News from the Congregation December 23, 2022

Dec 25

Written By Steven Lee; Marsha Ra & Joan Adams

‘‘‘This Most Tremendous Tale of All’ ; ‘Warden Christmas Message’ ” | Dates to Remember | Sunday Programs: 10:30am Worship Service In-Person and Online, 11:30am All Are Welcome Coffee Hour (canceled 12/25) | Weekday Programs: Wed Bible Study on Paul’s Letter to the Romans, M-S Morning and Evening Prayer (Zoom)

Canon Lee

And is it true,
This most tremendous tale of all,
Seen in a stained-glass window's hue,
A Baby in an ox's stall?
The Maker of the stars and sea
Become a Child on earth for me?

And is it true? For if it is,
No loving fingers tying strings
Around those tissued fripperies,
The sweet and silly Christmas things,
Bath salts and inexpensive scent
And hideous tie so kindly meant,

No love that in a family dwells,
No carolling in frosty air,
Nor all the steeple-shaking bells
Can with this single Truth compare -
That God was man in Palestine
And lives today in Bread and Wine.

Excerpt from Christmas by John Betjeman

A Message from the Wardens

From Marsh Ra, Senior Warden
Merry Christmas!

As we celebrate the wonderful gift of Emanuel, God with us, I feel moved to thank the team of steady volunteers who have been joyfully providing drinks and snacks after the Sunday Eucharist. For the next two weeks our wonderful hospitality ministry team is taking a well deserved break. Since the second week in Easter, they have come early, stayed late, brought water from the distant well (Saint James Chapel) ordered supplies, recruited and scheduled volunteers and turned coffee hour into a joyous weekly occasion. Twenty five of you sign up regularly to provide the snacks. And all of you, my congregation friends, are showing a friendly welcome to the many visitors who join us each Sunday. Special thanks to Rick Awe, Bob Deming and Mark Garrison who set up and make the coffee, to Laura Betz, Carole Wilkins and others who regularly clean up, to Sonia Omulepu who keeps up the tea supply and Lorraine Simmons who makes sure there is fresh milk. If you wish to join the ranks of the coffee hour volunteers, email Marsha.

I dearly miss sharing the Eucharist with you for a few weeks as I recover from knee replacement surgery. This couch potato is finding the rehab to be the most difficult thing I’ve ever tried to do. Prayers and calls from so many of you have lightened the load and given me hope. The gift of live streaming of the services has been wonderful. Sitting before the laptop belting out hymns must be the best way to recover from just about anything!

May you and all your family enjoy a peaceful, spiritually uplifting Christmas. Hoping to see you again some time in Epiphany.

From Joan Adams, Junior Warden:

Merry Christmas to everyone in the Congregation!

I miss seeing you in person at most Sunday services. I was happy to see many of you at the Celebration of the 30th Anniversary. Like Marsha I am very grateful for the many ways you each contribute to our worship community.

I am also grateful for the live streaming of the Sunday service. It allows me to participate in the worship service even though I am usually not able to travel into the City from our home in northwest NJ. My husband, Robert Dey who was a Verger at the Cathedral, has health problems that prevent him from traveling.

I will see you at the Congregation's Annual Meeting in February.

Wishing you each a peaceful, fulfilling celebration of our Lord Jesus Christ's Birth.

Marsha Ra and Joan Adams
Wardens

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

VISIT THE WEBSITE

DATES TO REMEMBER

Dec 25 - Christmas Day service; Early Music New York concert
Dec 31 - New Year's Eve Concert for Peace
Jan 6 - Epiphany service at the Cathedral
Jan 14 - Funeral of Kristin Stanton Jones in St. James Chapel
Feb 1 - Cathedral Planned Giving seminar on Zoom
Feb 5 - Annual Meeting of the Congregation of Saint Saviour at the Cathedral
Feb 14 - Renewal of Vows service at the Cathedral

HUMANITARIAN RELIEF FOR UKRAINE

Episcopal Relief & Development is supporting Action by Churches Together (ACT Alliance) as it provides critical assistance to support people affected by violence in Ukraine. Working through ACT member Hungarian Interchurch Aid (HIA) and other local organizations, ACT Alliance is providing emergency assistance such as food, shelter, water and basic supplies to refugees and people displaced within Ukraine. Donations to Episcopal Relief & Development’s Ukraine Crisis Response Fund will help the organization and its partners continue to provide assistance to people displaced by the crisis in Ukraine.

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

NEWS FROM THE CONGREGATION

The Weekly Sunday Hospitality continues.

Research shows that the more you give the more you get. The more you help, the more invested you become in your church and the more it feeds you. Isn’t that amazing? Do you enjoy the coffee and the treats--the time together every week for conversation and welcoming of visitors? To keep this ministry going we need to expand the number of people involved. If you are on the list of helpers and providers of snacks, THANK YOU! If you haven’t volunteered yet— why not join the team? There is nothing exclusive about it. All are welcome to help out. If you can come once a month or every 6 -8 weeks to set up before the service and clean-up after the coffee hour, please contact Marsha Ra or Sue Sobolewski. Or talk to us on any Sunday. We will get you started on this ministry.

NEWS FROM THE VESTRY

GIVE/SERVE

Questions about Realm, the Congregation’s Online Hub for Giving, Volunteering, and Reaching Out to One Another
The Admin team would love to hear from you. Whether you need help making the shift to online donations, setting up your account, or just want to know what Realm can do for you, please contact Laura and Bob at this email address: info@saintsaviour.org

THIS SUNDAY

In-Person Worship at the Cathedral
10:00 am - Doors to Cathedral open.
10:30 am - Eucharist Service
11:30 am - All Are Welcome Coffee Hour (canceled 12/25)

You can also watch a Livestream of the Cathedral Worship Service
On Facebook: http://facebook.com/StJohnDivineNYC
On the Cathedral website: http://www.stjohndivine.org