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The Millers Welcome Their St. Philip’s Family at the Annual Advent Drop-In

Advent-Drop In Miller

Our hostess, Kristin Miller, with son Josiah in her dining room in front of a painting of St. Philip's by our own Bill Warlick.

On Saturday, December 7, Church St. was a parade of festively dressed folks as St. Philippians made their way to the rectory for this year’s Advent drop-in. All the elements that we have come to expect from the past couple of years were in place: plenty of egg nog; live garland on the mantles and banisters; baked brie, meatballs, pimento cheese, and lots of other goodies laid out on the dining room table; the Rev. Andrew O’Dell decked out in his top hat and tails greeting people on the porch; and a bow tie in place of a clerical collar around the neck of our rector and host, the Rev. Jeffrey S. Miller.

Parishioners meandered through the Millers’ home, sometimes talking to people they’ve known for years, sometimes talking to people whose faces they know from a far-off pew in the church or a far-off chair in the Rector’s Bible Study. The drop-in is another time in the life of our church, much like Kanuga is, when St. Philippians are reminded that even as close-knit as our parish is, sometimes the church friends we assume must know each other might actually require an introduction.

This year’s drop-in was a bit of a test, as it was the first time that it was scheduled for a Saturday instead of Sunday. That means that we didn’t get a same-day reminder from the rector during announcements at church, but as it turns out, we didn’t seem to need one. We began filling up the rectory at three o’clock on the dot, and we kept it filled through to the evening. Yes, some of us did need to remember to set our DVRs to record the Clemson game, and some of us had to leave for Citadel or Porter-Gaud Lessons and Carols instead of lingering past the toll of the six o’clock bell, but most seem to agree that the move to Saturday was a good change. And we headed to church on Sunday morning with the name of the person in that far-off pew fresh in our minds.

 

Advent Drop-In 2019– Image 1 of 5