All Saints Gazette: Rejoice! (and come to a meeting)
This week at All Saints:
Thursday, 18:00, Bible study (online)
Sunday, 17:30, Eucharist and potluck (Vrijburg)
Every weekday at 9:00 and 18:00: Daily Prayer (online)
For online events, the link is at the church calendar.
Gaudete in domino: iterum dico gaudete!
The Third Sunday of Advent is traditionally known as Gaudete Sunday. In circles where introits are chanted, the introit would be verse “Rejoice in the Lord! Again I say: rejoice” (Philippians 4:4)! That will be our epistle reading.
Our prayer book calendar does not designate Advent as a season of special discipline, but it was traditionally a fasting season like Lent. My friend Sandya Jha and I have fairly different theological sensibilities, but they have a great take on Advent as a fasting season. They are a minister, organizer, and anti-racism consultant based in Oakland, CA, USA (and author of a newsletter and several books worthy of your attention). They suggest that perhaps the fasting seasons owe their origin at least partially to the fact that these were (and are) pretty lean times of year for people in non-industrial societies, especially poor people. Poor people might need to stretch what’s left in the cellar, and less poor people could fast in solidarity. It’s as good a folk etiology as any other! I might add that moderate fasting is one practice (among others) that let’s us take a critical look at how we have learned to experience desire and fulfillment, and to orient ourselves to creation’s longing for God, which is the incompleteness I wrote about last week at its most basic.
But in the midst of somberness, incompleteness, and perhaps even hunger, we still have to rejoice. So the third of the four Sundays always takes a lighter tone. In fact, churches that have altar hangings often swap out the Advent purple or blue for a more festive pink—some might even say “gaudy” (the “gaud” is from the Latin gaudium or gaudere: “joy, to rejoice”). As on the fourth Sunday in Lent (Laetere Sunday; laetere means “to be merry”), we explicitly do two things at once: soberness and joy. Here is a call to solidarity, patient endurance, honest self-examination, and to rejoicing like the happy ending were already here (which in a sense, it is).
We hope this will be a big Sunday at All Saints. We know there is at least one birthday! And since many of us will be gone on Christmas Eve and Day, this is our chance to celebrate together while still watching and waiting. We’d also like to use the opportunity to conduct a little important business (see below).
Business Meeting on Sunday
Don’t run off! It’s still mainly a party. But since we hope to have a bit of a crowd, this is a good time to take an important step. Since All Saints Amsterdam incorporated with the Dutch Kamer van Koophandel (KvK), our de facto steering committee (what is called a bishop’s committee in an Episcopal mission), has been the convening committee that registered with the KvK. Mpho and I could not be more grateful to Zinzy, Hans, and Erin. But it is time to get a committee in place that has been properly nominated by the congregation and appointed by Bishop Mark. We would like to get that nomination made this Sunday. So come, celebrate, be part of the discussion, and let us know if being on the bishop’s committee is something God may be calling you to do.
Bible Study
This Thursday, as on every Thursday, we get together and see what God will offer us to deepen our engagement with the Bible, the Christian tradition, and the world. Mpho will lead us in a Bible study using the Lumko method developed in South Africa. You should come! How many people in Amsterdam get to have a South African priest (let alone this South African priest) lead them in a South African Bible study designed to harness the wisdom you already have and don’t know about! It’s at 18:00, and the link is on the church calendar (scroll up).
Christmas Eve Service and Borrel
Did you catch this? Put it your calendar if you’re here: We will have a Christmas Eve liturgy at 17:00 at Vrijburg on (obvs) 24 December. If you need to run immediately afterward, go right ahead. Or stay for the borrel (if you’re able, bring something to share)!
Daily Prayer
Anyone can do the traditional daily prayers of the Anglican tradition! Even you! Especially you! You can use the Book of Common Prayer if you have one; you can check out any of several online resources; or you can join us on Zoom at 9:00 and 18:00 every weekday, and we’ll do it together (link in calendar).
Spirituality Retreat
I know a few of you are looking into this, and even more of you are looking into ways to deepen your life with God and your encounter with the church and the world. This is for you! The Convocation’s Committee on the Ministry of the Baptized will offer its annual spirituality retreat on 16-18 May in Florence. The theme is “Open to Hope in the Celtic Tradition.” Information and registration forms are here. Official deadline is month before the event, but I am told it is usually sold out much earlier. My note: I know most of these people on the COMB and can eagerly endorse them and this event!
Support our Life Together
We wrote last week about how we will be inviting everyone to make a pledge in January, so please open your hearts to what God is calling you to share. In the meantime, Nicholas and the aardige Pieten are in their steamboat on the way back to Spain (and we we trust that no Piet will ever be seen in blackface again), but the body of Christ still has shoes! Don’t wait to invest in the communities you want! Use the QR code or this link, or make a transfer through your banking app (the latter saves us a few cents). Please consider making your offering recurring.
Bank details
All Saints Amsterdam
IBAN NL32 TRIO 0320 8657 62
BIC TRIONL2U
Get stirred up!
Gaudete Sunday is also known as “Stir Up Sunday” in England. The weekly prayer beings “Stir up thy power, O Lord, and with great might come among us.” And when English people of old heard that “stir up,” they remembered that it was the day to start making their Christmas puddings. Apparently they were known to rush out of church quickly to get started, since the pudding needed as much time to rise as possible. Please don’t you do that this week, because we have a birthday feast and a short meeting. But here’s a nice lady from England who will tell you about some Christmas pudding traditions!
That’s all for Today! Want to talk to a priest? We want to talk to you too!
Website: https://allsaintsamsterdam.church
Mpho: mpho@allsaintsamsterdam.church
Kyle: kyle@allsaintsamsterdam.church
General: info@allsaintsamsterdam.church
Instagram: @allsaintsamsterdam.church
