Christ the King
On the final Sunday of the church year, we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King. This is a very recent addition to the liturgical calendar—it was first instituted in the Roman Catholic Church in 1925, a time of great unrest throughout the Western World. The Episcopal Church, as well as many other Protestant Churches, adopted this observance along with the Revised Common Lectionary, the cycle of readings that we share with most of the Western Church.
This is meant to be a day set aside to especially acknowledge God as the authority in our lives—to again name Christ as our King. On this day we are called to claim Christ as our model for fulfilling and fruitful lives.
Welcome to St. Paul’s in this time when we find great comfort and hope in the proclamation of Christ as our sustenance, our strength, and our shield.
Collect
Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Altar Flowers are given in memory of John C. Bell, III, William Graulty, Sr., Pendie Bell Lippincott, Bert Lippincott, Marily Graulty & Bill Graulty.
Help us Build our Food Tree: We’re building a Christmas “tree” of items for the Lee Food Pantry. Please bring any of the following items:
- non-perishable foods like cereal, oatmeal, pasta, hearty soup, tuna and canned fruits & vegetables
- personal care items like tissues, deodorant, razors, toothpaste, individual toothbrushes, feminine hygiene products, lotion, shampoo, toilet paper and diapers
- laundry and cleaning products
Feel free to stack them in the front of the church and help grow the tree, or leave them in the rear of the church and a food pantry volunteer will do the stacking..
Giving to Local Families: Once again this year St. Paul’s is sponsoring a Giving Tree to support a local family. Soon a Christmas tree will be set up in front of the pulpit adorned with “wish tags.” You are invited to take a tag, which details the gift item, buy the gift, and place the tag on the gift when you bring it back to church. There will also be a clipboard with each gift item listed next to the tree, please write your name on the clipboard next to the gift item so we know who took what tag. All gifts will be delivered to Dreams of Joy on Monday, December 16.
Holiday Cookie Sale – Saturday, December 7
Thank you to those who’ve signed up to bake and/or help the day of the sale. More volunteers are always welcome. The more cookies we have the more we can sell! Please sign up on the bulletin board in the Tower Room so we know we can count on you!
We will have three sections of cookies: Gluten Free, Nut Free and Classic Christmas. Please label the gluten free and nut free cookies. Something new this year: pick up cookie plates from Diana or Sam before baking and bring your delicious offerings already plated on Friday, Dec. 6 before 5:00 pm (Office) or Saturday, Dec. 7 before 10:00 am (Church). Questions? See Cookie Sale Chair Diana French.
Ecumenical Thanksgiving Day Service, November 28
Thanksgiving Day is a uniquely Christian day, a day founded and dedicated to stopping and giving thanks for the bounty of God’s gifts in our lives. What better way to celebrate than in an ecumenical worship with all the churches of Stockbridge? First Congregational will host the Stockbridge Christian community for a service of worship at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, November 28. All are welcome! First Congregational Church, 4 Main Street, Stockbridge.
Thanksgiving Potluck Dinner – After an ecumenical service at 10:30 a.m., First Congregational Church will host a potluck dinner at 12:00 noon. If interested in coming or helping, please RSVP to the Congregational Church (298-3137). All are welcome, bring a friend!
Volunteers Needed for the 30th
Annual Stockbridge Main Street Christmas Weekend
The Stockbridge Chamber of Commerce
is asking for your help with this annual tradition. This is the most time
consuming & financially the largest income-generating event the Chamber
holds. Over 70 volunteers are needed to help make this a success. Please
sign-up for one or more of the remaining time-slots and support this festive
event. Shifts available for Holiday House Tours, Ticket Sales, Mrs. Claus, and
Santa’s Helper. Call the office, 298-5200, or email info@stockbridgechamber.org.
Census 2020 – Do you winter in
another state but call the Berkshires home?
We need you to be counted! If you
spend the winter in another state but live the rest of the year in the
Berkshires you will likely receive the Census at both of your addresses. If you
live in the Berkshires more than anywhere else, you should fill out the Census
for your Berkshire address. It doesn’t matter where you are when you get the
survey or if you pay taxes, vote or register your vehicle in another state, it
all comes down to where you spend most of your time – the place you call home.
Mark Your Calendars!
- Thur., November 28Thanksgiving Day Worship at 10:30 a.m. followed by a Thanksgiving Potluck Dinner, First Congregational, Stockbridge
- December 6, 7 & 8Stockbridge Main Street at Chrismas
- Sat., December 7Holiday Cookie Sale
- Thur., December 12Vestry Meeting at 5:30pm
Worship Teams (If you exchange shifts with someone, please notify the Church Office by Thursday morning at stpaulsstockbridge@gmail.com.)
This Sunday, November 24
| Celebrant/Preacher: | The Rev. Sam Smith |
| 8am: | Pam Drumm |
| 10am: | Bill Higgins, Greeter |
| Anne Covell, Usher | |
| Darryl Lafferty, Lector | |
| Ginny Willcox, Intercessor & Altar Guild | |
| Hospitality – POTLUCK | |
| Nancy King, Organist |
Next Sunday, December 1
| Celebrant/Preacher: | The Rev. Sam Smith |
| 8am: | Jorja Marsden |
| 10am: | Carl Sprague, Greeter & Lector |
| Jean Rousseau, Usher | |
| Natalie Boyce, Intercessor & Altar Guild | |
| Georgeanne & Jean Rousseau, Hospitality | |
| Nancy King, Organist |
Parish Prayer List
- People we pray for on Sundays: Cecilia, Stephanie
- Prayers of repose for the soul of Don Cook
- Long-term prayer list: George, Jeff, David, Doug, Barbara, Charles, ZsuZsa, Tom, Rich, Ronnie, Karen, Michael, Christy, John, George, Khali
- Our partners at Grace Church, Great Barrington and the Rev. Janet Zimmerman; Trinity Episcopal/Christ Lutheran, Sheffield and the Rev. Erik Karas; the Austen Riggs community and the Riverbrook Residence; victims of violence, abuse, persecution and disaster at home and abroad
- Outreach Ministries of the Week: Gideon’s Garden and Construct
- Diocesan Cycle of Prayer: St. John’s, Williamstown
- Anglican Cycle of Prayer: Falkland Islands
- Birthdays: Donald Savery (22nd), Kendra MacLeod (26th) and Matt Fillio (29th)