December 2024 Newsletter
The Advent season, observed in the four weeks leading up to Christmas, is a sacred time of preparation and expectation in the Episcopal Church. It marks the beginning of the liturgical year, inviting us to reflect on the coming of Christ—both in His birth at Bethlehem and His future return in glory. During Advent, we light candles on the Advent wreath each week, symbolizing hope, peace, joy, and love. The readings and prayers guide us to wait with anticipation, not in idle stillness but with active faith, repentance, and hope, readying our hearts to receive Christ anew.
Advent calls us into a deeper relationship with God and one another. It’s a time to reflect on how we can embody Christ’s light in a world yearning for grace and redemption. Through communal worship, service, and prayer, we seek to align our lives with the transformative love of Jesus. As we prepare to celebrate His incarnation, we’re also reminded of our calling to live out His teachings in our daily lives, becoming beacons of His hope and promise to those around us.
We had several parishioners among 42 folks who attended the Wounded Warrior and Veteran’s Family Camp at the Diocese’s Mustang Island Conference Center. Fr. Dexter was the Chaplain for the retreat. He handed our Armor of God Challenge coins to new attendees, held a healing service and Sunday Eucharist at the chapel near the beach. Kids got to metal detect for buried coins and everyone was able to do really cool crafts with guidance from Leslie.