More of a thank you note than a blog post, my friends. It's been an incredibly busy couple of weeks at Emmanuel--the bishop's visit on the 20th, our children's choir singing the anthem, confirmations (Matt Sims and Haley Robinson), receptions (Dick and Joyce Hedges), blessings of marriages both new (Arienne and Doug) and seasoned for 60 years (Bob and Andi Lewis). It was a fantastic day all around, with more than 240 people turning out for church that morning. Bishop Rickel posts his sermons as audio files. Since he preached two different sermons that day, you might want to listen to one or both.
And then, in the next instant, it was Christmas Eve. A glorious day and evening, with the church and her people looking beautiful! 375 people came through our doors on the 24th and about 15 people came together for Eucharist on Christmas morning. I hope you were in that number.
For the second year in a row, we welcomed families with exceptional needs children into a specially-tailored, highly participatory Eucharist. The children and their families were a Christmas blessing to all who gathered. The hymn sing at 4:30 that preceded our Family Eucharist was fun and informal and the church was chocked-full of kids and their families. The choir's offering of carols and anthems later in the evening and the families with older children and longtime Emmanuelites who gathered for the midnight Mass made that Christmas Eve liturgy truly special.
It takes dozens of people--staff, altar guild, flower guild, musicians, nursery providers, ushers, Eucharistic ministers, lectors, plus all the people of God, to create liturgies as meaningful as ours were these past couple of weeks. Thank you for all you do to make Emmanuel a community of welcome, worship, witnessing and service.
We are going into 2010 in good financial shape, thanks to the generosity of so many of you and the good stewardship of our vestry. Our solid fiscal condition puts us in such a good place to deepen and broaden ministry in the name of Christ. Please plan to be at our annual meeting on January 10 at 9am sharp. We'll review the past year and look forward together, for what's possible in the coming year.
Blessings on you and those you love,
Hunt+