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The Guardian November 2020
Clergy Corner: The Lightkeepers
As we enter these days of waning light and look forward to the
coming of the Light of the World, here is a poem that offers me
purpose and guidance. I hope you hear it, too.
The Lightkeepers
You are not the Light. You are not the Path. You are not the
Destination.
You? You lift up the Lantern. You are the Keepers of the
Light.
You stand in the darkness of the road and hold high the lantern,
which holds the Light, that is not you.
All who wander in the night, who stumble by the Gate, see the
Light pooled at your feet, and catch a glimpse of the gate, the
path, the destination that leads to home
You are the Keepers of the Light. Through this long night, may
you faithfully hold up the lamp.
You hold a lonely post against all of this oppressive Dark, but
you join a constellation of Light-bearers that came before you, and
those who are to come.
You are entrusted to the mundane work of keeping the wicks
trimmed, and the incandescent joy of seeing the lamp burn
bright.
Many will stumble on past. They see the Light, but do not turn
in. Many will see the light you wave and weave their way home.
Hold your post. Hold it well. Keep on signaling in the dark:
This is the Way! The Truth! The Life!
You are not the Light. You are not the Path. You are not the
Destination. You illuminate the Gate.
You are the Keepers of the Light.
© Christine Parton Burkett, 2016
Mother Dina+
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The Guardian November 2020 2
Tuesday Meditation Service ~ November 10th
Our Candlelight & Meditation service for November is
scheduled for Tuesday the 10th at 7:30pm. Our theme for this
month calls us to the peace and joy we know in our life in
Christ.
“Life in Christ”
This service will be livestreamed on our Facebook page.
Plan to tune in!
November Calendar
St. Michael’s Children’s Center is open under strict guidelines
set by the CDC and Los Angeles County Health Department. No one is
allowed to enter the school except for students and staff.
The church calendar continues to be quite limited. We are
offering only the following activities on cam-pus—Eucharist on the
first Sunday of the month at 10am and Bible study on Tuesdays at
2pm. Our online services continue through the week and on
Sundays.
Sunday, November 1 10am All Saints’ Day open air Eucharist and
Baptism & C.A.S.E. ingathering —south of the school bldg.—
Remember standard time returns today! This service will be
livestreamed on our Facebook page for those who choose not to
attend in person.
Saturday, November 7 Bishop’s (virtual) Gala at 6pm—and it’s
free! with Presiding Bishop Curry as the keynote speaker The Gala
will be livestreamed on the diocesan Facebook page
Tuesday, November 10 Candlelight & Meditation service at
7:30pm This service will be livestreamed on our Facebook page
Tuesday, November 24 So. Bay Interfaith (virtual) Service of
Thanksgiving at 7:30pm This service will be livestreamed on Temple
Menorah’s Facebook page
Continuing Events
Sundays 10am Sunday services online on our Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/stmichaelselsegundo/
Tuesdays 2pm Bible study Location subject to change. Come and
look for us!
Monday-Thursday Regular weekday online services
https://www.facebook.com/stmichaelselsegundo/
Monday—8am Morning Devotions Tuesday—12noon Noonday Prayer
Wednesday—5pm Vespers Thursday—8pm Compline
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The Guardian November 2020 3
Voices from the Vestry: Some Thoughts to Ponder
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to
continue that counts. Winston Churchill
Believe you can and you're halfway there. Theodore Roosevelt
I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my
sails to always reach my destination. Jimmy Dean
Spread love everywhere you go. Mother Teresa
Don't wait. The time will never be just right. Napoleon Hill
Stay close to anything that makes you glad you are alive.
Hafez
It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which,
more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome.
William James
Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must
keep moving. Albert Einstein
Nothing is impossible. The word itself says "I'm possible!"
Audrey Hepburn
You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new
dream. C.S. Lewis
Try to be a rainbow in someone else's cloud. Maya Angelou
You do not find the happy life. You make it. Camilla Eyring
Kimball
Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment, until it
becomes a memory. Dr. Seuss
The most wasted of days is one without laughter.
e.e.cummings
You must do the things you think you cannot do. Eleanor
Roosevelt
If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great
way. Martin Luther King Jr.
Some people look for a beautiful place. Others make a place
beautiful. Hazrat Inayat Khan
Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn't know you
left open. John Barrymore
We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to
have the life that is waiting for us. Joseph Campbell
It is never too late to be what you might have been. George
Eliot
Be the change that you wish to see in the world. Mahatma
Gandhi
The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot.
Michael Altshuler
Each person must live their life as a model for others. Rosa
Parks
Submitted by Julie Bergeron
For all the saints!
All Saints’ Day on November 1st commemorates all the saints,
known and unknown. It is one of the seven principal feasts of the
church year—so it’s a big deal!
While many saints have a particular feast day, those whose
sainthood is known only to God have no particular feast day—and so
on All Saints’ Day we remember all the saints of the church. In
addition, in the New Testament all the followers of Jesus are
called “saints” and so this day remembers all those who have died
in the faith of Christ.
All Saints’ Day is one of the four occasions of the church year
that is especially suitable for baptism. In baptism we welcome a
new member of the church—a new saint! This All Saints’ Day we are
happy to welcome Jeremy Iniobong Okon into the family of Christ. I
hope you will join us!
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The Guardian November 2020 4
December newsletter articles are due November 25th. Please send
articles to [email protected]
Come, ye thankful people
Thanksgiving Day is a major holy day of the church year as well
as a national holiday and day of thanks. The custom of Thanksgiving
Day is based on the celebration of three days of prayer and
feasting by the Plymouth, Massachusetts colonists in 1621. There
was also a Thanksgiving celebration with prayer by members of the
Berkeley plantation, near what is now Charles City, Virginia, in
1619. The first national Thanksgiving Day was celebrated in
1789.
In some ways, it may be harder for us to give thanks this year.
Many have lost and suffered much. But as our forebears showed, it
is good and right to give God thanks in all times and
circumstances. God is good.
We are all invited to give thanks with the larger faith
community at the South Bay Interfaith (virtual) Service of
Thanksgiving. I hope you’ll join in!
Join us online ~ Register at tinyurl.com/SBThanksgiving2020 For
more information visit www.facebook.com/southbayinterfaith
or email [email protected]
Eucharist Schedule
Al fresco Eucharist on the bike yard (south of the school) at
10am on first Sundays
November 1st – All Saints’ Day
December 6th – Second Sunday of Advent
January 3rd – Second Sunday of Christmas
On the days that we gather together, we will also collect for
our monthly C.A.S.E. ingathering. See the article on page 5 for
items that are especially needed to stock the C.A.S.E. food
pantry.
Note: Dates may change based on changing circumstance.
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The Guardian November 2020 5
All are invited!
The Bishop’s Gala ~ a major fundraising event for the ministries
of the diocese ~
will be held (virtually) on Saturday, November 7 at 6pm –
online.
Presiding Bishop Curry is the keynote speaker (you know you want
to hear him!)
and this virtual event is free! Register to attend here
https://aesbid.co/ELP/BISHOPS20/Tickets
And make a donation if you can toward diocesan ministries.
Thanks!
Good News!
Our diocese has awarded a “One Body, One Spirit” emergency grant
to St. Michael’s to help us fund a fire alarm in Yeaton Hall so
that it can be used as a classroom for St. Michael’s Children’s
Center. The open classroom setting in the school building has
greatly reduced the number of students we can serve during the
pandemic. The vestry approved the use of Yeaton Hall to provide an
additional classroom, but the fire alarm system is necessary to
meet licensing requirements. Using Yeaton Hall as a classroom will
allow us to serve up to 12 additional students—doubling the number
of pre-school students we are currently able to serve.
Along with the parents ~ who will get much needed child care and
the students ~ who will have a fun, safe and educational place to
come each day and the teachers ~ who are able to keep the jobs they
love teaching our students we are grateful!
Please note that when the Children’s Center classroom opens in
Yeaton Hall, it will be off limits for other use during school
hours—7am to 6pm Monday through Friday.
Standard Time Returns
Yes. We are still doing it. The clocks change back to Standard
Time on Sunday, November 1.
Be sure to change your clock—or let Siri do it for you—so that
you arrive on time for our All Saints’ Day service.
C.A.S.E. Ingathering November 1st
Cereals Sugar Oatmeal (boxes and packets) Bottles of juice
Ketchup Mayonnaise Cooking oil Flour Cleaning supplies (for
surfaces, disinfecting) Disinfecting wipes Dish soap Laundry
detergent Toothpaste
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The Guardian November 2020 6
FAMILY PROMISE
Our next host week is coming up Dec 6 – 12! Our host week
commitment during the pandemic is to provide money so that our
families can shop for their own groceries and cook their own meals.
The easiest way to donate is at familypromiseosb.org online. Please
choose a one time donation and fill in the comment box that you’re
donating for St. Michael’s and our upcoming host week Dec 6 -12.
Currently we have 4 families and are looking for $100 per family.
Sending in grocery and gas gift cards are great too. Please send an
email to [email protected] with the following information:
First and Last Name Congregation Name Amount Donated/Gift Card
Donated
8th Annual Empty Bowls virtual event was October 10th, 2020 and
we raised $98,561.50!!! This was our biggest fundraiser of the year
and the money raised is desperately needed for our operation. We
count on this fundraiser for a major portion of our budget. Thank
you everyone who bought tickets, bid on auction items and donated
so that we can continue our work with homeless families with
children and more!
We are currently serving 4 homeless families with children
Family #1 Fernando, Lorelle, Aaliyah, Ayven Family #2 Esther (Mom),
Aiden Family #3 Ching (Dad), Mika (Mom), William, Faith Family #4
Miriam (Mom), Christopher, Diego, Genesis, Sebastian, Sofia,
Alexa
Volunteer Opportunities Write notes and letters to our families
and kids and send them to 2930 El Dorado St., Torrance, CA 90503
Donate snack bags for our children. Come over for outdoor,
social-distanced yard work at our Transitional Housing location.
There are after school opportunities to share arts and crafts,
outdoor activities, science, baking/cooking with the kids on Mon,
Wed or Fri afternoons from 2pm-3:30pm. If interested please email
[email protected]
Our 2021 Host Weeks – Please save these dates! First quarter:
February 28 – March 6 Second quarter: June 6 – 12 Third quarter:
October 10—16 Fourth quarter: December 12 –18
All nonprofits you care about will need financial support to get
through this crisis and continue their important work. If you are
in a financial position to do so, please give. Mail a check to
Family Promise of the South Bay, 2930 El Dorado St, Torrance, CA
90503 Give online www.familypromiseosb.org I miss all of you very
much! I hope you are well and staying safe.
With love, Jeanie Powell [email protected],
310-462-9904
SUNDAY SCHOOL
Take a close look! Where are we? And who are we missing?
There is still time (and room) for our Sunday schoolers to send
in a self portrait. Send them to:
Florine Guy 12627 Eucalyptus Ave #124 Hawthorne, CA 90250
about:blank
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The Guardian November 2020 7
Our outreach spotlight for Advent is
C.A.S.E.
You can provide food for our neighbors.
Our Advent outreach this year is for our local neighbors.
The
Community Alliance to Support and Empower—C.A.S.E.—
provides food and financial assistance for needy families in
El
Segundo. We want to help stock the pantry for the new year!
We have taken the idea of an Advent Calendar and turned it on
its
head. Instead of taking something out of your Advent
Calendar
this year as you count the days to Christmas, we are inviting
you
to put something in. And we’ve even provided you with a
helpful
list!
Boxes will be distributed at our November 1st al fresco
Eucharist.
But any box will do! Use the list here to plan your donations
and
fill a box with good food for our neighbors. If you’d rather
donate
money to help out please, make sure you note that it is a
donation
for C.A.S.E.
We will collect the filled boxes at our January First Sunday
al
fresco service on January 3rd.
It is our right and responsibility as Christians and as American
citizens to vote.
Almighty God, to whom we must account for all our powers and
privileges:
Guide the people of the United States in the election of
officials and representatives;
that, by faithful administration and wise laws, the rights of
all may be protected
and our nation be enabled to fulfill your purposes; through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
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The Guardian November 2020 8
The Reverend Dina Ferguson, D. Min. Rector
Parish Office: 310-322-2589 Web site:
www.stmichaels-elsegundo.org Email:
[email protected]
St. Michael’s Children’s Center Ms. Lauren Cherrington
School Office: 310-322-7522
Worship Schedule Sunday 8:00am Rite I Said Service Sunday
10:00am Rite II with Music and Childcare Sunday School: 1st, 2nd
& 3rd Sundays
St. Michael the Archangel Episcopal Church 361 Richmond Street
El Segundo, CA 90245
TO:
November 2020
Mission Statement for St. Michael’s Church
Growing in God’s Love. Working in God’s Spirit.
THE
GUARDIAN
St. Michael the Archangel Episcopal Church El Segundo