St. Peter's

Episcopal Church

Milford, Connecticut

A Word from our Rector, Matt Lindeman

Beloved Companions in Christ,

I'm filled with the joy as I remember the gift of celebrating a Christmas Pageant with our amazing children and youth last week. I mean, just look at this sheep!

As our Children showed us the way to Bethlehem, I give thanks to God for giving us a glimpse of the hope and joy of Christmas. We celebrate Christmas and teach our children the appearance of Angels, the shining Star, the unlikely witness of the Shepherds, the courage of Mary and Joseph to say yes...and the miracle of God meeting us to be with us...

That's all well and good and necessary!

But we tell the stories again and again, because we too need reminding. God actually did become flesh and dwell among us. Christ is the light that shines in our darkest moments, leading us to freedom as we follow him. Whether you're full of joy, or barely hanging on, the story of Christmas is for you.

I look forward to our gathering together, united in prayer, song, and in the body of Christ this Christmas. God's beloved people bearing witness, giving thanks, and following the star once again.

Yours in Christ,

Matt

The Readings for

Christmas Eve at 5 PM

Isaiah 9:2-7

Titus 2:11-14

Luke 2:1-14(15-20)

Psalm 96

Happy Birthday to AJ Brano, Aiden Walker and Jonathan Fraleigh.

Happy Anniversary to Chris & Lacey Hebert and Cynthia & Scott Tummins.

The Video above will take you to our 5:00 PM Christmas Eve Livestream

The parish office will be closed from Friday, December 23-Monday, January 2.

For urgent administrative matters during this time, please contact David Rivera and he will respond as soon as possible. Regular hours resume on Tuesday, January 3, 2023.

For Pastoral Care, please contact Rev. Matt via email or phone (203) 507-4921.

A reminder to please submit your pledge cards for the coming year. Your response would be greatly appreciated as we begin to plan our 2023 budget. You can place the card in the offering plate, mail it to the parish office, or email our Treasurer Sharon MacKenzie. Pledge payments can also be fulfilled through our online giving page.

Our mission and ministries rely primarily on the financial support of our own congregation. Regular support, in the form of pledging is the best way for our leadership to craft the budget we need to continue in the work we are called to.

Yes, Virginia, there is life after Christmas! January 6 – February 19 marks the Church season of Epiphany when we observe the light of Christ in the world around us.  

To do this in continuation of our spiritual practices, during the Rector’s Forum in Epiphany, we will be reading together Joan Chittister’s remarkable book “Wisdom Distilled From the Daily: Living the Rule of St. Benedict Today.” ”

The book is “simply the spirituality of the Gospels themselves” and how to live it out in our daily lives.  Joan Chittister is a Benedictine Sister who has written over 20 life-changing books which teach and inspire all people in deeply living the life God has given us.  

Please come and join this conversation – you are welcome and needed.

Help wanted: We are in need of tech help!  

1.  The website needs updating.

2.  The sound system in the church needs upgrading.  We need help with both!  If you have the skills and the time to work on the website; or to manage finishing collecting bids and supervising putting a new sound system in place, please let Matt know.

We hope to get going on both ASAP.

We continue into 2023 with our Youth Sunday morning format.

We will be using a curriculum called Echo the Story, which offers an overview of the entire Bible from Creation to the formation of the Church- all in only 12 sessions! We will meet on 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sundays during the 10am service. We kick it off on January 15th! Contact Maureen Lucas for more information.

DONATIONS FOR ALTAR FLOWERS

We have resumed receiving donations for altar flowers. Donations may be made as a memorial or a thank offering at any time for a specific Sunday. There will be forms for such donations in the back of the church, which can be mailed to the church office, put in the collection plate or given to an usher. A minimum of $35 is suggested, and a preferred date may be chosen for any Sunday.

Important Dates for Your Calendar

Parish office closed December 23, 2022-January 2, 2023

One Service at 10 AM on Sunday January 1, 2023

Click above to view the latest news from the Episcopal Church in Connecticut.

Click above to watch Presiding Bishop Michael Curry's Christmas Message

Your prayers are requested this week for:

Mike, Rich, Richard, Tommy, Paul, Karen D, Marty & Karen M, Mary, Katrina, Nancy, Marcy, Jeff, Grace, Helen, Violet and Paul, Jen, Carol, Frances, Charissa, Arian, Farrah, Kevin, Rea, Debby, Janice, Nora, Pam, Elaine, Dick W, Sophie, Corrine, Matt, Jim, Emma, Ronald, Rick, David, Paul, Gail and Marlene, John, Susan, Nancy, Gabriel, Dorothy, Doug and Corliss, Kate, Carolyn Martin, Richard, Bob and Connie,

Alice and Amy, Agata, Tracy, Lynn N, Anne, Dick W, Peggie W, Helen P, Mary F, Sammy, Jan B, Cliff, Stephen, Linda S, Heather, Michael P, Peter G, Marge M, Taylor N, Keith V, Jillian K, Clare L, Alexia R, Joan P, Kathy P, Linda, Faith S, Joe & Karen.

+ Pray for those who have died and all who mourn them.

+ Pray for those who are frightened, anxious, or lonely this season.

+ Pray for continued wisdom and discernment in our leaders in government and the church alike that we may renounce the evil powers of this world that corrupt and destroy the creatures of God.



+ Pray for peace, especially in Ukraine.

+Pray for the unemployed and underemployed; for all who suffer from addictions; for all who suffer chronic illness, and for all caregivers;

+ Pray for all who will be persecuted for their faith, and for all refugees seeking safety. Pray for discernment as we seek to welcome them.

+ Pray for all active members of our Armed Forces community, especially Stephen Bell and Henry Lucas.

+ Pray for renewal in our church, that the Holy Spirit might bless us with the endurance to run the race before us, and to do so with joy.

+In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer this week, we pray for The Anglican Church of Melanesia and in the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer we pray for St. Mark's, Bridgewater; Good Shepherd, Bristol/Plainville; St. Paul's; Brookfield; and Trinity, Brooklyn.



Please send requests for additions to the weekly Prayer list by email to office@stpetersmilford.org