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The heavens declare the glory of God, 
and the firmament shows God's handiwork.
Psalm 19:1

Many of you know that Mary Oliver, whose poetry we often feature, passed away last week. May she rest in peace and rise in glory. In honor of her life and legacy, here's one of our favorites:

The Summer Day 
by Mary Oliver

Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean—
the one who has flung out of the grass, 
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand, 
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down—
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.

I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down 
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass, 
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields, 
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do 
with your one wild and precious life?
This Sunday
  • The Rev. Julie Nelson will be preaching at both services. 
  • Sunday Worship:  8:00 a.m. Eucharist in the Church; 10:15 a.m. Choral Eucharist in the Church; Creative Holy Play for preschool through pre-teen during the 10:15 a.m. service; Youth Group meets after the 10:15 a.m. service.
  • Choir Rehearsal:  9:00 a.m. in the Church
  • The Forum:  9:00 a.m. in the Fireside Room. We continue with our exploration of spirituality and the brain through a wonderful Great Course, The Spiritual Brain: Science and Religious Experience. This week's episode looks at "Religion and Mental Health." All are welcome!
  • Parish Annual Gathering:  in the Parish Hall following the 10:15 service. Lunch is being provided by the Ventana Parents Association. 
  • Vestry Meeting:  in the Conference Room following the Annual Gathering 
  • Convivium Rehearsal:  5:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall
  • AA:  8:00 p.m. Co-Ed Step Study Group in the Fireside Room
  • Sunday's lesson can be found online by clicking here. 
Upcoming Events

Annual Parish Gathering to be held on Sunday
Christ Church's Annual Gathering is on Sunday immediately following the 10:15 a.m. service in the Parish Hall. Lunch is being provided by the Ventana Parents Association. Every year in late January the entire parish is invited to come together to reflect on the year that has passed and look ahead to the year to come. This is an opportunity to hear from various parish leaders about our ministries, get an update on our finances, elect new vestry members and delegates to Diocesan gatherings, and - importantly - enjoy a delicious meal together. It is also a time to bring your own questions, hopes and dreams for discussion. Music and table conversation will be interspersed around the reports, though we intend to keep the meeting shorter this January than last. There were printed copies of the 2018 Annual Report available last Sunday in the back of the church; and, you can download it from the website here. Our hope is that making this available to parishioners ahead of time will allow you to come prepared and informed to this important and inspiring gathering. Copies of the Annual Report also will be available on Sunday. 

Parish Potluck and Presentation from Parishioner Sukey Bryan
Date Change
On Friday, February 1, parishioner Sukey Bryan will present a program on her installation art, some of which we have been privileged to enjoy on our campus (see photos at right and read about her current installation in the church in the Announcements below). Sukey was the 2018 Artist-In-Residence at Grace Cathedral. We will gather in the Parish Hall at 5:30 p.m. for a social time, followed by a potluck dinner at 6:00, and Sukey's presentation at 7:00 p.m. Please bring a main dish, salad, dessert, wine or appetizers to share.

Rise Against Hunger Meal Packing Service Event
Join members of the Christ Church and Ventana School community on Saturday, February 9, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. as we package meals to serve an impoverished community through Rise Against Hunger, an international aid organization. Last year this proved to be a fun, energizing and inspiring event as we came together to make a positive impact and provide food for over 10,000 families. This is a family-friendly service opportunity and children of all ages (see photos from last year) are encouraged to participate - there is something for everyone to do. Your RSVP will help us to plan for the correct number of packaging stations and to ensure we have enough snacks and supplies for everyone. Please click here to register to take part in this community event. 

Scout Sunday Pancake Breakfast
To celebrate Scout Sunday, and to say thank you to our parish for the support we provide, Boy Scout Troop 30 will be serving a pancake breakfast on Sunday, February 10, 9:00-10:00 a.m. in the Parish Hall. Stay after the 8:00 a.m. service or come early for the 10:15 a.m. service and enjoy a hot breakfast!

Evensong Celebrating Those Married or Partnered 50+ Years
On Sunday afternoon, February 10, Grace Cathedral and The Rt. Rev. Marc Handley Andrus, Bishop of California, invite couples who have been married or partnered for 50 years or more to celebrate their years together. This festal Choral Evensong will be sung by the Cathedral Camerata. Couples are invited to renew their vows to each other during the service, and the bishop will pronounce God's blessing. For more information and to receive an invitation, please click here.

Why Christian?
A one-of-a-kind gathering of pastors, practitioners, artists, dreamers and doubters around one question: Why Christian? Hosted by Nadia Bolz-Weber and Rachel Held Evans, the Why Christian 2019 Conference will be held at Grace Cathedral, April 5-6, 2019. Given the conference location in San Francisco, we wanted to make you aware of this opportunity to hear courageous storytelling and testimony from a wide range of speakers all exploring the question - why, in the wake of centuries of corruption, hypocrisy, crusades, televangelists, and puppet ministries do we continue to follow Jesus? Why Christian?
Save The Date - Upcoming Events
Sunday, January 27:  Parish Annual Gathering; Vestry Meeting following Parish Meeting
Sunday, February 10:  Scout Sunday Pancake Breakfast; Ventana School Choristers sing with the Parish Choir at the 10:15 a.m. service
Sunday, February 24:  Vestry Meeting
Tuesday, March 5:  Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner
Wednesday, March 6:  Ashes to Go in Downtown Los Altos
Wednesday, March 6, 6:00 p.m.:  Ash Wednesday Service
Saturday, March 9, 4:00 p.m.: Living Harmony Presents Still I Rise: A Program for International Women's Day
Wednesdays, March 13-April 10:  Soup Dinner and Lenten Study
Saturday, April 13, 4:00 p.m.: Living Harmony Presents  Evensong with The Girls' Choir of St Catharine's College, Cambridge
Sunday, April 14-Sunday, April 21:  Holy Week Services
Saturday, April 27:  Rebuilding Together Service Event
Stewardship of Our Stained Glass Windows

      

Installed with much fanfare in 1986, our Gabriel Loire Windows are undoubtedly our greatest art treasure here at Christ Church. Created in Chartres, shipped through the Panama Canal, then framed here with local resilient redwood, the towering Windows withstood the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989 without a single loss. But time, wind and weather always take their toll, and now, thirty-three years later, we have contracted with Nzilani Glass Conservation Inc., to do an intensive survey on the physical condition of the stained-glass walls in the church. This company of young glass specialists, founded by Ariana Makau, was the recipient of the 2018 California Preservation Foundation Craftsmanship/Preservation Technology Award.

This week Ariana and Armelle have been examining every inch of the windows, visually documenting their condition for a comprehensive printed report. We’re hoping for a good bill of health, but if they do find areas of concern, the Survey report will help us pinpoint them and prepare for future restoration. In addition to the Survey work, Ariana spent time with Ventana students during their Wednesday Wondering Time sharing a little background on the work she does, showing pictures of and explaining different types of stained glass windows, talking about the work they are doing with our windows, and answering questions.

This Survey comes from our own commitment at Christ Church and to the ongoing responsible stewardship of this unique treasure. But, like the Windows themselves, the complexity of the task plus the time of experts does not come cheap. The cost of this Survey project is $16,000, and we already have a donation of $10,000 from “a grateful parish family” to get us started. If the Windows and their future are important to you and your worship among us, please feel free to contribute any amount – large or small – to help us meet our goal. Contributions to “Windows Survey” can be made online (credit/debit card or bank account) or via check in the Sunday plate or mailed to the office (Windows Survey on the memo line).
         
For more information on this conservation project, please contact Lauren Arnold at laurenarnold@cs.com.

Announcements
Next Week at Christ Church (see the full church calendar here)  

  • Office Hours:  Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. 
  • Monday, 9:15 a.m.  Yoga in the Church Narthax
  • Monday, 4:45 p.m.   Cantabile Youth Singers in the Parish Hall and Star Room
  • Monday, 8:00 p.m.  AA Men’s Group in the Chapel
  • Thursday, 5:00 p.m.  Meditation Group with Rev. Claire in the Chapel
  • Thursday, 5:30 p.m.   Cantabile Youth Singers in the Parish Hall and Star Room
  • Thursday, 7:00 p.m.  AA Meditation Group in the Chapel
  • Thursday, 7:15 p.m.  Choir Rehearsal in the Church
  • Friday, 5:30 p.m.  Parish Potluck and Presentation from Parishioner Sukey Bryan in the Parish Hall
  • Saturday, 7:00 p.m.   AA Meditation Group in the Fireside Room
Missed Church Last Sunday? You can watch and/or read the sermon online here. 

Vestry and Diocesan Delegates Slate
For the coming year, we have five open vestry slots and four diocesan delegate slots plus a delegate alternate. Here is the slate of nominees being put forth by the current Vestry. We will vote on this slate at our Annual Gathering on Sunday.
 
Vestry Nominees, 3-Year Term (2022) Nominees for Diocesan Delegates
Jo Darius
Dennis Hawkins
Beth Kerr
Alice Landis
 		 Melisa Buie
Suzette Hedley
Val Reed
Marcene Van Dierendonck
Alternate: Laurie Mills
Vestry Nominee, 2-Year Term (2021)  
Vicki Kojola  

Helping Federal Government Workers in Need
We have been asked if we know of any ways to make donations to support government workers who currently are not being paid. While Christ Church is not encouraging or endorsing any specific donation options, here are two things we have been made aware of:
  • Several Episcopal Camps and Conference Centers across the country are offering free meals to government workers who are missing paychecks. Perhaps a donation to offset these costs at one of the camps or conference centers - you can read the article here. 
  • A parishioner shared: I read somewhere that the Coast Guard is the only branch of the military that does not receive funding during the government shutdown - and yet, members are still working on the water, serving our country. I think it was the same article that mentioned Coast Guard Mutual Assistance (CGMA), which provides financial assistance to anyone in the Coast Guard family. The website is https://cgmahq.org, and includes links to donate online. 
Donations for Ventana's Toy Hack-a-Thon
Ventana is collecting used and broken toys, in any condition, to provide the raw material for its annual Toy Hack-a-Thon where students create new toys. Donations can be dropped off through Sunday, Feb. 3, in the collection bin outside the school office behind the whiteboard. The Ventana School office is at the end of the lower parking lot.

Epiphany Art Installation in the Church
We are thrilled to have a new art installation from parishioner Sukey Bryan in the church through the Season of Epiphany. The installation is called "Sky Banners" and it is oil on canvas, 120 x 29" each (see photo to left). 

Sukey also has two large scale outdoor installations about sky as part of the "Sheltering Sky" group show at the Palo Alto Art Center,  January 19 - April 7, 2019. Her pieces are "Sky Front" on the front of the building (photo to right) and "Sky Windows" in the sculpture courtyard. Opening Reception/Friday Night at the Art Center (fun for all ages): January 25, 7:00-10:00 p.m. 

Give a Ride/Need a Ride to Sunday Services
The Vestry is aware that we have parishioners who are not able to get here for Sunday services on their own. If you would be able to provide Sunday rides, or know someone who needs a ride, please contact Deanne in the office (office@ccla.us).
Copyright © 2019 Christ Church Los Altos, All rights reserved.


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