The weeks before Christmas

Here it is, November 14, 2013, and we are all wondering what has happened to the last year.  Thanksgiving will be here before we know it.  Many of us are old enough to remember that Christmas shopping and decorating did not start until after this day of being grateful for all we have and then stuffing ourselves to prove it.  Not so anymore.

As Episcopalians we think of December 1 as our New Year. We start with Advent, awaiting the celebration of the birth of our Lord.  We do not festoon the church with Christmas decorations, nor do we sing Christmas carols.  Instead we have an expectation that the Lord will come again and are grateful that He came to us in great humility over 2000 years ago.  This year we will celebrate our eucharists with the color blue for our vestments and hangings.  This is a change from the purple we used to use.  We are not considering Advent as a time of penitence but joyful waiting.  We are also grateful to the new blue vestments which have been purchased in memory of one of our long time members who left this earthly life over a year ago.

In the middle of all this waiting, preparing for when He will come again, we sing "Come thou long Expected Jesus" "Prepare the way O Zion", and other wonderful Advent hymns.  But, on December 14, we will also have our annual Cookie Walk.

Do the cookies walk?  Well, no, but they do move out of our Hall at a quick pace.  People line up starting at 9 am to purchase home made cookies and other baked goodies.  The doors open at 10 am with many, many tables laden with the best we can offer.  We will have soup and half a sandwich available  for sale for lunch if the cookie walking makes you tired.

Anyone who has been to our Cookie walk knows that you are given a plastic glove for your hand so you can pick out your own cookies, a container to place them in (or two or three), and then you "walk around" the tables filling your containers to your heart's content.

The Cookie Walk will be from 10 am to 1:30 pm.  Come early, buy a lot, eat lunch and enjoy the Upper Room Thrift Shop for some great buys for your holiday shopping.

 More information about Advent and our Christmas services in a day or two.  Think about getting ready for a New Year and start Advent and Christmas with us at the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany.