The second Sunday of Advent bring us PEACE. Let us pray for peace in our lives, our family, our community, our nation, and our world. Some other dates to keep in mind is our Cookie Bake/Pizza Party on December 11 (see below) and greening the chapel on Sunday, December 20 at 7:00 pm. And be sure to be a part of our Christmas Eve celebration with a special musical guest, harpist Phyllis Ensher-Peters
Please take the time to read the articles and information in this week’s “GOOD NEWS” including clicking on our prayer list and pray for the requests there. Feel free to forward this newsletter to a family member or friend, or share it on your facebook page or twitter by using the “like” and “share” icons at the top of the page.
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This weeks readings and question of the week:
Take time to mediate on God’s word and prepare for worship this Sunday. And as you meditate on them, consider the Question of the Week:
What twists and turns for I need to let God untangle in my life? What rough edges smooth out? What mountains of pride bring low? What valleys of indifference and neglect fill with mercy for others?
He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,
“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth;
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'”
Like a painting placed inside a beautiful frame, John the Baptist’s ministry (3:2b-3) is bracketed between the historical context (3:1-2a) and the context of Old Testament hope (3:4-6). Among the Gospel writers, only Luke takes the time to mention leaders in power at various political levels when John appeared. Luke is also unique in emphasizing the extent to which John’s coming represents a renewed realization of the promise of Isaiah 40:3-5. For Isaiah, the initial fulfillment of seeing God’s hand had been in the deliverance from exile during the period of Cyrus the Great, as later chapters of Isaiah note. Now the pattern of God’s working to deliver his people is renewed in the word of a voice of one calling in the desert. God approaches, and creation is to level all geographical obstacles to prepare for his coming, as if rolling out a great red carpet. This leveling includes seeking contriteness of heart (Is 57:14-17). IVP New Testament Commentary
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COOKIE BAKE AND PIZZA PARTY
Friday, December 11
6:00 pm – PINE ROOM
Bring your favorite cookie recipie ready to be rolled, cut, or scooped and baked & decorated! We will bake the cookies, eat pizza, and have other Festive FUN! Join us one and all!!!
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Only a few more weeks for online sales!!!!!
BUY PRODUCTS FOR YOURSELF: Can use this link to buy candles, gifts, wrapping paper, centerpieces, and so much more! 40% will come back to ALL SOULS! When you click on the link, you will see a “START SHOPPING” box in the lower corner. Put the All Souls Group # in the box 99006893 the click “start shopping”. https://www.yankeecandlefundraising.com/home.htm
Look for “Sign up to be a seller”, then put in this group #990068693 and your date of birth. Follow the instructions and you will have your own seller page in a few short steps.
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SPECIAL GUEST HARPIST FOR CHRISTMAS MIDNIGHT MASS
We welcome
Phyllis Ensher-Peters
as a guest musician for our ChristmasMidnight Mass.
Phyllis Ensher-Peters, a graduate of the harp class of CARLOS SALZEDO at the Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia, has been performing as a professional harp soloist since concluding studies there in 1957. Since then she has performed as a soloist and been in orchestras all over the U.S. and the world.
Ms. Ensher-Peters is currently principal harpist of the Binghamton Symphony Orchestra, the Binghamton Pops, and the Tri-Cities Opera, Binghamton, New York.
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Christmas Poinsettias
Donations are now being accepted for the poinsettias that will be displayed in the chapel during Christmas. Donations can be made in honor of or in memory of a loved one. The list of names will be published in the Christmas bulletin. When making a donation for the poinsettias, please use one of the Christmas flower envelopes.
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Bishop Rick Hollingsworth Retiring
from our Presiding Bishop Francis:
Due to health issues that decrease his physical capacity and to extraordinary demands on his time in his secular employment (dean at a nursing school), Bishop Rick Hollingsworth has requested to move to a retirement status. This means that Bishop Rick will no longer serve as the Vicar Forane (a traditional term for a vicar with full authority to act as if he/she is the diocesan bishop) for the developing MidAmerica diocese nor as the Suffragan Bishop for Anglican Affairs. The Vicar Forane role will be filled by Bishop Rafe Adams until the developing diocese is in a position to elect its first diocesan bishop. While Bishop Rick does not anticipate being available every month for the Episcopal Council meetings, he has been informed by the Council that he is welcome to attend when he can. Bishop Rick also will entertain ad hoc tasks as they are presented to him in the future and remains a Bishop in good standing in the Communion.
Bishop Rick was the founding pastor of the Church of St. Jerome in Tulsa, OK and served in that role for twenty years until 2014, when he retired as pastor. Bishop Rick was consecrated Bishop in 2004 and installed as the Presiding Bishop of the Ecumenical Anglican Church. The EAC chose to merge with the ECC in 2009. With that merger two communities were added to the ECC, St. Jerome’s, Tulsa OK and All Souls, Reading PA.
On behalf of the entire ECC, I want to express my gratitude to +Rick for all he has contributed to our Communion. Through +Rick we have gained a large, mature, and very active parish in Tulsa and a vibrant growing community in Reading Pa. Through +Rick’s contributions we have seen the growth of the work of the Episcopal Council. +Rick has worked to steer the development of the MidAmerica region and has provided pastoral care as a bishop to communities throughout the ECC. His more active participation will be sorely missed. We pray that he and his partner, John Voegele, will enjoy this new phase of their lives and their time together and that from time to time we will have the pleasure of their interaction with us as they both continue to be members of the ECC.
Bishop Francis Krebs
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Join Bishop Francis for the final Happy Hour Conference Call of 2015!
Thursday, December 10th
7pm Eastern, 6pm Central, 5pm Mountain, and 4pm Pacific
This is a chance for Bp. Francis to chat informally with members of the Communion about whatever is on our minds. Let’s take a look back on the year together, and share our hopes and dreams for 2016.
Bp. Francis will explain initiatives that he is aware of from the OPB or from the Episcopal Council or Leadership Council. Previous participants have asked questions and offered their expertise or their opinions.
All are welcome and invited to participate!
Join the call by dialing our Conference Line: 712-432-0750 and entering code: 549473 #. You can also follow along via our ECC Facebook page, or send us a tweet to @ecc_opb. We look forward to connecting with you on December 10th!
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