Christmas music played on two harps. By Patricia Lambert and Jane Allen. Arrangement by Jane Allen
Click “Read More” to listen to this beautiful and peaceful arrangement.
Christmas Carol Sing-Along
Traditionally, our 5 PM Christmas Eve service includes a Christmas Carol Sing-Along before the service. This year, we made that sing-along virtual. Fred Crafts introduces each song. There is a bulletin on our Christmas page: www.saint-marys.org/christmas if you'd like to see the lyrics to sing along.
Click “Read More” to listen along.
Listening to the Angels
Lucy, John, and You: Witnesses to the Light
Today is the 3rd Sunday of Advent, and today, December 13th, is also Saint Lucy’s day. The Feast of St. Lucy is not a major feast day, so it does not take precedence over a regular Sunday service. This is not like Mary Sunday where we get special Mary readings and Mary prayers. It is not like All Saints Sunday with special All Saints readings and All Saints prayers. And even though today is not technically a major feast day, for some people it is pretty major. It is definitely an important feast day for them.
Click “Read More” to read or listen to Bingham’s entire sermon for the 3rd Sunday of Advent.
Waiting for God: Oh What Do We Do While We Wait
Does anyone else feel a little bit of hope? Anticipation that an end to our horrors is nigh? We’re told that this end is coming, and we’re just now beginning to see it, breaking through the clouds like a single ray of sunshine. I’m talking about the Covid-19 vaccine, of course. We’ve learned to live with the daily messages of doom. We’ve secluded ourselves for reasons of hope, but too often with the result of hopelessness. We’re presented daily with sickness statistics and death statistics and dire warnings about wearing our PPE and staying home. But now, suddenly, it’s beginning to feel like our vigilance isn’t hopeless, and that is because of the “good tidings” we’ve heard about a vaccine that is coming soon. We’re still locked down, still washing our hands vigorously, still maintaining our distance from others, still doing what we need to do to safeguard ourselves and our neighbors. But where just a month ago it felt onerous, now it feels like there’s an attainable goal, and that gives new energy. It’s the energy of expectancy;
Click “Read More” to read or listen to Dr. Crow’s complete sermon for the 2nd Sunday of Advent
Is this the apocalypse
“Happy Advent! It is so good to be starting a new church year. I have heard many say over the past few months that they can’t wait for this year to be over. So I say, why wait for the solar year? Let’s go ahead. It’s a new church year, so let’s go ahead and say that this terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year is over. That does not mean that the pandemic is over, of course, but it does seem that things will start looking up at some point this year. So let’s just go ahead and start in on that.”
Click “Read More” to read or listen to Bingham’s entire sermon for the first Sunday of Advent.
Is this really a time for gratitude?
“my friends in Christ, I encourage you this day to set aside a little time, not just for feasting, not just for celebrating and relaxing and resting, but set aside some time to name those things for which you are grateful. Take the time to figure it out, name it, and offer up your thanks to God who is showering down love upon you, even in the midst of all that we face.”
Click “Read More” to read or listen to Bingham’s entire Thanksgiving Day sermon.
