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I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

Rev Anne Privett 2

Shelagh’s Ordina-

tion

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Report from Treas-

urer

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Christmas Services 5

GES Carol Singing 6

Leo Buscaglia 7

PHC 18

Crossword

St. Martin of Tours Anglican/Lutheran Church Crossword

Christmas 2010

Christmas Carol 10

Reflective Poems 11

A Child’s Christ-

mas in Wales

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William Shake-

speare

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Magnificat

John Rutter

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When You

Thought I Wasn’t

Looking

Rev Rowan Wil-

liams

News & Events

Parish Council

Minutes

Diocesan Mailings

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Rev Anne’s Ph # 250-247-8648

Madonna of the Magnificat

c.1485; Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence

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Winter winds brought darkness to Gabriola. Huge gusts felled trees all over the island, knocking out

power lines and power for two, or for some of us, three days. Off in my little cabin, I discovered just how

dark and cold BC can get and just how unprepared I was! I quickly learned that being on a well water sys-

tem without electricity meant there was no way to pump water. Darkness, cold and thirst. As I sat in the

quiet, the power of the biblical metaphors of darkness, cold and thirst became real. Darkness, cold and

thirst: the words the psalmist, multiple prophets and St. John use to describe what life is like apart from

God. This deep darkness and cold made St. John’s piercingly true summation all the more shocking: “that

the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light” (John 3:19).

Within an hour, people began starting up generators, stoking fireplaces and wood stoves and call-

ing to check on their priest-in-charge (thank you!). Containers of emergency water emerged and warm

beds were offered to those in cold cabins (thank you again!). Little pockets of light returned to the Island;

small oases in the night.

When the power finally returned, it did so with as much of a shock as when it went out. All of sud-

den the sounds of appliances pierced the silence. Lights turned on and rooms began to grow warm as heat-

ers ticked and gurgled. It was a shock first to the eyes as brilliant and constant light replaced the flickers of

fire. And then it was a shock to whole body as we began to acclimatize to central heating.

As I reflected on this two-day journey from darkness to light, it became the season of Advent in

miniature. Advent is a time of waiting and it is also a time of acclimatizing. We are given the gift of four

weeks to begin to acclimatize to Love, to ready ourselves for the coming of God incarnate. We are given

four weeks to prepare ourselves for the shock of God’s power displayed in the vulnerability of an infant.

We have the grace of four weeks to enter the inner poverty necessary to receive the gift that kings and

princes could not. We are given four weeks to enter more fully into the spiritual work of a lifetime that

readies us for Christ’s second coming. So I invite you to take time this Advent to begin to acclimatize to

Love. To continue with the analogy: what fires do you need to stoke in you life of faith? Where are your

stores of water? Where is the darkness that needs the coming of brilliant and constant Light? Through

prayer, self-reflection, scripture reading and joy let us make ready. The true light, which enlightens every-

one, is coming into the world!

Rev. Anne Privett

“The people who walked in dark-

ness have seen a great light;

those who dwelt in a land of deep

darkness, on them has light

shined” (Isaiah 9:2)

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”Ordination denotes an act by God and the community by

which the ordained are strengthened by the Spirit for their

task and are upheld by the acknowledgement and prayers of

the congregation” www.(anglican communion.org)

An ordination service is always a very moving oc-

casion and yesterday’s was no exception.

Shelagh’s Ordination was truly moving, challenging,

inspirational and glorious.

We were all impressed with the dignified ritual and

Angela read well the First Reading, Deuteronomy

30:11-14. . Rev Barbara was glowing as she sup-

ported Shelagh as she said her ordination vows.

We were also rewarded with a a fine sermon given

by the Right Reverend Jane Alexander reminding the

ordinands of their duties in serving God, the church

and the community of believers.

Praise be to God for an incredible day!

Shelagh: May the love of the Lord be with you always, as you enter into the service of God’s holy people.

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On our behalf, our Treasurer, Corinne, has been investigating the required steps to have money owned

by St. Martin’s Building Fund placed in a more financially viable vehicle such as an Investment Ac-count to generate more income for our parish. As well, we are attempting to ascertain whether the IN-COME from the fund can be used for general operating purposes, such as helping defray annual ex-penses of salaries, rent, assessment, etc. while leaving the principal monies intact in case we decide to buy or build in future.

As the monies now in the Building Fund are generally considered to be held "in Trust" for our parish, a lawyer specialising in Trust and Estate Law has been consulted by Corinne to advise whether we re-quire an in depth legal opinion or if in fact we should obtain a court order directing the future use of these funds. If in fact we do require a court application, it would be for direction under the Cy Pres doc-trine which is defined as follows:

Definition of a Cy Pres - Abbreviated form of cy pres comme possible, French for "as near as possible."

Cy pres is the equitable doctrine under which a court interprets a document containing a gift to charity by substituting another charity to reflect as closely as possible the donor’s intention. Courts use cy pres when a donor’s original charitable purpose cannot be exactly fulfilled. When literal compliance is impossible, the general intention of the donor should still be carried out as nearly as pos-sible (cy pres) so that the charitable bequest does not fail.

In either case, we will incur legal expense and it will take some time to obtain either the opinion or the court order. The court application will be more expensive than the opinion and estimates have not yet been received as to these amounts.

Report from St. Martin of Tours

Treasurer

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Christmas Services

Dec 24, 7:00pm Gabriola United Family Ser-

vice

Dec 24, 10:30pm Anglican Eucharist

Dec 25, 10:30am Combined United Church

and Anglican Service

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Gabriola Ecumenical Society Carol Singing Thursday Dec 8

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Assemble at the Garden Homes 6:10pm

Bring a flashlight, and wear warm clothes

Followed by Hot Chocolate and treats at Eric and Sue Boulton

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Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once

Talked about a contest he was asked to judge.

The purpose of the

Contest was to find the most caring child.

The winner was:

1. A four-year-old child, whose next door

neighbor was an elderly gentleman, who had recently lost his

wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old

Gentleman's' yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.

When his mother asked him what he had

said to the neighbor, the little boy just said, 'Nothing, I just

Helped him cry.'

*********************************************

2. Teacher Debbie Moon's first graders were

discussing a picture of a family. One little boy in the picture

had a different hair color than the other members. One of her

students suggested that he was adopted.

A little girl said, 'I know all about

Adoption, I was adopted..'

'What does it mean to be adopted?', asked

another child.

'It means', said the girl, 'that you grew

in your mommy's heart instead of her tummy!'

************************ *********************

3. On my way home one day, I stopped to

watch a Little League base ball game that was being played in a

park near my home. As I sat down behind the bench on the first-

base line, I asked one of the boys what the score was

'We're behind 14 to nothing,' he answered

With a smile.

'Really,' I said. 'I have to say you

don't look very discouraged.'

'Discouraged?', the boy asked with a

Puzzled look on his face...

'Why should we be discouraged? We haven't

Been up to bat yet.'

*********************** **********************

4. Whenever I'm disappointed with my spot

in life, I stop and think about little Jamie Scott.

Jamie was trying out for a part in the

school play. His mother told me that he'd set his heart on being

in it, though she feared he would not be chosen..

On the day the parts were awarded, I went

with her to collect him after school. Jamie rushed up to her,

eyes shining with pride and excitement.. 'Guess what, Mom,' he

shouted, and then said those words that will remain a lesson to

me....'I've been chosen to clap and cheer.'

*********************************************

Cont’d

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5. An eye witness account from New York

City, on a cold day in December,

some years ago: A little boy,

about 10-years-old, was standing before a shoe store on the

roadway, barefooted, peering through the window, and shivering

With cold.

A lady approached the young boy and said,

'My, but you're in such deep thought staring in that window!'

'I was asking God to give me a pair of

shoes,' was the boy's reply.

The lady took him by the hand, went into

the store, and asked the clerk to get half a dozen pairs of socks

for the boy. She then asked if he could give her a basin of water

and a towel. He quickly brought them to her.

She took the little fellow to the back

part of the store and, removing her gloves, knelt down, washed

his little feet, and dried them with the towel.

By this time, the clerk had returned with

the socks.. Placing a pair upon the boy's feet, she purchased him

a pair of shoes..

She tied up the remaining pairs of socks

and gave them to him.. She patted him on the head and said, 'No

doubt, you will be more comfortable now..'

As she turned to go, the astonished kid

caught her by the hand and looking up into her face, with tears

in his eyes, asked her:

'Are you God's wife?'

Dear God, My prayer for 2012 is for A fat bank account and a thin body. Please don't mix these up like you did last year. AMEN! Submitted by Anonymous

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People for a Healthy Community The Food Bank thanks you very sincerely for the 15-1/2 lbs. of food stuffs donated to them. Do you know anyone who was once a keen gardener who now finds it "a bit too much?" Or someone who just likes to putter in a garden but no longer has access to a garden? It may be news to you that there's a place on our island called a Dragon Garden where such folk would be welcome. Welcome to garden a little or garden a lot....or just sit in a garden, have a cup of tea and chat with gardening folk. The concept of a Community Garden has evolved like all Commons programs. In the Spring of 2005 it was a group visioning how to use this community resource that was the spark. By 2008 a Seniors Advisory Group was formed to guide the creative development of a garden suitable for older gardeners and those with special needs. Much was learned from St. Ann's Seniors Garden at Providence Farm. When the weather warms up know that at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesdays you may drop-in. and have a look around. Rose Jones

People for a Healthy Community

The Food Bank thanks you very sincerely for the 15-1/2 lbs. of food stuffs do-nated to them.

Do you know anyone who was once a keen gardener who now finds it "a bit too much?" Or someone who just likes to putter in a garden but no longer has ac-cess to a garden? It may be news to you that there's a place on our is-land called a Dragon Garden where such folk would be welcome. Welcome to garden a little or garden a lot....or just sit in a garden, have a cup of tea and chat with gardening folk.

The concept of a Community Garden has evolved like all Commons pro-grams. In the Spring of 2005 it was a group visioning how to use this commu-nity resource that was the spark. By 2008 a Seniors Advisory Group was formed to guide the creative development of a garden suitable for older garden-ers and those with special needs. Much was learned from St. Ann's Seniors Garden at Providence Farm.

When the weather warms up know that at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesdays you may drop-in. and have a look around.

Rose Jones

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A Christmas Carol For Children

For Christmas

Words: Martin Luther

Good news from heaven the angels bring,

Glad tidings to the earth they sing:

To us this day a child is given,

To crown us with the joy of

heaven.

This is the Christ, our God and Lord,

Who in all need shall aid afford:

He will Himself our Saviour be,

From sin and sorrow set us free.

To us that blessedness He brings,

Which from the Father's bounty springs:

That in the heavenly realm we may

With Him enjoy eternal day.

All hail, Thou noble Guest, this morn,

Whose love did not the sinner scorn!

In my distress Thou cam'st to me:

What thanks shall I return to Thee?

Were earth a thousand times as fair,

Beset with gold and jewels rare,

She yet were far too poor to be

A narrow cradle, Lord, for Thee.

Ah, dearest Jesus, Holy Child!

Make Thee a bed, soft, undefiled,

Within my heart, that it may be

A quiet chamber kept for Thee.

Praise God upon His heavenly throne,

Who gave to us His only Son:

For this His hosts, on joyful wing,

A blest New Year of mercy sing.

Words: Mar­tin Lu­ther, 1531 (Von Him­mel hoch da komm ich her). This ver­sion ap­peared in the Penn­syl­van­ia Lu­ther­an Church Book, 1868, and is based on trans­la­tions by Ar­thur T. Russ­ell and Cath­er­ine Wink­worth. Music: Von Him­mel Hoch, from Geist­liche Lied­er, by Val­en­tin Schu­mann (Leip­zig, Ger­ma­ny: 1539); har­mo­ny by Jo­

hann S. Bach (

A Child's Christmas in Wales

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A Child's Christmas in Wales

~

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“Advent Calendar” by Rowan Williams

He will come like last leaf’s fall.

One night when the November wind

has flayed the trees to the bone, and earth

wakes choking on the mould,

the soft shroud’s folding.

He will come like frost.

One morning when the shrinking earth

opens to mist, to find itself

arrested in the net

of alien, sword-set beauty.

He will come like dark.

One evening when the bursting red

December sun draws up the sheet

and penny-masks its eye to yield

the star-snowed fields of sky.

He will come, will come,

will come like crying in the night,

like blood, like breaking,

as the earth writhes to toss him free.

He will come like a child.

as the earth writhes to toss him free.

He will come like a child.

Submitted by Rev Anne.

Weekly Bible Study

On Mondays at the Commons, Sue Brockley is leading us through study and discussion

on the Sunday scripture readings from 10:00- 11:00am.

~ Poetry

In the pages that follow, you’ll find 3 Advent poems for your reading and reflection

Rev Anne

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Magnificat of Waiting for the Fullness of Time

From Miryam of Nazareth by Ann Johnson

My soul reflects quietly on your fullness,

and my spirit grows stronger in the hope of your promise,

God, my redeemer, because you have filled me with

the knowing that you are alive within me.

Yes, day by day through the course of time

my awareness of the call to blessed fulfillment increases

for you have done great things for me.

Holy is this time,

and patience is your gift

to all who nurture the seed of your love.

You have changed my life;

I was so confident and unknowing.

You have deflected my fervent thrust toward iron-clad goals,

and spread before me your vision of fragile simplicity.

My longing to be a healing and reconciling person to your people

is affirmed within the daily comings and goings of my life;

my illusions of my own wholeness are mercifully revealed.

You are here now in this seeming emptiness of waiting,

remembering your intent,

... according to the promise made in the beginning of time...

remembering your intent to reach through the work of my life

that your fullness may be known now, in our time.

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Kneeling by R. S. Thomas

Moments of great calm,

Kneeling before an altar

Of wood in a stone church

In summer, waiting for the God

To speak; the air a staircase

For silence; the sun’s light

Ringing me, as though I acted

A great role. And the audiences

Still; all that close throng

Of spirits waiting, as I,

For the message.

Prompt me, God;

But not yet. When I speak,

Though it be you who speak

Through me, something is lost.

The meaning is in the waiting.

R. S. Thomas

(1913 - 2000)

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One Christmas was so much like another, in those years around the sea-town corner now and out of all sound except the distant speaking of the voices I sometimes hear a moment before sleep, that I can never remember whether it snowed for six days and six nights when I was twelve or whether it snowed for twelve days and twelve nights when I was six. All the Christmases roll down toward the two-tongued sea, like a cold and headlong moon bundling down the sky that was our street; and they stop at the rim of the ice-edged fish-freezing waves, and I plunge my hands in the snow and bring out whatever I can find. In goes my hand into that wool-white bell-tongued ball of holidays resting at the rim of the carol-singing sea, and out come Mrs. Prothero and the firemen. It was on the afternoon of the Christmas Eve, and I was in Mrs. Prothero's garden, waiting for cats, with her son Jim. It was snowing. It was always snowing at Christmas. December, in my memory, is white as Lapland, though there were no reindeers. But there were cats. Patient, cold and callous, our hands wrapped in socks, we waited to snowball the cats. Sleek and long as jaguars and horrible-whiskered, spitting and snarling, they would slink and sidle over the white back-garden walls, and the lynx-eyed hunters, Jim and I, fur-capped and moccasined trappers from Hudson Bay, off Mumbles Road, would hurl our deadly snowballs at the green of their eyes. The wise cats never appeared. We were so still, Eskimo-footed arctic marksmen in the muffling silence of the eternal snows - eternal, ever since Wednesday - that we never heard Mrs. Prothero's first cry from her igloo at the bottom of the garden. Or, if we heard it at all, it was, to us, like the far-off challenge of our enemy and prey, the neighbor's polar cat. But soon the voice grew louder. "Fire!" cried Mrs. Prothero, and she beat the dinner-gong. And we ran down the garden, with the snowballs in our arms, toward the house; and smoke, indeed, was pouring out of the dining-room, and the gong was bombilating, and Mrs. Prothero was announcing ruin like a town crier in Pompeii. This was better than all the cats in Wales standing on the wall in a row. We bounded into the house, laden with snowballs, and stopped at the open door of the smoke-filled room. Something was burning all right; perhaps it was Mr. Prothero, who always slept there after midday dinner with a newspaper over his face. But he was standing in the middle of the room, saying, "A fine Christmas!" and smacking at the smoke with a slipper. "Call the fire brigade," cried Mrs. Prothero as she beat the gong. "There won't be there," said Mr. Prothero, "it's Christmas." There was no fire to be seen, only clouds of smoke and Mr. Prothero standing in the middle of them, waving his slipper as though he were conducting. "Do something," he said. And we threw all our snowballs into the smoke - I think we missed Mr. Prothero - and ran out of the house to the telephone box. "Let's call the police as well," Jim said. "And the ambulance." "And Ernie Jenkins, he likes fires." But we only called the fire brigade, and soon the fire engine came and three tall men in helmets brought a hose into the house and Mr. Prothero got out just in time before they turned it on. Nobody could have had a noisier Christmas Eve. And when the firemen turned off the hose and were standing in the wet, smoky room, Jim's Aunt, Miss. Prothero, came downstairs and peered in at them. Jim and I waited, very quietly, to hear what she would say to them. She said the right thing, always. She looked at the three tall fire-men in their shining helmets, standing among the smoke and cinders and dissolving snowballs, and she said, "Would you like any-thing to read?" Years and years ago, when I was a boy, when there were wolves in Wales, and birds the color of red-flannel petticoats whisked past the harp-shaped hills, when we sang and wallowed all night and day in caves that smelt like Sunday afternoons in damp front farm-house parlors, and we chased, with the jawbones of deacons, the English and the bears, before the motor car, before the wheel, be-fore the duchess-faced horse, when we rode the daft and happy hills bareback, it snowed and it snowed. But here a small boy says: "It snowed last year, too. I made a snowman and my brother knocked it down and I knocked my brother down and then we had tea."

But that was not the same snow," I say. "Our snow was not only shaken from white wash buckets down the sky, it came shawling out of the ground and swam and drifted out of the arms and hands and bodies of the trees; snow grew overnight on the roofs of the houses like a pure and grandfather moss, minutely -ivied the walls and settled on the postman, opening the gate, like a dumb, numb thunder-storm of white, torn Christmas cards."( cont’d)

A Child’s Christmas in Wales

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"Were there postmen then, too?" "With sprinkling eyes and wind-cherried noses, on spread, frozen feet they crunched up to the doors and mittened on them manfully. But all that the children could hear was a ringing of bells." "You mean that the postman went rat-a-tat-tat and the doors rang?" "I mean that the bells the children could hear were inside them." "I only hear thunder sometimes, never bells." "There were church bells, too." "Inside them?" "No, no, no, in the bat-black, snow-white belfries, tugged by bishops and storks. And they rang their tidings over the bandaged town, over the frozen foam of the powder and ice-cream hills, over the crackling sea. It seemed that all the churches boomed for joy under my window; and the weathercocks crew for Christmas, on our fence." "Get back to the postmen" "They were just ordinary postmen, found of walking and dogs and Christmas and the snow. They knocked on the doors with blue knuck-les ...." "Ours has got a black knocker...." "And then they stood on the white Welcome mat in the little, drifted porches and huffed and puffed, making ghosts with their breath, and jogged from foot to foot like small boys wanting to go out." "And then the presents?" "And then the Presents, after the Christmas box. And the cold postman, with a rose on his button-nose, tingled down the tea-tray-slithered run of the chilly glinting hill. He went in his ice-bound boots like a man on fishmonger's slabs. "He wagged his bag like a frozen camel's hump, dizzily turned the corner on one foot, and, by God, he was gone." "Get back to the Presents." "There were the Useful Presents: engulfing mufflers of the old coach days, and mittens made for giant sloths; zebra scarfs of a substance like silky gum that could be tug-o'-warred down to the galoshes; blinding tam-o'-shanters like patchwork tea cozies and bunny-suited bus-bies and balaclavas for victims of head-shrinking tribes; from aunts who always wore wool next to the skin there were mustached and rasp-ing vests that made you wonder why the aunts had any skin left at all; and once I had a little crocheted nose bag from an aunt now, alas, no longer whinnying with us. And pictureless books in which small boys, though warned with quotations not to, would skate on Farmer Giles' pond and did and drowned; and books that told me everything about the wasp, except why." "Go on the Useless Presents." "Bags of moist and many-colored jelly babies and a folded flag and a false nose and a tram-conductor's cap and a machine that punched tickets and rang a bell; never a catapult; once, by mistake that no one could explain, a little hatchet; and a celluloid duck that made, when you pressed it, a most unducklike sound, a mewing moo that an ambitious cat might make who wished to be a cow; and a painting book in which I could make the grass, the trees, the sea and the animals any colour I pleased, and still the dazzling sky-blue sheep are grazing in the red field under the rainbow-billed and pea-green birds. Hardboileds, toffee, fudge and allsorts, crunches, cracknels, humbugs, glaciers, marzipan, and butterwelsh for the Welsh. And troops of bright tin soldiers who, if they could not fight, could always run. And Snakes-and-Families and Happy Ladders. And Easy Hobbi-Games for Little Engineers, complete with instructions. Oh, easy for Leonardo! And a whistle to make the dogs bark to wake up the old man next door to make him beat on the wall with his stick to shake our picture off the wall. And a packet of cigarettes: you put one in your mouth and you stood at the corner of the street and you waited for hours, in vain, for an old lady to scold you for smoking a cigarette, and then with a smirk you ate it. And then it was breakfast under the balloons." "Were there Uncles like in our house?" "There are always Uncles at Christmas. The same Uncles. And on Christmas morning, with dog-disturbing whistle and sugar fags, I would scour the swatched town for the news of the little world, and find always a dead bird by the Post Office or by the white deserted swings; perhaps a robin, all but one of his fires out. Men and women wading or scooping back from chapel, with taproom noses and wind-bussed cheeks, all albinos, huddles their stiff black jarring feathers against the irreligious snow. Mistletoe hung from the gas brackets in all the front parlors; there was sherry and walnuts and bottled beer and crackers by the dessertspoons; and cats in their fur-abouts watched the fires; and the high-heaped fire spat, all ready for the chestnuts and the mulling pokers. Some few large men sat in the front parlors, without their collars, Uncles almost certainly, trying their new cigars, holding them out judiciously at arms' length, returning them to their mouths, cough-ing, then holding them out again as though waiting for the explosion; and some few small aunts, not wanted in the kitchen, nor anywhere else for that matter, sat on the very edge of their chairs, poised and brittle, afraid to break, like faded cups and saucers." would come a boy the spit of myself, with a pink-tipped cigarette and the violet past of a black eye, cocky as a bullfinch, leering all to him-self. I hated him on sight and sound, and would be about to put my dog whistle to my lips and blow him off the face of Christmas when suddenly he, with a violet wink, put his whistle to his lips and blew so stridently, so high, so exquisitely loud, that gobbling faces, their cheeks bulged with goose, would press against their tinsled windows, the whole length of the white echoing street. For dinner we had turkey and blazing pudding, and after dinner the Uncles sat in front of the fire, loosened all buttons, put their large moist hands over their watch chains, groaned a little and slept. Mothers, aunts and sisters scuttled to and fro, bearing tureens. Auntie Bessie, who had already been frightened, twice, by a clock-work mouse, whimpered at the sideboard and had some elderberry wine. The dog was sick. Auntie Dosie had to have three aspirins, but Auntie Hannah, who liked port, stood in the middle of the snowbound back yard, singing like a big-bosomed thrush. I would blow up balloons to see how big they would blow up to; and, when they burst, which they all did, the Uncles jumped and rumbled. In the rich and heavy afternoon, the Uncles breathing like dolphins and the snow descending, I would sit among festoons and Chinese lan-terns and nibble dates and try to make a model man-o'-war, following the Instructions for Little Engineers, and produce what might be mis-taken for a sea-going tramcar

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Not many those mornings trod the piling streets: an old man always, fawn-bowlered, yellow-gloved and, at this time of year, with spats of snow, would take his constitutional to the white bowling green and back, as he would take it wet or fire on Christmas Day or Doomsday; sometimes two hale young men, with big pipes blazing, no overcoats and wind blown scarfs, would trudge, unspeaking, down to the forlorn sea, to work up an appetite, to blow away the fumes, who knows, to walk into the waves until nothing of them was left but the two furling smoke clouds of their inextinguishable briars. Then I would be slap-dashing home, the gravy smell of the dinners of others, the bird smell, the brandy, the pudding and mince, coiling up to my nostrils, when out of a snow-clogged side lane would come a boy the spit of myself, with a pink-tipped cigarette and the violet past of a black eye, cocky as a bullfinch, leering all to himself. I hated him on sight and sound, and would be about to put my dog whistle to my lips and blow him off the face of Christmas when suddenly he, with a violet wink, put his whistle to his lips and blew so stridently, so high, so exquisitely loud, that gobbling faces, their cheeks bulged with goose, would press against their tinsled windows, the whole length of the white echoing street. For dinner we had turkey and blazing pudding, and after dinner the Uncles sat in front of the fire, loosened all buttons, put their large moist hands over their watch chains, groaned a little and slept. Mothers, aunts and sisters scuttled to and fro, bearing tu-reens. Auntie Bessie, who had already been frightened, twice, by a clock-work mouse, whimpered at the sideboard and had some elderberry wine. The dog was sick. Auntie Dosie had to have three aspirins, but Auntie Hannah, who liked port, stood in the middle of the snowbound back yard, singing like a big-bosomed thrush. I would blow up balloons to see how big they would blow up to; and, when they burst, which they all did, the Uncles jumped and rumbled. In the rich and heavy afternoon, the Un-cles breathing like dolphins and the snow descending, I would sit among festoons and Chinese lanterns and nibble dates and try to make a model man-o'-war, following the Instructions for Little Engineers, and produce what might be mistaken for a sea-going tramcar. Or I would go out, my bright new boots squeaking, into the white world, on to the seaward hill, to call on Jim and Dan and Jack and to pad through the still streets, leaving huge footprints on the hidden pavements. "I bet people will think there's been hippos." "What would you do if you saw a hippo coming down our street?" "I'd go like this, bang! I'd throw him over the railings and roll him down the hill and then I'd tickle him under the ear and he'd wag his tail." "What would you do if you saw two hippos?" Iron-flanked and bellowing he-hippos clanked and battered through the scudding snow toward us as we passed Mr. Daniel's house. "Let's post Mr. Daniel a snow-ball through his letter box." "Let's write things in the snow." "Let's write, 'Mr. Daniel looks like a spaniel' all over his lawn." Or we walked on the white shore. "Can the fishes see it's snowing?" The silent one-clouded heavens drifted on to the sea. Now we were snow-blind travelers lost on the north hills, and vast dew-lapped dogs, with flasks round their necks, ambled and shambled up to us, baying "Excelsior." We returned home through the poor streets where only a few children fumbled with bare red fingers in the wheel-rutted snow and cat-called after us, their voices fading away, as we trudged uphill, into the cries of the dock birds and the hooting of ships out in the whirling bay. And then, at tea the recovered Uncles would be jolly; and the ice cake loomed in the center of the table like a marble grave. Auntie Hannah laced her tea with rum, because it was only once a year. Cont’d

17

Bring out the tall tales now that we told by the fire as the gaslight bubbled like a diver. Ghosts whooed like owls in the long nights when I dared not look over my shoulder; animals lurked in the cubbyhole under the stairs and the gas meter ticked. And I remember that we went singing carols once, when there wasn't the shaving of a moon to light the flying streets. At the end of a long road was a drive that led to a large house, and we stumbled up the darkness of the drive that night, each one of us afraid, each one holding a stone in his hand in case, and all of us too brave to say a word. The wind through the trees made noises as of old and unpleasant and maybe webfooted men wheezing in caves. We reached the black bulk of the house. "What shall we give them? Hark the Herald?" "No," Jack said, "Good King Wencelas. I'll count three." One, two three, and we began to sing, our voices high and seemingly distant in the snow-felted darkness round the house that was occupied by nobody we knew. We stood close together, near the dark door. Good King Wencelas looked out On the Feast of Stephen ... And then a small, dry voice, like the voice of someone who has not spoken for a long time, joined our singing: a small, dry, eggshell voice from the other side of the door: a small dry voice through the keyhole. And when we stopped running we were outside our house; the front room was lovely; balloons floated under the hot-water-bottle-gulping gas; everything was good again and shone over the town. "Perhaps it was a ghost," Jim said. "Perhaps it was trolls," Dan said, who was always reading. "Let's go in and see if there's any jelly left," Jack said. And we did that. Always on Christmas night there was music. An uncle played the fiddle, a cousin sang "Cherry Ripe," and another un-cle sang "Drake's Drum." It was very warm in the little house. Auntie Hannah, who had got on to the parsnip wine, sang a song about Bleeding Hearts and Death, and then another in which she said her heart was like a Bird's Nest; and then everybody laughed again; and then I went to bed. Looking through my bedroom window, out into the moonlight and the unending smoke-colored snow, I could see the lights in the windows of all the other houses on our hill and hear the music rising from them up the long, steady falling night. I turned the gas down, I got into bed. I said some words to the close and holy darkness, and then I slept.

Submitted by Hilary

18

WHEN ICICLES HANG BY THE WALL

by

William Shakespeare

From Love's Labours Lost, Act V. Sc. II

When icicles hang by the wall

And Dick the shepherd blows his nail

And Tom bears logs into the hall

And milk comes frozen home in pail,

When blood is nipp'd and ways be foul,

When nightly sings the staring owl, Tu-whit;

Tu-who, a merry note,

While greasy Joan doth keel the pot,

When all aloud the wind doth blow

And coughing drowns the parson's saw

And birds sit brooding in the snow

And Marian's nose looks red and raw,

When roasted crabs hiss in the bowl,

When nightly sings the staring owl, Tu-whit;

Tu-who, a merry note,

While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.

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Magnificat - John Rutter (1945 - )

1. Magnificat anima mea 2. Of a Rose, a lovely Rose 3. Quia fecit mihi magna 4. Et misericordia 5. Fecit potentiam 6. Esurientes 7. Gloria Patri John Rutter's Magnificat could not exactly be called a Christmastide piece, but it does have strong associa-tions with the Virgin Mary, and it has a musical energy and rhythm that has a wonderfully festive spirit. As the composer himself explains: "The passage from St Luke (Chapter 1, verses 46-55) known as the Magnificat has always been one of the most familiar and well-loved of scriptural texts, not least because of its inclusion as a canticle in the Catholic office of Vespers and in Anglican Evensong. It is a poetic outpouring of praise, joy and trust in God, ascribed by Luke to the Virgin Mary on learning that she was to give birth to the Christ. Musical settings of it abound, though surprisingly few of them since J. S. Bach's give the text extended treatment. "I had long wished to write an extended Magnificat, but was not sure how to approach it until I found my start-ing point in the association of the text with the Virgin Mary. In countries such as Spain, Mexico and Puerto Rico, feast days of the Virgin are joyous opportunities for people to take to the streets and celebrate with sing-ing, dancing and processions. These images of outdoor celebration were I think somewhere in my mind as I wrote, although I was not fully conscious of the fact until afterwards. I wasconscious of following Bach's exam-ple in adding to the liturgical text: the interpolated 'Sanctus' (to the Gregorian chant of the Missa cum jubilo) in the third movement seems to grow out of the preceding thought 'et sanctum nomen eius'. The lovely 15th Cen-tury English poem 'Of a Rose' (which forms the second movement) and the prayer 'Sancta Maria' (which the soloist sings to its Gregorian melody in the middle of the Gloria), both strengthen the Marian connection fur-ther."

The 1st part of John Rutter's Magnificat, performed by the Cambridge Singers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_PVthK3Azo&feature=related

20

WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN'T

LOOKING

A message every adult should read because children are watching you and doing as you do, not as you say. When you thought I wasn't looking I s aw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one. When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals. When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make my favorite cake for me, and I learned that the l ittle things can be the special things in life. When you thought I wasn't looking I heard you say a prayer, and I knew that there is a God I could always talk to, and I learned to trust in Him. When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other. When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it, and I learned we have to take care of what we are given. When you thought I wasn't looking I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't feel good, and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up. When you thought I wasn't looking I saw tears come from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it's all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw that you

cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn't looking I learned most of

life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and

productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking I looked at

you and

wanted to say, 'Thanks for all the things I saw

when

you thought I wasn't looking.'

21

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, gives his reflections on Advent: "It is

a time of expectation and a time of hope. A time, therefore, also of quiet".

Click on the link below.

http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/pages/advent-video.html

Brother David Bryan Hoopes, OHC~ “Welcoming Christ”

Brother David Bryan Hoopes is a member of the Order of the Holy Cross (an Angli-

can Benedictine religious order) and currently prior of Holy Cross Priory, Toronto. He has

served as superior of the order and prior of the order’s monasteries in Nassau, Bahamas,

and West Park, New York. Brother David is chaplain for the community of the Sisters of

the Church, Burlington, Ont.

Brother David has been an Anglican priest for 35 years and is presently interim priest-in-charge at the Church of St. Stephen-in-the-Fields, Toronto. He is also honourary assistant at St. Barnabas Anglican Church, Toronto. Brother David has served parishes in New York City, the Diocese of Long Island; Nassau, Bahamas; and Surrey, England.

An Advent podcast produced by the Anglican Church of Canada and led by Brother David Bryan

Hoopes, OHC. There will be one podcast for each week of Advent. You can download them to your

computer or listen to them online.

http://www.anglican.ca/podcasts/

Listen to podcasts online, or download them

A Few Resources for Advent

22

December Birthdays

Hilary Plowright - Dec 1

Sue Boulton - Dec 6

Jill Marsh - Dec 9

George Westarp - Dec 15

David Soy - Dec 18

John Bryson - Dec 26

Milestones

Caregivers Meeting

First Wednesday of the month at Gabriola United Church

23

St. Martin of Tours Parish Council Meeting

November 15, 2011

Gabriola United Church 7 pm

Present: Rev. Anne, Angela, Hilary, Vic, Corinne, Carolyn

Regrets: Susan, David

Opening Prayers: Carolyn

Approval of Agenda: M/S Angela, Corinne with the following addition under New Business:

4) Survey

Minutes of last Meeting: M/S Corinne, Angela with the following addition under

Stewardship Report “ September 27, 2011 – We focused on our financial situation as this was

the area best known by the members present. Up to date statements provided by the Church

Treasurer indicate that our revenues have not been up to the amount budgeted, indicating a

deficit. However, our budgeted expenditures have also been below the budgeted totals, thus

creating a small surplus at the present time. In the immediate future our expenditures are

increasing substantially due to the wages and benefits to be paid to our half time priest, a

position that our congregation has strongly endorsed.

A consequence of our recent Congregational Discernment process has indicated a strong desire

for items that will have a new cost attached to them, but specific numbers are not yet

available.”

Warden's Report: Vic -The major thrust this past month has been to concentrate on a shared ministry with

GUC The Ad Hoc Committee with Rev. Anne attended a Shared Ministry Conference on Oct. 21st which

included representation from a number of shared ministry communities from the northern part of Vancouver

Island. This was good in that it showed us how unique each shared ministry can be and how we should

approach our local situation.

On Oct. 23rd we hosted a workshop on shared ministry for GUC and St. Martin members with keynote speakers

being Rev .Bill Laurie from Presbytery and Rev. Joan Scandrett who is currently serving a shared ministry in

Long Beach/West Coast Mission. This was very informative and generated a number of comments and

questions which hopefully will be part of our on going discussions towards finding the right model for us.

From these workshops and other references the Joint Ad Hoc Committee formulated a number of questions

which were distributedto all members of both congregations on Nov.6th and collected on Nov. 13th.Each church

will tally the results ( St Martin will do their tally on Tues. am and so we may be able to give a verbal report at

Parish Council ).

It is our intention to then compare our results with those of the GUC and determine whether there is a clear and

workable which could be supported by both communities .Hopefully,by year end ,the two congregations will be

able to draft a covenant to be voted on and presented to the Diocese.

Another key element of this process is an active stewardship program which supports the shared ministry model

that the combined membership has agreed to work with. Such a program is currently in the planning stage by

the Stewardship Committee.

St. Martin of Tours Parish Council

24

\

St. Martin of Tours Parish Council

Clergy Report: Much of our time and energy this month was devoted to shared ministry work. It was rewarding to connect people, both Anglican and United, with some of the shared ministry resources available from our National Church. Bill Laurie and Joan Scandrett spoke with us on October 23rd and representatives of each congregation attended a shared ministry conference on October 21st in Nanaimo. Thank you to everyone who spent their time and talent in meetings and discussions and special thanks to Hilary who negotiated and communicated a great deal of material. Our shared Thanksgiving service went very well and positive feedback was received from both congregations! The 8:00am congregation and I will attempt to find a new (and later!!) time to hold the Service Meetings this month included parish council, Altar Guild and Ad Hoc. I met with Chris Caldwell, Gabriola RCMP, who shared with me about some of the challenges facing our Island. Our youth are now dealing with much harder drugs such as methamphetamine and ketamine (which is a veterinary anesthetic). Poverty and illegal squatting are also issues of our community. When asked how the church could support the proactive work in the community he suggested: supporting community initiatives through fundraising, PHC, engaging in education about safety, theft prevention and/or drug awareness with the RCMP. He was so surprised that a church (and a priest) were interested in speaking with the RCMP that he asked if I really was a priest! This was quite funny and lead to some good laughs. This was a good contact to make. Visiting around the parish continues. After discussion with Linda St. Clair and Sue Brockley a Bible Study will be starting at the North end of the Island. I took my last remaining week of holiday at the end of October, thank you! Respectfully submitted, The Rev’d Anne Privett November 15th 2011 Correspondence: Hilary – some correspondence passed over to Rev. Anne. A letter from the Diocese re increase in clergy housing allowance passed on to the Treasurer. Corinne – increase for clergy housing for 2012 is in the amount of 2.6%. Treasurer's Report:

Corinne (report attached) Discussion: Angela – query George's

involvement with finances. Corinne explained he was the bookkeeper. Rev. Anne asked about

the Jazz Vespers' monies. Wanted to know if it went thru the books. Angela explained monies

went directly to the musicians.

Directors' Liability Insurance - $744. - we have paid this amount and we have overpaid for this

year – next year, our premium will be one half.

Flowers are now part of the budget.

Building Fund -Cy pres application has been made regarding our Building Fund. Last year's

surplus is $16,000. and we have not had to use it as yet, as we have no intention of building.

Corinne has asked the question of what we can do with this money to the Diocese, however

they have not given us an opinion. We would like to suggest to the judge (Cy pres application)

that we would like to have the monies released from the Building Fund so that we can invest it.

We should not include Building Fund monies in any of our projections until we have a judges'

ruling.

Treasurer's Report approved: M/S Corinne, Hilary

25

P A G E 2 5 St. Martin of Tours Parish Council

Business Arising from Minutes: 1) David's Stewardship Report from October 11th – see Minutes of Last Meeting. 2) possible carving donation -Corinne checking Canons – Corinne – we can accept the donation when we have it appraised. Situation at the moment is that it is up to the donor. Vic will contact Linda St. Clair regarding this item. 3) archiving of St. Martin's photo library – Hilary - tabled New Business: 1) Gift for Shelagh's ordination – Council has agreed to consult with Shelagh with regards to a gift. 2) Refugee sponsorship – Linda St. Clair spoke with Anne regarding a conversation she had with Steve Waters, a resident of Gabriola who wants to sponsor a family of Palestinian descent. He has the majority of the funds raised to do this, however churches have the legal pathways to sponsor refugees. Council has agreed that we are sorry but need to say no. 3) Nomination for Diocesan Council – Anne – every region has to send a nominee and the Diocesan Council will vote for this nominee. The nominee must be a Synod Delegate. In the new year we will have to nominate a new Synod Delegate as our current two Delegates are in poor health. 4) Survey – The Committee thanks Rob Brockley for all his brilliant work. The results will be released in hard copy on Sunday November 20th along with Gabriola United Church's rankings. The comments received will be held in confidence for now until such time as they will form the basis of our drafting a covenant with Gabriola United Church. Committee Reports: Stewardship – David – presented by Corinne in David's absence. Report from meeting of November 3rd was to include a discussion regarding the following questions: what do we understand is the meaning of Stewardship, what elements of Stewardship most apply to our Church, what information is essential to present to our Congregation, what should our goals be in this campaign and what strategies would work most effectively. Highlights of the November 3rd meeting were that a tentative budget is underway, awaiting decision of congregations re choice of Shared Ministry. Also, a focus on the Legacy Program with Bequests to be sought with information to be presented re advantages to donors and to the Church. Pastoral Care - Karnet The pastoral care team has had another busy month, attending to the needs of our parishioners and the people of our community. One member of the pastoral team has been helping one of our members who needs a great deal of support and help at this time. She stays overnight,dog walking,escorting her to Victoria and Nan. for medical appts. and for shopping. We want to thank this person for her tireless support and love. Visits and Rides The pastoral team and parish members continue to visit those in need, the lonely, the sick and those recovering from surgery. Also providing rides to those who need help in getting to the doctor or shopping. Meals A number of the congregation and pastoral care have taken meals to the sick,shut-ins, and those recovering from surgery.

26

St. Martin of Tours Parish Council

Communion Rev..Anne and Rev.Linda provide Eucharist to shut-ins, residents in care facilities and those in hospital. Wednesday Tea for Barbara and Helen, A number of people visit each week for a cup of tea and companionship. They really appreciate the visits. Healing touch and prayers were given by Rev. Linda Prayer Wheel I communicate with Phyllis Reeve if I hear of someone wanting to go on or off the prayer wheel. Please continue to inform Karnet or the pastoral team of any person needing help. Caregivers We have decided to meet on the first Wednesday of the month at 2pm in the United church. We thank Jill Marsh and Rose Jones for making the refreshments. The meetings are informal with participants telling their stories. There is a lot of sympathetic laughter and this, we find,is very healing. Three members of GUC pastoral care group also attend as does Jane Giffin from PHC as liaison . The first month six caregivers attended and this time they returned with two more, all women. Perhaps it is easier for women to tell their stories and we hope that men caregivers do not feel excluded. I think that we are going to need some material and outside practical advice and Jane is doing research for us in this. (this report received from Angela Nutter) Communications – Hilary The October Crossword Newsletter was published on-line on ISSUU and also sent to parishioners and Friends of St. Martin’s in a PDF file. A printable version was sent too for those who like to print off their newsletters. This month’s Crossword focused on St. Martin’s Outreach activities organised by Diane Parks specifically: Operation Christmas Child, Personal Care Bags to Northern BC, and Mexico and donations to Gabriola Elementary School. The Shared Ministry Ad Hoc Committee drafted a Shared Ministry Questionnaire which was given to all members of St. Martin’s Sunday, Nov 6th and was returned on Sunday, Nov 13th. Communications abounded throughout this process to ensure its success. Altar Guild No report Worship - Rev. Anne - The times for Christmas Services to be worked out with the United

Church.

Musicians Bruce and Cheryl Harding would be willing to do a sing along concert or Sunday

worship. We will get further details regarding cost and information will be taken to the Worship

Committee.

Fellowship & Fundraising – Carolyn – I sent out an email to all on this committee and it was

agreed that we would now call this committee 'Fellowship & Fundraising'.

Discussion regarding this Committee – Council has asked Carolyn to speak with Jacquie regarding heading up this committee in order that future events can be organized in a smooth

and timely manner.

Ad Hoc – see New Business

Announcements & Reminders

Next Meeting Where Time Opening/Closing Prayers

December 13 United Church 7 pm Corinne, Hilary

Adjournment M/Carolyn

Closing Prayer: Hilary

27

28

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Dec. 3 Gabriola Elementary School Christmas Craft Fair

Please bring your baking to the school on Saturday morning before 9:00am

or to Jill Friday night.

Contact Jill at: 247-8767

Interim Priest: Rev. Anne Privett ph# 250-247-8648 E-mail: aprivett@bc.anglican.ca

Wardens: Angela Nutter, Vic Wiebe

Prayer Wheel: Phyllis Reeve tpreeve@shaw.ca

Please send your ideas, comments, articles to Hilary at: hplowright@shaw.ca

Or mail to St. Martin’s address –Box 264, V0R1X0

Editor: Hilary Plowright

Caregivers Meeting

Gabriola United Church

For more information call Angela

Ph. # 247-9732

Bulletin Announcements

to Jacquie by Wednesday at 5:00pm

jmjessup@shaw.ca or phone 250-247-8308