Peace Within & Peace Without

Transcription

1 December 2018 Peace Within & Peace Without On Christmas Eve, 1967, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., began his sermon from the pulpit of the Ebenezer Baptist Church with these words, This Christmas season finds us a rather bewildered human race. We have neither peace within nor peace without. Everywhere paralyzing fears harrow people by day and haunt them by night. I fear that it is a pretty apt description of Christmas 2018, as well - a bewildered humanity, lost, angry, searching for peace. But there doesn t seem to be any peace. You are probably all familiar with the Christmas song, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day familiar with all of it but the third verse. For usually when it is sung or played on the radio the third verse is eliminated. It goes like this: And in despair I bowed my head: There is no peace on earth, I said, For hate is strong, and mocks the song, Of peace on earth, good will to men. In the face of our bewilderment and fear, each Sunday during Advent, and on Christmas Eve, we will gather in our beautiful, safe, and sacred sanctuary, that together we might make our way to Bethlehem to greet the Christ-child anew as a people filled with hope. The words of the familiar Christmas story never fail to captivate us: In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger Suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace. The story brings us hope, the language touches something deep in our souls, our own longing for peace within and peace without. The gospel of John does not begin the Christmas story with the nativity, no Mary and Joseph, no baby in the manger for John. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it, is how John begins. The Fourth Gospel begins with light, a small light shining in the darkness, a candle. It is John s way of saying: the amazing claim of Christmas is that, in the birth of the Christ child, God lit a candle in the midst of the darkness of human history, in the midst of the bewilderment and fear of the human race. And although the darkness is sometimes very deep as it is these days the darkness has not overcome, nor will it ever overcome, the light. My prayer for every one of you in this holy season is that you will know Christ s light, that it will fill you with hope, that it will bring you peace within, that all of us together might be part of God s great bringing of peace without. A blessed and joyous Advent & Christmas to you, Paul

2 Rev. Paul Gilmore An Answer to Prayer Our two-year-old granddaughter, Mara s, health has taken a dramatic turn for the better. Her doctor has joyfully declared that she is now a robust responder. What a difference 3 weeks makes. Three weeks ago, we were sure we were headed to a stem cell transplant because Mara s white cell/neutrophil count was below 100, her platelets were below 10,000, her hemoglobin was in the 6s, and all counts were trending down. At her clinic visit on November 2 nd, we gained a first glimmer of hope as her numbers began to rise slightly for the first time. The trend has continued now significantly. On her November 14, 2018, clinic visit, her white cell/ neutrophil count was at 2,000; her platelets at 79,000, and her hemoglobin 8.1, and all trending up. This is unbelievably good news, but she still has a long way to go. Her platelets count is about half of what it needs to be; her red cells one third. But her white cell/neutrophil count is now at a fully healthy level. Even with this good news, her difficult day to day regimen will continue for the foreseeable future. She will remain on the immunosuppressant drugs and hooked up to IV fluids 18 hours/day for quite some time. And as long as she s on the drugs we must be very careful about germs and infections. Her numbers are trending towards healthy, but her immune system is still suppressed. We ve crossed the first, biggest hurdle - she s responding to the drug treatment therapy in a robust way. Now we need to get over the next hurdle - to a full response. Then we need to cross the final hurdle - maintaining a full response without drugs. So, we are incredibly happy, grateful and hope-filled. The church s prayers, care, and loving response has been a source of great joy and comfort to Jeannick and me. I thank God every day that I ve have been called to serve this amazing group of loving disciples. And thanks for your continued prayers. I look forward to the day when little Mara will once again come strolling up the center aisle at WPC for the time with children. Cents-Ability Count Our two Cents-Ability collection Sundays the first Sunday of each month has generated a lot of noise as children joyfully bring our coins forward and has netted $ for the eradication of hunger. Twenty-five percent of the money, $ will go to the New Trier Township Food Pantry to help feed hungry individuals and families in New Trier Township, and $ will go to the Presbyterian Hunger Program. The Presbyterian Hunger Program s mission is clear: alleviate hunger and eliminate its causes. There is no one size fits all solution. PHP complements the work of Presbyterian congregations through strategic partnership collaborations, print and web educational and worship materials, and participatory programs so that Presbyterians Go, Join, and Act to end hunger for our neighbors next door and across the planet. We approach hunger holistically with 5 tools: Direct Food Relief combined with Root Cause; Work; Sustainable Development; Advocacy; Intentional and Sustainable Living; Education Employing these tools alongside congregations, partners and local communities, together we can end hunger. Our next Cents-Ability Sunday is December 2 nd. Jesus fed the hungry and told his disciples to do the same. We are grateful for your generosity, your mindfulness about hunger issues, and for your 2

3 Worship and Music A Year of Grace Geoff Duffy Director of Music, Associate Director of Worship This coming Sunday, we begin our church year all over again with the First Sunday of Advent. Our church calendar is a reminder to us that being a Christian is counter-cultural. Simply put, we do not keep the same calendar as the culture that surrounds us. At times this can feel a bit disconcerting, like when all the Christmas decorations are up on the Magnificent Mile and our sanctuary is draped in the blue and purple shades of Advent with only a simple wreath with four candles standing in the center. Why are Christians so odd when it comes to observing time? I guess you could say we picked it up from our aunts and uncles! As observant Jews, the early Christians followed the Jewish cycle with all its feasts like Passover, Hanukah, Pentecost, Purim and Sukkoth. As Christians developed their own calendar they continued to observe many of the Jewish festivals but also added their own distinctive ways to remember the story of Jesus. The Book of Order says that God has provided a rhythm of seasons which orders life and influences the church s worship. God s work of redemption in Jesus Christ offers the Church a central pattern for ordering worship in relationship to significant occasions in the life of Jesus and the people of God. (W-3.200) Advent (begins December 2) is a season to prepare for the celebration of Christmas, as well as look forward to Christ s second coming. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ. Epiphany (January 6) is the day when we celebrate the arrival of the Magi and the revelation of God s love to all people. Lent is a season in the spring of 40 days, beginning on Ash Wednesday (March 6), in which we prepare ourselves through spiritual disciplines to celebrate the resurrection. Holy Week (April 14-20) commemorates the last days of Jesus with the celebrations of Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and culminating in the celebration of Easter! Easter (April 21) is the greatest day of rejoicing in the church year when we celebrate the day of Christ s resurrection. The Easter season is the longest season of the church year, lasting 50 days! Pentecost ((June 9) is the 50th day of Easter celebrating the outpouring the Holy Spirit. I always think of the church year as a Year of Grace in which we see the grace of God through many different prisms. The whole story is much too overwhelming to experience in one sitting...we need the whole year! This year, why not be countercultural? Make space for the Year of Grace in your family s life! So what are these seasons and days that order our worship? 3

4 Children s Ministry February Worship & Music Advent Festival support of this wonderful event for our children and congregation. Participating children will be required to attend one rehearsal on Saturday, January 5 from 9am - 12noon. Pageant participation forms have been ed and handed out in Sunday school class. Forms need to be turned in by December 9 to Jill Vint: jill.vint@gmail.com or Nancy Holly: nancy@winnpres.org. Sunday, December 2, following worship Hope you will join us for our annual WPC Advent Festival after worship on Sunday, December 2. We will share a delicious meal together and the CLC will be set up with several craft tables including our traditional Advent Wreath making table. It s been rumored that St. Nicholas may be stopping by too! Always a joyous time as we celebrate together the first Sunday of Advent! WPC Christmas Concert Sunday, December 5pm Our children in kindergarten through 6th grade will participate in our WPC Christmas concert once again this year! The children are practicing during their music time with Geoff just prior to Sunday school. Children in Kindergarten through 4th grade are enjoying our new curriculum, Feasting on the Word, which follows the lectionary every Sunday. The lessons introduce biblical stories in new and creative ways. It also challenges us to put our faith into action and helps us better understand ourselves as Christians. We have a lot of fun too! Help Decorate Christmas Tree Sunday, December 16, following worship On December 16, children and youth families are invited to help decorate our WPC Christmas Tree with Geoff and Nancy during our fellowship hour after worship. Come join us for this fun WPC tradition! Epiphany Pageant Sunday, January 9:45am Children in kindergarten through grade 5 are invited to participate in our Epiphany pageant which will take place during worship on Sunday, January 6. Planning has begun and we are grateful to Sherri Lewis for agreeing to direct this years pageant as Jill Vint will be out of town. Jill will continue to help coordinate the details of the pageant leading up to this special day. We give thanks to her once again for her ongoing 4

5 Spaghetti Dinner Thank you to all that volunteered, supported and attended our junior and senior high youth Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser last month. We raised over $900 for youth mission and faith formation! A special thanks to our kitchen staff, our head chef Michael Colitte, and David Holly and Jim Thompson for making the kitchen run so efficiently. A good time was had by all including the youth that helped set up, serve and clean up, we couldn t have done it without all of you! Confirmation Youth Ministry Our second confirmation class last month was quite special as we invited Bob and Liz Crowe and Sherri and Bob Lewis to be our guests. They shared their personal stories of the faithfulness they have witnessed and felt through their years at WPC. There is nothing better than our youth learning from our own members! Mission The Good News Partners annual Christmas Market will be held on Saturday, December 8 from 10:00am - 2:00pm. GNP is looking for volunteers to work at the market. Nancy Holly is looking for youth to join her and will help arrange transportation. Please let her know if you are interested and when you are available during that time period.nancy@winnpres.org Youth Group Event Calendar Here are some of the special events planned for our youth this year: November 4 December 8 January 11 February 9 March 10 April 7 Spaghetti Dinner Good News Partners Christmas Market Make your own pizza and game night at WPC Feed My Starving Children The Boulevard (formerly Interfaith House) Pancake Breakfast 5

6 Happenings Women s Retreat More than 40 women from WPC and guests gathered for Afternoon Tea from a collection of beautiful china tea cups and saucers, delicious assorted tea sandwiches and sweets at a reception to begin our retreat. The group enjoyed rich conversation and a time of sharing centered around our many valuable emotions. Enlightened that JOY is a happiness that doesn t depend on what has happened. GOD is at the center of JOY...we are never alone. The evening progressed into a beautiful candlelit room where we experienced yet another Unexpected Joy Wine & Cheese with a Vintage Fashion Show. We welcomed our very good friend Nancy Riddle, featuring some of her most elegant pieces from her Fabulous Vintage Collection. We thank Nancy Riddle and gorgeous models from our congregation: Sue Cornelo, Kate Gisborne, Nancy Holly, Abby Thomsen, Jill Vint and Robin Scheier. Carrie Waterston and Lynne Frid coordinated this special event. Special thanks to Wes Waterston for his delicious cheese and sandwich trays. Grateful to the many others who contributed their valuable time and efforts. Fundraiser Luncheon/ Auction by Lynne Frid, Fellowship Elder Fellowship is grateful for the tremendous support from all at WPC who contributed to a successful event following worship on Commitment Sunday, celebrating our 2019 Stewardship Campaign. The fundraising event raised over $30,000 from our raffle, live auction, and silent auction. The proceeds will be used to offset operating expenses and for various mission projects. The CLC was festive and beautiful, hosting over 100 guests for a delicious buffet luncheon. Grateful to Michael & Tracy Colette who worked in the kitchen and to all the cooks who contributed delicious food items. We enjoyed the gifted talents of musician Ben Lewis and Ron Benardi, a fabulous auctioneer and welcomed guest returning to WPC for the live auction. Additional thanks to cashiers Dina Price, Rob Sanders, Kevin Frid, and Margie McInerney, to Erik Schrier, Mary Ellen Miller, Kathy Fink and Lynne Frid for donating 3 raffle items which generated interest and excitement. I can not help but marvel at the joy and enthusiasm created in working together with many helping hands and the generosity of our community. Sincere appreciation to Dina Price and Kathy Fink who worked tirelessly, on compiling our program. this event would not have been possible without the support of our dedicated Fellowship team. Together we give God the glory for the many blessing that have come from this Fellowship Fundraiser. 6

7 Save the Date! Sarah s Knitting Circle Last month Sandy McCausland, Elizabeth Probst, Kathy Carbonell and Nancy Holly started up a new knitting group at WPC. Inspired by our very own, Sarah McCausland, we are calling it Sarah s Knitting Circle. The purpose of Sarah s Knitting Circle is to bring back a prayer shawl ministry to WPC and make prayer shawls for those in need of comfort and solace. We will meet approximately once a month and provide help and instruction in between meetings. We will begin each meeting with a dedication and close with a blessing and prayers. All levels are invited including those that have never knit before. If you are interested in joining us please let Sandy McCausland know: smccausland32@gmail.com. Our next meeting is Thursday, December 13 at 12:00 pm at WPC. Click to Sign-Up Below: Advent Daily Devotionals Advent Lunch Pot-Luck Sign-Up Poinsettia and Christmas Greens Offering Advent Festival Sunday, December 5pm Kick off the Advent season in style at this year s Advent Festival. This is a family-friendly and intergenerational event for everyone. We will have all the supplies (candles and evergreens) for you to make Advent wreaths to take home. In addition to great food, we will have holiday gift plates for purchase, and crafts for both young and old! And word has it that St. Nicholas might be stopping by again this year! To volunteer to bring a dish please click here! Annual Christmas Concert Sunday, December 5pm This year s Christmas concert is called Alegria! Our chancel choir will tell the story of Christmas through the eyes of a young refugee family with a newborn baby fleeing an evil tyrant. Once again, our Sunday School children will be joining the adults in an evening of festive music to celebrate the season. A free-will offering will be taken for The Young Center for Immigrant Children s Rights. Christmas Morning at the Jonquil (Good News Partners) Tuesday, December 8am Hope you will join us on Christmas morning to provide and share a meal with the residents of the Jonquil Hotel in Rogers Park. We meet at the Jonquil at 8:00am bringing a hot breakfast for our friends and enjoy a meal and caroling together. You will be back home by 9:30am to enjoy your Christmas family traditions. If you haven t been before, perhaps you will consider making this a family tradition this year! 7

8 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 Communion 10:45am 11:15am Advent Festival 4:00pm Jr. High Youth 5:00pm Family Promise 6:15pm Fish 3 12:00pm Men s Lunch 4 6:30pm McNerney Bible 7:30pm AA Meeting 5 11am Pastor s Bible 7pm Candlelight Yoga Sanctuary 6 9:30am LifeTalk 7:30pm Choir Rehearsal 7 7:30pm AA Meeting 8 9am Concert Rehearsal 9 8:45 Choir Rehearsal 5:00pm Christmas Concert 10 7:00pm Mission Team 11 6:30pm McNerney Bible 11:30am Senior Club 7:00pm Stephen Ministry 7:30pm AA Meeting 12 11am Pastor s Bible 7pm Candlelight Yoga 13 9:30am LifeTalk 12:00pm Sarah s Knitting Circle 7:30pm Choir Rehearsal 14 7:30m AA Meeting :45 Choir Rehearsal 11:00am Christmas Tree Decorating 4:00pm Jr. High Youth 6:15pm Fish 6pm PTI 17 4:30pm A Just Harvest Soup Kitchen, East Rogers Park 18 6:30pm McNerney Bible 7:30pm AA Meeting 19 11am Pastor s Bible 7pm Candlelight Yoga 20 9:30am LifeTalk 7:30pm Choir Rehearsal 21 7:30pm AA Meeting :45 Choir Rehearsal 24Christmas Eve 4:00pm Christmas Eve Service 9:00pm Christmas Eve Service 25Christmas Day Office Closed 8am Jonquil Hotel Breakfast 26 Office Closed 27 9:30am LifeTalk 28 7:30pm AA Meeting :00pm Sr. High Bible & Dinner 31 Office Closed 1 New Year s Day Office Closed Winnetka Presbyterian Church 1255 Willow Road Winnetka, IL main fax Merry Christmas and Happy New Year From the WPC Staff Pastor Paul Gilmore, Rev. Kathy Dale McNair, Geoff Duffy, Nancy Holly, Dina Price, Mike Jin, Greg Hartfield, Ignacio Rodriguez 8