christchurch2007

CHRISTMAS EVE at 5 PM




CHRISTMAS EVE at 10 PM

 

Christmas at Christ Church marks the end of our Advent season of prayerful preparation and the beginning of seeing the One for whom we have been preparing. Jesus comes to us in the most surprizing and myterious ways. Jesus' birth to a poor family in a stable cave in Bethlehem is just the beginning of how God shows himself to us. The beautifully decorated entrance to our church, from the bottom of the stairs to the top of the cross, offers us entrance into the mystery and wonder of God with us.

May God be with us all as we celebrate the story of Jesus' birth this year.

God's Peace in the thin places between heaven and earth,
Bob+

 

Some of our current EfM class welcomed Jeanne Hogan back to Christ Church on Sunday, December 17, 2006. Jeanne has moved to New Mexico, but continues to visit us at Christ Church as often as she can. She was a member of this EfM class and will be ending her service on the vestry this year after providing excellent leadership on several major projects such as outreach and in planned giving through the Futures Commitee. Thank you Jeanne!

So, now you probably have figured out that the chronology of these photos is not always quite what one would expect.

On Christ the King Sunday, Susan Mulledy-DeFrank created this wonderful Crown that contained bags of goodies for the children in the congregation. Thank you Susan for this very memorable celebration of Christ the King.

Labels: Christ the King Sunday

Dave leads our troop of carolers at the Casa De Los Amigos on December 17, 2006.

The cast of this year's Christ Church Christmas Pageant did a wonderful job of telling the story of Jesus' birth. The pageant was held on Sunday, December 17, 2006 at 4 PM (Advent III). Thank you!

And now, here is an account from The Reverend Elizabeth Kaeton of her parish's pageant this year. Elizabeth is the rector of the Episcopal Church of St. Paul
200 Main Street, Chatham, NJ 07928. Sounds like a great community!

The 'Not-Yet-Ready-For-Prime-Time' Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Amidst all the clamor and squalor, of wars and rumors of wars in the world
and in the Church, of congregations disaffecting from The Episcopal Church,
preferring to be under the stern direction and ironclad governance of the
Archbishop of Nigeria, life goes on anyway in the community of faith.

Meanwhile, in Chatham, NJ, over 250 people enjoyed . . . .

. . .The 'Not-Yet-Ready-for-Prime-Time' Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Ask any pastor with the courage to give an honest answer: The coordination of
the Annual Christmas Pageant is a task best assigned to curates, the newly
ordained and/or members of the congregation with an indomitable spirit,
invincible determination and the unmitigated chutzpah known primarily (although not
exclusively) by the young and inexperienced.

“Organized chaos” is a term too mild to be applicable.

Sunday's pageant at St. Paul's, however, was not like your ordinary Christmas
Pageant. It's more like a tableau by Rembrandt.

There is only one speaking part: The Narrator – which is shared by three
children. There are, however, lots and lots and LOTS of parts for kids to play:
Angels, Stars, Sheep, Cows, Donkeys, Camels and Horses; Roosters, Chickens, and
Ducks. This year we even had a Frog and a puppet Mouse who kept squeaking
whenever one of the narrators spoke.

There are, of course, Shepherds in striped bath robes, three Wise Men with
long beards of cotton held on by an elastic around their heads, Mary, all
wrapped up in a blue sheet, Joseph, looking suspiciously like one of the Shepherds,
and the Infant Jesus, this year, played by an infant girl I recently baptized.

(Well, we do know why there's a pink candle in the Advent wreath – because
Mary really wanted a girl!)

At the appointed time announced by the Narrator, the appropriate characters
come forward and take their place in the tableau in front of the altar. That's
it. All they have to do is make an entrance on cue.

It's brilliant, really. No lines to memorize. No undue stress during the
already stressful holiday season. Just a few rehearsals and lots of coaching from
the sidelines and you're home free.

Well, that is if the cow doesn't bellow because the horse stepped on her foot
and one of the angels doesn't announce in a very loud whisper that she has to
go potty – RIGHT NOW!

The play is accompanied by the Youth Choir and a hearty band of Church
Minstrels: five violists and one cello, a French horn, a bassoon, three flutists,
four clarinets, one trombone, one trumpet, one tenor sax and, of course, a
piano.

The sound is not exactly heavenly, except upon the ears of the parents and
very proud grandparents who have the uncanny ability to hear only their child's
instrument, anyway.

I'm sad to note that there were no guitars this year. I sort of liked last
year's version of ‘Silent Night.’ It was performed by several young adolescent
men with extraordinarily high levels of testosterone, matched only by the
length of their hair that mostly covered their eyes.

They strummed away, guitar resting on a hip thrust out just so.

‘Posers,’ the girls called them.

It was ‘Silent Night’ as it has never before been played. With attitude.
Tons of attitude. Just the way I suspect the Teen Jesus would have loved it.

Second only to this experience is the Children's Sermon at Christmas Eve,
wherein the pastor sits on the chancel steps, surrounded by children who would
much rather be at home, shaking and jiggling the Christmas presents to guess the
contents, or snitching one more piece of candy off the plate left out for
company.

One of my clergy friends described this experience as akin to diving into a
bucket of live bait.

Last year, the children helped me put the creche together, identifying the
different characters as I told the Nativity story. They correctly guessed the
names of two of the three wise men, Melchior and Balthazar, but got stumped on
the third.

Just as I was about to reveal the name, one of the children excitedly raised
his hand. “I know, I know!” he said.

“It was Eisenhower!”

You have to give the young child credit. It does go better than ‘Caspar.’

Organized chaos.

I imagine that's exactly what the First Noel was like.

An indomitable spirit, invincible determination and the unmitigated chutzpah
known primarily (although not exclusively) by the young and inexperienced.

Feeling awkward and vulnerable but surrounded by those who love you
unconditionally and are rooting for you to do well.

Making your entrance on cue.

Everyone having a part to play – no matter how small – in the unfolding
drama of God's incarnation.

Listening for the holy amidst the cacophony of human life.

Come to think of it, life doesn't get much better than that! For that matter,
neither does church.

May your Christmas be filled with unexpected but long-awaited joy and delight!

Blessings,
the Rev'd Elizabeth Kaeton

The Episcopal Church of St. Paul
200 Main Street
Chatham, NJ 07928

The church was beautified with greens for Christmas by the Consani, Carver, and Cook families.

1. What relation was the Christ Child to John the Baptist?
-- No closer than second cousin. Luke tells us John's mother Elizabeth was Mary's cousin.

2. Who was the Roman emperor when Christ was born?
-- Caesar Augustus.

3. Which emperor is credited with standardizing Dec. 25 as Christmas Day?
-- Constantine in 325 A.D.

4. Mary and Joseph journeyed from Nazareth to Bethlehem to be enrolled in the imperial census. How many miles is that?
-- They journeyed 92.5 miles.

5. Where did the Grinch steal Christmas?
-- In Whoville.

6. What family tradition did President Franklin Roosevelt insist on performing every Christmas Eve?
-- Sitting beside the fire, he read aloud the Dickens classic "A Christmas Carol," exuberantly acting out all the parts.

7. In Truman Capote's "A Christmas Memory" what identical gift was bestowed on the bootlegger, the bus driver, the knife grinder, two Baptist missionaries in Borneo and the president of the United States?
-- A Christmas fruit cake.

8. What was True Love's gift on the second day of Christmas?
-- "Two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree."

9. What did Harry Potter get for Christmas in his first semester at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?
-- An "invisibility cloak."

10. Did Norman Rockwell ever paint Grandma Moses?
-- Yes. He depicted Grandma Moses among the friends and family greeting a boy returning from college in "Christmas Homecoming," a 1948 Saturday Evening Post cover.

11. What historic event heightened holiday spirits in Berlin a decade ago?
-- The fall of the Berlin wall.

12. Which newspaper assured a reader: "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus?"
-- The New York Sun. A famous editorial on Sept. 21, 1897, by Francis P. Church answered a letter by 8-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon. The paper ceased publication in 1950.

13. Why do we kiss under the mistletoe?
-- The ancient Norse associated mistletoe with their goddess of love.

14. What is holly's symbolic meaning to Christians?
-- To Christians, the berries are symbolic of Christ's blood, and the thorny leaves suggest the thorns in His crown.

15. Who started the American tradition of poinsettia at Christmas?
-- Dr Joel Poinsett, the first US ambassador to Mexico, brought the plant back in 1828. Mexicans had long revered poinsettia because it resembled the Star of Bethlehem.

16. True or false: The New England Puritans forbade Christmas celebrations.
-- True. The Puritans considered Christmas trees and decorations to be pagan, and outlawed them in Massachusetts until 1859.

17. Thanksgiving has traditionally been the start of the Christmas season in the U.S. Which U.S. President moved Thanksgiving back a week to extend the holiday shopping season?
-- Franklin Delano Roosevelt, in a move to help out Depression-strained retailers. Since 1859 Thanksgiving had been celebrated on Nov. 30, but in 1939 FDR declared the holiday to be the fourth Thursday in November (Nov. 23 of that yea\). Two years later, FDR signed a bill making the move permanent and official.

18. True or false: The date of Christ's birth is noted in the Book of Matthew in the New Testament.
-- False. The Bible never mentions a specific date for the Nativity.

19. What contribution to the Santa legend did New York ad writer Robert May make in 1939?
-- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. May wrote the lyrics as copy for a Montgomery Ward department store giveaway. In 1947 it was set to music, and recorded by Gene Autrey.

20. In what Broadway musical was the song "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" introduced?
-- "Meet Me in St. Louis". Judy Garland sang the song in the film version.

21. What auspicious television event occurred in December 1965?
-- "Charlie Brown Christmas" debuted on CBS. One of the very first animated Christmas TV specials, the show has aired every Christmas since.

22. What auspicious television event occurred on December 24, 1968?
-- After achieving the first manned lunar orbit, the crew of Apollo 8 celebrated Christmas Eve by reading from the first chapter of the Book of Genesis. The event was broadcast around the world.

23. What legendary actor narrated the TV special "How the Grinch Stole Christmas?
-- Boris Karloff, star of "Frankenstein" and other horror classics.

24. What do the songs "Jingle Bells", "Winter Wonderland", and "Sleighride" have in common?
-- None of these songs mentions Christmas.

25. Why is "O, Come All Ye Faithful" a Christmas carol but "Deck the Halls" not?
-- A true Christmas carol has to have a religious theme.

25. The state songs of Maryland and Michigan use the melody of what popular Christmas song?
-- "O Tannenbaum"

26. What Christmas song was introduced in the 1942 movie "Holiday Inn" ... and was almost cut out of the final version?
-- Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" -- one of the most popular songs of all time. The movie "White Christmas", starring Crosby and Danny Kaye, didn't debut until 1954. It was the first movie to be made in Vista Vision, a deep-focus process.

On Christ the King Sunday, the parish honored our two assisting priests, Father Norm Ishizaki (retired rector of St. Alban's Church, Westwood) and Father Wally Beitzel (a long time member of the Christ Church community who was licensed this past year in the Diocese of Los Angeles by our Bishop, Jon Bruno).

The photo shows members of our Christ Church vestry with Father Wally and Father Norm. Both of our brothers were given a special Christ Church cross and business cards from the parish. Wonderful receptions were held after each service and a good time was had by all.

This event is included in our new year, even though it started on the Sunday before Advent I. We are grateful, delighted, and filled with joy over the presence and ministry of these two fine priests.

Labels: Christ the King Sunday

Our first visit from Saint Nicholas happened on December 6th. To the delight of the children and adults who attended the Evening Prayer celebration followed by dessert, Saint Nick, the bishop of Myra, showed up in his most splendid red and white outfit.

Every one who attended was asked to remove one of their shoes during my sermon. By the end of the service, St. Nicholas had arrived, candy canes representing the bishop's shepherd's crook (crozier), were handed out and the shoes were filled with chocolate wrapped in gold. There was also a gold dollar piece placed in each shoe with the challenge of spending the dollar the way St. Nicholas would--to help someone in need.

Following the service, we all went to the parish hall to enjoy desserts provided by the families who attended. We hope to make this service a regular tradition at Christ Church and to do new and creative things during the service and afterwards. Anyone interested in helping to plan this fun family event should drop me an email at rwcornner@aol.com or give me a call.

Here is the prayer we used to bless the candy canes last night.

THE BLESSING OF THE CANDY CANES

St Nicholas Center by Edward Hays


Good St. Nicholas, we honor you
on this your holy feast day.
We rejoice that you are the patron saint
and the holy symbol of joy
for many peoples of many lands.

Come, great-hearted, saint
and be our patron and companion
as we, once again, prepare our homes and hearts
for the great feast of Christmas,
the birth of the Eternal Blessing, Jesus Christ.

May these sweets, these candy canes,
be a sign of Advent joy for us.

May these candy canes,
shaped just like your Bishop’s staff,
be for us a sign of your benevolent care.

We rejoice that you are the holy bringer of gifts
and that so many have been delighted
through your great generosity.

Help us to be as generous of heart.
Wherever these candy canes are hung,
on tree or wall or door,
may they carry with them
the bright blessing of God.

May all who shall taste them
experience the joy of God
upon their tongues and in their hearts.

We ask God, now, to bless
these your brightly striped sweets
in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

From Prayers for the Domestic Church: A Handbook for Worship in the Home by Edward Hays, copyright © 1989 (revised) Forest of Peace Publishing. Used by permission. Purchase from amazon.com, amazon.ca, or amazon.co.uk.


God's Peace in the Coins and Candy Staffs of Life,
Bob+

Advent is a time of signs that point to the love and welcome of God coming to us in a small child. At Christ Church we have many signs that point to this love and welcome of God. The photo shows Andy Tomat and Father Bill Ledbetter standing by our new "THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH WELCOMES YOU" sign. Andy, Bill, and I put our engineering skills together to hang the sign.

As you look at the photograph, it is good to be reminded that Andy,Bill, and each of us is also a sign of God's love and welcome for others. Each Sunday as new people come to our door, you are the most important flesh and blood sign that they will see. Rejoice and give thanks for the grace to be such a sign.

TOOL TIME: Andy and I found great satisfaction in the simple things of life--a good drill, a good wrench, and a task to be done. Where is Tim Allen when you need him?

As we begin a new Christian year together at Christ Church, I want to thank all of you for your continued participation and involvement in the ministries of Christ Church. Christ Church is not one person or another. Christ Church is all of us working and serving together to pass on the welcome and grace God has shared with us.

I invite us all to move more deeply into the welcome and grace of God and to offer it in more creative and life changing ways to others. This blog is dedicated to providing a chronicle of pictures and words that describe our life and work together during this new year.

May God continue to bless you and this church in the work of Christ in the world.

God's Peace in the Beginning,
Bob+