CityView Magazine

12 | November/December 2019 Our community is enriched by A Dickens Holiday and a variety of musical and theater offerings during the holidays. Office parties and social gatherings and special school events fill our calendars. e old church services on anksgiving and Christmas are not gone but have shied. e practice of holding a service on anksgiving morning is diminishing. Instead, here in Fayetteville, we see many churches of various denominations come together for joint services for anksgiving Day. is year, the downtown churches of many denominations will gather for our annual Community anksgiving service at 6 p.m. on Sunday, November 24, at First Baptist Church on Moore Street. Worship space and preaching duties are rotated among participating churches. e larger gathering of the wider community provides a fitting opportunity to offer thanks for our common life as a community and a nation, and for the blessing of freedom made possible by the devoted service of the men and women in our armed forces. At St. John's church, we do not rush into Christmas at the start of December, but rather hold fast to our tradition of observing the season of Advent during the weeks before Christmas. We delay singing the familiar carols, emphasizing instead watching and waiting and preparation. is evokes the anticipation of Mary and Joseph before the birth of Christ, as felt by expectant parents throughout the ages. We reflect on the salvation history which built to the moment God became flesh and dwelt among us and we recall that we await the return of our risen Lord. Our Advent wreath of evergreens symbolizes eternity with its four candles representing preparation, hope, joy and love. So, on Sunday mornings at church for most of December, we're not singing Christmas carols. Mind you, we do warm up our singing of Christmas carols at a hymn sing-along in early December and we go caroling at a local retirement community and door to door for neighbors before Christmas. But, for the most part, our Christmas hymns get "unwrapped" on December 24. It's worth the wait. As Christmas Eve approaches, we adorn the church with a rood screen that's wrapped with evergreens to signify eternal life – the ultimate gi given to us by Christ. On Christmas Eve, we do "untie the ribbons" on the splendor of beloved Christmas music. While we no longer hold a service mid-morning on Christmas Day, we celebrate the Nativity at three Christmas Eve services: 4 p.m.: is service features our children's nativity pageant with our youngest members retelling the ancient story of our Savior's birth. 7 p.m.: is service offers Holy Communion and traditional language and liturgy. 10 p.m.: is service also offers Holy Communion and includes our adult choir as well as handbells, brass, organ and more. I invite you to consider how you keep your faith traditions in a changing world. And please ponder how you will keep the best of what this holiday season really means at the core of your traditions and be intentional about passing them on to future generations. e Rev. Robert M. Alves is the Rector of St. John's Episcopal Church 800 • 894 • 1761 www.nextdayaccess.com dlong@nextdayaccess.com • Ramps (purchase & rental) • Grab Bars • Vertical Platform Lifts • Pool Lifts • Stair Lifts • Ceiling Lifts • Handrails • Bathroom Saftey • Door Widenings • Home Safety Automation Stay in Your Home Longer & Safer Fayetteville's Certified Accessibility Specialist Auto. Home. Life. Retirement. They all matter, so wrap them all in a blanket of Nationwide® protection. We put members first, because we don't have shareholders. SM Join the Nation® that knows what's important. Combine your policies and save up to 25% Not all Nationwide affiliated companies are mutual companies and not all Nationwide members are insured by a mutual company. Nationwide, the Not all Nationwide affiliated companies are mutual companies and not all Nationwide members are insured by a mutual company. Nationwide, the Not all Nationwide affiliated companies are mutual companies and not all Nationwide members are insured by a mutual company. Nationwide, the Nationwide N and Eagle Join the Nation, What's precious to you is precious to us and We put members first because we don't have shareholders are Nationwide N and Eagle Join the Nation, What's precious to you is precious to us and We put members first because we don't have shareholders are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. © 2014 Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. NPR-0718AO 8/14) service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. © 2014 Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. NPR-0718AO.2 (8/14) service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. © 2014 Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. NPR-0718AO.2 (8/14) worthw@nationwide.com Phone: (910)488-5056 WALKER WORTH AGENCY Walker Y Worth, III What's precious to you is precious to us. SM Auto. Home. Life. Retirement. They all matter, so wrap them all in a blanket of Nationwide ® protection. We put members first, because we don't have shareholders. SM Join the Nation ® that knows what's important. Combine your policies and save up to 25% Walker Y Worth, III WALKER WORTH AGENCY Phone: (910)488-5056 worthw@nationwide.com Not all Nationwide affiliated companies are mutual companies and not all Nationwide members are insured by a mutual affiffiliated company. Nationwide, the Nationwide N and Eagle Join the Nation, What's precious to you is precious to us and We put members fifirst because we don't have shareholders are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. © 2014 Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. NPR-0718AO.2 (8/14)

• Cover