Worship Schedule Sunday, December 24, 2017 Advent 4 9:00 a.m. – St. John the Divine 315 Main Street, Southwest Harbor Hymns: Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord! (438) The angel Gabriel from heaven came (265) Prepare the way, O Zion (65) O come, O come, Emmanuel (56) Scripture: Canticle 15; 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16; Romans 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38 Participants: Celebrant: The Rev. Kathleen Killian Usher: ____ First Lesson/Psalm/Second Lesson: ____ Prayers: Margot Chalice and Acolyte: Rita Altar Guild: Margot Flowers: Betsy/John Vestry Member in Charge: Rita Sunday, December 24, 2017 Christmas Eve – 4:00 p.m. Hymns: O come all ye faithful (83) Hark the herald angels sing (87) The first Nowell (109) What child is this? (115) Silent Night (111) Joy to the world! (100) Scripture: Psalm 96; Isaiah 9:2-7; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14 Participants: Celebrant: The Rev. Kathleen Killian Usher: Edie First Lesson/Psalm/Second Lesson: Dean Prayers: Margot Chalice and Acolyte: Sandy Altar Guild: Margot Flowers: Betsy/John Vestry Member in Charge: Paul Monday, December 25, 2017 Christmas Day – 10:00 a.m. Scripture: Psalm 97; Isaiah 62:6-12; Titus 3:4-7; Luke 2:1-20 Weekday Holy Eucharist—Thursdays at 12:00 noon + + + + + + + + + + + The Rev. Kathleen Killian, Priest-in-Charge (669-2029) Stephen Sampson, Music Director Michele Daley, Parish Administrator (244-3229) Sr. Warden, Gen Mackenzie (244-7313) Jr. Warden, Rita Redfield (244-4025) The Church Office is open Monday through Thursday | | St. John's Calendar The full St. John's Calendar can be viewed <HERE>. Sunday, December 24, 9:00 a.m. — Holy Eucharist Sunday, December 24, 4:00 p.m. — Christmas Eve Eucharist Monday, December 25, 10:00 a.m. — Christmas Day Eucharist December 25 – the church office will be closed Sunday, December 31, 10:00 a.m. — Combined Worship at St. John's Tuesdays, 4:00 p.m. — NO Meditation on December 26 Thursdays, 12:00 noon — Healing Service and Eucharist Fridays, 1:00 p.m. — Mahjong (teaching available), Common Room | | At St. John's Meditation on Tuesdays at 4:00 at St. John's. Please join us for 30 minutes of shared silence and "prayer of the heart," an ancient meditative practice of the Christian tradition. All are welcome! We meditate sitting on chairs, though if you prefer to sit on the floor, feel free to bring a mat or cushion. If you are new to meditation, have questions or concerns, or would like more information, please contact Mother Kathleen. There will be NO Meditation on December 26th. | | From the Diocese of Maine As a Parish of the Diocese of Maine, we are part of a church family that extends from Kittery to Fort Kent, and connects us to the rest of the Episcopal Church and the worldwide Anglican Communion. We share ministry with our Bishop and with every worshipping community. If you are not subscribed to the Diocesan twice monthly email newsletter, the DioLog, please click [here] to subscribe. If you are subscribed, don't forget to open it and read it every time! There is a lot going on in every corner of the Diocese, and you wouldn't want to miss anything! | | at St. Saviour: You are invited to our annual Christmas day dinner. This dinner is especially for parishioners, couples or singles, who might otherwise be alone on Christmas day because their families are dispersed or unavailable. Don't spend Christmas alone. Join us at 1 pm Christmas day for good food and fellowship in the Rectory Common dining room. Ham, turkey and potatoes are provided, while attendees provide side dishes, appetizers or desserts. It's also BYOB. If you are interested, please contact Linda Foster at 288 2720; email linda@foster.net or text at 207 412 9700. Hope you will join us for this event. | | at St. John and St. Saviour: Confidential Prayer Chain: Unlike our published prayer lists, prayer requests that come into the Prayer Chain remain private to the prayer chain itself, which will pray devotedly for one week unless an updated request is made. If you'd like to know more about this or our Pastoral Care Team, please contact our office administrators or Mother Kathleen. | | Community: There will be a two day food packaging event at St. Andrew Lutheran Church, 175 Downeast Highway in Ellsworth on Friday, January 19 and Saturday, January 20. This is a great opportunity for people of all ages to come together and package healthy non-perishable meals that are distributed to food pantries in Washington and Hancock Counties (including the Westside Food Pantry). A quarter pays for one serving; $1.50 for a package that feeds 6 people. Our goal is at least 40,000 meals ($10,000). Donations are needed plus lots of volunteers for the 19th and 20th! Our goal is at least 4 assembly lines working - which is 40 - 48 people at any given time. We don't have an exact schedule yet; but likely will work on Friday late morning/early afternoon to 6 or so. On Saturday we generally work from 9 to 2. Some people work the whole day; some work for an hour or two. There are jobs for heavy lifters and for those who need to sit. We are accepting donations until the end of the day on January 20. Checks can be made payable to St. Andrew Lutheran Church and mailed to: P. O. Box 145 Ellsworth, ME 04605. For more information 667-7641 or check our website: standrewme.org | | Church of Our Father: Advent Book Study, Sundays at 9:00 a.m. St. Mary and St. Jude: Prayer Shawl Ministry, Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. | | Westside Food Pantry: Dear friends, What started out as a record setting month on the first Sunday of distribution, ended with a 5.7% decrease in the number of vouchers issued for the month. $16,180 worth of vouchers were distributed to 202 households and a total of 385 neighbors receiving help. There were 10 new households registered comprised of 26 adults and children. And, as has been our custom the past five years, a $25 Christmas voucher was given to each household for an additional $5,050 in food assistance this month. While our voucher distribution numbers lagged behind last December, the commitment and generosity of our neighbor-supporters from around the Island and the country moved ahead of last season. Direct public support of our work increased through December 12 compared to last year, same date. Donations from individuals is up by a little over $5,000 as of December 12. This is good news for our prospects to be able to meet the Pantry commitments through April 2018. It is also encouraging that the work of the Pantry continues to draw a caring response from our neighbors far-and-near. The Westside Food Pantry continues to share in the public's confidence and a trusted way to put caring into action. Furthermore, one feature of the Westside Food Pantry that continues to shine is the spirit of caring and hospitality of our corps of neighbors-helping-neighbors--YOU the volunteers who are present to our neighbors as they present their need for food security each month. I want to thank as always the December 17 volunteers: Jayne Ashworth, Ken Brookes, Ellen Brookes, Nancy Cochran, Gloria Higgins, Judith Cox, Carol Nelson, and Dean Henry. And finally, I want to wish everyone blessings, joy, and peace this season of holidays that we all share in as neighbors of the Westside. Here is my present to you that will warm your hearts this season in the form of a short story. (I know what warms your hearts!) A woman arrived early Sunday and asked to speak to me. She and her family had received help from the Pantry two years ago. They had not needed our assistance these past two years, but last week her family suffered an emergency that had placed them in a desperate situation and necessitated a move. The situation left them without any cash and virtually no food in their new residence. She knew that she needed identification and documentation to register for vouchers, but in the hurry of the move much of what she needed was packed away and not retrievable in time to get help this last Sunday in December. With tears running down her cheeks she asked if we could make an exception and give her vouchers today so that they could get food into the house. The one who's birth we celebrate this season always admonished us: "If someone is hungry, feed them." It is our practice not to insist on first knowing the facts of a situation and insisting on keeping the letter of the regulation, and then responding, right? Of course not, and as this tearful mother of 5 children and a husband sat down with Jayne and Ellen to register for vouchers, she was fed. Simple as that. Happy holidays, Merry Christmas, Blessed New Year to all you dear neighbors and friends, Dean | | Services at the Partnership Parishes: St. Andrew & St. John Sundays—9:00 a.m. Eucharist at St. John the Divine Tuesdays — 4:00 pm–Meditation Thursdays—12:00 noon—Saint of the day & Healing Prayer Eucharist Church of our Father Sundays—8:30 – Morning Prayer; 10:00 a.m.—Eucharist Wednesdays, 8:00 am—Eucharist. St. Saviour's Sundays—7:30 and 10:00 a.m. Eucharist Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:30am—Morning Prayer Wednesdays, 12:00 noon—Saint of the day & Healing Prayer Eucharist | | | |