“May he whose second Coming in power and great glory we await, make you steadfast in faith, joyful in hope, and constant in love. And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you forever” (Advent Blessing).

In the Advent season, we wait in joyous expectation for the birth of Christ. We shift our attention from worrying about the problems that face us to a crude manger in Bethlehem, where all of God’s promises are fulfilled. We shift from thinking about scarcity to the abundance that we have from God. Please take time to relax in this busy season and journey with all of us at St. John’s to Bethlehem. Our theme this season is Joy. My blessing for you this Sunday is that you will be steadfast in faith, joyful in hope, and constant in love. Last week we talked about being in right relationship with one another. In our vulnerability, God is able to show his love and mercy through the one born in a lowly manger. We need to just take a short rest from our worries and look away from the darkness into the light. Advent is a time when we realize the one who loves us deeply is coming again. It is a time when we deepen our relationships by calling others and listening to both their pain and joy. We take the time to visit with our family, co-workers and friends. We remember one another through cards, presents, and social media.

Advent is a time when we give of ourselves to others as Christ gave of himself to us. We bring about the coming of the kingdom of God by looking beyond ourselves. We pray for one another and help the poor and needy where we can. I have asked each member of St. John’s to draw closer to our Lord in the coming year. Please consider deepening your faith in Christ by loving God and one another. The best way to get started is to pray to God that your heart may be kindled again and that you will be steadfast in faith.

The St. John’s Youth Group will be delivering wreaths, flowers, and poinsettias on Saturday, December 4th, 10:30 am - 1:00 pm & Sunday, December 5th, 8:30 am to 12 noon. This fund raiser supports our youth on mission trips and youth events. The ECW is collecting money for the St. John’s Episcopal Hospital’s Adopt-A-Family Program for Christmas for the next two Sundays. Join us for an Advent Retreat "Four Advent Words from the Giver of the Gift" with Rev. Dr. John McGinty on Saturday, December 4th, 9:30 to 11:30 am on Zoom. Our Advent series, “Preparing the Way: Listening for God in the Borders of our World" will continue this Tuesday December 7th with Jeanne Provenzano, Attorney. Please join us for Evening Prayer at 6:30 pm and our Advent Program from 7:00 – 8:00 pm. Bible study continues with the Nativity in the Gospel of Luke and the book Hidden Christmas by Timothy Keller. It will be held Monday nights at 6:30 pm and Tuesday mornings at 11:00 am. There will be a LIGMC concert on Friday December 12th at 7:00 pm and our Sing Noel Concert on Sunday, December 19th at 7:30pm.

Lastly, I want to make a special request from the Altar Guild. They are looking for a few new members to care for the altar. It is a profoundly rewarding ministry to serve preparing the Lord’s altar. Please contact me if you are interested in more information.

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Duncan

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