SUNDAY SERVICES CONTINUE
Our usual 6:00 PM Sunday worship services at Shepherd of the Woods Church continue thanks to the efforts of Br. Paul Leeman, Lay Minister, who is leading the services in the vicar's absence. The services vary in location, though, particularly during the winter months when access to the Chapel of St. Mary Magdalene's can be challenging, so please call Br. Paul to ask where the church is meeting. Diana and Charles Cork and the Leemans have hosted several table communion services where there is a brief communion service followed by a shared meal and a toasty fire in the woodstove.

CHURCH AFFILIATION
Shepherd of the Woods has yet another change of church affiliation in the works. Our bishop, the Most Rev'd Mark Camp, was admitted into the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA) and is now serving in the capacity of priest. He is no longer able to function as a bishop and resigned as both our Diocesan bishop and also as Archbishop of the Anglican Province of Christ the Good Shepherd (APCGS). We are currently receiving oversight from CANA's new suffragan bishop, the Rt. Rev'd David Anderson. Bishop Anderson is the CEO for the American Anglican Council (AAC) and resides in Atlanta, Georgia.
At Rev'd Camp's suggestion, I have submitted an application to CANA for clergy affilitation. If I am accepted into CANA, the church itself can apply for affilitation as a CANA parish. He has advised me that it will take 60-90 days to process the application.
CANA, as you may know, is the name of the missionary outreach program in the United States of the Church of Nigeria and, as such, is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

For centuries church calendars in the East and the West have agreed that there are twelve days of Christmas and they begin on Christmas Day and end on January 6. The twelve days of Christmas end with the Feast of Epiphany also called "The Adoration of the Magi" or "The Manifestation of God." Celebrated on January 6, it is known as the day of the Three Kings (or wise men/magi): Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. According to an old legend based on a Bible story, these three kings saw, on the night when Christ was born, a bright star, followed it to Bethlehem and found there the Christchild and presented it with gold, frankincense and myrrh.

January 6, the last day of Christmas, comes with its own traditions, rituals and symbols. Carolers are going from house to house; in many homes the Christmas tree is taken down and in some areas is burnt in a big bonfire. For the children this is an especially joyous occasion because, associated with taking down the tree goes the "plündern" (raiding) of the tree. The sweets, chocolate ornaments wrapped in foil or cookies, which have replaced the sugar plums, are the raiders' rewards.

The history of Christmas, (the festival of the nativity of Jesus Christ,) is intertwined with that of the Epiphany. The commemoration of the Baptism (also called the Day of Lights, i.e. the Illumination of Jesus) was also known as the birthday of Jesus, because he was believed to have been born then of the Virgin or reborn in baptism. In some records Christmas and Epiphany were referred to as the first and second nativity; the second being Christ's manifestation to the world.

In the fourth century, December 25 was finally adopted by the Western Christian Church as the date of the Feast of Christ's birth. It is believed that this change in date gave rise to the tradition of the "12 Days of Christmas." While the Western Christian Church celebrates December 25th, the Eastern Christian Church to this day recognizes January 6 as the celebration of the nativity. January 6 was also kept as the physical birthday in Bethlehem. In the Teutonic west, Epiphany became the Festival of the Three Kings (i.e. the Magi), or simply Twelfth day.

On the evening before Three Kings, traditionally there were prayers, blessed dried herbs would be burnt and their aromatic smell would fill the house. Doorways would be sprinkled with holy water and the master of the house would write with chalk C + M + B and the year above the house and barn door and say: "Caspar, Melchior, Balthasar, behütet uns auch für dieses Jahr, vor Feuer und vor Wassergefahr." ("CMB, protect us again this year from the dangers of fire and water.") C + M + B has traditionally been translated with Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar, however, according to the Church it stands for "Christus Mansionem Benedictat" (Christ bless this home). This explains why the season of Epiphany is the season set aside for the blessing of homes.

From Ruth M. Reichmann, Max Kade German-American Center, IUPUI

Peace and All Good,
Rev'd Christien Kensley, CCS
SHEPHERD OF THE WOODS CHURCH