Sunday, December 18, 2022 - 11:00 a.m.
“Hanukkah" Rev. Michael J S Carter
Music: Sue Stone, piano; Linda Metzner, choir director
Greeters: Jonathan Braden & Ray Bockhorst
It begins on the evening of Sunday, December 18, 2022, and ends on the evening of Monday, December, 26, 2022. The Struggle for Liberation in the Face of Oppression
One of the most prominent themes of Hanukkah is the ongoing struggle for liberation in the face of oppression. In the case of Hanukkah the oppression was complete, in that it was attached to both religion and nationality. The Syrian-Greeks forbade Jews to practice their religion, declaring mere identification as a Jew to be a crime punishable by death. The question of a strong identity and the freedom to express it therefore became central to the holiday of Hanukkah. Some believe that this is "The Jewish Christmas." Nothing could be further from the truth.
Reminder: Rev. Michael will be taking vacation from 12/26/22 – 1/3/23
Order of Service
Gathering Music: “The First Noel/Christmas Eve Waltz” (David Lanz) Welcome & Announcements: Marti Saltzman
Opening Words & Chalice Lighting: Diane Graham & Rev. Michael J S Carter Opening Hymn: #26 “Holy, Holy, Holy” Reading: #629 Choir Anthem: “The Holly & the Ivy” (Arr. Ruth Elaine Schram) Joys & Concerns Meditation & Prayer: Rev. Michael J S Carter Offertory: “Hanukkah, O Hanukkah” (Traditional Yiddish folk song) Sermon: Hanukkah – Rev. Michael J S Carter Closing Hymn: #221 “Light One Candle” Closing Words: Rev. Michael J S Carter Postlude: “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” (Hugh Martin & Ralph Blane)
Music: Sue Stone, piano; Linda Metzner, choir director
Religious Education: Nursery/Pre-K caregivers: Childcare at this time is limited, and is performed as needed by either Susan Enwright Hicks, DRE, or one of our trusted childcare volunteers
Video: Evan Yanik Sound Team: Marti Saltzman, Barbara Rogers, Ray Bockhorst, Larry Pearlman & David Reid
The YouTube video of today's service will be available Sunday afternoon, as well as all previous Sunday Services at UUCSV Productions. Click to go to YouTube here.
Joys & Concerns:
We want to hear from you about your joys and concerns. If you cannot attend in person and would like to be heard, please send your message to Rev. Michael Carter by noon on Friday so he can read it during the Sunday service.
For online offertory and/or pledge donations:
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Sunday, December 18, 2022 No virtual RE 11:00 a.m. at UUCSV with Susan E. Hicks
This week we’ll discuss the traditions of Hanukkah, and read the book Dear Santa, Love, Rachel Rosenstein, make posters for the cookie exchange on December 24, 2022, and if time allows, build some more Blessing Bags.
Adult RE
Our next Adult RE discussion will be on Michael Sandal’s Justice - Episode 5: Hired Guns. Please join us Monday, January 2, 2022, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. All are welcome and refreshments will be provided. These discussions may be postponed if weather/road conditions are a concern.
If you have personal items (toothpaste, hand warmers, granola bars, etc.) to donate to the RE blessing bags for the unhoused please bring them in this Sunday!
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Saturday, December 24, 2022 - 5:30 p.m. “The Power of Christmas Eve” Rev. Michael J S Carter
The year 2022 is now drawing to a close. Thanksgiving is past, Hanukkah is here and Christmas approaches. Some of us
religiously, and many of us psychologically, can sense the advent of new
beginnings. The old is passing away and the new awaits us.
Our choice is whether to mindlessly or mindfully celebrate the holidays. Popular culture assaults us with its garish and consumerist approach to the holidays, but externalities such as that cannot penetrate the heart. The
holidays only become holy days if we spiritually rise up to meet them. And then they are much, much more than just days on the calendar; they carry the power to change our lives.
This is our annual Christmas Eve service. It begins at 5:30 pm. Hope to see you there!
Please stay after the service for a cookie reception!
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News from UUCSV Groups & Committees
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Going once, twice…
Donated! Thanks to a successful live and virtual auction conducted by the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Swannanoa Valley, nonprofit organization Bounty & Soul has over $4,000 in its coffer to help fight food insecurity in Black Mountain and procure more healthy produce for the nonprofit’s clients as the need increases during the winter.
Greeter Appreciation
Every week you're welcomed to UUCSV by the warm smiles of our team of greeters, who arrive 45 minutes before the service to open the building and make sure everything's in place for Rev. Michael (or a guest speaker), the musicians -- and YOU! They love the job, because they love meeting visitors and new members and, of course, seeing every one of you each week. So, please share in giving a big thank you to these dedicated volunteers
(including those with asterisks who've joined the team this year).
Andy Reed, Greeters Team leader
Greeters: Bea Lothrop*, Carol Sheeler, Carrie Schmidt*, Tina Rosato, Elizabeth Wallace*, Goetz Wolff*, Heidi Blozan, Jackie Franklin, Jonathan Braden*, Larry Pearlman, Marti Saltzman, Mary Soyenova, Nancy Gavin, Paula Sirola*, Rhea Bockhorst, Sally Smith, Susan Hurley.
New Americans - UPDATE
Continued thanks to everyone for all of the generous donations for our family. We have an abundance of infant diapers for now, but we also need big girl diapers (size 4). Gift cards are always welcome and appreciated.
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Cookie Reception & Cookie Donation
When you do your holiday baking this season, please keep our veterans in mind. Bring your home baked cookies to church on Christmas Eve (or during office hours that week). We’ll put some of the cookies out for our cookie
reception after the Christmas Eve Service. The remaining cookies will be
donated to The Vet’s Quarters. The Vets Quarters is an ABCCM project which transitions vets from homelessness to permanent housing. Located in East Asheville, 250 vets are housed and fed three times a day. It would be
wonderful if we could donate 500 festive homemade Christmas cookies to be served to the vets on Christmas Day!
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Church office: (828) 669-8050 (email preferred during social distancing)
Michael Donnan, Office Manager (Tuesday & Thursday, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.) Rev. Michael J S Carter, (Monday - Thursday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.)Rev. Carter is available for pastoral care in the church office or virtually via Zoom or Skype. For in-person meetings, protocols of social distancing and face masks are followed. Please email Rev. Michael J S Carter to schedule an appointment.
The deadline for submissions to The Current is Tuesday at 12:00 p.m., please send yours to admin@uusv.org. For more information and guidelines on submissions for our newsletters, website, online calendar, social media, Order of Service, and member news, please see our Publishing Guidelines.
UUCSV 500 Montreat Road Black Mountain, NC 28711
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