THE BREEZEWAY. Pastor's Corner - Countering Consumerism. New Opportunities! Worship Night I. War, Poverty, Inequality. Faith Café

Transcription

1 1 THE BREEZEWAY The monthly newsletter of Northwood Presbyterian Church December 2017 Pastor's Corner - Countering Consumerism L ast week in one of those "big box" stores I was greeted by a huge sign that declared "32 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS." It was large and, to be honest, annoying to me. The implication was clear: work yourself into a panic making sure you buy all the gifts you need to buy. Time is running out! Get out your wallet! The older I get, the more disgusted I have become with the over-commercialization of Christmas. It's truly out of control in our culture. Buy, buy buy! Christmas is big business in the U.S., and we've lost our way. To counter this message of frantic purchasing and consumerism, I think it's a great time for us to hunker down, look deep within our spirits, and take up the practice of an alternative gifts Advent season. Doing so will help point our internal compasses toward the things that have eternal value rather than the things that collect dust on shelves and break. Here are some ideas for alternative gifts this season. Continued on page 4 Worship Night I f you want to play some music, sing along, or just come and listen, this night is for you. We will hang out in a low-key setting, worshiping God with some upbeat jams and having a good time. All are welcome! Day and time TBD. Contact Sarah Clapp for questions and info. Faith Café R egardless of where you are in your faith journey, this is a safe, laid-back, welcoming place to come each week, explore God s Word, and talk openly about how it applies to our lives. So please, join us for good coffee and even better conversation. We are brewed and ready each Sunday in the Parlor at 9:30 with a start time of 9:45. New Opportunities! 1 War, Poverty, Inequality T hese are all relevant, hard topics f or Christians to confront in today s world. Every day, we are bombarded with opinions on social media, but do we consider what God thinks about these issues? This January, we will start a monthly meeting to discuss social justice topics and how they impact our world. We will use Doing Christian Ethics from the Margins as a guide. We plan to offer babysitting so that young families can attend. If the class does not interest you, but you can help with childcare, please contact Karissa Clefisch-Arnett.. Dates and location info coming soon!

2 Financial Update A s your Session prepares to achieve a realistic budget for 2018, we issue a final plea to those who have not yet submitted Pledge Cards. Drop them off or send them to the Church Office so we can get the final numbers from our accountant. Thank you for all your contributions and donations during this past year. This includes not only monetary but time and talent devoted to Northwood. You should have received the end of the third quarter statements last month; final statements for 2017 will be coming in January. As we finish out 2017, we have withdrawn some money from our permanent funds and endowments to meet unexpected and non-budgeted items. This included personnel costs associated with the retirement of our long-time custodian, Rogers Koontz, new choir robes, as well as the purchase of the new organ. Some of the supplemental funds were from growth of the invested funds and some were from principal. We sincerely thank each and every one of you for your continued support and dedication. May you have a blessed Christmas and the best of everything in 2018! - Joe Montagna & Jay Maust, your Finance Committee J Men s Breakfast oin us Sat., December 9, 8:00 a.m. for our monthly time of food & fellowship. Breakfast is $2.00, and we ask you to RSVP to Joe Montagna by Thurs., December 7: jam@syscomsa.com; Enrichment at Northwood Presbyterian Day School E nrichment: Mr. Webster in his dictionary defines the word as to add beauty to something, to enhance, to make fertile, to increase a desirable ingredient. So what does that word have to do with the Day School? Well, Ms. Rebecca, David Middleton and the Day School Board work hard to plan and arrange a huge variety of enrichment programs and activities for all the children of the Day School in the areas of: Community Helpers (police and firefighters), Health, Science, Safety, Yoga (yes, you heard right!), Literature (thanks all you Reading Buddies!), Music (thanks Mr. Owen!) and different cultures (thanks Johnsons!). So why take time out of the teachers and students busy day for enrichment programs? Just like Mr. Webster said: these activities add beauty to the students world, enhance their learning, provide fertile ground for their imagination, and add the desirable ingredient of character building to each and every student. If you have an idea, skill or program that you would like to share with the Day School children, don t hesitate to talk to Ms. Rebecca or David Middleton and may the Enrichment march on!! - Martha Sherrod 2

3 Christian Education News, by Michelle Fletcher GLOW Team After getting our acolytes up and running, we have decided to make a small change: 1 st GRADERS ARE INVITED TO JOIN! 1 st graders will be able to ring the bells at the beginning of the service. This will be a great introduction to the program and get them comfortable with the candle lighting process for when they promote to 2 nd grade. Please contact Michelle Fletcher at (928) for information. Children s Library Back in May, we made a whirlwind sweep of the children s library tidying, sorting, moving furniture, and hanging new posters. Each week, our Sunday school classes meet here before going with their teachers, and come back for children s choir with Dr. Owen. We are excited to announce that Christian Education has approved funds to get NEW bookshelves! The old shelves and cabinets will be used in the ART room. We hope you will make a trip down the CE wing to take a peek at our newly organized rooms! Sunday School Advent is HERE! With the new Christian year upon us, we are offering some exciting opportunities to shake things up a bit (just for December)! December 3 Intergenerational classes on Chrismons. We will learn about the significance and meaning of Chrismons. The children will make age-appropriate ornaments that can be hung on one of our church trees, while the adults will help with repairing Chrismons that Northwood has enjoyed for years. NO CRAFTING ABILITIES REQUIRED! Music and refreshments will be provided. December 10 During the Sunday School hour, we will be enjoying the annual Birthday Party for Jesus! Please join us, beginning at 9:30 a.m., as we celebrate the birth of our Savior. December 17 Children will continue learning about Advent the people, the journey, and the excitement that comes with this amazing season. December 24 We will not have traditional Sunday School during the 9:30am hour. Please join us for a Keepsake Christmas during the 11 a.m. service hour. December 31 Happy New Year s Eve! No Sunday School on this day. We will see you on January 7 th when we start back with our Heroes of the Bible. 11am Christmas Eve Service This year, Christmas Eve will fall on a Sunday. We WILL be having services at 11 a.m., but this will be a fun, interactive program called Keepsake Christmas. We will be visited by Mary, Joseph, and the Christmas angel while listening to music and creating our own family nativities. 3

4 Continued from page 1 Give the Gift of Advent Experience - Page 7 of this Breezeway lists a host of amazing activities at Northwood this season. From lessons and carols to Keepsake Christmas, there are plenty of opportunities to share time with the people you love (and your church family!) this season. For those with children, these experiences promise to be the things they'll remember when they are older. Stretch yourself this season and invite someone new to join you this year. Give a Gift to Others - Our Mission and Service Committee has given us two very easy ways to give to mission this advent. On December 3, you can bring a new unwrapped toy for Inner City Development. On December 10, bring some underwear for Agape Ministries. You may also choose to give a square foot to someone for our Joshua Build Fundraiser. (You can receive a certificate and make a card to give to someone. Their name will also go on the banner on Build Day.) Give the Gift of Gratitude - What could be more valuable to the person you love than making sure they know what they mean to you? Write a note, record a video, or make a list of the "top ten things I appreciate about you." Give the Gift of Time - Instead of giving a gift that can be wrapped up, spend time with the people you love. Take a walk, share a cup of tea or hot chocolate, or take a drive to enjoy the Christmas lights around town. What do you think? Do you think more "stuff" is the way to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, or have you, like me, had enough of consumerism and commercialism at Christmas? If you're interested in taking this idea a little further, I'd encourage you to visit to learn more. Happy Advent, friends! - Pastor Traci News from the October Presbytery Meeting M ission Presbytery met on October 27-28, 2017 at Parkway Presbyterian Church, Corpus Christi. Here is some news you can use from the meeting: Mission Presbytery has grant money available for Better Together projects, and for mission-related projects. Nicki Roberson will be serving on the MOJC (Mission Outreach and Justice Committee) through First Presbyterian, Corpus Christi is separating from the PC(USA) and joining ECO Presbyterian. John Knox Ranch will be making business changes in order to become more financially sound. There is a three-year plan being put in place to turn the situation around. Kathy Anderson has resigned as Executive Director of John Knox Ranch, and is taking a new position as Chaplain and Program Director at Mo-Ranch. Chris Holmes will be the new Executive Director at JKR. A reception for Kathy Anderson will be held on December 10, details TBA. Lita Simpson, perennial Youth & Young Adult Ministry Director of Mission Presbytery, will be retiring next Spring. A reception for Lita will be held at the next Presbytery meeting, March 2-3, at Westlake Hills, Austin. - submitted by Patty Clark 4

5 News from Presbyterian Women T o all of the women of Northwood, members, friends and visitors, just a quick Christmas message from your Coordinating Team. It is our prayer and hope that each of you enjoys this holiday season remembering the true meaning: Christ, our Savior, was born and has given us His grace and peace. May you and your families embrace the season with love, laughter and sharing of traditions and memories. God bless all! Circle News for December The Day Circle will meet at the church in the Visions Room on Wednesday December 13 at 10:00 a.m. for snacks and Lesson 4. The Saturday Circle meets Saturday, December 9 at 9:30 a.m. for breakfast and Lesson 4. The Evening Circle will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, December 11 for dinner at the home of Beverle Grounds and are studying Chapter 5 of their book, Reading the Bible for the First Time. All are welcome at any circle. Questions? Call Judy Harris, Bible Study Leader. - Jane Wright and Judy Harris Seekers New Study T he Seekers plan to begin a new study either in December or early January of We will focus on a rousing new book by Rob Bell pastor, dynamic speaker, and prolific author. Bell s latest work is titled What Is the Bible? We will LISTEN TO audio downloads of selected chapters of this fascinating work (treating it like a lecture, in fact). Members of the class may also purchase a hard copy, but our method will be to let Rob challenge us for about 15 minutes each Sunday as he makes us grapple with topics such as Who Paid Jesus Bills? and several chapters on various ways to read the Bible with discernment whether that involves coming to grips with the story of Noah and the Flood or the mystifying tale of Jonah and the Big Fish. Rob carefully points out that the word whale does not occur in the Biblical narrative that has Jonah being sent by God to preach to the nation which was at the time the biggest enemy of God s chosen people, the Israelites. This study promises to be a challenging, eye-opening, and mind-bending journey. Watch for announcements concerning the launch of this study, and plan to join us! David Middleton Welcome our New Members! Fran Gibbs Tommy Moreno Pam Arnett The Davila family 5

6 6 Mission Matters, by Patty Clark Advent Sundays On December 3rd and 10th, the Mission and Service Committee will have Alternative Gifts available for you to purchase. These include numerous options from PC(USA), as well as gifts for local organizations and Zambian projects. Pick up your catalog from the Mission table in the Breezeway ahead of time. Also, on December 3rd, bring your new, unwrapped toys for the Inner City Development Toy Sale. ICD's Toy Sale provides low-income parents on the west side of San Antonio the opportunity to purchase Christmas gifts for their children with ICD vouchers or at greatly reduced prices. This gives parents the ability to select the gifts that their children want! And, on December 10th, bring a gift of new socks or underwear (men's/women's) for an Undie-Sunday drive. These items will be taken to Agape Ministries on Austin Highway for needy individuals in our community. PC(USA) Special Offerings Christmas Joy Each year during the Advent and Christmas season, we turn our eyes to Bethlehem and celebrate the wondrous gift of Jesus Christ, our Savior. By giving to the Christmas Joy Offering, you honor this gift by providing assistance to current and retired church workers in their time of need, and by developing future leaders at Presbyterian-related racial ethnic schools and colleges. Have a cup of coffee at Northwood... Starting soon, we will be serving Fair Trade Coffee on Sunday mornings! Buying fair trade through the Presbyterian Coffee Project shares the bounty of the coffee trade with those who grow the crop, helping them build a better future for themselves and their communities. Through fair trade, farmers earn a fairer share of income, have access to services that are otherwise unavailable, and gain long-term trading partners they can trust. A warm cup of coffee in our hands is perhaps the most tangible daily connection we have with farmers around the world. It represents warmth, hospitality, fellowship, hard work, and life s pleasures both fine and simple. Here s a link to order your own Fair Trade products. Christmas Card to the Johnsons If you d like to send a Christmas card (or any mail) to the Johnsons in Zambia, here is their address: Melissa & Charles Johnson, P. O. Box , Lundazi, 10100, Zambia. Sometimes it takes 4-6 weeks for mail to get to them, but they appreciate the correspondence any time! 6

7 7 Advent Activities at NPC T here's a lot going on during Advent this year at NPC. Each and every activity is an opportunity to invite friends and loved ones to join with us. Who do you know who might appreciate one of these events this year? Make it your goal to invite someone else to join you for something listed here. Give your friends and family the gift of purpose and meaning this Advent. Online Advent Photo Challenge - Ongoing from December 3 - December 25. The words can be found on page 8 of this Breezeway as well as online at / Share your pictures using the hashtags #AdventWord and #NPCADVENT2017 Intergenerational Advent Stations - Sunday, December 3, 9:30 a.m. - Make an ornament for your tree (different stations for children and adults), participate in a mission project (bring a new, unwrapped toy), and celebrate with your Northwood family. All ages. Birthday Party for Jesus - Sunday, December 10th, 9:30 a.m. - Another intergenerational Sunday. Participate in a mission project (bring underwear for Agape Ministries), make an ornament (different stations for children and adults), have a cupcake, and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus. All ages. Lessons and Carols Service - Sunday, December 10th, 4:00 p.m. - A music service with traditional readings and carols. Guest musicians. Geared more toward older children, teens and adults. Potpourri - Sunday, December 17th, 6:30 p.m. - A potluck dinner with community singing, general merriment and FUN! Bring your favorite holiday dish! All ages. A Keepsake Christmas - Sunday, December 24th, 11:00 a.m. - Celebrate Christmas Eve Morning in a new intergenerational way! Each family will take home a wonderful keepsake. All Ages. Christmas Eve Family Service - Sunday, December 24th, 6:30 p.m. - A traditional service with carols and candles (glow sticks for children). Hear the Christmas story and celebrate together. All ages. Bravo Junior Players! I t was another great season for the Northwood Junior Players as they wrapped up the 2017 production of My Son Pinocchio. The children dedicated themselves twice a week by singing, dancing, acting, and having fun. A big thank you goes out to the NPC community, all the volunteer parents, technicians and our director, Holly Clifford, for making this another successful Northwood Junior Players production. Jennifer Rivera 7

8 8 Advent Photo Challenge - A Word a Day B ack for the fourth year in a row: the Advent Word-a-Day photo challenge. Each day you may take a picture or write a short reflection on the Advent word of the day and post to social media. Please use the hashtags #NPCAdvent2017 and #Adventword. If you'd like to sign up to receive a daily devotional related to the Advent word, please visit: We've also got a Facebook group page for the photo challenge as well. Please see below for the words assigned to each day. 3 Dec, Awaken - 4 Dec, Journey - 5 Dec, Gather - 6 Dec, Simplify - 7 Dec, Heal - 8 Dec, Mend - 9 Dec, Focus - 10 Dec, Prepare - 11 Dec, Messenger - 12 Dec, Watch - 13 Dec, Voice - 14 Dec, Wilderness - 15 Dec, Trust - 16 Dec, Among - 17 Dec, Light - 18 Dec, Dazzle - 19 Dec, Open - 20 Dec, Embrace - 21 Dec, Renew - 22 Dec, Greeting - 23 Dec, Child - 24 Dec, Believe - 25 Dec, Celebrate Session Clerk s Report for November 2017 G reetings, all, from the NPC Session this holiday season! It has been a busy month, and even though the Session does not meet in November, there are many activities and events to report. November 19 was Committee Sunday, where all the committees of the church meet after worship to discuss their business and plans. The next Committee Sunday will be in January. The following committees met: Worship, Congregational Care, Building and Grounds, Gratitude, or Stewardship Committee, Christian Education, Mission, Membership, Personnel and Administration, Finance, and Fellowship. I was present as a member of Congregational Care, and as I walked around the room observing who was meeting, I could hear and feel a busy, happy hum throughout the Fellowship Hall as business was being conducted. It seems that a large percentage of people present in worship that day were also meeting as a part of one or more committees, and this is a testament to the widespread involvement of many members of our church. Please encourage others to get involved who may need a project or a means of fellowship! I would also like to report that, among the many projects and events offered by NPC, I attended Trunk-or-Treat on Halloween. This is an event where people decorate the trunks of their cars and offer a safe alternative to trick-or-treaters in the neighborhood with candy and costumes. There were at least a half-dozen church members participating, dressed up and in character and ready to greet the youth of our neighborhood and beyond. A good time was had by all, even with the intermittent rain! As your Clerk, I also keep track of our membership rolls, which includes the reporting of church members who have recently passed away and joined the Church Triumphant. The following members passed away during the month of October: Mary Lee Smith, October 12; June Acree, October 19; and Bob Antczak, October 20. These members will be missed, and please remember the family and friends of these individuals over the coming weeks and months, as they will need our support and care. - Respectfully submitted by Ellen Patterson, Clerk of Session 8

9 9 Once in David s Royal City, by Owen Duggan P reviously I have submitted two big ideas to the Breezeway that relate scripture, worship and music. Here is a third, in honor of the season of Advent! BIG IDEA No. 3: Emmanuel - The Incarnation Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. - Matthew 1:23 KJV (from Isaiah 7:14) O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel. - 9 th century Latin chant The second quote ties us into big idea no. 2, Crossing Jordan, an idea all about deliverance. In the first quote it appears that Isaiah (Jewish, 8 th c. BCE) is prophesying, seeing or knowing that God will someday come among us. The early Christians, most being Jews, believed the words attributed to him and believed that very day was at Christ s birth, the day when God became fully human. The Spirit of God was later to be bestowed on this unlikely child of lowly means and parentage, hence the manger. Once in Royal David s City stood a lowly cattle shed. For the future of religion and the world, the implications of these words are significant. But even in their original context, they speak volumes about our relationship with God. It is not hard to see how a new nation/people/religion could have been formed at the time of the Hebrew exodus from Egypt, an event that has very recently been shown to have new archeological and geological evidence to support it. In the mid-second-millennium BCE, the volcano on the island of Santorini in the Mediterranean could have easily created a pillar of fire by night and cloud by day, and the resulting tidal wave which swept across the sea could have (are you with me?) very possibly, yes, swamped the pharaoh s army in pursuit of the fleeing rebels. If such a thing took place, it would be hard to imagine it not to be an act of God. At that moment God s abiding and active presence in the world became a part of history just as we believe it did on Christmas morning. The purpose of both events as it relates to our faith? To deliver us from the power and discouragement of death and the original sin of our voluntary separation from God in order that everyone might have abundant life and healing, life-giving relationships. So now when we sing Away in the Manger we might smile and give thanks for such a miracle and offer prayers in word and song to the God who through grace has restored us to be a unique and precious part of all creation. SPECIAL MUSIC COMING UP: December 10 at 4 p.m. at Northwood: Advent Lessons and Carols with choir, symphony musicians and congregation offering the readings, songs, praises and prayers of the season. Bring your family and friends! December 17 at 11 a.m.: A Gospel Christmas with choir and bluegrass musicians and the traditional music of Appalachia and the deep South. Did I say bring your family and friends?! Especially those lost sheep of our own flock for some down-home inspiration! Christmas Potpourri at 6:30 p.m., a joyful fellowship dinner featuring the gifts and talents of our congregation. Bring your hunger and your best caroling voice! 9

10 Youth of 10 NPC! N PC Youth have been very busy over the past few months, and we are looking forward to celebrating the Advent season together. We still continue to have weekly youth group gatherings with lunch every Sunday from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. If you are interested in providing lunch for these amazing kids, please let me know. In November, the Youth sponsored lemonade and tea for nearly 400 people at Divine Redeemer Presbyterian Church's Community Thanksgiving Dinner. This event is held every year on the Westside of San Antonio, and it serves people that may not have an opportunity to have a Thanksgiving meal on their own. It was an awesome way for our youth to give back to our own San Antonio neighbors that are in need. The youth look forward to several events coming up in the next few weeks. We will have our annual Christmas holiday lock-in at the church on December 22nd. More info to come about that fun event, plus we are looking for volunteers and food donations for that night. The other exciting event is the all-church Joshua Build being held at NPC on January 14th. The youth group generously donated fundraising money for this exciting event from proceeds made on the sale of parade tickets in April. We will come together with other Presbyterian youth groups and churches across the city to help build walls for houses sponsored by Habitat for Humanity. Also in January we will be attending Mid-Winter youth events at Mo Ranch. Come join the fun! - Jamie Ward 60 Years of Troop 345! T he Scouts worked hard over the last few months and they will be recognized in December at the Court of Honor (quarterly awards ceremony). This ceremony will be extra memorable since it will also commemorate the Troop's 60th anniversary. Five scouts deserve special recognition for recently earning the prestigious Eagle Rank. The Eagle rank is the highest Scout rank and only four percent of the boys in the Scouting program ever achieve this honor. Great job and congratulations to: - PJ Heusinger: Aug 16, Brandon Rubsamen: Oct 18, Alex Conrad: Oct 18, Michael Ellis: Nov 15, Ian Gerlach: Nov 15, Scouts from Divine Redeemer s Troop 52, who not only sold their own sodas, but helped us distribute the drinks from our table An Authentic Christmas L ike bookends for this issue of The Breezeway, I echo Pastor Traci s sentiments about the derailment of Christmas from its original intent. Ten years ago I wrote a simple 17-page booklet called Have an Authentic Christmas. It looks at the history of Christmas as a celebration, centering on two words that are lost in the commercial frenzy of our world: alternative and lowly. You can download a free copy at this link as an early Christmas present from me to you. Blessings! - Pastor Krin