Sharon's Christmas Prayer

She was five, and
sure of the facts,
and recited them
with solemn solemnity,
convinced every word
was revelation.
She said
they were so poor
they had only peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
to eat
and they went a long way from home
without getting lost. The lady rode
a donkey, the man walked, and the baby
was inside the lady.
They had to stay in a stable
with an ox and an ass (hee-hee)
but the Three Rich Men found them
because a star lited the roof.
Shepherds came and you could
pet the sheep but not feed them.
Then the baby was borned.
And do you know who he was?
Her quarter eyes inflated
to silver dollars.
The baby was God.
And she jumped in the air,
whirled round, dove into the sofa,
and buried her head under the cushion
which is the only proper response
to the Good News of the Incarnation.

by: John Shea, from his book, The Hour of the Unexpected
with thanks to The Rev'd Stacey Grossman

Pray for Peace

The reading from Isaiah for the First Sunday of Advent uses the image of beating swords into plowshares. We might say in our time, “One day, we will make tanks into tractors.” These words remind us that peace is a precious thing. The kingdom of God, when it comes, will be a place of peace and it is our charge to help bring that kingdom.

This year, as we prepare our hearts for the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, who came into this world to reconcile us to God and to one another, let us pray for peace. May we join our voices with the heavenly chorus that sang on the night Jesus was born, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men and women.”

Note: Prayers for Peace can be found in The Book of Common Prayer on pages 815 and 816.

Christmas Liturgies

Join us at St. Andrew’s and Church of the Redeemer as we celebrate Christmas, the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Please refer to the list of times below – we are sure you can find a worship time that will fit your holiday schedule.

Holy Communion at 5:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve – with reception - Church of the Redeemer, Oak Ridge.

Christmas Eve Midnight Mass - St. Andrew’s. Christmas hymns begin at 10:45 p.m. Holy Communion begins at 11:00 p.m.

Christmas Day - Holy Communion at 11:00 a.m. – St. Andrew’s.

Advent Calendar

The Episcopal Diocese of Washington unveiled its first online Advent calendar today as a joint venture with the National Cathedral's Visitor Programs office. The Calendar can be found on-line at: http://www.edow.org/spirituality/advent/index.html

Happy Father's Day

Gracious God, we remember and pray today for fathers everywhere. We ask your blessing on our own fathers, for the fathers of those we love, and for the grace to be fathers ourselves to those who are in need. We ask this and all our prayers in the name of God our Father, through Jesus Christ his child, with the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Thanks to The Rev. Stacey Grossman for this wonderful prayer found on From the Hilltop, the weblog of The Episcopal Church of the Nativity, San Rafael, California.

Anniversaries

The first of June marks two anniversaries for our rector. On June 1, 1996, Whit was ordained a deacon in the Church and on June 7, 1997, he was ordained priest. So, today marks Whit's 7th anniversary as a priest.