The Newsletter. Valley Presbyterian Church February 2018

Transcription

1 The Newsletter Valley Presbyterian Church February 2018 Valley Presbyterian Church is known for Love and Friendship a Voice of Help and Hope sustained by Faith and Worship walking with God to serve our community Love suffers long and is kind: love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but bears all things, believes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. 1 Cor 13:4-8

2 Editor s Choice The Greatest Is Love A Light Reflection Daily Devotional by Rebecca Livermore Updated March 17, Corinthians 13:13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (NKJV) The Greatest Is Love Faith: Without it, there would be no Christianity, or any other religion in the world for that matter. We talk of coming to faith in Christ, and living a life of faith, and we often laud those in Scripture and in modern times who are known for their faith. The Value of Faith The value of faith cannot be disputed. In fact, Hebrews 11:6 states, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God, must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." (NKJV) Without faith, we couldn't come to Christ, and without faith, we couldn't walk in obedience to him. Faith often motivates us to move forward even when the odds are against us. In a sense faith is closely related to hope. The Value of Hope Hope keeps us going when the situation we face seems impossible. Hope is the expectation that we will obtain something specific we desire. Think of how life would be without hope. Hope is there for the single mom who doesn't know how she is going to feed her children and keep a roof over their heads. She might give up, if it were not for the hope that some type of breakthrough is right around the corner. Hope is a gift from God that can bring joy in the midst of very difficult circumstance. Hope encourages us that victory is imminent. I wouldn't want to live a life without faith, and I wouldn't want to live a life without hope. However, in spite of how wonderful, important, and life-changing both faith and hope are, they pale in comparison to love.

3 The Greatest of These Is Love What makes love so amazing? For starters, it is what motivated the Father to send His only Son to die for us. Without love, there would have been no redemption for mankind. Not only would we be without love, but without the redemption that was precipitated by love, there would also be no faith, and no hope. You see, nothing else matters, without love. It is foundational for every other good thing in our lives. PRESIDENTS DAY Presidents Day is an American holiday celebrated on the third Monday in February. Originally established in 1885 in recognition of President George Washington, it is still officially called Washington s Birthday by the federal government. Traditionally celebrated on February 22 Washington s actual day of birth the holiday became popularly known as Presidents Day after it was moved as part of 1971 s Uniform Monday Holiday Act, an attempt to create more three-day weekends for the nation s workers. While several states still have individual holidays honoring the birthdays of Washington, Abraham Lincoln and other figures, Presidents Day is now popularly viewed as a day to celebrate all U.S. presidents past and present.

4 HISTORY OF VALENTINE S DAY Every February 14, across the United States and in other places around the world, candy, flowers and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint, and where did these traditions come from? Find out about the history of this centuries-old holiday, from ancient Roman rituals to the customs of Victorian England. THE LEGEND OF ST. VALENTINE The history of Valentine s Day and the story of its patron saint is shrouded in mystery. We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month of romance, and that St. Valentine s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. But who was Saint Valentine, and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured. According to one legend, an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first valentine greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl possibly his jailor s daughter who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed From your Valentine, an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories all emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic and most importantly romantic figure. By the Middle Ages, perhaps thanks to this reputation, Valentine would become one of the most popular saints in England and France. ORIGINS OF VALENTINE S DAY: A PAGAN FESTIVAL IN FEBRUARY While some believe that Valentine s Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine s death or burial which probably occurred around A.D. 270 others claim that the Christian church may have decided to place St. Valentine s feast day in the middle of February in an effort to Christianize the pagan celebration of Lupercalia. Celebrated at the ides of February, or February 15, Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus. To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at a sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification. They would then strip the goat s hide into strips, dip them into the sacrificial blood and take to the streets, gently slapping both women and crop fields with the goat hide. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed the touch of the hides because it was believed to make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn.

5 The city s bachelors would each choose a name and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage VALENTINE S DAY: A DAY OF ROMANCE Lupercalia survived the initial rise of Christianity and but was outlawed as it was deemed un-christian at the end of the 5th century, when Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine s Day. It was not until much later, however, that the day became definitively associated with love. During the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of Valentine s Day should be a day for romance. Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages, though written Valentine s didn t begin to appear until after The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. (The greeting is now part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England.) Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois. TYPICAL VALENTINE S DAY GREETINGS In addition to the United States, Valentine s Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France and Australia. In Great Britain, Valentine s Day began to be popularly celebrated around the 17th century. By the middle of the 18th, it was common for friends and lovers of all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes, and by 1900 printed cards began to replace written letters due to improvements in printing technology. Ready-made cards were an easy way for people to express their emotions in a time when direct expression of one s feelings was discouraged. Cheaper postage rates also contributed to an increase in the popularity of sending Valentine s Day greetings. Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began selling the first mass-produced valentines in America. Howland, known as the Mother of the Valentine, made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as scrap. Today, according to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated 1 billion Valentine s Day cards are sent each year, making Valentine s Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. (An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas.) Women purchase approximately 85 percent of all valentines.

6 Our Gatherings or mutual things of interest Women s Luncheon Left to right: Left to right Virginia, Millie, Jan, Linda Hoiland, Carolyn, Ellie, Ann, Betty Ellie, Gladys, Ann, Betty, Virginia, Millie, Jan, Linda, Carolyn Our Women s Luncheon was held January 11th at the Panda Gardens. We all had a great time. Our devotion was about idolatry, giving something or someone priority over the Lord and it leads to missing His best. Scripture also warns about other obstacles that hinder our receiving God s blessings. Ellie shared her testimony about her enlightenment regarding idolatry in her life and doing something about it. Our next luncheon will be held at the Panda Gardens on February 8th at noon. Hope to see you there. John Nilsen Short Bio 2017 John Nilsen was born in Seattle, Washington in The Nilsen family moved to Portland, Oregon in Nilsen began studying classical piano from his mother at age six. Continuing his musical education, he began playing guitar at age fourteen. John moved to Ashland, Oregon in 1974 to attend Southern Oregon College (Southern Oregon University). Nilsen graduated in 1979 with a Bachelor of Arts in English, and was honored by the institution in 1995 in recognition of his outstanding achievements, dedicated efforts and leadership in the field of the performing arts with the Distinguished Alumnus Award, the most prestigious award bestowed upon Southern Oregon University graduates. An accomplished pianist, guitarist, songwriter, lyricist and vocalist, Nilsen was chosen to be a Deering Banjo Artist in Nilsen founded the Magic Wing recording label in The label has a catalog of nineteen successful titles, each with international distribution. Before founding Magic Wing, John recorded three successful solo piano records on LA s, Eagle Records from He has released sixteen on his own Magic Wing label with fifteen other CDs licensed in countries including Germany, Great Britain, The Philippines, Canada, Taiwan and Singapore bringing reported total record sales to well over one million copies sold. Very few independent recording artists can claim such success. Having performed in Europe, Asia and all fifty U.S. States countless times, John Nilsen has two hundred and fifty of his compositions and musical arrangements receiving BMI royalties world wide. John Nilsen s newest release, Local Ocean, was released in January, Sessions for the 20th Nilsen recording will begin in summer, Like each of the past twenty five years, John played two hundred and fifty performances in 2016, most being out of Oregon. Nilsen splits his performances between touring nationally as an in demand pianist with a national presence, performing with the John Nilsen Trio, featuring Jeff Leonard/bass and Jason Moore/percussion and which has toured internationally, and with John s guitar/ vocal rock band, John Nilsen & SWIMFISH, featuring Dave Captein, Mike Snyder, Bob Logue and Don Woodward. SWIMFISH includes John s piano, but features his rock solid acoustic and electric guitar chops tucked into and soaring above a bed of a uniquely great supporting cast. John has given back to his community by teaching songwriting residencies and speaking to students in schools throughout the country, but also including every school in the West Linn/Wilsonville School District over the past twenty years. John Nilsen Concert Valley Presbyterian Church February 10th, 3:00 p.m. The musicianship is flawless. - Keyboard Magazine This show is highly recommended. - Willamette Week

7 Our February item is Crayons. These come in a box of 48 at the Dollar Store and we need 75 boxes. In January we received 13 coloring books for girls and 12 coloring books for boys. We still need 25 more for girls and 25 more for boys. Thanks to all who have contributed so

8 Thank You corner Thank you to Pastor Ken Eimer for the last three Sundays in January. We all enjoyed his wonderful Sermons. Thank you to the members of the Pastor Search Committee. We are praying for You. PASTOR SEARCH Ad Hoc Com. John Howells/Carol Peters Co-Chairs Shirley & David Jessup Karen & Roger Peck Thank you to all our Steering Committee and Church Volunteers : Carol Peters, Shirley Jessup, Jan Drew, Carol Howells, Milt Riley, Claire Kirchen, Linda Hoiland, Neil Kessler, Gladys Irish, Ann Hebbert, Richard Hartley, Gordon and Toni Powell, Phyllis Spitzer, Joan Rimbert, Donna Pellegrino, David Pellegrino, Dennis Cox, Ellie Cox, Ron Kirchen, Tom Mercer, Vern Hoiland, David Jessup, Karen Peck, Roger Peck., Linda Shannon We couldn t do it without you!

9 Calendar Sun 2/4 Thu 2/8 Sat 2/10 Sun 2/11 Wed 2/14 Tue 2/20 Sun 2/18 Mon 2/19 Sun 2/25 Sun 3/4 Thu 3/8 Sun 3/11 Tue 3/20 Sun 3/18 Sun 3/25 Fri 3/30 Communion Food Bank Sunday Steering Committee Meeting 10:00 a.m. Women s Luncheon Panda Gardens 12:00 noon John Nilson Concert 3:00 p.m. Ash Wednesday Valentines Day Men s Group Wolf Creek 12:00 noon President s Day Communion Food Bank Sunday Women s Luncheon Panda Gardens 12:00 noon Men s Group Wolf Creek 12:00 noon Good Friday

10 Our Directory Pastor: Open Session: Donna Pellegrino-Finance Carol Howells-Worship Tom Mercer-Property Milt Riley-Fellowship/Membership Neil Kesler-Video-Sound Carol Peters-Administration John Howells Resource Open Outreach/Communications Administrative Assistant: Diane Mackay Pianist:: Linda Hoiland Linda Shannon Choir Director: Richard Hartley News Letter: Gladys Irish Greeters: TBA Liturgist: TBA Communion : Ann Hebbert Joan Rimbert Communion Servers: David Jones

11 Map and driving directions From I-15 exit 22 towards Falcon Ridge Parkway Turn right onto W Pioneer Blvd. Turn left at first intersection towards Roberto s Taco Shop. Continue to end and curve to left. At second intersection turn right Heading towards I-15 on Falcon Ridge Parkway, turn left onto Bertha Howe Ave. Turn right at first intersection on the right Turn left at first intersection on the left Continue to VPC parking area Church Website: Falcon Ridge Parkway, Suite 702, Mesquite, NV Church phone: (702) valleypres@rconnects.com Office Hours: Tuesday, through Friday 9:00 a.m. 11:30 a.m. Contact for Pastor Kunen Phone: adolphkunen@gmail.com Beall s is now Stage s