English Congregation’s Calendar  

                2014-2015  

Advent – Christmas – Epiphany Year B

November 30          Candle of Hope, A Prophet's Prayer of Hope

December 7             Candle of Peace, Shepherds Behold a Great Light

December 14           Candle of Joy, Shepherds’ Lessons and Carols

December 21           Candle of Love, Waiting for our Savior’s Love

December 24           Combined English and Chinese Christmas Eve   

                                Candle Light Service 8PM

December 25  English Christmas Service at 9:30AM

December 28           First Sunday after Christmas

                                Father Tom Reese, Supply from New York

January 4                Second Sunday after Christmas

                               Father Tom Reese, Supply from New York

January 11              First Sunday after Epiphany

                               Father Tom Reese, Supply from New York

January 18              Second Sunday after Epiphany

                               The Rev. Lily, Rector

January 25    Third Sunday after Epiphany

                       Combined English-Chinese Service

                       The Rev. Lily Chung, Rector 

                       Annual Parish Meeting

                       [Lily’s Farewell Sunday]

February 1            Presentation of Jesus in the Temple

                            The Rev. Philip Lin Li-Feng, Our New Rector

                            Bill Bryson, Preacher and Leader for Boy Scouts Sunday

                             

February 8                 Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

                                  Father Barker Returns from Leave

February 15               Last Sunday after Epiphany

February 22            1^st Lent

Autumn Beginnings

Greetings to Good Shepherd’s Koinonia Pilgrims:

In North America the autumn leaves have turned to red and gold, yellow, and browns signaling their sap descending into winter’s hibernation.  However, for us at Mu Ai Tang, [Good Shepherd Church], our sap’s energy is rising as we throw ourselves into a new school year, work projects, and liturgical hopes for Advent and Christmas.

Our excitement grows between the festival of St. Francis Sunday, October 5 when we bless our brother and sister animals and Advent, November 30.  We celebrate All Saints Sunday, November 2.   Some of us will join with friends and family for America’s Thanksgiving Day on November 27. 

As we mark these days of harvest thanksgiving and the festival of Christ the King, the end of the liturgical year, November 23, our hearts rejoice in God’s many blessings and mercies. 

I encourage all of us to join in our koinonia opportunities to intimately participate in our worship and fellowship as these autumn days shorten and darken before we welcome the light of Christ into the world on Christmas Day.   Sign up to read on Sunday, bring a special food offering for our coffee hour, bring a friend to church, join special choir presentations, join the acolyte training, sing a little bolder, and share the peace with more cheer, belong, believe, and befriend in these shorter, darker, colder, wetter days of autumn and winter and let your light and spirit brighten all our world.

Love, hope, and Peace,

Father Herbert