Online Tidings
The First Sunday of Advent, December 2nd, 2007
P.O. Box 51410, Colorado Springs, CO 80949
www.graceepiscopalcolosprings.org
grace.episcopal.church@gmail.com
719/328-1125
Prayer of the Week
For St. Nicholas
Almighty Father, lover of souls, who chose your servant Nicholas to be a bishop in the Church, that he might give freely out of the treasures of your grace: make us mindful of the needs of others and, as we have received, so teach us also to give; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
Common Worship, President's Edition, 2000
Table of Contents
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Diocesan Cycle of Prayer
In the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, today we remember All Saints' Church in Loveland, St. Philip-in-the-Field Church in Sedalia, the Church of the Holy Redeemer in Denver and all those in the Ordination Process.
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Weekly Calendar
To see this in a printable calendar layout, click here.
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Manger Mission in Advent
Our traditional Manger Mission begins on December 1st and runs through Christmas Day. There will be a manger in the Fellowship Hall where we will be collecting new baby items to give to the Life Support Center. The center supports emergency and transitional needs of families in crisis, including clothing, formula and diapers. Services are not intended to be long-term. Items for you to consider for donation could include blankets, clothes, diapers, bottles, jackets, formula, toys, etc. Please bless an infant this season in the honor of the Christ Child
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Choral Evensong
On the evening of December 7th we will invite the entire community to join us for a Choral Evensong at Shove Chapel, 1010 N. Nevada Avenue on the Colorado College campus, starting at 6:00 pm. The St. Stephen's and Taylor Choirs will present music of Herbert Howells, C.V. Stanford, Andrew Carter and Paul Manz as we enter the season of Advent. Parking is available in the large lots off Uintah between Cascade and Nevada, off San Rafael between Nevada and Weber, or at Cache la Poudre at Tejon. Join us and bring a friend!
Advent Family Workshop
Our annual Advent Workshop will be held in conjunction with First Christian on Saturday, December 1st from 3:00 to 5:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall. There will be craft items to make and take home, and a chance to prepare your family's advent wreath. You may bring your advent ring and decorate it with the greens available. We will also have rings for sale for $6.50 and candle sets for $3.00. A great hot chili dinner will be available. Please call the church office by Tuesday to RSVP at 328-1125. Note that the Colorado Springs Festival of Lights parade will be marching down Tejon at about 6:00 pm. What a great way to prepare for the first Sunday in Advent.
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Christmas ESM Donation
Thank you for the generous contributions to Ecumenical Social Ministries for Thanksgiving baskets. They estimated that they would be filling over 300 baskets for Thanksgiving again this year. We will not gather bags of food for Christmas baskets BUT any contributions (canned goods, stuffing, baking supplies or other non-perishable offerings) for baskets should be given to ESM before December 16th. You can donate your ESM items by placing them in the cart marked ESM near the Fellowship Hall on Sunday or you may take them directly to ESM. They gratefully will accept cash donations also to purchase additional items that are needed.
Thank you also to the wonderful helpers who packed all the Thanksgiving offerings to take to ESM. Many thanks to the Campbell Family, Ron Hopkins, Jim Hinkle, and the great members of the youth group who helped pack and deliver it all! A list of our regular commitments to ESM can be found here on our website.
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Hanging of the Greens
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We had an absolutely wonderful time Sunday evening, decorating the sanctuary, the Fellowship Hall and various other rooms in the church, sharing music, traditions and an incredible variety of soups and desserts. The best part was getting to know some of our "hosts" at First Christian, by working side-by-side. We are blessed to be sharing their space in this season.
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The Voice of Singing
“E’en so, Lord Jesus, quickly come” – the words of this anthem that the Taylor Memorial Choir and the St. Stephen’s Choir are rehearsing are central to our parish preparation for Advent and Christmas. “Rejoice in heaven, all ye that dwell therein. Rejoice on earth, ye saints below. For Christ is coming, is coming soon. E’en so, Lord Jesus, quickly come, and night shall be no more. They need no light nor lamp nor sun for Christ will be their all.”
We are thankful for the uninterrupted centrality of music in our Grace Episcopal Church worship. Organist and Choirmaster, Deke Polifka, with the assistance of Ann Brink and Joyce Polifka thoughtfully select music appropriate for the liturgical season and the Lectionary. All the choirs rehearse in sequence on Wednesdays, nineteen Grace and St. Nicholas choristers rehearse in the First Christian Church choir room at 4:30, followed by ten St. Cecilia Choir members at 5:30, followed by thirty-five adults who prepare their music from 7-9 p.m. During the rehearsals, the choirs concentrate on both music and text, which glorify and clarify our worship and meditation.
The organ voluntaries that Deke Polifka and Ann Brink play contribute to our preparation for worship as we enter the First Christian Church sanctuary and to the conclusion of worship as we “go in peace to love and serve the Lord.” The organ leads in the singing of the hymns, including all the worshippers in the “voice of singing.”
You will have two opportunities to hear the anthem, E’en so, Lord Jesus, quickly come, at the Solemn Evensong and Benediction at Shove Chapel, December 7th at 6:00 pm and during the Choral Eucharist on the Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 23rd.
Contributed by Marianna McJimsey
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Quiet Day on December 7th
On the morning of December 7th we will begin the season of Advent with a gift of silence. To clear our minds and hearts for the coming of the Christ Child we invite our friends from St. Michael's, St. Raphael's and our hosts at First Christian Church to join in our annual Quiet Day. As usual we will meet at 9:00 am for Morning Prayer in the Chapel and then observe a meditative time of silence until a light lunch is served. A booklet of devotions, prayers, and poems will be available. Please call Deacon Sally at 648-9350 or the church office at 328-1125 to register.
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Martin Nussbaum to Update Parish on Legal Issues
We have asked our legal counsel, Martin Nussbaum of Rothgerber Johnson & Lyons LLP, to speak to the parish after services in the Fellowship Hall on Sunday, December 2nd, regarding the legal proceedings relevant to our parish. This will be a closed meeting for parishioners only.
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MOPS Christmas Bazaar
Please join us for the Grace Episcopal Church/First Christian Church MOPS (Mothers of Pre-schoolers) Christmas Bazaar on Sunday, December 9th from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm in the First Christian Church Fellowship Hall. We will have jewelry, quilts, homemade soaps and handmade Christmas cards, and lots of other wonderful things, including a silent auction!
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Parish Directory Update
An insert page for our parish directory of corrections and new members will be published in mid-January. Please take a moment, if you have not already, to verify your listing in the directory. All corrections must be submitted by email to grace.episcopal.church@gmail.com or phoning Marti in the office at 328-1125. All submissions must be made by December 31st.
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Graceful Hands Christmas Ingathering
Graceful Hands will be meeting on December 13th from 1:00 to 3:00 at Bobbie Bradford's house, 817 Panorama Drive. Bring your finished projects, get new materials and enjoy a cookie and a cup of coffee with fellow yarn enthusiasts.
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Vestry Meeting Notes
The vestry met on November 27th to hear reports, discuss and vote on items important to our life and fellowship together. The vestry discussed how to best use the offering from our Thanksgiving Day service, as well as Christmas memorial and thank offerings that exceed what we will contribute to the decoration of the church. The Thanksgiving offering will be donated to the Colorado Haiti Project, and Christmas memorial and thank offerings will go to the Episcopal Relief and Development Fund. The current budget and financial reports were reviewed, and plans laid out for an Every Member Canvass. A committee to organize the Canvass was started, and more volunteers will be recruited. Plans for the annual parish meeting were discussed. There are thirty children registered in the Sunday School. First Christian is helping with the loan of some costumes for the children's pageant. $1,100 was received from St. Michael's from the Regional Hymn Sing, and choir robes for the St. Nicholas choristers have been ordered.
Tim Fuller submitted his letter of resignation from the vestry and he and his wife Kalah have been received into the Catholic Church. According to Tim, “…we do not take this step because we are angry with our bishop, or because we are alienated from the parish, or because of any single issue before the Church, or because of the undeserved difficulties that have befallen our parish. We have delayed our departure [from Grace Episcopal Church] precisely because of our affection for, and devotion to the people of the parish, and because we felt it our duty to contribute what we could to finding stability in exile…Our affection and devotion for the parish are and will remain undiminished.”
Vestry meetings are open to all members of the parish and are usually held on the fourth Tuesday of the month. The next meeting will be on December 18th to avoid interrupting Christmas!
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Grace Bibliophiles December Meeting
December 21st is the next meeting of Grace Bibliophiles, when these literary armchair travelers will turn their attention to Nepal and read Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace One School At a Time by Greg Mortensen. This fascinating book combines the thrill of mountain climbing as the author attempts and fails to climb K-2, the second highest mountain in the world, and the power of gratitude. The meat of the book is how Mortensen showed his thanks to the villagers whom he came to know as they saved him and nursed him back to health.
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Second Annual MOSTrust GIFTS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Experience that elusive "Peace on Earth" as you make Christmas gift selections for your family, friends, and business associates this year, while bringing "Joy to the World" by giving gifts that will make a real and positive difference in the lives of AIDS orphans and their adoptive families in Tanzania. Honor your recipients with a tribute to their own caring generosity, by choosing from the "presents"* listed below. You will be given an attractive gift card to personalize for each of your chosen recipients, to let them know what has been given in their honor. Your meaningful gift is sure to bring you and your loved ones closer to the true heart of Christmas, as you show Christ's love by giving such a practical gift in Jesus' name!
- Bicycle for orphan to travel to school or to work (often a necessity for employment or continuing education). $80 one bicycle
- Advanced education, either academic or trade school, for orphans completing secondary school; also, required tools for those entering a trade. $25 one share
- Annual school fee for orphan's primary or secondary education. $20 each child
- Food to provide one month's basic meals. $12 per family of four
- School uniform, required for school attendance. $10 for one uniform
- Mosquito net for malaria prevention. $5 per net
* Gifts That Make a Difference represent gifts to the 98 AIDS orphans currently enrolled with MOSTrust Tanzania. Bishop Alpha and his staff use your gifts where they are most needed to help transform the lives of these children and their adoptive families. Because you are helping MOSTrust to combat hunger and poverty, your gift is tax deductible
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Haitian Project Needs our Help
Marti O’Dell from the Colorado Haiti Project, an outreach program of the Colorado Diocese, and Susan Day, Parish Nurse at Chapel of Our Savior, are asking for our help in raising funds to purchase “Physical Assessment Kits” that are desperately needed to serve the healthcare needs of this impoverished country.
With help from the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti, a new nursing school is set to graduate its first class of students next year. Upon their graduation, many of these nurses will return to their villages but without the basic equipment that nurses need. A provider of healthcare equipment has generously agreed to supply “Physical Assessment Kits” at a reduced rate. The goal of Marti and Susan is to provide 110 kits.
Monetary gifts of any amount will be greatly appreciated. You may make checks out to the Chapel of Our Savior and clearly marked “For Physical Assessment Kits” and place them in our offering plate or deliver them to Jill Wasinger, our Parish Nurse. You may also send checks to Chapel of Our Savior, 8 Fourth Street , Co Spgs, CO 80906. All donations must be received before December 15th.
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CANA Brief Rebutted in Recent Court Filings
Several recently filed court documents are now available on our parish website www.graceepiscopalcolosprings.org for your review. The first is our parish’s summary judgment response/reply brief. This document contains a point-by-point rebuttal of the arguments made by the CANA congregation in its September 11th brief. The CANA congregation has filed almost 2,000 pages of briefs and exhibits in its summary judgment response. Its primary argument is that our Episcopal Parish “declared its independence” from the Episcopal Church in 1973 when a document entitled “articles of incorporation” was filed with the Colorado Secretary of State. It contends that our parish corporation thereafter became a secular corporation with no meaningful connection to the Episcopal Church and no need to comply with canon law.
We know this does not square with our history, experience, or any evidence. Our summary judgment response/reply brief refutes this contention in pages 22 through 38. It also explains the many ways in which the CANA congregation leaders have submitted to canon law (pages 20 through 22) and sets forth those circumstances in which Father Armstrong and other secessionist leaders either have been advised or they admit that the Colorado Mote case requires the District Court to find against them and in favor of our parish. It also explains that the secessionists' attempt to hijack our parish corporation is invalid (pages 48-60).
The second document is a chart containing a point-by-point comparison of the facts in the Mote case with the facts in our case. In every particular, the evidence shows equal or greater reason for the District Court in our case to find, as the Colorado Supreme Court did in Mote, that the parish corporation holds the property in trust to advance the mission of the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado and the Episcopal Church and that the CANA congregation’s taking of the property is unlawful.
The third document is a motion asking the District Court to add individual parties to the lawsuit. We and the Diocese are requesting that certain secessionist leaders be included in the lawsuit for the reasons described in this motion.
We encourage you to read these documents and become informed of the status of this dispute.
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