INSIDE:

Advent Devotional 2

Christmas Marketplace 2

Advent Formation 3

Advent Music 3

Hanging of the Greens 4

Behind the Carol 5

Christmas Service times 6

Calendar 7

NOVEMBER 2016

Advent & Christmas

at Saint Gabriel the Archangel

W hat is unique about Advent and Christmastide? It is a special time of the year, to be sure. It is a time of gathering friends and family together, of giving thanks, and of commitment to what we hold

true and laudable. That is the essence of worship, really. To "ascribe to the Lord, the honor due His Name," and to bring ourselves, as gifts, to the holy manger, as the Magi brought gifts to the Christ-child. Emerging as the nation is from a bruising political season in a still much divided nation, facing an uncertain future, people's tendency is to fuel their fears with the dry kindling of resentments, insularity, or nostalgia for a world shrouded in a misty memory. We believe that the world’s sorrows are addressed by the Man born to be King, the Prince of Peace, the Mighty Savior, the Everlasting God. If you find yourself in a place of sorrow or anxiety, turn to the greatest story ever told - the true story of the Holy Family, coming humbly to Bethlehem, and moving from there as refugees down into Egypt until the time was fulfilled for them to return to their homeland. Turn, and let the good news of God's grace shape your heart and your mind this season. Advent and Christmastide are seasons of giving, but also receiving. We receive the gift of Christ himself, the long-awaited Savior and Redeemer who, as the Word-made-flesh, enters our world, and brings heaven down to earth. During Advent, the season of preparation, we build up our expectations of what life will be like when Jesus comes again. When a visitor knocks on our door, even if he or she is unexpected, we want to offer them something. May Jesus find us ready to welcome him into our hearts and homes this Christmastide, and indeed throughout of every day of the year. In the pages of this simple pamphlet, please note the many worthwhile opportunities to celebrate the seasons of Advent and Christmastide. Take part in what interests you and your family. Also, be thinking if there is

a guest you would like to invite to accompany you. People are often wanting

a simple invitation to be included in a deeper, more spiritual celebration of

the holidays. Pray for those invitational opportunities to arise in your day-to

-day lives … and respond to those moments when prompted!

RECEIVING THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD

P arishioners are invited to bake items for Saint Gabriel’s annual

bake sale. Bring your favorite baked good to sell on December 11th and be sure to buy someone else’s homemade treat for your home! Bake sale proceeds will once again supplement Christmas Marketplace earnings, allowing us to make an even greater gift to the Colorado Haiti Project.

ADVENT & CHRISTMAS PAGE 2

2016 SAINT GABRIEL ADVENT DEVOTIONAL

BAKE SALE, DECEMBER 11

CHRISTMAS MARKETPLACE ~ DECEMBER 4 & 11 DURING COFFEE

O n November 20 families will come together for an evening of crafting

and fellowship to create items for the annual Christmas Marketplace. It will be a wonderful time to work together and share our time and skills in the service of others. It is also a great way for children and adults to take as we begin to enter

into Advent in preparation for Christmas. We plan to create items that are simple and useful but also well-made. This year we are supporting the Colorado Haiti Project with the proceeds.

T his year, the Adult Formation Committee has undertaken to

produce our own daily devotional for Advent. Choosing a selection of Scripture from one of the season’s daily lectionary readings, members of our church community have offered up their thoughts and meditations on a portion of

God’s Word. These Advent Devotions are available in both hard copy and electronic file formats. We hope they will be a useful tool as you seek to draw ever nearer to our returning Lord this Advent.

SLOW DOWN. QUIET. IT’S ADVENT!

T he Children and Family ministry is offering

families the “Slow down. Quiet. It’s Advent! Advent calendars again this year. They are a great way to stop and take some time each day as a family to focus on the meaning of Christmas. The daily ideas are for the whole family.

The Advent calendars can be found on the credenza by the office.

T he short liturgical season of Advent is often

thought of as a quiet countdown to the grand Feast of Christmas. However, it is also a season of great expectation, ‘greatly contained’, of looking forward to the second coming of Christ, in all His Glory. Therefore, the first hymn sung in Advent is the glorious hymn, taken from the book of Revelation 1:7, “Lo! He comes with clouds descending”(#57). At first glance it might seem strange to celebrate the second coming of Christ in conjunction with His first coming. However, the practice of so doing provides

the balance needed to keep the Advent (and Christmas) themes of Divine Grace and Light from shrinking into warm sentimentality. Remembering the first coming of Christ in light of the end of all things reminds us how much we need a savior unbounden in love, mercy and grace. The four Sundays of Advent are roughly divided into the following sequence and corresponds with the three years of our lectionary, A, B, & C: Advent 1: The Patriarchs Advent 2: The Prophets

Advent 3: John the Baptist Advent 4: Mary Celebrating the first coming of Christ in Bethlehem in conjunction with the wishing, hoping, and praying for the second coming of Christ might seem puzzling, but the season of Advent has always had these two layers, a looking towards the First and Second comings of Jesus. All our hymns and choral anthems, through the subtle discipline of liturgy, allow for this dualism to enlighten and enrich our spiritual lives. Especially, if we, like Mary, on the Fourth Sunday of Advent, say, ‘Yes”.

ADVENT & CHRISTMAS

ADVENT MUSIC ~ FRITZ ANDERS, MUSIC DIRECTOR

PAGE 3

HANGING OF THE CHRISMONS ~ NOVEMBER 27

A t Saint Gabriel, our tradition is to decorate our tree with Chrismons, or “Christ Monograms.” Each Chrismon

represents a symbol of our Christian faith. On November 27, you are invited during coffee hour to hang the Old Testament Chrismons on the tree; then, on Christmas Eve, parishioners will add Chrismons from the New Testament.

A Chrismon (Christ Monogram) is one of a number of Christian symbols ...

Adam, Jesse, David, Isaiah, Archangel Gabriel, John the Baptist, and Mary …leading us all to the advent, the arrival of Jesus the Christ.

ADVENT FORMATION ~ COME WONDER WITH US

W hat is Godly Play? Join us and find out! Does it

have a place in adult formation? Absolutely! This Advent we will build an adult Godly Play circle and together make the timeless journey to Bethlehem to prepare for the coming mystery of Christmas. This four-week session invites you to broaden your understanding of how we nurture human spirituality, and serves as an introduction to the Godly Play method.

November 27–Do you speak Christian? How does the Godly Play method teach the language of our Christian faith? Lesson: The Circle of the Church Year, presented by Sarah Dougherty. December 6–Making Space for the Creative Process. Lesson: Advent, presented by Tracy Methe. December 13–Sacred Stories, Parables, Liturgical

Actions, and Silence: Genres of Godly Play Stories. Lesson: The Parable of the Good Shepherd, presented by Fr. Chris. December 20—Bringing It All Together: The Godly Play Classroom. Lesson: Advent continued, presented by Tracy Methe. Note: This session will take place in the St. George room.

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HANGING OF THE GREENS AT THE CHURCH ~ DECEMBER 17

TERESA’S TREASURERS HOLIDAY OUTREACH

T eresa’s Treasurers is the newly formed chapter of the Junior Daughters of

the King here at Saint Gabriel. We started meeting in September and we are already busy with outreach projects to serve those in our church community who cannot attend Sunday church services. In October, we made fall centerpieces and delivered them (in costume of course!) right before Halloween. It was a smashing hit! The young ladies had a great time delivering the centerpieces and visiting with Saint Gabriel parishioners. The people we visited enjoyed seeing the Junior Daughters dressed in costume and appreciated the fall flowers. The girls even brought smiles to those we met in the hallways as we traveled

to each destination. We are planning to visit people in November and December with holiday cheer, and we are very excited about the visits. When we aren’t doing outreach projects, we have been working on a Bible study called Beautiful Encounters. This Bible study shows us 11 women from the New Testament, and how their lives were impacted by their relationship with Jesus. Teresa’s Treasures meets the second Sunday of each month after the 10 am service. Any baptized girl between the ages of 7 and 21 is eligible to join. If you would like more information, contact Sarah Dougherty at sdougherty@stgabriels.org.

A h, that wonderful time of the year! Personally, I like

the look and feelings surrounding Christmas trees and garland. I’ve been in Miami in December when they decorate the palm trees, and Phoenix where they string lights on the cactus; but to my eye, it’s not the same. One of the nicest tasks of being the Junior Warden is the hanging of the greens for church. However, Christmas trees were not always considered appropriate for religious settings. For instance, the third century church prohibited decorating houses with evergreens, thinking it was too pagan. During the Roman celebration of Saturnalia, people would bring evergreen clippings into their homes, and would decorate living trees with bits of metal and replicas

of their god, Bacchus. The modern idea of Christmas trees and boughs really caught on in the mid-19th century (think Charles Dickens’ time). However, the warmth and power of Christmas is often underappreciated by non- Christians. Think about the songs - they are the gentlest and warmest music you hear all year. That music uplifts everyone, no matter their religious affiliation. Want proof? The two biggest Christmas songs ever, The Christmas Song (Chestnuts roasting…) and White Christmas, were written by Jewish songwriters, yet they felt and were moved by the spirit. So, whether you like the ornamentation or a simpler, more spiritual season, keep the meaning behind all those warm feelings and kind

intentions toward everyone in mind. That’s the greatest gift of Christmas to everyone. We’ll be decorating the church with greenery on Saturday, December 17th at 11am, if you’d like to come join us in making God’s house festive for Christmas. ~ Philip Jolas

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BEHIND THE CAROL ~ THE STORY BEHIND OUR FAVORITE CAROLS

C hristmas. Just the word fills one with warmth and

may invoke a cascade of memories. In music, especially the carols, we reach back to that time of our childhood and can easily sing them with a warm heart. Simplicity, reflecting the humble birth of Christ, is often the key for a carol to withstand the test of time. Many of our well-known carols have a fascinating beginning. Silent Night The words of Silent Night were written by Fr. Joseph Mohr in Mariapfarr, Austria, in 1816, and the music was added in 1818, by his school teacher friend Franz Xaver Gruber, for the Christmas service at Saint Nicholas church in Oberndorf. Fr. Mohr asked Franz Gruber to compose the melody with a guitar arrangement. It was several years later that Franz Gruber wrote an arrangement for the organ. Historians who have conducted research in recent years believe that Fr. Mohr wanted a new carol that he could play on his guitar. There is a legend associated with the carol that says Fr. Mohr wanted the carol to be sung by the children of the village at the midnight Christmas Eve service as a surprise for their parents. But in the middle of practicing, the organ broke and not a note would come from it! So, the children had to learn the carol only accompanied by a guitar. They learned the carol so well that they could sing it on its own without accompaniment. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing Charles Wesley originally wrote this poem to be recited on Christmas Day, but it wasn’t

when leaders learned that Cappeau was a socialist- and Adams a Jew- the song was uniformly denounced as unfit for church services. But the common French people loved it so much, they continued to sing it. The song came to our shores through John Sullival Dwight, an abolitionist during the Civil War. Moved by the line in the third verse, “Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother, and in His Name all oppression shall cease,” he published it in his magazine and quickly found favor in the North during the war. Even though it was banned in France, the song was still popular among the people. On Christmas Eve in 1871, in the middle of fierce fighting between France and Germany during the Franco-Prussian War, an unarmed French soldier jumped out of the trenches, walked into the battlefield, and started singing, “Minuit, Chretiens, c’est l’heure solennelle ou L’Homme Dieu descendit jusqu’a nous,” the song’s first line in French. After singing all three verses, a German solider emerged and started singing, “Vom Himmel noch, da komm’ ich her. Ich bring’ euch gute neue Mar, Der guten Mar bring’ ich so viel, Davon ich sing’n und sagen will,” the beginning of a popular hymn by Martin Luther. Fighting stopped for the next twenty-four hours in honor of Christmas Day. Soon after, the French Church re-embraced O Holy Night.

~ Fritz Anders

the version we know today. The original was ten four-line verses, and instead of singing “Glory to the newborn King,” the line was, “Glory to the King of kings.” That line was changed by George Whitfield, a student of Wesley, and he was also the one who eliminated the verses we no longer sing. He made the ones we do sing longer. (The line change to “newborn King” from “King of kings” was a controversial statement at the time; the former claims that the angels praised God the Father when Jesus was born, the latter claims Jesus himself was praised. This caused a riff between the men.) Nonetheless, this hymn remains one of the most theologically rich carols we still sing, and music was later added by the German composer, Felix Mendelssohn. O Holy Night (This carol paused a war! And is often sung here by our own Margi Stewart on Christmas Eve) A parish priest in a small French town commissioned a local poet and wine commissionaire, Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure, to write a poem for the village Christmas Eve mass. Cappeau read through the birth of Christ in the gospel of Luke on his way to Paris, and finished the poem O Holy Night by the time he reached the City of Lights. Cappeau turned to his friend, Adolphe Charles Adams, to compose the music to the poem, and three weeks later, the song was sung in the village on Christmas Eve. Initially, Cantique de Noel (the song’s French name) was widely loved by the church in France, but

ADVENT & CHRISTMAS PAGE 6

CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICE ~ DECEMBER 25, 9:30 AM - CHRISTMAS

CHEER ON THE ORGAN; 10:00 - HOLY COMMUNION

CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE ~ DECEMBER 24, 8:00 PM

A festive service to welcome the newborn King. Following this special time of music we will worship the newborn King with the honor and glory due

his Name with a service of readings from the gospel account of Jesus' birth, hear from the ancient prophets, enjoy joyful music from writers and composers of profound faith, and reflect together on all of this in the sermon. The service includes Holy Communion and a light use of incense. At the close of this service, as the church lights dim, we sing Silent Night surrounded by flickering tapers.

To bring our community gathering to a close we hear afresh the words of John 1 … In the beginning was the

Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

C hristmas Cheer on the Organ

Thirty minutes prior to the Christmas Feast Day celebration of Holy Eucharist you are invited to enjoy a wonderful collection of Christmas music celebrating the birth of Christ. 9:30 am on December 25

E very year we offer a Christmas Day service, and for many who seek a quiet, peaceful setting in which to celebrate a traditional Holy Communion, this time meets the desire. On Christmas morning, we will

come together in a simple, peaceful time for singing traditional Christmas carols accompanied by a homily, readings and celebrating the Feast of the Nativity.

A FAMILY CHRISTMAS EVE ~JOURNEY TO BETHLEHEM: DECEMBER 24, 4:00 PM

A ll are welcome to our Family Christmas Eve service as our children help lead us on the journey to Bethlehem. Our children’s pageant will tell the

nativity story according to the Gospel writings of St. Luke and St. Matthew while we all join in classic Christmas hymns on our journey to the birth of Christ. All are welcome!

CHRISTMAS SERVICE FOR THE HOMEBOUND ~ DECEMBER 20, 11:00 AM

S aint Gabriel provides an opportunity for home-bound parishioners to attend Christmas worship a few days before Christmas Eve. This service is made possible through the help of parishioners who are scheduled to drive home-bound parishioners to Saint Gabriel. This may be the only time that some

people are able to attend a Christmas service, and is a warm and caring ministry. If you are able to help, sign up in the Parish Hall! Ministry resident, Chris Hirschy, will coordinate the rides, matching volunteers with those home-bound who desire a Christmas service. All are welcome to attend. Please contact Chris Hirschy, or Sarah Dougherty, if you have questions - 303.771. 1063

PAGE 7 SPECIAL ISSUE

I f you would like to donate toward decorating the church for Christmas, there will be a sign-up sheet on the bulletin

board in the Parish Hall beginning December 1. Your contri-bution of $30.00 will go toward poinsettias and greens for the nave and sanctuary. Please note “Christmas flowers/greens” in the memo line on your check payable to Saint Gabriel.

December 2016 -Specia l Offer ings

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

27

First Sunday of

Advent

28 29 30 1 2

3

4

Second Sunday

of Advent

Marketplace

5 6 7 8

9 10

11

Third Sunday of

Advent

Marketplace

12

13 14 15 16 17

Hanging of the

Greens

18

Fourth Sunday of

Advent

19

20 11 am Christmas Service for the home-bound

21 Saint Thomas the Apostle

22

23

24 Vigil of the Nativity 4 pm Family Service 8 pm Festive

Eucharist

25 9:30 am Christmas Cheer on the Organ The Nativity of Our

Lord Christmas Day 10 am Eucharist

26

Saint Stephen

Deacon &

Martyr

Office Closed

27

Saint John

Apostle &

Evangelist

Office Closed

28

The Holy

Innocents

Office Closed

29 30 31

A NOTE ON DONATING TOWARD OUR CHRISTMAS FLORALS & GREENERY

6190 East Quincy Avenue Cherry Hills Village, Colorado 80111 303.771.1063 www.stgabriels.org

Proclaiming God's Grace and Life-Changing Love!

Mission

The Mission of St. Gabriel the Archangel Episcopal Church is to proclaim and celebrate the

Good News of God's grace and life-changing love for all.

Vision

The Vision of St. Gabriel the Archangel Episcopal Church is to be an increasingly vibrant and loving Christian community, constantly seeking to fulfill its God-given mission, and expanding its capacity to serve its people, neighborhood and the world through the utilization of its many strengths, including:

Worship Worshipping in the classical Anglican tradition with biblical and Christ-centered liturgy and music

Children, Youth and Family Nurturing children, youth and families

Servanthood Serving through outreach programs in our neighborhoods and beyond

Discipleship Building relationships within the parish through mutual support, care and encouragement