“When as all the world was in profoundest quietness, and night was in the midst of her swift course: thine almighty word, O Lord, leaped down from heaven out of thy royal throne.”
Dearly Beloved,
The quote above is from the book Wisdom of Solomon and in many ways reflects the themes of the Christmas season. I thought it was appropriate as we are nearing the end of the Christmas season. We always tend to think of peace and quietness whenever we think of Christmas: the Baby born in Bethlehem, the shepherds keeping watch over their flocks, candlelight services, Midnight Mass, Christmas lights, and of course, snow. Certainly all these are on the list of our peaceful Christmas things! And that is why I included the picture above of our church this year just before our Christmas services began—peaceful!
But we must always remember the most important part of Christmas, which is expressed in the quote above: “…thine almighty word, O Lord, leaped down from heaven out of thy royal throne.” That Almighty Word, of course, is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the only begotten of the Father. This is the essential Truth of Christmas. Our God came down from heaven to abide with us. “Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” “The Word made flesh, and dwelt among us.” It is this Truth that made all else possible. It is this Truth that assured our salvation. It is this Truth that ensures Christmas is with us all year long.
Merry Christmas!
Twelfth Night Party And being the peculiar people we are, believing that our God is with us, we will gather as a parish family to bring the Christmas season to a close tomorrow evening, Saturday, January 4, with our annual Twelfth Night Party, which is our parish Christmas Party. Our young people are hosting this event, which starts at 4:00 p.m. Let me emphasize, this is for the WHOLE parish! Come out and join us as we celebrate the birth of Our Savior. If your birthday falls between January and July, please bring a small sweet to share. If your birthday falls between August and December, please bring a small savory to share.
Christmas Thanks I would like to say thank you to everyone who made all of our Christmas worship possible. First and foremost, thanks to the altar guild for making sure that all was in order at the altar. You may not realize but there were actually 9 services from Christmas Eve to New Year’s Day. That is a lot for which to prepare. Thanks to everyone who decorated the church, with a special “shout out” to Anne Brauner for her expertise and care for the flowers in the church. And, of course, thanks to Brian Weber and the choir for all their hard work preparing, and then singing, the beautiful music for our Christmas Eve & Day services. I would be remiss if I didn’t thank all the servers and lay readers who assist Deacon Louis and me at the altar. And finally, thanks to all of you for coming out to worship your Lord and Savior this Christmas season. It is when we gather together for worship that we truly show that we believe the Truth that God’s “Almighty Word…leaped down from heaven.” I have included a few pictures here from Children’s Sermon time on Christmas Eve. The pictures show quite clearly those who believe the Truth.
Christian Education All of our classes resume this weekend and in the coming week. Check out your announcements below for the details.
Welcome
We welcome into Christ’s Holy Church, and into our fellowship, Alexandria Adams. Alexandria was baptized here on Sunday, December 22, 2019. Please pray for her as she begins her life with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
News of NoteAs most of you are aware, Claude Smith had hip replacement surgery on the Monday before Christmas. He is in very good spirits and is recovering well from the surgery. He is at Aston Park Health Care Center for his rehabilitation. We thank God for the good report and we look forward to having him back with us in the very near future.
There are many things scheduled over the next several weeks so be sure to read through your announcements below.
On behalf of Deacon Louis, Deaconess Cynthia, and myself, I thank you all for your love and support this past year, as well as the gifts and cards you blessed us with this Christmas season.
I am always yours faithfully in Christ Jesus and may Almighty God bless you and yours throughout the new year,
Fr. Erich
This Week in the Parish
Saturday, January 4 · 4:00 p.m., Twelfth Night Party
Sunday, January 5, Epiphany · 8:30 a.m., Holy Communion · 9:45 a.m., Holy Communion · 11:00 a.m., Holy Communion · 12:15 p.m., Fellowship Lunch
Monday, January 6, Epiphany Day · 12:00 p.m., Holy Communion
Wednesday, January 8 · 6:00 p.m., Holy Communion · 6:30 p.m, Fellowship Dinner · 7:00 p.m., Bible Study · 7:00 p.m., Choir Practice
Announcements
Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ · While we will celebrate the Feast Day of the Epiphany this Sunday, we will also celebrate the actual day itself on Monday, January 6 with Holy Communion at 12 Noon.
Hendersonville Rescue Mission · A new sign-up sheet is on the bulletin board for our work at the Rescue Mission for 2020. Please sign up for one of the Wednesdays we will be serving lunch in the coming year. The first Wednesday is on January 29.
Food Bank · Interfaith Assistance Ministry of Henderson County is this month’s recipient of our in-gathering of food stuffs.
Flowers and Sanctuary Candle · The new charts for 2020 are up in the parish hall. Sign up now to get your preferred dates.
Adult Sunday School · Adult Sunday School returns on Sunday at 9:45 in the parish hall. We continue with our in-depth study of the 39 Articles of Religion. The topic this week are the Creeds of the Church.
Children and Youth Sunday School · Our Sunday school program for children and youth returns to its regular schedule this weekend. Our current curriculum is The Life of Christ: From Bethlehem to Emmaus. Ms. Sandy and Dss. Cynthia are enjoying walking this path of Jesus’ early life and earthly ministry with the young people of our parish.
Tuesday Book Study · This class will resume on Tuesday, January 14. We will be reading Angels and Demons: A Patristic Perspective by Harry Boosalis. Books will be available by next Sunday at a cost of $15.00.
Wednesday Night Bible Study · Our Wednesday night Bible study returns this week. We are beginning Chapter 26, the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus in the Gospel according to St. Matthew. This is an excellent time to come out and join us! Dinner on Wednesday nights is provided for a small donation of $3-$5, per person.
Altar Guild · Prior to the LASSES meeting on Saturday, February 8, the Altar Guild will hold its first meeting of 2020 at 9:30 a.m. in the conference room. All members of Altar Guild should plan on attending that morning. If you are interested in joining our Altar Guild, please see Alice Owen, our Altar Guild Director.
Ladies Meeting & Brunch · Ladies, please mark your calendars now for Saturday, February 8. This will be our first LASSES meeting of 2020, beginning at 10:30 a.m. in the parish hall. This is our annual “kick-off” planning meeting, so we need all ladies to come out and join us in making this another great year in the life of our parish family here at All Saints. The meeting should last about an hour and brunch will be served!
Craft Market 2020 · Our 2020 Craft Market date has been set for Saturday, October 17. The first “strategy” meeting for those interested in being a part of this LASSES fundraiser will immediately follow the Ladies meeting on Saturday, February 8 at 11:30 a.m.
Men’s Breakfast · The men of the parish will gather for their first Men’s Breakfast of 2020 on February 8 at 8:30 a.m. at Mills River Restaurant. All men of the parish, young and young at heart, are encouraged to come out and join in the fellowship.
Sunday Fellowship Meals · There is a new sign-up sheet for the Sunday Fellowship meals, which follow our 11:00 a.m. Holy Communion each week. Please get with your team and choose two Sundays between February and June 2020. If you are not on a lunch team and would like to participate in this ministry, please see Kathy Zwingert.
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