Thursday 8 December 2011

Local religion briefs - Christmas Flowers Poland


BENNINGTON -- St. Peter’s Episcopal annual church Christmas tea will be held on Saturday, Dec. 10, from 3 to 5:30 p.m. The cost will be $6. The Guild Room will be decorated with candles and greens. There will be cookies, tea sandwiches, coffee, tea and punch. Waitresses will be available to assist you.

The Christmas Shoppe will be open for small gifts such as jelly, jams and ornaments. Tickets can be purchased at the door. The church is located at 200 Pleasant St. Annual Santa Lucia Festival

ARLINGTON -- Once again, the Arlington Community and visitors are invited to share in the Santa Lucia Festival of Lights, to be held on Saturday, Dec. 10.

The day starts with holiday open houses at Arlington and Manchester inns and bed and breakfasts from noon to 4 p.m., followed by the christmas flowers poland tree and luminary lighting and community carol sing at 4 p.m. in front of the Arlington Community House. The Festival will conclude with the Santa Lucia Pageant at 5 p.m. at St. James Episcopal Church. The pageant is an annual tradition set around the story of Santa Lucia and includes carol singing, readings and pageant participation by local youth and adults.

The inn tours are $15 with proceeds benefiting the Habitat for Humanity, all other events are free to the public with a free-will offering or donation to the Arlington Area Food Shelf requested.

Both the

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Arlington Community House and Saint James Church are located on Route 7A in the center of Arlington.
For more information about the Santa Lucia Festival of Lights, call Amie at 802-375-6516 or email amie@sover.net.

Sunday, Dec. 11

The Jubellaire Ringers provide Advent music

BENNINGTON -- Ring out the bells! The Jubellaire Ringers, along with trumpet and drum, will be providing music throughout the 10 a.m. celebration of the Third Sunday in Advent at Second Congregational Church on Hillside Street.

The church will light the Candle of Joy in the Advent wreath, and children are invited to place items in the "putz" or Moravian crèche. After this Time for the Children in All of Us, children up through grade 5 are dismissed for Godly Play, and the middle- and high-school class will meet. The Rev. Mary Lee-Clark’s sermon is entitled "Comfort and Joy?" based on the readings from Isaiah and Luke’s "Magnificat." Nursery care is provided throughout worship.

A time of fellowship and refreshment for the whole church family follows in Webster Hall, with alternative giving opportunities available through Heifer Project International. Gifts for the Giving Tree for Sunrise as well as Seafarer Ditty Bag items are due this Sunday and all other Gifts for the Giving Tree are due next Sunday.

Second Congregational Church is an open and affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ, and its wheelchair-accessible building is located on Hillside Street. For more information, call the church office at 442-2559 or visit www.bennscc.org.

Third Sunday of Advent at St. Peter’s

BENNINGTON -- All are welcome to the Holy Eucharist at 8 a.m. (Rite 1, said) and 10 a.m. (Rite 2, with hymns) at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. Worship is led by the Rev. L. Paul Gratz -- transition minister; Derek Stannard -- organist/choirmaster and the Chancel Choir.

Anyone interested in participating in the choir only needs to show up at 9:05 a.m. in the chancel area for rehearsal. All are welcome!

In John’s Gospel, John the baptizer tells the priest and Levites, "I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal." This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.

St. Peter’s is an open and affirming church that respects religious inquiry and welcomes all people to the Good News of Christ’s presence and a place at His table. The church is located at 200 Pleasant St. and is wheelchair accessible.

For more information, call the parish office at 442-2911 or visit www.stpetersbenningtonvt.com.

First Baptist celebrates Third Sunday of Advent

BENNINGTON -- The First Baptist Church of Bennington welcomes the public to a celebratory day of Advent-related gatherings on Sunday.

During the 9:30 a.m. morning worship, the congregation gathers to light the third candle of Advent, which recalls the fullness of joy Christians find in this season nearing ever closer to christmas flowers poland blogs . The Rev. Jerrod H. Hugenot, coordinating minister, will offer the sermon "Witnessing Advent," exploring a portion of the lyric prologue of the book of John, the Fourth Gospel of the New Testament.

Later at 6 p.m., the congregational children offer a program exploring the familiar Nativity story through brief vignettes and singing Christmas carols. Immediately after the program, the congregation will host a potluck and enjoy fellowship time. Both morning and evening events are open to the public.

The First Baptist Church of Bennington is "a place for healing, community involvement and spiritual grounding." Located at 601 Main St., downtown, the congregation is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches/USA. To learn more, visit www.fbcbennington.org or call 442-2105.

Third Sunday of Advent observed

NORTH BENNINGTON -- The North Bennington Congregational Church welcomes all to its 11 a.m. worship service on this third Sunday of Advent, led by the Rev. Penny Rich Smith. The sermon, "Dare to Rejoice!," will be based on Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11, Psalm 126 and John 1:6-8, 19-28. There will lighting of the third Advent candle and a children’s time, after which Sunday school classes will meet for pre-school through grade 8.

Following the service, everyone is invited to stay for coffee hour and a time of fellowship. The church is located at 8 Bank St. and is wheelchair accessible from the back door at the parsonage driveway. For more information, call the church office at 442-5161.

Sermon: ‘Jumping for Joy’

EAST ARLINGTON -- All are invited to the Federated Church of East Arlington on Ice Pond Road on this third Sunday of Advent as the congregation lights the pink Advent candle respresenting joy at the 10 a.m. service of worship.

Nursery care for children under 3 is available every Sunday from 9:45 to 11:15 a.m. Children 3 through 10 are invited to attend the service through the Time for Children and then go to Bailey Hall with their teachers for the children’s Sunday program.

The day’s Scripture lessons include Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11, John 1:6-8, 19-28 and Psalm 126. It is the Psalm with its balance between sorrow and joy that provides the food for thought for the Rev. Kathleen Clark’s sermon, titled, "Jumping for Joy." The church will also celebrate the sacrament of Baptism with a baby girl and her family during the service. The choir will be conducted and accompanied by Music Director Mary Andrews.

Following worship, all are invited to join us for coffee hour in Bailey Hall.

All those who took a red stocking are reminded that the gifts are to be returned today to the box in the sanctuary.

The public is invited to the Interfaith Service of Remembrance at Mount Anthony Union High School in Bennington at 2 p.m., when there will be a time to pause and remember with gratitude those who have died this past year.


Senior meals are served on Tuesday and Thursday at noon. To participate in the Ride-Share Program, call the church office at 375-2548; for more information, visit www.earlingtonfedchurch.org.

The Federated Church of East Arlington maintains denominational ties with the United Church of Christ and the United Methodist Church.

Community Service of Remembrance

BENNINGTON -- The twenty-third annual Community Service of Remembrance, sponsored by Hanson-Walbridge Funeral Home and VNA & Hospice of SVHC, will be held on Sunday, Dec. 11, beginning at 2 p.m., at Mount Anthony Union High School, 301 Park St.

The interfaith service honors the memory of loved ones in our community and includes candle lighting and placing of doves on the memory tree by friends and family members in attendance. In announcing this service, Mark and Lisa Shea, owners of Hanson-Walbridge, said, "We encourage anyone who has experienced the loss of someone special to attend the service and pay tribute to their memory."

Area clergy will be participating in the service and special music will be performed by local musicians.

There is no cost to attend the service or to have a dove placed on the tree in memory of a loved one. All attending are invited to join us immediately following the remembrance service for a time of fellowship and refreshment.

Support, ideas and suggestions will be provided, as well as laughter and refreshments.

For further information, call Shea Family Funeral Homes at 802-442- 4329 or VNA & Hospice at 802-442-5502.

Evensong with Advent Lessons and Carols

ARLINGTON -- At 4 p.m., there will be a special service of Evensong with Advent Lessons and Carols at St. James Episcopal Church. This is a quiet, reflective service of readings and traditional Advent carols.

The music and readings reflect the message of expectation and hope that characterize the season of Advent and anticipate the miracle of the birth of Christ. Following the service, there will be an informal talk to introduce the 2011 exhibition of "Los Nacimientos," a display of more than 50 nativity scenes reflecting the art and culture of Mexico, Brazil, Spain, Peru, Ecuador, Canada (Inuit and Anglo), England, Italy, China, Portugal, Germany, Poland, the United States and even the Vatican. The nativities are made from papier maché, ceramic, straw, bamboo, stained glass and many other interesting materials. All are welcome.

"Los Nacimientos" are available for public viewing each week throughout the Advent and Christmas seasons (Now until Jan, 6, 2012) as listed: Sundays - before and after the 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. worship services; Monday through Thursday - 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 10, before and after the St. Lucia Festival at 5 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 11, before and after the Advent Lessons and Carols Evensong at 4 p.m.; Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, before and after the 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. services; Christmas Day, Dec. 25, before and after the 10 a.m. service.

For more information about these events or any other services at St. James’ Episcopal Church, call 375-9952; send an e-mail to stjamesparishoffice@gmail.com; or visit the church website at www.stjamearlingtonvt.org.

Upcoming

Advent Lessons and Carols

BENNINGTON -- A Service of Lessons and Carols for the Fourth Sunday of Advent will be offered at Sacred Heart Saint Francis de Sales Church, 238 West Main St., on Sunday, Dec. 18, at 5 p.m. Old Testament Scripture will be interspersed with music of Johann Sebastian Bach, Italian and English Renaissance composers Giovanni de Palestrina and Thomas Ravenscroft, respectively, and modern composers Alfred Burt and Thomas Savoy.

The service will begin in darkness with the chanting of Matins, the first prayer of the Roman Catholic Liturgy of the Hours, and end with the singing of the Rorate Caeli, which is a hymn used in the Mass and Divine Office of the Roman Catholic Church on the last Sunday of Advent. Its text, "Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down the Just One," is a plea from all who long for the coming of Christ. The public is welcome to attend. All facilities are accessible to those with disabilities, and convenient parking is available.

Worship and activities at Whiteside Church

CENTER CAMBRIDGE, N.Y. -- The choir at The Whiteside Church will present the cantata " Down From His Glory" on Sunday, Dec. 18, at the 11 a.m. worship service, under the direction of Fred Lucrezio. Pastor Cal Witham is bringing a series of messages on the names given to the Lord Jesus Christ and their meanings.

He invites those whose church does not have a Christmas eve service to the Whiteside Church Christmas eve, Dec. 24, at 7 p.m. There will be lots of special music and congregational singing with Fred Lucrezio at the grand piano and Roselyn Litwin at the Hammond organ.

Each Lord’s Day there are Bible classes for all ages at 10 a m., with Lenny Proch teaching the book of Nehemiah to the adult class. Wednesday nights at 7 p.m. there is Bible study and prayer -- Thom Litwin is now giving an in-depth study on the book of Genesis.

The public is cordially invited to any and all services
s de S� o h �' �- West Main St., on Sunday, Dec. 18, at 5 p.m. Old Testament Scripture will be interspersed with music of Johann Sebastian Bach, Italian and English Renaissance composers Giovanni de Palestrina and Thomas Ravenscroft, respectively, and modern composers Alfred Burt and Thomas Savoy.
The service will begin in darkness with the chanting of Matins, the first prayer of the Roman Catholic Liturgy of the Hours, and end with the singing of the Rorate Caeli, which is a hymn used in the Mass and Divine Office of the Roman Catholic Church on the last Sunday of Advent. Its text, "Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down the Just One," is a plea from all who long for the coming of Christ. The public is welcome to attend. All facilities are accessible to those with disabilities, and convenient parking is available.
Worship and activities at Whiteside Church
CENTER CAMBRIDGE, N.Y. -- The choir at The Whiteside Church will present the cantata " Down From His Glory" on Sunday, Dec. 18, at the 11 a.m. worship service, under the direction of Fred Lucrezio. Pastor Cal Witham is bringing a series of messages on the names given to the Lord Jesus Christ and their meanings.
He invites those whose church does not have a Christmas eve service to the Whiteside Church Christmas eve, Dec. 24, at 7 p.m. There will be lots of special music and congregational singing with Fred Lucrezio at the grand piano and Roselyn Litwin at the Hammond organ.
Each Lord’s Day there are Bible classes for all ages at 10 a m., with Lenny Proch teaching the book of Nehemiah to the adult class. Wednesday nights at 7 p.m. there is Bible study and prayer -- Thom Litwin is now giving an in-depth study on the book of Genesis.
The public is cordially invited to any and all services

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