“A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.”
Matthew 2:18
S u n d a y S c h e d u l e:
9 a.m. — Worship
10 – Ministry Teams Sunday
11 – Worship
PRESIDING BISHOP TO VISIT ST. NICHOLAS
We are thrilled to announce that the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Katharine Jefferts Schori, will be our celebrant and preacher on Sunday, February 3.
Bishop Katharine will be in Chicago that weekend as the chief consecrator of Jeff Lee and will join us the following day before leaving Chicago. We will have one liturgy at 9 a.m. and it will be followed by our annual meeting at 11:15 a.m.
When the presiding bishop visits in February, she will be coming into a community that is embodying the best of contemporary faith. My true delight at her visit is what it says about you and to you. You deserve the recognition her visit will bring. You have become something quite wonderful and are becoming something even more wonderful week-by-week.
Transferred feast of the Holy Innocents
This Sunday, we will be celebrating the transferred feast of the Holy Innocents, whose feast day is December 28. In the Gospel of Matthew, Herod the Great orders all the newborn male children in Bethlehem slaughtered to protect his throne from the “King of the Jews” whom the Magi had prophesied to him. To learn more about the Holy Innocents, click here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Innocents
Can you provide temporary housing for a young woman?
Anna K is a young woman now being treated for bulimia at Alexian Brothers Medical Center’s day hospital program. She is from West Virginia and is wondering if someone in the parish could provide her with housing during her stay here. She would be happy to pay rent during her stay. We know Anna from previous treatments at Alexian, and she is a wonderful young woman who would be a joy to have as a temporary housemate. Please let me know at 1bread1body@sbcglobal.net THANKS!
Could you help with occasional respite care for a single mom?
There is a single mom with two elementary age children who could use some occasional help in the form of taking her kids for an occasional Saturday to give her time to recharge her batteries. I would be very grateful if some parishioners could step forward. Please let me know at 1bread1body@sbcglobal.net THANKS!
Movable Feast begins soon.
It’s a four-month series of small group potlucks, offering us a chance to get know one another more deeply. Sign-up sheet is at church. Thanks to the Welcoming Team for organizing these events.
Six icons to go: choose yours today.
We soon will be adding 10 icons of women saints to the brick wall behind the statue of Mary. But we need your help. The icons are $145 apiece. Rather than take $1450 from our budget, we are hoping folks will donate an icon – or portion of one. Three specific saints already have been “spoken for” and the “last one left” is also paid in full, but we have six more to go. Checks can be placed in the collection basket, with “icon” noted on the memo line. Thanks!
The icons we have chosen are Brigid and Darlughdach (a two-for-the-price-of-one deal!), Julian of Norwich, Mary Magdalene (spoken for), the Syro-Phoenician woman, Dorothy Day, Joan of Arc (spoken for!), Edith Stein, Perpetua and Felicity (another two-for-the-price-of-one deal), Hildegaard of Bingen (spoken for!), and Teresa of Avila.
Food Pantry.
Help replenish the food pantry by bringing one or more non-perishable items each Sunday. Particularly needed right now are paper goods: toilet paper, paper towels, Kleenex.
Bishop’s committee report.
There was no meeting on December 26.
Help with Yummy Hour.
The Welcoming Team is seeking volunteers to help provide snacks for the social gatherings after both the 9 and 11 a.m. liturgies. We ask that the same person(s) cover both the 10 a.m. and noon gatherings. Set up snacks, regular and decaf coffee, and a pot of hot water for tea. Sugar, creamer, cups, napkins, and stirs are in the cabinets in the Gathering Space while coffee and coffee pots are in the kitchen. Let’s all get involved!
There is a sign up sheet in the church – AND you can sign up online by picking one of the available dates and emailing your choice to Manny: vanborg@sbcglobal.net
Here’s the schedule to choose from:
- December 30
- January 6
- January 13
- January 20
- January 27
Schedule for the 10 a.m. hour
Our schedule for the 10 a.m. hour is:
First Sunday of the month – Celebration Sunday; the 10 a.m. hour will be devoted to connecting.
Second Sunday – The Celebrating our Anglicanism series will now meet on this Sunday.
Third Sunday – Ministry Teams will meet on this day instead of on the Fourth Sunday.
Fourth Sunday – The series on major figures of the Hebrew Scriptures will meet one Sunday per month instead of two.
Fifth Sunday – When we’ve got an extra Sunday, as we do this Sunday, we will decide each time how to use the 10 a.m. hour. This month, we are going to use it to connect and socialize. So come early or stay late – and celebrate the gift of God in each of us!
St. Nicholas Feast on YouTube
A friend of mine passed along this short video of the 2007 St. Nicholas Day celebration at Canterbury Cathedral.
[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/bjSAn7piFIk" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]
It is narrated by Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury. You can access the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjSAn7piFIk
Afterwords by Father Steve
One bread, one body: the Presiding Bishop’s visit
I hope everyone enjoyed Christmas and will continue to enjoy the season of Christmas. The Christmas Eve liturgies were lovely and they were also the best attended in my 13 Christmas Eves at St. Nicholas. Wow! The music in particular was superb. Thank you, Mary and choir! We had a great 2007 and I am absolutely certain 2008 is going to be mind-blowing – beginning February 3, if not sooner.
One mark of our very successful 2007 and ongoing growth is that our opportunities for ministry are increasing. I hope in particular that you noted the announcements above about ways you can open your arms and hearts to others, and that some of us will be in a position to respond to these real needs. Thanks.
Lots of love,
Steve
Our schedule this week
Sunday, December 30
Worship at 9 & 11 a.m.
AA meets at 7:30 p.m.
Monday
AA meets at noon
Tuesday
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
GO ILLINOIS!
AA meets at noon
AA meets at 7 p.m.
Wednesday
AA meets at noon
Choir meets at 7 p.m.
Food Pantry at 6:30
Thursday
AA meets at noon
GA meets at 7 p.m.
Friday
AA meets at noon
Saturday
AA meets at 1 p.m.
AA meets at 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, January 6
THE FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY
Worship at 9 & 11
