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A newsle!er of the
Glencoe Union Churchth
e w
indo
w December 2010
Out of the WOODwork...
Glencoe Union Church263 Park Avenue
Glencoe IL 60022847.835.1111
Each Sunday during Advent special music will be provided by our bell Choirs and Chancel Choir. David will be preaching a series of sermons on preparing for the birth of Jesus.
As always these sermons are located online on the GUC website: glencoeunionchurch.org. Often the special music is also made available to enjoy and is uploaded to the music page on the website.
Sunday December 12ADVENT III“Embracing the Inconvenient Truth: The Annunciation to Joseph” Matthew 1: 18-25
Sunday December 19ADVENT IV“Embracing the Inconceivable Truth: The Annunciation to Mary” Luke 1: 26-56
Christmas Caroling Sunday, December 19th ~ 3:30 - 5:00 p.m.Under the expert direction of Ross Updegraff, the GUC carolers will visit several of our home-bound members to spread the Christmas spirit and return to the Open House for some warm drink and fellowship. All are welcome. Carolers will gather at GUC at 3:30 p.m. and go from there. Contact Ross if you have any questions: 773.349.0300.
Wake up to the Plight of Poor Women in Central America You can now purchase from Glencoe Union Church, estate-grown, private-label coffee straight from Guatemala. This delicious Arabica coffee is shade grown at 4,500 above sea level and harvested carefully by hand.The money we raise from our coffee sales of this private-label coffee will go directly to support a local woman’s charity in the highlands of Guatemala. Contact the church office for information or to make a coffee purchase.
The Window is a newsletter of the Glencoe Union Church in Glencoe Illinois. The co-editors of the Window are Jennifer Wood and Michele Szapielak. For any questions, additions or comments please contact the church office at 847 835-1111 or [email protected].
Milestone 2010Gala/Reunion Dinner
January 22nd at 7:00 pmReception in the
Great Hall at 6:00 pm
Your invitation will be in the mail soon! Please plan on being a part of this important celebration in the life of GUC.
Christmastime is here! Instead of doing what most of us Ministers do and moan about the consumerist corruption of the reason for the season...I am going to share with you my top ten reasons for embracing the time that is Christmas:
10. Lights. Public space takes on a holy light. Lights, music, decorations--we endow public space with a visibility and a significance that usually escapes us. We see things in a new light.
9. Greetings. Greetings abound--even between strangers. In spite of the enduring controversy over “Happy Holidays” vs. “Merry Christmas,” we can’t help wishing one another well in these holy-days. As it should be--in the Christmas story, greetings abound.
8. Singing. We sing together in this season more than any other. Whether carols or Jingle Bells--we share songs in public in a way we rarely do otherwise. Did you see the YouTube video of the Hallelujah Chorus? If not, type this into your browser: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXh7JR9oKVE&feature=youtube
7. Gift giving. We spend more time than usual thinking what would bless someone else...whether loved one or stranger. The impulse to give is at the heart of Christmas.
6. Gathering. Another impulse is to get together for good food, conversation, drink, and song! I love it. Where there is gathering, friendship flourishes.
5. Returning. There is something in this season that makes all of us revisit our lives. Some of us hit the road and go home for Christmas...most of us think our way back there and reflect on the journey from there to here. Like Joseph, we have our own journeys to make.
4. Uniqueness. There are so many things: ornaments, foods, drinks, movies, music, etc., that we reserve for the Christmas season. In a time when consumerism makes everything available everywhere all the time...I love the way we reserve certain things for this time of year. Bring on the egg nog, the fruitcake, & the mistletoe!
3. Closed stores, Open churches. Christmas Eve is the one night in the whole year when all the stores are closed and empty and all the churches are open and full.
2. Storytelling. Storytelling is everywhere at Christmas. All of them, especially the one that stands at the center of it all, are filled with hope that we are a visited people--that upon us a great Light has dawned.
1. The Mystery of the Incarnation. The Divine takes on flesh. Jesus, Son of God, Messiah, Immanuel, God with us. It’s all quite inconceivable. But we return to it again and again, to listen, to sing, to believe that God has truly entered into our human situation. It is a time to ponder anew what this means for our lives and the life of the world!
A Christmas Open House at the Wood’sSunday, December 19th 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.229 Park AvenueGlencoePlease join us at the home of David and Jennifer Wood as we celebrate friendship and fellowship this joyous season.
As we approach the end of the calendar year, we are also approaching the end of our fiscal year. We encourage all who to make sure your pledged contribution to the life and ministry of GUC is paid in full by the end of December. We have planned our expenses based upon pledged contributions. If you have any questions about what remains on your pledge for 2010, please contact Michele in the church office and she will update your records. Contact her by phone (847-835-1111) or email: [email protected]
Fulfilling our 2010 Pledges
Matt Hanscom
Matt is a baritone originally from Plymouth, Minnesota. He has been
singing at Glencoe Union Church since graduating from Northwestern with his master's degree in 2007. When he's not
performing Matt enjoys golfing, waterskiing, and playing table tennis.
He lives in Evanston with his fiancé Suzy.
Geoffrey AgpaloGeoffrey grew up in Illinois and calls Orlando, Florida his second home. He recently graduated with a Masters Degree from Northwestern University. He has been a studio artist at Chautauqua Opera and an apprentice artist at Central City Opera. He is currently performing with the Lyric Opera of Chicago singing in the chorus and as Count Almaviva in the Ryan Opera Center Opera in the Neighborhoods program.
Meet our Tenor and Baritone Section Leaders
Jessie Walker G"ggsDecember 10, 1921 – November 26, 2010
A$hur Donald BradburyDecember 30, 1913 – November 5, 2010
Mary Louise SmithAugust 20, 1939 – December 4, 2010
Christmas Eve at Glencoe Union ChurchCandle light Services
5:00 p.m. FAMILY SERVICE* This early service will include carol singing by the congregation, special music from the Chancel Choir, the reading of the Christmas story, and reflections on the meaning of Christmas from our Senior Minister--including a special Children's Story. Our service will culminate in the lighting of candles by the congregation.
11:00 p.m. CANDLELIGHT SERVICE
This service will include the reading of the Christmas story, special music from our soloists, reflections on the meaning of Christmas from our Senior Minister, much carol singing by the congregation, and candle lighting by all.
*Childcare for young children will be provided during the 5:00 service.
As in past years our Christmas Eve services are centered on the biblical stories surrounding the birth narrative. The angels and shepherds, the travels and travails of the expectant couple journeying to Bethlehem. Our hope is that you will come to hear the familiar story in new ways, ways that will awaken you to the joy that is ours through the mystery and wonder of the arrival of this child, Jesus.
Ross Updegraff has arranged for us to be additionally blessed with visiting musicians on this special night.
Mathias Tacke was the second violinist of the acclaimed Vermeer Quartet from 1992 until 2007. With performances in practically every major city in North and South America, Europe, the Far East, and Australia, the
Vermeer Quartet achieved an international stature as one of the world's finest ensembles. He is Professor of Violin and Chamber Music at Northern Illinois University and Guest Lecturer for String Chamber Music at Northwestern University. Mathias Tacke, a native of Germany, appears internationally as a soloist and chamber player, performing a wide range of repertoire from the Baroque to music of our time. He has made numerous recordings for such labels as Sony, ECM, Harmonia Mundi, Naxos and Cedille.
We had the distict pleasure of having Mathias perform for us last Christmas Eve.
Jordan Olive is an active freelance musician in the Chicago area, playing in solo recitals, with chamber groups, orchestras, and even with the Temptations! He is a member of the acclaimed contemporary
music ensemble Dal Niente.
Most recently, Jordan has appeared as a guest artist with the Chicago Philharmonic, New World Symphony of Miami and as principal trumpet with the Orquesta Filarmónica de Santiago, Chile. Jordan has also performed as a member of the Ravinia Festival Orchestra, the Banff Centre Orchestra, the National Orchestral Institute at the University of Maryland, and the Brevard Music Festival Orchestras. Additionally, he has played with the Charleston, South Bend,
Southwest Michigan, and Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestras.
Eric Taylor is currently finishing a Bachelor's Degree in Instrumental Jazz Performance from Columbia College Chicago. In addition to his studies, he is active as a composer, performer, and teacher.
Christmas Eve is the perfect time to invite friends to come with you to GUC! It’s the time of year when so many people feel the absence of a Church home. They await your invitation.
We are moving closer to achieving a multi-generational mission/service trip to Guatemala. On November 28th a group of about thirty adults and youth met after church to
begin the process of learning how we might gather a group of adults and youth to serve in Guatemala this spring.
Under the direction of Sarah Rooth and Elsa DeJaegher we learned about the work in Antigua at the Hermano Pedro hospital, and the possibility of working with young women in a vocational training center Jun Ixöq , not far fron the Los Hogares orphanage where our youth have been serving for the past six years. Many of the women in the Jun Ixöq vocational center were residents of Los Hogares and are now developing skills that will lead to independent lives with greater financial security.
If you would like to learn more about the possibility of being a part of this endeavor please email Sarah Rooth ([email protected]) or Elsa DeJaegher ([email protected]) to learn more about the particular arrangements that are being planned.
In Memo"amMoving Forward in Guatemala
Please keep these folks in your prayers:Marilyn Straus is now at Highwood Nursing and Rehab recovering from foot surgery. Here is her current contact information: Highwood Nursing and Rehab; 50 Pleasant St.; Highwood, IL 60040. Ph: 847-432-9142
Jane Arthur is recovering from recent surgery. She and Tom are in California for the winter: 117 Bouquet Canyon Dr.; Palm Desert, CA 92211; ph: 760-341-9094.
Anne Fenninger is home recovering from knee replacement surgery.
Marilyn Abby is also recovering from knee replacement surgery.
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GUCʼs In-Reach Committee has been reconstituted under the co-leadership of Shirley Calhoun and Betty Bryan. They have arranged for a contact person for each month. For January the contact person will be Ann Martin: Phone: 847-835-2703 or email: [email protected] call Ann when you are aware of special needs in the congregation.
