Second Life SPC MISSION PARTNERS GET BUSY IN MAY

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1 BIG DEALS THIS MONTH Park Place Arts Festival [5/5] St. Columba Dinner [5/12] Wednesday Night R&R [5/23] Second Life The life and times of Second Presbyterian Church in Norfolk, Virginia A Monthly Newsletter May 2012 FROM THE PASTOR Scars and Doubting Thomas from Pastor Craig. WHAT S HAPPENING? The National Day of Prayer will take place on Thursday, May 3. You are invited to pray for our city, state & nation in front of Norfolk s City Hall at noon. R&R WEDNESDAY Join us for a light meal and a presentation on Religions in Hampton Roads with Pastor Craig & Peggy McPhillips on May 23. SERMON SERIES Finding Faith, Experiencing Faith, Living Faith runs through May 27. There is definitely a place for YOU at Second Presbyterian Church! 7th Annual Park Place Child Life Center Arts Festival Saturday, May 5, from noon until 4:00P 500 block of 35th Street St. Columba s Silent Auction & Benefit Dinner Saturday, May 12 at 6:00PM Bayside Presbyterian Church SPC MISSION PARTNERS GET BUSY IN MAY Two of the church s most active mission partners, St. Columba Ecumenical Ministries and the Park Place Child Life Center, are always busy making the world a better place. However, in May, both organizations gear up for huge events and their SPC friends are invited to participate in both. The Park Place Child Life Center has been working to transform the lives of children in Park Place through arts-based programs designed to advance literacy and encourage a lifetime love of learning for years now. For each of the last six years, PPCLC has held an annual Arts Festival where the community gathers to celebrate the mission of the Child Life Center and to share with folks the outstanding art creations that come from the kids of Park Place. There will be an abundance of food, fun and fellowship at this year s event on May 5! If you d like to volunteer to help out, there are lots of opportunities. Contact Pastor Billy Ricketts ( or billy@spcnorfolk.org) for more info. In these difficult economic times, there is rarely a day that goes by without someone contacting the church, in need of some kind of assistance (food, finances, medicine, etc.). Without hesitation, we always refer those in need to St. Columba Ecumenical Ministries. The folks at St. Columba provide a clothing closet, a food pantry, transitional housing, financial assistance and more for those in need. St. Columba s Silent Auction and Benefit Dinner will take place at 6:00PM on Saturday, May 12 at Bayside Presbyterian Church. You are invited to attend the dinner and participate in their outstanding auction. Visit or contact Jane Bashara jembashara@gmail.com for additional info.

2 F R O M T H E P A S T O R Scars are tattoos with better stories. Last week I read that quote on a t-shirt, and it pulled me back to the Sunday after Easter. Every year the gospel lectionary text for that Sunday is the same. The passage is John 20: And every year Thomas is a little doubtful, even a little cynical, about the resurrection of Jesus. He needs to not just see Jesus, but also put his finger into Jesus wounds. As I mentioned in a Second Thoughts column, what increasingly has stood out to me about Thomas is that when he eventually sees Jesus scars, he responds with the faith statement, My Lord and my God! When Jesus allows Thomas to touch his wounds, the broken relationship is restored. When I was in junior high school, I regularly hid from people s eyesight one of my fingernails, which is irregular because of an accident I had when I was young. As a 9 th grader, I remember borrowing my mom s compact, so I could disguise an inordinately large pimple. On more than one occasion, when I ve been sad, I ve spoken in such a way that people might not recognize that my voice actually was wavering. Few of us are comfortable sharing any kinds of scars we have, just as we don t want any wounds and scars in our lives At the same time, scar tissue is the strongest part of our skin. Harry Crews writes, There is something beautiful about all scars of whatever nature. A scar means the hurt is over, the wound is closed and healed, done with. As I ve mentioned before, the Celtic Daily Prayer has a series of questions and answers, one of which is What are the only human-made things in heaven? The answer is The wounds in the hands, feet, and side of Christ. Brian Bromberger, in commenting on John 20, writes, The risen Jesus appears to the disciples not as the powerful one but as the wounded one. We need a God with scars. Jesus familiarity and solidarity with our human condition did not end with his death. Injured and scarred like us, this is a God who knows what we are going through and understands our dilemmas. Scars are physical reminders of hard struggles we have endured, bodily and emotional. They are part of the healing process. The scars of Jesus dignify the pain of all of us. If the disciples become like Jesus, they can go out and show that every person in the world is precious and beautiful to God, even if that beauty is scarred or locked behind layers of fear, chaos, and sin. It is by revealing our common woundedness, our brokenness, not our strengths or talents, that we can touch one another with the healing rejuvenating power of God s love. In Caravaggio s The Incredulity of St. Thomas (see the painting above), Jesus is shown as guiding Thomas hand. Similarly, Jesus guides us not to ignore or overlook his wounds, but to see them as transforming us through his grace in our lives. May our own scars and wounds reach out to others as well. Blessings, Pastor Craig

3 S E C O N D L I F E SUNDAY MORNING ADULT EDUCATION SERMON SERIES FINDING FAITH, EXPERIENCING FAITH, LIVING FAITH CRASH COURSE ON THE OLD TESTAMENT In eight 45-minute sessions, we can t begin to cover all 39 books of the Old Testament, but in May and June, Pastor Craig will lead an adult education class entitled Crash Course on the Old Testament. Developed from a book with that same name, this big-picture survey of the Old Testament will look at creation, the patriarchs, the law, the kings, the prophets, the exile, and the return, and will do so in a memorable and orienting way. Come explore key passages in scripture and think about the Old Testament in ways that apply to your life. Each Sunday, from 9:45-10:30, please bring your Bible and join us in the Fellowship Hall. How do you live out your faith? How do you keep your faith alive? How do you find faith when your world is turned upside down? Sometimes we do so best when we look at the world through the eyes and perspectives of those who struggled with their own faith. Please join us in May, as we look through the eyes of Abraham, Sarah, Paul and Ezekiel. May 6 Abraham: Finding God in the Darkness (Genesis 22: 1-19; Hebrews 11: 17-19) May 13 Sarah: Laughing at the Apparently Impossible (Genesis 18: 1-15; Hebrews 11: 8-13) May 20 Paul: How We Grow in Faith (Psalm 131; Philippians 3: 4b - 14) May 27 Pentecost: Ezekiel and Faith: Breathing Life into Dry Bones (Acts 2: 1-21; Ezekiel 37: 1-14) BASIC. WHO IS GOD? A NEW SUNDAY MORNING SMALL GROUP Our goal over the last few months has been to offer two very different adult education opportunities on Sunday mornings at 9:45. Pastor Craig has been leading larger classes presented in the typical Sunday School format. Pastor Billy has been with smaller groups who have taken the time to look at more contemplative topics based on spiritual formation. These studies have morphed into small group experiences. Through the end of June, we will consider the basic elements of Christian faith using Francis Chan s Basic. Who Is God? small group experience. Over the course of these weeks, a small group will take time to consider the Trinity through a series of short videos, classroom discussions and a follower s guide for use at home. If you would like to participate in this small group study of the Trinity, please contact Pastor Billy (billy@spcnorfolk.org). PENTECOST: GET RED ON MAY 27! On May 27, we celebrate the birthday of the church or Pentecost. It is the day when we remember how the Holy Spirit shaped the first disciples. Acts 2 says that tongues of fire came upon those who gathered in Jerusalem and so, as a result, the color red is associated with this day in the life of the church. On this Sunday, everyone is invited to wear red to worship to celebrate the tongues of fire burning with the good news. Red ties, red hats, red dresses, red tuxedos, red shoes,... Join us as we see what happens when the Spirit breathes life into us.

4 M A Y TUESDAY, MAY 1 7:00P Women s Needlework Group WEDNESDAY, MAY 2 THURSDAY, MAY 3 12:00P National Day of Prayer FRIDAY, MAY 4 SATURDAY, MAY 5 SUNDAY, MAY 6 MONDAY, MAY 7 Elaine Torre s Birthday TUESDAY, MAY 8 10:30A Triple S Circle WEDNESDAY, MAY 9 Hassan Ndahi s Birthday THURSDAY, MAY 10 Iris Wang s Birthday FRIDAY, MAY 11 SATURDAY, MAY 12 9:30A Second Saturday 6:00P St. Columba Dinner & Auction SUNDAY, MAY 13 Mother s Day MONDAY, MAY 14 TUESDAY, MAY 15 6:00P Session Meeting 7:00P Women s Needlework Group WEDNESDAY, MAY 16 THURSDAY, MAY 17 Clay Tinkham s Birthday FRIDAY, MAY 18 SATURDAY, MAY 19 SUNDAY, MAY 20 BIRTHDAY OFFERING Will Grimes Birthday 12:30P PWSJC Youth Group 12:30P Helpers Youth Group MONDAY, MAY 21 6:00P Men s Evening Fellowship TUESDAY, MAY 22 WEDNESDAY, MAY 23 John Klein s Birthday 5:45P Wednesday Night R&R THURSDAY, MAY 24 FRIDAY, MAY 25 SATURDAY, MAY 26 Jonathan Todd s Birthday SUNDAY, MAY 27 PENTECOST SUNDAY MONDAY, MAY 28 Gwen Lomax s Birthday Memorial Day - Office Closed TUESDAY, MAY 29 6:00P Women s Evening Fellowship WEDNESDAY, MAY 30 Donna Millis Birthday Dillon Courtois Birthday THURSDAY, MAY 31 ON THE HORIZON Vacation Bible School [July 14-15] PWSJC Mission Trip [July 22-25]

5 S E C O N D L I F E What s Happening at SPC? Spring brings a new season of exciting opportunities for this family of faith. Mark your calendar so that you can join us... VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL GOES ON THE ROAD Over the last few years, SPC has stepped up the pace when it comes to feet on the ground mission work. No one has been more active in this area than our PWSJC Middle & High School Youth Group. With our changing demographic (fewer elementary aged kids and more middle/high students), the idea surfaced to incorporate a mission component into our normal VBS ministry. On July 14th, PWSJC and VBS leader, Joe Morgan, will actually take The Rocky Point Lighthouse: Where Kids Shine God s Love on the road. This year s event will take place at the Park Place Child Life Center. Our SPC elementary-aged students will join together with the elementary-aged children of Park Place to experience God s love through a Saturday/ Sunday program. In addition to the wonderful PWSJC group, we ll need lots of adults to help us provide a meaningful program to these children. If you d like to help out, please contact Joe Morgan (jnmorgan@pulaskicounty.org) or Pastor Billy (billy@spcnorfolk.org). NEW NEST NEEDS During the month of May, we will collect toothbrushes for use at NEST PWSJC: WOODSTOCK BOUND! Last month, several members of the PWSJC Youth Group prepared an outstanding formal proposal for this year s youth mission trip. They discovered a wonderful volunteer farm in Woodstock, VA run by the World Foundation for Children. This organization operates a farm where their crops are used to feed the hungry. During this summer s trip, from July 22 through July 25, our group will work at the farm for two days. The group will stay in a wonderful lodge on a 160 acre farm that front 1.5 miles of the Shenandoah River. In addition to daily work at the farm, the group will have time for fun on the river and conversations about their faith. This should be an exceptional experience for the group. They will leave the church, following worship, on Sunday, July 22 and return on the afternoon of Wednesday, July 25. Please keep this wonderful group of young people and their adult leaders in your prayers as they journey to Woodstock this summer. P.S. The PWSJC Group will also be leading Vacation Bible School for the elementary-aged kids of this church and the Park Place Child Life Center on July 14 and 15. R&R WEDNESDAY FAITH OF OUR NEIGHBORS: RELIGION IN HAMPTON ROADS Our June sermon series will focus on Christian faith in light of the faith of other religions. How can we both understand positive aspects of other faiths and recognize the ways that we have a different kind of call in the world? What difference does and should faith in Christ make in our lives? In anticipation of that series, on May 23 Craig and Peggy McPhillips will present a PowerPoint on Faith of Our Neighbors: Religion in Hampton Roads. This will highlight unique aspects of religion in our area, and it will reflect on the importance of being aware of the faith of our neighbors (this grows out of research that Craig did as a Project Affiliate for the Harvard University Pluralism Project and research that Peggy has done in her role as Norfolk City Historian). Please invite friends and neighbors, join us at 5:45 for a tasty meal, and then from 6:30-7:15 for the presentation. THANK YOU, JOE ADKINS! YOUTH GROUP GOES HIGH-TECH When you think about how things have changed over the years, one of the things that is most obvious is the fact that so much modern communication takes place in a digital world. The PWSJC Middle/High Youth Group will be looking at bulletin boards in a new & exciting way in the very near future. Within the next few months, the group will begin to share what s going on in their ministry through the use of i-pods, computers and a large LCD screen. The group will shoot their own high definition video (mission opportunities, youth events, etc.) using i-phones and i-pods. They will edit this material through i-movie on their new Mac laptop. Their presentations will be available for viewing on a large LCD screen in our main hallway. In the very near future, be on the lookout for an interesting new way to see the group doing God s work in the world! One Sunday in September 1968, an SPC member--dr. Joe Adkins--was asked if he could fill in for a week as the church organist. Quickly church members were eager for him to serve in that role weekly. Fortyfour years later-on Easter, April 8, 2012-Joe officially retired, and graced us with Widor s Tocatta at the conclusion of worship. We offer thanks not just for his service, but for all of the ways he has graced this congregation and helped us grow in faith through music. Thank you, good and faithful servant!

6 S E C O N D L I F E Zuni s 2012 Day in the Country On Saturday, April 28th, a group from SPC (predominantly made up of SPC youth group members) went out to help the folks from Presbyterian Homes & Family Services (PHFS) in Zuni to celebrate a Day in the Country. This year, this event brought together residents, their families, the local community and area church groups for great food, fun activities, live music and performances, an auction, hay rides and peanut & plant sales. A Day in the Country was a great way for folks to come visit the Zuni campus, meet the residents and enjoy great food and fun. All of the proceeds of the event support the ministry of Zuni Presbyterian Homes. PHFS provides 24-hour supervision in a home within the community for individuals needing assistance, support, counseling, and training in activities of daily living. All residents live full and productive lives, engaged in meaningful employment, day support programs, recreation and cultural opportunities and spiritual enrichment. There are four group homes at Zuni. Two homes, Bain and Bishop House, each have two to nine residents. Two other homes, Camp and Roughton House, can each have up to ten individuals. We are so happy to play even a small role in supporting this wonderful facility. If you think that you d like to help out at Zuni in the future, please contact Pastor Billy (billy@spcnorfolk.org or ). Second Presbyterian Church MAY Hampton Boulevard Norfolk, VA 23505