Hello, friends, sisters and
brothers in
Christ,
fellow homo sapiens, Brother Sun and Sister Moon!
I have thoroughly enjoyed the Fall at St. John’s. I give God thanks for St. John’s. Worship has been powerful, beautiful, fun, and challenging. We are just warming up, making the path straight, so to speak. John the Baptist, the Elijah character in the Gospel of JC*, the tough-guy-locust-and-wild-honey-in-the-wilderness-prophet dude, I find a bit scary. Those guys and gals who are so committed that their very presence is a wake up call: “Make your way straight.”
The camel hair
clothes are a bit over the top for me. But Baptist is a
pretty good last
name. What are you known for? Freud, Einstein,
Madden, Colonel
Sanders…
psychology, relativity, football video games, chicken. . .
There’s the
“Oh, I made baptism popular” way of being known—for the free, readily
available, cleansing of sin. Then there is Mary, blessed
Mary, the pregnant
prophetess with her sideshow
husband Joseph.
Advent is here! Choir Christmas Special and New Members on Dec 5, Kids’ Pageant Dec 12, Women’s Daytime Drop-in Center gifts and Caroling on the 19th. And, of course, the joyous, warm, transcendent Christmas Eve (5:30pm). Bring your family and friends.
Come help decorate for the season this
Saturday at 5:00pm —
Pizza provided!
See you in Worship and all through the season!
Pastor Max
* Your
pastor’s abbreviation for You Know Who (?)
(Maybe your editor is supposed to expand that...)
Join Us for Advent & Christmastime at St. John’s
Nov 28
Communion
(1st Sunday in Advent)
Dec 5
Haydn's St
Nicholas Mass with choir
& chamber orchestra in Worship: (Bill Bennett,
Bill
Harvey and friends)
(2nd Sunday)
Afternoon concert at 4:00pm
with Marie
Plette, soprano
We
welcome the radiant soprano Marie Plette, a frequent guest artist at the
Metropolitan
Opera, the Seattle Opera and the San
Francisco Opera. Ms Plette
will
perform a special program of festive Advent music, including settings of holiday
favorites and seasonal carols.
A reception with the artist follows the performance. Ticket information available on our website: www.stjohnsberkeley.org
Dec 12
Children & Youth Pageant
(3rd Sunday)
Dec 19 Caroling after Worship at retirement
homes
(4th Sunday)
Dec 24 Christmas Eve Service at 5;30pm with carols, readings, and candlelight.
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Christmas Pageant, December 12
The children and youth of St. John's present their 2010 Christmas Pageant "A Christmas Mystery" in Worship Sunday, December 12. Our pageant asks the question, "Could Christmas come without Jesus?" Invite friends and neighbors to see shepherds, sheep, angels, a new star, and a new baby! Hear and sing old carols and surprising new Christmas music.
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Christmas Pageant Rehearsal Schedule
Sunday Dec 28 After the Simple Gospel: Full rehearsal and assignment of parts.
Sat Dec
4
6:00pm through church Sunday
morning: Our grand pageant rehearsal
sleep over with pizza, popcorn, a movie, hide and seek all over the
church,
pancakes in the morning, and intensive rehearsals. Bring toothbrush
and sleeping
bag.
Wed Dec
8
6:00pm: Special rehearsal for musicians and
featured singers in the
choir room with Todd Jolly.
Sat, Dec 11
3:00
- 6:00pm: Dress
rehearsal in the sanctuary and cast party.
Sun Dec 12 Come to the sanctuary at 8:45pm for final rehearsal and costumes. Present the pageant at 10:00 AM worship.
Musicians bring instruments to all
rehearsals. New cast members are
welcome at any time.
For information call Fred Harvey
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Continuing Sunday Forums (Faith at Work series)
Nov 28 Ron Amundson and Sarah Williams
Dec 5 Gloria Worrell and Virginia Anderson
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The English literature seminar will discuss the last third (chapters 28-38) of Charlotte Bronte's "Jane Eyre" on Thursday, December 2, at 2:30pm in the Campbell Reception Room. Anyone interested in exploring the depths of feeling in this fascinating novel is invited to attend.
Note
to newcomers--At the December meeting I will be distributing copies of
some
poems by Wordsworth, which we will discuss in January. If you would
like me to
make you a copy, please call me before the end of
November. Virginia
Anderson,
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Women’s Bible Study, Thursday, December 9, noon to 2pm. Lesson 3: “Worshiping God and the Lamb: The Heavenly Journey Begins.” True power is found in Jesus, the Lamb. When we recognize that power, we join with all creation in singing praise to God. Bring your lunch and your Bible. Marietta Harvey,
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Advent feature in Presbyterian
Today.
Pick
up the current issue featuring a special, inserted Advent
Calendar, “Living
the Advent story,” with a meditation for each day.
Pick up a copy
before we run out.
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December 12 is Chocolate Sunday, Christmas Fair Trade giving
(Note from Marilyn) I've been visiting the Equal Exchange fair trade webpage where we buy our chocolate, tea, coffee and cocoa etc. to read the stories of the individual farmers and cooperatives to which they belong:
"Thanks to God and Equal Exchange, we will not die of hunger, we will not lose our land, and our children are able to attend school. I want to thank all of the people that purchase our coffee. It is thanks to you that we have a seed of hope in our lives" says José Luis Castillo Vásquez, a member of the Las Colinas coffee cooperatives in El Salvador.
Barend Salomo, indigenous South African of the Rooibos Sustainability Project of the Wupperthal Tea Association, and one of 12 children says of his mom: "… she didn’t have enough mother’s milk to feed us all. The rooibos tea was a substitute for me for mother’s milk. So this product runs in my veins."
We can be a little extra generous in our giving of fair trade products this year; each gift contributes to the dignity and well-being of brothers and sisters around the world.
On December 12 our fair trade manager Coraima will have lots of beautiful gift bags ready for you to fill for your family, friends, coworkers – and to use for hostess gifts, little packages on the pillows of your guests. Be creative – and don't forget the new mini packets of many chocolates – $4.50.
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Flick Flak will meet Friday, Dec. 3, for a potluck at 6:30pm. The films to see are "The Social Network" and/or "Hereafter." Note the date change from our usual fourth Friday.
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Bread Delivery needed
A volunteer is needed to pick up bread on Tuesday mornings from La Farine on College Avenue and deliver it to Prime Timers. The bread and rolls are distributed to PT members and church committees. The remaining bread is given to Child Care and the Monteverde School. The plastic bags of bread are large and heavy. Please telephone Helen Betts at
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Prime Timers for December
14 10:30 Blood pressure screening by Roma
12:00
Something festive will be served. Bring
cookies or a dessert and we'll have our
famous
PrimeTimers punch.
21 To be announced
28 The Church (and Prime Timers) will be closed for the holiday
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HELP,
HELP, HELP!!!
Volunteers are needed for two shifts for
the Washington-Cal game on Sat., Nov.,
27. Game starts at 12:30;
first shift starts at 10:15; second at 12:00; and third
at 2:30. Please call Claudia
The cell number in the Directory is wrong. THANK YOU!
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Camp Elmwood 2011
For those who make early summer plans, Christian Education Commission has announced 2011 dates for Camp Elmwood, our summer outreach program. Camp Elmwood's Teen Leadership Camp for ages 13-18 will be August 1-5. Camp Elmwood for ages 5-13 plus our teen counselors will be August 8-12. Flyers and applications will be available in January.
Happy Thanksgiving!