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Immanuel Highlands Voice Immanuel Highlands Episcopal Church October 24, 2021 | Volume 21, Number 41 | Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost In this issue: This week in the parish Lessons and readings Regathering information Children's Christian Formation Fall Session Adult Education Volunteers needed for child care on Sundays Spotlight on Henry Kennington Prayer Shawl Knitting Circle Bishop's Christmas card contest Ditty Boxes for Seamen's Center Organ concert November 4 Birthdays and anniversaries From the editor From the Rector This week in the parish Sunday October 24 8:00 am - Holy Eucharist, Chapel 9:00 am - Adult Education 9:30 am - Sunday School and Confirmation classes 10:30 am - Holy Eucharist, Church Wednesday, October 27 11:00 am - Bible Study 12:15 pm - Eucharist, Chapel Lessons and Readings Jeremiah 31:7-9 Psalm 126 Hebrews 7:23-28 Mark 10:46-52 Link to readings: Lectionary Page Come to church! Regathering Guidelines Let us celebrate together, as a community: Registration is no longer required. Fully vaccinated people are not required to wear face coverings inside the church building; however, masks are encouraged. Non-vaccinated people must wear a face covering in the church building Social distancing of 3 feet is suggested All doors to the sanctuary are open Watch online: Immanuel Church Highlands Facebook Livestream Children's Christian Formation and Confirmation Classes Sunday, 9:30 - 10:15 am Children meet for Sunday School in the upper level of the Clash Wing. Confirmation class meets in the Library. Adult Education Sunday, 9:00 am During our fall session of adult education, we will study Words of Life - Jesus and the Promise of the Ten Commandments Today by Adam Hamilton. October 24 - Connie Shultz will lead the discussion of Chapter 5 - A Question of Honor - focusing on The Fifth Commandment in 2021: Honor your father and your mother. All are welcome to join us! October 31 - Fr Curt leads our discussion of Chapter 6 - The Tragedy of Violence, the Beauty of Mercy. If you do not have the book, do join us, as much discussion will focus on the here and now. All are welcome to join us! Join us in the Common Room, via Zoom: Adult Education Zoom Meeting or by phone for those who do not have a smartphone. Contact Lyn Newsom for more information lynnewsom@gmail.com, or visit our website at Adult Education Volunteers needed for nursery on Sundays Child care provided by a professional sitter and an adult volunteer will be provided in the nursery from 9 am to 12 noon on Sundays, beginning Sunday, October 31. We need volunteers who can help serve as the second adult on the team. Our goal is to have about 6 volunteers on a rotating schedule. This will help parishioners with small children to participate in Adult Education, Sunday School, and the 10:30 service. Please contact Fr. Curt if you would like to volunteer. Spotlight on Henry Kennington Meet our newest Communion bread baker, Henry Kennington. Henry joined the bread-baking ministry at the Ministry Fair. Welcome, Henry! Prayer Shawl Knitting Circle begins The prayer shawl ministry has been a part of outreach for many years at Immanuel, and it's starting up again! Completed shawls are specially blessed and given to a person in need of spiritual support. Our intention is to gather together once a month in the parlor, knit together, and troubleshoot any problems you may be having. If you don’t know how to knit, our resident expert Sadie Nevin can teach you.  Aside from prayer shawls, we now have patterns for hats and scarves for the Seamen's Center that Sadie will share. Please contact Barbara Volko (btvolko@comcast.net) or Sadie (sadienevin33@gmail.com) with your possible interest and questions. We hope to set a date soon for gathering and getting going! Calling All Young Artists! 2021 Christmas Card Contest - Last Call Bishop Brown is inviting all creative children up to 18 years old to create the Christmas card he will send this December. Whatever kind of art you enjoy that can be printed on a Christmas card, send it in! Artwork entries should be submitted no later than October 25 to communications@delawarechurch For more information, click on this link: Bishop's Christmas card contest Ditty Boxes for the Seamen's Center The Seamen's Center is now accepting donations of items, boxes, items packaged in the boxes for the Christmas at Sea ditty boxes that are delivered to seafarers in December. Here is a list of items that may be included: Knitted hat + scarf Chapstick Cough drops Deodorant Disposable razors Winter gloves Gum/candy Hand lotion Pens + stationery Sewing kit Playing cards Shampoo Shaving cream Soap (bars or shower gel) Socks Toothbrush + toothpaste Please note that all items must be new/unopened and all toiletries should be full size. For more information, consult the flyer in the church foyer. Organ Concert November 4 On Thursday, November 4 from 12:30-1:00 pm, Immanuel's Organist and Choirmaster Steven Patchel will give an organ concert at the Princeton University Chapel in Princeton, NJ. The concert is part of the After Noon Concert Series, a weekly opportunity to enjoy performances at the Chapel by various local, national, and international organists, and it will showcase the magnificent Skinner/Mander Chapel organ. For more information visit the Concerts and Performances webpage for the Chapel. OCTOBER Birthdays October 20 Marilyn Gennett October 21 Chris Shultz October 25 Missie Bauman October 26 Nancy Hanna October 27 Richard Wack Anniversaries October 25 Rachael and Devin Zito October 26 MaryAnn and Kirk Bailey From the Editor If you have an item to be included in the Voice, please email it to me, Bonnie Swan, by the Tuesday before the Thursday release of the newsletter. If you don't have access to email, please leave your written request in my mail slot in the mailboxes across from the Parish Administrator's office no later than the Sunday before the Voice goes out. Thank you! Bonnie Swan (bonnie.swan@verizon.net) From the Rector We’re accustomed to things happening quickly. Instant gratification. How annoyed do we get when our Wi-Fi is slow? Or waiting on slow deliveries? Or waiting for results?   Abraham and Sarah waited nearly twenty-five years for God’s promise of Issac. Over nine thousand nights of praying and dreaming about the promise to come. Time to be frustrated, impatient and irritable. Abraham and Sarah eventually scoffed at God’s promise of a child and tried their own way. That was its own load of issues.   Here’s the point: God’s plans never need our approval. God’s promises are not on our schedule. If God says it, God means it. It will happen, and yet we can’t bear the thought of waiting an extra eleven seconds for the Internet. How much worse is it to wait on things our hearts truly desire? Or the hard things we must process?   Could it be God calls us to a level of faithfulness so deep we have relying in our own strength? I have not learned the art of patience, and God teaches me a lot about it through my irritation.    Sometimes God keeps us in a season of waiting to prepare us for what is around the corner. Too often we aren’t even aware of what we’re learning. Be assured we will come through it having learned important lessons for whatever comes next.   Like Abraham and Sarah, we wrestle with how God will do something, and we talk ourselves out of trusting completely. Which is why God directs us not to lean on our own understanding. When we put our hope in our abilities alone we set ourselves up for frustration. This level of disappointment will eat away at our faith. We should put our hope in something unbending: the truth that God will be faithful forever. God’s plans for us are abundant.   It is not easy to wait, AND we know, in faith, God does not offer empty rhetoric. Jesus reminds us repeatedly that God is faithful and to trust in Him. He leads us to a deeper relationship and teaches us to…rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from Him. Psalm 62:5 Faithfully, Curt+  Immanuel Church, HIghlands immanuelhighlands.church ‌ ‌ ‌