Weekly Newsletter November 22, 2023

St. Michael’s Weekly News – November 22, 2023

Dear People of St. Michaels,    

          I’m going to be a week early again today, but for a good reason!

          First, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. I hope you find some down time, some rest and some time with ones you love with Thanksgiving Day itself being tomorrow. There is also a sense of this holiday spread throughout the week. With the schools now off the whole week, it seems the spirit of this holiday is felt during this extended time.

          Many thanks to St. Michaels members who came and worshiped in the spirit of Shared Ministry at Trinity Lutheran last night. We had a joyful service of Thanksgiving, of Eucharist and then had a good fellowship time afterwards around pie, coffee and juice. Young and old were all present and people presented some specially baked treats for us all. Next year, it will be St. Michaels turn to host this event.

          A week from today WILL BE our turn to host the first of four Ecumenical Advent Services that will be happening in late November and then in December on Wednesday nights at 6:30 p.m. We will host next Wednesday, November 29, with worship in our sanctuary focusing our attention on the spirit of Christ’s Advent over four weeks, preparing us for Christmas celebrations later in December. We will begin the service with the Advent Litany, a recent tradition of sorts for our parish. Each of these services this year is focused on the announcements of the angels to key persons in the events leading up to Christ’s birth. We will hear the reading from Luke of the visitation to Zechariah announcing the birth of John the Baptist. John’s has a key place in our readings in Advent every year and the words that Zechariah, his father, offers when John is finally born, when he can speak again, hold a prominent place in our service of Morning Prayer: Canticle 16 - the Song of Zechariah.

          At this service on November 29th, members of the Mendocino Music Festival Chorale, which Jim Blanton, Robin and I are part of, will offer the anthem “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming” which will be part of our concert on December 3rd in Mendocino in the afternoon. Pastor Greg Escher will be our guest preacher at the service that night and we will end that night with the singing of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” with organ and handbells. Six different churches plan and host these Advent Services, so I hope you can come to this very first one of the season, held at St. Michaels. We will also host (with Trinity Lutheran’s help), a time of fellowship in our own Larsen Hall after the short 50 minute service; so we will need some of your input there as well.

          It has been a joy to worship together with people from other churches in these services, held on Wednesdays in Advent and later, next year, in Lent. This is something that truly brings the seasons of Advent and Christmas for us all and prepares our hearts and minds for the coming of Christ. 

In Christ,   

Pastor Randy Knutson

As war wages on, please note the prayer offered by our Presiding Bishop Michael Curry for the Middle East:

Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn
but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the
strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that
all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of
Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and
glory, now and forever. Amen.

Prayers for the World, Book of Common Prayer, p. 815.

This Sunday, November 26th, we will bless and collect at our 10:45 a.m. service the Stewardship Pledges for 2024 that have come in over the past weeks and that are offered on that day. This time of ingathering allows the parish and our Vestry to plan wisely for next year and keep the ministry of St. Michaels alive in the new year. Please pray and consider what monetary gifts you can offer in 2024.

Sack Lunch Ministry Fundraiser

We have received a generous donation of crocheted goods from our beloved member, Stella Martin. All sales will go to fund the Sack Lunch Ministry program. They are all incredibly beautiful!

We will be selling these items after church and wherever we are able to display them:

12 Christmas trees (about 16” tall), with ornaments of different themes - $20 each

24 ear/head warmer bands - $12 each or 2 for $20

4 shawls - $25-$30 depending on the size

8 afghans - $45-$50 depending on the size

The items will next be displayed:

(1) At St. Michael’s after the Sunday Nov. 26 10:45 service

(2) After the Ecumenical Advent Service at St. Michael’s (Nov. 29 @ 6:30)

You may contact Kathe Charters (707) 357-7759 (text or phone – if phone please leave message) if you would like a private showing. They will also be shown at Trinity Lutheran.

Christmas Altar Poinsettia Orders are OPEN until December 14th:

Green order forms are on the table in Larsen Hall – You may wish to honor or memorialize loved ones with these beautiful Altar decorations at Christmas. Suggested amount is $15 per Poinsettia. Please return orders to the office or place in offering plate by Thursday, December 14th – thank you!

November Birthdays: Bob Reynolds, Brian Hurley, Georgia Frey, Sarah King, Pastor Randy Knutson, John Hurley, Rosemary Jewett, Bob Crawford, Richard Nowlin, Cassiti Baroni, Cheri Benson, Sallie McConnell

November Anniversaries: Frank & Beverly Engelhardt

Online Worship Information

This Sunday we will offer in-person worship and at the same time offer the online broadcast of our service at 10:45 am in the ways posted below:

Our Sunday Service will be on St. Michael’s Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/StMikesFtBragg

https://www.facebook.com/StMikesFtBragg/videos

It will also stay there on the Facebook Pages and you can watch it later.

You can also watch it on this YouTube Channel later that day as well.

This is a NEW St. Michaels YouTube Channel and also on our website!

https://www.youtube.com/@st.michaelsepiscopalfortbragg

Website: When you can, check our new website: https://www.stmichaelfb.com/