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A Few Scattered Seeds... January 4
, 2018
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Dear Friends in Christ,
Merry 10th day of Christmas and 4th day of 2018! I imagine for many of us these last days contained the full range of emotion which marks the holiday season: from hilarity to exasperation; joy to grief, utter satiation to painful longing. Or maybe your heart has grown a bit numb and you are having trouble feeling much at all, like fingertips in an arctic wind. I know this can sometimes happen to me.
Over this New Year I picked up a book that Maggie brought home a couple years ago and that I may have probably mentioned before. John O'Donohue was an Irish poet and former Catholic priest. Many of you liked his On Being episode which I shared of his a while back. His book, To Bless the Space Between Us, can warm the coldest heart. It's primarily a collection of blessings that he wrote over many years; blessings for different occasions, life transitions, different states of the heart. But he also speaks of the nature of blessing and it's pertinence for today:
"A blessing touches the tender membran
e where the human heart cries out to its divine ground...In the parched deserts of post-modernity a blessing can be like the discovery of a fresh well. It would be lovely if we could rediscover our power to bless one another." He speaks about the ways that being kind in itself is a tremendous blessing. Which reminds me of the blessing Mthr. Kate often dffers at the end of the Eucharist: "Be swift to love, make haste to be kind..."
I leave you with O'Donohue's blessing for a new year. I hope to see you in church, but I pray God's deep blessings upon you wherever you may be,
Seth+
A Blessing for the New Year
On the day when
The weight deadens
On your shoulders
And you stumble,
May the clay dance
To balance you.
And when your eyes
Freeze behind
The grey window
And the ghost of loss
Gets into you,
May a flock of colours,
Indigo, red, green
And azure blue,
Come to awaken in you
A meadow of delight.
When the canvas frays
In the currach of thought
And a stain of ocean
Blackens beneath you,
May there come across the waters
A path of yellow moonlight
To bring you safely home.
May the nourishment of the earth be yours,
May the clarity of light be yours,
May the fluency of the ocean be yours,
May the protection of the ancestors be yours.
And so may a slow
Wind work these words
Of love around you,
An invisible cloak
To mind your life.
For this week's
readings
, click
here
.
To hear last Sunday's
sermon, click
here
.
To view the
WINTER ISSUE
of the
Messenger
, click
here
.
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Long term:
Ed Leidel, Barb Lawler, Andrea, Gail Cheesman, Nanette Gransé, Bob Holmes, Jayne, Elijah, Emma Low, Leslie, Thane, Susan, Betsy, Drew Morse, Franne Dickinson, Mark McLaughlin, Kate, Donna, Jack Streed, Joan Streed, Janet Shaw, Candice, John, Arlene, David, Charty Bassett, Pat Birchall, Grace Dreher, Carolie Goniu, Heidi, Barbara K., John McIntyre, Sue McIntyre, Patti, PJ Lawler, George Stolarczyk, Laura Tatum, Phyllis Babb, Elizabeth Casey, Anne, Bob Figg, Michael Jent, Eric, Dustin, Taj, Earl, Larry, Lynn, Ann, Jack, Marge.
Especially this week:
Robert Cheesman.
Birthdays:
Fern Kiehm, Maddie Tomasi, Meredith Scrivner, William Walker, Alexandra Bardunias, Miriam Koenig. Liz Kohler, Mason Ross.
Anniversaries:
Katie and Tyler Kristopeit; Kate and Drew Byrd
.
Home-bound:
Joanne, Edith.
Parents Expecting:
Drew Avanell and Tyler Gaddis.
Thanksgiving
for the birth of Isaac James born Dec. 22nd; grandchild of Sandy and Kjell Johansen.
Serving in the Armed Forces:
Anthony, Bill, Billy, Davin, Jack, Jeffrey, Mark, Matthew, Nick, Scott, Tom, Will.
Sunday's altar flowers
are offered to the glory of God and in memory of John and Genevieve Stevens and Alice and Earl Lillydahl from Mary and Earl Lillydahl
.
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8:00 a.m. Service: Acolyte/Reader
-
Randy Dean
.
Ushers
- Barbara Hantula, Brenda Hantula
.
9:30 a.m. Service: Vestry Greeters -
Lesson Readers
- Andy Stillman, Lisa Pietrowiak. Prayer Reader - Bruce Dunn.
Eucharistic Ministers
- Kathy Eurich, Hillary McCown, Mary Meyers, Sarah Gottlieb, Pam Eversfield, Clergy.
Acolytes - Sam Donner, Abby Frieder, Ruby Donner, Kendall Peters.
Ushers - Bruce Dunn, Rick Donner, Patrick Foley, Darrell Lile.
5:30 Evening Prayer
week of 1/07 (W/TH): Donna Recht, Carol Crowley.
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Children's Formation
Nursery 9:15 until the end of Christian Formation at 11:50 (Ages 0-3).
Godly Play I 9:15 until the Peace in Rooms 5 and 7 for children in K4 and K5
Godly Play II 9:15 until the Peace in Room 11 for Grades 1st - 3rd
Connect 9:15 until the Peace in Room 13 for Grades 4th - 6th
Today
Holy Baptism: This morning we welcome into the body of Christ James Cleven King, son of Joan and Chris King. Godparents are Anne Eversfield, Chris Hermann, and Mary Kate Stanfield.
We also welcome Amelia Nolynne Maio, daughter of Erin and Stephen Maio.
Godparents are Leah Manning and Eric Manning.
15 Minute Feast for All - Following the 9:30 a.m. service everyone is invited to gather in the Great Hall for a "15 Minute Feast." Kids and adults enjoy fellowship.
Newcomers can meet new friends. We can share a little more of our life stories over coffee and snacks.
Adult Forum - There will be an informal poetry reading in the JT room after the Feast. Please come with a couple of your favorite poems to read, and be prepared to say a little about their appeal to you. Or just come and listen.
Next Sunday
Adult Forum
-
Melissa and Cami Santa-Cruz will talk about the experiences on their recent Haiti Mission Trip.
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Thank you to those who have made a financial pledge for 2018!
Every pledge of any amount furthers our mission.
If you have not yet done so, it is not too late. Simply fill out
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"Talking About Race" series continues into the new year on January 8th with
"A Look at American History from the Perspective of American Indians and African Americans," presented by Mark Hilgendorf, PhD.
The "Talking About Race" Christ Church series of talks are designed to help continue the discussion and further understanding around the issues of race.
The talk will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the Great Hall and online, live on our Facebook page.
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2018 Offering Envelopes are available for the convenience of those giving weekly or monthly.
Please email
pam@christchurchwfb.org
if you would like a box. The envelope number will be recorded, and the box can be picked up at the back of the church on or after December 31st.
Save the date for the next set of classes for Safeguarding God's Children
on Saturday, February 17
f
rom 9 a.m.- noon. One will be at Christ Church, Whitefish Bay and the other at St. Mary's, Dousman.
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REDgen Student Study Day
(organized and hosted by REDgen Interfaith): will be held at Christ Church from 12 - 4 p.m. on Saturday, January 13.
There will be quiet study spots as well as tables for group work. There will be tutors, a couple of de-stressing breaks, and snacks. Bring your water bottle and anything you need to study. This event is put on by REDgen Interfaith, a North Shore organization that promotes health and wellbeing in teens.
January Youth Group Retreat: Winter
Getaway
Kusel Lake, January 26 - 28, 2018
Join us for our annual winter get away with All People's Church Youth to Wild Rose, WI on the shores of Kusel Lake. Enjoy interacting with scripture as you spend time in the beauty of the outdoors, burn off cabin fever with football on the lake and snow tubing at Nordic Mountain.
Cost: $25 (includes transportation, food, lodging, and snow tubing).
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Christ Church provides a meal for the Saint Vincent De Paul program on the second Friday of each month: the next date is
January 12, at All Peoples Church.
We serve 100-150 people, both individuals and families, from the surrounding Harambee neighborhood. We are looking for people to prepare the food and/or serve the food that evening. This is a wonderful volunteer opportunity for families to do together!
Please drop food off at CC by 3:00 p.m.
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In the cold winter months, All People's church is always looking for winter gear
of all sizes but especially youth sizes for children. If you have any coats, hats, gloves, boots, scarves or snowpants (new or good used condition) please bring washed items any time from now until February to the garden vestibule and place them in the designated bin. We will
deliver them as they come in. Thank you!
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Invitation from St. James Episcopal Church.
We have been invited by St. James Episcopal Church in West Bend
to attend their
January 10, 2018 program,
"From Prison to Princeton to the Priesthood," presented by the Reverend Ricardo Sheppard from the Diocese of New Jersey.
The themes of his talk will include faith, reconciliation, mass incarceration and race.
Father Sheppard will also preach at their Eucharist service on
January 11, focusing on incarceration and its effects on prisoners and their families.
These events will begin at 7:00 p.m. on both days.
Community Preschool of Whitefish Bay (here at Christ Church) is holding an Open House for parents and children on
Saturday, January 6th from 10:00-12:00.
Come and meet the teachers, see the classrooms, and learn about our toddler and preschool classes. Questions? Contact Beth Durant
bethdurant@sbcglobal.net
.
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Sunday Night Bible Study meets at 7:00 p.m. for Bible and book discussion every Sunday night. All are welcome. For more information, contact the Christ Church office.
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Monday Morning Small Group meets at 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in the John Thompson Room.Join us in a discussion of the previous week's readings.
- Monday Evening Centering Prayer Group: meets at 5:00 p.m. at the home of the Bentons. Contact Helen
- Tuesday Morning Women's Faith Group: meets at 9:00 a.m. in the JT Room. We are currently discussing Bishop Arthur Vogel's book, Christ in His Time and Ours. Contact Helen.
- Downtown Small Group: Tuesday 12-1 p.m. at Quarles & Brady. Contact Seth or Dan.
- Wednesday Morning Men's Scripture Group: 7:30 a.m. in the J.T. Room. Coffee at City Market follows. Contact John.
- Wednesday Noon Men's Group: meets in the JT Room. We are discussing the upcoming Sunday's propers (Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel). Contact Greg.
- Thursday Evening Women's Book Group meets once a month depending on schedules. Contact Katie Hermann for more details klfhermann@gmail.com
- Friday Movie Groups: meet on the 2nd or the 4th Friday of each month. Contact Ed.
*For more information on Adult Small groups, click here.
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To view the latest quarterly newsletter, The Messenger, click here.
To join the Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee e-news mailing list, click here.
To read the latest Mary & Martha's newsletter for women of the Diocese, click here.
To read the latest news from the Haiti Project, click here.
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