Sunday, December 2, First Sunday of Advent

The Holy Eucharist, 8 a.m., Rite I
The Holy Eucharist, 10 a.m. Rite II
Fr. Pence will officiate at both services.

Church School 10 a.m.; childcare begins 9:45 a.m.

Lessons and Carols, 5 p.m., followed by reception
Worship Notes

The Collect:
Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. A men.

This week’s lessons: Jeremiah 33:14-16; Psalm 25:1-9; 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13; Luke 21:25-36

The Epistle:
“Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you” 1 Thessalonians 3:11-12
The Gospel |Luke 21:25-36

Jesus said, "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

Then he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

"Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."
The Week of December 2

Sunday, 8 a.m., The Holy Eucharist, Rite I
Sunday, 9 a.m., Choir rehearsal
Sunday, 9:45 a.m. Childcare available
Sunday, 10 a.m., The Holy Eucharist, Rite II
Sunday, 10 a.m., Church School for Children

Sunday, 5 p.m., Advent Lessons and Carols, followed by a reception in Pearson Hall

Monday, 6:30 p.m., Girl Scout Troop 816
Tuesday, 10 a.m., Healing Eucharist
Tuesday, 10:30 a.m., Julian of Norwich Prayer Group
Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., ECW Holiday Party, Sugo’s
Wednesday, 8:00 a.m., The Holy Eucharist, Rite I
Major Project Underway to Replace Parish Addition Heating and
Air Conditioning Units | Parishioners Invited to Help!

Encouraged by a lead gift from parishioners covering half the $15,597 cost of replacing the HVAC systems in the parish addition, the Mission Leadership Team voted in November to award the contract for the work to Langhauser Sheet Metal Company, the contractor that installed the original equipment in 2000.

Included in the project are the replacement of the heating and cooling units for the lower level, parish hall and office areas -- responsible for numerous emergency service calls over the past four years. After 18 years of service, the air conditioning unit for Pearson Hall and lower level clearly was on its last legs by late summer 2018. The furnace for the office area was also overdue for replacement as it once heated Pearson House. Walter Bohn, Lance Greve, and the contractor recommended the units be replaced at one time as the furnace and air conditioner work together.

Anyone who would like to support this important project financially is asked to contact Treasurer Riley Atwood or to write a check to St. Andrew’s with “HVAC” in the memo section. Checks may be placed in the offering plate or sent to the office to Riley’s attention. Thanks go to our lead donors and to St. Andrew’s parishioners who contribute in so many ways to the well-being of our parish.

–Jane Weingartner
Of Vestries

Working in St. Andrew’s archives makes one aware of the importance of “vestry minutes” as sources for the history of our parish. They constitute the records of meetings of a body known for centuries in the Episcopal community as a “vestry,” a term that grew out of the English practice of convening parishioners annually in the vesting rooms of their churches to hear the reports of outgoing wardens and to elect their successors. These and other governing functions were later assumed by smaller elected or appointed bodies called “vestries,” a practice recorded in colonial Virginia as early as the 1630s.

The deep roots of “vestry” in Episcopal tradition were demonstrated to me recently in a visit to Christ Church in Philadelphia, the birthplace in 1789 of the Episcopal Church in The United States. Its walls are adorned with memorials to past members, some of whom are remembered as “vestrymen.” The earliest reference to a vestry in St. Andrew’s archives dates to 1869. As a result of its usage throughout the history of The Episcopal Church, ”vestry” is a term universally understood by Episcopalians to refer to the elected body of members of a congregation that assists the priest in operating their parish.

I doubt that the replacement in our diocese of “vestry” by “Mission Leadership Team” has driven anyone from St. Andrew’s to another diocese or will in future. That step was presumably taken in pursuit of a higher purpose, although what that purpose was and how the continued use of the term “vestry” would have been an impediment to it are not clear. But it seems to me that we have lost something that assisted us in feeling rooted in a centuries-old tradition and in kinship with roughly two million other Episcopalians. What have we gained? -Jim Weingartner
Angel Tree Gifts Bring a Brighter Christmas

The outreach committee is again sponsoring the Angel Tree for needy families in our area. It can be found on the north end of Pearson Hall. Please take a tag and return the wrapped gift by December 9 with the Angel on the front showing the family number. For any more information or if you know of a family in need, please contact Mary Bohn.
No December Book Club Meeting
St. Andrew’s Book Club will not meet in December but will meet January 21, 2019.
 The St. Andrew's Week-End Updat e , a weekly emailed newsletter, is designed to keep parishioners up to date on church activities. Please send news items to Editors Marianne Cavanaugh and Jane Weingartner by 11 a.m. on Tuesday to have them appear in the following Friday's newsletter.

There shall be a root of Jesse, and he...shall rise to reign.
Romans 15:12