Grace-Calvary Episcopal Church Clarkesville, Georgia MMUSTARD SEED Grace-Calvary Church is open to all people for communion with God and each other in Christ. Within and beyond this historic Church we strive to do God’s work: nurturing our spirits, reaching out to those in need, valuing and caring for the diversity of God’s creation.
CONTENTS Sunday Lections Assisting Priest Committees & Happenings December Birthdays and Anniversaries Thanks and Recognition Prayers of the People Youth News Calendar Edited by: E. Lane Gresham Converted and Modified For Website by Joseph Szokody	Greetings From the Rector The Reverend Dena S. Bearl † Greetings from the Rector Beloved of Grace-Calvary, The bishop is coming! The bishop is coming! Yes, on the third Sunday of Advent, December 16th, the Rt. Rev. J. Neil Alexander, Bishop of the Diocese of Atlanta, will be here for his visitation.
The bishop is the chief pastor of our diocese and its parishes. He carries on the apostolic work of leading, supervising, and uniting the Church. One way he does this is to visit every parish in the diocese on a rotating basis. Since our diocese has 94 churches, his visitation to us occurs about every two years. This will be a festive morning as we welcome our bishop, share with him what we are up to these days, and, through him, be connected to the larger Church. Bp. Alexander will be celebrant and preacher at both services, 8:30 and 11:00. At 10:00, after a brief visit to our children and youth classes, he will hold an adult forum in St. Julian Hall. He will also have lunch and conversation with our vestry and priests. At the 11:00 service we have three members who will be confirmed or received into the Episcopal Church. Mike Short will confirm his baptismal vows. John Cantwell and Anne Short, who had their confirmations in other denominations, will be received. Please keep them in your prayers as they take this step further along in their life in Christ. As the season of Advent begins, I pray that it will once again be a holy time in which each of us finds ways to prepare anew to receive Christ into our lives. Please take advantage of the offerings in the blue brochure inserted into this edition of the Mustard Seed. In Christ’s love,

SUNDAY LECTIONS FOR December 2007

December 2	Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:36-44
December 9	Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19; Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 3:1-12
December 16	Isaiah 35:1-10; Canticle 15; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11
December 23	Isaiah 7:10-17; Psalm 80:1-7, 16-18; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK – If you have questions or suggestions regarding the Mustard Seed please contact us at! 706-754-2451 or email chancegc@alltel.net

Grace-Calvary Episcopal Church

P.O. Box 490

Corner of Wilson & Green

Clarkesville, Georgia 30523

(706) 754-2451

(706) 754-5621 (fax)

www.grace-calvary.org

gcalvary@alltel.net

Bishop – The Rt. Rev. J. Neil Alexander

Rector – The Rev. Dena S. Bearl

Assistant Priest – The Rev. Don Harrison

Parish Administrator – Mrs. Jean Chance

Organist – Mr. Anthony Woronowski

Choir Director – Dr. Edwin Calloway

Vestry

Sr. Warden – Mr. Ray Bass ‘08

Jr. Warden – Ms. Kathy O’Keefe ‘09

Mr. Jimie Yearwood ‘08

Ms. Pat Statler ‘08

Mrs. Susan Smith ‘09

Mr. Clair Langmaid ‘09

Mr. John Andrews ‘10

Mr. Eph Davis ‘10

Mr. David Lewis ‘10

The Reverend Don Harrison†

IT’S THAT TIME AGAIN

We are drawing to the end of the long season of Pentecost which began in June and has featured the Gospel of Luke for our Sunday lectionary readings. After six months of wearing green vestments I’m ready for a change! The last Sunday in Pentecost is called “Christ the King Sunday” and it proclaims that at the end of time Jesus reigns supreme.

Throughout the seasons of the Church Year we feature one of the synoptic gospels for the entire year and use parts of John’s Gospel, mostly during the Easter season. On the first Sunday in Advent we start the three-year cycle over again, so our featured Gospel will be Matthew.

Advent begins the Church Year and it proclaims, “Someone’s Coming!” No, it isn’t Santa Claus! And, “No, it isn’t Jesus”. Jesus has already come. Advent, beloved, is about the Lord’s coming in the fullness of time. Advent is all about time. It points us to the past, to that first Christmas when God was manifest in “one of us”, and it acknowledges that we live in the present, longing for God’s presence in our own time, and it looks to the end of time and God’s kingdom in its fullness.

The Greeks had two words for time, chronos and kairos. Chronos is sequential time measured in seconds, minutes, hours, days and years. It’s time marching on, the sand running out of the hourglass. Kairos, on the other hand, is “pregnant” time, full of meaning and importance. It’s those moments when we declare, “time stood still” and it marks a memorable occasion. Advent seeks to draw us out of the routine, chronological lives we fall into and calls us to those rare, and therefore, precious moments when we know the presence of the Divine.

This Advent you will hear once again the plea not to listen to the world’s cry to “shop until you drop” or wear yourself out with all the preparations only to wake on December 26 and find that you missed Christmas. Take the time to listen to Handel’s Messiah or read Luke’s birth narrative and ponder the question, “What does it mean for me?” Here at Grace-Calvary we will set aside time to look at Christmas through film and story and music. We will eat a simple meal and, in the midst of a frantic time, be still and await the moment of kairos.

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E-mail contact information for Parish Office:
 

Rev. Dena Bearl: denabearl@windstream.net

Fr. Don Harrison: donrev35@bellsouth.net
Carole McCullough: mccollumgc@windstream.net

Mustard Seed Submissions: mustardseednewsletter@windstream.net

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COMMITTEES AND HAPPENINGS

The Men of Grace recently enjoyed a very informative evening with a presentation on photography by Jim Owens. Jim's knowledge of the subject was well received by the group. I was doubly helped because I discovered I was photography illiterate.  We also partook of a great spaghetti dinner by Frank (Collards) McCann. 

 A group fund raiser for a parish project was briefly discussed. We have ongoing projects at Camp Mikell and at The Clarkesville Greenways Trail. More information will be forthcoming as our plans develop. It is proposed to meet once a quarter in 2008.  Won't you join us for a fun evening? 

(Thanks Sandy and Sue for the cake and pie)

---Ray Rowell

When writing out your Christmas cards this year, please take a moment to send a holiday greeting to an American solder recovering at 
Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
 
A recovering American soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue,NW
Washington,D.C. 20307-5001

---Rev. Dena Bearl

GIVING TREE
 
During this season of love and giving, Grace-Calvary will be sponsoring two needy families in our community - each family with four children. 
Without our help, these families would have nothing under the tree on Christmas morning. Please check the giving tree in St. Julian Hall 
for the ages and sex of each child and a want or need item for each. We hope to have this information no later than December 2nd. 
Please remember all that God has given you, and in return be generous to those less fortunate than ourselves. 
Gifts should be returned, unwrapped, by December 16. They may be dropped off at the church office during the week, 
or placed under the tree in St. Julian Hall.

---Sandy Robson

FALL 2008 FESTIVAL PLANNING UNDERWAY

A few weeks ago, 20 of us gathered for wine and hors d’oeuvres and discussed the possibility of a weekend festival to celebrate our history, show off our beautiful historic building and hopefully, raise sufficient funds to sponsor the upcoming Journey to Adulthood pilgrimages and help in the upkeep of our church. We “brainstormed” and outlined a weekend of fun, entertainment, good food and worship. We will seek to draw folks from all over the region. We outlined activities and listed committees that we will need to make the weekend a successful reality.

Since that meeting I have talked with several prominent business and entertainment people and asked if they would help. All have pledged their support and have shared very useful pointers. The time has come to volunteer. To that end there are sign-up committee sheets in SJH. You are asked to sign-up for more than one committee since we are not large.

This is a huge undertaking and our success will depend on your commitment.

H.D.H.

Christmas catalogs from Heifer International and Episcopal Relief & Development are on the info table in St. Julian Hall.

---Rev. Dena Bearl

Special Opportunity to view Epiphany's Nativities Exhibit

For the twelfth holiday season, The Episcopal Church of the Epiphany in Atlanta presents an exhibit of over 200 nativity scenes from around the world from Saturday, December 1, through Sunday, December 9.  From the elegant to the eccentric, the birth scenes are sculpted in materials ranging from carved wood to volcanic ash.  In the church nave, there will be a special exhibit of nativity scenes that highlight the differences between the birth story as told in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew.  Each nativity is accompanied by scriptural quotes and hymn texts.  The remaining birth scenes will be exhibited in the Parish Hall.  Admission: $5.00 for adults, $4.00 for Seniors & Students, Children under 12 free.  For a brochure or more information call 404-373-8338 or send an e-mail to info@epiphany.org.

Schedule:

Saturday, December 1, 10 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.,

Sunday, December 2, 2-4 p.m.;

Monday-Thursday, December 3-6, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.;

Friday, December 7, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. & 7-9 p.m.;

Saturday, December 8, 10 a.m.  4:00 p.m.;

Sunday, December 9, 2-4 p.m.

---Sandy Robson

DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS			DECEMBER ANNIVERSARIES
1	Lou Davis	22	Bob & Lynda Smith
2	Perry Elizabeth Gresham	27	Sam & Barbara Williams
3	Rob Aycock, Craig Donnelly	27	Matt & Kim McClurg
4	Wally Wenn, Kim McClurg	28	Kline & Tricia Pugh
7	Chloe Guzzetta	28	Jack & Susan Johnston
8	David Todd
9	Edus Warren
11	Margaret Parsons
13	Larry Williams
17	Gil Pollitt, Pat Statler
18	Hope Pollitt
19	Roy Bruner, Ann Fuller
20	Margaret Bourne, Rita Bass
24	Hope Alewine Smith, Holly Skinner
26	Tom Smith
27	Charle’ Statler, Vanessa Lewis
28	Jimie Yearwood
30	Warner Hunnicutt