The Corner Stone Stone Church ~ The Church on the Green

Transcription

1 Stone Church ~ The Church on the Green March 2017 The purpose of Stone Church is to be an inviting, spiritual community of Christ, engaging in worship that inspires and challenges us to learn and grow as we reach out in caring and service, trusting in the love of God. WORSHIP IN MARCH March 1, 2017 Pancake Dinner and Ash Wednesday Service A 6:00 p.m. pancake dinner followed by a 7:00 p.m. candlelight service of prayer, silence and ashes. March 5, st Sunday in Lent (Communion) Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7 The disobedience of Eve and Adam Psalm 32 Blessed are those whose transgression is forgiven. Romans 5:12-19 The sin of Adam and justification of Christ Matthew 4:1-11 The temptation of Jesus Sermon: Lead Me into Temptation Scott Leonard preaching March 12, nd Sunday in Lent THE HAMILTON COLLEGE CHOIR Genesis 12:1-4a The call of Abram Told by Anne Dunn Psalm 137 Super flumina Babylonis Sung by Hamilton College Choir Romans 4:1-5, God s promise is realized through faith. Told by Elizabeth Smith John 3:1-17 Jesus and Nicodemus March 19, rd Sunday in Lent Exodus 17:1-7 God provides water from the rock. Told by Donna Goodfriend Psalm 95 Do not harden your hearts. Romans 5:1-11 We are made right with God through faith. John 4:5-42 A Samaritan woman becomes the first evangelist. Sermon: Water of Life Scott Leonard preaching March 26, th Sunday in Lent 1 Samuel 16:1-13 Samuel anoints David as king. Psalm 23 The Lord is my shepherd. Ephesians 5:8-14 Live as children of the light. John 9:1-41 Jesus restores the sight of a man born blind. Sermon: Light from Darkness Scott Leonard preaching

2 Page 2 Death and Life In 1995 after 62 years Ash Wednesday fell on March 1. It did so again 11 years later in 2006, will do so 11 years after that here in 2017, and 11 years after that in 2028, then another 62 year interregnum. There is a pattern just not a simple one. Ash Wednesday, of course, starts Lent, a liturgical season of 40 days plus 6 Sundays ending on the 7 th Sunday with Easter. There is something esthetically pleasing about this season of repentance and reconciliation starting at the beginning of a month and indeed March is the only month in which that can happen. T H E P A S T O R S C O R N E R Because of the very complicated lunisolar calendar calculation (look up comptus for details and history) first used in 325 CE, the date of Easter varies from March 22 to April 25. It so happens that from 1583 CE (first full year use of the/our Gregorian calendar) to 3000 CE Easter Sunday will most frequently fall on April 16 (a little over 3% of the time), including this year of 2017 CE. Correspondingly, Ash Wednesday will fall on March 1 in those years as it does this year. Of course, these are all human inventions and the significance placed on dates is, well, human. As Jesus says to Pharisees in Mark 2:27, The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath. That is not to say that dates aren t important; we mark events so that we can remember and celebrate or reflect on them. Ash Wednesday March 1, 1995 started in the morning with us receiving a phone call that my teen-age stepchildren s father had died unexpectedly of a heart attack at the age of 45. Children had lost their father, parents had lost a son, and a wife had lost her husband. It was a shock. We all struggled to cope with the loss. It is in those times that you realize how utterly helpless you are and yet how much you are needed. As Abraham Lincoln remarked, I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day. So it was for me and for all of us. It is a time when all your human barriers fall and you lay yourself open to God simply because you are at a complete and utter loss to do anything else. Lent offers us a time to reflect more deeply on our relationship with God, with others, and with ourselves because we can t be right with others or with God unless we reconcile with ourselves. As the Rev. Dr. David Gambrell, associate for worship in the Presbyterian Mission Agency s office of Theology and Worship says, The season of Lent has served a variety of purposes in the history of the church and the life of Christian communities The common thread whether one is new to the church, estranged from the community, or wanting to grow in faith and faithfulness is a deeper and more authentic relationship with God and one another through Christ. Lent points to the cross, where Jesus is lifted up with arms outstretched in compassion and welcome. And Lent points beyond the cross to the empty tomb, where Jesus offers new and abundant life to all. It is during Lent that we seek shalom. Not peace, as it is often translated, but more accurately wholeness. A desire for wholeness with ourselves, with others, and with God. A wholeness that comes with God s triumph over death at Calvary. Life everlasting by the grace of God. Shalom,

3 Page 3 Clinton Area Ministerium Lenten Series Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m. at St. James Jesus didn t come to start a religion. The rebel Jesus came with a renegade gospel to start a revolution. Pastor and author Mike Slaughter presents Jesus and his challenging message to inspire us during Lent, Easter, and through the year. from the study guide This year s ecumenical Lenten Series will be hosted at the St. James Episcopal church on Wednesday evenings beginning with a light soup and bread supper at 6:00 p.m. Then there will be a session shown from Mike Slaughter s video Renegade Gospel: The Rebel Jesus followed by a discussion moderated by one of Clinton s clergy. The program will end before 7:30 p.m. Please plan to make this fascinating series part of your Lenten experience. Mar 8 The Rev. Janet Griffiths and Patsy Glista, AIM Session 1 Discovering the Rebel Jesus Mar 15 The Rev. Jeff Hale Session 2 "Revolutionary Lifestyle Mar 22 Scott Leonard, CLP Session 3 The Most Important Question You Will Ever Have to Answer" (Stone supplies the soup and bread this week) Mar 29 The Rev. Fr. John Croghan Session 4 Seeing Jesus Today Apr 5 Karen Anderson and the Rev. Jeff McArn Session 5 The Way of the Cross and Session 6 Resurrection Did you know.?... large print bulletins and hymnals are always available.... hearing-assisted devices are on hand in the sanctuary. Just ask an usher if you wish to use these items.

4 Page 4 March (ing) to a different Drummer In a time when news often includes phrases such as taking care of ourselves first and pundits discuss protecting ourselves from the overwhelming needs of the world, I marvel at the disconnect between Christian precepts and the world in The repetition of those phrases seems endless, and it might be easy to forget that we, as disciples of Jesus, must continue to work to support those who are tired, poor, marginalized and hungry. We have a responsibility to listen to their voices and to share the bounty and grace so freely bestowed upon us. Therefore, I thought it appropriate to share some words that I suggest should be substituted for the current litany of isolation. The first were written by, John Medej, Executive Director of Hope House in a letter thanking the Stone Church congregation for its generosity during the Christmas season. Hope is a powerful word to someone who is in despair. While we cannot solve all the problems of our guests, Hope House is here serving hot meals in a warm, safe environment with a smile.we cheer our guest s successes and we pray for them when they have a setback, because in the end what happens at Hope House is about people. The next was written by the coordinator of the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance program, the Reverend Dr. Laurie Kraus, in another thank-you, this one for our contributions to the Disaster Assistance Program. The letter starts by reminding us how important it is for the church to stand up in the face of evil or suffering and help those whom the Lord sends our way. She continues, Thank God you have not become desensitized by the magnitude of needs arising out of disaster and conflict, but instead, you have been filled with a spirit of hope and generosity. Your generous gifts help bring the presence of Christ to a broken and hurting world. We at Stone Church must continue to remember the plight of others and do what we can to provide for our vulnerable neighbors. Our footsteps must be in Christ s path and we must march to his beat, not that of our world. As we continue to support Hope House, the Country Pantry, the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance program, Your Neighbors and other efforts to relieve suffering and provide hope, our actions are those of a people marching to a different drummer. Mary Ann Stiefvater Country Pantry Update In preparation for Easter the Pantry would like pineapple, applesauce, sweet potatoes, boxed potatoes and vegetables. A monetary donation is always appreciated to apply towards the expense of perishable food items. Checks may be made out to the Country Food Pantry. Please note that loose change collected in worship on the third Sundays of each month is sent to the Country Pantry. Thank you for your generosity! Questions? See Judy LaGasse. Elders Class of 2017: Donna Goodfriend John Menard Peter Massi Class of 2018: Mary Ann Stiefvater Sherry Robinson Emily Hughes Stone Church officers Class of 2019: Elizabeth Smith David Duncan Deacons Class of 2017: Mary Chamberlain Emily Massi Class of 2018: Gary LaGasse Judy LaGasse Bev Miller Class of 2019: Jim Gavett Helen Leonard Brooke Villiere Grace Whittemore

5 Page 5 Historical Period Revisited A Glimpse into Stone Church s Past The Game Room / Boy Scout Room transformed into a Fair Trade Shop (Part II) The driving force behind the continued growth of the Fair Trade Shop is Lauralyn Kolb, the office manager learning on the job the work that is involved in operating such a worthy missionary project in which the church can be totally involved. It would take a half a page to list all the volunteers who have faithfully contributed to this project because it is solely run by volunteers. Mary Chamberlain coordinates scheduling while Emily Hughes retail experience helps with displaying the items. Ceil Gilbert seems to be our anchor in many missionary projects and thanks to Shelly Coe for helping at tax time. A welcome contribution in 2012 was Ken Coe s well built cart that was used to transport the merchandise to and from the Farmer s Market. Transporting the goods was the most difficult task in selling at the Farmer s Market. The cart not only eased the burden, Ken also designed it so that many of the products could be sold directly from it what ingenuity and craftsmanship. His efforts were reimbursed by the Fair Trade Shop for the materials used. The shop has since added items from Pal Craftaid; UPAVIM; Mayan Hands (Guatemala) and Partners for Just Trade (Guatemala, Peru, and Haiti) besides some suppliers already mentioned in last month s article. The shop also sponsored the pastor of Stone Church for a trip to Nicaragua in 2014 under the auspices of the Presbyterian Hunger Program and Equal Exchange who has shared those first-hand experiences and the importance of Fair Trade in church and school presentations. The shop was beginning to crowd the Norton Room that is used for multiple meetings. We badly needed a space to call our own and the Boy Scout room became available. Making it over entailed having Jesse Miller, our sexton, install a tile floor over the cement, put up wall-board and replace ceiling tiles where needed. Adam Blanks did much of the painting for his Eagle Award. The Shop opened officially in the fall of The former nursery rooms are used for storage and Jesse Miller made a dressing room out of the Boy Scout office. The volunteers have enabled the Shop to take in $23,000 to $30,000 worth of sales by years end since We have even gone on the road to such places as Vandercamp, Hamilton College, two area churches and to two local nursing homes. We have grown to having 11 suppliers that serve 37 countries. Now that our location is in the basement of our church with an entrance from Williams Street, our shop is open every Sunday after church, every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and every second Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There is also a wheelchair ramp and entrance, which is located on the left side of the church, when facing the front. The shop also accepts credit cards and gift certificates are available for your convenience. Our mission is to help lift people out of poverty by selling these unique hand crafted items from around the world that include jewelry, accessories, collectibles, clothing, games, carved stone and wood made by Fair Trade Artisans who are paid a fair price for their work by the suppliers in their respective countries. Once a month our newsletter features an artisan who has written that through the Fair Trade program their children have been fed and/or schooled or they have learned a new trade to help teach others. We are not only helping marginalized people economically but we are providing dignity and hope for farmers and artisans who create the items we consume and enjoy. Visit out website at stonepres.org. or Facebook at facebook.com/stonepres.

6 Page 6 Ordination and Installation of New Officers 2/12/17 The congregational meeting in January saw the election of new as well as outgoing officers for session and the board of deacons. For outgoing officers we thank John Stiefvater for his many years of service on session and Hal and Linda Rance for their many years of service on the board of deacons. John was (and will continue to be!) active on the Property Committee. Hal was treasurer for deacons and Linda served as moderator of deacons in her last term. At our February 12 service we ordained and installed David Duncan as a first-time elder on session and installed Helen Leonard as a deacon. Jim Gavett and Grace Whittemore could not be present and will be installed as deacons at a later time. L-R: Pastor Scott Leonard, Clerk of Session Sherry Robinson, deacon Helen Leonard, and elder David Duncan Bible Study The Stone Church Bible study meets every other Monday evening at 6 p.m. Soon we will begin studying the Book of Acts. Everyone is welcome! Bring yourself, a friend, a relative, a neighbor and join the fun! Our March meeting dates are the 6th and the 20th. Hope to see you there! Questions? See Elizabeth Smith or Donna Goodfriend. Chocolate Lovers Sale We would like to thank everyone who baked, worked, bought, donated or helped out in ANY way, at the Chocolate Lover s Sale on February 11 th. We were able to make $448, which will be sent to Hope House in Utica. Mission, Stewardship & Support Team When can I use the labyrinth? The labyrinth is available in the Stone Church sanctuary for those who would like to use it for prayer and meditation. The church is open Monday through Friday 8:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Also, the church is open Thursdays while the Fair Trade Shoppe is open until 6:30 p.m. Questions? See Lauralyn Kolb or Scott Leonard. Kirkland Community Blood Drive Clinton United Methodist Church Saturday, March 11 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. To schedule an appointment, call RED CROSS or call Bill Rudge at or go to Streamline your donation experience and save up to 15 minutes by visiting RedCrossBlood.org/Rapid Pass to complete your pre-donation reading and health history questions on the day of your appointment.

7 Page 7 The Stone Storytellers Present A Performance of Stories from the Gospel of Matthew Palm Sunday Evening 7:00 p.m. April 9, 2017 Stone Presbyterian Church Clinton, NY Hear the stories again for the first time! The Stone Storytellers will once again perform their annual Epic Telling. This year it will be stories from the Gospel of Matthew. This performance will have stories unique to Matthew such as the Visit by the Wise Men, the Sermon on the Mount, and parables like the Laborers in the Vineyard and Parable of the Talents. Come and experience the scriptures in the oral tradition they were created! The Stone Storytellers meet each fourth Monday of the month and regularly perform during worship at Stone as well as performances at other churches and around the area. For more details see Scott Leonard. In the beginning was the performance; not the word alone, not the deed alone, but both, each indelibly marked with the other forever (Crossan, The Historical Jesus 1991, xi) WANTED: YOUR PER CAPITA! Please note that per capita payments for 2017 are still being readily accepted!!! Our per capita charge this year is $38.60 per member. The church is assessed this amount for each member on the membership roll. The per capita is the cost of our representative democracy as a church and supports the meetings and operations of the Presbytery, Synod and General Assembly. Please consider sending your per capita either directly to the church office (P.O. Box 33, Clinton, NY 13323) or enclosing it in your pledge envelope.

8 Page 8 Winter is not over yet! Come in and check out our nice warm, comfortable organically grown cotton socks and organic wool socks. Yes, we have a wide variety of Maggie s socks (made in the United States) which will keep your feet warm for the remainder of the winter season. We also have leggings, camisoles, skirts, tops and much more. Our products are fair trade items from around the world. Purchasing fair trade items ensures artisans and small farmers fair wages and healthy working conditions, providing dignity, sustainable development, and hope to marginalized people. Our Fair Trade Shop at Stone Presbyterian Church, 8 S. Park Row, Clinton is open every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and second Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The entrance to our shop is on Williams Street. For further information, contact Lauralyn Kolb, lkolb@hamilton.edu, Living Healthy Seminar On January 28 we had a very informative and eye-opening presentation from Carol Nettleton (Oneida County Office for Aging) and Deb Zampardi (Parkway Center) on Living Healthy and Balance Programs! All who attended signed up for one of the classes: Chronic Disease Self-Management Diabetes Self-Management Chronic Pain Self-Management with the Moving Easy Program Active Living Every Day Healthy Eating Every Day Carol Nettleton speaking to attendees If you or someone you know are interested, contact Scott Leonard or Carol Nettleton, (315) , cnettleton@ocgov.net or Deb Zampardi, (315) x110. Deb Zampardi 12 Symptoms of Spiritual Awakening An increased tendency to let things happen rather than make them happen. Frequent attacks of smiling. Feelings of being connected with others and nature. Frequent overwhelming episodes of appreciation. A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than from fears based on past experiences. An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment. A loss of ability to worry. A loss of interest in conflict. A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others. A loss of interest in judging others. A loss of interest in judging self. Gaining the ability to love without expecting anything. submitted by Ceil Gilbert

9 Page 9 Baptism of Kristin and Camryn A double-blessed worship service we had on January 29 when Pastor Scott Leonard baptized Kristin (mother) and Camryn (daughter) St. Hillaire-D'Antonio with other mother Lauren assisting. The families and friends of both Kristin and Lauren (around 40 in all!) came, mostly from Syracuse area and New Jersey/Long Island, respectively. As the epistle lesson that day ended, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." We certainly did that! L-R: Pastor Scott Leonard, Lauren, Camryn (being baptized), and Kristin St. Hilaire-D Antonio Highlights of the February 13, 2017 Joint Session/Deacons Meeting Robert s Rules, the Book of Order, the Book of Confessions, Presbyterian Polity, as well as definitions of Elder and Deacon were discussed. Session meeting norms were reviewed. A committee will be formed to discuss the Officer Manager s job responsibilities and what changes should be made. David Duncan was ordained and he and Helen Leonard were installed as new officers on February 12. Deacons Jim Gavett and Grace Whittemore were not present for the installation. Parish Groups will be updated soon. A group of potential new members is being formed. Office Manager Peggy Weldon will retire on June 30, Mary Ann Stiefvater is organizing Meals and Message Luncheon Events for four Sundays in May. Special offerings in 2017 will include One Great Hour of Sharing (April 9); The Country Pantry (April 9 Epic Telling); Blanket Sunday (June 18); Presbyterian Mission Agency (October 1); Stewardship Sunday (November 12); Hope House (December 3); Peace & Global Witness (December 10); Christmas Joy (December 17), Country Pantry (December 24); Hope House and Country Pantry (Christmas Eve service). A new stove has been ordered. Donations will be readily accepted. Additional insurance coverage for the Fair Trade Shop will be purchased. The Lenten Series will be held on Wednesdays at St. James. St. James will host the Good Friday luncheon and service. After years of struggling with the stove and the oven, the session decided that if we could replace the dishwasher for cleaning dishes from meals (which we did in November 2014), we could replace the stove to cook those meals! We are buying a commercial gas stove that also has a conventional/ convectional oven. The cost is about $3000. We ve already had a number of generous donations to date, but could use a few more! See John Menard if you have questions.

10 Page 10 Remember in Prayer - Doris Locke - Danuta and Boleslaw (Ewa s parents) - Ewa Lawrence - Carole Grove - Judy Raney - Chris Woods and his family - Moore family - Joann - Lynn - Family of Kelly Connors-Sugarman - Family and friends of Carol Gilley - Florence Morgan - Esther Kanipe - Susanne Max (Emily Hughes sister) - Carolyn Barnum - Debra LaFont - Shirley and JoAnn Tolbert - Robert Simon - Elizabeth Willson - Emily Massi and family - Ashley Harris - Katrina and David and baby due in March - Jennifer and Jeff and baby Daniel Jacob due July 4 - Thomas Bowman March Birthdays 1 - Taylor Pavlot 2 - Buffie Brothers Stephanie Leonard 6 - Chris Jensen 8 - Kara Milana 9 - Mandy Machold 18 - Sue Dewey 21 - Liz Harrington Find us on FaceBook Newsletter team 23 - Grace Whittemore Rose Lockwood 24 - Ewa Lawrence 28 - Christine Tuttle 29 - Sarah Lalonde Besides our web page (stonepres.org) you can also find Stone Church at We ll use our FaceBook page for more frequent updates of events and commentary on the activities in our church and around us. Many thanks to Midge Bakos, Trudi Christeler, Ceil Gilbert and Bev Miller who have collated, folded, taped and labeled this issue of just for you! Don t forget the Deacons! Please keep the Deacons in mind on the first Sunday of each month. All of the loose money collected on those Sundays goes to support the ministry of the Deacons. No Cooking Necessary! Many thanks to all of the Stone Church members and friends who faithfully serve dinner each month at Hope House. Your efforts are greatly appreciated! As always, volunteers are needed on the fourth Monday of each month at 3:00 p.m. A sign-up sheet is in the back of the sanctuary. Questions? Contact Ceil Gilbert. Hope House s Wish List This month s wish list includes the following: milk money, coffee, sugar, hot chocolate, salad dressing, and deodorant. Milk money: One of their most frequent purchases is something essential in most households: milk. It is something that is not often donated and it is the best way to meet the Food Bank's nutritional standards. Hope House uses anywhere from gallons of milk each week! Any donation that you designate for milk will help them to meet these needs. Please leave items in the narthex. Questions? Contact Ceil Gilbert.

11 Page 11 Easter flowers Easter Flowers are available this year for those who wish to remember a loved one. Please fill out the form below and put it in the collection plate or send it, along with a check, to the church office. The plants can be picked up after the Easter service. The deadline for ordering flowers is Sunday, April 2. Flower choices: Lilies $9.50 (6 pot) Mums $11.00 (6 1/2 pot) yellow, white, or lavender Tulips $9.00 Daffodils $9.00 Hyacinths $9.00 pink or blue Questions? Call Mary Chamberlain, or Peggy Weldon, Name of donor (s) Given in memory of or Given in honor of Deacons may deliver the plant to the homebound yes no Flower choice Amount enclosed

12 Stone Presbyterian Church P.O. Box 33 (8 S. Park Row) Clinton, NY CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Clinton, NY Permit No. 37 Scott Leonard, Commissioned Lay Pastor Cell: Rev. Gerald R. Platz, Pastor Emeritus Director of Music: G. Roberts Kolb Sexton: Jesse Miller Office Manager: Peggy Weldon Clerk of Session: Sherry Robinson Treasurer: Peter Massi Newsletter Editor: Midge Bakos Office: Sunday Worship: 10:30 a.m.; Office hours: 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Monday-Friday Please note Sunday, March 12 The deadline for the April issue of the newsletter is Wednesday, March 22. Contact Midge Bakos, editor, at with questions or comments. To see a color version of this newsletter in pdf format, visit stonepres.org.

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