Fourth Sunday of Advent

Love

 

 

 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah* took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 

‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

   and they shall name him Emmanuel’,

which means, ‘God is with us.’ When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son;* and he named him Jesus.

Matthew 1:18-25

 

The Angel Visiting Joseph in a Dream

LA TOUR, Georges du Mesnil de

1628-1645

Musee des Beaux-Arts

Nantes, France

 

This image depicts the theophany of Joseph, when an angel appears to Joseph in a dream, telling him of the virgin birth.

 

http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/diglib-fulldisplay.pl?SID=20131220420989990&code=ACT&RC=46742&Row=8

 

Although the title says the man is Joseph, there is some controversy over the subject matter:

A possible explanation for this enigmatic picture is that it depicts the moment when the young Samuel, having been, he thinks, summoned by the elderly priest Eli, finds him asleep. This surprises Samuel, who at that instant realizes that it is God's voice calling him. If this interpretation of the subject is correct, La Tour has with characteristic subtlety and understatement shown the exact moment when the youth Samuel arrives before the sleeping old man, with a 'here I am' gesture. Samuel's pose is unforgettable. All attempts at the naturalism with which La Tour is so wrongly credited have been abandoned, leaving a Mannerist twisting of the fingers and the caprice of shielding most of the candle flame. Above all, there is an exquisite stillness, which pervades not only this picture but also the other all-too-few masterpieces from this period.

http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/l/la_tour/georges/2/05dream.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is no ideal Christmas; only the one Christmas you decide to make 
as a reflection of your values, desires, affections, traditions. 

~ Bill McKibben

 

 

 

 

 

This is Christmas: not the tinsel, 

not the giving and receiving, not even the carols,

but the humble heart that receives anew the wondrous gift,

the Christ.

~ Frank McKibben

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Party Week!!!

Bryan and Connie Steinberg, Vicki Hall

Connie and Bryan had a housewarming party last Sunday in their new home in Lakewood.

 

 

Linda Bradford was a gracious hostess for our annual Painted Toes Holiday Luncheon.

 

 

Camille Scott, Jackie McFarland

 

 

Kathi LaTourrette, Tom Newsom and more of our Wednesday Breakfast group (in the background)

had breakfast at Marion's of the Rockies in Idaho Springs.

 

 

Trish Tofte and her sister, Becky

 

 

Rome Chelsi presented an amazing gift at the

Center for the Arts Evergreen Holiday Party Wednesday evening.

 

 

Carolyn, Rick, and Betsy

 

 

Marianne Loritz had our Afternoon Book Club party in her fascinating home.

 

 

Such yummies!

 

 

Our Evening Book Club also had wonderful goodies!

 

 

Eileen Sharkey reviewed Boxing for Cuba: An Immigrant's Story, by Guillermo Vicente Vidal.

In 2011, the author became the mayor of Denver when John Hickenlooper resigned to assume 

the duties of governor of Colorado.

 

 

Christine Gaudreau, wonderful Artistic Director of the Evergreen Chorale, and about 25 of the 85 members

of the Chorale, joined our Rotary group for breakfast and gave a delightful performance!

 

 

"The fog came on little cat feet …"

 

 

… and frosted our world.

 

 

Nancy Priest had a charming luncheon for our little group.

 

 

Carolyn "CV" Martyn with Max the dog.

 

 

Max the boy visited from next door and shared his amazing independent study project!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am not alone at all, I thought. I was never alone at all. 

And that, of course, is the message of Christmas. 

We are never alone. Not when the night is darkest, the wind coldest, 

the world seemingly most indifferent. 

For this is still the time God chooses. 

~ Taylor Caldwell

 

 

 

 

 

Let There Be Peace on Earth

 

In the middle of the twentieth century, two young people wrote a "religious" song, "Let there be peace on earth", at a retreat, at Camp Herman, in the San Francisco Bay Area hills. The rights for use of the song, by Rotary, were granted to Rotary International by the authors.

 "Let There Be Peace on Earth"

 

Let There Be Peace on Earth and let it begin with me. 
Let There Be Peace on Earth, the peace that was meant to be! 
With God as our Father, family all are we. 
Let us walk with each other in perfect harmony.

 

Let peace begin with me. Let this be the moment now. 
With ev'ry breath I take, let this be my solemn vow; 
To take each moment and live each moment in peace eternally! 
Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me!

 

Written by Sy Miller and Jill Jackson Circa 1955 (revised 2012 by Jack M. B. Selway)

 

Miller movingly speaks of her early life—how she became an orphan as a young girl, and her difficult journey through foster care, that led her into despair and attempted suicide. She describes that it was then that she realized the presence of a higher power in her life and how she eventually came to write the song. It is a song that has rippled and spread around the world, taking on a life of its own, as people began to live the message and share the song.

Jill Jackson Miller, author of "Let There Be Peace on Earth."

 

http://www.rotaryfirst100.org/library/music/peace.htm

 

 

 

 

December 22, 2013        Fourth Sunday of Advent

 

Previous OPQs may be found at:
     http://www.dotjack.com/opq.htm

 

Agnus Day, by James Wetzstein

Agnus Day appears with the permission of www.agnusday.org

 

 

 

 

Christmas Eve

Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)

1In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3All went to their own towns to be registered. 4Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

8In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger." 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 14"Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!"

15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." 16So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

 

 

http://www.hellocrazy.com/en/view.pl?card_id=436

 

Welcome home, Anne and Mark!

 

 

 

Isaiah 7:10-16

Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19

Romans 1:1-7

Matthew 1:18-25

 

Christmas Eve:

Isaiah 9:2-7

Psalm 96

Titus 2:11-14

Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)