THE VOICE The Episcopal Church of St. John in the Wilderness

December 2013

FROM THE RECTOR:

Don’t you feel especially glad to be a Christian this time of year? I know it really

isn’t logical, but I find myself more embedded in our community of faith, more

certain of my spiritual identity, just simply happier with the approach of

Christmas. Easter is also joyous, and it is indisputably more central to our faith

than Christmas, but even so, don’t we enjoy this feast and secular holiday

more? Perhaps the freshness of Christmas never goes away because the very

notion of God taking on human flesh and willingly submitting to all manner of

pain and degradation for the sole purpose of our redemption, is always an

astounding concept. When we pause and consider the Incarnation with real

seriousness, it can take our breath away. What a wonder, what a joy, what

incredible love.

As usual the season is crowded with parties, gatherings, services, and all

manner of busyness—driving us to utter exhaustion by the New Year finale. Why

so much so close together? From 1 Advent to Epiphany is only about six weeks

and it goes by in a blur—and we want to ring every bit of joy possible from it.

People can only be on their best behavior for so long, so we try to make the

best of the narrow window of good will given us by the season. Why is that?

Why can’t we be kind and generous and cheerful more of the time?

The answer, our Christian faith tells us, is explained by the Incarnation itself.

Ironically, the question itself is the answer. We are not divine and we cannot

achieve lasting, or even fleeting, perfection on our own. In fact our knowledge

of our sin makes us unable to bear the near approach of God. We turn away.

So God approached us by becoming us. Becoming us at our worst as well as at

our best. The baby Jesus, God the Father in human form, removes all barriers to

holy love. A baby born to a poor teenage commoner, in a cave in a

backwater village, in the most restive remote corner of the Roman Empire opens

wide the door we feared would crush us—the door to Heaven.

And in this special season we celebrate that, not the insults of scoffing

Pharisees, not the lash of Roman brutes, not savage blows of a mallet on a rude

wooden cross. Just the birth, the genesis of redemption, the grandest act of

generosity of which our minds may conceive. Why wouldn’t angels sing? Why

wouldn’t we still try to hold on to that celebration for every moment of the

season? It is indeed the season to be jolly, and thankful, and joyous.

From Paula, Ruthie, Turner and me--Merry Christmas my Sisters and Brothers,

Merry Christmas.

John+

CHRISTMAS FLOWER MEMORIALS

If you are receiving this issue of The Voice by mail, you will find an envelope enclosed for

Christmas Flower Memorials. Please print clearly the name(s) you wish to remember and

return the envelope and check to: Bookkeeper, St. John in the Wilderness, PO Box 185,

Flat Rock, NC 28731. IF you are reading this online, you may stop by the Parish Office

and pick up an envelope and do the same thing. THE DEADLINE FOR ALL ENVELOPES

TO BE RECEIVED IS DECEMBER 6, 2013.

ANNUAL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS

Nearly 60 people attended the Annual Meeting on November 12 following a

great potluck supper. Highlights of the meeting included:

*Election of new Vestry Members Carol Rector, Don Keenan, Dr. Joe Kovaz, and

John Rich. Retiring Vestry Members Carol Black, Jim Olson, and Amanda

Woodard were commended for the work they have done for the past three

years.

*Election of new Endowment Trust Members Jim Vint and Don Sheffield.

RoseMary Stalter Wendell Rector Sharon Frymier Candace Lewis Dn Joyce Beschta

Martha Jean Liberto

Mary Anne Inglis Terry Enslen Janet Johnson Dottie Dalzell

Lynne Miller Janet Roethle

Vick Murdaugh Betty Murdaugh Charlotte Poleman

Diana Byrd Beth Chodkowski

Barbara Maclachlan

Cynthia Wilson Brenda Hillyer Ronnie Doty Kathy Newbold

St. John in the Wilderness

Annual Parish Christmas Party

Tuesday, December 10th

Social Hour at 5:30 pm

Dinner at 6:00 pm

Cost $14.00 per person

or $25.00 per family w/children

Menu includes Pork Loin on a bed of grilled Brussel

Sprouts served w/ an Apple Compote; Roasted Winter

Vegetables; Smoked Chicken/8 way; Cranberry Sauce;

Green Beans Almondine; Coffee/Tea

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED!!

Send your check to the Bookkeeper by 6 December

to reserve your seat!! Don’t miss this great party!

The Little Voice

December 2013

"HURRY UP AND WAIT"

ADVENT AT ST. JOHN IN THE WILDERNESS

(A Young Family Ministry View Of Things)

"Hurry Up!" and "Wait" fits very well for us at St. John in the Wilderness. On the one hand,

during Advent, the Church prays all over the world, "Even so, come Lord Jesus" with a kind of

"hurry-up" urgency - sometimes worded, "Even so, Lord, quickly come!" On the other hand,

God's people have been offering that prayer for centuries, "waiting" patiently, (and sometimes,

not so patiently) for it to be answered. Why else would this season of high anticipation be given

four entire weeks out of our year? It is a drawn-out of PENITENT Anticipation.

The Lord is coming, God's Word assures us. That Word also informs us that the reason for the

Lord's delay is that God is being patient with us - giving all human beings ample time for

repentance. So, in a way, these days before Christmas illustrate both sides of "Hurry Up and

Wait" very well. Our Young Families, and especially the young children, wish the holiday

would "hurry up" while our parents are rushing about frantically, wishing for more time to get

everything done while thinking "Wait!"

Notice - it begins December 1st this year - The First Sunday in Advent. Our goal is to proclaim

"New Beginnings" with a renewed Imagination as we read the Biblical Stories and apply

Scripture to our daily personal life experience with a goal of broadening, once again, our

horizons and understanding. Coming together on three consecutive Wednesday evenings, sharing

a meal by a toasty fire-place, praying, singing by a nearby very special Giving Tree, early-on

making our Advent Wreathes for home devotions, we continue to grow in a new Church Year as

a "Family of God, Created Anew in His Love." Preparing and practicing for our Christmas

Pageant will be an important piece of the format for the Advent Series. Titled "This Holy Night,"

it is a story and piece of poetry written by Julie Hanna and illustrated by Chiara Amata. Out of

and based on the tradition of Blessed Francis of Assisi, it recreates the story of the first

Christmas Creche. Our pageants emphasize full participation by the cast and congregation - so

we don't just "put-on" a show for people to sit back and observe. Rather, we encourage everyone

to immerse themselves, using all their senses of sight, sound, touch and feel, tasting the flavor of

the original story, and maybe even some bells and smells! with everyone encouraged to imagine

the scriptural story and, on a deep level, feel the power of the event of the first Christmas

on that "...Holy Night."

The power of our annual Christmas Pageant year after year grows out of our goal for us to look

closely at God's actions and behavior in Scripture and to seek echoes and ripples in our daily

lives. For after all, we must never lose The Story. In pageantry, (defined as "...ceremonial

splendor or display") sparks imagination and creativity - the result is best realized when it leads

to a deeper understanding of who God ". . . was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world

without end. Amen!"

Young Family Ministry

Advent Activities 5:30-7:00 pm

Parish Hall

Wednesday, December 4 Advent Wreaths Each Family: Please bring greenery and snips

And $5.00 for wreaths and candles Wednesday, December 11 Sprays for Slave Graves Each Family: Please brings greenery and snips Sunday, December 15, 10:00 am Each Family please meet at the Coach Entrance Of the church (Between services) to decorate the graves. Wednesday, December 18 Christmas Pageant Practice Saturday, December 21, 10:00 am Dress Rehearsal for Pageant Dress in Parish Hall and walk up to church Sunday, December 22 Christmas Pageant 11:00 am Service

Each Family, Please be in the Parish Hall at 10:00 am PROMPTLY ! Dress in Parish Hall and walk up to Church at 10:40 am.

CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS!

Father Alex and Miss Sandy

A Sad Note

Our thoughts and prayers have been with Miss Sandy in the death of her sister Judith Wheeler

McLaurin. Judith was her only sibling and we keep Sandy and all her family including Judith's

children and grandchildren in our hearts and minds at this time of loss.

FROM THE ECW PRESIDENT The ECW Harvest Lunch was a great success. Forty-one women enjoyed sampling soups and each other’s offerings of salads and desserts. What an amazing groaning board we had—as is usually the case when we come together at St. John’s to enjoy food and fellowship. A great new ECW Board was installed—and we owe them a real debt of gratitude for taking on the responsibility of keeping the spirit and good works of the Women of St. John going strong. The ECW Board has made its decision about disbursements from its Make a Difference Fund for 2013. Of the $6,350.43 netted from the Jumble Sale, grants totaling $5,000 will be made as follows: Backpack Program: $1,000 Children and Family Resource Center $ 850 (Dn. Joyce’s Adolescent Parenting Program) Interfaith Assistance Ministry $ 850 Habitat for Humanity $ 775 Vocational Solutions $ 775 Mainstay $ 750 I hope you have two entries on your calendar for Tuesday, December 10. The first, a party for the Head Start children at Sugarloaf Elementary School will take place at 10:30 am, followed by lunch for women of the Church at A Day in the Country. All women are invited to the party, at which Santa Alex and Elf Dn. Joyce will distribute Christmas stockings, hats and mittens made by our Needlework Ministry, and, for the first time, BOOKS to the kids! If you plan to attend the lunch, it is important that you contact Kathy Newbold with your RSVP no later than Wednesday, December 4th: 693-5506; ktnewbold@live.com. We need to let the restaurant know how many to plan for. Later on in the day, the St. John annual Christmas Dinner will take place at 5:30 in the Parish Hall. You should have plenty of time to catch your breath between the two events. Calling all shutterbugs: Don’t forget to start noticing winter views of St. John, both in the Church and on the grounds surrounding the Church, for pictures to submit to a St. John Christmas Card project that will be considered by the ECW in 2014. Entry forms and directions for submission of photos are published elsewhere in this issue, and will also be available at both entrances to the Church and in the Parish House entrance. Questions? Call Bettie Orr at 828-698-2357 (after December 11) or e-mail her at bettieworr@gmail.com. This is my final report in The Voice as President of ECW. The Women of St. John are a critical component in the vibrant parish life of St. John in the Wilderness, offering many opportunities to seek, to serve, and to celebrate together. It has been an honor and a joy to lead the efforts of this wonderful organization in the past year. God bless you all!

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! Are you a shutterbug yearning to test your skills in public? The Episcopal Church Women (ECW) is

now giving you the opportunity to do so with a friendly audience! Next year the ECW is considering the development of a Christmas card with an outside winter scene

of St. John in the Wilderness or an inside scene showing its glorious holiday decorations. However, we want our talented parishioners to take the photograph. If a holiday card is not published, the winning photo will be displayed in the church Parish Hall and published in the church newsletter.

Show us your talent by sending in your best winter photo(s) of the church taken before April 1,

2014.

You may enter up to three (3) photos.

The photo(s) must have been taken by a current parishioner of St. John within the last two (2) years.

They can be either black x white or color.

Maximum photo size is 5” x 7”.

Attach one completed application form (below) to the back of each photo.

The photo(s) cannot be e-mailed to the church.

Photo(s) will be returned to the entrant if requested.

Judges will be members of the church who are not participating in the contest but are artists in other media. Entrants will be anonymous to the judges.

Please send your photo(s) and entry forms to the Episcopal Church Women, c/o St. John in the Wilderness, P.O. Box 185, Flat Rock, NC 28731 to arrive no later than April 15, 2014. They can also be delivered to the Church Office.

The entry form is published below and is also available on the St. John website, www.stjohnflatrock.org.

Questions? Call Bettie Orr at 828-698-2357 (after December 11) or email her at

bettieworr@gmail.com.

EPISCOPAL CHURCH WOMEN PHOTO CONTEST NAME _______________________________________________________________________________ ADDRESS _____________________________________________________________________________ PHONE ______________________________________________________________________________ E-MAIL _______________________________________________________________________________ WHEN PHOTO WAS TAKEN ______________________________________________________________

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY FOR 2014??

NANCY IS LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS ONCE A MONTH TO ASSEMBLE THE VOICE FOR MAILING. THE

DATES FOR 2014 ARE LISTED BELOW… IF YOU ARE AVAILABLE ANY OF THESE DATES – PLEASE CALL NANCY AT THE PARISH OFFICE (693-9783) AND

VOLUNTEER FOR ONE (OR MORE!) OF THEM.

JANUARY 28, 2014

FEBRUARY 25

MARCH 25

APRIL 25

MAY 28

JUNE 25

JULY 26

AUGUST 26

SEPTEMBER 25

OCTOBER 28

NOVEMBER 22

JANUARY 3, 2015

DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS 2 Ashley Gould 14 Mary Shelton

2 Pepper Moreno 15 Beth Ann Melton

3 William McHaffie 17 Michael Jeffery

4 Fred Lewis 19 Andrew Bullard

5 Porter Maday 19 Carol Duff

6 Henry Mills 20 Lura Cox

6 Barbara Weeks 20 Betsy Tibbs

7 McCollough Perry 21 Betty Franks

8 William Green 21 Joe Sullivan

9 John Wyatt 22 Don Keenan

10 Nancy Cooper 23 Liz Helms

10 Caroline Fowler 24 Virginia Teel

11 Anita Reid 25 Susan Bendel

11 Patty Vint 27 Sara Mooney

12 Hilton Swing 30 Rita Castline

31 Jennifer Weidemann

DECEMBER GREENERY/FLOWER

MEMORIALS

December 1: In loving memory of The Reverend and Mrs. John R. Little

By Pepper Moreno

December 8: In loving memory of Rosella D. Hyde, Mary Etta Daressa,

Mr. and Mrs. Abram LaTourette, and Dr. Kenneth LaTourette

By Mrs. Kenneth LaTourette

December 15: In loving memory of Muriel and George Boys

By Their Family

December 22: In loving memory of Wesley Welborn Smith

By Gayle and Bill McHaffie and Megan and John Durlach

December 29: In Honor of all Church Ministries

FROM THE PARISH REGISTER

TRANSFERS IN

Louisa Conroy

Millicent Penny Amerman

The Epicopal Church of

St. John in the Wilderness

828-693-9783

The Rev. John A. Morton, Rector

The Rev. Alex Viola, Priest Associate

The Rev. Joyce Beschta, Deacon

Nancy E. Facey, Secretary

Sharlene Pond, Bookkeeper

Dewitt Tipton, Organist

and Director of Music

Sandra Hunter Jones,

Christian Education Director

Kevin Hunt, Sexton

Vestry

John Ogletree, Senior Warden

Amanda Woodard, Junior Warden

Candace Lewis, Treasurer

Jinny Bell, Clerk

Carol Black, Jim Olson, Tom Deyerle, Hal

Reid, Harry van Bergen, Carol Rector, Bill

Howes, Al Beers, Jennifer Shelton, Betsy

Tibbs

Deadline for the January Voice

Is Friday, 13 December

Place items in the

“Voice” Box in the Parish House

Or send them to

Your Voice Editor

Betsy Tibbs

Crhert1066@morrisbb.net

The Church’s Website is

www.stjohnflatrock.org

WORSHIP SCHEDULE

8:45 am Holy Eucharist

10:00 am Adult Sunday School

10:00 am Youth Sunday School

11:00 am Holy Eucharist

(1st/3rd/5th)

Morning Prayer (2nd/4th)

Wednesdays – 10:30 am

Healing Service with Holy Eucharist

Parish Hall

Our Mission Statement

To know and love God as He is

revealed to us in Jesus Christ, to

bring others to His saving love,

and to serve the world in His name.