To read a letter from Bishop Susan Briner about the 2024 election, click here.
Prayer for the Election
On Monday evening, November 4, we gathered for a time of prayer, music, scripture, poetry, reflection, and connection. We centered ourselves in the themes of community, humility, and peace.
The link to the service is online here. The link to the worship bulletin is here.
Holy One, where hearts are fearful and constricted, grant courage and hope. Where anxiety is infectious and widening, grant peace and reassurance. Where impossibilities close every door and window, grant imagination and resistance. Where distrust twists our thinking, grant humility and illumination. Where spirits are daunted and weakened, grant soaring wings and strengthened dreams. Holy One, you are the fullness of all love: today, tomorrow, and forever. Amen.
We commend our nation to God’s loving care.
Fall Fest 2024
On a beautiful, breezy, Sunday evening, 50 or so neighbors, members, & friends gathered at FELC for our Fall Festival. We celebrated our community of faith: past, present, & those yet to come. We enjoyed brats, schnitzel, & many trimmings & desserts prepared by folks. And, this year, there were a variety of potato salad recipes to try! Our great thanks to Herr Randy Baden (and Herr Terry Porter) for coordinating & welcoming us – and to all the hands & feet that served. Das leben ist gut! La vida es buena!
FELC Fall Festival
Sunday November 3, 6-8pm
The FELC Fall Fest returns on Sunday, November 3, 6pm in the FELC parking lot & fellowship hall. We’ll celebrate the fall, our founding heritages, & our community of faith. The cooks will provide brats with brotchen & schnitzel. We’ll also enjoy the sides that you choose to bring! A Karlihaus Brew will also be on site; feel free to bring your favorite beverage. Contact Randy Baden (towbarcity@yahoo.com) to let him know you’ll be there and what sides you’d like to bring. It will be helpful to have a head-count for purchasing purposes. See you then!
Oliver Rajamani in Concert | Friday, November 8
Join Oliver Rajamani with Sitar Maestro Pandit Rajib Karmarker & Tabla Maestro Pandit Gourisankar Karmarker for an evening of extraordinary music from world class artists: Friday, November 8 at 8pm. This evening of music will be at “The Rosette” – another jewel setting of Austin. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit: https://oliverrajamani.com/events/
TEMP Community Madrigal Sing-A-Long Monday, November 11, 7 PM
It’s that time again! Join Texas Early Music Project (TEMP) for the fall edition of our TEMP-Oh Community Madrigal Sing on Monday, November 11, at FELC! No experience is required for this “TEMP-orary choir”—just a love of singing madrigals! For more information, including upcoming holiday events, visit: 2024-2025 Concert Season — Texas Early Music Project (early-music.org).
All Saints’ Sunday | November 3
On Sunday, November 3 we celebrate the Feast of All Saints’ – a time to remember and give thanks for saints near and far, famous and familiar only to us, those who died long ago, and those who have died recently. As part of the observance we will read the names of those from FELC who have died during the past year. We invite and encourage everyone to bring photos, drawings, and/or mementos to place on our sacred space of remembrance in the Chapel of the Saints, and to write the names of anyone who has died in the past year in the Book of the Dead. The sacred space of remembrance will remain in the Chapel through November. (Daylight Savings Time ends at 2am on Nov. 3.)
Casa Marianella Gardens | Thank you!
Back in September, we held a God’s Work. Our Hands. project at Casa Marianella, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping refugees. As part of that, we cleared weeds and solarized four neglected garden beds with black plastic to prepare them for planting in October.
On October 19 a small group of enthusiastic people from First English revisited Casa Marianella and planted a number of beautiful succulents, perennials, roses, and spring flowering bulbs. First English members donated plants from their own gardens, others purchased plants and bulbs. The beds have been enriched with compost and covered with mulch. Casa Marianella has committed to watering the beds.
Special thanks to Barbara Schutz, Andy MacLaren, Anne Wiebe, Paul Barlow, Kathleen Boas, and Nancy Baden for donating plants and materials. Thanks also to Merrily Porter, Terry Porter, Claudia Barlow, and Anne Wiebe for planting. It was so delightful that plants from our own gardens should brighten Casa Marianella! Thanks to everyone who participated!
Prayers for Our Public Life
As we enter the last weeks of this general election season, it is good that we should come together in prayer. Click here for a list of daily prayers.
These prayers come from our Christian tradition.
You’re invited to share these prayers with others along the way.
May God continue to bless and love this whole world, as God has promised.
UT’s NEW Repertory Chorus in Concert | Monday, October 21, 8 PM | FELC
Repertory Chorus is the newest addition to the choral area at UT’s Butler School of Music, and the concert on Monday, October 21 at 8pm will be its debut public performance! This new choir serves as a laboratory chorus for the master’s and doctoral students in choral conducting at UT, along with some upper division undergraduate students majoring in music education. FELC is excited to collaborate with UT in this new music and teaching endeavor. This concert is free-of-charge.