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Christmas Eve
Saturday, December 24, 2022
SCRIPTURE READINGS
Isaiah 9:2-7
Psalm 96
Titus 2:11-14
Luke 2:1-14-20
Preacher: The Reverend Ryan D. Newman
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Saturday, December 24
Christmas Eve Family Service
4:30 PM
Sanctuary and Online
Saturday, December 24
Christmas Eve Midnight Mass
10:30 PM
Sanctuary and Online
Sunday, December 25
No Services
Sunday, January 1
!! ONLY ONE SERVICE THIS SUNDAY!!
10:00 AM
Sanctuary and Online
Sunday, January 29
Annual Meeting of the Parish
Following the 10:00 AM
Sanctuary & Zoom
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Bible and Breakfast
Tuesdays | 9:30 AM
Luther Hall & Zoom
Midweek Eucharist
Tuesdays | 6:00 PM
Sanctuary
Evening Prayer
Wednesday | 7:00 PM
Luther Hall & Zoom
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Dear St. Bede’s Family,
First and foremost, my deepest apologies for The Quill’s unexpected hiatus over the past month and a half. The beginning of November began with a couple of great experiences that had me on the road and offline. First, I traveled to San Antonio for the National Association of Episcopals Biennial Conference. Second, I attended the Diocese of Los Angeles Convention on behalf of St. Bede’s and as a member of the Bishop’s staff. Both gatherings were extraordinary and highlighted my new reality of being in the school and church/diocese worlds simultaneously.
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Unfortunately, just as I returned from San Antonio, my mother, Charlotte, was admitted to the ICU. My mom was intubated and in a medically induced coma by Sunday following Diocese Convention. Over the next week, our family spent days and nights around her bedside, laughing and crying as we shared stories of and celebrated her extraordinary life. Sadly, my mom died on Monday, November 21, eighteen minutes into the new day, which was my dad’s birthday. She was married 55 years to my dad, raised five kids (and countless surrogates), and adored her seven grandchildren. For the past four weeks, I have been navigating with my family this new normal and caring for my dad amid a busy work and school schedule. Thus, The Quill found itself on a brief sabbatical—again, my apologies.
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This has been a different Advent in so many ways! Some good and some bad. Our Advent series, Holy Disruption, was an unforgettable and transformative experience. We reflected on Jesus’ Advent and Nativity through the Gospel of Mark. Remarkably, Mark’s Gospel does not have a birth narrative or a resurrection account. Yet somehow, through the gift of the book, the assembled group, and the Holy Spirit, the story of Christ’s Advent and Nativity came alive for all of us in new and remarkable ways.
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In a few days, we shift to Christmas. More than ever, the Nativity of our Lord is a prophetic reminder and profound call for Christians worldwide to be actively engaged in peacemaking, reconciliation, rendering aid, healing, and sharing God’s love.
The birth of our Lord and Savior reminds us that we are sons and daughters of a refugee child. We are baptized into Christ’s mission to love God and to love our neighbor. The Spirit inspires and empowers us to be “Christ’s Light” to a broken world.
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With Christmas comes hope! At Christmas comes joy! Through Christmas comes love! We invite you to share Christmas with us at St. Bedes either in person or online—together, may we discover and celebrate the hope, joy, and love that is Christ our Lord.
May God richly bless you, all those whom you love, and all whom you are called to serve in Christ’s name in this holy season and always.
Faithfully in Christ,
The Reverend Ryan D. Newman
Interim Pastor
PS: This was Lexie’s second visit to Santa this year. She saw Santa last Sunday as "daddy was at work." Thus, Lexie and I took our own trip together this week.
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Watch and share Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry's 2022 Christmas message.
Jesus came to show us how to live, reconciled with God, and with each other, and He taught us that the way to do it is God's way of love. For God's way of love is God's way of life. It's our hope for our families, our communities, our societies. Indeed, it is our hope for the whole world.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, and love came down at Christmas.
And as some of us are beginning to say in this Episcopal church of ours, “Love always.”
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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25TH
There are no Sunday services at St. Bede's.
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SUNDAY, JANUARY 1ST
We will have ONE service this Sunday at 10:00 AM.
There is no 8:00 AM on this day.
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This past summer in June, an Invite, Welcome, Connect, Exploratory Study Club was formed. During the four weeks, the group explored Invite Welcome Connect, a ministry of transformation that equips and empowers individuals and congregations to cultivate intentional practices of evangelism, hospitality, and belonging.
In the effort for St. Bede's to be more intentional about its evangelism, hospitality, and belonging ministries, the IWC group's first major goal was to create nametags for the congregation. Last Sunday, the St. Bede's Nametag Board was launched.
Nametags are vital for a congregation with a growth mindset and a spirit of welcome. Also, with the soon-to-be-named rector's arrival, the nametags will help the new rector build those initial relationships.
If you do not have a name tag, please speak to Susan Holder or Rev. Ryan. After each Sunday, place your name tag into the marked basket in Luther Hall or return it to the board.
Bottom line: Please wear your nametag every Sunday during the service and coffee hour.
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Dear St. Bede’s,
Pledging season is wrapping up, and this is a time for each of us to lovingly search our hearts and prayerfully consider what we can do to help the beautiful ministry of St. Bede’s. This includes both financial giving and gifts of your time and talent. Just know that we are very grateful for your continued support and prayers.
Please see the link to the 2023 stewardship packet. We would be very appreciative if you could complete and return this packet to the church as soon as possible.
Again, thank you for your prayerful consideration and love for our St. Bede’s family.
Faithfully in Christ,
The Wardens, Vestry, and Interim Pastor of St. Bede’s
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SISTERS OF BEDE CHRISTMAS PARTY | |
NEIGHBORS 4 NEIGHBORS OUTREACH | |
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THANK YOU ST. BEDE'S!
During the winter clothes drive for LA Neighbors 4 Neighbors (LA N4N), St. Bede's gathered 11-12 large plastic bins of new and gently worn clothing basics, shoes & blankets, including many warm items! Almost everything went to a happy guest! Thank you for all your efforts on this crucial project!
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Recently, N44 featured the monthly resource center at St. Bede's in their newsletter. Please take a moment to check out their newsletter and their most recent story about the 3rd Saturday at St. Bede's.
To volunteer for the January Resource Center at St. Bede's, click here.
Check out the wishlist, which includes items that guests requested for the next Resource Center (to distribute at our "special items" station).
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VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED
January 14 | 1:30 PM & 5:00 PM
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Grass Roots Neighbors is a volunteer community organization. They meet the immediate needs of our neighbors experiencing food and housing insecurity. GRN mobilizes to fill the gaps in existing services by providing assistance with love and respect. The organization's vision is to be a community effectively involved in ending poverty.
Among their outreach programs, GNR cooks and delivers a hot meal every Sunday to various encampments on the Westside. Once a month, St. Bede's with Holy Nativity assists GNR with preparing and providing meals. There are now four different volunteer time slots:
- 2 - 4 PM (mostly chopping of fruits and veggies)
- 4 - 6 PM (mainly packaging food)
- 6 - 8:30 PM (loading and distributing the food)
- 7:30 - 10:30 PM (distributing food in Venice by bike)
GNR utilizes the kitchen facilities at Holy Nativity Episcopal Church.
GNR, Holy Nativity, and St. Bede's have created a Google Sign-Up Form to assist with monthly volunteer coordination. Please click the button below to access the volunteer sign-up form.
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ST. BEDE'S ONLINE GIVING PORTAL | |
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Are you planning to attend worship online and want an easy way to make a pledge payment? Do you want to ditch the checkbook and set up reoccurring payments? Are you looking for a convenient way to make a one-time special gift to St. Bede's?
Did you know you can make donations online to St. Bede's, securely and easily?
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Visit the St. Bede's website and at the top of every page, look for the "Donate" button. When you click on the "Donate" button, you will be transported to St. Bede's Vanco eGiving and Payment Process Site.
Vanco is an industry leader in online payments. More than 40,000 churches, faith-based groups, nonprofits, schools, and educational organizations trust Vanco to securely complete transactions every day. Vanco complies with PCI Level 1 standards, the highest security standard in the payment processing industry.
You are invited to set up one-time or recurring gifts using credit, debit, or bank transfer on Vanco's secure payment processing platform. Giving online through the Vanco site saves time and the hassle of remembering to bring your offering. In addition, you decrease the expense incurred by St. Bede’s from handling and processing checks and cash.
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FROM THE EPISCOPAL NEWS
A newsletter serving the Diocese of LA
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Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry to keynote Jan. 15 ‘Power of Love’ service honoring legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Celebration set for Christ the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, Leimert Park
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[The Episcopal News – December 14, 2022] The Most. Rev. Michael Curry – whose prophetic leadership as presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church spans 16 nations – will visit Los Angeles on Martin Luther King Jr. weekend to keynote a Jan. 15 “Power of Love” service set for 3 p.m. at Christ the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, 3303 W. Vernon Avenue, Leimert Park (Los Angeles) (pictured below).
The Rt. Rev. John Harvey Taylor, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, will welcome Curry to the service planned to highlight King’s insight that “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.” The theme also echoes Curry’s longstanding international focus on “The Way of Love.”
“Bishop Curry’s is the most important voice in 21st century Christianity. Dr. King was our great prophet of justice in the 20th century,” Taylor said in announcing the service. “On behalf of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. planning team, I extend thanks to Christ the Good Shepherd Church for their hospitality. But we can’t guarantee that the roof will stay on!”
All are invited to attend the service, which will feature music by the Episcopal Chorale and a liturgy planned by the diocesan Program Group on Black Ministries and the Martin Luther King Jr. planning group. Honored guests will include local civic leaders and representatives of neighboring faith communities. The service will be livestreamed via the diocesan Facebook page and YouTube channel.
A dynamic voice for justice and peace, Curry is chief pastor of the Episcopal Church. He began his nine-year term in 2015 after being elected The Episcopal Church’s first African American presiding bishop. Biographical information is here.
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Online Christmas services are plentiful across Episcopal Church as virus concerns linger
Nearly three years into the pandemic, congregations continue to face challenges in fully resuming traditional Christmas celebrations. In 2020, many refrained from in-person worship, and they scrambled again in 2021 to adjust Christmas plans during the omicron variant outbreak. This year, pandemic concerns have eased, though COVID-19 case counts are rising again along with outbreaks of influenza and the respiratory virus known as RSV.
Throughout all this uncertainty, there has been at least one reassuring constant at Christmas: Online options have never been more plentiful.
Episcopalians all over the world can view livestreamed and pre-recorded Christmas services and celebrations from congregations of all sizes, from Washington National Cathedral in the United States capital to Trinity Episcopal Church in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
The following is a selection of some notable offerings. Be sure to check online for additional virtual services hosted by local congregations.
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Northern California church holds multicultural Advent celebration with Indigenous hymns, Mexican pageant
While most Advent lessons and carols services feature familiar selections from the same repertoire, the Episcopal Church of St. Martin in Davis, California, has done something intentionally unfamiliar this year: performing hymns in Spanish and Indigenous languages.
The service on Dec. 18 was followed by a celebration of Las Posadas, a Mexican Advent tradition that reenacts Mary and Joseph’s search for a place to stay, which the Diocese of Northern California congregation first did last year. It’s all part of an effort to “create new ways of looking at Advent,” said choir director Suzanne Jubenville.
The whole experience is a way of “providing additional themes of hospitality, spiritual journey, persistence, radical welcome, etc., but also … acknowledging our debt to the Indigenous people whose land we occupy,” Jubenville told Episcopal News Service.
In addition to some “musically reassuring” Advent favorites, the choir performed “Xicochi conetzintle,” a Mexican Christmas lullaby in the Nahuatl (Aztec) language; “Hanacpachap cusicuinnen,” a processional song in the Quechua (Inca) language dedicated to Mary that is used during Advent and Christmas in Peru; and a well-known Spanish Catalonian carol, “Riu, Riu Chiu.”
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