Weekly Update 12 December 2025

Reflection

The Third Sunday of Advent

The following Imaginative Prayer Exercise is taken from Arts & Faith: Advent, IgnatianSpirituality.com

Preparation
As we begin this time of quiet prayer, I invite you to find a comfortable place to sit with your back straight and your legs planted on the ground. Allow yourself to notice your breathing as you breathe normally. Breathe in. Breathe out.

Take a few moments and close your eyes, preparing yourself to listen to what God may be saying to you during this prayer. As you sit with your eyes closed, use these or similar words: “Here I am, Lord. Here I am.” When you are ready, open your eyes and pray.

Where is My Wilderness?

Imagine you are walking down a busy street in a large city. There are people everywhere. It’s hard to move ahead because you are surrounded. The sounds of cars and buses and horns fill the air. Surprisingly, in the midst of the crowd and the noise you are calm. There is so much life around me, you think. How does this make you feel? As you walk further, you notice someone all bundled up sitting on the sidewalk. He is wrapped in a furry blanket on top of multiple layers of clothing. As you look closer, he is holding a sign that reads, “Are you ready to enter the wilderness?” You think, how strange. What do you think this means?

You are curious, so you decide to walk over to him. He looks up at you. His eyes look directly into yours. He smiles. What do you want to say to him? He says to you, “Are you ready? The time is coming and is now. Are you ready?”

“Ready for what?” you answer. He smiles and laughs a little. “Are you ready to enter your wilderness, ready to go into the wild to find what is most real?” His laugh makes you smile. You wonder, where is my wilderness? The man looks up at you with a look that is full of love and acceptance. “I can only bring the message. It’s up to you to accept it. There is one coming who is fully alive, and he offers that to you. He has been to his wilderness, and he knows pain and suffering.” Where is your wilderness? What in your life do you need to accept? What pains are you holding onto?

He looks up at you and sees how you may be struggling to understand. He smiles and says, “He is coming to take all that you want to hide in darkness and bring it into the light of love and acceptance. Will you let him?” He smiles. You think you see such love in his eyes but you aren’t sure.

As you walk away, you think about what he said about acceptance and love, about pain and suffering. But your mind goes back to one phrase he said. Will you let him? Will you let him? Will you?

Where is your wilderness?

Concluding Prayer
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Sunday Service

Sunday, 14 December 2025
The Third Sunday of Advent
Year A

Holy Eucharist

10:30 am
Christ Church Sanctuary
1216 Seventh Street, Anacortes
The service is also available on YouTube.

Servers
Presider: The Rev. Courtney Jones*
Deacon: The Rev. Vicki Johnson
Homilist: Shirley Barrett
Altar Guild: June Cook, Kris Whitely
Eucharistic Minister: MJ Barrett
Bread Ministry: Jerlyn Caba
Readers: Tierney Wells, Ed Barton
Ushers: Jerlyn Caba, Geoff Holmes
Eucharistic Visitor: The Rev. Eric Johnson
Organist: Lynne Berg
Coffee Hour Host: The Wells Family
*Updated

Readings
Isaiah 35:1-10
Canticle 15
James 5:7-10
Matthew 11:2-11
Readings may be found in the Episcopal Lectionary.

Hymns
WLP 724 - People, Look East
H 615 - Thy Kingdom Come!
H 67 - Comfort, Comfort Ye My People
VF 117 - My Soul Gives Glory to My God
H 438 - Tell Out, My Soul, the Greatness of the Lord!

Bulletin Link: 14 December 2025
YouTube Sunday Service Link

Coffee Hour
Coffee Hour follows the service.
All are welcome.

Adult Faith Formation
Zimzum Discipleship
Following the 10:30 am service
Stop by Coffee Hour to pick up your coffee and treats and then join in our Zimzum gathering, where we will deepen our discussion around honoring the Sabbath.
We will consider Ignatius Loyola's thoughts about consumerism and his desire to be generous in his service towards God. Zimzum is about recognizing the space God has created for us to be in awe of his creation in community with others.
All are welcome.
Questions? Please contact Mary Ellen Huggins, hugginsmaryellen@gmail.com, or The Rev. Eric Johnson, anacorteseric@gmail.com

Announcements

A Joyful Noise December 2025

Find all the December news at A Joyful Noise December 2025.

Handel’s Messiah Singalong

Saturday, December 13
6pm
Westminster Presbyterian Church
1300 Ninth Street, Anacortes

A note from Gillian Westerman, Director of Music, Worship, & Arts, Westminster Presbyterian Church:

Bring your score or borrow one of ours and come sing along with Handel's Messiah!  We will have areas reserved for those who want to sing, to sit with their section.  Not a singer?  Come and listen as part of the audience. 

This year's concert will once again feature your favorite choruses and wonderful local and Seattle based soloists, including Bass-Baritone Charles Robert Stephens, Tenor Daniel Markham, and Soprano Hannah Flournoy.  As always, our wonderful conductor Philip Tschopp will take the podium and direct the chamber orchestra and our ad hoc choir.

We hope you will join us for this wonderful musical celebration of God's love. It is sure to add joy to your Christmas season!  

This year’s Messiah Singalong was underwritten by area churches and donors, including Christ Episcopal Church.

Bishop’s Committee Meeting

Monday, December 15
5:30 – 7:00 pm
Parish Hall Gathering Room & Zoom.
All are welcome to attend.

Advent Taize Service & Potluck Soup Supper

Wednesday, December 17
6pm
Christ Church Sanctuary
Musicians: The Banjo Band
A potluck Soup Supper will follow in the Parish Hall Gathering Room.
All are welcome.

Christmas Poinsettias

Altar Guild Directress Mary Gronholt invites the congregation to make a donation for Christmas poinsettias, at $25/poinsettia. Donations by check should be made to Christ Church and memoed “Poinsettia”. Thank you!

Valerie Long Address

Long-time congregant Valerie Long has relocated to Colorado.
Val’s address is:
4723 Surfwood Lane #309
Pueblo CO 81005

She would love to hear from you!

Pastoral Care Meeting

Thursday, December 18
4:30-6pm
Parish Hall Gathering Room
Questions? Please contact The Rev. Vicki Johnson.

Weekly Prayer Services

Centering Prayer
Centering Prayer will resume in the Spring.

Evening Prayer
Regular Evening Prayer services will resume in January.

Men’s Group

The Rev. Eric
‍ ‍ Johnson

The Men’s Group meets weekly on Fridays.
9:00 – 10:00 am
Parish Hall Gathering Room
Questions? Please contact The Rev. Eric Johnson.
All are welcome.

The Red Door Thrift Shop

Dawn Jex

Dawn Jex, Red Door Manager

Hello Everyone and and Happy Holidays,

Please remember that when you come in for your shift to enter the building through the big back door into the donations area. We have been coming in the front for quite a while so it will take us some time to shift to the new Volunteer Entrance. I keep the building locked when I am here alone in the morning so you may need to knock and I will come open the door for you. Thank you. 

If you are a cashier or a cashier assistant, please take a moment to refamiliarize yourself with our policies regarding gift certificates for sale, gift certificates for volunteers and also our voucher system. This paperwork can be found on the lower shelf on the glass table in the cashier area. 

Call for Volunteers this weekend. This Sunday, at 1 pm I am looking for some help. Valerie Long's family will be donating everything left over from her estate sale to the Red Door. I will need at least a couple of people to help me box and move everything over to the shop. I have no idea what or how much will be left but I would like to have at least three vehicles (mine included) including a truck if possible.  Please reply to this email if you can help with that. Thank you!

And we're off to another busy week at TRD. Last week on Tuesday we had a $2,700 day!!! Woohooo!

See y'all soon,
Dawn

Christ Church’s Red Door Thrift Shop is located at 1019 Seventh Street in Anacortes.
Red Door Thrift Shop
360.202.9966

Red Door Shopping Hours:
Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday: 10am – 3pm

Red Door Donation Hours:
Monday & Wednesday: 10am – 1pm
Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday: 10am – 3pm

Profits generated at the Red Door Thrift Shop fund Christ Church’s Community Support program.
Shoppers, Volunteers, & Donations are always welcome!

Day by Day

Day by Day daily devotions may be accessed at the following link:
Day by Day Daily Devotion.

Prayer List

Please offer prayers of thanksgiving for the life of Linda, sister-in-law of Lynne.
John, brother of Lynne, & family
Pat, mother of Dan
Creamy & family
Jim, father of Stephanie
Gaylene
Veronica
Mary
Diane
Rev. Rilla & family
Linda, sister-in-law of Lynne
Myrna
Arra, aunt of Carol
Sandy
Dale
Zoanne
Linda
Tom
Karen
Leslie
Diana
Val
John
Foundation for Academic Endeavors
Cedar, Pete & Charlene, and Brendan, family & friends of Mary