“What’s new?” We sometimes greet someone we haven’t seen in awhile with this greeting, an open invitation to catch up on life’s details that have marked the passing of recent time. “What’s new?” is also a statement of hope—hope that life is filled with fresh starts and new possibilities, and that even when the headlines of one’s story are filled with struggle or loss, there will be new news, hopefully better news, soon. Read More
Blog
Worship with Us | Week of January 1
Here’s what’s happening this week in worship. As a reminder, there will be no Journey worship service on Sunday, January 1. Our regular schedule resumes on Winter Rally Day on Sunday, January 8.
New Year’s Day Sanctuary Worship | Sunday, 11 am
Our largest service, with music from the Chancel Choir and an organ prelude prior to the service. Pastor Heather will preach from will preach from Luke 2:22–40, and deliver her sermon, titled “Making New Memories.”
Download this week’s bulletin to follow along and read about upcoming events. Join us in person or watch our livestream on YouTube or Facebook. If you’d like to join by telephone, call 929.205.6099 and enter Meeting ID 188 135 194 when prompted (press # if asked for a personal ID).
Taizé Prayer Service | Wednesday, 7 pm
Pastor BJ will lead us as we explore Taizé’s prayerful songs and quiet meditation.
Worship with Us | Week of December 24
Here’s what’s happening this week in worship. As a reminder, there will be no Journey worship service on Sundays, December 25 or January 1.
Christmas Eve Friends & Family Service | Saturday, 4 pm
Celebrate the birth of Jesus at our early Christmas Eve service. This family friendly service will feature an intergenerational celebration of Christ’s birth—with many of the families in our congregation, carols, Communion, and a candle-lit version of Silent Night.
Pastor Heather will preach from Luke 2:1–20, and deliver her sermon, titled “Can You Hear It?”
Join us in person or watch our livestream on YouTube or Facebook. If you’d like to join by telephone, call 929.205.6099 and enter Meeting ID 188 135 194 when prompted (press # if asked for a personal ID).
Christmas Eve Traditional Service | Saturday, 10 pm
Celebrate the birth of Jesus at our traditional Candlelight Christmas Eve service. Special prelude music will begin at 9:30 pm, and will include The Brass Roots, soloists, and the Adult Choir—along with special readings and lighting of candles while we sing Silent Night.
Pastor Patrice will preach from Luke 2:1–20, and deliver her sermon, titled “Imagine…”
Join us in person or watch our livestream on YouTube or Facebook. If you’d like to join by telephone, call 929.205.6099 and enter Meeting ID 188 135 194 when prompted (press # if asked for a personal ID).
Christmas Day Worship | Sunday, 11 am
Join us on Christmas day for worship and the celebration of the Christ Child. It will be a time of singing lots of Christmas hymns and pondering the wondrous gift and glory of the Light of Christ that has dawned upon us and dwells in each of us.
Pastor BJ will preach from Luke 2:1–20, and deliver his sermon, titled “Illuminating Christmas Wonder.”
Join us in person or watch our livestream on YouTube or Facebook. If you’d like to join by telephone, call 929.205.6099 and enter Meeting ID 188 135 194 when prompted (press # if asked for a personal ID).
Taizé Prayer Service | Wednesday, 7 pm
Taizé’s prayerful songs and quiet meditation will ponder, with Mary and the angels the amazing gift of the Christ Child, in Luke 2:15–21. Pastor BJ will lead us.
Worship with Us | Week of December 18
Here’s what’s happening this week in worship.
Journey Worship | Sunday, 8:45 am
An interactive, energetic service for those seeking a fresh encounter with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Pastor Patrice will preach from Isaiah 7:10–16 on the theme, Wait for it.
Join us on Zoom on your computer, mobile device, or tablet. If you’d like to join by telephone, call 929.205.6099 and enter Meeting ID 188 135 194 when prompted (press # if asked for a personal ID).
Sanctuary Worship | Sunday, 11 am
Our largest service, with music from the Chancel Choir and an organ prelude prior to the service. Pastor Patrice will preach from Isaiah 7:10–16 and deliver her sermon, titled “Immanuel Changes Everything.”
Download this week’s bulletin to follow along and read about upcoming events. Join us in person or watch our livestream on YouTube or Facebook. If you’d like to join by telephone, call 929.205.6099 and enter Meeting ID 188 135 194 when prompted (press # if asked for a personal ID).
Taizé Prayer Service | Wednesday, 7 pm
Throughout Advent, Taizé’s prayerful songs and quiet meditation will dwell upon translations of Mary’s Magnificat from Luke 1:42–55. Pastor BJ will lead us.
Christmas Eve Friends & Family Service | Saturday, 4 pm
Celebrate the birth of Jesus at our early Christmas Eve service. This family friendly service will feature an intergenerational celebration of Christ’s birth—featuring many of the families in our congregation, carols, Communion, and a candle-lit version of Silent Night.
Pastor Heather will preach from Luke 2:1–20, and deliver her sermon, titled “Can You Hear It?”
Join us on Zoom on your computer, mobile device, or tablet. If you’d like to join by telephone, call 929.205.6099 and enter Meeting ID 188 135 194 when prompted (press # if asked for a personal ID).
Christmas Eve Traditional Service | Saturday, 10 pm
Celebrate the birth of Jesus at our traditional Candlelight Christmas Eve service. Special prelude music will begin at 9:30 pm, and will include The Brass Roots, soloists, and the Adult Choir—along with special readings and lighting of candles while we sing Silent Night.
Pastor Patrice will preach from Luke 2:1–14.
Join us on Zoom on your computer, mobile device, or tablet. If you’d like to join by telephone, call 929.205.6099 and enter Meeting ID 188 135 194 when prompted (press # if asked for a personal ID).
Christmas Day Worship | Sunday, 11 am
Our largest service, with music from the Chancel Choir and an organ prelude prior to the service. Pastor BJ will preach from will preach from Luke 2:1–20.
Download this week’s bulletin to follow along and read about upcoming events. Join us in person or watch our livestream on YouTube or Facebook. If you’d like to join by telephone, call 929.205.6099 and enter Meeting ID 188 135 194 when prompted (press # if asked for a personal ID).
Mindfulness and the Environment
We probably all agree that the practice of mindfulness—of paying attention to everyday details and actions, and looking more deeply and lovingly at the world around us—is a good thing.
Mindfulness and Earth Care have many intersections. Maybe it is a small act of saving leftover food, so that this precious resource that many hands worked on is not wasted. Or resisting buying something we do not really need, because our Earth does only have limited capacity to support us. In your mind’s eye, you can try to imagine a pile of disposable plastic utensils, plates, table clothes, etc.—used once and discarded over the years.
How big is that pile for you? What are the unpaid costs of producing that plastic, of polluting our water and air?
As a small act of mindfulness and Earth Care, we could switch to reusable items instead of disposable. For example, substitute disposable utensils with a neat and light bamboo set that is handy in the car, purse, or backpack to use anytime. They make lovely Christmas presents, too!
For more examples of these products, please visit TheSisterCollective.com or EarthHero.com. Similar products also can be found at Whole Foods, Fresh Thyme, and East End Food Co-op.
For more information or to ask questions, contact the Environmental Team of the Justice Committee.
Intentionally Waiting in Advent
As we enter this season of Advent and await the celebration of Jesus’ birth—and as the days get darker and colder, and we await the first day of winter—and as we stand amidst the season of transitional waiting at ELPC, what are you waiting for, hoping for, longing for in your life and in our world?
Whatever it is you are waiting for, we want to encourage you to enter this liminal and threshold space purposefully and expectant. We invite you to enter this season with Zachariah, Elizabeth, Mary, Joseph, Simeon, Anna, and all of creation to what Richard Rohr calls, “God’s waiting room, where we are taught openness and patience as we come to expect an appointment with the divine Doctor.”
The Spiritual Life Committee invites you to take advantage of our opportunities in the season of Advent, to be present to your hopes and longings, be still with God and your siblings quietly expectant with all you are waiting for during Advent.
- Contemplative Prayer | Mondays, 7:30 am (on Zoom)
Begin your week in community with others, meditating and reflecting on various Advent passages of scripture, poems, and reflections. - Cathedral Yoga | Wednesdays, 6 pm
Take a mid-week pause to be present to all you’re holding in your body and join Yamuna Morgenstern for a time of gentle yoga. - Taizé: Sung Prayer and Quiet Meditation | Wednesdays, 7 pm
In the middle of your week, join us for a time of prayerful song and quiet meditation, as we dwell in Mary’s Magnificat (also called Canticle of Mary or Ode of the Theotokos) from Luke 1, all four weeks of Advent.
Let’s join together this Advent in our waiting and may we find the strength, courage, and hope to be in the waiting of this season, “as one awaits the birth of a child or as one awaits the fulfillment of their destiny” (Psalm 130:5).
Worship with Us | Week of December 11
Here’s what’s happening this week in worship.
Journey Worship | Sunday, 8:45 am
An interactive, energetic service for those seeking a fresh encounter with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Pastor Heather will preach from Isaiah 35:1–10 on the theme, Wait for it.
Join us on Zoom on your computer, mobile device, or tablet. If you’d like to join by telephone, call 929.205.6099 and enter Meeting ID 188 135 194 when prompted (press # if asked for a personal ID).
Sanctuary Worship | Sunday, 11 am
Our largest service, with music from the Chancel Choir and an organ prelude prior to the service. Pastor Heather will preach from Isaiah 35:1–10, and deliver her sermon, titled “New Life from Dry Ground.”
Download this week’s bulletin to follow along and read about upcoming events. Join us in person or watch our livestream on YouTube or Facebook. If you’d like to join by telephone, call 929.205.6099 and enter Meeting ID 188 135 194 when prompted (press # if asked for a personal ID).
Taizé Prayer Service | Wednesday, 7 pm
Throughout Advent, Taizé’s prayerful songs and quiet meditation will dwell upon different translations of Mary’s Magnificat from Luke 1:43–55. The Rev. John Titus will lead us.
Church School Classes | December 11
Here’s a list of what’s happening this week in our Church School classes. We offer Christian Education classes for persons of all ages, from infancy through adulthood, on Sundays, 9:45–10:45 am, unless otherwise noted. Read more about our adult classes and children and youth offerings. Read More
Pastoral Message | December 2022
If you didn’t already know, you may have suspected that I spent the first, almost 50 years of my life worshipping, being shaped by, and formed in Baptist theology and traditions. I absolutely loved—and continue to love—the vibrant, emotive, and spirit-filled worship in the Baptist church. I have fond memories of the Christmas seasons of my childhood and youth. Although we did not celebrate Advent, the days between Thanksgiving and Christmas were filled with preparing and waiting. There were Bible verses and Christmas pageant parts to memorize, Christmas hymns to practice and perfect, and sermons were preached culminating on the Sunday before Christmas with a rousing and reassuring sermon on the miraculous birth of the Christ-child.
I also have fond memories of adults applauding after my Christmas recitation was flawlessly delivered (okay, sometimes there was coaching from my mom in the front pew); singing Christmas hymns and songs that I absolutely adore—”Silent Night,” “O Holy Night,” and “Go, Tell it on the Mountain”—and I loved, loved, loved receiving the bag of oranges, apples, nuts, and candy given to all the children (adults too) on Christmas Sunday. Those were the sweetest oranges and apples I have ever eaten! The preparation, waiting, simplicity, and complexities of my childhood Christmas memories envelop me like a warm, comfortable, and assuring blanket—even as I write this letter.
In God is in the Manger, Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “The Advent season is a season of waiting, but our whole life is an Advent season, that is, a season of waiting for the last Advent, for the time when there will be a new heaven and a new earth.”
We are always in a state of waiting, for something personally, professionally, and as the body of Christ. Over the last three years, we waited to return to in-person worship and work; waited to gather for celebrations and to break bread with family and friends; waited to see peoples’ faces, bright smiles, and expressions; and waited to feel “normal.” And, as a community of faith, we are currently waiting for God to reveal our next senior pastor.
And as we wait, may we not be lulled into complacency or indifference. I am reminded by my childhood memories that waiting is not static, it is dynamic, energetic, and committed. There are a number of ways to actively prepare this Advent season: purchase a gift or two for a child on the Deacons’ Giving Tree lists; attend the Blue Christmas service on Friday, December 9, and a Cathedral Concert; download or pick up a copy of the Faith Formation Board’s Advent Devotional; help a neighbor, friend, or a stranger; prepare a meal for a homebound member or friend; attend the children’s Christmas Pageant on Sunday, December 18; support a third-world artisan by making a purchase at the Deacons’ ELPC Ten Thousand Villages shopping days on Saturday & Sunday, December 17 & 18. And pray! Pray for our community of faith—our staff, leadership, and one another—and pray for our church ministries and community.
Bonhoeffer wrote, “The Advent season is a season of waiting, but our whole life is an Advent.” I pray that we anticipate and await the Advent of the Christ child every day, actively, vibrantly, enthusiastically, not just in this season.
Advent blessings and love,
—Pastor Patrice
Church School Classes | December 4
Here’s a list of what’s happening this week in our Church School classes. We offer Christian Education classes for persons of all ages, from infancy through adulthood, on Sundays, 9:45–10:45 am, unless otherwise noted. Read more about our adult classes and children and youth offerings. Read More