THE DOVE November 2016

November 2016

MARC FRANSON

THANKSGIVING RITUAL

ALL SOULS' DAY

ALL SAINTS' DAY

NEWCOMER RECEPTION

THANKSGIVING OFFERING

ADULT FORUM

All Souls' Day Commemoration

Wednesday, November 2, 7:00 p.m.

As we have for many years now, Holy Comforter will offer a special All Souls' Day liturgy of remembrance and thanksgiving. If you would like to remember a loved one who has died, and especially if you have suffered such a loss this past year, you are encouraged to attend this beautiful Eucharist. The adult choir will sing, and all will be invited to light a votive candle from the Paschal Candle, the symbol of the Resurrection, and place it on the altar. The candles remind us of the light of Christ that neither fades nor fails. We will declare Christ's victory over death: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. We will consecrate the bread and wine in the midst of all those lit candles, in the midst of the fire of the Holy Spirit. Then, when we receive the body and blood of Christ, we will experience that sense of being "in Christ" and know we are not far from those who have gone on before.

Whether you hold in your heart someone who died last week or decades ago, please join in this moving celebration of the people whom God has given to us as gifts in our lives. A reception, hosted by the Bereavement Committee, will follow the service

All Saints' Sunday

November 6

The feast of All Saints' falls this year on November 6. As many will remember, All Saints' Day is one of the seven Major Feasts of the Christian year, and a particular favorite at Holy Comforter. On that day, we will hear some of the most memorable scriptural passages of the entire lectionary cycle, sing some of the most delightful hymns in our Hymnal, and, above all, rejoice in the fact that God has, through our baptism into the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, made us all saints of God. It is a day for remembering and being grateful for all those whose examples of holiness and faithfulness guide and inspire us today. All Saints' truly is one of the most joyous days of the year; and this year, we will have the special privilege of welcoming into the family of God two new members of the family of God: Connor Trenary Kelly, son of Pete and Kirby Kelly and grandson of Peter and Jane Kelly, and James Rutherford Wilson, son of P.K. and John Wilson. It is also Pledge Sunday, the day when we will give thanks for the financial commitments made in support of our common ministry and our outreach into the community and the world. Don't miss this festive and merry day!

Newcomers Reception

Sunday, November 13, 4:00 P.M.

Fr. Jason and Jan Parkin and Ken and Dyan Anderson, Newcomer Ministry coordinators, invite all who are new to Holy Comforter (or "newish" and haven't made it to a previous reception) to join us at a reception and cocktail party at the Rectory on Sunday, November 13, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. This informal gathering-to which children of all ages are also invited-will be a casual and fun time for people who have recently come to Holy Comforter, as well as those who ponder connecting to the congregation, to meet some parishioners, learn more about the parish, and become acquainted with one another. We promise that there will be no "hard sell:" we simply want to welcome you to Holy Comforter and enjoy some time together. Please contact Jill Klusendorf in the church office by November 10th to let us know you are coming. Please join us. It has been some time since we have held a Newcomers' reception, so even if you have been around for a couple years or more and would like to attend, by all means, come on over!

Thanksgiving Offering

and Eucharist

Thanksgiving Day at 10:00 a.m.

Thanksgiving has, over the decades, become associated with family reunions, festive feasts, and football. It is, for most, a joyous day, a time of rest and delectable food, a national holiday in the midst of our busy lives that provides a chance for a change in rhythm and the opportunity to give thanks for all with which we have been blessed.

It is important, however, to remember where our thanks need first and foremost to be directed: namely, to God, who blessed us into being and continues to grace us with generosity and love and the possibility of joy. This year, as always, we will celebrate a special Eucharist on Thanksgiving Day at 10:00 a.m.

More here...

2017-18 Registration forms will be available beginning

November 1st

online or at the front office.

Adult Forum for November

by Chris Hardman

We have a really terrific Adult Forum schedule for November. It begins with a baptismal reception on November 6th, and ends with an intergenerational session on the 27th, the beginning of Advent. In between we have Dr. Adam Miglio revealing some important archeological discoveries during the time of Jesus or Paul and Mr. Joel Hamernick sharing with us his unique experience of working for justice on the south side of Chicago.

Schedule and more here...

Stephen Ministry Commissioning

On Sunday, November 13 at the 9:00 a.m. service, we will be commissioning eight dedicated parishioners into the Stephen Ministry. The trainees have undertaken fifty hours of study that has provided them with the knowledge and skill to offer quality, distinctively Christian one-on one-care to people suffering from difficult life situations.

Please join us in praying for Lisa Abrams, Eric Beatty, Emily Berlinghof, Margo Browne, Alicia Prewitt, Stacy Hunt, Susan Newsome and John Quigley. We offer support and encouragement to them as they begin this caring ministry to our parish.

...in the vineyard

The Celebration of the Life of Nicholas Polydoris was held Wednesday, October 26 at a memorial service at 11:00 a.m. in the Church. The Polydoris family has long been a part of Holy Comforter, and, even as we mourn Nick's death, we also want to give thanks for his life with faithful and steadfast joy in the trust that he is now enjoying new life in the nearer presence of God.

The Rector's Column

Saints

by The Rev. Dr. Jason L. Parkin, Rector

When I was at Holy Comforter the first time around from 1987 to 1991, I was blessed to get to know well a colorful, absent minded, slightly eccentric priest named Francis Chesebrough Lightbourn. Francis was a 7th generation priest in his Bermudan family, and was a scholar, librarian, researcher, and author. He had long been retired when I served as the associate rector, but every year, on the anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood, Francis would ask if he could celebrate the weekday Eucharist "before I forget how," as he would say annually. I remember vividly assisting him on his 55th anniversary as he preached and presided at the altar, somewhat shaky and tremulous but decidedly determined. As it turns out, there was only one parishioner present-the late and lovely Irene Bower-so Francis, when it was time for the homily, simply walked out, stood about three feet from Irene, and gave his short sermon. Both Irene and I were in tears at the depth and beauty of his words, but also because of the model Francis provided of faithful service, unwavering commitment, and God's grace.

I think of that moment often, for some reason, even though it took place 27 years ago. I think of Francis, who became a beloved friend: indeed, my mother drove him to church the final few years of his life, and his was the last funeral I officiated before leaving Holy Comforter in 1991. I ponder his decades of living in God's presence, of being a person who, as we sometimes used to say, walked very closely to God. Francis was, in my life, one of those "saints" we all encounter during our journeys: someone who pointed the way to God, who provided an (admittedly unique) example of what it means to be one of God's holy people, one of God's servants and children and messengers.

I also think of Irene and how, on that particular morning, she stood in for all those who couldn't be present that day. Irene was a true saint herself, as those who knew her will remember; but on that day she represented for me the "communion of saints" we mention in the Creed: that invisible yet still-present community of God's people stretching across thousands of years and around the world, all woven into one family of faith by the Spirit of God. On that chilly morning at Holy Comforter, Irene connected me to the thousands who have filled the pews at Holy Comforter for 114 years, as well as to people of faith through all generations and in all places and conditions.

This is the month when we are reminded that we are all saints of God. That is the very purpose of the Feast of All Saints' on Sunday, November 6. We have all been created and called by God to shine with God's light, to serve one another, and to be beacons leading the way to the richer, more abundant, new life offered to us in Christ Jesus. Faulty, frail, broken, often uncertain of ourselves and our faith we may be, but, nevertheless, we are God's holy ones, God's hands, God's voices. So come, on that day, and take your place in the unending procession of people in this parish and throughout time who have turned their lives Godward, and rejoice that we are all part of the Communion of Saints.

Thanksship and Stewardgiving 2017

by Marc Franson, Canvass Co-Chair

At the start of November, we express our stewardship on Pledge Sunday, which is November 6th. At the end of November, we celebrate Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving and stewardship are intertwined and interconnected because they both are rooted in gratitude for what God has given us.

On Pledge Sunday, we ask every member of the Holy Comforter family to make a commitment to the financial support of the parish. In REALITY, we have fewer than 300 pledging units to support a $1.2 million parish budget, so it is important that everyone make a pledge. And it is important to get your pledge in by Pledge Sunday to help the Vestry plan and budget for 2017.

But Stewardship is also part of our individual and collective SPIRITUALITY. Like the end-of-the month Thanksgiving feast we will all partake in, Christian stewardship is responding in generosity to the abundant blessings God has bestowed upon us. It is a response to a loving God who has given us much and challenges us not to hold on to it for ourselves. Stewardship demands our prayerful consideration and action to do the work of Christ here and beyond.

Our COMMUNITY exists only because of you and to continue our wonderful services, programs and ministries it deserves your support for next year and for the years to come.

So welcome, November. Where stewardship and thanksgiving intersect. Happy Thanksship and thank you for your Stewardgiving!

Thanksgiving Blessings

by Pastor Heath Howe, Family Ministries

In our gatherings during the holidays we practice an important key to nurturing our faith, family rituals and traditions. In my home we always have my great grandmother's sweet potatoes cooked with bourbon and topped with marshmallows. Sophie's favorite is the stuffing that is made with more butter than should possibly be consumed in one day. Eli and David insist that I serve cranberry sauce out of the can, served in the shape of the can, even if I already have a homemade cranberry recipe ready. Traditions matter! Spiritual rituals and traditions are as easily passed down as a recipe. When we practice our faith in our home it expands and enriches our families' spiritual health and fitness deeply. With this in mind, I offer you a ritual to use at home this Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving ritual here...

Thankful, Grateful, Blessed

by Mary Johnson, Youth Ministries and Director of All Things Bright and Beautiful

So often people will say they are thankful or blessed by good fortune or good circumstances in their lives. And I wonder how that is manifested in ways other than just uttering the words of gratitude. Is there a commitment to "pay it forward" or express in a very precise way the depth of their gratitude? Is there ever a pause to reflect on the word "blessed" and truly demonstrate the meaning of the word?

More here...

Boots on the Ground

by Charlotte Long, Youth Ministries

The world is in turmoil right now. I like to think that the tumult is a kind of "birth pain" for a togetherness and peace under God. But until then, God calls us to love in action. We don't have to feel guilt; we only have to feel where the spirit is calling us to change ourselves and love better, love more, love freely without fetter. Perhaps to one of the causes below?