St. John’s Episcopal Church401 West County Road *P.O. Box 3346

Odessa, Texas *79760-3346Telephone: 432/333-6022 Fax: 432/333-5972

website: www.stjohnsodessa.org

Bishop of Northwest Texas: The Right Reverend J. Scott MayerRector: The Reverend Les Jackson

StaffParish Secretary: Cheri Stull

Treasurer: Cathy FigertSextons: Daniel Ramos and Ray Stull

Choir Director: James CaddellOrganist: Jeanette Swain

Chancellor: Lilly PlummerSt. John’s Episcopal School Principal: Emily McDonielSeabury Nursing Centre Administrator: Kelly Sewell

______________________________________________Vestry

Senior Warden: Warren KoeppJunior Warden: Frank Deaderick

Clerk: Kathy CampbellCathy Figert, Ray Hudgins

and Lilly Plummer ______________________________________________

Organizations and MinistriesSt. John’s Episcopal School

Seabury Nursing CentreEpiscopal Church Women

Eucharistic Ministers/VisitorsAltar Guild

Christian FormationAcolyte CorpsUsher Corps

Parish Food Pantry

A Reflection on Christmas Past and Present

Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galileeto Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he wasdescended from the house and family of David. He went to beregistered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who wasexpecting a Child. While they were there, the time came for herto deliver her child. And she gave birth to her first born son andwrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manager,

because there was no place for them in the inn. Luke 2:4-7A pregnant peasant girl named Mary and her reluctant fiancé Joseph,

alone in Bethlehem, gives us pause to contemplate their lives and our own.Their story is scandalous even by today’s standards. Here’s a teenage girl with aquestionable background and an illegitimate child with a boyfriend trying to dothe honorable thing. Can you imagine the rolled eyes as Mary attempts toexplain, that she and Joseph had never known each other intimately and that thechild she was carrying was God’s Son? Can you just imagine the rumors!

Traveling 80 miles to Bethlehem for taxation must have seemed like ablessing in disguise. No one would know them there. Surely there, in the city ofDavid, they could avoid the continuous rumors and their neighbors’ judgmentaland condemning stares. But upon arriving they were confronted with yetanother challenge, most specifically, birth pains and the need for lodging andaccommodation. It’s odd, out of the ordinary that in a culture that so highlyvalues hospitality, even to strangers, often seeing strangers as massagers fromGod, would refuse this girl, in her condition any lodging, but that is whathappens. And so Mary gives birth in a common stable with livestock as her midwife and lays Jesus, God’s only Son, God incarnate, in a humble manager whereanimals feed.

Just as Mary and Joseph sought accommodation, Jesus sought lodgingin humanity so that good news, hope, peace, love, well-being, restoredrelationships with God and each other could be born anew, as a way of life, amissscandal, rumors, judgment , violence, and condemnation. But humanity refusedHim lodging and hung Him on a cross as a criminal. They though that would puta stop His radical ideas and rhetoric about the kingdom of God coming nearabout people and communities being rightly ordered according to God’s lifegiving and hopeful purpose.

It’s been over 2000 years since that birth in the stable. In ourcontemporary post-Christian, post-modern society we’ve turned Advent andChristmas into a commercial success and Joseph, Mary and God’s Son into littlemore than a sentimental story. Our lives are simply too busy and our hearts toovercrowded and preoccupied for Jesus to find lodging. But Jesus is still seekingaccommodation in personal lives and communities. He is the hope fortransformation and true hopeful change in a society that’s just too busy with itsown self-centered priorities, with its own scandals and judgments. So may Jesus,who is God among us, find room in your life this Advent and Christmas season.Blessings,Les+

ADVENT and CHRISTMASat St. John’s

Advent worship begins at 10:00 a.m.on Sundays, December 6th and 13th

as we worship according to Holy Eucharist: Rite I.

On Sunday, December 20th,we will have a special

Celebration of the Holy Eucharistwith Advent Lessons and Carols.

Hanging o’ the GreensWednesday, December 23rd from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Bringing the Christmas spirit to life.We’ll enjoy light snacks and fellowship!

Elves of all ages will be needed!

Christmas Eve -- Late Evening WorshipThursday, December 24th

will begin at 8:00 p.m. with a Musical Preludeof congregational singing and choral anthems.

Then, beginning at 8:30 p.m. we will celebrateFestal Holy Communion of the Nativity

with traditional candlelighting, Christmas hymns,and music by the St. John’s Choir.

Christmas Day -- Morning ServiceFriday, December 25th

begins at 10:00 a.m.We invite you to bring your family

and join us for Holy Eucharist.

St. John’s Ministry Schedule for December

December 6th, Second Sunday of AdventReadings: Baruch 5:1-9; Canticle 4; Philippians 1: 3-11; Luke 3: 1-6EM: Kathy CampbellAcolytes: Kelton and Keller Reed CampbellReaders: Maria Lopez and Marcus HudginsOblationesr: Karen Reed and Kelton Reed CampbellVestry: Kathy CampbellUsher: Marcus HudginsAltar Guild:

December 13th, Third Sunday of AdventReadings: Zephaniah 3: 14-20; Canticle 9; Philippians 4: 4-7; Luke 3: 7-18EM: Warren KoeppReaders: D’Alice Belanger and Leola RutledgeOblationer: Shahala TippettVestry: Frank DeaderickUshers: Bill Cleaver, Jr. And Frank DeaderickAltar Guild:

December 20th, Fourth Sunday of AdventAdvent Lessons and Carols

EM: Phillip ZeeckAcolytes: John PlummerReaders: Gloria Gomez and Marcus HudginsOblationer: Cathy FigertVestry: Lilly PlummerUshers: Marcus Hudgins and Gloria GomezAltar Guild:

December 27th, First Sunday after Christmas DayReadings: Isaiah 61: 10 - 62: 3; Psalm 147:13-21; Galatians 3: 23-25; John 1: 1-18EM: Kathy CampbellAcolytes: Kelton Reed Campbell and Keller Reed CampbellReaders: Keller Reed Campbell and Don GodlevskiOblationers: Karen Reed and Kelton Reed CampbellVestry: Kathy CampbellUshers: Bill Cleaver, Jr. nd Don ReavesAltar Guild:

Poinsettias

If you would like to have a lovedone remembered in prayer during theFeast of the Holy Nativity or would liketo contribute to the purchase ofpoinsettias, please complete the format the end of the Newsletter andreturn it to the Parish Office no laterthan Sunday, December 16th. Forms

are also available on both entrance tables. They can be placed inthe offering plate on Sunday or mailed to the Parish Office (P.O.Box 3346).

St. John’sEpiscopal Church Women

Please join us for our annualECW Christmas Party

Saturday, December 12, 2015beginning at 11:30 a.m.

in Angel Hall

Lunch will be provided.For those who would like to participate,

we will also have a candle exchange

We also invite you to bring “gifts” for our kitchen. Items suchas paper goods, items for coffee hour, etc.

Please RSVP by December 8th

to the Parish Office 333-6022 or cstull@stjohnsodessa.org

St. John’s School Pageants

The St. John’s Episcopal Schoolstudents invite you to hear the ChristmasStory in their pageant presentations, directedby School Choir Director, Mrs. Karla Murphy,and their teachers. The Christmas Pageantswill be held in the Church:

Thursday, December 10th grades 3 ~ 6 – 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, December 15thgrades 1 ~ 2 – 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, December 17thPre-K ~ K – 7:00 p.m.

Preparing the Church

The Altar Guild will gather for a “polishingparty” on Saturday, December 19th beginningat 9:00 a.m. to prepare the Church for our ChristmasCelebration. Many hands make light work and all areinvited to join us! Then, on Wednesday, December 23rd, please join usfor the Hanging o’ the Greens from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.Please bring finger foods, sandwiches or snacks and joinus for a time of fellowship and refreshment as we bringthe Christmas spirit to life in our beautiful church!

Saturdays: December 5th and 19thPlease join us at 7:30 to serve food to those in need.

Food Distribution begins at 8:00 a.m.Pantry set-up will take place between 1 and 2 p.m.

on Fridays: December 4th and 18th.

If you or yours have inadvertently been left off thebirthday list or reported incorrectly, we apologize! Pleasephone the Parish Office and we will correct the mistake aswell as St. John’s Canonical Records.

Readings for Wednesdays and Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

Wednesday, December 2, 2015Channing Moore Williams: Missionary Bishop in China and Japan, 1910

Isaiah 49:22-23; Psalm 96:1-7;Acts 1:1-9; Luke 10:1-9

Almighty and everlasting God, we thank you for your servant Channing Moore Williams,whom you called to preach the Gospel to the people of China and Japan. Raise up in thisand every land evangelists and heralds of you kingdom, that your Church may proclaimthe unsearchable riches of our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and theHoly Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Wednesday, December 9, 2015Isaiah 40:25-31; Psalm 103:1-10; Matthew 11:28-30

Wednesday, December 16, 2015Ralph Adams Cram, Richard Upjohn, and John Lafarge: Architects

2 Chronicles 6:12-20; Psalm 118:19-29;Ephesians 2:17-22; Matthew 7:24-29

Gracious God, we thank you for the vision of Ralph Adams Cram, John LaFarge andRichard Upjohn, whose harmonious revival of the Gothic enriched our churches with asacramental understanding of reality in the face of secular materialism; and we pray thatwe may honor your gifts of the beauty of holiness given through them, for the glory ofJesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in gloryeverlasting. Amen.

Wednesday, December 23, 2015Hanging O’ the Greens from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m.

Join us as we decorate for the Christmas Season! We will have light snacks!

Thursday, December 24, 2015Christmas Eve

Isaiah 9: 2-7; Psalm 96;Titus 2: 11-14; Luke 2: 1-14 (15-20)

O God, you have caused this holy night to shine with the brightness of true Light: Grantthat we, who have known the mystery of the Light on earth, may also enjoy him perfectlyin heaven; where with you and the Holy Spirit he lives and reigns, one God, in gloryeverlasting. Amen

Friday, December 25, 2015The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ

Christmas DayIsaiah 52: 7-10; Psalm 98;

Hebrews 1:1-4 (5-12); John 1: 1-14

Almighty God, you have given your only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, andto be born of a pure virgin: Grant that we, who have been born again and made yourchildren by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit; through ourLord Jesus Christ, to whom with you and the same Spirit be honor and glory, now andforever. Amen

Income & Expensesthrough November 30, 2015

INCOME: Budgeted Actual Plate $ 10,083.33 $ 11,027.54 Pledges 121,586.66 120,936.66 Other 114,560.46 99,346.77

Total Income: $ 246,230.45 $ 231,310.97 Expenses: 290,192.42 283,445.17 Balance: Inc-Exp -43,961.97 -52,134.20

All who believed were together and had all things in common.Acts 2: 44

2016 Stewardship Report

Your faithful and generous support of the ongoing ministry of StJohn’s Episcopal Church is greatly appreciated. As of this date, we havereceived 12 pledge cards for a total of $125,300. We mailed out a totalof 52 cards and are still missing many pledges. We encourage everyoneto complete their card and return it to the Church so that we can beginthe challenging work of budgeting for 201. Pledge cards can be mailedto the Church office (P.O. Box 3346, Odessa, TX 79760) or placed in theoffering plate on Sunday mornings. If you need a pledge card, please notify Cheri and we’ll mail youone. A complete stewardship report and 2016 budget will be presentedat the Annual Parish Meeting in January.

Come Journey and celebrate withus as Joseph and Mary seek lodging forthe birth of the prince of peace who

comes to liberate us from the bondage of sin.

“For I was hungryand you gave me something to eat,

I was thirsty andyou gave me something to drink...”

Matthew 25:35

During All School Chapel, FridayNovember 20th students of St. John’sEpiscopal School brought theirofferings of can foods forThanksgiving as we contemplatedhow God is present in every act ofkindness and generosity to those in

need. Their generous contributions will help St John’s Food pantrymeet the needs of families and individuals in our communityduring this holiday season. We are very grateful for such generouschildren and their families. Thanks be to God!

Food Pantry:2015 Holiday Food Baskets

If you would like to make a monetarydonation toward the Food Pantry’sdistributing Christmas food baskets andturkey vouchers, please make your checkpayable to St. John’s and notate on the memo line “holiday baskets” or“turkey vouchers”. We purchased “holiday vouchers” from the West Texas FoodBank in November for our Thanksgiving and Christmas fooddistributions. They are the equivalent of $10 checks that can be usedtoward buying a ham, turkey, or other holiday food product. With the depleted funds in the food pantry account, we areasking for monetary donations to help replenish our funds in order tocontinue to help families and individuals in need. If you wish todonate via check, you can place the check in the offering plate onSunday or mail it to the church office (PO Box 3346). Again, pleasemake check payable to St. John’s with a memo line notation of“holiday baskets” or “turkey vouchers”

Year End Offerings

All end of year donations must be deposited on or beforeThursday, December 31st in order for those contributing to receivea 2013 tax credit. If you plan to mail an end of year contribution,please make sure the office receives it by Monday, December 28th.The mail will be checked regularly while the parish office is closed,and we will make certain all checks received in the mail aredeposited on or before the 31st. If you think the mail might notreach the office in time, please place your year-end contribution inthe Sunday offering plate on or before December 27th.

ANGLICAN CYCLE OF PRAYERThis month we GIVE THANKS and PRAY for:

December 6 – Western Louisiana.December 13 – Windward Islands (West Indies).December 20 – Yewa (form. Egbado) - (Lagos, Nigeria).December 27 – Zaki-Biam - ( Abuja, Nigeria).

In the wake of the violence in Paris this past weekend, several governors,including the governor of Texas, have stated they will not accept Syrian refugees into theirstates. While states do not have the authority to overrule the federal government on theadmission of refugees, a principle established by more than one Supreme Court decision andby the Refugee Act of 1980, state officials may be able to make the work of refugeeresettlement more difficult.

They may do this by refusing to allow state agencies to help non-profit, socialservice agencies and church groups who are doing the work of refugee relief andresettlement in our communities. As a result, people of faith who are working to helprefugees fleeing from terrorism or in some way supporting that work may not only find theirjobs made more difficult, but also find themselves alarmed or discouraged.

I write to encourage them to stay grounded in the power of the Holy Spirit and inthe promise of our Lord Jesus: “I am always with you.” I write also to reassure them that theirwork is well grounded not only in U.S. law but also in Holy Scripture:

· Leviticus 19:34 The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen amongyou; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I amthe Lord your God.

· Hebrews 13: 1 Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality tostrangers for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.

· Colossians 3:11 In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised anduncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all.

· Matthew 25: 35 I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave medrink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.

· Romans 12:13 Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.· Ezekiel 16:49 This was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had

pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.

Remember that we are followers of one who was himself a refugee. As we moveinto the Advent Season in the midst of this backlash against refugees, the story of how theinfant Jesus, his mother Mary, and Joseph were forced to flee into Egypt to escape KingHerod’s terrorism takes on new power and poignancy. That holy baby survived becausesomeone helped his refugee family.

Jesus calls us to stand with the powerless, to speak for the voiceless, to protect thevulnerable, to feed the hungry, to comfort the bereaved. I call upon all Episcopalians toremember this in this season.

Those who do the work of refugee relief and resettlement are doing the work ofangels. Let us support their message of “Fear not, for you are not alone.” It is a message notonly for refugees – Americans need to hear it as well.

That is our work -- the work of letting welcome overcome fear, love overcomehatred. And we enter into that work empowered and strengthened by the inexhaustible loveof God.

I urge Episcopalians to find ways to help the refugees in your community. Pray forthem. And let your hands be the hands of Jesus. Let your smiles show the welcoming loveof Jesus, your courage in the face of fear model the courage of Jesus, your quiet confidencethat all will be well shine like that of Jesus.

For like Mary, like you and me, the refugees carry within themselves the image ofGod, a God waiting to be born again this Christmas.

The people of St. John’s extend prayer andsympathy to: ~~Amanda and the Demers family in thedeath of Amanda’s father, Jim Demers, who diedon November 18th.~~All casualties of war, terrorism and naturaldisasters throughout the world.

Rest eternal, grant unto them, O Lord. And maylight perpetual shine upon them. May their souls,and the souls of the faithful departed, throughthe mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.~~~~~~~~~~

Prayer is at the heart of our life in Christ. This month, prayer has beenrequested for: AJ, Millie, Donna, Bob, Ken, Roger, Ron, Doris and the Cooperfamily, Chuck, Peggy, Renee, Tom, Paula, Elizabeth, Daniel, Leslie, Amelia, Abel,Emma, Janette, Janet, Betty, Joe, Alexis, Gloria, Juan, Karla, Rose, Linda, Bruce,Brittany, LaVera, Peggy, Nellie, Don, Gary, Christopher, Jon, Joe, Dorothy,Johnny, Cathy, Odella, and for all who have no one to pray for them. Are thereothers?

for Michael, Justin and Scott, Bishops;for Les and Charles, Priests;for Ingrid, Deacon; andfor all who seek to discern a call to ordained ministry in the church.

for Evan, Fred, Christopher, Kendall, Zach, Isaiah, Monica, and Cathy, collegestudents; and for the students, staff and faculty of St. John's Episcopal School.

In light of national, worldwide and Church-related concerns, we rememberbefore God: the suffering and those who minister to them; American ArmedForces and their families, especially Trevor Nichols, Jesus Mendoza, DillonWalker, Luke and Jessica Brown, Eric Crettenden, and Yonathan Valencia; and forpeace between the Israelis and the Palestinians and throughout the world.

Prayers for St. John’s Episcopal School Teachers and Faculty

Each Sunday, we will include one of the staff members of St. John’s School in ourprayers. This month, we will be praying for: Sharna Gibbons, Connie Grewell,Shaylan Hale and Leslie Hankiins.

“O Lord, who came into the world to bear witness to the truth and whosaid that the good and faithful teacher should be greatly accounted of in yourkingdom: Send, we pray, your blessing upon all who are engaged in the workof education. Give them clearness of vision and freshness of thought, andenable them to train the hearts and minds of the children so that they may filltheir appointed places in the work of this life, and be ready for service in thelife to come. Amen.”

School Chapel Services and Prayers, compiled and edited by Scott E. Erickson

St. John’s Episcopal Church

I (we) would like the following remembered in prayer during theFeast of the Holy Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In Loving Memory of

In Thanksgiving for

I (we) would also wish to offer $ toward the

purchase of Christmas Poinsettias.

Signed

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works ofdarkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortallife in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility;that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majestyto judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal;through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, oneGod, now and for ever. Amen.