O R D I N A R Y P E O P L E E X T R A O R D I N A R Y S P I R I T

Two Emerson Street @ Gregory Boulevard, East Norwalk, Connecticut 06855 203.866.7442 The Reverend Canon Patricia M. Coller ~ www.christchurcheastnorwalk.org

December 2014 Dear Friends in Christ, There once was a woman who was feeling stressed-out and behind schedule in her prepara-tions for Christmas. One day close to Christmas she was out shopping with her two children. Af-ter many hours of looking at row after row of toys and gifts and everything else imaginable, and after hours of hearing her children ask for pretty much everything they saw on the shelves, she finally made it to the elevator, with her kids and many packages in tow. She was feeling what so many of us feel during the holiday season - immense pressure to go to every party, to wear the perfect outfit, to bake the perfect cookies and treats, to get that perfect gift for everyone on her shopping list, to sign and address all the cards, to respond to everyone who sent a card,

to plan and execute the perfect dinner, and so on. Finally the elevator doors opened, and there was already a crowd in the car. She pushed her way into the car and dragged her two kids in with her and all the bags she was maneuvering. When the doors closed, she finally couldn’t take it any more and blurted out, “Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be strung up and shot!” From the back of the car everyone heard a quiet, calm voice respond, “Don’t worry. We already crucified him.” For the rest of the trip down the elevator it was so quiet one could hear a pin drop. During the next few weeks, as we make our own lists of things to do in order to prepare for the festivities of the season, let's add an item, and

44 people gathered for the Sole Hope Shoe Cutting Party, when they cut 65 pair of shoe uppers for children in Uganda.

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circle it, or underline it, or write it in bold print or a different color ink. Let’s put “take time to remember what it is that we are celebrating” on our lists. Even just a few minutes each day of sitting in the quiet saying a prayer, or listening to some Christmas music, or looking at the holiday tree, or reading a portion of Holy Scripture or Forward Day By Day, or anything that gets us back in touch with the reason Christmas is such an important holy-day will do something good for our spirits, and will get us back in touch with the sense of love, joy and peace which are the greatest gifts that we can give, or receive, in this season. Canon Pat

MARK YOUR CALENDARS DEC 7 Advent II/First Sunday: Bishop’s Visitation with Confirmations DEC 14 Advent III DEC 14 Hungry Soul Ingathering DEC 17 Advent Labyrinth Walk DEC 20 Hungry Soul Cooking 9:00 a.m. thru 11:00 a.m. DEC 21 Advent IV Hungry Soul Breakfast, 5:00 a.m. DEC 24 Christmas Eve Worship 5:30 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. JAN 12 NEXT Vestry Meeting (none in December) FEB 8 Annual Parish Meeting Preparation for Sunday Worship Sunday morning is a wonderful time for us to gather together with our families and friends here at Christ church. Most of us have not seen our parish friends since the previous Sunday, and we are often eager to greet them and catch up on their news. Many of us sit in the Guild Room prior to the 10:00 service and enjoy a bit of catching-up, and of course coffee hour is an-

other wonderful time to enjoy fellowship with our friends and neighbors. It is perfectly appropriate to warmly greet our friends and fellow parishioners in the worship space as well. However, please keep in mind that the 10 minutes prior to the start of worship, when the organist begins playing the prelude, should be a time for quiet prayer and reflection in preparation for worship. Can you still greet and talk with your friends and acquaintances during those ten minutes? Of course, but please do so in a quiet manner that is respectful of those who may wish to be in prayer during that time. In this way we will continue to create an environment where our love for God, and for one another, can be fully and richly ex-pressed. Confirmation Sunday Three members of our congregation, Artie Egan, Isabelle Greco, and Ryan Helwig, will be confirmed when Bishop Ahrens visits Christ Church on Sunday, December 7. This will be a wonderful opportunity for our community to honor and support these young members of our church as they make an adult commitment to God and take on for themselves the promises that were made on their behalf at their baptisms. It will also be a time to greet Bishop Ahrens and to hear the message she will bring as one of the chief pastors of our diocese. You won’t want to miss this Sunday! !~ PC Living Nativity Christ Church will, once again, host a Living Nativity and petting zoo on the night of the East Norwalk Christmas Tree Lighting on De-cember 14, beginning at 4:30 p.m. We have se-cured the services of seasoned professionals to portray the stable animals. The sanctuary will be open with Betty Belcher playing seasonal carols to greet frosty visitors with the warmth of

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Christ Church. Jesus, The Light of the World, will surely brighten our little corner of the earth. All are welcome, so be sure to invite strangers and friends. ~ DB An Advent Gathering The Reverend Laura Queen will join us on Wednesday evening, December 17, for a light supper and a program about the spiritual prac-tice of the sacred labyrinth walk. As part of the program we will have the opportunity to walk the labyrinth ourselves. This will be a wonderful opportunity for an evening of reflection, re-freshment, and re-alignment as we move through Advent and approach the feast of the Incarnation. Watch for further announcements in the weeks to come. ~ PC From the Christ Church Archives The first baptism recorded in the earliest CCEN parish register is that of George Earl Roberts, on November 22, 1908. Mary Ida Neana Hoyt, born on December 25, 1897, as baptized here on February 27, 1910. Among the very first confirmands of Christ Church—confirmed on April 24, 1909, by the Right Reverend Chauncey B. Brewster—were Katherine Kimmich and Minnie Kimmich. (I was their paperboy back in the 1980’s ~ DB) Church School News Everyone will be at worship on December 7, as it will be the first Sunday of the month. Christ Church strives to have the entire congre-gation at worship, together, at least monthly. Early worship on Christmas Eve will be geared more toward those with young children; howev-er, ALL are welcome! ~ BP

FROM BUNNY The Aurora Dec. 22, 10:30 a.m. thru 11:30 a.m., help us sing Christmas carols with the residents. They love the old carols and familiars tunes. ALL are invited. On January 4, ladies of the parish will gather for brunch at the Norwalk Inn. Lets start the new year together, and celebrate the mission of the church. This season, items placed at the Giving Tree in the Guild Room will go to the Children’s Bank for The Childen’s Connection, a member of The Human Services Council sponsored by the Women’s Group. Gifts will be shared with children living in shelters or foster homes this Christmas season. Needed items, are NEW un-wrapped items for children of all ages; however items for newborns—up to age 5 is the greatest need. Needed gifts range from diapers, blankets, and new clothing, to winter accessories and toy items. Flyers have been posted around the church with additional information. You may contact Liz Conti or Bunny Zamm. Vestry Notes from November Meeting

From Marsha Dunn, Clerk Everything has come together for CCEN to be able to receive the gift of an organ from the former Grace Church. The current organ will be removed and the new one installed hopefully before Advent. Two arborists have been consulted and the tree on the playground has been deemed healthy. It and several other trees on the property will be pruned to maintain their health. The property committee will be looking into replacing the carpet in the Sunday school room. There will be a meeting Monday, November 17 for all those interested in Helping with the Fr.

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Frank’s Table Food Ministry. More planning meetings to follow. The next Hungry Soul Breakfast at the open the Open Door Shelter will be help December 21. The Shoe cutting Party for Soul Hope will be held the evening of Sunday, November 16. Thanks to all who helped with the Veterans Sunday worship and reception. The sculpture of Jesus will be returning to the CCEN front steps, for two weeks in November as part of National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Month. The Vestry is looking into a way to set up a fund or services for members of our parish who might be in need. Please see Canon Pat for information.

Music Notes December is Music Month, or so it seems to the parishioners in the choirs, both vocal and bells. These groups are working hard right now on Advent and Christmas music. .....and, of course the new organ will be here in time Christmas. I am so excited and delighted to have this won-derful instrument here at Christ Church. It should be a blessing to all of us as we give thanks at this time of year.I am very grateful to have it and I hope that it will enhance the sounds of the season for you and everyone in your family. We begin Advent on November 30, howev-er, we will actually be singing" How Marvelous Are Thy Works", which is the anthem the com-bined choirs did for the Inter-faith Thanksgiving Service here at Christ Church on November 24th. We will also begin our annual four week call to Advent worship with "Prepare Ye The Way", from God Spell, and we will be singing

the Franz Schubert setting of the German Mass for our chants. In Advent, the anthems all let us know that something special is coming: "How Shall We Know Him When He Comes," "Comfort Ye", and "An English Advent Prayer". The Bell choir will be doing a lovely version of "O Come, O Come Emanuel" with a flute soloist on December 14th. That is the same day as the Living Nativity and I will be in the Sanctuary from 6:00 p.m. playing Christmas Carols and Hymns for those of you that would like to stop in at the church and meditate, pray or just listen to the music. This is all leading up to Christmas Eve and there will be wonderful music at both services. At the 5:30 service we will sing several carols of the season that go along with our little Nativity Pageant , and a Sunday School Group of Bell ringers will perform "Hark ! The Herald Angels Sing"; Tory Tiefenthaler, one of our young sopranos, will sing "O Holy Night ." At the 11:00 service we will have a full procession of the Choir and Bell Ringers and both groups will be performing. the Ukrainian "Carol of the Bells." On December 28th the choir will be singing" Hear The Angels Singing" and the Bell ringers will be playing " On This Day": an old French Carol. We hope to have the tradition-al service of lessons and carols for January 4th, the second Sunday of the Christmas season. There is so much glorious music this month that you really wouldn't want to miss any of it. Please try to come to as many of the services as you can and support these musicians who try so very hard all year to bless you, and your worship experience with their talents. To you and all of your family I wish you a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Holy New Year. ~ BJB

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Memorial Flowers for Christmas The Altar Guild is now accepting memorial gifts for Christmas Flowers. Please complete the form available in the Gathering Place and return them to Sarah French by December 14. Please print the message you would like used in the bulletin. Help us make the Church even more beautiful than last Christmas. You can also email Sarah French at sfrench7@optimum.net by December 14, with your memorial request. Thank you. New Book Bunch Book The next book for the Book Bunch is The Road by Cormac McCarthy, and they meet next on December 16 at 7:45 p.m. ALL WELCOME!

The Sole Hope Shoe Cutting Party gleaned 75+ pair of shoe uppers which will be sent to Uganda with money and medical supplies given by parishioners and the wider community. Learn Sole Hope: www.solehope.org

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Christ Church Prepares for a New Organ and Music Transept Christ Church has been blessed with the gift of a new organ, or at least one new to us. The organ was originally

purchased and installed at the former Grace Episcopal Church in Norwalk. When Grace Church closed it’s doors in May of 2013, the request was made for the organ to be moved to Christ Church. In late October, arrangements

we made to bring the organ, in all of it’s musical fullness to our humble little chapel on the hill. A team of folks have been working this week to be sure floors will be refinished, lighting will be installed, and the organ will be in place for the visitation of Bishop Ahrens on December 7. When she visits for conformations that day, she will also rededicate the organ and bless new altar hangings, in memory of Father Frank. We pray you will join us.

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