News from the Congregation December 24, 2021

Dec 24

Written By Steven Lee; Marsha Ra & Bob Deming

‘Holy, Although We Knew It Not’; ‘Bob Deming Gives Thanks’ | All In-Person Worship Goes Online, Lessons and Carols Zoom Watch Party, Adult Baptism and Confirmation Class Preparation, Volunteer at CCC’s Sunday Soup Kitchen, Serve on the Vestry | Sunday Programs: 8:30 am Genesis Bible Study - Returns Jan 2 (Zoom), 10:30 am Worship Service - Online |Weekday Programs: M-S Morning and Evening Prayer (Zoom), Wednesday: 7:30 pm Romans Bible Study (Zoom) - Returns Jan 5, Thursday: 7:30 pm YESS Bible Study (Zoom)

Canon Lee

Remembering that It Happened Once
by Wendell Barry

Remembering that it happened once,
We cannot turn away the thought,
As we go out, cold, to our barns
Toward the long night’s end, that we
Ourselves are living in the world
It happened in when it first happened,
That we ourselves, opening a stall
(A latch thrown open countless times
Before), might find them breathing there,
Foreknown: the Child bedded in straw,
The mother kneeling over Him,
The husband standing in belief
He scarcely can believe, in light
That lights them from no source we see,
An April morning’s light, the air
Around them joyful as a choir.
We stand with one hand on the door,
Looking into another world
That is this world, the pale daylight
Coming just as before, our chores
To do, the cattle all awake,
Our own white frozen breath hanging
In front of us; and we are here
As we have never been before,
Sighted as not before, our place
Holy, although we knew it not.

A Message from the Wardens

Junior Warden Bob Deming on Christmas Eve:

The timing of this reflection is posted on December 24th, which is better known as Christmas Eve.

One of our treasured family traditions is to read aloud Clement C. Moore’s Twas the Night Before Christmas (1836) at the end of the evening. We have a few copies, so each of us reads four lines and the next person goes. This round robin reading is fun every year. After reading Moore’s poem, most everyone goes to bed. We look ahead to Christmas and the opening of gifts.

Writing these Warden’s Reflections over the past ten months has been a gift. In February 2021, I was excited about the prospect, but a little insecure because I had not done regular publishing of short essays before. I now know, with some critical assistance, I can produce a short personal reflection with a religious bent every few weeks.

Let me express a few thank-yous. I thank Steven for creating and maintaining this weekly routine of emailing News from the Congregation on a Friday morning; I thank Marsha for happily sharing the Warden’s portion at the bottom of this News from the Congregation; and I thank my wife for editing. Sometimes I receive edits from Steven and Marsha, but the truth is that the bulk have come from my wife. She regularly helps make my writing presentable, and for that I am most grateful

NEWS FROM THE CATHEDRAL - Cathedral of Saint John the Divine (stjohndivine.org)

Out of an abundance of caution, and following guidance from New York City and federal health experts, this year’s Christmas services will move online. All are invited to join in the celebration of the Nativity on the Cathedral’s website, Facebook page, and YouTube channel.

On December 24, Christmas Eve, the Cathedral will livestream a Service of Lessons and Carols at 3:30 pm. The service will be streamed again at 10:00 pm on Christmas Eve, and at 10:00 am on Christmas Day, December 25.

The Cathedral’s New Year’s Eve Concert for Peace has been rethought, and will be livestreamed from the Nave without an audience. No tickets will be needed to livestream the performance, which will be posted on our website, Facebook, and YouTube channel.

To further safeguard the health of our wider New York City community, the following changes have been instituted:

The Cathedral’s weekday 12:15 pm Holy Eucharist services are postponed until further notice.
The Sunday afternoon 2:00 PM New Community services are postponed until further notice.
The Sunday morning 10:30 AM services, beginning December 26, will be a service of Ante-Communion, livestreamed from the Cathedral, but absent a congregation.

ADULT BAPTISM AND CONFIRMATION CLASS

Adults who are interested in Baptism or Confirmation at the Easter Vigil 2022 should contact the Vicar. The class will begin in the New Year.

CONGREGATION CHRISTMAS SERVICES WATCH PARTY

Saint Saviour will host a Zoom watch party for all three Lessons and Carols services. Listen to the readings with Saint Saviour’s extended family. Sing merrily off-key (on mute)! Stay afterwards for friendly Yuletide chit-chat!

Times: 3:30 pm December 24, 2021 | 10:00 pm December 24, 2021 | 10:00 am December 25, 2021

Link: Zoom watch party

NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE Home - Episcopal Diocese of New York (dioceseny.org)

NEWS FROM THE VESTRY
* NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING *

The Annual Meeting of the Congregation of Saint Saviour will be held on Sunday, February 6, 2022 after the 10:30 AM service. At the Annual Meeting, vestry elections will be held.

The Congregation’s vestry is made up of twelve people which includes the Vicar. New members are elected each year for up to a three-year term, and two wardens lead the vestry, and each serves a staggered two-year term.

What does the vestry do? Since the Cathedral has a Board of Trustees responsible for many of the things that vestries of parish churches deal with—namely all matters related to the building—our vestry is in the enviable position to deal primarily with issues related to building community and encouraging spiritual growth. The vestry therefore has a special charge to offer welcome to potential new members and visitors alike. The vestry also manages the congregation’s assets—primarily the money collected through our stewardship program. To serve on the vestry:

• You must be a baptized Christian and a member in good standing of the Congregation for at least one year prior to the election.
• To be a warden you must be a confirmed Episcopalian and you must have served as a member of the vestry in the past.
• You must be able to regularly attend vestry meetings. Vestry meetings are held online in the evening of the third Tuesday of every month, unless otherwise noted. The meetings in 2022 will be on January 18th; February 15th; March 15th; April 19th; May 24th; June 21st; September 20th; October 18th; November 15th; and December 20th.
• Each vestry member also serves on at least one subcommittee, and these meetings take place regularly throughout the year.

Four vestry positions (one for a three-year term, two for a two-year term, and one for a one-year term) and one warden position for a two-year term are up for election at the Annual Meeting in February 2022.

If you are interested in serving on the vestry, please contact the chair of the Nominations Committee, Sonia Omulepu by January 7, 2022.

GIVE/SERVE

Questions about Realm
Christopher Clowdus and Neil Reilly invite your questions about Realm, the Congregation's giving database, at this email address: stewardship@saintsaviour.org.

CCC - Volunteer Opportunity at Sunday Soup Kitchen
Join us at CCC's Sunday Soup Kitchen (8:30 am - 11:00 am) to help prepare and distribute food and to staff Saint Saviour's Table. Please CLICK HERE to sign up! Shifts are open through the third week in February. Thank you so much for volunteering!