Gaudete: Rejoice!

Advent is my favorite season of the church year, and the 3rd Sunday in Advent is traditionally known as Gaudete Sunday where the text of the Magnificat is read. Gaudete is Latin for rejoice. We are all invited to become like Mary and be theotokoi (God-bearers). We are invited each Advent to allow God to be born in us anew ... which is the most amazing reason in the world to rejoice.

To properly celebrate Gaudete, Advent and Xmas, as Abbess of Church of the Apostles and the Fremont Abbey, I have used my 'Abbess powers' (which I define as the calling to bless and release things) to bless and release an Advent Ale called Gaudete.

Gaudete is a unique Christmas style beer (dark, porter based, with a bit of smoke, sweet spice and a dry finish) and is a 'limited release' (like, only three cases exist). It is to be enjoyed reverently, in moderation, and with thanksgiving to God, at various celebrations within our community this season.

Our Abbey brews come from our friend Joel at Two Beers Brewing, a new and true 'micro' brewery currently located in our own Fremont neighborhood in Seattle.

We support their ethos and 'theology' of brewing, which is as follows from their website.

We are connected to the Earth.  We are connected to each other.  And we cannot escape either of these realities. Is that a reason to make amazing beer?  We are at Two Beers Brewing Company think so.  You see, beer is one of the original beverages that was created thousands of years ago.  Long before soda and even lemonade.  Beer is made from all naturally grown ingredients and always has been.  No artificial sweeteners, no susbstitutes, nothing that is a product of 21st century invention.  Therefore when a crop fails somewhere the prices change in ingredients.  Making amazing beer is a beautiful way to remind us that we are connected to the earth. Drinking amazing beer certainly isn’t fun by ourselves either. It is much more fun to invite some friends over, or go to a pub, and enjoy a beer in community.  This also causes us to slow down just enough to remind us that we are connected to each other.  We do enjoy our friends.  And although our life may still feel slightly out of whack we are momentarily comforted by the fact that there are people around us. So take some time.  Look at the world. And surely you will gain a new perspective. " (from Two-Beers Brewing).

So, if you are in the Seattle area and in need of Good News, good company, and great tidings of joy to all the earth, join Church of the Apostles for our two remaining Advent masses: Saturday Dec 15, 5 pm (at Fremont Baptist Church) and Saturday, Dec 22nd, 5 pm (at the Fremont Abbey) and the Mass of Christ, Monday Dec 24, 10 pm (at the Fremont Abbey).
Gaudete in Domino to you and yours (Abbess Karen).

 

Comments

[Justin Mayfield]

I love beer even more now... if that's even possible. SOme of the coolest thoughts on beer I've heard and you managed to tie into community, the earth, and advent. Awesome.

Blessings to you and COTA this advent season from me (Justin) and Zoe Livable Church.

[Eliacin]

Our own home-brew hefferweizen from the Mustard Seed Brewery at the MSH will be ready for our Christmas celebration.
Stop by for a taste.

Peace.

[Paul Fromont]

mmmmmmmmm. I can taste it from here. What a wonderful idea, and great use of your "abbess powers". Have a joyous and peaceful Christmas Karen.

Thanks for the inspiration that COTA is...

[Leland Bryant Ross]

Hi, speaking as a Baptist I've really enjoyed COTA's presence in our midst, and on Christmas Eve I discovered I also like you guys when you're in your own midst - no surprise, as I always used to go to Tenebrae services back when the Abbey was St. Paul's Lutheran Church. Anyhow, I have a dream of someday actually being able to attend vespers all through the last week of Advent, singing the appropriate stanzas of Veni veni Emmanuel antiphonally to each recitation of the Magnificat, and culminating in a Christmas Eve vespers where the seven stanzas, reversed, are sung in their whole glory and spell out to the coming night "ERO CRAS" - "I'll be [Emmanuel] tomorrow!" I am hopeful that there may be folks at COTA who can help me bring this dream into the 21st century of real time, probably not in 2008, but probably, hopefully, in 2009.

Bless you all! (including you, Karen)

Haruo aka Leland

[Monk-in-Training]

Greetings Rev. Ward,

I had never considered being like Mary.. a God-bearer! That is very profound, thank you for sharing.