IN THIS ISSUE
ADVENT AT ALL SAINTS
Preparing for the Wondrous Gift of God
Advent Festival Returns!
The Jesse Tree
Kingdom Moments
- Thrift Shop Christmas Boutique
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Preparing for the Wondrous Gift of God
by Fr. Mac Stewart
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Advent is a season that encourages Christians to reflect on the gift of time. We pray, in the Advent Collect, for God to give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and to put upon us the armor of light, now in the “time” of this mortal life. As Christians, we live in the “time between the times”. We know that Christ has come, and that his death, resurrection, and ascension have inaugurated the new age of the Kingdom of God on earth. But we also know that we still are waiting for the full manifestation of that Kingdom when Christ comes again in glory. We live in the overlap of the ages: the old age of sin and death has been defeated and is passing away. But the new age of life and glory has not yet fully arrived.
Whenever I am waiting expectantly for something, time seems to stretch out and slow down. I impulsively check the clock more often and can hardly believe that so little time has passed whenever I look. Advent often finds us looking expectantly forward to Christmas. We look forward to a slower pace, time with family, hearty meals, and affectionate gifts. The Church invites us not to celebrate too soon, but to wait patiently, understanding that our waiting for Christ at Christmas is good practice for waiting for Christ with our whole lives.
We know that Christ will return, and as we wait for him, we ourselves are stretched, just like the time. We pray and we hope, with deep and earnest longing, for Christ to bring his healing and justice and peace and glory to reign at last over all things. And as we do so, our own hearts are stretched, expanded, made bigger. In our prayerful waiting, God is preparing us to receive more of what he has to give us by expanding our capacity for love. What God ultimately wants to give us, after all, is himself, the biggest gift of all. Use this Advent to prepare for such a wondrous gift.
Advent Blessings,
Fr. Mac
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The Advent Festival Returns!
Thank you to all who came out to the Advent Festival last Wednesday to celebrate with us! The sight of families creating their annual advent wreaths together, serving - and eating - pasta, making gingerbread houses, and fellowshipping was a great way to kick off the Advent season. Thank you especially to the flower guild, and to all of our kitchen and clean-up crew who came early and/or stayed late. We appreciate you. Your efforts made the evening a wonderful experience.
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The Jesse Tree
by Lois Mcdonald
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There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
Isaiah 11:1
Have you noticed a new evergreen standing in the Narthex near the Western Avenue entrance? It is filled with Old Testament symbols that reflect the plan of redemption from the creation of the world until the coming of the Savior. Based on Isaiah’s prophecy (Isaiah 11:1) that Jesus would come from Jesse’s (King David’s father’s) lineage, the Jesse Tree reminds us of the link between the Old Testament and the New Testament. It is, in fact, a representation of Jesus’ family tree.
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The Jesse Tree is an old tradition dating back to the 11th century. Its first depiction was in a Bohemian illustrated manuscript of the Gospels (1086). It has since appeared not only in manuscripts, but also in stained glass, wood carvings, stone friezes, mosaics, paintings, floor tiles, funeral monuments, and embroidery. (For some beautiful examples, click here: https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Tree_of_Jesse.) It is also reflected in poetry and music as in the well-beloved hymn, “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming.”
During this season of preparation and contemplation, stop by All Saints’ Jesse Tree and see how many Bible stories you can identify from the symbols hanging on the tree and take a moment to remember God’s faithfulness to us and his promise of redemption.
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Men's Fall Workday
Men (and boys!) of the parish placed stones honoring special donors to All Saints' wonderful new playground.
What an incredible blessing the playground has been to All Saints children and to the All Saints Preschool this year!
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Thrift Shop Christmas Boutique a great success on December 5th!
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It's not too late! Stop by the shop for Christmas gifts these next two weeks from Wednesday - Friday 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. or come by on Sunday morning, December 19th, from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. for our final Christmas Boutique. Have something to donate? Donations accepted when shop is open.
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Student Ministry October Outing to ZavaZone
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Previous issues of the Connect! - celebrating God's faithfulness to us and His work among and through us - are available on the church website HERE. The November issue included articles on the Fall Festival, serving Afghan refugees, the Family Table service, and more!
Please join us in continuing to celebrate the good news of God working in our midst - ideas for the Connect newsletter are always welcome! You may submit possible topics, photos, or short (1 - 3 paragraph) articles to Communications Manager Teri Ballou.
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We are here for you. If you need help,
please call (301) 654-2488 or email info@allsaintschurch.net. All inquiries confidential.
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