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 Sunday, December 2, 2018
We bring our new Advent/ Christmas series "Wondrous Star"
adapted from Marcia McFee's Worship Design Studio
The classic hymn “Silent Night” first made its debut on Christmas Eve, 1818 at the St. Nicholas chapel in Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria. The melody by composer Franz Gruber is instantly recognizable from the first few notes, and the text by Joseph Mohr has been translated from the original German into over 140 languages. In 1914, just four years shy of the 100th anniversary of “Silent Night,” the soldiers fighting World War I along the Western Front held a ceasefire in some areas out of mutual respect for the holiday. Members from opposing sides exchanged gifts and stories with one another, played games, and sang Christmas carols together, including the beloved hymn “Silent Night.” Today, churches all over the world gather together each year on Christmas Eve to light candles, sing “Silent Night,” and participate in a timeless tradition of inimitable ritual power.
At the time of this writing in 2018, our communities, our churches, and our world are torn and divided about many contentious cultural issues. Families fight, politicians argue, flame wars spread ignorance and hate on the Internet, and sometimes we feel that hope, peace, love, and light are missing from our lives. Perhaps this Christmas could be a time of ceasefire from our own sources of conflict. Perhaps his year, we will raise our voices in song to celebrate the birth of Christ with a spirit of peace and love that transcends all barriers.
12/2/2018: "Sleep in Peace": Sid Hall
12/9/2018: "Glories Stream": Elder Devon Reynolds PC (USA), Trinity Pastoral Intern
12/16/2018: "Redeeming Grace": Rev. Dr. Don Longbottom, Conference Minister of the South Central Conference of the United Church of Christ
12/21/2018: Longest Night (healing service): Pastor Mark Moore
12/23/2018: "Let Us Sing": Sid Hall
12/24/2018: "Wondrous Star": Sid Hall
12/30/2018: "Earth's Borning Cry": Sid Hall
“Sleep In Peace” by Sid Hall
9:00 am - Imprints: Contemplative celebration
10:00 am - Adult Sunday School classes & Children's Community Hour
11:00 am - Weave: Blended Celebration
Readings
Isaiah 2:1-4 (NRSV)
Marcia McFee, The Worship Design Studio
Children's Worship
December 2nd - Sleep in Peace
Our children will be talking about what helps them feel calm and peaceful as we explore the first verse of Silent Night and start our advent season. The children will be practicing star breathing and making an advent wreath to take home.
December 9th - Glories Stream
We will be sharing what fills our hearts with joy! We will be making wings and discovering what "glories stream from heaven" might mean as we think about the second verse of Silent Night.
December 16th - Redeeming Grace
The 3rd Sunday of Advent the children will be talking about love and ways we show love for each other. We will be making gifts and making love the focus as we investigate the 3rd verse of Silent Night.
December 23rd - Let Us Sing
The children will take the last verse of Silent Night and discuss the meaning of hope and how we can put hope in our hearts and in our world.
Special Offering
Ridgetop Elementary School Emergency Fund
Your generosity provided 10 families with a Thanksgiving meal and will provide Christmas gifts for the 20 children who are members of these families. This offering will continue through December 9th. Thank you again for your continued support of these families and our partnership with Ridgetop.
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Updated Trinity Events
* Please note date changes *
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Workday/Advent Decoration
Thank you to everyone who made this day a BIG success!
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Advent Family Workshop
Sat, December 1, 10am – 12pm
Create a service and kindness centered advent calendar and decorate cookies to be given to the homeless this Christmas season. For families of all ages!
*Full Description and Signup Below*
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Church Conference - Mon, December 3, 7pm – 9pm
In the Sanctuary/Community Hall of Trinity Church of Austin
All are welcome! This conference will include the five other progressive congregations of the UMC in Austin. The service will include worship and a time for connections over snacks provided by the Leadership Team.
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Poinsettias - delivery December 6 - order below!
Pick up on Christmas Eve
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Interfaith Hanukkah Shabbat Meal - Fri, December 7, 7pm – 10pm
Hosted by Jewish Voice for Peace, If Not Now, and Trinity
*Full Description and Signup Below -- Register ASAP*
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Christmas Banquet - Sat, December 15, 6pm – 8pm
*This Date Has Changed*
Join your Trinity friends for a potluck banquet, music,
and an appearance by Santa.
Signup sheets available at Sunday services
We will need table hosts (decorate a table and bring a main dish)
Help decorating the Community Hall for the Banquet
Help Setting up/cleanup of the Community Hall
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Longest Night - Fri, December 21, 6:30pm – 7:30pm
A special service led by Associate Pastor Mark Moore
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Christmas Eve Services - Mon, December 24, 5:30pm & 7:30pm
Join us for Carols and Candlelight
Nursery care will be provided
Activity bags will be available for older children
Poinsettia Order 2018
Each year Trinity decorates the sanctuary with poinsettias in honor and memory of loved ones. These are yours to take home and enjoy after Christmas Eve Services. Poinsettias are from Down Home Ranch in Elgin Texas a non-profit providing support, education and Jobs for people with intellectual disabilities. Your purchase helps support this vital mission. Poinsettias are 15.00 each and can be paid through PayPal or a check made out to Trinity (Poinsettia in memo line).
Click here to order
Trinity Family Advent Workshop - with frosting!
Saturday, December 1st, 10:00am
This year families will create a calendar that will provide opportunities for intentionality and thoughtfulness during this Advent season. Together families will pick service and kindness related activities that will fit their family's schedules, ages, and needs. Projects could be holding the door for someone, picking a toy to donate to a toy drive, writing a letter to a loved one, or helping clean up trash in the neighborhood. Trinity will provide TONS of project ideas and your family will choose the 25 projects that work best for your family and make an advent chain to use at home.
Trinity will also provide the December 1st advent activity for your family! After you create your family advent chain, come help decorate Christmas Cookies for the homeless. We will have cookies, frosting, and sprinkles for your family to decorate cookies.
Click here to RSVP
Social Justice Sunday School
The Social Justice class will be listening to and discussing a Ted Talk given by Paula Stone Williams. Williams is a conservative religious leader who formerly as Paul Williams was the president of a new church plant organization for evangelical churches. The talk we will listen to primarily focuses on gender inequality.
We meet Sundays at 10am in the social justice class room
at the end of the hall next to the community hall.
Hope Food Pantry Fundraiser
Lydia Group is hosting a Hope Food Pantry Fundraiser on Sunday, December 9th. There will be all kinds of hand crafted items to dress up your packages, your trees or to give as gifts. We will be able to take a limited number of special requests. All items will have a suggested donation, and all funds will go to Hope Food Pantry! For more information, be sure to check us out in the Fellowship Hall. See Gary Brown by the Coffee and Tea table or contact Micheal Harper at harper6702@google.com
Interfaith Hanukkah Shabbat Meal
Friday, December 7, 7:00pm
Friends,
Across the country, JVP chapters are holding Hanukkah celebrations. Here in Austin we are including our Muslim friends at the end of what has been a very tough year for both of our communities.
We are happy to come together at Trinity Church of Austin. Our Shabbat falls on the sixth night of Hanukkah and coincides with the advent season, a Christian celebration of light.
Please use the SignUpGenius form here to bring a dish or two. This will help us know how many people to expect. If you sign up to bring plates, cups, utensils, and/or napkins, please come a little before 7 PM.
Sie Gesundt,
The Leadership Team of Austin JVP
Registration is filling up, so please sign up soon!
Hanukkah 2018: An Interfaith Celebration of Light in Dark Times
7:00-9:30 PM
Trinity Church of Austin
4001 Speedway
Austin, Tx 78751
Co-Sponsored by JVP Austin, INN Austin, CAIR Austin, Trinity Church of Austin |
Longest Night
The Christmas season is often marked by expressions of joy, excitement, and happiness. It’s a time for families to gather and for churches to worship, pointing to the hope that is found in the coming of the Christ child. However, this time of joy and expectation can often overshadow the pain and hurt many experience during this season, when the world's merriment puts their grief and sorrow in stark relief.
What is a Longest Night service? Longest Night or Darkest Night services are held on or close to the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year, December 21, and provide an opportunity for healing during a time of the year that, let’s face it, is just hard for some of us.
Christmas can, indeed, be a painful time for some. It may be the first Christmas after a big life change: a lost job, a broken relationship, a wearying illness, a recent death—or perhaps it is simply a time that has always been difficult. The constant refrain on the TV and radio focuses on the happiness of the season and getting together with family and friends, but it reminds some people of what they have lost or never had. We long for the space and time to acknowledge our sadness and concern, and to know that we are not alone.
For these reasons, Trinity Church of Austin will offer a “Longest Night” service on Friday, December 21 at 6:30pm. You are invited to come join with us in sharing prayers and music acknowledging that God’s presence is for those who mourn, and that God comes to shine light into our darkness. Everyone is welcome.
Austin Sanctuary Network
Austin Sanctuary Network needs volunteers for its Accompaniment Program, a process of going with immigrants to San Antonio for transportation and/or emotional support while they endure ankle monitor check-ins at for-profit, prison industry sites and ICE court events. The presence of privileged allies is extremely helpful. Contact Peggy (morton.peg@gmail.com) to participate.
As asylum seekers on our southern border confront our government's harsh responses and much misinformation about the issues is generated, the Guardian published a second, vivid article this week by Trinity's Bryan Mealer describing his time with the caravan.
Merry Gaming
Trinity Games Night will be at Russell and Ardeth Still’s house (again) on Friday Dec. 7th from 7:00 - 10:00.
Bring games you want to play, snacks and drinks if you like. Some will be provided.
All ages are welcome. The main games are oriented to teens/adults, but younger children can find activities. There is no supervised child care.
Address: 904 Potomac Path, Austin
Cell: 512 579-9289
Hm: 512 836-8425
Heading north on I35 you take the next exit past 183 (Rundberg exit).
Just past the radio station take a right on Fenelon.
Fenelon dead ends into Tecumseh, turn left. At the the stop sign it becomes Potomac Path.
Continue straight after the stop sign and we are the 3rd house on the left.
If you happen to miss the turn on Fenelon, just take the next right onto Hermitage (past the funeral home) and then an immediate right on Grayledge and left on Potomac Path.
There is construction so finding and turning on Fenelon can be tricky.
You can also get there from Grayledge or Shenandoah off of Rutherford.
Get to Rutherford from Cameron or going north beside the Walmart from the 183 north access road.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/904+Potomac+Path/@30.3474681,-97.6913761,17z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x8644c982095d64ff:0x64973f101d224783
Hope to see you there!
Stewardship Update
Thanks to all those who have turned in a pledge card for 2018. If you plan to pledge but haven't turned in a pledge card, you may find them at the side doors of the sanctuary or in the office. You may also pledge online or mail a card to:
Trinity Church of Austin
4001 Speedway
Austin Texas 78751
Prayer Requests
Please hold all these in our community in your prayers.
Kathleen Strong
Barbara Lightheart
If you would like to have a prayer request or joy listed in the announcements, please email Devon at devon@trinitychurchofaustin.org
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