 
 
Want to read more?  Email Jordan Uomoto if you'd like to be added to the Children & Youth Newsletter.

End of the Year Contributions to St. Andrew's
If you would like to make a contribution to St. Andrew's before the end of the year, please remember the following:
  • IRS rules state that charitable contributions must be claimed in the year they are delivered to the church. Any contributions you plan to deduct on your 2017 federal tax return must be delivered to the church by December 31, 2017 or be in the mail and postmarked by December 31, 2017.
  • Any contributions in the offering plates on or after January 1, 2018 are deductible in 2018 no matter what date is on the check.
  • You may prepay your financial commitment (all or part) for 2018 before the end of 2017 and report it as a contribution on your 2017 tax return.
  • In January, we will issue you a statement of the contributions we received from you during 2017. You should not file your income tax return until you receive this statement from us.
If you have any questions, please contact Sydnie Sliker, St. Andrew's bookkeeper at 206-523-7476, ext 306 or by email at sydnies@saintandrewsseattle.org.

Ways to get involved at St. Andrew's
Join the Handbell Choir! The church is looking for people to join the handbell choir - no experience necessary! It's easy and fun - if you haven't done it before, we will teach you! Rehearsals are Thursday evenings at 6:15 p.m. with plans to play on  many Sunday at the 10:00 a.m. service.  Please contact Music Director Tim Drewes for more information, timd@saintandrewsseattle.org.

Showcase
Showcase is located next to the nursery in the Parish Hall and is open most Sunday mornings during the program year, selling many treasurers at bargain prices. All proceeds go to the general budget of St. Andrew's.

Host Coffee Hour 
The coffee host signup sheets for January and February 2018 following the 10:00 a.m. service are available at the Welcome Table. Your hospitality is greatly appreciated. You are asked to bring and serve some simple goodies and pour coffee and tea. Thanks to everyone who has served as hosts in 2017! A big thank you to all who have stepped up and have provided goodies and acted as hosts at the 8:00 a.m. coffee hour while Joe Waltz has been recovering from an auto accident in August. He will return as our AMAZING and faithful host the first Sunday in January.  
 
2018 Flower and Sanctuary Candle Charts
Flower and sanctuary candle charts are now out for the 2018. Sunday flowers are $50.00 and the candle is $5.00. This is a nice way to support the beauty of the church while remembering loved ones and celebrating special occasions
 
PRAYERS 
Your prayers are asked for our shut ins and continued healing and strength for those of our parish who are ill. We especially ask you to remember this week - Suzie Bradshaw, Scot Crawford, Ruth Adams, Judy Madison, Jan Viguers, Margo Smith, Patricia Bryant, Sven & Bernie Couch, Marilyn L'Esperance, Kathy Franklin, Peter Hudson, Carole Sassaman, Nathan Novak, Rosa Ebsary, Tucker Sparkman, Georgiana Nielsen, Glenn Sassaman, Gerry Soike, Pat Seaman, Angie Sangston, Al Campbell, Connie Campbell, Joe Waltz, Audrey Hicks, Wells Henley, Gerry Allen, and Joe Abrahms.
 
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111 NE 80th Street, Seattle, WA 98115 | 206.523.7476 

 

The Reverend Richard C. Weyls, Rector

info@saintandrewsseattle.org

 

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