Dear Friends in Christ,  
Alleluia. Christ is risen. The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.
Easter lasts fifty days, until Pentecost. Keep celebrating!
Here are the announcements:

• Narnia Book Group 
• Regional Ministry Network Meeting 
• Bible Study
• Bishop’s Visitation
• Music Ministry Invitation
• Christian Practices – Baptism (1)

+ + + + + + + 
NEXT WEEK: Bishop’s Visitation - on Sunday, April 25 Bishop Carlye Hughes will make her first official visitation to All Saints’ at our 10am Zoom service, followed by a conversation with her at coffee hour. A Zoom visitation will be a novelty for us, but Bishop Hughes has been doing them this way for a year and is now expert at it! She will preach and lead worship. She will then meet with the Vestry after coffee hour. Please plan to be with us next week.

Sunday - Narnia Book Group: The Silver Chair, Chapters 13 & 14 - this group meets on Zoom Sunday afternoons at 4:00 pm. To join, please email Mother Vicki at allsaints_rector@hotmail.com. 

Regional Ministry Network Meeting: Tuesday, April 20, 6:30-8:30 pm on Zoom - This spring Bishop Hughes is hosting informational and conversational meetings for each of the eight Regional Ministry Networks of the Diocese of Newark and you are all invited.

These meetings are an opportunity not only to hear from Bishop Hughes, but also to have some conversation in smaller break-out groups with people from other parishes in our region and talk with them about joys and challenges we may have in common – particularly in this time of pandemic.

Our Regional Ministry Network is the Harriet Tubman group (South West part of the Diocese). This includes the following churches: St. Peter's, Morristown; Christ Church, Budd Lake; Messiah, Chester; St. John's Church / La Iglesia de San Juan, Dover; St. James', Hackettstown; St. Luke and St. Mary, Hope and Belvidere; St. Mark's, Mendham; All Saints', Millington; Redeemer, Morristown; St. Peter's, Mount Arlington; St. Luke's, Phillipsburg; St. Dunstan's, Succasunna; St. Peter's, Washington.
Registration is not required. For the Zoom link please e-mail allstsmill@hotmail.com. 

Bible Study is on Wednesdays at 10:15am. During Easter season we are reading and discussing Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” - Matthew 5-7. This week’s passage is Matthew 5:13-20.  It’s a great way to get started with Bible study and Scripture reading and conversation. To participate in this Zoom class, or if you have questions, please e-mail Mother Vicki.

All Saints’ Music Ministry (adults and children) always welcome new members - anyone who loves to sing or play an instrument. For more information contact Alison Siener Brown at asienerbrown@gmail.com. 

The Voice, our diocesan newsletter, is linked below.
+ + + + + + + 
Parish Schedule this Week 
Sunday Worship – 10:00 am; Zoom, posted later to YouTube and our website 
Narnia Book Group - Sun, 4:00 pm; Zoom
Compline - daily, 9:30 pm; Facebook Live 
Regional Ministry Network Meeting – Tues, 6:30 pm; Zoom
Vestry - Tuesday 7:15 pm; Zoom
Bible Study - Wed, 10:15 pm; Zoom 
Office Angels - Thu, 11:00 am; Zoom 
Junior Choir – Thu, 5:30 pm; Zoom 
Adult Choir - Thu, 7:30 pm; Zoom 
Parish Office - Mon & Thu, 10:00 am-5:00 pm (usual hours).  
Please call ahead if you need to do in-person parish business.

Christian Practices ~ Holy Baptism (1)
In my sermon last week (Easter 2, April 11) I spoke about the need for All Saints’ parish (any Christian church, really) to be a community faith in Christ that is gathered around font and altar, Baptism and Eucharist, and in conversation with the Scriptures. This is particularly important as we look ahead to gathering in person once again for worship and fellowship; however gradually that will take place.

We need to make sure our fundamentals and our foundation are strong if we are going to be the Christian community that God wants us to be. In this Easter season I will be offering a reflection on Baptism each week, referring to the Catechism in the Book of Common Prayer (page 858). These reflections are meant to be a springboard and an invitation to your own thinking, wondering, and praying – not the last word “from on high”! I hope they will be an opportunity for blessing and grace; perhaps even “spark joy”.                ~ VGM+

From the Catechism
Q. What is Holy Baptism?
A.  Holy Baptism is the sacrament by which God adopts us as his children and makes us members of Christ’s Body, the Church, and inheritors of the kingdom of God.

Baptism is our starting point for life as Christian people. It is the way we mark a formal commitment to living in the Way of Jesus, an initiation into being a member of the Body of Christ.

But this initiation and membership is not like joining a social club or a service organization or a sports league. It is much more like becoming part of family that is brand-new to us.

In baptism we are adopted as God’s children and given a new identity – that of “Christian”. In some cultures, newly-baptized people even take on the name of a saint or Biblical character to express their new identity.

The meaning, purpose, and nature of our new Christian identity is revealed and grows over time as we open ourselves to God’s grace working in us and among us as a community.

Thought to ponder: How is your experience of being part of this family of Christ (All Saints’ or the Church in general) similar to your experience of your family of birth or choice? How is it different? How do you experience God’s love in each?

Blessings, Vicki+

Dear Friends in Christ,
Here are the week’s announcements.

• First Sunday in Lent Worship  
• Narnia Book Group 
• Lenten Book Group
• Year-in-Review Meeting – date correction
• Lent Reflection: Day 3

+ + + + + + + 
Sunday Worship – First Sunday in Lent, February 21st  –10 am 
Service of the Word, followed by Coffee Hour.  
This service is on Zoom and the service bulletin is on our home page. You are welcome to join us. Please e-mail allstsmill@hotmail.com for the log-in credentials.
+ + + + + + + 
Date Correction! Parish Meeting: Year in Review - Feb 28, 10:45 am (during coffee hour time). Join us to hear presentations form our Vestry and other ministry leaders. This is not an official Annual Meeting. NJ state statutes govern Episcopal churches in legal matters. Our diocesan Chancellor’s reading of the statute is that we can’t have an official Annual Meeting unless we are able to meet in person. But we can gather on Zoom and hear updates about our ministries and finances from 2020. Please join us for worship and this Year in Review meeting on Feb. 28

Narnia Book Group: The Silver Chair, Chapters 1 & 2 - this group will meet on Zoom Sunday afternoons at 4:00 pm starting on 2/21 and continuing for eight sessions (skipping Easter Day). The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis is the fourth book in The Chronicles of Narnia series. The group is open to anyone; you don’t have to have read the previous Narnia books, or been part of the group before. To sign up, please email Mother Vicki at allsaints_rector@hotmail.com. 

Bible Study is on Wednesdays at 10:15 am. This week we’ll start our Lenten series. We’ll look at the Gospel reading for the Sunday to come (either from Mark or John) and also at the Collect (theme prayer) for the day and look at the way the Gospel and the Collect connect with each other.  That means that we’ll be reading material for the First Sunday in Lent. To participate in this Zoom class, or if you have questions, please e-mail Mother Vicki.

Book Study - Love is the Way: Holding on to Hope in Troubled Times by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. Wednesdays in Lent at 7:00 pm, starting Feb 24. This study is being shared by St. Peter’s, Livingston,St. Gregory’s, Parsippany, and All Saints’. This week we’ll be discussing the Introduction, Chapters 1 & 2. Join this Zoom group by sending an e-mail to allsints_rector@hotmail.com.
+ + + + + + + 
Parish Schedule this Week 
Sunday Worship & Coffee Hour – 10:00 am; Zoom, posted later to YouTube and our website 
Narnia Book Group - Sun, 4:00 pm; Zoom
Compline - daily, 9:30 pm; Facebook Live 
Bible Study - Wed, 10:15 pm; Zoom 
Lenten Book Group - Wed, 7:00 pm; Zoom
Office Angels - Thu, 11:00 am; Zoom 
Junior Choir – Thu, 5:30 pm; Zoom 
Adult Choir - Thu, 7:30 pm; Zoom 
Parish Office - Mon & Thu, 10:00 am-5:00 pm (usual hours).  
Please call ahead if you need to do in-person parish business.
+ + + + + + + 
Lent: Day 3
Learn – in the Way of Love the practice of “learn” is fundamentally about reading, studying, learning from, and absorbing the Scriptures. The center of that learning is Jesus’ story and his teachings.

The Bible was written long ago and over centuries, recording the experience that people in ancient Israel and the first-century followers of Jesus had with God. In many ways they had a different experience of life and asked different questions of the world than we do. That can make entering into the Bible’s story challenging.

But the Church’s witness for the last 2000 years is that the Holy Spirit can and does speak to us through the pages of Scripture, especially when we come to them in a curious, open-hearted, prayerful way.

We have resources to help us do this. The Forward Day by Day devotional lists the Bible readings for the day and then gives a brief reflection about some aspect of those readings. A contemporary translation like The Message can be helpful because it is more conversational in style than the translation we usually hear on Sundays. A book with the major stories from the Bible like The Path (https://www.forwardmovement.org/Products/2418/the-path.aspx) can help us get the broad outline of how the smaller stories go together.

And in this liturgical year when Mark is our primary gospel we can take in Jesus’ like and teachings by reading Mark from start to finish. It’s 16 chapters long, and you could read it in about an hour. Of course, you might want to break it up and take time to savor each chapter but reading it straight through at one sitting has its benefits.
The important thing is that if we don’t make the time and effort to read and learn from Scripture, we cut ourselves off from one of the primary ways God has chosen to communicate with us. It’s hard to follow Jesus if we don’t know his story and his teachings and make them our own.

Finally, here is a 3-minute video about the practice of Learn: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/way-of-love/learn/

May you be blessed in your journey with learning from the Scriptures this Lent.
Blessings, Vicki+

Dear Friends in Christ,  
Here are the announcements and the information for Sunday’s worship.  
For our offertory this week the combined choirs (adults and children) have recorded a virtual choir anthem that you will all want to hear. It’s an “Alleluia” – on this last Sunday before alleluias are omitted from our worship during Lent.  

Our choirs meet for rehearsal and fellowship every week on Zoom. And then each singer individually records his or her part on an audio file which Alison edits together, along with the accompaniment and the visual portion of the video. All of this is a very different set of skills than singing together in a live ensemble. We are so blessed that our choirs and Director of Music have learned how to do this and have offered their hearts and voices to enrich our worship during this pandemic time. Thank you, all! 

• Last Sunday after Epiphany Worship   
• Narnia Book Group  
• Parish Office News  
• Ash Wednesday  
• Christian Practices  
• Lenten Book Group 
• Year-in-Review Meeting 

+ + + + + + +  
Sunday Worship – Last Sunday after the Epiphany Feb. 7th –10 am  
Service of the Word, followed by Coffee Hour.   
The bulletin is on the home page and you may send an e-mail to allstsmill@hotmail.com to get the Zoom credentials.
+ + + + + + +  
Announcements  
Ash Wednesday Worship ​will be held on Zoom this Wednesday, February 17 at 7:30 pm. The link and service leaflet will be sent Monday. The most important aspect of Ash Wednesday is the start of our spiritual preparation for Easter. What about ashes? Small containers of blessed ashes ​may​ be picked up in the church Bell Tower. You may impose ashes on yourself or on other members of your household during the service. But please note​ - ​ashes are optional in the liturgy, and always have been. If you can’t attend the service on-line you can pray the service on your own with the service leaflet or in the Prayer Book. “The Invitation to a Holy Lent” on page 264 is good for reading and meditating on at the start of this season of spiritual preparation. 

Parish Office News​ – All Saints’ has signed-up with a church management software program called Breeze. This allows us to have a database of our parishioners and visitors, which we did not have before. It is also a donor management program which tracks pledges and donations and creates easily-produced giving statements​.​ Breeze also has some ​communications and scheduling features ​that we are starting to use for different ministry and volunteer reminders. If you get an e-mail from All Saints’ and it has the extension ​@breezechms.com, please don’t ignore it! ​In fact, please set your e-mail program to recognize messages from Breeze. You’ll be hearing more about this new tool for our parish ministry as we get more adept at it. 

Narnia Book Group: The Silver Chair - ​this group will meet on Zoom Sunday afternoons at 4:00 pm starting on 2/21 and continuing for eight sessions (skipping Easter Day). ​The Silver Chair​ by C.S. Lewis is the fourth book in The Chronicles of Narnia series. The group is open to anyone; you don’t have to have read the previous Narnia books, or been part of the group before. To sign up, please email Mother Vicki at ​allsaints_rector@hotmail.com​. 

Bible Study is on Wednesdays at 10:15 am. ​This week we’ll start our ​Lenten series. We’ll look at the Gospel reading for the Sunday to come (either from Mark or John) and at the Collect (theme prayer) for the day and the way they connect with each other. To participate in this Zoom class​ or if you have questions, please e-mail Mother Vicki. 

Lenten Book Study ​​– ​​“Love is the Way: Holding on to Hope in Troubled Times” ​​by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry.​ The book is available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. Wednesdays at 7:00 pm, starting Feb 24. This study is being shared by ​St. Peter’s, Livingston, St. Paul’s, Chatham, St. Gregory’s, Parsippany, and All Saints’. The clergy of these different churches will take turns facilitating the discussion each week. At the first session we’ll discuss the Introduction and Chapters 1 & 2. Please e-mail  allstsmill@hotmail.com for the Zoom link.

Parish Meeting: Year in Review - Feb 21, 10:45 am (during coffee hour time.) Join us to hear presentations from our Vestry and other ministry leaders. This is not an official Annual Meeting. NJ state statutes govern Episcopal churches in legal matters. Our diocesan Chancellor’s reading of the statute is that we can’t have an official Annual Meeting unless we are able to meet in person. But we can gather on Zoom and hear updates about our ministries and finances from 2020. Please join us for worship and this Year in Review meeting on Feb. 21. 
+ + + + + + +  The Parish Office is generally staffed Mondays and Thursdays but with limited contact for the public. Please call ahead if you need to do in-person parish business.  

Parish Schedule this Week 
Sunday Worship & Coffee Hour ​– 10:00 am; Zoom, posted later to YouTube and our website 
Compline​ - daily, 9:30 pm; Facebook Live 
Vestry ​- Tue, 7:15 pm; Zoom 
Bible Study​ - Wed, 10:15 pm; Zoom 
Ash Wednesday Service – Wed, 7:30 pm; Zoom 
Office Angels​ - Thu, 11:00 am; Zoom 
Junior Choir​ – Thu, 5:30 pm; Zoom 
Adult Choir​ - Thu, 7:30 pm; Zoom 
Parish Office​ - Mon & Thu, 10:00 am-5:00 pm (usual hours). 
Please call ahead if you need to do in-person parish business.
+ + + + + + +
Christian Practices: Love
Sunday is St. Valentine’s Day, a day we focus on our love for others – especially those we love romantically, or those in our family. But when we think about God’s love, Christian love, it takes us in a different direction.

In the New Testament there is a particular word for God’s love that is different from other words for love in Greek. It is agapē – unconditional, sacrificial love that involves an attitude of heart and will, even more than it does emotion. It’s God’s love that is self-giving, because that is God’s nature. The deepest and truest expression of God’s love was Jesus’ sacrifice of himself for us on the Cross.

In the Gospel of John Jesus told the disciples that non-believers will know that they are his disciples by the love they have for one another (John 13:35). Some of you may know the 1960s hymn “They’ll Know We are Christians by Our Love.” (https://youtu.be/3EBShVUTH0U)It’s a very simple song, but it states the message clearly: everything we do as Christians is to be infused with God’s love for us, our love for God and one another, and God’s love for the world through us. That is the way the world will recognize that we are Christ-followers.

Loving in God’s way is not about being nice, but it is about kindness and compassion. It is about caring for the good of the other, the neighbor, the stranger, as much as it is about caring for the good of people we like or are close to. God’s love is strong and can sometimes lead us into places of confrontation and controversy – not for their own sake, but for truth and integrity and human dignity.

Bishop Curry’s book “Love is the Way: Holding on to Hope in Troubled Times” explores what it means to be practitioners of God’s love in the midst of turmoil. Whether you read the book and join in the discussion of it (see above) or take it in on your own, I hope you will think and pray about how you can learn to love more deeply, truly, and in a Christ-like way. Lent is a good time to do this.

Blessings, Vicki+ 

Dear Friends in Christ, 
Here are the announcements and the links for Sunday’s worship.  
You will notice that there are quite a number of new names that have been added to our Sunday prayers in this week’s service bulletin. There has been a lot of illness and death in our extended parish family – some COVID-related, but most not. Please be gentle with yourselves and with one another and keep each other in prayer. 

• Fifth Sunday after Epiphany Worship  
• Narnia Book Group 
• Parish Office News 
• Stewardship 

• Ash Wednesday 
• Christian Practices 
• Lenten Opportunities 
• In-Person Worship Timing 

+ + + + + + + 
Sunday Worship – Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany Feb. 7th –10 am 
Service of the Word, followed by Coffee Hour.  
Please e-mail allstsmill@hotmail.com for the Zoom log-in. The service bulletin is on our home page.
+ + + + + + + 
Announcements 
Parish Office News – All Saints’ has signed-up with a church management software program called Breeze. This allows us to have a database of our parishioners and visitors, which we did not have before. All of our previous records were on Word documents and required multiple updating for new e-mails addresses, phone numbers, etc. The new system is also a donor management program which tracks pledges and donations and creates easily produced giving statements. It doesn’t replace our QuickBooks accounting system but works in tandem with it. Breeze also has some communications and scheduling features that we are learning to use. You’ll be hearing more about this new tool for our parish ministry as we get more adept at it. 

Ash Wednesday Worship will be held on Zoom on February 17 at 7:30 pm. The link will be sent next week. How will we do Ash Wednesday this year? 

• The most important aspect of the day is the start of our spiritual preparation for Easter. Please read and meditate on the Invitation to a holy Lent at the bottom of page 264 in the Prayer Book. Please note - ashes are optional (and always have been). 
• Small containers of blessed ashes may be picked up in the church Bell Tower starting Feb. 12. You may impose ashes on yourself or on other members of your household during the service.  
• You may also read the service on your own, starting on page 264 of the Prayer Book, or using the service leaflet that will be e-mailed to you.  
• If you can’t get to church to pick up ashes, you can make your own from palms (if you have them) or use wood ash from your fireplace or fire pit.  

 Candlemas – the video from this prayer service for the Feast of the Presentation of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple is posted to the home page of our website. The reflection starts at minute 7:01. It’s about waiting with hope – even in the midst of our pandemic journey. Take a listen!   

Bible Study is on Wednesdays at 10:15 am. Our current study is Ephesians in the New Testament. This week we will read and discuss Ch. 6 to finish the book.  
The following week we’ll start our Lenten series. We’ll look at the Gospel reading for the Sunday to come (either from Mark or John) and also at the Collect (theme prayer) for the day and look at the way the Gospel and the Collect connect with each other. To participate in this Zoom class, or if you have questions, please e-mail Mother Vicki at allsaints_rector@hotmail.com .   

Narnia Book Group: The Silver Chair - this group will meet on Zoom Sunday afternoons at 4:00 pm starting on 2/21 and continuing for eight sessions (skipping Easter Day). The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis is the fourth book in The Chronicles of Narnia series. The group is open to anyone; you don’t have to have read the previous Narnia books, or been part of the group before. To sign up, please email Mother Vicki at allsaints_rector@hotmail.com. 

Stewardship – Please remember that you can fulfill your pledge by setting up auto-pay with your bank or by electronic fund transfer (EFT) through the secure giving portal on our website. If you are interested in making a gift of appreciated stock, please call David Thursfield. Until we can have the safe and full use of our buildings for both worship and building use rental our parish income will be challenging, so your timely, heartfelt and generous support will be essential. Thank you!
 
Opportunities Around our Diocese - Lenten and Otherwise 
There are several opportunities for prayer, study and conversation between now and Easter. Here are several that may interest you: 
Book Study - Love is the Way: Holding on to Hope in Troubled Times by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. Wednesday evenings during Lent on Zoom with St. Peter’s, Livingston, St. Paul’s, Chatham, St. Gregory’s, Parsippany, and All Saints’ starting Feb. 24 at 7:00 pm. Here is the description of the book from the Amazon page. Please e-mail Mother Vicki at allsaints_rector@hotmail.com if you would like to participate.  

“As the descendant of slaves and the son of a civil rights activist, Bishop Michael Curry's life illustrates massive changes in our times. Much of the world met Bishop Curry when he delivered his sermon on the redemptive power of love at the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle. Here, he expands on his message of hope in an inspirational road map for living the way of love, illuminated with moving lessons from his own life. Through the prism of his faith, ancestry, and personal journey, Love Is the Way shows us how America came this far and, more important, how to go a whole lot further. 

The way of love is essential for addressing the seemingly insurmountable challenges facing the world today: poverty, racism, selfishness, deep ideological divisions, competing claims to speak for God. This book will lead readers to discover the gifts they need in order to live the way of love: deep reservoirs of hope and resilience, simple wisdom, the discipline of nonviolence, and unshakable regard for human dignity.” 

Daily Morning Prayer with the Rev. Susan Sica at St. Gregory’s; Monday-Saturday; 8:30-9:00 AM on Zoom. E-mail allstsmill@hotmail.com for the log-in.

Convent Corner: Centering Prayer, Thursdays 7:15-8:15 pm on Zoom - the Community of St. John Baptist Centering Prayer Group has been meeting for many years and is one of its most popular ministries. Guests can gather on Zoom. Please e-mail Sister Monica Clare at srmc@csjb.org if you are interested in joining. A description of this silent contemplative practice can be found here.

Faith Groups - learn more about this new opportunity in our diocese by reading the material on our diocesan website here: Faith Groups. It’s not just for Lent. If you are interested in starting or being part of a Faith Group here at All Saints, please let Mother Vicki know. 
+ + + + + + + 
When Will Churches in the Diocese of Newark Open for In-Person Worship? 
At present Bishop Hughes has still not lifted the restrictions on in-person worship. Our diocesan guidelines are tied to the metrics of the CovidActNow website https://covidactnow.org/us/new_jersey-nj/?s=1578518 .  As long as Morris County is red or dark red (which all of NJ currently is) we will remain fully on-line.  

This may seem confusing because different denominations have made differing decisions about what is safest for their parishioners. For instance, both St. Vincent’s and the Shrine of St. Joseph are holding in-person worship under limited conditions. First Presbyterian in Stirling and Meyersville Presbyterian are fully on-line.  

Adding to the variety of worship decisions is the fact that All Saints’ is part of the Diocese of Newark, which includes Morris County. Other nearby Episcopal churches in Basking Ridge, Bernardsville, and New Providence are in the Diocese of New Jersey, which has a different set of guidelines and has left more decision-making up to the parishes. Currently St. Mark’s in Basking Ridge is doing a hybrid of in-person and on-line. St. Bernard’s in Bernardsville is only on-line. 

Once we are able to proceed cautiously with worshipping in-person we will still need to be quite limited in our gatherings because of the need for distancing. We have measured out the minimum of at least 6 feet distance between our pews which are small and close together, with narrow aisles. The measurements give us 10 of our 36 pews to use at any given service. If 10 families of four or five people each register for a service, we can have 45 people. If 10 individuals from different households register for a service, we will have a congregation of only 10 people for that service.  

We will also continue to need to wear masks and will not be able to sing together in person until public health officials tell us it is safe and prudent to do so. We know that once we can be fully back in-person we will continue to live-stream our services for those who are at a distance or can’t attend for some other reason.  

The process of moving from fully on-line to fully in-person will take time, work, and patience once the public health conditions and the Bishop allow.  

The full diocesan guidelines can be found here; in particular, look at the quick color-coded overview page: https://dioceseofnewark.org/sites/default/files/resources/Journey%20Forward%20Guidelines%202.0%202020.12.14.pdf 
+ + + + + + + The Parish Office is generally staffed Mondays and Thursdays but with limited contact for the public. Please call ahead if you need to do in-person parish business. 

Parish Schedule this Week 
Sunday Worship & Coffee Hour – 10:00 am; Zoom, posted later to YouTube and our website 
Compline - daily, 9:30 pm; Facebook Live 
Finance Committee - Tue, 7:15 pm; Zoom 
Bible Study - Wed, 10:15 pm; Zoom 
Office Angels - Thu, 11:00 am; Zoom 
Junior Choir – Thu, 5:30 pm; Zoom 
Adult Choir - Thu, 7:30 pm; Zoom 
Parish Office - Mon & Thu, 10:00 am-5:00 pm (usual hours).  
Please call ahead if you need to do in-person parish business. 
+ + + + + + + 
Christian Practices: Intercession 
Intercession is the practice of praying for someone else – for their well-being, guidance, encouragement in faith, healing, whatever the concern may be.  We most often think about this in connection with people we know and love, but as Christians we are also called to pray for the good of the world, or at least our neighborhood or community, however the Holy Spirit leads us. 

How do we intercede and pray for others? God certainly knows the needs of others and knows what is on our hearts and minds even before we can form the words of our prayer. We do well to trust God even when we don’t know “the right thing” to pray, or what the best outcome might be for a person or situation. 

Equally, it is important for us to spend time with our intercessions, to visualize the person or concern for which we are praying, to sit with them (metaphorically) in the light of God’s love. Perhaps the Spirit will give us some wisdom or insight that will help us to pray more directly or effectively. Perhaps that insight will lead us to speak with the person we are praying for in a way that is helpful to them. 

If we are praying for something beyond an individual or family, try to picture the situation from the perspective of the Kingdom of God – where God’s wholeness, goodness, purpose, and right relationships are a reality. Another term for this is what Martin Luther King, jr called “The Beloved Community.” This type of prayer is not about giving God a list of tasks, it is about envision and inviting God’s best for God’s world. 

For whom do you feel called or moved to pray this week? 

Blessings, Vicki+ 
 
 
 

Dear Friends in Christ,
Here are the announcements and the links for Sunday’s worship.

• Fourth Sunday after Epiphany Worship
• Narnia Book Group
• Diocesan Learning Event
• Christian Practices

+ + + + + + +
Sunday Worship – Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany Jan. 31st –10 am
Service of the Word, followed by Coffee Hour. E-mail allstsmill@hotmail.com for Zoom log-in. The bulletin is on our home page.
+ + + + + + +
Announcements
Candlemas (Feast of the Presentation of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple) is Tuesday, February 2. A short Service of Prayer and Reflection will be held at 6:00 pm on Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/allsaintsmillington/ . You may wish to have a candle to light (or a battery operated one) with you during the service.

Ash Wednesday Worship will be held on Zoom on February 17 at 7:30 pm.How will we do Ash Wednesday this year?

• The most important aspect of the day is the start of our spiritual preparation for Easter. Please read and meditate on the Invitation to a holy Lent at the bottom of page 264 in the Prayer Book. Please note - ashes are optional (and always have been).
• Small containers of blessed ashes may be picked up in the church Bell Tower starting Feb. 12. You may impose ashes on yourself or on other members of your household during the service. 
• You may also read the service on your own, starting on page 264 of the Prayer Book, or using the service leaflet that will be e-mailed to you. 
• If you can’t get to church to pick up ashes, you can make your own from palms (if you have them) or use wood ash from your fireplace or fire pit. 

Bible Study is on Wednesdays at 10:15 am. Our current study Ephesians in the New Testament. This week we will read and discuss Ch. 5. To participate in this Zoom class, or if you have questions, please e-mail Mother Vicki at allsaints_rector@hotmail.com.  

Narnia Book Group: The Silver Chair - this group will meet on Zoom Sunday afternoons at 4:00 pm starting on 2/21 and continuing for eight sessions (skipping Easter Day). The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis is the fourth book in The Chronicles of Narnia series. The group is open to anyone; you don’t have to have read the previous Narnia books, or been part of the group before. To sign up, please email Mother Vicki at allsaints_rector@hotmail.com.

Convent Corner: Centering Prayer, Thursdays 7:15 to 8:15 pm, on Zoom The Community of St. John Baptist Centering Prayer group has been meeting for many years and it is one of their most popular ministries. Guests can gather on Zoom. Please email Sister Monica at srmc@csjb.org if you are interested in joining. A description of this silent contemplative practice can be found HERE.

Parish Schedule this Week
Sunday Worship & Coffee Hour – 10:00 am; Zoom, posted later to YouTube and our website
Compline - daily, 9:30 pm; Facebook Live
Candlemas Worship – Tue, 6:00 pm; Facebook Live
Bible Study - Wed, 10:15 pm; Zoom
Office Angels - Thu, 11:00 am; Zoom
Junior Choir – Thu, 5:30 pm; Zoom
Adult Choir - Thu, 7:30 pm; Zoom
Parish Office - Mon & Thu, 10:00 am-5:00 pm (usual hours). 
Please call ahead if you need to do in-person parish business.
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Christian Practices: Praying in Color
Sometimes it’s easier to pray with pictures or images – or even doodling – than it is to pray in sentences.

“Praying in Color” is a simple, portable practice. The basic idea is to draw a shape and write inside the outline of the shape a name, several names, or intention for which you are praying. Then you can sit quietly and “decorate” your shape with lines, colors, drawings – however your imagination and the Holy Spirit leads you.

Some people like to link several shapes together. You can also put a person’s name in the center of a shape and add words connected to what you are praying for them – for example: health, peace, guidance, employment, reconciliation.

The time you spend drawing and coloring, holding the person in your heart, is your prayer for them. And it may give you a sense of peace and connection to God, also.

“Praying in Color” was developed by Sybil MacBeth. Here is a website where you can learn more about it: https://prayingincolor.com/
Blessings, Vicki+
 
 

Dear Friends in Christ,
Here are the announcements and the links for Sunday’s worship.

• Third Sunday after Epiphany Worship
• Choirs
• Prayer List/Prayer Chain
• Diocesan Learning Event
• Christian Practices

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Sunday Worship – Third Sunday after the Epiphany Jan. 17th – 10 am
Service of the Word on Zoom, followed by Coffee Hour. Please send an e-mail to allstsmill@hotmail.com for the Zoom link. The bulletin is on our home page.
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Announcements
Compline - this time of prayer is offered on Facebook Live every night at 9:30 pm on All Saints’ page. This is an opportunity for a short time of peaceful prayer at the end of your day. Compline is led by five different All Saints’ parishioners. We welcome your participation whenever you can join us.

Choirs are on Thursdays; Junior Choir at 5:30 pm and Adult Choir at 7:30 pm - check-in, fellowship, and learning music for our next virtual choir anthem projects for our on-line worship. Even in these virtual circumstances we welcome anyone who loves to sing! Contact Alison Siener Brown asienerbrown@gmail.com for the Zoom credentials. 

Prayer List/Prayer Chain - To add someone to the Prayer List, please send an e-mail to Mother Vicki allsaints_rector@hotmail.com. Our Prayer Chain is a group of parishioners who exercise a ministry of intercessory prayer on an emergency basis when needed. If you have an immediate request or would like to be part of the Prayer Chain ministry, please contact Kathy Bousquet.

Statements of Contribution for 2020 were mailed to you via USPS. Please look your statements over. If you have a question, or did not receive one, please e-mail allsaints_stewardship@hotmail.com. Thank you for all your support in 2020 - every donation was crucial!

Bible Study is on Wednesdays at 10:15 am. Our current study Ephesians in the New Testament. This week we will read and discuss Ch. 4. To participate in this Zoom class, or if you have questions, please e-mail Mother Vicki at allsaints_rector@hotmail.com.  

Diocesan Event On-Line: “Faith Groups: Sharing our Lives, Growing in Faith,”
What to expect: On Friday, Jan. 29 at 7 PM, we will come together to hear from Bishop Hughes about the importance of finding new ways of being Church and how we can build stronger communities through intentional small groups. We’ll break into small groups online to give an example of what these gatherings can look like and then conclude the evening in worship together. On Saturday, Jan. 30 from 9 AM until 12 noon, we’ll gather online for more information about how to use this pattern in your church and how it can deepen your faith. We hope that every parish will be represented at this event. For more information and to register online below by 5 PM on Thursday, Jan. 28, go here: https://dioceseofnewark.org/event/faith-groups 
* Due to the pandemic, Diocesan Convention is postponed until Summer 2021,
   date to be announced.

Parish Schedule this Week
Sunday Worship & Coffee Hour – 10:00 am; Zoom, posted later to YouTube and our website
Compline - daily, 9:30 pm; Facebook Live
Bible Study - Wed, 10:15 pm; Zoom
Office Angels - Thu, 11:00 am; Zoom
Junior Choir – Thu, 5:30 pm; Zoom
Adult Choir - Thu, 7:30 pm; Zoom
Parish Office - Mon & Thu, 10:00 am-5:00 pm (usual hours). 
Please call ahead if you need to do in-person parish business.
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Christian Practices: Faith Journaling
Many people like to write down their thoughts and reflections – on a regular basis, or from time-to-time. They find it helps them to understand themselves better, savor an event or idea, or see a situation more clearly.

Faith journaling can help us in similar ways to be more aware of God’s presence in our lives, to be more intentional about prayer and gratitude, to listen for the Spirit’s guidance and wisdom.

One simple way to begin is to choose a Bible verse or a prayer or the text of a hymn that speaks to us. Write that text down – computer is good, paper and pen or pencil is better. Then read it through several times, whether silently or out loud, and jot down what the words make you think of.

Is there a visual image for you? A memory? A feeling? An idea or question? Write that down, too.

Ask God to help you notice what might be important or meaningful. It doesn’t have to be something big to be valuable. Then pray that you will be able to put into practice or keep in mind whatever it is you noticed.

I hope that you will try this exercise and see if it helps you draw closer to God.
Blessings, Vicki+
 

Dear Friends in Christ,
Here are the announcements for the week.

Prayer List/Prayer Chain - it is our privilege to pray for the concerns of our parishioners, our community, and those who ask us for prayer. Those on our parish Prayer List are prayed for daily by name at our on-line Compline service. We also pray for those most recent or pressing requests in our Sunday service. To add someone to the prayer List, please send an e-mail to Mother Vicki allsaints_rector@hotmail.com. Our Prayer Chain is a group of parishioners who exercise a ministry of intercessory prayer on an emergency basis when needed. Kathy Bousquet is our Prayer Chain leader. If you have an immediate request or would like to be part of the Prayer Chain, please contact Kathy. 

Statements of Contribution for 2020 were mailed to you via US Postal Service on Friday. Please look your statements over. If you have a question, or did not receive one, please e-mail allsaints_stewardship@hotmail.com. Thank you for all your support in 2020 - every donation was crucial!

Vestry meeting this week on Tuesday, Jan. 19 at 7:15 pm on Zoom.

Bible Study is on Wednesdays at 10:15 am. Our current study Ephesians in the New Testament. This week we will read and discuss Ch.2:11-Ch.3. To participate in this Zoom class, or if you have questions, please e-mail Mother Vicki at allsaints_rector@hotmail.com.  

“Office Angels” (our office volunteers in non-COVID times) meet for conversation and fellowship on Thursday mornings at 11 am on Zoom. We’d love to have you join the conversation. Email Parish Administrator Susie Harris for the link: allsaints_church@hotmail.com 

Adult Choir is on Thursdays at 7:30 pm - check-in, fellowship, and learning music for our next virtual choir anthem project. Even in these virtual circumstances we welcome anyone who loves to sing! Contact Alison Siener Brown asienerbrown@gmail.com for the Zoom credentials. 

Pledging for 2021 - You can use our new on-line pledge form on our website www.allsaintsmillington.org. You can also fulfill your pledge by setting up auto-pay with your bank or by electronic fund transfer (EFT) through the secure giving portal on our website. If you are interested in making a gift of appreciated stock, please call David Thursfield.
Until we can have the safe and full use of our buildings for both worship and building use rental our parish income will be challenging, so your timely, heartfelt and generous support will be essential. You can also use our “virtual offering plate” - the heart and cross icon on the homepage of our website - for on-line giving. Thank you!

The Parish Office is generally staffed Mondays and Thursdays but with limited contact for the public. Please call ahead if you need to do in-person parish business.
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Christian Practices: The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
This is an ecumenical Christian effort that was established in 1908. It starts on January 18 (The Feast of the Confession of St. Peter) and ends on January 25 (The Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul). This week was chosen because Peter’s apostolic ministry was primarily to Jews, although he also embraced the inclusion of Gentiles; and Paul’s apostolic ministry was to Gentiles, after he had been called from his fierce defense of Judaism.

The purpose of the week is to reflect the words of John 17:21, “they may be one so that the world may believe”. While all of the various Christian bodies have differences of practice and variations of belief, we are all united by faith, prayer, and baptism in Christ. The more we can be united in our practice of following Christ, the stronger our witness to the world will be.

In the United States this year, this Week of Prayer falls at a very appropriate moment. Monday is not only the Confession of Peter, but it is also the day we set aside to mark and honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, jr. On Wednesday we will inaugurate our 46th President Joseph R. Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris.

Dr. King’s vision of the Beloved Community where all people are valued, respected, and drawn together in peace by their common humanity has its roots in the Christian idea of the Body of Christ. Our secular American values of equity of opportunity and equality before the law, commitment to the common good of our neighbors and communities, and the flourishing of every individual embrace very similar ideas.

While we pray for unity in the Body of Christ this week, let us also pray for the peace, safety, and well-being of all in our country.
Blessings, Vicki+

Dear Friends in Christ,
Here are the announcements and the links for Sunday’s worship.

• First Sunday after Epiphany Worship & Renewal of Vows (scroll to next section)
• Bible Study
• Chalk Blessing Kits
• Stewardship
• Choir

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Sunday Worship – First Sunday after the Epiphany: Baptism of our Lord, January 10th –10 am
Service of the Word and Renewal of Baptismal Vows, followed by Coffee Hour. Please have a small bowl of water near you to use during the service. The service leaflet is on the home page. Please e-mail allstsmill@hotmail.com for the Zoom credentials.

And if you have not yet seen the Epiphany worship video, you can watch it here on YouTube: https://youtu.be/KD5c7JNeAYk
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Finance Committee meets Tuesday, January 12 at 7:15 pm on Zoom.

Chalk Blessing Kits for Epiphany are available to be picked up in the Bell Tower of the Church, including instructions. Bless your house and all who come and go to it in this New Year.

Bible Study is on Wednesdays at 10:15 am. We are starting a new series for the next five weeks, the Epistle to the Ephesians in the New Testament. This week we will read and discuss Chapters 1 and 2:1-10. If you have been thinking about starting Bible study in the New Year, this is a great way to start! No experience is needed. You don’t even have to have a Bible because we’ll send you the reading ahead of time. To participate in this Zoom class, or if you have questions, please e-mail Mother Vicki at allsaints_rector@hotmail.com.  

“Office Angels” (our office volunteers in non-COVID times) meet for conversation and fellowship on Thursday mornings at 11 am on Zoom. We’d love to have you join the conversation. Email Parish Administrator Susie Harris for the link: allsaints_church@hotmail.com 

Adult Choir resumes this Thursday at 7:30 pm - check-in, fellowship, and learning music for our next virtual choir anthem project. Even in these virtual circumstances we welcome anyone who loves to sing! Contact Alison Siener Brown asienerbrown@gmail.com for the Zoom credentials. 

Thank you to everyone who made a pledge for 2021. If you have not yet done so, please be in touch with Mother Vicki. You can use our new on-line pledge form on our website www.allsaintsmillington.org, or you can simply send an e-mail with your pledge commitment to allsaints_church@hotmail.com. You can also fulfill your pledge by setting up auto-pay with your bank or by setting up one-time or recurring electronic fund transfer (EFT) through the secure giving portal on our website. We are also able to receive gifts of appreciated stock as pledge payment. If you are interested in that please call David Thursfield.
Until we can have the safe and full use of our buildings for both worship and building use rental our parish income will be challenging, so your timely, heartfelt and generous support will be essential. Thank you!

The Parish Office is generally staffed Mondays and Thursdays but with limited contact for the public. Please call ahead if you need to do in-person parish business.
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Baptismal Covenant Promise - 3
Presider         Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?
People             I will, with God’s help.

As we prepare to renew our baptismal vows this coming Sunday, consider the question and answer above.

This promise is about letting other people know – through your words and actions – the saving love of God, how God has made a difference in your life.

This is one of those vows that makes some people a little skittish, because we often don’t want to come across in a preachy or judgmental way; at least, that’s what we tell ourselves. We certainly don’t want to make ourselves or another person feel uncomfortable.

But maybe the reason we have trouble with this part of our covenant is that we are not sure we have the words to talk about what difference our faith has made in our lives. We are not confident that we have anything to offer to another person.

And yet, we are more than happy to share other kinds of good news: a new job, the birth of a baby, recovery from surgery. We know how to share the right amount of detail, and the level of feeling in how we share that news.

When it comes to faith, what we are being asked to share is that part of our experience in following Jesus that gives us hope, or peace, or joy, our quiet confidence. You don’t have to stand on a street corner to do this, or ring door bells. But when you have a friend or family member who is struggling or confused or hurting you can say what has been true for you. Give them the option to seek hope with God; offer to pray for them or with them. If they don’t respond, it takes nothing away from your faith and you may have planted a seed that God will water and grow later.

Our actions, too, can proclaim the Gospel when we act in ways that are consistent with Jesus’ teaching and character.
And we can begin each day by asking God to use you to be a blessing and a messenger of Good News and God’s love to another.

Blessings, Vicki+

 


 
 

Advent 2020: The Light in the darkness
December 18
O Adonai, and Leader of the house of Israel, who appearest in the bush to Moses in a flame of fire, and gavest him the Law in Sinai: Come and deliver us with an outstretched arm.

Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ's glory, that he may be known, worshiped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen
~ Collect for Second Sunday after Epiphany

O Adonai, and Leader of the house of Israel, who appearest in the bush to Moses in a flame of fire, and gavest him the Law in Sinai: Come and deliver us with an outstretched arm.
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Dear Friends in Christ,
Here are the announcements and the links for Sunday’s worship. There is a lot here, so please take some time to read through the different items.

• Sunday Worship (scroll all the way down)
• Nativity Scene/Crèche Photos Request
• Christmas Music Memorials and Donations
• Stewardship Witness: Using Your Gifts to Help Others video
• Bible Study
• Rummage Shoppe Thank You
• Year-end Pledge Payments
• Christmas Worship Schedule

Nativity Scene/Crèche Photos Request - during the Twelve Days of Christmas (Dec. 25-Jan. 5) we’ll share photos of different nativity scenes from All Saints’ parishioners, one each day. Please send a photo of your creche at home, including a short description or story about it, and we will share it with the parish family via e-mail during Christmas season. We’ve already received some lovely ones. Please send your photos to allsaints_rector@hotmail.com. Thank you!

Christmas Music Memorials and Donations – Our music at Christmas is always augmented by some professionals (two singers, a violinist). And this year when we cannot gather in person our Choirs and Director of Music have been working especially hard to make their offering and support for our worship meaningful, prayerful, and beautiful in a fully recorded and produced service of music and readings. To make a donation to support the Christmas music in memory or honor of a loved one use the new on-line giving portal (see below) or use the music envelope that was mailed to you with the Christmas letter. The names of those being remembered or honored will be included in our on-line bulletin. We need the names by Monday, 12/21. You can e-mail those names to Parish Administrator Susie Harris at allsaints_church@hotmail.com.
General Christmas donations may also be contributed on-line or by envelope. Thank you for your support of All Saints’ and of our Music Ministry at Christmas time!

Stewardship Witness - Using Your Gifts to Serve Others/Finding a Way to Help: an Interview with a High School Senior – last spring 17 year-old Johannes Wellerding began an outreach ministry to create much needed Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for area medical and long-term care facility staff during the pandemic. He created this PPE with his 3D printer. Listen to a conversation he recorded with his mother Leanna, about the way he has put God’s gifts to work to help others – and be inspired! Thank you, Johannes. The video is here on our Giving page http://www.allsaintsmillington.org/giving.html

Bible Study this week is on Wed., Dec. 23 at 10:15 am. We are looking at the Old Testament readings for the four Sundays of Advent.This week is 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16. To participate in this Zoom class please e-mail Mother Vicki at allsaints_rector@hotmail.com.  

All Saints’ Rummage Shoppe – Thank you to all our wonderful Rummage workers and to Kimberly Celeste for her leadership in this fund-raising effort. We raised $5100+ for All Saints’ mission and ministries! happen in such a unique way!
Stewardship: Year-end Giving Deadline – all pledge payments and donations for 2020 need to be received in the Parish Office by Monday 12/28 in order for us to credit you with a 2020 donation. You mail use the USPS, drop it off to the Rath House, or use our on-line Giving Portal https://secure.myvanco.com/YH4J/home. And if you have not yet made a pledge commitment for 2021 you can do that here: http://www.allsaintsmillington.org/giving.html Your support is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Christmas Worship at All Saints’ Church
Christmas Eve, December 24
3:00 pm, Christmas Readings & Music (pre-recorded video)
Readings for Christmas from Isaiah and the Gospels, prayers, a reflection, Christmas carols and anthems for virtual choir, soloists, handbells, organ, and violin. Filmed in All Saints’ Church.
The video link will be sent by e-mail. The video will also be posted on our website www.allsaintsmillington.org and our YouTube channel “All Saints’ Millington” https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBI9S_Mlh0hJfgvVAPvvKeQ 
It may be watched at any convenient time or day after 3:00 pm on Christmas Eve.

4:00 pm, Christmas Worship on Facebook Live (live-streamed)
The Christmas story, prayers, a message, a song, the Peace Light, a blessing.
This 25-minute service is family-friendly and will be broadcast from the Church on Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/allsaintsmillington/.
You don’t need a Facebook account to watch this service.

Christmas Day, December 25
10:00 am, Christmas Reflection & Prayers (live-streamed)
A simple service of Scripture, reflection, and prayers for Christmas Day on Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/allsaintsmillington/.
You don’t need a Facebook account to watch this service.

First Sunday after Christmas, December 27
10 am, Christmas Pageant and Carols (live on Zoom)
An intergenerational Nativity Pageant - a new incarnation of our beloved tradition, written by Alison Siener Brown, specifically for Zoom format, pre-recorded and shared live on Zoom, as part of our Sunday worship, along with prayers and Christmas carols.
The log-in credentials and link for Zoom will be e-mailed to you.
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Sunday Worship – Advent 4, December 20th –10 am
10 am Service of the Word on Zoom, followed by Coffee Hour. The bulletin is on our home page. You may request the Zoom link by e-mailing allstsmill@hotmail.com.
Blessings, Vicki+
 


 
 

Dear Friends in Christ,
I have some very sad news to share today. Bonnie Stocker McGrath, a long-time All Saints’ parishioner, died overnight from complications of a recurrence of her cancer. Bonnie had many ministries at All Saints’ over the years: Choir member, Counters & Tellers, Finance Committee, Vestry – including serving as Warden when I was called to All Saints’, member of the Altar Guild, in retirement she became one of our Office Angels volunteers, and one of our core Rummage Sale organizers. As late as this summer and fall Bonnie lent her prodigious planning skills and enthusiasm to finding a way to make our Rummage Shoppe happen.

Bonnie died at home and her husband Frank and son Patrick were able to spend time with her and care for her. Her funeral will be scheduled for some time in the spring when it will be safer for us to gather. In the meantime, cards and letters to Frank and Patrick at home are very welcome. If you would like to make a personal expression of your grief, you may wish to place an arrangement of winter greenery in the Church Memorial Garden – on or near the altar.

We are so grateful for all that Bonnie gave to all of us, and the joy she shared with others. In our grief let us remember Bonnie’s faithful confidence in God, and keep Frank, Patrick, and one another in prayer. ~ VGM+
May Bonnie rest in the Peace of Christ and rise in the Glory of God.

Here are the announcements, and links for Sunday’s worship. There is a lot here, so please take some time to read through the different items.

• Sunday Worship (scroll all the way down)
• Adopt-a-Family Outreach: Last Call
• Christmas Worship: Updates from Bishop Hughes
• Christmas Music Memorials and Donations
• Angel Photos: Last Call
• Grief, Loss & Christmas: a Conversation
• Annual Pledge Campaign
• Rummage Shoppe
• Bible Study
• Christian Practices: Sacrifice

Adopt-a-Family: Last Call – our Christmas outreach through Elizabeth Social Services. Gift cards for groceries at Target, Walmart, or ShopRite. Also, small toys for children ages 4-8 (boy or girl). All donations need to be delivered to All Saints’ by 12/12. Here are the details: 1) buy a gift card for $25 for Target, Walmart, or ShopRite. Put it in an envelope marked “Gift”; you don’t need to know the person to whom it is going, nor do we have a list to match it to. 2) if you purchase a toy don’t wrap or label it. 3) Drop all gift envelopes in the green basket on the bog table in the Narthex; leave all toys under the table – by 12/12. Jackie Sullivan will collect all the donations and transport them to the Social Services office. Thank you for helping with this great need at this very difficult time.

Angel Photos: Last Call - Alison Siener Brown is still looking for photos of angels (ornaments, decorations, pictures, etc.) that you have at your house. She will use these photos as part of the slide show for “Angels we have heard on high” in our Christmas Eve video. Please send the to Alison by Monday, 12/13, asienerbrown@gmail.com. Thank you!

Christmas Music Memorials and Donations – Our music at Christmas is always augmented by some professionals (two singers, a violinist). To make a donation to support the Christmas music in memory or honor of a loved one use the new on-line giving portal (see below) or use the music envelope that will be coming next week with the Christmas letter. The names of those being remembered or honored will be included in our on-line bulletin. General Christmas donations may also be contributed on-line or by envelope. Thank you for your support of All Saints’ and of our Music Ministry at Christmas time.

Christmas Worship: Update from Bishop Hughes – as of this coming Monday, 12/14, Bishop Hughes has updated guidelines regarding worship for churches in our Diocese. No parish may have any in-person worship, whether outdoors or indoors, due to the rapid rise in COVID-19 cases and the shrinking capacity of our hospital and health care system. Broadcasting/live-streaming worship from the Church can still happen with the people immediately needed to do that (10 people or less).
What does this mean for All Saints’, given that we just sent out our Christmas worship plans via letter? Please see the detail below:

• Christmas Eve, 4:00 pm – No in-person gathering. We will have a short time of prayer and reading of the Christmas story on Facebook Live broadcast from the from outside the front of the Church
• Christmas Eve, 6:00 pm or later – A fully produced, pre-recorded service of readings, Christmas carols, virtual anthems, vocal and instrumental soloists, handbells, prayers, and sermon. This will be filmed in All Saints’ and can be watched at home any time on Christmas Eve after 6:00 pm or Christmas Day. Our readers, choirs, and musicians have been hard at work to get this service recorded. Even though we will not be together in-person, we are together in Spirit, and in love for God, for All Saints’, and for one another.
• Christmas Morning, 10:00 am – Christmas Reflection, Scripture and Prayers on Facebook Live.
• Christmas Pageant – December 27 at 10:00 am worship on Zoom. This will be a new incarnation of our beloved tradition – written by Alison Siener Brown, specifically for Zoom format, and inter-generational (kids and adults). This will be pre-recorded and shared at the service. It will be available to share with friends and family after that.

Grief, Loss & Christmas: a Conversation – Monday, December 14 at 7:30 pm via Zoom. This has been an incredibly difficult year. We have all lost much – whether it be a loved one who has died, a job loss, a health crisis, children’s schooling, isolation from family and friends, our usual way of being Church, the expectation of normal joyful gatherings for holidays and birthdays. And Christmas more than any other time is a magnet for all those painful, difficult feelings and disappointments. Mother Vicki is offering this time of conversation as a place to talk – or just sit with – those feelings and thoughts with others, and yet look forward with hope. We will begin and end the conversation with prayer, knowing that God is hearing and holding us. Even though Zoom is not an ideal platform, it is one way we can gather and share. Please e-mail allstsmill@hotmail.com for the link.

All Saints’ Rummage Shoppe – our Shoppe finished today, December 11. Thank you to Kimberly Celeste and all the Rummage folk for making this fund-raiser happen in such a unique way!

Stewardship: New On-Line Giving Portal – The company who processes all our on-line donations and pledge payments, Vanco, has redesigned the donation portal, making it much clearer, simpler, and attractive. You can get to it by clicking the “Giving” button on our home page. Or you can follow this link. https://secure.myvanco.com/YH4J/home

Annual Pledge Campaign – Thank you to everyone who has returned a pledge commitment for 2021. We know that this has been an exceeding difficult and chaotic year, and we appreciate whatever support you are able to offer to God’s work here at All Saints’. It is your prayer and your pledge of financial support that makes the ministry and mission of All Saints’ happen. We know that we still have some challenging months ahead of us, and so we need everyone to participate.

You may make a pledge either by returning the hard-copy form that was mailed to you or by using the on-line pledge form on our website. http://www.allsaintsmillington.org/giving.html. If you have a question about pledging, or about the status of your current 2020 pledge, please send an e-mail to allstsmill@hotmail.com. Thank you for your support!

Bible Study this week is on Wed., Dec. 16 at 10:15 am. We are looking at the Old Testament readings for the four Sundays of Advent. This week is Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11. To participate in this Zoom class please e-mail Mother Vicki at allsaints_rector@hotmail.com.  
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Sunday Worship – Advent 3, December 13th –10 am
10 am Service of the Word on Zoom, followed by Coffee Hour. Father Shawn Carty will be our preacher. The bulletin is on our home page. Please e-mail allstsmill@hotmail.com for the log-in information.

Christian Practices: Sacrifice
The word sacrifice means “to make holy”. We often speak of sacrifices that parents make on behalf of their children; or soldiers make on behalf of their country; or individuals make on behalf of a goal or cause. We make sacrifices for the good of another or for a longer-term outcome for which we are hoping.

We also talk about Jesus’ sacrifice of himself on the Cross for us. Jesus’ willing offering of himself on our behalf was an expression and an instrument of God’s love and care for us – even in the face of death. His sacrifice became the means to much larger life and peace and connection to God than we could have ever achieved on our own.

As we think about the sacrifices we are all making this Christmas, let us remember those in our Armed Services who spend Christmas away from their loved ones when they are on mission – a sacrifice for their country; or the doctors and nurses who spend holidays away from their families because they are caring for sick patients.

Our sacrifice of remaining at home and refraining from gathering for worship in-person is a sacrifice for others – others in our country, our community, our Church, and our family. In a small way this year our Christmas celebration will be connected to Christ’s own sacrifice of himself. What he has done for us we can, in a sense, do for others; thereby sharing the gift of life, and love, and light.

Blessings, Vicki+