This weekend we celebrate the Third Sunday of Advent, also referred to as Gaudete Sunday, or the Sunday of Joy. It is the Sunday when we light the rose colored candle on the Advent wreath. This is to remind us that while one aspect of Advent is penitential, preparing the way of the Lord by turning from sin, another aspect of Advent is joyful expectation.
I invite you to share in the joy of Advent by participating in our Advent Lessons and Carols service this Sunday afternoon at 3 pm. This year, in addition to our magnificent adult choir, we will also hear our newly formed children’s choir.
I hope you noticed the spruced up look of our parish campus as we prepare to celebrate Christmas. At last Saturday’s church work day, several members of our parish braved the rain and spread 9,600 pounds of cypress mulch, planted 75 plants in the columbarium and the Burch Garden, polished the sacred vessels for worship, and set up our Nativity creche inside the church, and sorted all of our Christmas pageant costumes. On behalf of our entire parish family, I want to thank all of those who helped to make our church beautiful, inside and out!
Inside today’s bulletin you will find an important letter from our Vestry regarding our 2018 parish budget. As we prayerfully consider what God is calling us to be and to do as a parish in 2018, I invite you to review the letter and help us to craft a budget that reflects our faith in God and our joy in being called to follow Christ.