This is the final section of W.H. Auden's massive poem:  "For the Time Being," subtitled:  A Christmas Carol.  The "time being" is the time between the Incarnation and the Second Coming, i.e., the time in which we all live.  I don't pretend to appreciate all of this, although I clearly understand that I see far too much of myself, attempting to celebrate the Season "in the midst of this naughty world."  Written in 1941-1942 when Auden's England was struggling in World War II, the poem has taught me more about the theology of Christmas than any book, course, person or combination of the above.  FAB

NOW THAT CHRISTMAS IS ALMOST OVER

Well, so that is that.  Now we must dismantle the tree,
Putting the decorations back into their cardboard boxes --
Some have got broken -- and carrying them up to the attic.
The holly and the mistletoe must be taken down and burnt,
And the children got ready for school.  There are enough
Left-overs to do, warmed-up, for the rest of the week --
Not that we have much appetite, having drunk such a lot,
Stayed up so late, attempted -- quite unsuccessfully --
To love all of our relatives, and in general
Grossly overestimated our powers.  Once again
As in previous years we have seen the actual Vision and failed
To do more than entertain it as an agreeable
Possibility, once again we have sent Him away,
Begging though to remain His disobedient servant,
The promising child who cannot keep His word for long.
The Christmas Feast is already a fading memory,
And already the mind begins to be vaguely aware
Of an unpleasant whiff of apprehension at the thought
Of Lent and Good Friday which cannot, after all, now
Be very far off.  But, for the time being, here we all are,
Back in the moderate Aristotelian city
Of darning and the Eight-Fifteen, where Euclid’' geometry
And Newton's mechanics would account for our experience,
And the kitchen table exists because I scrub it.
It seems to have shrunk during the holidays.  The streets
Are much narrower than we remembered; we had forgotten
The office was as depressing as this.  To those who have seen
The Child, however dimly, however incredulously,
The Time Being is, in a sense, the most trying time of all.
For the innocent children who whispered so excitedly
Outside the locked door where they knew the presents to be
Grew up when it opened.  Now, recollecting that moment
We can repress the joy, but the guilt remains conscious;
Remembering the stable where for once in our lives
Everything became a You and nothing was an It.
And craving the sensation but ignoring the cause,
We look round for something, no matter what, to inhibit
Our self-reflection, and the obvious thing for that purpose
Would be some great suffering.  So, once we have met the Son,
We are tempted ever after to pray to the Father;
"Lead us into temptation and evil for our sake."
They will come, all right, don't worry; probably in a form
That we do not expect, and certainly with a force
More dreadful than we can imagine.  In the meantime
There are bills to be paid, machines to keep in repair,
Irregular verbs to learn, the Time Being to redeem
From insignificance.  The happy morning is over,
The night of agony still to come; the time is noon:
When the Spirit must practise his scales of rejoicing
Without even a hostile audience, and the Soul endure
A silence that is neither for nor against her faith
That God's Will will be done, that, in spite of her prayers,
God will cheat no one, not even the world of its triumph.

   Chorus

He is the Way.
Follow Him through the Land of Unlikeness;
You will see rare beasts, and have unique adventures.

He is the Truth.
Seek Him in the Kingdom of Anxiety;
You will come to a great city that has expected your return for years.

He is the Life.
Love Him in the World of the Flesh;
And at your marriage all its occasions shall dance for joy.
 

EPISCOPAL YOUNG CHURCHMEN NEWS

In January the EYC will be having a local mission coordinated by Hands On Thomas County.  We will meet for lunch and planning session on Sunday, January 7 after the morning service.  Look to the MLK weekend for the mission.

The next activity will be for all active participants -- we are planning a trip to North Carolina where we hope to be in snow!!

Andrea and Chip Hancock

FROM THE SENIOR WARDEN

The Rev. Curtis Mears will be our guest preacher Sunday January 14 while Fr. Buechner takes a Sunday of vacation.  The Rector will be at St. Johns, Savannah January 8-11 for a seminar on Dante’s Purgatories.  It will be led by The Rev. Dr. Robert Crouse, Professor of Classics at Dalhousie University, Halifax.

ADVENT IV/CHRISTMAS EVE

Whenever the Fourth Sunday of Advent falls on December 24 as it did last month, the demands on every organization in the parish multiply, the physical decorating of the church being not the least of these.  This year we managed it all splendidly.  Andrea and Chip Hancock organized a lunch following the 10:30 a.m. service enjoyed by young and old, and then everyone really went to work.  At one point I counted about twenty-five of us from age four on up helping turn the church (interior and exterior) into a green, red and white splendor.  About the same number were in the kitchen carving turkeys to be delivered to the needy.  The Altar Guild was busy in the sacristy; Sunday School students and teachers were preparing for the pageant; and everyone was having nothing less than a simply marvelous time.  There was nothing "frenetic" about this energy; it was perfectly directed toward the goal of making every single aspect of our Christmas feast as meaningful as possible.  It was a long day for many of us physically, but so spiritually rewarding.  What a wonderful congregation and staff!  My gratitude and love to all.  FAB

THE FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY

Our special Feast of Lights service will be this Sunday, January 7, at 10:30 a.m.
ATTENTION VESTRYMEN

Our January meeting will be Sunday morning January 21 at 8:00 a.m. in the parish hall library.

CHRISTMAS DINNERS

We want to say a special thank you to everyone who helped make and deliver our Christmas dinners which went to Providence Plaza, The Rescue Mission, Halcyon Home and The Leona Hobbs family.  This year we were able to feed 145 people and hope that no one in Thomasville went unfed on Christmas Day.

Christmas Eve Eddie, Bernie Lanigan, Phillip Watt and Warren Bicknell successfully carved 13 turkeys.  Rebecca and Kit Sanford, Randell Chastain, Elaine Kavouklis, Donald, Melissa and Sam Bruhn cut and boxed cakes and individually bagged the rolls.

Christmas Day our production line for boxing, bagging and delivery was done in record time because of John Carico, Lib, Charles, Maria, Anna Price and Elizabeth Olsen, Bernie Lanigan, Jan, John, Olivia, Elaina and Alisha Kavouklis, Lauren and Walker Davis, as well as Woody Horwell and Caroline Fresoli from St. Thomas.  All of these parishioners’ efforts underlined that it truly is more Blessed to give than receive.

Rozzie and Eddie Davis

SAINT CECILIA AND SAINT DAVID CHOIR NEWS

Both choirs will resume rehearsals Wednesday, January 3.  Mrs. Buechner will bring the snacks that day. The choirs will sing Sunday, February 4.  A rehearsal and snack schedule will be mailed soon.

Kathy Buechner

OFFICE CLOSINGS

The office will be closed January 5 in observance of The Epiphany, and January 15 for Martin Luther King Day.         FAB

EPISCOPAL CHURCH WOMEN

Our next meeting will be Wednesday, January 10 at 5:00 p.m. in the parish hall.  The nursery will be open.

Liz Parvey
Jenny Ladson

USHERS FOR JANUARY

January 7     
John Brinson
Don Bruhn

January 14
John Daniel
Charles Deal

January 21     
Jim Funk
John Glenn

January 28
Ben Grace
CB Grubbs

TRANSITIONS:

Happy birthday in January to:

  Henry Todd    1-3-01
  Laurel Sanders    1-7-86
  Margaret Hancock   1-8-93
  William P. Chubb   1-9-89
  Christopher Bragg  1-11-91
  Harrison Parvey  1-13-97
  Charles William Weissinger 1-14-04
  Curry Brinson   1-18-00
  Robert Lyons   1-26-87
  Walker Grubbs   1-29-84
  Evan Carraway   1-30-87
  Lewis Richardson Todd  1-31-04

 Happy birthday in February to:

  
  Rachel Grooms   2-11-84
  Maryam Norajean Sibley 2-11-02
  Neel Gurley   2-12-98
  Will Ladson   2-13-99
  Virginia E. Jackson  2-19-99
  Jonathan Douglas Harper 2-19-96
  Robby Stubley   2-22-90
  Cecile Shea   2-22-91
  Catie Hancock   2-23-90
  John B. Brinson, V (Jack) 2-24-97
  Colleen Elizabeth Nudd  2-24-06

Requiescat in Pace

Peter Angel DeSantis, Jr. departed this life December 5.

May his soul, and the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God rest in peace.  Amen.