Wandering Home

The threat of snow didn't seem to keep too many people away today -- it was good to see so many of our parish family today, now that I'm home every Sunday until late January, when the spring travel season kicks into high gear. Not that the fall travel season is done but I have only one more trip more, 4 days to Chicago the week after Thanksgiving. Maybe I'll get to feel a little less the visitor at home over the next couple of months.

Good to be home for the end of the church year, and the beginning of the next next Sunday, the First Sunday in Advent. Today, of course, is the last Sunday of the old year, aka Sunday Next Before Advent, also known as "Stir Up Sunday" for the Collect appointed for today:

STIR up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may by thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

And Fr. Davis talked about Advent in his sermon (including an ancient liturgical use of blue for the season, something to research online), and what our approach should be to this "mini-Lent." I admit I don't like the ever-advancing early "Christmas" -- I was annoyed on Thursday, November 11th (!) to encounter a Salvation Army bell-ringer in front of a store. At this rate folks will be "Christmased-out" even before we get to the beginning of Christmas (already, around here, some trees are taken down and set out before sundown on Christmas Day!).

Lots of activities coming up, so the Announcements took an unusual amount of time. Somehow the Pledge Drive got started late and will commence next Sunday. A 12-week study called The Truth Project starts Wednesday next week (I will miss the first and a couple of the last sessions for being away). The ACW Vendor Fair & Craft Sale will be this coming Saturday, 11/27, from 1 - 4 PM and 6 - 9 PM at 19122 NE 155th Street, Woodinville.

Snow. Just got home a few minutes ago after a full day out, and there was still snow on the trees and a little on the ground, with more coming in tonight. Perhaps Fr. Davis will finally get to experience the joys of a Puget Sound snowfall, with hopefully not too much of its treachery.