St. Matthews Episcopal Church

Episcopal Church in Snellville, GA

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10

New Vestry Members Elected At the Annual Parish Meeting January 27, 2019

Congratulations to our newest vestry members Eliot Griffiths, Bernard McGhee, Becky Olbon, and Sam Rotella, elected at the Annual Parish Meeting. They will serve a three year term. Members also reviewed the 2019 budget and participated in table discussions  about the year(s) ahead. This year kicks off a celebration of St. Matthew’s 40 years of ministry in the Snellville / Gwinnett County area, as the parish looks ahead to the next forty years and beyond.

A single combined Eucharist service followed the meeting, and the Brotherhood of St. Andrew hosted its annual Fish Fry after the service.

St. Matthew’s extends heartfelt thanks to Oscar De Leon, Mara DiGiovanni, Scott McEvoy and Beth Still for their faithful service on the vestry these past three years, and thanks to Eliot, Bernard, Becky and Sam as they begin their three year term.

 



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Santa / St. Nick Breakfast Was So Fun!

Check out the photos from our Santa/St. Nick Breakfast held Saturday, December 8. Santa and St. Nicholas paid a visit to talk to the children about God’s love and to tell the story of God’s greatest gift to us–Jesus Christ, God’s only Son. Yummy pancake breakfast, crafts and stories made it a really fun morning!



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Junior Worship

Teaching the Traditions of Worship To Our Children

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!



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Musings From Mother Liz: An Exceptional First Week of Advent

As some of you are aware, I took quite a tumble on Wednesday and ended up in the Emergency Room at Eastside Hospital. I was having lunch with Lynne Kiker when my foot hit a chair or table leg on the way back to my table and I fell, hitting my head on one of the wooden tables and landing hard on my left shoulder. Two men whom I did not know helped me to my feet and the manager of the Panera brought me an ice bag for my throbbing head. It only took about three minutes to realize that the size of the lump on my head suggested that I get it checked. And I needed something for the headache!

Lynne drove me to the ER and stayed with me and she was joined by Susan Carson, who later drove me home in my own car and arranged for her daughter-in-law to help coordinate the collection of cars. Everything checked out as okay, and they gave me a script for headache medicine, which Susan was kind enough to pick up from the pharmacy. John Eberhart stopped by to see how I was doing and prepared a snack along with a giant glass of ginger ale.

Samantha Renfro, my senior warden, suggested that I take some time to recover; Vicki Conway brought me soup and bread from Panera the next day, and I have heard from many of you wanting to know what you can do to help me mend. I am much better, but at the same time, I am very glad that Mother Pat Miller has agreed to take the services this Sunday.

Since I have been doing little besides sleeping and reading since the mishap on Wednesday, there has been time for reflection. I realized that what I experienced this week is the action that comes with Advent. We think of Advent as a quiet time, and it is. But it is also a time of becoming more and more aware of the gift given by God in the coming of Christ. What I learned this week is that Advent is also about recognizing Christ when he comes through the love of others: through Lynne, and Susan and Anne and Vicki and Mother Pat, nurse Renee and the staff at Eastside, Charmaine, and John and Diane and Samantha and Deborah and Mitch, those two men whose names I will never know, Marjory the manager at Panera and all of you who have offered prayers, cards, text messages and warm thoughts for my recovery. Jesus comes to us constantly through the love of others, and that is especially true in this community of Christ we call St. Matthew’s.

This month, four years ago, I started to serve as your priest. It has been an amazing four years and you have taught me much and given me even more. As I reflect on the journey that brought me here, and the love and care you have shown these past four years, I am grateful to God for revealing a side of Advent I had not thought about before – how Christ comes through the loving action of others. May this Advent be full of God’s profound Peace, and may Christmas fill you with God’s profound joy. Liz+



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ECW Christmas Pot Luck Fellowship

The ECW (Episcopal Church Women) held their annual Christmas pot luck dinner Monday evening,December 3. Many thanks to all who brought yummy food to share, and to those who set up and cleaned up after! This year instead of doing an ornament exchange members brought socks, lotion and other items to be donated to outreach ministries selected by St. Matthew’s Outreach committee. 128 pairs of socks, candy, an umbrella, a stuffed animal, and 20 bottles of lotion were donated! The socks and some of the other items will all go to the Church of the Common Ground in Atlanta for distribution to the homeless. Many thanks to all for your generous donations. Check out the pictures of this fun evening!



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Musings from Mother Liz

Dear Beloved, Advent is upon us! What is known in the world as the Christmas Shopping Season has an almost opposite meaning in the Church. Rather than the busyness that inevitably comes with this month before Christmas, Advent invites us to slow down and reflect on the miracle that gave us the reason for Christmas: God chose to become incarnate and dwell with us in the Person of his Son Jesus Christ. Last Sunday, we finished Year B with acknowledgement of Christ as King. This Sunday, we begin the story again, but told through the voice of St Luke.
It is my favorite season, and I think I put more emphasis on the first Sunday of Advent than January 1st as the start of a new year. That’s because this time in the church calendar invites us into a season of hope – hope that counters the encroaching darkness of winter; hope that tells us that as difficult as things may be, the resiliency and persistence of God in Christ to bring light into that darkness perdures (endures).
I mark time using an Advent wreath at home that I light as I begin evening prayers. There is something about the light of those candles as the day goes dark and cold that is meaningful to me. I keep the wreath lit through the reciting of the Phos hilaron (BCP 118), so that the candles might last the whole season of Advent. The lighting of the wreath and the praying of the Evening Office settles my heart and mind for the evening. All the stress of the day fades as I consider the miracle of God’s love in the gift of his Son.
Last year, I put together a list of readings materials that are good to mark the season. If you would like a copy of the list, send me an email and I will send it to you. This year, I would like to share a couple of websites that will have Advent meditations on line. The first is from my seminary in Austin, the Seminary of the Southwest. The link can be found here: https://ssw.edu/blog/advent-meditation-sunday-december
If you click on the link, on the right side you will see a place where you can enter your email to sign up.
The other link is from Virginia Theological Seminary. The link can be found here:
There may be other places on-line, but these are two good ones with which to start.
I pray that you are able to set a side time for prayer, or reflection, or just time to be quiet, so that you are able to prepare your heart for God’s gift to us at Christmas: Emmanuel, God with us.
Advent Blessings,
Liz+



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The Advent Wreath: A Home Tradition

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.



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The Symbolism of the Colors of the Advent Flowers On the Altar

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?”



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Advent, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Services

ADVENT & CHRISTMAS WORSHIP AT ST. MATTHEW’S

1st & 2nd Sundays in Advent
8:00 and 10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist
Epiphany Choir will play Dec 9 at 10:30 a.m.

3rd Sunday in Advent, December 16
8:00 and 10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist

5:30 p.m. Service of Lessons & Carols—
Nursery provided through age 6

4th Sunday in Advent, December 23
Holy Eucharist at 8:00
Holy Eucharist at 10:30 a.m. with Baptism

Christmas Eve, December 24 **
4:00 p.m. Family Eucharist Service
with Christmas Pageant, Junior Choir
and Cherubs
7:30 p.m. Holy Eucharist
11:00 p.m. Festive Holy Eucharist
(with incense), Sanctuary Choir
and Hand Bell Choir
Prelude starts at 10:30 p.m. with Carols

Christmas Day, December 25**
10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Carols

1st Sunday After Christmas Day, December 30
10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist (One Service Only)

**Please note there will be no nursery available on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day so that nursery volunteers may attend church with their families. ALL children of all ages are welcome in church.  Nursery is available for ages 6 mos. through age 4 on regular Sundays at  the 10:30 service.



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Counting Our Blessings

We at St. Matthew’s are abundantly blessed!

Our Consecration Sunday/Thanksgiving Feast was overflowing with joy, love, gratitude and delicious food!! To the many people who made the event happen, I give heartfelt thanks: the Fellowship Committee who gave their entire weekend to the luncheon, especially Nancy Drury, who organized her team while also serving on the Stewardship Committee; the Brotherhood who helped behind the scenes but especially with clean-up; the Stewardship Committee; and anyone else who was “volunteered” to help out.

I am also grateful for the people who were willing to go outside their comfort zones to share their personal stories about how the practice of stewardship has strengthened their faith and deepened their relationships with God. I pray that they are as blessed by their sharing as we are by hearing their stories.

If you are still prayerfully discerning what financial amount God is calling you to give to our parish, please complete your estimate of giving card and drop it in the lock box on the parish office door.

Should you have any questions or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. And as always, should you feel called by the Holy Spirit to join our Stewardship Committee, we will welcome you with open arms and grateful hearts.

Terri Hurst, Stewardship Chair

Photos from Consecration Sunday / Thanksgiving Ingathering Feast can be found here:



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At St. Matthew’s, our MISSION is to continue the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, by serving the greater community through loving its children, caring for the unfortunate and witnessing to the healing power of God’s love.