NOVEMBER FEAST DAYS

This month we celebrate no less than three feast days, two from the Church     calendar and one from the secular calendar:  All Saints’ Day, Christ the King Sunday  and Thanksgiving.  We will celebrate All Saints’ Day on Sunday, November 2nd,  Christ the King on Sunday, November 23rd, and Thanksgiving with an ecumenical service here at our church on Wednesday, November 22nd at 7pm.

THE ORIGIN OF ALL SAINTS’ DAY

Originally, All Saints’ Day was known as All Martyrs’ Day, a feast to honor those who died in the persecutions by the Romans, especially those whose names were not known.  The earliest record of this feast is from the third century—it may date back even further.   Ephrem Syrus (d. 373) mentions a Feast dedicated the saints in his writings. St. Chrysostom of Constantinople (d. 407) was the first Christian we know of to assign the Feast to a particular day: the first Sunday after Pentecost. The Feast did not become established in the Western Church, however, until the Roman bishop Boniface IV consecrated the Pantheon at Rome to Christian usage as a church on May 13, 609 or 610. The Feast was observed annually on this date until the time of Bishop of Rome, Gregory III (d. 741) when its observance was shifted to Nov. 1, since on this date Gregory dedicated a chapel in the Basilica of St. Peter's to "All the Saints." It was Gregory IV (d. 844), who in 835 ordered the Feast of All Saints to be universally observed on Nov. 1.

All Saints’ Day has evolved over time, and now it is a feast not just for martyrs, but for all the saints, living and dead.   Above all, the Feast of All Saints is a day to     glorify Jesus Christ, who by his holy life and death has made the saints holy through Baptism and faith.   Holiness is manifested above all by union with Christ and with all his people.  We are the communion of saints—the mystical body of Christ made up of  all believers, living and dead, fed and sustained by Christ in the Holy Sacrament.

CHRIST THE KING SUNDAY

The feast of Christ the King is a fairly recent addition to the church calendar.  Pope Pius XI instituted it in 1925 to celebrate Christ’s kingship as a way of combating the destructive forces of the age.  After the horrors of WWI, and in the face of the     gathering forces of totalitarianism, Christians needed to be reminded of the promise    that Christ’s reign will one day be established. We still need that reminder with all the violence and turbulence going on in the world, and so we continue to celebrate this feast day.

The readings for this Sunday, which is the last Sunday of the Church year, focus on the end of history, when God’s justice and peace will prevail.  The veil is lifted for a moment and we catch a metaphorical glimpse of the future—a time when Christ will return and all wounds will be healed, and all injustice will end.  The prayer that we pray so often, “thy kingdom come,” will finally be answered.

Christ the King Sunday is also our parish’s feast day—a time to give thanks for our beloved community and the vision of hope that we share.  We will celebrate by renewing our baptismal covenant, and tasting the future reign of Christ in the Eucharist.

THANKSGIVING

Thanksgiving is considered a secular holiday, but it has clear religious roots.  At the heart of the celebration is giving thanks to God for all our blessings—the blessings of food, family, friends, and all of God’s abundant gifts to us.  Pierre Teilhard de Chardin once said that if “thank you” were the only prayer we ever prayed, it would be enough.  At Christ the King, we will be giving thanks by filling Thanksgiving baskets with food for those in need, and by joining with other Rondout Valley churches for a Thanksgiving service on Wednesday, November 26th at 7pm.  This is a wonderful opportunity to join the wider Christian community in giving thanks for all of God’s blessings.  Please come and bring your family and friends.

Love and prayers, Alison+

TREASURER’S REPORT

As you know we are all watching our money now.  The Church is also and now we must start looking at the 2009 budget.  I think we all have been blessed at our Church.  There are 11 pledgers who I will be sending out statements as they are behind. If there is a problem please contact me or Mother Alison.  Today’s reading from "Day by Day" seems to fit. It’s from Eccesiastes 5:4-5  "When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; For He has no pleasure in fools.  Pay what you have vowed.  It is better not to vow than to vow and not pay."  God bless you all.

 Pat Boyer, Treasurer

FALL CLEAN UP DAY—NOVEMBER 9TH

It is that time of year—time to rake leaves, do some pruning and plant some bulbs.  The Town of Marbletown has donated bulbs to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the 1609 voyages of Henry Hudson and Samuel Champlain and we are hoping to plant them all around our sign out front.  For those who prefer indoor work, the kitchen could use a little straightening and organizing.  If you can help, come to church in old clothes on Sunday the 9th and stay for a while.  Drinks and snacks provided.

CTK FAMILY NEWS

Thanks to Lucy McGinty for caring for the children in the nursery and also helping with clerical tasks.

A special thanks to Linda Wells who has been very instrumental in procuring fresh vegetables and fruit for the food pantry. She spent two entire days processing sweet corn and making applesauce to be used at the pancake supper.

Thanks to Laurel Sweeney for her help in organizing the gleanings project, to everyone who helped in this great endeavor, and to Rick Fritschler who donated the small freezer so that we can store this for the RVFP.

Thanks to Jane Wood for the wonderful course on the history of Anglicanism.

Thanks to  Stewart’s Shops for providing the ice cream for our St. Francis Blessing   of the Animals, and to everyone who baked pies. We made $201 for the RVFP.

Thanks to Ascension Church and Alison for the Quiet Day on Oct. 4.

Congratulations to Tammy and Ryan Basten on the birth of their son, John Ryan, on September 26th.

Thanks to Tana Miller and the many volunteers and diners who came to our Second Community Lunch on October 28th.

Congratulations to Dominica Lizzi who will be received into the Episcopal Church   on Sunday, November 9th at St. James Church on 4526 Albany Post Road in Hyde Park, NY at the 10 AM service.

Thanks to Claire Wasser of the Rondout Creek Food Coop for the donation of the    big freezer in the kitchen. She is a member of the Food Coop and they are using our space once a month to unpack and distribute food to their members.

Thanks to Ed Fielding and Dominica Lizzi for their stewardship presentations in     October.

Congratulations to Che Durand who will be performing as Lady Bracknell in the     Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde for six weeks in Las Vegas.

Thanks to Kathy Cairo Davis, Marbletown Town Clerk, for a donation of funds for  the RVFP which were collected from fees for notary services.

Congratulations to Linda Fitzpatrick on the birth of her granddaughter Mollaigh Ann(pronounced Molly) and to Mollaigh Ann’s parents Clarissa and Rick Flannery.

Thanks to Pat Boyer for planting chrysanthemums around the flag pole.

Thanks to JoAnne and Albert Hoffman for the donation of a new fair linen for the   altar.

Thanks to Casey Kurtti and Laurel Sweeney for their inspiration and work to realize the Dine Out Nights—Feed Your Neighbors program to support our local businesses and to  raise money for the food pantry.

Welcome to our new parishioner Garnette Arledge.

PARISHIONER DOMINCA LIZZI TO BE RECEIVED

Christ the King is not due for a visit from the bishop until late 2009.  But after being a    member at Christ the King for almost a year, Dominica Lizzi is eager to be officially received into the Episcopal Church.  Bishop Don Taylor will be visiting St. James in Hyde Park on  November 9th,  and so, with his permission and that of the rector of St. James, the Rev.  Chuck Kramer, Dominica will be received at their 10 am service.  Pat Boyer has agreed to serve as her sponsor.  Anyone who wants to go to St. James for this service has a free pass to miss church at CTK that day.  We will also celebrate with Dominica the following Sunday at CTK.  If there are others who have not yet been confirmed or received, please let the rector know.  We will also hold an adult confirmation class in the spring, in time for confirmation   at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.

STEWARDSHIP GOING FOR THE GOLD

The stewardship committee invites every member of the parish to come out on Saturday,   November 1st for our annual stewardship kickoff event. The evening will begin at 6PM with  a reception in the church followed by a program featuring the CTK Players. Dinner will be served in Timmerman Hall. The evening promises fun and surprises for all and activities for children. There is no admission charge. Come one, come all as we prepare to pass the torch from door to door to go for the gold for 2009.

The Stewardship Committee