The Dragon’s Tale

DECEMBER 2019

“St. George’s is a community of disciples joyfully

reaching out in love to nurture, teach, and

heal in Jesus’ name”

St. George’s Episcopal Church

912 Route 146 · Clifton Park, NY 12065

(518) 371 - 6351 www.stgeorgescp.org

Christmas Services at St. George’s Church

4:30 PM Family Service (Children’s Pageant) and Holy Communion

7:30 PM Holy Communion with Carols

10:00 PM Service of Christmas Carols

10:30 PM Solemn Eucharist (Incense) with Choir, and Organ

Christmas Day Service

10:30 AM Holy Communion with Carols

Christmas Eve Services

2

On December 4, 2018, we began a discussion titled “starting the conversation,” followed by a series of meetings titled, “continuing the conversation.” As we have met over the past year, the group has made progress on this challenging work. As you might expect when venturing into any “hot topic” area, the first few gatherings were filled with anxiety and positioning. Not surprisingly, this produced very little if any meaningful conversation. Out of those initial gatherings, a smaller group continued to gather in the hope of finding common ground for meaningful discussion. Through that process, we have been able to identify a group of norms that lay the foundation for the conversations we are now having and look forward to continuing. Conversations that challenge and, God willing, enlighten us to what it means, “to welcome one another as Christ has welcomed us, to the glory of God.” We started the group with a little over 40 in attendance. That number quickly dropped down to less than a dozen. As the group dwindled in size the depth of the conversation increased. The group has been meeting roughly on a monthly basis to allow time and space for all participants to process thoughts and feelings about their deeply held convictions and understandings. The last two gatherings have been very promising in this regard. So much so, that the group has requested that we consider meeting on a more frequent basis, possibly every other week beginning after the first of the year. I take that as a sign that the conversation is moving forward in its capacity to provide a meaningful opportunity for participants to process their thoughts and feelings on deeply held matters of faith and practice. I found a follow-up question equally encouraging. The question was “how do we get more people into (or back into) this conversation?” That question led to a concern for how people, who have not been a part of a yearlong conversation, join the conversation where it is and as it has progressed. The concern is a legitimate concern in that it can be challenging to join a group that has been through trials and tribulations and expect to enter the group without having been a part of their shared experience. Not only do I believe it is possible to bring people into or back into the conversation in a productive way, I believe this is an essential capacity for any maturing Christian community to have. In a maturing community, people are always going to be in different seasons of faith and understanding.

From Your Rector Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. I recently asked the vestry and leaders at St. George’s, “Is there anyone here who does not want this Church to be a welcoming Church?” As you might hope and expect, without hesitation everyone answered, “Of course I want St. George’s to be a welcoming Church!” Merriam-Webster says to welcome is “to greet hospitably and with courtesy or cordiality: to accept with pleasure the occurrence or presence of.” I then asked, “What does ‘welcoming’ mean?” That was not as easy to answer, especially given our politically charged environment and various understandings. We then reflected on the verse of Scripture that we have stenciled on the hallway wall connecting the Nave (front entry receiving area) and Hatlee Hall (the parish hall). This discussion received a mixed response. The verse on the wall is a quote from Paul’s letter to the Romans (15:7), where he says. “Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” Placing the word ‘welcome’ into this context brought about even more discussion. What does that mean? What is the glory of God? How has Christ welcomed me? How do I welcome others in a way that I am neither the originator of nor do I fully understand? I do not presume to know the answers, and yet consider them vitally important questions to which I know there are no easy answers. One of the ways we are trying to do the hard work of addressing these kinds of questions is through our ‘continuing the conversation’ discussions. These gatherings started in response to recent actions of The Episcopal Church on marriage. In the secular sense of a polarized or “regressed” society, welcoming may now mean you are welcome if you “accept with pleasure the occurrence or presence of” as long as it is in agreement with where I am or I agree with you. For the Christian, that is not sufficient, since to be a Christian is to have faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior putting God first in our lives. That is the singular point of agreement for a Christian. To put God first is to look to God in order to begin to know what it means to welcome one another to the glory of God. This is not easy conversation in the best of times and even more difficult when anxieties are high.

From Your Rector, Cont’d

Cont’d on p. 3

3

We established norms (see below) in order to provide a structure for adaptive conversation or work to happen. Norms provide healthy boundaries for the creative work of serendipity or adventure to happen when challenging deeply held values, convictions and understandings. At its best this type of forum, over time, helps people affirm and better understand their core values and beliefs while also helping participants understand the core values and understandings of others. This also creates space that allows for the possibility of new understandings to emerge. The current conversation concerns issues of marriage. We know that there will never be a shortage of challenging, controversial or conflictual issues in life, which means there will always be ‘issues’ before the Church. It has been that way for 2,000 years and I suspect will be until the Second Coming of Jesus. I used to wonder why we could not just get this right and avoid all of the difficulty. I now believe adaptive challenges are an important part of the journey of faith as they confront us with opportunities to challenge ourselves and one another in what it means to follow Jesus as Lord and to “Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” The beauty of this process is that it helps equip participants in healthy (not easy) ways to address whatever may come their way and no matter what the issue may be. If you would like to be a part of this conversation, I invite you to be a part of the next conversation at 2:00 pm on Sunday December 8th. Norms developed at St. George’s and further refined through the Parish Leadership Conferences - 2019

1. Put God first 2. Love neighbor as self 3. Begin and end in prayer (invite the Holy Spirit into the conversation) 4. Appoint a facilitator for the group 5. Careful listening with thought-out statements 6. Assume positive intent (no judgementalism) 7. Come to the table with a reconciling heart 8. One person speak at a time without being interrupted 9. 2-minute limit on speaking (with grace)

so everyone has a chance to speak. 10. Accept that opinions may change 11. Respect the dignity of every human being, every voice is valued 12. Use “I” statements. (i.e. “I feel

uncomfortable,” rather than saying “you” are making me feel uncomfortable.)” “I” statements enable speakers to be assertive without making accusations. An “I” statement can help a person take responsibility for his or her own thoughts and feelings rather than attributing them— sometimes falsely or unfairly—to someone else

13. Seek first to understand rather than to be understood for your viewpoint 14. Avoid ‘personalizing’ differences 15. The conversation takes as much time as needed, may take multiple conversations 16. Respect confidentiality (what is said in the group stays in the group) 17. Eliminate distractions (turn-off cell phones,

email, etc.)

Fr .Tom

Rector, cont’d from p.2 Rector, cont’d

4

Prayer Shawl Ministry

From Cindy Hoetzer

In the past two years, St. George's has given close to 100 prayer shawls to people who needed comfort. Each shawl is blessed at the altar, a prayer card is attached, and it is placed in the armoire in Hatlee Hall for distribution. If you know of someone in need of a prayer shawl, please contact a clergy person. The Prayer Shawl knitters and crocheters at St. George’s meet on the 2nd Tuesday of each month in the parish library from 1 to 3 pm. Our next meeting is on Tuesday, December 10th. Come join us for prayer, knitting, and fellowship. Help is available if you want to learn or if your skills are rusty.

Ice Luminarias for Christmas Eve From Ken Bee

Directions for Making Ice Luminarias

1 Items needed – 3 LB coffee can or number 10 can (metal), and a 2 pound deli container or a 1 pound Fluff container. You also will need a level spot in your freezer for the coffee/number 10 can. Similar sized containers can be substituted.

2 Fill the deli container with water first to about an inch from the top and freeze. Leave overnight.

3 Place the deli container in the coffee can. 4 Now fill the coffee can with water to the same

level as the deli container. You may need to place something from your freezer on top of the deli container to keep it down in the coffee can.

5 Place in the freezer on a level spot and center the deli container in the middle of the coffee can. Leave overnight.

6 When completely frozen remove the deli container from the coffee can. Add about an inch of water in the bottom of the hole where the container had been and put back in the freezer.

7 When the bottom freezes there will most likely be a bump in the middle of the bottom. I have found that a Pint glass works well to flatten the bump. Just spin the glass on the bump. Warm the glass up once in a while to speed up the flattening process. Also a metal putty knife could be used to scrape the bump down.

8 To remove the luminaria from the can warm it up from the outside with your hands. This takes a few minutes especially if your can has indent rings like most coffee cans I have seen.

9 Place the luminaria in your freezer or outside if the temperature is below freezing and going to stay there for a while. You could place them in a cooler outside to protect them from any rain or snow or animals.

10 Bring them to church on Christmas Eve. The MORE the MERRIER!!

Advent Altar Green and Christmas Flowers From Abby Bee

From the Altar Guild- Flower donations and The Greening of the Church

Donations are being accepted for the Advent Altar Greens, wreaths, and Christmas flowers. During the season of Advent, only greens decorate the Altar as we are reminded of God’s everlasting love for us. On Dec. 22nd, after the 11:30 Contemporary service, the Church moves from the Advent season of waiting to the celebration of the Savior’s birth!

Please take a donation form from the ushers’ desk and submit the names you would like mentioned in the Christmas bulletins. These names can be in memory of a loved one, or in thanksgiving for family. You may give any amount, but a suggested minimum donation would be $10-20. After Christmas, flowers may be joyfully taken to neighbors, friends or family who cannot make it to the Christmas worship services. Please submit forms no later than Wednesday Dec.18th to be included in the Christmas bulletins.

5

Please note:

Deadline for weekly announcements is Wednesday morning at 9 AM. Send to

stgeorgeofc@gmail.com.

Please remember St. George’s Church in your estate planning. For more information, see

Episcopal Church Foundation brochures in the vestibule.

Wednesday Noon Healing Service Our Wednesday noon Healing Services have begun. Everyone is invited to join us for Holy Eucharist followed by anointing and individual prayer for you or someone else. We will be praying during the service for special intentions. You can have your intentions prayed for whether you can attend the service or not. There is a binder which will reside in the chapel in which you can enter names and intentions. There is a third column for answers to prayer. Please return to fill in that third column to let us know how God is healing! Our intention is that everyone in need of healing prayer is prayed for. Please help us make that a reality at St. George’s, a community of disciples reaching out in love to nurture, teach and heal in Jesus’ Name!

St. George’s Mission and Outreach Advent Project From Jo Anne Robbins Hundreds of women in our area and their children are living in a shelter this holiday season. St. George’s Outreach invites all St. George’s parishioners to fill a red HAWS (Healing a Woman’s Soul) Holiday Bag. You will find the bags hanging on the Christmas tree in Hatlee Hall. On the table near the tree is a page that lists the suggested items that would be appreciated by these women escaping domestic abuse. The deadline for filling a bag is Sunday, December 15th. You may fill a bag for a woman, a bag for a child or both. Please be generous. If you would prefer to make a financial donation, make your check payable to St. George’s and note Mission and Outreach on the memo line. Help is available! New York State Domestic and Sexual Abuse Hotline: 1-800-942-6906

Women's Bible Study "Gideon" From Cindy Hoetzer Monday evenings, beginning January 13, 7:00 to 9:00 PM, Hatlee Hall Gideon's story is about God's love for His people in spite of their weakness. This 7-session study from Patricia Shirer encourages us to recognize weakness as the key the Lord gives us to experience the fullness of His strength. Instead of ignoring, neglecting, or trying to escape weakness, learn to see it as a gift given specifically and strategically by God. Watch a clip here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nsFbR9Gwb4 . There is a $15 fee for the study guide. To register, please contact Cindy Hoetzer at choetzer78@gmail.com

December Anniversaries Judy & Jim Clark Tad & Barbara Knight Andre & Amanda Hollingsworth

6

Winter Clothing Collection From Jo Anne Robbins Annual St. George’s Church and St. George’s School Winter Clothing Collection It is that time of year again! We are once again collecting gently used and in good condition hats, coats, boots, gloves, scarves and sweaters for children. There will be 3 location boxes around the Church: 1 by the school office, 1 in the front entryway and 1 in Hatlee Hall. Please be generous as we do our part to help assure children in the Diocesan refugee outreach ministry and other children in need have proper winter clothing. Please contact Jo Anne Robbins, Vestry person for Mission and Outreach (cliftonparkjosie@gmail.com) or Sandy Graves, Vestry Liaison with St. George’s School and Head of School (stgschoolcp@gmail.com) should you have any questions concerning this ministry and outreach opportunity. (518) 371-6351.

Middle School Sunday School making get well

cards

Thank You, Mike Josef! Area over new drywell

has been seeded, covered with straw, and watered!

Christmas Pageant From Deacon Bill Rehearsals are well underway for this year's children's Christmas pageant. The pageant is a wonderful opportunity for our kids, not just to hear the gospel story, but to live it out and share it with us all. Time is short, but we still have room in our flock of shepherds and host of angels for any kids who may still want to participate. The pageant will be presented at the 4:30 Family Service on Christmas Eve.

Israel Tour in October 2020

Fr. Tom and Mtr. Elizabeth will be leading a group to Israel from October 27, 2020, to November 9, 2020. There is an optional trip to Petra at the end of the Israel tour which will extend the tour to November 11, 2020. The following link provides all the details: https://shoresh.mvti.net/StGeorges-2020.

7

St. George’s School From Sandy Graves December is an exciting time for the school. The children are preparing for their Christmas Concerts and parties. And while the faculty and staff are doing the same, we are also preparing for the next school year. St. George’s School opens enrollment for the 2020-2021 school year this month. While we may be a small school we offer wonderful programs for children 3 years through First Grade, as well as an After School Program for children through the 3rd Grade. Our small class sizes coupled with the teacher to student ratios provide an environment where teachers can meet the child’s individual needs. We look not only to prepare them for the next grade they will be attending, but to foster a love of learning for a lifetime. We want to see a child succeed, not only in the classroom but in the community. Our goal is for the children to live a creative, humane, and compassionate life and contribute to society. That is why the child’s social-emotional and spiritual needs are also considered. There is a balance between free play and academics and opportunities to learn more about God and Jesus though Chapel. We are proud of the education that takes place within our school and would love the opportunity to share it with you. Please join us for one of our upcoming events: *Open House on Saturday, December 7th from 9 am to 11:30 or on February 1st also from 9 am to 11:30 to speak with teachers and learn more about the programs. *Christmas Concert on Thursday, December 12th at 6:30 pm. * Attend the 11:30 Service on Sunday, December 15th. Students will be performing during the service. You are always welcome to email stgschoolcp@gmail.com or phone (518) 280-7196 to gather more information about our events or school programs. May you and your families have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Artwork from St. George’s School

December Birthdays

Heidi Bonacquist, Kathy Bucher, James Loubier, Miriam Kramer, Matthew Bailey, Honesty Adamson, Carolyn Aldrich, Tommy Keyes, Stacey Shepard, Charles Travis, Jr., Rece Gobel, Bryce Hicks, Diana Glaser, Cody Carson, Rose Marie Day, Beryl Schmidt, Jane Williams, Darelle Bryant, Betsy D’Annibale, Alexi Glaser, Alyssa Glaser, Robert Tighe III, Allison Gier, Natalie Casale, Carl Reed, Camden Pellett, Zachary Gobel

8

St. George’s Episcopal Church

912 Route 146

Clifton Park, NY 12065

Weekly Worship Schedule

Saturday:

4:30 pm - Rite II worship

Sunday:

7:30 am - Rite I followed by coffee hour

9:00 am - Rite II with organ and choir

10:00 am - Coffee Hour in Hatlee Hall

10:30 am - Sunday School for all ages*

11:30 am - Contemporary Service

Wednesday:

10:00 am - Morning Prayer (Chapel)

12:00 pm - Healing Service with Communion

*Sunday School meets every Sunday until June 23 except the Sunday after Christmas, Easter Sunday,

and Mothers’ Day.

Save the Dates

Dec 6 An Evening with St. Nick 6:30 pm

Dec 7 Altar Guild Work day 10 am-12 noon

St. George’s School Open House 9-11:30 am

Dec 8 Continuing the Conversation 3:00 pm

Dec 12 Christmas Concert by St. George’s School children 6:30 pm

Dec 15 High School Youth Group Christmas Party 5:30-8:00 pm at the rectory

Dec 20 Middle School Youth Group Christmas Party 6:30-8:30 pm at the rectory Dec 21 Family Movie Night & Potluck Dinner featuring “It’s a Wonderful Life” at 6:00 pm Jan 25 Annual Meeting 5:30 pm