Dear Church Family,
I hope you had a blessed Thanksgiving, whether you were on your own or with family.  We had a very quiet day, just the two of us, taking in some football, zooming with family, and joying London Broil on the grill instead of the traditional turkey.  An atypical Thanksgiving in the midst of a very atypical year. 
And here we are already in Advent, the beginning of the new church year.  Advent is a time of expectant waiting and preparation for both the celebration of the nativity of Christ at Christmas and the return of Christ at the second coming.  We have been doing a lot of waiting this year—waiting for a vaccine to be developed, waiting to be able to gather with family and friends, waiting for the economy to rebound, waiting for some sense of normality to return.  So perhaps we’ll be able to grasp this season of waiting in fresh ways.
Purple, or royal blue, is the color of the season, so dress accordingly!  The purple paraments will be hung and we’ll light the first of the Advent Candles, the candle of hope.  The sermon this week is titled “Sign of the Times” and the text is Mark 13:24-37.
The Deacons thought it might be good to have a brief (no more than 5 minutes) congregational conversation following worship on Sunday. Cold weather has returned and positivity figures for COVID-19 are rising in CT, even in the northwest corner.  Churches are being asked to review their protocols and practices.  We want to be sure we are doing the right things to ensure people’s safety.  
I look forward to seeing many of you on Sunday.
Peace and Joy,
Rich