Sunday, December 12, Third Sunday of Advent
Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
Sunday, December 12 is the Third Sunday of Advent. Find the readings here. Worship booklet here: Late Autumn & Advent Sundays And check out St. John's Sunday News.
Please join us at St. John's Church for one of two in-person services at 8:00 am and 10:30 am. We will try to stream the service live on our Facebook page. If you follow us on Facebook and are logged in around 9am, you should be able to see it. Also, the service will be posted on our Youtube channel by the early afternoon. You can also see last week's service.
If you want to join the Zoom coffee hour at 12:30, please email the Parish Administrator for the information.
ADVENT LESSONS AND CAROLS, TODAY! Sunday, December 12, 5 pm. We will be using a shortened form of our L&C based on the Great O-Antiphons of Advent.
Advent and Christmas Offerings:
Sunday, December 12: Order for Worship in the Evening. 5 pm.
Choral and organ music for the season.
Friday, December 24: Christmas Eve services at 5 and 8:30 pm.
Sunday, December 26: Sunday after Christmas, 9 am.
St John's Pop Up Shop: This Sunday will be your last chance to pick up handmade gifts from our recent fair. In particular, check out the candles with four different motifs from our church windows. They were donated by Laurie Brown in memory of her mother and long time parishioner Janie Brown.
Stewardship Update The Stewardship Committee is extremely grateful to the over 50 individuals and families who have already returned their pledge cards for 2022! If you are planning to pledge for 2022, please return your card soon as the 2022 budget is under development. Pledging contributes directly to the mission of St. John’s!
Deadline for Toys for Kids and Christmas Flower Memorials: Please return gifts or Christmas flower names and donations to the church office by December 13. Thank you. Vestry meeting Tuesday, December 14 at 7 pm in person in the parish hall. A reminder that the Vestry and Search Committee retreat will be on Saturday, January 8th! Exciting Talk Opportunity this Wednesday: The Annisquam Village Church and the AV Library are co-hosting Doug Tallamy, author of "Natures Best Hope" on Wed. Dec. 15th at 4 p.m. on Zoom. He will describe the power of native plants to reverse climate change—something you can do in your yard! For more info, click here. 60 minute talk and 30 minutes of discussion.
Advent and Christmas Offerings:
Sunday, Dec. 12: Order for Worship in the Evening. 5 pm. Choral and organ music for the season
Friday, Dec. 24: Christmas Eve services at 5 and 8:30 pm
Sunday, Dec. 26: Sunday after Christmas, 9 am
Grace Center Coming to St. John’s for the Winter: Grace Center will start using St. John’s parish hall on Sundays from 12-4 beginning next Sunday, Dec. 5th. Please welcome guests who may join us for coffee hour, or they may stay in the Thompson Room until coffee hour is over.
Action Lunches: Because St. John’s will be hosting the Grace Center on Sundays from December-March, with lunches provided by the Open Door, the Action Lunch makers will be on hiatus for the next 4 months. Thanks to all for your faith work, and enjoy the break!
Tips for a Christ-Friendly Christmas (from Rockport’s 2020 Earth Day Committee). We can celebrate the birth of Christ without adding to Earth-burdening consumption practices. To reduce waste and increase joy this Christmas season, check out two resources from Rockport’s 2020 Earth Day Committee can help: “Greening Your Holidays” gives ways to reduce your environmental impact and “Earth Friendlier Gifts” gives suggestions of how to find and give more sustainable (and more appreciated) gifts. Here are two MORE ideas to inspire you:
Rethink the wrap. Reuse maps, comics, newsprint, kid art, or posters as gift wrap. Wrap gifts in recycled paper or a reusable bag. Or skip the gift wrap, hide the gifts, and leaves clues or trails for kids to follow.
Plant a tree somewhere in the world!
Music Notes: On Sunday we will hear organ music (by Bach and Buxtehude) based on the final hymn (54) “Savior of the Nations, Come.” This hymn is one of the finest of the German Chorales for Advent. Martin Luther adapted both words and music from a much older Latin hymn, “Veni Redemptor gentium” which you can examine at #55. The anthem is a setting of verses from the Second Reading (Philippians 4:4-7) by composer Thad Cavuoti who died earlier this year. The offertory hymn is based on the Gospel reading by Salem State English professor (and Episcopalian) Jan Lindholm. It was included in Evangelical Lutheran Worship in 2006