A Joyful Noise December 2024
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
The season of Advent begins on Sunday, December 1.
An Advent Reflection
The Rev. Courtney Jones
“It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine.” - R.E.M.
The Reverend
Courtney Jones
My liturgy professor from Iona, The Rev. Dr. Nathan Jennings, used to say that when we enter the church for the Divine Service (read: Holy Eucharist) we are walking into THE END OF THE WORLD. Why? Because the saints gather, God’s praises are sung, the scrolls are read, and we all gather around the table for a feast. You know, if that’s how the end of the world as we know it looks, then, in the words of rock group REM, “I feel fine.”
A strange thing about the liturgical year is that it begins with the End. As we begin this new liturgical year, the very first Gospel we will hear involves the disciples asking Jesus about the end of the world. Jesus will offer a bold vision of cosmic upheaval that precedes universal restoration. If this seems like a weird way to start the year, well, that’s just how we roll in Advent.
Advent is a reminder year after year that the One who has come into the world to redeem it continues to do so. Advent is a reminder that one day, one sweet day, that redemption will be complete. Sin and sorrow, oppression and violence, war and destruction will be no more. In Advent we long for that Great Day in the future when Christ will be “all in all” (1 Cor. 15:28) and we will rejoice together around God’s table.
It will be the end of the world as we know it, and that’ll be just fine.
Happy new (liturgical) year!
Courtney+
Some facts about Advent:
The liturgical calendar starts at Advent. The liturgical years go in cycles of three - years A, B, and C. We are entering year C.
The word “Advent” means “coming” or “arrival.”
The colors for Advent are purple or blue.
Advent is traditionally a season marked by themes of waiting and expectation.
Advent is the beginning of the “Incarnation Cycle” of the Church year (Advent, Christmas, Epiphany).
Advent can be a great time to make a fresh start in some aspect of your life. It’s also a great time to try a new spiritual practice - especially something that looks like waiting - for instance centering prayer or Christian meditation.
Senior Warden Message
Grace Minton, Senior Warden
Thanksgiving
As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. (2 Colossians 6-7)
Grace Minton
Our national day of Thanksgiving will be over as you read this, but the thanksgiving we have in our hearts and souls stays with us daily. Our faith sustains us, lifts us up, and helps us to a greater understanding of what we are called to do. I love Paul’s further words in 4 Colossians, “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving”.
I’m thankful for a great many things this year: the health of family and friends, new members of Christ Church, and the opportunities afforded us as we follow the path that was so clearly laid down by Christ long ago.
I’m thankful for a strong and supportive Bishop’s Committee as we finish off the year. Our most recent meeting was largely devoted to a discussion about what next year’s budget will look like and possible ways to reduce it. As with most groups, we often initially disagree on some matters but work our way around to consensus. Deacon Eric, as Chair of the Community Support Committee, received approval from the BC of grant expenditures totaling $49,335 from the profits of the Red Door Thrift Shop. The list of grant recipients is posted in the Parish Hall Gathering Room. We all share in thanksgiving for the hard-working volunteers at the Red Door!
Vinita Hampton Wright wrote in Small Simple Ways: “Gratitude is not merely the polite habit of saying thank you. It goes deeper than words, reaching into our most fundamental attitude toward others and ourselves. We can be grateful for the kindness, practical help, or comforting presence of another person. We can also be grateful for our own gifts, our ability to learn, and our unique history and personality.”
I’m thankful for all who attend Christ Church, all who support the Church through treasure, time, or talent, and all who work so diligently to provide a beautiful, safe, place of worship for all of us.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-19)
December Designated Plate Offering
The plate offering on Sunday, December 15, is designated for A Simple Gesture.
A Simple Gesture – Anacortes (ASG) is a volunteer-run non-profit 501c3 organization. Red bags are filled by donors and picked up bi-monthly by ASG volunteers. At Christ Church, you may fill the Simple Gesture container in the parish hall at any time. A Christ Church volunteer will make sure they are delivered to ASG. Food is weighed, sorted, and stocked in the food bank, and then is distributed into our community. ASG utilizes the food bank located at the Salvation Army. The majority of food is donated directly to The Salvation Army food bank and is also used to stock the Red Bag Pantries operated by ASG.
Red Bag Pantries (RBPs) are mini-food closets where anyone in need can find food without discrimination or questions. Many people cannot get to the food bank when it is open, so RBPs have been established for public use at the Anacortes Senior Activity Center, Anacortes Fire Dept., and the Anacortes Public Library.
ASG partners with the Anacortes Public Library and the Anacortes Family Center to make emergency food boxes available to those in need. They also partner with Island Health by providing food and toiletries for the discharge packets for homeless patients.
Learn more at A Simple Gesture.
Donations by check should be made to Christ Church with A Simple Gesture in the memo line. Thank you!
Community Support Grants
The Rev.
Eric Johnson
At their November meeting, the Bishop’s Committee approved the following Community Support grants, as recommended by Community Support Chair Rev. Eric Johnson and his Community Support Committee. The 2024 committee comprised Martie Arnold, MJ Barrett, Sandy Chasteen, Diane Guinn, John Guinn, Dawn Jex, Wendy Kendrick, Betty Anne McCoy, Frank McCoy, Grace Minton, and Judith Render.
Sheltering the Homeless:
Anacortes Family Center - $5,000
Anacortes Family Center-gas & food vouchers - $1,000
Feeding the Hungry:
A Simple Gesture - $5,000
Salvation Army - $2,000
Food to Go - $2,500
FreeFoodAnacortes - $1,000
Mom’s Closet & Pantry - $2,500
Nurturing Families & Children:
Anacortes Music Project - $4,335
Foundation for Academic Endeavors - $2,000
Friends of the Anacortes Public Library - $4,500
Anacortes Schools Foundation - $1,500
Anacortes Boys & Girls Club - $3,500
Community Action - $2,000
Epting Foundation for the Arts - $1,000
Fidalgo Danceworks - $2,500
Hospice of the NW Foundation - $3,000
Island Health Foundation - $1,000
Underground Writing - $2,000
Welcoming Foreigners:
Paths to Understanding - $2,000
Caring for Creation:
Skagit Humane Society - $1,000
Dawn, Janet, Patti, Charlie, Doug, Carlos
Christ Church’s Community Support Fund is funded entirely by the profits generated at the Red Door Thrift Shop.
In addition to funding the Community Support Grants, the Red Door Thrift Shop contributed $40,000 to the Red Door Building Fund this year.
Thank you to the Red Door’s dedicated staff and volunteers!
Advent Concert with Trio Affettuoso
Trio Affettuoso
Thursday, December 19
6pm
Lynne Berg on harpsichord
Shelley Ross on flute
John Flancher on flute & bass
Christ Church Sanctuary
All are welcome.
Blue Christmas Evening Prayer Service
Saturday, December 21
7pm
Christ Church Sanctuary
Please join us for this quiet, contemplative service held on the evening of the winter solstice. This day, which has the longest night and the shortest day, is symbolic of our darker nights when we find ourselves grieving, lonely, or longing for something better. This Blue service is a beautiful way to make space during the Advent season for those suffering any kind of loss - whether the loss of a person, a dream, finances, stability, health, or more.
Presider: The Rev. Diane Ramerman
All are welcome.
An Invitation from Our Altar Guild
Mary Gronholt
This year, our Altar Guild Directresses, Mary Gronholt & Val Long, invite you to donate a poinsettia for the Christmas Greening of the Church.
The Altar Guild will purchase one poinsettia for each poinsettia donated. Donation cost for one poinsettia is $20. Poinsettias will be purchased on December 13 and all donations must be received by that date.
Val Long
Please make your check out to Christ Church with “Greening of the Church” in the memo line. If giving cash, please put your donation in a sealed and clearly labeled envelope.
Thank you very much from the Altar Guild!
Greening of the Church
The Altar Guild invites you to join them for the Greening of the Church.
Sunday, December 22
Following the 10:30 am service
All are welcome.
Christmas Eve Holy Eucharist
Tuesday, December 24
4pm
Christ Church Sanctuary
Presider & Homilist: The Rev. Courtney Jones
All are welcome.
Christmas Day Morning Prayer
Wednesday, December 25
10:30 am
Christ Church Sanctuary
Presider & Homilist: The Rev. Vicki Johnson
All are welcome.
Youth Group
Youth Group will meet on December 11.
6-7:30 pm, beginning with dinner
Parish Hall Gathering Room
We use the Journey to Adulthood (J2A) youth ministry program, endorsed by the Episcopal Church. The lessons are organized around self, society, and spirituality and allow youth to explore these themes through discussion, Bible study, games, crafts, and the occasional off-site trip or service project.
Youth Group Leaders are Melissa Simonsen, Mark Perschbacher, and The Rev. Courtney Jones.
Bishop’s Committee Meeting
The Bishop’s Committee meets on Monday, December 16.
5:30 – 7:30 pm
Parish Hall Gathering Room & Zoom.
All are welcome to attend.
Amnesty International December Petition
The Rev. Eric Johnson
The following letter was received via Amnesty International. On the first two Sundays in December we will have a petition available to sign that calls for authorities in Saudi Arabia to immediately and unconditionally release Manahel and drop all charges against her.
Manahel
al_Otaibi
Dear Christ Church members,
My name is Fawzia, and I am asking your help to achieve justice for my sister, Manahel, who has been sentenced to 11 years in prison in our home country of Saudi Arabia.
Before her arrest, Manahel was a fitness instructor and a brave and outspoken advocate for women’s rights. She used social media to call for greater freedoms for women in Saudi Arabia. She was arrested nearly two years ago and charged with violating Saudi Arabia’s “Anti-Cybercrime Law” because of her tweets supporting women’s rights and her Snapchat posts of herself at a shopping mall, not wearing an abaya (a traditional loose-fitting long-sleeved robe for women).
Last November, Manahel told our family during a phone call that she had been beaten by a fellow prisoner. Because of this phone call, she was cut off from the outside world, unable to communicate with anyone. This April, we heard from her for the first time in months. She sounded upset and distressed; she told us she was being held in solitary confinement and had been brutally beaten, leaving her with a broken leg and no medical treatment.
Fawzia al-Otaibi
Red Door Thrift Shop
Christ Church’s Red Door Thrift Shop is located at 1019 Seventh Street in Anacortes.
360-293-8027, Red Door Thrift Shop
Red Door Shopping Hours:
Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday: 10am – 3pm
Red Door Donation Hours:
Monday-Thursday: 10am – 1pm
Profits generated at the Red Door Thrift Shop fund Christ Church’s Community Support program.
Shoppers, Volunteers, & Donations are always welcome!
Celebrations!!!
Happy Birthday Wishes to…
…Kaeti Barrett on December 8
……Dale Ramerman on December 14
Please send the month & date of your birthday, baptismal date, anniversary, and/or other special occasions so we can help you celebrate your blessings in the Joyful Noise.
Church Services
Please check your Weekly Update for each week’s Servers & Hymns.
YEAR C
1 December 2024
The First Sunday of Advent
9:30 am Chandler’s Square Morning Prayer
Chandler’s Square Retirement Communit
1300 O Avenue, Anacortes
10:30 am Christ Church Holy Eucharist
Christ Church Sanctuary
1216 Seventh Street, Anacortes
Presider: The Reverend Courtney Jones
Readings:
Jeremiah 33:14-16
Psalm 25:1-9
1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
Luke 21:25-36
8 December 2024
The Second Sunday of Advent
9:15 am Chandler’s Square Holy Eucharist
Chandler’s Square Retirement Community
Presider: The Rev. Keith Axberg
10:30 am Christ Church Holy Eucharist
Christ Church Sanctuary
1216 Seventh Street, Anacortes
Presider: The Reverend Keith Axberg
Readings
Baruch 5:1-9
Canticle 16
Philippians 1:3-11
Luke 3:1-6
15 December 2024
The Third Sunday of Advent
9:30 am Chandler’s Square Morning Prayer
Chandler’s Square Retirement Community
10:30 am Christ Church Holy Eucharist
Christ Church Sanctuary
Presider: The Reverend Courtney Jones
Readings:
Zephaniah 3:14-20
Canticle 9
Philippians 4:4-7
Luke 3:7-18
21 December 2024
Blue Christmas Evening Prayer Service
7pm
Christ Church Sanctuary
Presider: The Rev. Diane Ramerman
Readings:
Ecclesiates 3:1-11
Psalm 121
Psalm 23
Isaiah 9:2-7
Luke 2:1-7
22 December 2024
The Fourth Sunday of Advent
9:30 am Chandler’s Square Morning Prayer
Chandler’s Square Retirement Community
10:30 am Christ Church Morning Prayer
Christ Church Sanctuary
Presider: Melissa Simonsen
Readings:
Micah 5:2-5a
Canticle 15
Hebrews 10:5-10
Luke 1:39-55
24 December 2024
The Eve of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ
4pm Holy Eucharist
Christ Church Sanctuary
Presider: The Reverend Courtney Jones
Readings:
Isaiah 9:2-7
Psalm 96
Titus 2:11-14
Luke 2:1-20
25 December 2024
The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ
10:30am Morning Prayer
Christ Church Sanctuary
Presider: The Rev. Vicki Johnson
Readings:
Isaiah 62:6-12
Psalm 97
Titus 3:4-7
Luke 2:1-20
29 December 2024
The First Sunday after Christmas Day
9:30am Chandler’s Square Morning Prayer
Chandler’s Square Retirement Community
10:30 am Christ Church Holy Eucharist
Christ Church Sanctuary
1216 Seventh Street, Anacortes
Presider: The Reverend Keith Axberg
Readings:
1saiah 61:10-62:3
Psalm 147
Galatians 3:23-25, 4:4-7
John 1:1-18