Annual Meeting of the Congregation

CtK's Annual Meeting is THIS SUNDAY, January 29th. It'll start roughly at noon, after a light lunch after worship. All members and friends of the congregation are encouraged to attend - new Church Council members will be elected, as will voting members for the Synod Assembly in June, representatives to Christikon, the Crazy Mountains Cluster, etc.
The current Council will also describe some of their work over the last year, and ministry teams and committees will report some highlights, too. It's a great time to sit down and survey the ministry that happens here and to thank God for all the blessings that flow to and through this the community of faith.
Come and check it out!

Soup's On!

We're into the last couple weeks of the congregation's annual Soup Drive for the Gallatin Valley Food Bank. If you're able, bring a can of soup (or several) with you to worship this weekend, and add them to the growing stack on the table in the narthex (lobby).
THANKS!

And... interested in a great time Friday, February 3rd - Saturday, February 4th? Let me know if you'd like to help out during the annual CtK Youth 30 Hour Famine/Souper Bowl of Caring lock-in and day of service and learning! Send me an email at ctkprlindean at qwestoffice dot net  - it's gonna be great!

Sledding Fun 4 Everyone!

The third annual sledding party is THIS weekend, Saturday, January 21st, beginning at 4:30pm, and with the arrival of winter, promises to be a good time for EVERYONE (this is a fabulous intergenerational event!)! Just meet at the 100 Acre Park (the big hill near the Dinosaur Park).
Bring your sled, saucer or inner tube, wear lots of warm gear, and bring snacks to share, too, if  you want. Some snacks, hot cocoa and water will be provided.
Parents: Please plan to stick around and sled with/supervise your kids!
Questions? Contact the church office: 587-4131.

Women's Retreat

Getting ready to head home Sunday afternoon

Nine women headed down to Big Sky last weekend for a women's retreat.
The group ate together, prayed together, laughed, cried, learned, read, sang, listened...
Some skied, some knitted, some went for a walk, some wrote in journals...

Overall, it was a wonderful time to grow in faith and friendship together as sisters in Christ. It was also a meaningful and reflective way to spend the first full weekend of the new year, as routines and rhythms interrupted by the holidays gear up again.

Not able to participate this year? The consensus seems to be this should become an annual event - so, next time!!



Saturday evening in Big Sky



The Epiphany of Our Lord - The wise man's journey

The wise man's journey

There will be no camels;
we are going on horseback,
at least for some of the way.

And we won't arrive there
a few hours after everyone else.
It will be weeks, perhaps -
or months.

We are not in a hurry.
That is not the way we work;
we are not Europeans.

We will discuss the phenomenon - the star -
and if it does not go away,
and if we still feel curious,
we will travel.

We will look in the wrong place.
Yes, I admit that,
because wise men, potentates, intellectuals -
call us what you will -
are not infallible.

We expect a new power
to emerge from the side of the old one.
We expect the destination we seek
to resemble what our common sense deduces.

We will be upset, angry even,
to find that Herod is ignorant
and that his residence is not the birthplace.

We will find it hard
and intellectually demeaning
to bow the knee to the son of refugees.

And all this...
all this upset will be compounded
when it comes to journeying back
and we discover
we have to go home by an alternate route.

That is the trouble with God.
He does not let you leave as you came.
He sends you back,
stripped of your presumptions,
making for home by an alternate route.

From Cloth for the Cradle: Worship resources and readings for Advent, Christmas & Epiphany, by the Iona Community- Wild Goose Worship Group

The Twelfth Day of Christmas: House Blessing Preparation

Merry Christmas!
I hope the season has been filled with joy, love and wonder at the Incarnation for you and your family!

Tomorrow is Epiphany, and it's customary in many homes (especially in Western Europe) to mark the lintel above the front door with symbols of blessing. You can do it, too!

Mark the front door (or somewhere on the door frame) with these symbols: the date, abbreviation of the phrase Christus Mansionem Benedicat ("Christ bless this home" - which are also the initials of traditional names for the Magi - Casper, Melchior and Balthasar), and four crosses (representing the four seasons).

Order the symbols in the following way: 20 + C + M + B + 12

In the new year, this marking serves as a blessing over the entire household. Be as artistic and creative as you want! Get a jump start on an art project tonight and post it tomorrow night - use markers or do a collage on a piece of cardboard! Alternatively, the marking may be made with chalk, for those who like to keep things simple.

And don't forget the prayer of blessing!
One person, or the whole household together, prays:

Be our shelter, Lord, when we are at home, our companion when we are away, and our welcome guest when we return. And at last receive us into the dwelling place you have prepared for us in your father's house, where you live forever and ever. Amen

Chalking the Door
(from http://mugsmettlesandmeanderings.blogspot.com/2011/01/traditional-epiphany-house-blessing.html)

The Eleventh Day of Christmas: The Magi Are Getting Closer!

The two sets of wise men at our house are ready to make their grand entrance into the creche scenes that have been awaiting their arrival. Our tradition is to let them move slowly across the living room from Christmas Day until Epiphany.
We Three Kings is one of the songs that we play this time of the season of Christmas. (This version is good for some 11th day of Christmas dancing with toddlers!)

The Ninth and Tenth Days of Christmas: Beginning Intentionally

A couple of years ago someone introduced me to The Abbey of the Arts. I'm still subscribed to an occasional email list, and so found this article with suggestions for observing the 12 Days of Christmas. I know, it's a little on the late side, but there's no reason one couldn't use these practices now - it's still the beginning of the year, and still winter (sort of!?!).
If you do engage these, please let me know - I'd love to hear about your experience. And should you decide to read widely and deeply about/from one of our ancestors in the faith, I'd especially like to pick your brain.

The Eighth Day of Christmas: Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! I hope 2012 is off to a wonderful start for you!

The 1st of January is the day each year we celebrate the Name of Jesus. This celebration lands on the 8th day of Christmas, since eight days after his birth Jesus was circumcised according to Jewish law and given his name - the name the angel announced before he was even conceived.

As Christians we bear Christ's name in and to the world. You are a child of God! Not a bad thing to remember, and give thanks for, as we begin a new year...