Dearly Beloved, “The night is far spent, the day is at hand.” These words from St. Paul, which we heard read in the Epistle this past Sunday, are probably the most succinct way of describing the clarion call we should all receive from this season of Advent, which we have entered upon. This is the time of the year, as the darkness of winter and the spiritual darkness of this world surround us, that we look to the coming of the light—the Light of the world, our Lord Jesus Christ. Advent is a season of faith as our faith allows us to know what God is revealing to us. Advent is a season of hope as we wait in joyful expectation of His coming. And Advent is a season of love in that God’s loving embrace will soon surround us as He comes to us, both as the Babe of Bethlehem and as the King of Glory at the last day. Since it is He that dispels the darkness in which we find ourselves, it is by His hand that we may cast off the darkness and “put on the armour of light.” And that light is Christ. Therefore, “put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ!” Advent Lessons & CarolsIn celebration of His coming, the All Saints Choir proudly presents its annual Advent Festival of Lessons and Carols, beginning at 5 PM this coming Sunday, December 9. Our young people, as well as students from Classical Scholars, will be participating. We will also have, as special guests, the choir from Holy Family Church here in Mills River, led by our former choirmaster Judy Rhodes. This special service was started in 1918 at King’s College Chapel in Cambridge, England and it is a re-telling of the story of our redemption—from prophecy to fulfillment—through Holy Scripture and music. Immediately following will be our annual St. Nicholas Party. We have it on good authority that jolly ole St. Nick will once again put in appearance to fill up all the shoes! Ladies Advent LuncheonAs you can see in the above picture, we had quite a crew show up for the ladies’ Advent Luncheon this past Saturday. The venue was the Cedars in downtown Hendersonville. The women of the parish enjoyed the ambience of the place and the fellowship one with another. The staff of the Cedars was very attentive and the food was appreciated by all. The ladies look forward to returning to the Cedars for a future event. You can see more pictures of the luncheon here on the website. Funeral for Mary ChampionWe will hold the funeral for Mary Champion here at All Saints this coming Thursday, December 6, at 11:00 a.m. Mary died this past Saturday. She was 87. Mary, while not a member here, is the mother of Sally Blackburn and grandmother of Mary Odom, who are both very active here in the parish. The family invites all of us to attend and there will be a reception following. Mrs. Champion’s interment will occur at a later date in Tallahassee, Florida. Winter Weather ReminderThere seems to be a very real possibility that we may be visited with a significant snow event this coming weekend. This weekend, and any other time we experience winter weather, please check your emails, the church website, and the parish Facebook Page for any cancellations which may occur. Cancellations will also be noted on the church answering machine, so you can always call as a last resort. And, as always, please use your best judgment about coming to church whenever bad weather strikes. If you do encounter some difficulty during bad weather, do not hesitate to give me a call. Many of us have 4-wheel drive vehicles and can help if needed. Dennis HoughtalingDennis was released from Mission Hospital last Thursday, November 29. Dennis was transferred to a rehab facility in North Myrtle Beach, SC. Dennis’ son Lewis lives nearby and can help supervise Dennis’ care. Dennis is in good spirits and is very hopeful he may return to us when he completes his rehabilitation. Please continue your prayers for him. I encourage you all to drop him a card or a note to let him know we are thinking about him. His address is: Myrtle Beach Manor, 9547 Highway 17, North Myrtle Beach, SC 29572. Construction UpdateQuite a bit has actually occurred in our project since we had the painting party on Thanksgiving weekend. The heating and air conditioning system work continued this past week and is near completion. The railings on the back deck on the office addition were installed. The old window in the hallway by the Ladies’ restroom was replaced with a book case. The main door into the new offices was trimmed out and most of the molding around the windows was installed. The “cutting in” of the ceiling and wall paint was finished and the necessary second coat of paint went on all the office walls. This past Saturday the men of the parish gathered and began laying the flooring in the offices and installed most of the electrical outlets. They finished off their morning of work with “Brats and Beer” for a job well done! Today, Bob Brooks brought his brother Jim over and they laid almost all the remainder of the flooring. Only the conference room is left to complete. Click here to see pictures of the men working on Saturday. Advent BannersWe were blessed to be able to hang new banners for the Advent season on the front wall of the sanctuary above the altar. Thanks to Sara and George Briggs for the generous “gifting” of the banners to us. They add a wonderful element as we “worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness” during this time of preparation for the coming of Christmas.
Dearly Beloved, “The night is far spent, the day is at hand.” These words from St. Paul, which we heard read in the Epistle this past Sunday, are probably the most succinct way of describing the clarion call we should all receive from this season of Advent, which we have entered upon. This is the time of the year, as the darkness of winter and the spiritual darkness of this world surround us, that we look to the coming of the light—the Light of the world, our Lord Jesus Christ. Advent is a season of faith as our faith allows us to know what God is revealing to us. Advent is a season of hope as we wait in joyful expectation of His coming. And Advent is a season of love in that God’s loving embrace will soon surround us as He comes to us, both as the Babe of Bethlehem and as the King of Glory at the last day. Since it is He that dispels the darkness in which we find ourselves, it is by His hand that we may cast off the darkness and “put on the armour of light.” And that light is Christ. Therefore, “put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ!” Advent Lessons & CarolsIn celebration of His coming, the All Saints Choir proudly presents its annual Advent Festival of Lessons and Carols, beginning at 5 PM this coming Sunday, December 9. Our young people, as well as students from Classical Scholars, will be participating. We will also have, as special guests, the choir from Holy Family Church here in Mills River, led by our former choirmaster Judy Rhodes. This special service was started in 1918 at King’s College Chapel in Cambridge, England and it is a re-telling of the story of our redemption—from prophecy to fulfillment—through Holy Scripture and music. Immediately following will be our annual St. Nicholas Party. We have it on good authority that jolly ole St. Nick will once again put in appearance to fill up all the shoes! Ladies Advent LuncheonAs you can see in the above picture, we had quite a crew show up for the ladies’ Advent Luncheon this past Saturday. The venue was the Cedars in downtown Hendersonville. The women of the parish enjoyed the ambience of the place and the fellowship one with another. The staff of the Cedars was very attentive and the food was appreciated by all. The ladies look forward to returning to the Cedars for a future event. You can see more pictures of the luncheon here on the website. Funeral for Mary ChampionWe will hold the funeral for Mary Champion here at All Saints this coming Thursday, December 6, at 11:00 a.m. Mary died this past Saturday. She was 87. Mary, while not a member here, is the mother of Sally Blackburn and grandmother of Mary Odom, who are both very active here in the parish. The family invites all of us to attend and there will be a reception following. Mrs. Champion’s interment will occur at a later date in Tallahassee, Florida. Winter Weather ReminderThere seems to be a very real possibility that we may be visited with a significant snow event this coming weekend. This weekend, and any other time we experience winter weather, please check your emails, the church website, and the parish Facebook Page for any cancellations which may occur. Cancellations will also be noted on the church answering machine, so you can always call as a last resort. And, as always, please use your best judgment about coming to church whenever bad weather strikes. If you do encounter some difficulty during bad weather, do not hesitate to give me a call. Many of us have 4-wheel drive vehicles and can help if needed. Dennis HoughtalingDennis was released from Mission Hospital last Thursday, November 29. Dennis was transferred to a rehab facility in North Myrtle Beach, SC. Dennis’ son Lewis lives nearby and can help supervise Dennis’ care. Dennis is in good spirits and is very hopeful he may return to us when he completes his rehabilitation. Please continue your prayers for him. I encourage you all to drop him a card or a note to let him know we are thinking about him. His address is: Myrtle Beach Manor, 9547 Highway 17, North Myrtle Beach, SC 29572. Construction UpdateQuite a bit has actually occurred in our project since we had the painting party on Thanksgiving weekend. The heating and air conditioning system work continued this past week and is near completion. The railings on the back deck on the office addition were installed. The old window in the hallway by the Ladies’ restroom was replaced with a book case. The main door into the new offices was trimmed out and most of the molding around the windows was installed. The “cutting in” of the ceiling and wall paint was finished and the necessary second coat of paint went on all the office walls. This past Saturday the men of the parish gathered and began laying the flooring in the offices and installed most of the electrical outlets. They finished off their morning of work with “Brats and Beer” for a job well done! Today, Bob Brooks brought his brother Jim over and they laid almost all the remainder of the flooring. Only the conference room is left to complete. Click here to see pictures of the men working on Saturday. Advent BannersWe were blessed to be able to hang new banners for the Advent season on the front wall of the sanctuary above the altar. Thanks to Sara and George Briggs for the generous “gifting” of the banners to us. They add a wonderful element as we “worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness” during this time of preparation for the coming of Christmas.
Angel Tree & Other Christmas GiftsNearly every single ornament was taken from the Angel Tree at the back of the church. Thank you so very much! Please remember to bring your gifts for the children this coming Sunday. Please DO NOT wrap the gifts. They must be open or they will not be accepted. Just attach your ornament to the gift when you return it. The men of the parish took up an impromptu collection on Sunday and raised nearly 300 dollars to buy a bicycle for a 16 year old boy and also a tricycle for his 3 year old brother. Way to go men! And the Ladies of the parish were able to use their funds from their fundraising projects to purchase a washing machine for a young mother who has had to flee from an abusive marriage, leaving most of her possessions behind. As your pastor, it brings such joy to my heart to watch all of you selflessly give whenever you see or hear about a need in someone else’s life. Your love in action shows that our little country parish is a place intent on following our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and being Him to the world! God bless each and every one of you. I pray this Advent season will be profitable as you await His coming at Bethlehem and as you await His coming in glorious majesty at the Last Day because you have shown me that He already abides in all of you! Yours always in Christ Jesus,Fr. Erich
Announcements
Christmas Flowers and Greenery· Envelopes have been placed in the pews to help beautify All Saints this Christmas season. Please indicate if your gift is in memory or thanksgiving of the people listed. Names will be published in the Christmas bulletin. The Trinitarian· The latest edition of the Trinitarian newspaper is available to read, and All Saints made headlines with the arrival of our bell tower. Please read it to see what is happening in our traditional Anglican churches. We also encourage you to consider supporting this newspaper by subscribing for your own personal copy.Adult Sunday School· Adult Sunday school meets today at 9:45 a.m. in the parish hall. Fr. Erich is leading this class with a 4-week study on Advent Youth Sunday School· In our youth Sunday school, we will continue our Advent journey by preparing for the coming of our Lord as we slowly make our way to Bethlehem with an emphasis on finding peace in the chaos of the modern-day Christmas Season. Tuesday Book Study· The Tuesday Book Study will meet at 11:00 a.m. this coming Tuesday. Please read through chapter 20 in preparation for this week’s class. Wednesday Night Bible Study· This Wednesday we will continue our focus on the Sermon on the Mount in chapter 5 of St. Matthew’s Gospel. Food Bank· Western Carolina Rescue Mission in Buncombe County is this month’s recipient of our in-gathering of food stuffs. Christmas Schedule· The schedule for all the activities for the upcoming Christmas season is below.
This Week in the Parish
Tuesday, December 4· 11:00 a.m., Tuesday Book StudyWednesday, December 5· 6:00 p.m., Holy Communion· 6:30 p.m., Fellowship Meal· 7:00 p.m., Bible Study· 7:00 p.m., Choir PracticeThursday, December 6· 11:00 a.m., Funeral for Mary ChampionSaturday, December 8· 9:00 a.m., Workday in new officeSunday, December 9, Second Sunday in Advent· 8:30 a.m., Holy Communion· 9:45 a.m., Sunday School· 11:00 a.m., Holy Communion· 12:15 p.m., Fellowship Lunch· 5:00 p.m., Lessons & Carols· 6:00 p.m., St. Nicholas Party
Christmas Schedule
Saturday, December 22· 9:00 a.m., Christmas Tree Setup Sunday, December 23, Fourth Sunday in Advent· 8:30 a.m., Holy Communion· 9:45 a.m., No Sunday School· 11:00 a.m., Holy Communion· 12:15 a.m. Fellowship Meal / Greening & Decorating of the Church Monday, December 24, Christmas Eve· 7:00 p.m., Family Eucharist of Christmas· 11:00 p.m., Christmas Mass at Midnight Tuesday, December 25, Christmas Day· 10:00 a.m., Mass of Christmas Day Wednesday, December 26, St. Stephen’s Day· 6:00 p.m., Holy Communion Thursday, December 27, St. John the Evangelist Day· 12:00 p.m., Holy Communion Friday, December 28, Holy Innocents Day· 12:00 p.m., Holy Communion Sunday, December 30, First Sunday after Christmas· 8:30 a.m., Holy Communion· 9:45 a.m., No Sunday School· 11:00 a.m., Holy Communion· 12:15 p.m., Fellowship Meal Tuesday, January 1, Feast of the Circumcision· 12:00 p.m., Holy Communion Wednesday, January 2, Ninth Day of Christmas· 6:00 p.m., Holy Communion· 7:00 p.m., Choir Practice Saturday, January 5, Twelfth Day of Christmas· 6:00 p.m., Twelfth Night Party
Please follow and like us:
