Episcopal Church in Snellville, GA
Christmas Eve — Tuesday, December 24
— 4:00 p.m. Family Eucharist with Christmas Pageant
— 7:30 p.m. Holy Eucharist with Incense
–10:30 p.m. Christmas Music
–11:00 p.m. Festive Holy Eucharist with Incense
Christmas Day, Wednesday, December 25
10:00 a.m. –Holy Eucharist
Sunday, December 29
Holy Eucharist 10:00 a.m.
To download a copy of the 2019 Advent and Christmas Calendar, click this link:
December Advent and Christmas Calendar 2019
For well over a decade now, St. Matthew’s has celebrated the lives of our deceased family members and friends by holding an Evening Of Remembrance (EOR). This event was founded by Judy Leavell and Ted Sokal. As Judy recently recalled, “Ted and I had returned from Poland, having experienced the All Saint’s evening there, and were so moved by what we saw, and the love expressed. That same year, several dear friends at St. Matt’s had died, and we thought it might be a way to honor them, and for all of us to celebrate the lives of those we’d lost. We approached Sally to see if the youth would come, and were overwhelmed at their reaction and acceptance. There was a huge turnout that year, and we all knew we had struck a chord.”
This year’s Evening Of Remembrance will be on November 3rd, with quiet meditation in various areas available from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm, followed with a brief Reading Of The Names liturgy in the Sanctuary, ending at around 8pm. All cultures mourn their deceased loved ones, while at the same time celebrating these beautiful lives. Our EOR is an homage to this basic human need, and we participate in this ongoing part of life by recognizing different ways to mourn and celebrate. Perhaps most ancient of all is our human connection to fire, with its light and warmth. These qualities comfort us and uplift us, so there are many, many candles surrounding us at the EOR.
Music is truly an elemental part of being human, as it touches us emotionally in places where words cannot reach. The EOR has meditative, acoustic music in many areas – delicate guitar, mandolin, violin and bagpipe sounds softly fill the air throughout the evening. The acts of placing a single stone on a larger formation of many stacked stones (a cairn), or of placing a flower on a cross – these have come down to us from ancient times, and from many cultures. The stones represent a collective remembrance made up of individual voices, while the flowers symbolize a renewal, or a blooming of sorts, and a move to another existence. For Christians, the flowering of the cross represents the transition from Good Friday to Easter, from meditation on Jesus’ death to the joyful celebration of His resurrection. There will be a cross with a vase of flowers, and a cairn with a basket of stones – both offer the opportunities to remember and consider and reflect.
Meditative walking rituals have long given us a chance to focus our minds. Walking the labyrinth is one such ritual, as we turn ourselves over to the repetitive steps of our physical body, while our thoughts are freed to contemplate the different states of the life cycle. A labyrinth is an ancient symbol that relates to wholeness. It combines the imagery of the circle and the spiral into a meandering but purposeful path. The labyrinth represents a journey to our own center and back again out into the world. Labyrinths have long been used as meditation and prayer tools. In the Parish Hall, a large labyrinth will be set up for this kind of meditation.
Naming is an act of recognition. When we name, we are recognizing the importance of something in our lives. In the sanctuary, to conclude the EOR, one of the most powerful moments of the evening takes place at 7:30 when all the names of our loved ones are called out, and each receives an honorary tolling of the bell. In the Red Book on the table between the Narthex and the hallway which leads to the Parish Hall, please list any names that you would like to have remembered in this way, by October 20th. The names will also be printed in the November 3rd bulletin.
Please join us on the evening of November 3rd, as we continue, as a parish and beyond, to mourn and celebrate the lives of those that have gone on before us. Children are most welcome.
Worship and give thanks for the ministries begun at St. Matthew’s
and the people who have given of their time, talent and treasure
to make those ministries a reality.
Sixteen youth and adults were confirmed or received and one infant was baptized at the Holy Eucharist service on June 9, the Day of Pentecost, celebrated by The Right Reverend Robert Wright. Twenty-three individuals were reaffirmed. The joyous service of celebration of the coming of the Holy Spirit ended the fifty days of Easter in the liturgical calendar.
To view photos of this important day in St. Matthew’s, click here.
Click here to check out the end-of-year committee reports and the approved 2019 budget, and meet your newly elected vestry members.
http://www.stmatthewssnellville.org/resources/annual-parish-reports/
The liturgy of the Episcopal Church is participatory– that is, those attending take part in the service by singing, praying, listening and responding to what is happening during the service. The goal of Junior Worship is to help children understand the parts of the service, to help get them ready to sit and worship with their families on Sundays through the whole service. Junior Worship occurs during the first part of the 10:30 service on Sundays. Children ages 5-8 (through 3rd grade) follow the verger out of church and return to their families at the Peace so they can take Communion with their families.
Junior Worship follows the outline of a regular church service. The lead can wear a chasuble much like what Mother Liz wears. The kids get a kick out of it! They even have our own bulletins. The kids enjoy the up-close approach to the altar where they can touch everything and ask questions. They walk into the classroom down the center aisle of their “pews”; they sing, light candles (battery operated of course) and follow along in their bulletins as they would in “Big” church. They say the Children’s Creed, the Prayers of the Children (Prayers of the People), the I’m Sorry (confession), and the Lord’s Prayer.
Lessons in Junior Worship are different from what the children are learning in Sunday School. What we’re trying to teach are the “nuts and bolts” of the church, answering questions they may have while they sit in service with their families. Hopefully, once they understand what is happening, when, and why, they will be better equipped to sit all the way through service. Remember, the service can sometimes seem long to adults, too!
Check out the pictures for a little taste of what we’re doing!
The season of expectation, called Advent, is upon us. Advent begins the fourth Sunday before Christmas and marks the start of a new liturgical year. This new year, which we begin on this Sunday, is noted as Year C, and our gospel focus moves from the Gospel of Mark (Year B), to the Gospel of Luke.
The four Sundays of Advent are also commemorated by the lighting of the Advent Wreath. According to information provided on Wikipedia[i], the concept of the Advent Wreath originated with the Lutherans during the 16th century. It was a way to mark time from the first Sunday of Advent to Christmas. The original Advent wreath had 20 small red and four large white candles. A small candle was lit successively on weekdays and Saturdays and on Sunday a large white candle was lit. The use of the wreath changed to marking only the four Sundays in Advent, and some churches added a fifth white candle in the center, which was lit on Christmas. The Roman Catholic Church in Germany adopted the custom in the 1920’s and it spread to the United States sometime in the 1930’s.
Today, many denominations use an Advent wreath during Advent. The wreath is circular, representing eternity. Four or five candles are arranged on the wreath, depending on whether a center candle for Christmas is used. Set on the outer wreath are four candles: three are either blue or purple, and one is rose. One candle on the outer ring is lit each Sunday. Whether the wreath uses four or five candles, the idea is that the wreath, and the lighting of the candles successively each Sunday, represents the light of Christ coming into the world.
The first blue or purple candle that is lit is called the “Prophecy Candle”, reminding us of the prophets who foretold the coming of the Messiah. This first candle represents HOPE. The second purple or blue candle that is lit represents LOVE. Some traditions have named this candle the “Bethlehem Candle”, representing Christ’s manger. On the third Sunday, the rose candle is lit. This candle is called the “Shepherd’s Candle” and it represents JOY. The fourth candle is often referred to as the “Angel’s Candle”, and it represents PEACE. On Christmas Eve, the white center candle is lit. This candle is called the “Christ Candle” and represents Christ coming into the world[ii].
Using an Advent Wreath at home is a wonderful way to mark the season. You can find advent wreaths in many craft shops, in Christian Bookstores, and on-line. There are also some available at the Cathedral Bookstore at St. Philips in Atlanta. The candles are often sold as a four pack, with three blue or purple and one pink or rose in the box. You can set the wreath on a plate or a charger, and then decorate the wreath with Christmas greenery. The candles can be lit in the same way we light them on Sunday. On Sunday evening, perhaps before dinner, light one or more of the candles, depending on which Sunday it is, and share a prayer of either thanksgiving (how has God blessed me this week), or a prayer of hope (what does it mean to you that Christ comes into the world?).
The Advent wreath is a home tradition that I adopted many years ago. It has infused an added level of spirituality and reflection in what would otherwise be a very hectic season. I highly recommend it!
Advent Blessings, Mother Liz+
[i] Wikipedia, “The Advent Wreath”, found at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advent_wreath, accessed 11-30-18.
[ii] “The Advent Wreath”, Terra Sancta Guild.
Advent, the start of a new year for the church, begins four Sundays before Christmas. During this season, we wait, prepare, reflect, and watch hopefully for the coming of God through Jesus in the real world- a world filled with good and bad, happiness and sorrow. Advent is the time for us to celebrate “God with us,” which is the literal translation of “Emmanuel.” The colors of Advent are either purple (symbolizing suffering/repentance/Christ’s royalty/the connection between the birth and death of Jesus) or dark blue, like a predawn winter sky before the sun rises/the light of Christ comes (symbolizing expectation/hope of faith/heaven/the Virgin Mary).
The altar flowers for Advent reflect the darkness before Christ and get lighter each Sunday. Below is a guide for the Advent altar flowers.
First Sunday of Advent/Hope: Dark blue, dark purple, dark green.
Second Sunday of Advent/Preparation: Lighter blue, lighter purple, lighter green.
Third Sunday of Advent/Gaudete or Rejoice/Joy: Lighter green, pink/rose and even a little white for the Virgin Mary.
Fourth Sunday of Advent/Love: Light blue light purple, light green.
References:
Angelicanchurchtwente.com, “Advent.”
Fairchild, Mary (Dec. 12, 2017) ThoughtCo., “Three Main Advent Colors Packed With Meaning.”
Stmargarets.org, “Advent”
Stpaulsivy.org, “Did You Know Series: Advent/ Why Blue for Advent?”
