The Seed Newsletter: November 20, 2022
NEWS ABOUT THIS SUNDAY
Dear Christian Temple family,
What a week it's been! Between Saturday night's party at the Campground and Sunday morning's worship and lunch, it has been an incredible week. The two of us have remarked to a few folks that it all felt like a family gathering where church broke out. Please know that our hearts are filled with gratitude for Christian Temple and the warm welcome we've received.
One of my favorite poets, Naomi Shihab Nye has a remarkable poem called "Gate A-4" in which she describes a scene at an airport gate. The poem resonates because a shared meal breaks out, turning strangers into friends. At the end of the poem, she writes: "And I looked around that gate of late and weary ones and I thought, This is the world I want to live in. The shared world. Not a single person in that gate—once the crying of confusion stopped—seemed apprehensive about any other person. They took the cookies. I wanted to hug all those other women, too.This can still happen anywhere. Not everything is lost."
What happened on Sunday at Christian Temple can happen anywhere. In fact, I think you know as well as I that it happens every time we gather together. This unstoppable, uncontainable energy and Spirit gives me hope for the months and years to come.
We hope to see you this week in worship. Our handbell choir will be playing and you won't want to miss the Kidz Choir singing their special Thanksgiving song. It'll be like a family gathering and church might just break out.
Grace and peace,
Katie
SIGN UP FOR YOUR POINSETTIAS!
 Help decorate the Sanctuary for the Christmas Concert and Christmas Eve Services – then take your plant home. You are also able to designate poinsettia plant in honor or memory of someone. Poinsettias are $12.00 each. You many purchase them by check, cash, or VANCO.
Please call the office if you have any questions (410-747-2041).
CLICK HERE for the order form
CHRISTMAS CONCERT
 The Christmas Concert is back!! The singing and ringing choirs are all busy preparing music for our annual Community Christmas Concert. You’l hear some old favorites… plus an exciting new arrangement of Joy to the World with piccolo, bass and rhythm guitar and 4 hands at one piano…flying all over the keyboard!
Plan to join us at 4:00 on Sunday, December 11 for an hour of beautiful music. Then...
please join all your friends in the Fellow Hall for some tasty refreshments. Please invite some friends…and let us get your Christmas Season off to a great start!
CAN YOU HELP FILL COLLEGE CARE PACKAGES THIS YEAR?
 On Monday Nov 28th, the Christian Temple Women’s group will meet to assemble Christmas care packages for our college students. If you have a college student (away or studying at home) or a young adult in the military, let the church office know no later than 11/21 and confirm their current address so that we don’t miss anyone!
If you could provide some items to help us fill about 20 boxes, we would love it. Things we usually put in the boxes include: homemade cookies, hot cocoa mix, microwave popcorn, candy, Christmas trinkets or small decorations, and small fun items that our students might enjoy as they prepare for final exams. There will be a large basket marked “College Care Packages” in the gathering waiting to hold your generous contributions. We’ll pack the boxes on the 28th and mail them on the 30th, so we need your donations by Sunday, November 27.
We would also appreciate contributions to cover the cost of mailing the packages. You can make that contribution online, by check to the church office, or in the collection plate. Please be sure to indicate that your contribution is for the College Care Packages.
Thanks very much!
JOURNEY TO BETHLEHEM
 Christian Temple family – We have not had Journey to Bethlehem in person since 2019 due to COVID, and we want to bring back the tradition. Journey will be Saturday, December 17 from 6-8 PM. Set up will be Friday December 16 from 6-8 PM. We need YOUR help with set up, the actors’ pre show meal, actors, market booth owners, and clean up. PLEASE contact the following folks to volunteer and get more information:
Amy Luking : amyschweitzerluking@gmail.com 410-419-9182
Sonja Scott rsbbscott@yahoo.com 202-439-9415
Matthew and Cathy Bloedorn at matthewbloedorn@gmail.com and catherine.bloedorn@gmail.com
TRANSFORMER'S SERVICE PROJECT- OPERATION SHOEBOX- NEEDS HELP
Happy November, church family!
The Transformers are working on a service project and we would love YOUR help! Our focus for November is gratitude/thanksgiving. And, we would love to show our gratitude to active duty men & women.
Over the next TWO Sundays (November 13th & 20th), we are collecting and shipping specifically-requested snack items. Their urgent requests are: Cookies, Crackers, Cereal/Granola Bars, Slim Jims/Jerky, Protein Bars, Nuts. *Per their request, ALL items must be individually wrapped.
Snack donations may be given to Kecia or placed in the bin located in the Gathering. The bin will have a sign that reads "Operation Shoebox" with an American flag. Thank you, in advance, for helping us support our Service Men & Women.
Most Sincerely ~Kecia
ALWAYS READING BOOK FAIR HOSTED BY THE DISMANTLING RACISM COMMITTEE
 The Christmas season is the time for giving. The Dismantling Racism Committee of Catonsville Presbyterian Church, Grace AME Church and Christian Temple are hosting a traveling book fair to support Always Reading. Always Reading is a nonprofit organization with a mission to empower children with an abundance of knowledge through books, with their Achieving Through Reading Program. They fulfill their mission by distributing free, new and specially curated books to hundreds of children attending Title I schools. From designated book shelves, children are encouraged to select a book, take it home, and build and expand their home libraries. No other nonprofit does what they do, the way they do it.
On Sunday, December 4th, 40 books will be on display in our gathering spacer to either be adopted for Edmondson Heights Elementary School or purchased for your own children’s library or as a gift for someone special. A donation of any amount will go to Always Reading to purchase books to replenish the book shelves at Edmondson Heights Elementary School, or you can order from this collection, as many books as you would like, that will be delivered to you by Christmas.
Please come, browse, purchase or donate books for children who might not otherwise have access to books that portray a positive reflection of themselves and that expose them to the rich history of their culture.
Thank you from the Dismantling Racism Committee
NEW FORUM STARTS NOVEMBER 27TH
Joe Pettit will be leading an Advent study for the Sunday Forum beginning, November 27 through December 18. He will be using a book written by Joseph R. Kelly, "The Origins of Christmas." Here is a synopsis of the book.
When was Christmas first celebrated? How did December 25 become the official date for Christmas? How did the Bible's "magi from the East" become three kings named Melchior, Caspar, and Balthasar who rode camels from three different continents to worship the newborn Christ? Why did medieval and Renaissance artists often portray Joseph as an old man? When did the first Christmas music appear? And who was the real St. Nicholas, and how did he become one of the most famous of al Christian saints? These and many other questions are answered in The Origins of Christmas. The story of the origins of Christmas is not well known, but it is a fascinating tale. It begins when Christmas did not exist and finishes when Christmas had become an integral part of Christian life and Western culture. The Origins of Christmas covers a variety of topics in a concise and accessible style and is suitable for group discussions. Chapters are "The Birth of Jesus," "Creating the Christmas Story," "Creating Christmas Day and the Christmas Season," "Jesus, Mary, the Magi, and an Obscure Asian Bishop," and "The Popular Acceptance of Christmas. "
If you are interested in obtaining the book for the study, it is available through Amazon: The Origins of Christmas: Kelly PhD, Joseph F.: 9780814629840: Amazon.com: Books. It's available both in Kindle and Paperback formats.
**Forum Schedule for November 2022**
November 20, 2022 - Disciples of Christ Historical Society's 50th Anniversary on Merger. A second short video entitled Disciples 101.
November 27, 2022 - Advent Study: "The Origins of Christmas"
November 20, 2022
The Children's Choir will be meeting at 10:15 AM for an in-person rehearsal.
Don't forget that you are singing in the service today!
Transformers will be meeting this Sunday, November 20, 2022! Kids will leave to participate in the program right after the Children’s Moment during our worship service. Kecia Johnson is the Education Coordinator for Christian Temple who also leads this group. Kecia will be happy to answer any questions you might have regarding the Transformer program and schedule.
PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS POLICY UPDATED
The Official Church Board updated Christian Temple's Pandemic Preparedness Policy to more accurately reflect the current realities of the pandemic. Anyone who would like to see the policy as it now is written may CLICK HERE.
DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO ISN'T RECEIVING THE SEED?
Our email distribution lists are almost up-to-date, but we are concerned that we may have missed a friend or two during this process. If you know of anyone who isn't receiving the J&C and/or The Seed, please ask them to let the office know. Contact Robin at 410-747-2041 or at office@christiantemple.org. Thank you!
ZOOM LINK CHANGES
We needed to update our Zoom account recently for a variety of reasons. In doing so, some of our standard, recurring links have changed. Please look carefully at the links printed in our newsletters as they may be different than expected. If you have any questions, please call the church office at 410-747-2041. Thank you!
ZOOM LINKS!
Nine O' Clock Forum, Sundays (9 AM), Zoom Sessions Only
https://zoom.us/j/91547210479
Wednesday Bible Study (9:30 AM), Zoom Sessions Only
https://zoom.us/j/94040874646
Beginning on Wednesday, November 2 and for the next 24 weeks the Wednesday Bible Study group will begin a new study on “Understanding the New Testament.” The course is led by Professor David Brakke, Ph.D. This is a 24 lecture series that takes us behind the scenes to study not only the text of the New Testament, but also the authors and the world in which it was created. The course explores Jewish lives under Roman occupation, reflects on the apocalyptic mood of the first and second centuries A. D., witnesses the early Christians’ evangelism beyond the Jewish communities, and witnesses the birth of a faith that continues to shape our world today.
There is no need to purchase books or course materials, as the WBS coordinator distributes appropriate reading materials and a Zoom link each week for each lecture. Please join us this fall in learning about our Christian faith, its scriptures and authors. If you have questions, please contact Vaughn Ouellette at 410-313-9661 or email: vaughn.ouellette@verizon.net.
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