November 30, 2006 

Waiting in the Shadows

 Today is the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle.  Both the Gospels and biographers describe Andrew simply as “Simon Peter’s brother.”  Identifying Andrew as Peter’s brother makes it easy to know who he is, but it also makes it easy to overlook Andrew’s special gift to the company of Christ. The first chapter of John’s Gospel tells how Andrew, a disciple of John the Baptist, was one of two disciples who followed Jesus after John had pointed him out, saying, “Behold the Lamb of God.”  Andrew and the other disciple went with Jesus and stayed with him, and Andrew’s first act afterward was to find Peter and bring him to Jesus. We might call Andrew “the first missionary” in the company of disciples.

Even so, Andrew seems to be an Apostle destined to wait in the shadows, with one other notable exception:  Andrew is remembered as the disciple who found and brought the boy with the five loaves and two fish to Jesus for the feeding of the multitude (John 6:1-15).  No one can say for sure what happened to him after the time of the New Testament.  Tradition has it that he was fastened to an X-shaped cross and suffered death at the hands of angry pagans.

Unlike Andrew’s quiet witness, the world teaches us to strive for recognition.  Unlike Andrew’s mentor John the Baptist, who was content to quietly disappear as Jesus entered the scene, we are taught by our culture to do anything but go away.  We live in a privileged society that seduces us, from the youngest to the oldest, to expect the latest and greatest…to have the world revolve around our desires and needs.

The commercial celebration of Christmas does everything it can to feed this delusion.  That’s why the Church refrains from the immediate celebration of Christmas and offers a time of waiting and reflection we call Advent.  Advent is a gift because it offers us a reminder that we can choose to live a different way.  Instead of becoming exhausted by frenetic preparations, instead of consuming or expecting more and more to satisfy our wants and desires, we can actually slow down and wait, anticipating and seeking the satisfying and glorious life and role that God has prepared for us.

This godly life is likely to be a reflection of the life of St. Andrew: an existence lived in the shadows.  For as Jesus said, if we want to be great, we must give up our desire for status, lifestyle and recognition and be willing to become the servant of all. 

Christmas Eve is a little over three weeks away.  The world is demanding that we prepare on its terms.  Jesus lovingly offers us an Advent alternative.  How we prepare, what we choose to do or not do, will say a lot about which path we are choosing to follow. 

J. Derek Harbin, priest

Around Beloved…An Advent Wreath is a great daily devotional tool to use in your home to prepare for the birth of Jesus.  All you need is an evergreen wreath laid on a table with four pillar or taper candles (often purple) evenly spaced on the inner circle of the wreath.  Light the first candle beginning on Sunday and all the days of that week.  The next week, light two and so on.

As we prepare for Beloved’s 5^th Birthday Christmas celebration, Advent Devotions will be arriving in your email inbox and posted on Beloved’s website beginning Monday, December 4.  Folks from the Beloved Community wrote many of these reflections.  An additional devotional resource, Welcome Yule, will be distributed each Sunday to take home during the seasons of Advent and Christmastide.

The Nativity Story (rated PG) opens in theatres on Friday.  A Beloved Garden outing to the Candle Tea, offering an experience of Moravian Christmas customs in an historic Old Salem building, will take place on Friday, December 8^th.  Take some time to participate in these or other spiritually enriching opportunities to help keep you oriented on the right path in your preparations.  For more information about the Old Salem outing or to register to attend, click here.

The Adventure of Waiting Advent retreat will be held December 1-3 at Trinity Center (Pine Knoll Shores / Salter Path, NC).  Cost is $172.  To register, or for more information, please contact Leslie at 1.888.TRINCTR.

Beloved’s Worker Bees (youth 9-12) and metamorphosis (youth 12-15) each have a movie night coming up this weekend; the younger group on Friday (12/1) and the older group on Saturday (12/2) from 6:30-9pm at Beloved Garden.  Bring $3 for food and invite a friend to join you.

The Beloved Beehive (Sunday Christian Formation) for adults and children continues this Sunday.

Thanks to all who sold tickets to the Simon Night of Giving and to Kris Leinenkugel (and her team) who coordinated the Beloved effort.  We are pleased to report that Beloved was able to contribute $1890 to the Simon Foundation for at-risk youth, leaving $4141 directed to the Divine Provision portion of Beloved’s 2006 budget.

Congratulations to those who won prizes from Beloved’s raffle.  Savan Khlim of Charlotte won the Plasma TV; The Skrobot, LeBlanc, (Scott) Mellon and Heighton families each won a $100 gift certificate from HH Gregg. Our thanks to all who sold tickets and to Fred Mellon for coordinating the raffle that provided $4555 to the Divine Provision portion of Beloved’s 2006 budget.

Sunday, 11/19:  Attendance: 116; Basket Offering: $4,440

Sunday, 11/26:  Attendance: 101; Basket Offering: $4,500

AIDS and Beloved…There has been a lot of talk about the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the press during the last three to four years, and the Anglican Communion, Episcopal Church and our own Diocese have made a commitment to supporting these goals in ways that fulfill our baptismal promises to “seek and serve Christ in all people” and “respect the dignity of every human being.”  During the Advent, Christmas and Epiphany seasons, I will be writing about the Millennium Development Goals and how Church of the Beloved is already participating in them by following the call of Jesus to serve those in need around the world.

Goal number six of the MDGs is a call to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.  Friday (12/1) has been designated as World AIDS Day in which we remember those who have died from HIV/AIDS. More importantly, it is a time to remember that HIV/AIDS is STILL a pandemic disease that has devastated Sub-Saharan Africa, wiping out almost an entire generation.  This has left orphans and the elderly in many parts of Africa.  HIV/AIDS is becoming a rapidly growing health and socio-economic problem in China as well.

Each Christmas, worshippers at Beloved are invited to give gifts to Jesus in the areas of evangelistic witness and relief of human suffering, locally, nationally and internationally.  In 2003, Beloved gave a Christmas gift to Jesus that provided $3843 through the Anglican Communion Office to assist in the eradication of the AIDS plague that is ravaging millions of men, women and children on the African continent.  We received personal and heartfelt thanks from those in the field who used our money for a disease prevention drama ministry and vitally needed medicine to insure the health and survival of those innocent young children and their families who are presently suffering and dying with this devastating disease.

Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane of Cape Town offered this observation about the AIDS earlier this year:  "Words, words, words won't help us in our fight against the pandemic.  Now is the time for action.”  I invite your prayers on Friday for those who have died and those who are living with the devastation wrought through HIV/AIDS on multiple continents.  Pray that Christians around the world may find tangible ways to extend the life-giving drugs and educational programs that will give hope to those who suffer.

Deacon Deb

Serving at God’s Altar this Sunday…Angel Army Team 3 (Captain: Mark Leinenkugel; Administrator: Kris Leinenkugel; Pastor: Jim Skrobot; Convener: Scott Sanniota); Acolytes: Caleb Friend, Hannah Friend, Thomas Friend, Austin Yearwood; Altar Bread Baker: Catherine Atwood; Lay Eucharistic Ministers: Mary Reid & Anna Moore; Offertory Basket Passers: Ceci Atwood, Gabi Leinenkugel, Jack Sanniota, Katie Sanniota; PowerPoint: Kevin Krantz; Presenters: Scott and Julie Sanniota; Reader: Joseph Nichols.

Sunday’s Scripture Readings…Psalm 25:1-9 & Luke 21:25-36 

In our Prayers…Carson King; Emily, Nancy and Tony Hodgson's granddaughter...Ben Doyon’s physical therapy…Michel Parent, Catherine Atwood’s father who has Alzheimer’s Disease… those serving in Iraq, especially Bob, Clifford King Harbin‘s nephew, Jared, Wes and Michele Nichols’ nephew; Ron, Marilyn Doyon‘s brother-in-law...Palmer, Betsy Fox’s teenage cousin who is fighting leukemia…Jessie Powell, Janie Lownes... Bertie, Bonnie Lowder’s mother who has Lou Gherig’s Disease…Dick Reif's parents, Ed and Jean, who are in declining health in Oklahoma…Bucky, Sherrill Lowder's neighbor, who has lung cance...Penny Crawford and Chris Morley as they seek permanent employment...the staff and students of Community House Middle School.

Upcoming Calendar… click here