Links and information for the Upcoming Week - (Here is the calendar for Advent and Christmas Printed calendars available at Mass)

• Advent Reflections - Reflection hosted for the advent booklet. Meets via this link on Zoom on Thursdays at 10:00 am and at 8:00 pm
• Shared Prayer for Peace - Monday, 9:00 am via this Zoom link - whether two or 20 join in.
• Alternative Giving - Consider an Advent donation to suggested charities. Click here for the link.
• Reverse Advent Calendar - Stock the Little Pantry throughout Advent. Suggested items here
• Soup Supper Song and Prayer - Thursday night, Soup Supper at 5:45 in the Fellowship Hall, and Holden Prayer at 6:30 in the Sanctuary. A 20 minute session of song and prayer, live and on this Zoom link.
• Live Nativity - Dec. 22 & 23 from 4:30-6:30 pm. with live animals, hot chocolate, cookies, and Christmas inspired crafts.

Annual 301 Faith Partners

Live Nativity

December 22 & 23 from 4:30-6:30 pm

with live animals, hot chocolate, cookies, and Christmas inspired crafts

But....we need volunteers.

Volunteers young, old, and in between are needed for both nights in the following areas:

• Actors - Mary, Joseph, Angels, Shepherds - ideally 8-10 people, including children
• Craft table attendants - 2 to 3 people
• Hot chocolate and cookie table attendants - 2 people

Email marymagdalafc@gmail.com or call at 970-493-9536, to volunteer

Volunteers needed to help Asylum Seekers



The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC - Quakers) have reported that the City of Denver has become aware of over 100 Venezuelan asylum seekers bused to Denver from the border without warning. Denver is stepping up to provide welcoming services for these people but much volunteer help is needed in terms of Accompaniment, Donations, Food, Initial Intake, Transportation and Overnight Shelter Staff.

Let’s show that immigrants and refugee are welcome here by signing up to volunteer. There’s a role for each of us.

We know together we can greet new neighbors and friends and meet the moment - donating clothes for specific individuals, doing intakes, transportation, meals, accompaniment and more. When you open the sign up, the first page is instructions and the tabs across the bottom are where you can click to fill an open spot.

Image by kalhh from Pixabay

Do you have a Passion for Social Justice?

The combined 301 Faith Partners Social and Eco-Justice Team is looking for a new leader for the Eco-Justice sub-team. TLC member, Wally Jacobson has been serving in that role for 18 years and has decided to step down. However, Wally is willing to train and consult his replacement. If interested, please contact Tom Moos at this email.

Photo by Ian Schneider on Unsplash

JET ECO Tip of the Month – December 2022

From the 301 Faith Partners Joint Ecological Team (JET)

Alternatives to Giving Store Bought Gifts

Here are some ways to show your love and gratitude to family and friends this holiday season without “buying more stuff”

·      Writing letters of gratitude to loved ones - Try describing examples of ways the person made you grateful and how they affected your life positively.

·      Create a scrapbook – This could be in digital form, or old fashioned with physical photos and other memorabilia. Themes could be past events, a road trip, or family history.

·      Give the gift of your time – Is there a skill you can teach, a topic you could tutor, or can you assist someone by running errands? Perhaps make a gift certificate or coupon for your service.

·      Give the gift of spending time together – Plan an evening out, a trip to the movies, a hike, or even a coffee date.

·      Gifts of service – Ask family and friends what they’d like help with: perhaps seasonal yard work, free child care for young parents, or a small home renovation project. Or, fill someone’s freezer with home-cooked meals.

·      Memberships – Consider individual or family memberships to an art museum, science center, local gardens, “The Farm” or “Global Museum of Arts and Culture” in Fort Collins, or other organization of their choice.

·      Visit the 301 Faith Partners Alternative Giving Fair- https://www.marymagdalafc.org/alternativegivingfair2022

The JET meets as needed to plan educational events, bike to work day, volunteer opportunities and advocacy. If you have any suggestions for future Eco-Tips, please email them to the Trinity church office.

Please send prayer requests to marymagdalafc@gmail.com. Prayers will be listed for one month unless requested for longer. Prayers for the repose of souls will be listed for six months unless requested for a longer time.

Sunday Dec 11 2022 - Third Sunday in Advent, Preparing our Hearts

A video recording of the readings and the homily given by Rev. Jane Reina are available here.

Social Justice Reflection - Preparing our Hearts

Tom Moos, Chair, Social Justice Ministry

On this Gaudete Sunday, the 3rd Sunday of Advent, we reflect on preparing our hearts for the birthing of Christ Consciousness. Coincidentally, tomorrow, Dec 12, is the celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared 4 times to a poor, indigenous, Amer-Indian, Juan Diego, in December 1531 and spoke to him in his native language, asking that a shrine be built at the apparition site so she could help anyone who prays to her there. Juan Diego approached the Spaniard Franciscan archbishop, Juan de Zumárraga, who, in disbelief, asked for a sign. The Virgin reappeared and instructed Juan Diego to bring flowers growing on the hilltop to the archbishop. The flowers, Castillian roses, were known to the archbishop but not native to Mexico. Nor do they bloom in December. When Juan opened his cloak (or tilma), the roses fell away revealing the image we all recognize as Guadalupe.

The tilma has been studied and exhibits several unexplained properties. For example, there is no evidence of brush strokes. Other cloaks made of agave hemp deteriorate in 10 – 15 years but this has remained intact for almost 500 years. The stars on Our Lady’s mantel match patterns of constellations as they would have appeared to someone looking at the earth from beyond the stars in 1531. As remarkable as all this is, perhaps the real power of the image is as a symbol of Mary’s heart: a heart of unconditional love and protection in a time of European conquest when the indigenous population was thought of as “less than” and Catholicism reigned supreme. The Virgin is so important because she appears as one of the native people. When Juan Diego avoided the hilltop to go care for his dying uncle, she appeared to him and asked, "Am I not here, I who am your mother?“ Today, Guadalupe is a sign of hope throughout the world.

This past week, we’ve been informed of 100 Venezuelan asylum seekers bussed from the border to Denver without warning. The AFSC Quakers need help to provide accompaniment, food, clothing and financial donations, assistance with initial intake, transportation, and overnight shelter staff. Separately, ISAAC has warned the 301 Faith Partners that we may be called upon in the near future to shelter immigrant families or provide support services. What can we do - what must we do - to prepare our hearts to be Guadalupes to these, our brothers and sisters?

Wednesday December 14 - 11:00 am

• In the Fireside Room
• No Zoom available

 Sunday December 18 12:30 pm

• Mass at 12:30 pm (no 5pm Mass)
• Fourth Sunday of Advent

Wednesday December 21 - 11:00 am

• In the Fireside Room
• No Zoom available

 Christmas Day December 25 10:30 am

• Morning Mass at 10:30 am
• No afternoon or evening Mass

Wednesday December 28 - 11:00 am

• Canceled
• Have a wonderful Christmas week

 Sunday January 1 12:30 pm

• Mass at 12:30 pm (no 5pm Mass)

Newsletters of Trinity Lutheran Church and the St. Paul's Episcopal  

What are our partners in ministry up to? Click here for the Trinity Lutheran Church monthly newsletter, "Tidings". And here is St Paul's weekly bulletin.