Sharing the Love of Christ

Transcription

1 Sharing the Love of Christ First United Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) PO Box Douglas Avenue Las Vegas New Mexico Pastor s Ponderings JANUARY 2019 Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope you are relishing the joy of the Christmas season and that you ve had some time to ponder anew what the coming of Christ into the world means to you personally and to all of God s children. For the first time since the early 80s, D.R. and I were not at home for Christmas. We had decided before our girls were born that we would not travel at Christmastime, so we always hosted the holiday, and most of the time one or both of our moms would be with us. (We both lost our dads way too early D.R. s dad in 1981 and mine in 1986, when they were still in their 60s.) You know how it goes. The girls grew up and went away to college. And there came a time when we had to learn to take turns for the holidays with parents of their significant others. But until this year, at least one of them (and sometimes grandchildren) would be at our house for Christmas. This year, though, Tegan invited us to go to Denver for Christmas. She would host and do all the cooking. So for the first time, I planned no Christmas dinner. I baked no cookies. We didn t even have a chance to put up more than a couple of decorations. And you know what? It was wonderful. It meant no stress over the things that, in the long run, don t really matter. (What kind of rolls? White or brown gravy? Which nativity set do we put out?) It meant good practice (for me) allowing someone else to have the pleasure (or, I suppose, the burden, depending on how you see it) of planning and cooking the meal, cleaning the house, and setting the table. Like our own families, church families, too, fall into a normal pattern, often with the same people hosting the many things that happen in a church community. I d like to encourage you, as we enter a new year, to consider how you can enjoy the privilege of involvement, and maybe, in the process, allow someone else to relax or switch gears. With thanks for all of you, Pastor Katie Annual Congregational Meeting Sunday, February 3, 2019 Following Worship All members are encouraged to attend.

2 JANUARY 2019 PAGE 2 Worship Tidbits From Pastor Katie With Advent, the church enters a new liturgical year. As we did throughout December, we await once again the birth of Jesus while we ponder what the coming of Christ means and while we imagine what the next coming of Christ will look like (a vision that no doubt is very different from person to person). Also during this season, we observe Epiphany the visitation of the magi to Jesus. And then, in the church calendar, things move very quickly. Jesus is baptized and tempted in the desert; we see bits of his ministry; and the next thing we know, Jesus is transfigured on a mountain as his disciples Peter, John, and James look on. A few days later, we observe Ash Wednesday as we enter into the Lenten period of reflection and prayer, which takes us to Holy Week. It may strike as odd that we move so quickly from Christmas to Easter, and then have months of ordinary time (not ordinary in the sense of common and boring, but ordinary in the sense of counted time, or ordinal time) before the calendar cycles around to Advent once again. So why did these dates get set as they are? Wouldn t it make more sense if Easter came closer to the end of the liturgical calendar, not so long before we cycle back around to Advent? I m going to keep you in suspense for awhile and go into more detail about the setting of these dates in a future newsletter. For now, though, I ll say that we are going to slow things down a bit as we head toward Epiphany, taking a couple of weeks rather than just one (January 6 and 13) to look closely at the magi s visit to Jesus and then at the aftermath of their visit Herod s obsession with finding and killing Jesus and Mary and Joseph s flight to Egypt to keep Jesus safe. Then we ll talk about Jesus baptism and have an opportunity to renew our baptismal vows (January 20). And we ll spend some time with Jesus in the wilderness (January 27). I hope you ll join us in worship this month as we dig into these events in Jesus' life that can teach us so much. FUPC has been blessed through the years with the time and talents of many creative and dedicated people who contribute so much to the life of this church. We see it over and over everyday from greeters at the doors to teachers to preachers to builders to singers, ringers, accompanists and directors to cooks to painters to ushers to treasurers to card and letter writers to leaders to donors to speakers to drivers to prayers to movers to record keepers to cleaners to bakers to sound folks to preparers to technicians to candle lighters to advocates to servers to messengers to planners to planters to thinkers to counters to organizers. Sometimes we take these gifts for granted, but I would like to take this opportunity to thank this amazing group of people gathered in this place through time for all they give so graciously to make FUPC the active, warm, open, vital and moving force for God that it is in this community. The Session is the council for the congregation and, as such, represents the body of the church. Session work is the work of the congregation through committees. As we begin a new year, it is my hope that each congregation member will seek out Session members and Committee chairs to share joys and concerns, ask questions, make suggestions, volunteer, register complaints or say thanks. These conversations make the church even stronger and more vital. Happy New Year! Karyl Lyne Clerk of Session

3 JANUARY 2019 PAGE 3 A Farewell Poem from Christie and Douglas Baskett Listen, my children, and you shall hear Of the very sad day when we had to leave here. At the end of December in 2018 Las Vegas, NM, will last be seen By Douglas and Christie who make their way To where Revere rode that fateful day. Five years, six months they ve enjoyed all the sun, The dryness, the mountains, the chillies, the fun Of traveling the world through the students eyes And being a part of 200+ lives Who learn from each other how to make peace Because they believe not one is the least. And while UWC has a place in their hearts, Their FUPC family takes the large part Judy s warm caring, Karyl s sweet notes, Juli s Zumba, Beth s go and vote, Mary s bright laugh, Em s sense of humor, D.R. s and Tom s calm, Robin s fine hammer, All those Trujillos, Lisa s good chili, Words of hope from Randy, Frank, and Katie, Sharon s great questions, Richard s fine meals, And so many more throughout the last years. To all who give of their hearts and their time To make this great church a home sublime We thank you, we love you, we ask you to be The bearers of Christ, if by land or by sea, And send us your updates and when you re near Come visit us in the land of Revere. A Note of Thanks from your Treasurer Well, friends, as we all know, GOD IS GOOD, AND GOD IS GENEROUS!!!!! We approached 2018 with a faith-based budget, taking on a deficit budget, shy of $30,000. We ended the year in the black, thanks to the generosity and accountability of all of YOU. So, needless to say, we have good reason to give thanks. We also managed to pay off our building loan, and that leaves us debt-free--alleluia! So, being a community of faith, we are approaching the 2019 budget in the same fashion. Our 2019 Budget, approved by our Session, is also a deficit budget, with us once again $30,000 shy of what we have predicted as income, based on pledges, etc. We are counting on each and everyone of you to continue your GENEROUS and JOYFUL giving in 2019! We continue to be able to dedicate over 15% of our budget to mission outside our walls. We have MUCH to celebrate, and I thank you all. Mary Schipper Treasurer

4 JANUARY 2018 PAGE 4 Feeding Our Community Two months have passed since we began preparing meals for Samaritan House. The process is starting to find a routine and we have learned a lot in this short time. I want to thank all the volunteers who have been cooking, shopping, finding resources, dealing with the notorious oven and more. Our aim has been to provide nutritious, hot, comforting food just in time for the evening meal which begins at 6 pm each Friday. Our teams have been coming in around 4 pm to prepare a main dish, vegetable, and dessert for collection by the SH personnel around 5:30pm. We load the food into a transportation hot box (on loan from Juli Salmon) that can be wheeled out to a vehicle making the transfer much easier while keeping the food warm. Karen Topping has been collecting our hot box and returning it to the church for use the following week. It really is a team effort. As many of you know our church has a long history of supporting the Samaritan House in their work to provide services to the less fortunate in our community. Something that for most of us is a couple of hours a month of easy work is making a huge difference to those less fortunate.. We have been averaging meals each Friday, and our efforts are greatly appreciated by the Samaritan House staff, volunteers, and clients. If you would like more information or to volunteer to work on a Friday afternoon, please get in touch with me.all are welcome. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. - Romans 12:11-13 Denice Spicer B&G Status Review If you are on Buildings and Grounds crew you will have learned a lot about bats. Did you know that they can get in a hole as big around as your little finger, about 3/8 of an inch, they migrate south for the winter, and of course eat lots of mosquitoes. Their guano is high in nitrogen. And mouse poop and bat guano look similar but if you pull your finger over the mouse poop it rolls and if you do the same to bat guano it powders. Wasn t that something you were dying to know?? In the last newsletter I stated that Critter Control was coming. Well they came, and will return to install insulation to replace what was soiled by the bat guano and urine. We will then have them come for an annual inspection to keep their warranty up. We have found homes for the old windows taken from OTM. And the new bathroom in the East wing is workable; we still need to hang the mirror and the towel dispenser, but we do have a knob and lock. Just be careful to push the button in to lock it and not turn the button or the door will lock when closed and a key will be needed to open it from the outside. We are waiting to be put on the schedule to have the steeple repaired at OTM. That will be quite a project to see. Oh, if you get a chance to see the B & G crew let them know how much they are appreciated. Crew: Corky Halverson, Don Owens, Patrick Rucker, Norm Spicer, and Charlotte Wootton Robin Carlson Chair B & G P.S. - On another note altogether, wasn t the cantata, Sing Joy, just wonderful? It sure was fun to sing! Thanks to WAM and Amy Hufnal.

5 JANUARY 2018 PAGE 5 Sunday Class for Adults and Youth to Study The Third Reconstruction Starting January 6, the Sunday morning class for Adults and Youth will discuss the book The Third Reconstruction by the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II. Barber has been called the closest person we have to Martin Luther King Jr. in our midst (Cornel West) and one of the most gifted organizers and orators in the country today (Ari Berman). He recently was awarded a genius grant by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Kirkus Review says Barber is a battle-hardened pastor [who] calls for a faith-based, grass-roots movement for social justice.... It s the religious component that makes his story particularly interesting. Fully aware of the suspicion Bible-speak arouses in modern progressive circles, the author still insists on viewing the justice struggle through a moral prism, one always backstopped by a Higher Power. [The Book is]... a heartfelt dose of old-time religion mixed with modern-day activism. Esquire magazine wrote. [Barber s] policy positions fall far to the left on today s political scale. But he sees most of them as coming from conservative traditions rooted in the Bible - traditions that don t line up with conservative politics today. Barber s admirers say his sermons and speeches steal the moral high ground long claimed by political conservatives. The title of the book evokes the first Reconstruction, which briefly flourished after Emancipation, and the second Reconstruction, which ushered in meaningful progress in the civil rights era. He calls this Third Reconstruction a moral awakening of justice-loving people united in a fusion coalition powerful enough to reclaim the possibility of democracy even in the face of corporate-financed extremism. This book was written with the Rev. Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, an evangelical minister who was once a page for Strom Thurmond, a leading proponent of segregationalist policies who represented South Carolina in the United States Senate from 1954 until Wilson-Hartgrove heard Barber speak in 1998 and invited him to visit his allwhite Southern Baptist church. The two men developed a friendship that pushed Wilson-Hartgrove to question the racial assumptions he had grown up with and eventually to collaborate with Barber on The Third Reconstruction. Starting in 2013, Barber led more than a hundred thousand people at rallies across North Carolina to protest restrictions to voting access and to demand an extreme makeover of state government. These protests the largest state government focused civil disobedience campaign in American history came to be known as Moral Mondays and have since blossomed in states as diverse as Florida, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Ohio, and New York. Several of his speeches, sermons, and interviews are available on YouTube. Class sessions will be at 9:30 Sunday mornings in the east wing, right after the Jump Start Breakfast at 8:30. Books are available in the church office or from Richard Lindeborg for $8. Reading assignments are: Jan 6--Prologue and Chapter 1 (pp. ix through 13) Jan 13--Chapters 2 and 3 (pp. 15 through 39) Jan 20--Chapters 4 and 5 (pp. 41 through 66) Jan 27--Chapters 6 and 7 (pp. 67 through 95) Feb 3--Chapters 8 and 9 (pp. 97 through 126) Feb 10--Appendix and Afterword (pp. 127 through 135) A Sunday School teacher asked her class why Joseph and Mary took Jesus with them to Jerusalem. A small child replied: They couldn't get a baby sitter.

6 JANUARY 2018 PAGE 6 West Wing Renamed Perea Center To Honor One of Our Church s Founders To honor our church s nearly 150 years in the community, the session has named the west wing of the Douglas Avenue facility the Perea Center after José Yñéz Perea ( ), who helped John Annin establish the local Presbyterian church, was ordained as its first Ruling Elder (1870), and went on to train as an evangelist (1877) and be ordained as a minister (1880). Perea s family had been wealthy landowners in New Mexico for generations. He was born in Bernalillo and attended Catholic schools in Peralta, New Mexico; Chihuahua, Mexico; and New York City, where he became member of a circle secretly studying the Bible. He attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point for a year before resigning and soonafter returning to New Mexico, where he formally became a Protestant. In the late 1850s he went to sea, serving on freighters in both the Atlantic and Pacific. During his travels he was exposed to the great revival of in Boston. He again returned to New Mexico, and in 1869 moved his herd of 15,000 sheep to La Cinta in eastern San Miguel County. It was on a trip to Las Vegas that year that he met the Rev. John Annin, who had been sent to Las Vegas by the board of domestic missions in Philadelphia to possess the land (presumably to spread the gospel and found one or more churches). Perea, who had long been distributing tracts and Bibles in New Mexico, became a leading contributor to the subscription for the purchase of land for the mission church building. He supervised the building of the church, while Rev. Annin concentrated on preaching and running the Church s school. As an evangelist, Perea, along with Rafael Gallegos, traveled through the counties of northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. During this period the churches of Taos, Rincones, Ocate and El Rito were organized. He also served as an evangelist at Zuni and Jemez pueblos. After completing his theological education in Del Norte, Colorado, he served 10 years in the field (division) north of Albuquerque and 20 years in the field south of Albuquerque. In all, he served 27 villages in the Albuquerque area. Perea s first marriage, to Victoria Armijo of Albuquerque, ended within a year by her death. He later married Susan Gates, a missionary teacher at Zuni, with whom he had eight children, three of whom survived to adulthood. The west wing includes the chapel, kitchen, session room, fellowship hall, and the upstairs classrooms. We hope that a growing number of community groups will find welcoming space in the Perea Center. Written by Richard Lindeborg. Sources: Presbyterian Missionaries in Rural Northern New Mexico: Serving the Lord on the New Mexico Frontier by Dale B. Gerdeman (1999) and Preparing the Way: History of the First 100 Years of Las Vegas Presbyterian Church by J. A. Schufle (1970). On Saturday January 19, 2019 our Old Town Mission/The Spot kicks off the lead-up to our 150th year by proudly hosting the Jicarita Cluster of Churches (to which FUPC belongs) first ever Network Gathering Event. This event will begin at 10 a.m. and last until 2 p.m. It will offer such activities as a lively panel discussion of how to do effective community outreach by practicing innovators moderated by Rev Trey Hammond from La Mesa Presbyterian Church in Albuquerque, a luncheon, an opportunity to develop practical action plans, and inspirational worship. Please pray that as the flyers encouraged, teams of at least two from each church attend to better serve the witness and mission of Our Lord in our respective communities. At present, we have secured commitments for soups, desserts and snacks for the event, but would appreciate your willingness to contribute a bread or drinks on that day. If you would be willing to provide a bread or drink for the event, please contact either Siobhan Croto at or Charlotte Wootton at

7 JANUARY 2018 PAGE 7 An Invitation to the Old Town Mission Task Force Our session has voted to form an Old Town Mission Task Force to create a long-term plan for the center. We are looking for volunteers to participate. The Old Town Mission Community Center (built in 1870) has been beautifully restored and is currently being used for a variety of purposes, including The SPOT Youth Team for UWC and local high school students, the Las Vegas Peace and Justice Center, Rio Gallinas School, Deep and Wide Contemplative Service, and many other groups. The task force will be looking at how the Old Town Mission Community Center can increase its service to the Las Vegas community while reducing its financial dependence on FUPC. The OTMCC has a primary focus on West Side youth/children and a vision to build community among disparate groups city-wide. These are some of the initial topics for the task force: What is the current usage of the building, and how much additional programming will fit in the available time slots? What are some strategies for involving the larger community in OTMCC activities and programming, both as participants and leaders? What are the current and projected operating expenses? What are the current and projected maintenance costs? What specific grants might we apply for to cover programming and building expenses? What are some strategies for obtaining donations? What are some strategies for increasing rentals of the space? If you have an interest in participating or have questions, please contact D.R. Palmer at Game Night Mark your calendars for Game Night on January 25th. We will keep you informed as to what time we will start and where it will be (probably the O.T.M.). Chili Cook-Off Thank you all who made chili for our 2nd Annual chili cook-off. We had 6 delicious crock pots full of very different chilis. Alas, neither Nancy Ellington nor I won!!! The 1st place winner was Douglas Baskett and he really deserved it. Not only was it very tasty, but it took him about 3 days to make it! D.R. Palmer placed 2nd with his White Chili. Christmas Luncheon Our annual Christmas luncheon was held Saturday Dec. 15th at Charlie s. We had about people there. Thank you Mark Gillingham for bringing your keyboard and clarinet. Thank you Em & Mark for the music.

8 First United Presbyterian Church PO Box 37 Las Vegas NM Website: Facebook: Las Vegas First United Presbyterian (NM) Sunday Schedule 8:30 a.m. - Jumpstart Breakfast: 9:30 a.m. - Bible Based Study 10:30 a.m. - Sunday Worship Fellowship Hour following the worship service Samaritan House Food Donations For January Peanut Butter and Jelly Communion is offered each Sunday from October 1 through Pentecost (June 9, 2018) and on the first and third Sundays of each month from June through September. We do not celebrate Communion on the fifth Sunday of a month due to the addition of the Healing Liturgy to the service. January Birthdays 4 th Betty Quick 6 th Em Krall 8 th Irene Crespin Emma Estrada 16 th Bob Vander Meer 17 th Deb Allen-Reid 18 th Evelyn Wootton Fred Salas 19 th Tom Trigg 21 st Don Monnheimer 28 th Gretchen Bush Deep and Wide A Contemplative Service at the Old Town Mission 5:15 p.m. 6:15 p.m. on second and fourth Tuesdays at the Old Town Mission. This is an ecumenical gathering open to all, sponsored by FUPC. Questions? Call D.R. Palmer