Ash Wednesday and Lent

Transcription

1 GREENSTONE GAZETTE With God, all things are possible Nottingham Presbyterian Church PC (USA) 497 W. Christine Road Nottingham, PA Phone: Website: www. nottinghampc.org Bringing the love of Jesus to our community by fostering an accepting, nurturing and compassionate environment. Expanding our missions, infrastructure and worship experiences to meet the community s needs. Passionately and enthusiastically developing opportunities for personal and spiritual growth. Seeking partnerships with local organizations in pursuit of God s vision for the greater Nottingham area. Label Ash Wednesday and Lent The Lenten journey from the ashes of death to resurrected life begins on the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday, which signifies a time to turn around, to change directions, to repent. This first day of Lent reminds us that unless we are willing to die to our old selves, we cannot be raised to new life with Christ. The first step of this journey calls us to acknowledge and confront our mortality, individually and corporately. In many traditions, this is symbolized through the imposition of ashes placing a cross on one s forehead. During the imposition of ashes the words: You are dust, and to dust you shall return (Genesis 3:19) are repeated again and again. We are to remember that we are but temporary creatures, always on the edge of death. On Ash Wednesday, we begin our Lenten trek through the desert toward Easter. Ashes on the forehead is a sign of our humanity and a reminder of our mortality. Lent is not a matter of being good, and wearing ashes is not to show off one s faith. The ashes are a reminder to us and our communities of our finite creatureliness. The ashes we wear on our Lenten journey symbolize the dust and broken debris of our lives as well as the reality that eventually each of us will die. Trusting in the accomplished fact of Christ s resurrection, however, we listen for the Word of God in the time-honored stories of the church s Lenten journey. We follow Jesus into the wilderness, resist temptation, fast, and proceed on the way to Jerusalem and the cross. Our Lenten journey is one of metanoia ( turning around ), of changing directions from self-serving toward the self-giving way of the cross. An excerpt from the Companion to the Book of Common Worship (Geneva Press, 2003, ) Thank you, gracious God, for the gift of life. Thank you for Christ and his indwelling Spirit among us. Help us discipline ourselves to walk in the Way of the Lord, that we might serve all of creation in love, to the glory of God, Christ, and Holy Spirit. Amen

2 February Volunteers Readers; 2/4 Ruth Ann Sumner 2/11 Cindy Sudikovich 2/18 Brooke Glover 2/25 Becky Conner Head Usher: Mark Roney Deacon of the month: Alice Witmer Communion Servers: February 4: Donna Davis Gerry Davis Brian Dewees Jerry Jackson Communion Server February 14: Becky Reiber Nursery Helper: 2/4 TBD 2/11 TBD 2/18 TBD 2/25 TBD March Volunteers Readers; 3/4 Dar Gray 3/11 Tenille Dewees 3/18 Gerry Davis 3/25 Nina Hansen Head Usher: Roger Moran Deacon of the month: Dar Gray Communion Servers: March 4: TBD Nursery Helper: 3/4 TBD 3/11 TBD 3/18 TBD 3/25 TBD These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God (1 John 5:13) Eternal life came to June Kent on the evening of Monday, January 8, as she sprouted her wings and flew up to heaven. Throughout her lengthy illness, June always believed she was a child of God and now she is with her Lord and Savior. While we mourn the passing of our Sister in Christ, and fellow church member, we are all comforted by knowing that her faith kept her strong in the darkest of hours and that she now resides in heaven where we will see her again. Rest in Peace, June. Can you help in the case of a disaster? Chester County Health Department is in need of volunteers to add in the distribution of life saving medication to the 30,000 Oxford region residents. Point of Dispensing is Penns Grove Middle School. One hundred fifty volunteers are needed in positions from key leaders to assistants and requires a semi-annual meeting as well as a short training session. This need is critical to the health of the community in case of a severe disease outbreak. Contact Steve Roberts at SRRoberts@aol.com if interested in learning more. Welcome Carol We are delighted to announce the hiring of Carol Rifon as our new Church Administrator. She has worked in the Medical Field for 25 years at many different positions. She lives in Oxford, moving here from N. Wilmington DE 17 years ago. She has 2 children, a daughter 28, Irina, and a son Nick 27. Her husband is also retired and working part time. Thank you! Thank you so much for your donation of $360. It was given to a family who had a great need, due to an accident that caused the loss of a father s leg. He is bed bound, waiting on a fitting of a leg. His daughter lost her job trying to take care of her father. She also has a young son. So, with your help, the need was met, food and gifts provided. Thank you for your donations and support to this food cupboard. You are a blessing! Divine Sent Food Cupboard Help police, fire and EMS locate and help you and/or your family in an emergency by signing up for Smart 911 at Smart911.com. This

3 Volume 3, Issue 35 GREENSTONE GAZETTE February 2018 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Acts 1:21 Pastor s Corner Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, What a crazy winter this has already been (and we still have several months to go!). Ten days ago the temperature was below zero, then we had a day when it was in the 60 s. Today light snow is falling. Two days from now the prediction is for the 50 s. My nephew in Florida commented that his children now have had more snow days than hurricane days! Each year I am surprised (you would think I would learn) about how quickly our body adapts to the change of temperature. When temperatures start to fall, I pull out my coat as soon as it dips below 55. Mid-winter I figure I don t need my coat if the temperature is above 30. By the time spring arrives 60 feels downright balmy. It occurs to me that these observations could also apply to our feelings of love, especially our feelings of love for God and for one another. At times our feelings of love are intense, almost painful. Then there are times when they subside to a pleasant comfort. How about those times when they seem to turn on a dime when we feel abandoned by God due to illness, tragedy, or loss? Or when we feel betrayed by our community of faith when misconduct occurs or simply when the leadership decides something with which we disagree? And when we drop out of fellowship, or neglect our prayer life, how quickly do we adapt to the new situation? One week away, one week without prayer, leads to another and another until it seems quite normal not to address the spiritual needs of our existence. How grateful I am that God s love is constant and abiding! Oh, we may not be able to feel it all the time, but it is there. God develops communities of faith so that when we struggle, there will be others who can hold us up (and so that we can hold others up!). God sent Jesus Christ (who freely gave up glory) so that we could know the depth, extent, and reality of God s great love. As we enter the time of Lent this month, let us consider and appreciate this great and constant love. We often think of Lent as a time of repentance, which for many of us conjures painful visions of remembering what wretched sinners we are. That may be one aspect of Lent and of repentance, but repentance means turning. Specifically we are called to turn toward our righteous and gracious God in humility and obedience, in hope and in love. Let us celebrate Lent as a gift from our loving Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer. In this month of love, let us embrace and be embrace by the greatest love of all which comes from God and proceeds through us by the power of the Holy Spirit. Then, no matter what the temperature of our lives, we will have hope. In Christ s love, Pastor Merritt Winter Closing Procedure: A decision will be made by the Pastor by 8AM the morning of the service. A message will be sent via . If you wish to be notified by telephone, please place your name and telephone number in the Suggestion Box located on the small table as "Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them. - Bruce Lee

4 Saturday, February 17, 8:30 am at Post House. Invite your neighbors and friends to join NPC s men as they share a time of fellowship and prayer. We will begin Ash Wednesday February 14th with a dinner at 6pm. Join us for Ash Wednesday Service with imposition of ashes on at 7 pm. Bring your family and friends as we begin the process to celebrate Lent. Upcoming Meetings/Events: Thursday, February 1 NA, 7 pm Monday, February 5 Scouts, 6 pm Thursday, February 8 NA, 7 pm Friday, February 9 Oxford Date Night 7pm Monday, February 12 Scouts, 6 pm Wednesday, February 14 Church Dinner, 6pm Ash Wednesday Service, 7 pm Thursday, February 15-Worship Team meeting, 1 pm Stewardship Team meeting, 7 pm NA, 7 pm Saturday, February 17 Men s Breakfast, 8:30 am, Post House Monday, February 19 Scouts, 6 pm Tuesday, February 20 Presbytery, 9 am --Lenten Study, 7pm Wednesday February 21 Lenten Study 10am Deacons, 6:30pm Thursday, February 22 NA, 7 pm Monday, February 26 Scouts, 6 pm Tuesday, February 27 Lenten Study, 10am Lenten Study, 7pm Bible Study Lenten Bible Study Join us for a 6 week study led by Pastor Merritt Illuminating Lent Tuesdays February 20 to March 27 at 10am or 7pm. Please let Pastor Merritt know if you are interested so books can be ordered Invite friend and come as we explore how God reaches out to us and calls us to reach out through the Bible Scout Sunday February 11 The Boy Scouts that meet at Nottingham Presbyterian Church will join us Sunday February 11 for Worship. Join us as we celebrate helping each other! Oxford Date Night February 9, pm Penns Grove School Auditorium (change in venue) Come out and enjoy a great evening of entertainment with a bounty of laughs as Mark brings his unique take on relationships in his off-the-wall style that s sure to be talked about for weeks! Tickets are $20 a couple and can be obtained by contacting Wy McCartney at They will also be available at the door. Sponsored by Oxford Ministerium

5 Our Choir Singing on Jan 28 During the month of February, Deacons will be collecting food for The Devine Sent Food Cupboard. This is the first of four food drives for the year. Donations needed include: Soup Stews Canned Meat Beans Mac&Cheese Rice(1 lb bags) Fruit Juice Canned Fruit Instant potatoes Pasta Spaghetti sauce Cereal Condiments Stuffing mix Salad dressings Tissues Toilet paper Tooth Paste Tooth Paste Tooth Brushes Shampoo Deodorants Paper Towels Disposable razors Collection boxes are in the back Narthex and Our Choir is growing! They sang during our Worship service January 28. New Members are always welcome. Installation of Elders and Deacons Pictured left to right: Becky Reiber and Donna Davis were installed as Elders with Alice Witmer and Dar Gray installed as Deacons. Pastor Merritt Schatz on the right. Pictures Wanted We are looking for current pictures to include in the newsletter and website. Send pictures to the office or Nina Hansen: or Welcome to the family of God at Nottingham! If you are interested in becoming a member of NPC, please let Pastor Merritt know. Whether you are a returning member, someone new to our fellowship, or someone new to Christian faith, we would like to visit with you and explore this opportunity. Once we know who all is interested, we will find a time for us to visit with one another about the meaning of membership. Call the church office or send an to let us know of your interest. We are excited about our life together as we look to the future! Not on Face Book? No Problem! Our website is now linked to our Face Book page. During Lent you can see the daily devotions on our home page. Visit our website at:

6 WHAT IS PER CAPITA? Per capita is part of the glue that holds Presbyterians together by supporting various ministries in our church. Per capita exists to allow the whole church to share equitably in those things that make us Presbyterian our connectedness, our system of councils that allow ruling elders and teaching elders together to discern the mind of Christ, our core structures that keep us together as a church, and our call to work for full participation in decision-making Further, per capita allows us to work with other churches to further the witness and mission of Jesus Christ in the world. To this end, per capita is a form of stewardship at the presbytery, synod, and General Assembly levels allowing us to use our gifts, talents, and resources to promote the mission of the triune God. Further, per capita allows us to work with other churches to further the witness and mission of Jesus Christ in the world.7 To this end, per capita is a form of stewardship at the presbytery, synod, and General Assembly levels allowing us to use our gifts, talents, and resources to promote the mission of the triune God. Aluminum Recycling This is what 100 lbs of aluminum cans for scrap recycling looks like! We recycle aluminum cans and put the money in the general fund. Help us by saving soda cans, beer cans, cat food cans (NO DOG FOOD OR HUMAN FOOD CANS) The collection can (pictured below) is by the garage behind the scout trailor Through their sessions, congregations pay an annual amount of money per church member per capita apportionment to their respective presbyteries. The per capita amount requested from a congregation is a combined total of requests from that congregation s presbytery, the synod in which the presbytery is located and the General Assembly based on their respective budgets for the coming year(s). This year s Per Capita: $ Donegal Presbytery $ The Trinity Synod $ General Assembly $ Total Per Capita