The Voice of Faith. January Dear Friends, Contents

Transcription

1 January 2017 The Voice of Faith Dear Friends, What a year it has been! For various reasons, most people I speak to are glad to kiss 2016 good-bye. So, it seems, we should be grateful for the gift of a new year with blank pages on our calendars and new possibilities. On New Year's Day, we will have church at our regular time and we will celebrate Communion. The service will be based on Ecclesiastes 3 (For everything there is a time...) and we will have the opportunity to ask ourselves: What time is it for us? Is it a time for throwing away? Is it a time for keeping? Is it a time for planting? Is it a time for healing? All the while we will recognize that God is the keeper of all our days, just as God has faithfully done for generations. I hope you will come on New Year's Day and give thanks for what is past and what is yet to be. May this be our charge as we begin anew: Alive in Christ, let us live in Christ, and lift the name of Christ with love, not as a sword but as a cross. Let us use the name of Christ with care, not as a hammer for hammering but as bread for sharing. Let us speak the name of Christ with praise, not as a battle cry but as a love song. ~Brian Wren You are loved, Christa Faith Presbyterian Church 5400 Loch Raven Blvd. Baltimore, MD Contents Christa s Note... 1 Worship... 2 Adult Forum... 2 Bill Hyde... 3 Christmas... 4 Pageant... 5 Jackson Circle... 5 End of Year Contributions... 6 Per Capita Contributions... 6 Annual Meeting... 6 MLK Day Presentation... 6 Cuba Notes... 7 Faith Family Life... 7 Deacons... 8 Christmas Flowers... 9 Bread & Dear Fund Working Families Act Book Club Calendar Please send articles and photos for the Voice of Faith by the 15 th of the month. seekfaith@faithpcbalt.org

2 - 2 - WORSHIP Sundays at 10:45 First Sunday after Christmas January 1 Ecclesiastes 3:1 13 A New Year s Celebration The Sacrament of the Lord s Supper Jesus Baptism January 8 Luke 3:1-22 John baptizes, bear fruit worthy of repentance, share what you have. Second Sunday after Epiphany January 15 Luke 4:14:30 Sermon at Nazareth (Isaiah fulfilled, Elijah and widow, Elisha and Naaman.) CHRISTIAN EDUCATION Adult Forum 9:30 a.m. Sundays, January 8-29 Adult Nurture once again welcomes Dr. Arthur M. Sutherland, Dean for the Class of 2020, and Associate Professor of Theology at Loyola University. Dr. Sutherland has selected for our classes some material from Howard Washington Thurman s Essential Writings. Thurman was an influential African-American author, philosopher, theologian, educator, and civil rights leader. Thurman's theology of radical nonviolence influenced and shaped a generation of civil rights activists. Third Sunday after Epiphany January 22 Luke 5:1-11 A great catcher of fish, Peter will fish for people. Fourth Sunday after Epiphany January 29 Luke 6:1-16 Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath (plucking grain, healing a man) and call of disciples Wednesdays Bible Study 11:00 a.m. in Woodbourne Room Join Rev. Christa Burns and friends on Wednesday for a lively discussion of the upcoming Sunday lesson. Everyone is welcome! No preparation is required. January 4 - Luke 3:1-22 January 11 - Luke 4:14:30 January 18 - Luke 5:1-11 January 25 - Luke 6:1-16 Howard Thurman ( ), minister, philosopher, civil rights activist, has been called one of the greatest spiritual resources of this nation. His encounters with Gandhi in India helped instill his commitment to nonviolence. His identification of Jesus as one of the disinherited helped shape the thinking of Martin Luther King, Jr. His embrace of wisdom from other religious traditions emboldened interfaith cooperation and understanding.

3 - 3 - RESOLUTION OF APPRECIATION FAITH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH WILLIAM J. HYDE WHEREAS, William J. Hyde is an esteemed member of Faith Presbyterian Church and heir to a family legacy of devotion to this church where his father was baptized in 1878 and Bill spent his first few years; and WHEREAS, the Great Depression caused his family to leave Baltimore for southern Maryland in 1931 and a chance to eke out a living on a farm; and WHEREAS, this separation also involved a brief period as a Methodist, for which he may be forgiven; and WHEREAS, he managed without electricity or running water for several years and was then blessed in 1936 with power and a G. E. table radio; and WHEREAS, the experience of listening to Arturo Toscanini and Columbia Symphony Orchestra concerts on the radio provided the spark that ignited a lifelong love of music that he shared with his beloved Miriam; and WHEREAS, in the years after life on the farm, Bill s family s return to life in Baltimore was interrupted by World War II and thus Bill went off to war, carrying with him his gift from Faith Church, a leather-bound Holy Bible; and WHEREAS, after his military service in the 11th Airborne Division, he took a wife, earned an engineering degree and Phi Beta Kappa key at Johns Hopkins University, and found gainful employment with Western Electric Co., where he developed telephone cable; and WHEREAS, his enjoyment of his first radio, his mechanical ability, his love of music, his engineering expertise, his overall cleverness, and his dedication to Faith Church came together 40 years ago as Bill designed, built, and installed the sound system at Faith Church; and WHEREAS, it is thought that the original hand-written copy of the blueprint for the system has been located in the archives of the National Patent Office near Alexander Graham Bell s designs; and WHEREAS, after four decades as sound engineer, Bill now feels that it is a sound decision to relinquish his time at the console and vest responsibility for the audio needs of our church in another person, presumably someone younger than 93 years old; and WHEREAS, Bill is an institution at Faith who can run but can t hide; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the members of the congregation of Faith Presbyterian Church declare that they owe their warmest thanks and grateful appreciation to William J. Hyde for his faithful service and exceptional contributions. Given this Fourth Day of December Two Thousand and Sixteen Christa Fuller Burns, Pastor

4 - 4 - ADVENT & CHRISTMAS AT FAITH Judy Sperling, chair Worship & Arts As the arrival of Christmas came closer, a group of volunteers gathered on a Saturday morning for the official Greening of the Church. Welcoming wreaths were hung on the outside Sanctuary doors, a tree covered with lights was erected, greens were hung and a multitude of poinsettias were added. Although beautiful, this was not merely decoration. Each twinkling light reminds us of the Light in Every Dark Place and each plant was a means of remembering and honoring special people and assisting people in need or crisis. In the weeks leading up to Christmas Day a walk through a shopping district provides abundant evidence of the way merchants would like us to prepare for Christmas. The church, too, prepares for Christmas; but, in a much different way. Faith calls this The Greening of the Church. The scriptures provide the theme. On Christmas Eve in a darkened Sanctuary, worshipers each with a single small candle, together filled the dark space with light. Thank you to all the volunteers that made this possible. This Advent season was known as A Light for Every Dark Space. The process began on the first Sunday of Advent when banners were hung, illuminated stars were added to the windows where their glow shared our expectations with the outside world traveling on Loch Raven Blvd. and the first candle on the Advent Wreath Candle was lit.

5 - 5 - The Gift Susan Johnston Jackson Circle Annual Christmas Luncheon Adorable shepherd children, eyes sparkling below their headdresses, (Franny, Ella, Carly, Grail, Bennet, Linden, and Ivy.) Nice and bratty young sisters (Cora and Izzy.) Frisky sheep and lambs (Eden, Campbell, and Eva.) Stately, loving mothers (Krista and Renatta.) An imperious, stern father (Josh) and a thoughtful one (Ryan.) Mary and Joseph, gliding and realistic, with baby Jesus (Izzy and Hudson and thanks to Amazon.) Lovely girls with their beautiful singing (Isabel and Gabriella.) The Jackson Circle enjoyed a fabulous lunch hosted by Mildred Miller. This year s Christmas pageant, The Gift, with its cast of nineteen, was indeed a gift to all of us. No one stumbled on her or his robe. Everyone knew his or her part. Our kids are sweet and talented and totally cooperative and they moved us with their portrayal of the Christmas story. We missed Veronica and James because of family travels this year, but we welcomed Krista and Ryan, and owe them a big thanks for filling in. Robin Nemser and Samuel Springer and the choir did a great job with music.

6 End of Year Contributions The final contributions for 2016 will close out on January 11, Please date checks in the year you would like them recorded. Please call the office with questions about your pledge. If you would like your 2016 Statement before then, contact the office. Annual Meeting January 22 following worship Plan on attending Faith Church s Annual Congregational Meeting. MLK Day Presentation Per Capita 2017 Per Capita $34.15 per member Per Capita literally means Per Person, therefore a household would pay the amount per member. You may use the Blue envelope and/or note Per Capita in the memo line of your check. The first-known mention of Per Capita in the Presbytery dates back to 1734 in a letter to ministers! 2016 Faith Congregational Contributions Bread Fund Hands of Faith Cares Fund Youth Fund Memorial Fund DEAR Fund Cuba Supples Christmas Joy One Great Hour of Sharing Pentecost Peacemaking Disaster Assistance In 1967, almost 50 years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. asked the question, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? Then Dr. King challenged us to determine whether the nation would choose love over hate. Today we ask Now What? as we come to terms with our current spiritual and emotional environment following the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States and the uncovering of the deep fears that divide us by race, class and poverty. Join us for a special Martin Luther King Day presentation featuring PCUSA Stated Clerk, The Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson II, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Monday, January 16, at Faith Presbyterian Church. This is a free event, including lunch; however, registration is required. Click here to register.

7 - 7 - Cuba Notes Audrey Trapp Every two years, the Presbytery of Baltimore Cuba Partnership has an Encuentro (meeting) with our fellow Presbyterians in El Centro Presbytery. We always take a sizable quantity of over-the counter medications and divide them equally among the 13 churches in El Centro. In the past, we have had money in our budget to purchase these meds - this year we do not, due to cutbacks in grant funding. Therefore we are asking each church in our Presbytery to donate the needed medications. Here is the list of medications that Faith and other churches have been asked to donate - please prayerfully consider your contribution and, if you are able, bring your donation to church during January (place in the box in the narthex.) 1. Vitamin D3 soft gel 2. Desitin ointment 3. Excedrin migraine 4. Fish oil 1200mg/Omega 3 gel tabs 5. Glucosamine/HCL 6. Hydrocortisone cream 7. Ibuprofen 8. Ibuprofen IB tabs 9. Iron 65 mg. Tabs. 10. Lansoprazole (antacid) In addition, we are waiting to hear back from our two pastors in Cuba as to items they would like us to bring to Faith's partner churches in Meneses and Iguara. We will let you know of additional requests in church bulletins and Mid-Week Notes. Chandra Jackson and I are attending the Encuentro February and will spend two days in Meneses and Iguara before meeting as a larger group. FAITH FAMILY LIFE Sacrament of Baptism On December 18, we celebrated the Baptism of Alexander Wilder Payne, infant son of Jennifer & David Payne. Happy January Birthday! 1 st John Trapp 3 rd Anthony Means 9 th Ken Archie 12 th Brinley Mbah 17 th Emma Pope 20 th Hannah Pope Karen Roberts 21 st Michael St. Pierre 22 nd Jeffrey Lumianski 24 th Nancy Pohl 27 th David Brown 28 th David Nesbitt If you would like your birthday added or if it is incorrect, please contact the church office. Thank you for your generosity and your support of this Mission project in Cuba.

8 - 8 - Please Keep in Your Prayers Luckye Austin Audrey Cousart Nancy Stutzer Betty Lou Tampieri Dot Weller Please send your prayer requests to Christa Burns, Pastor , and/or Sharon Will Prayers are answered! DEACONS Dawn Shirey, Moderator Hands of Faith at Advent Festival The Deacons would like to thank everyone who donated to and purchased items from Hands of Faith table at the Advent Festival. The table was full of many handmade items, including beautiful scarfs, hats, a child's sweater, mittens, knit dishcloths, an adorable knit bunny, nativity busy books, colorful bags, holiday wreaths, granola made by our youth, fudge sauce, jam, cranberry bread, peppermint bark, peanut brittle, organic dog treats, Kahlua, etc... Both whole and chocolate covered pecans were also generously donated to be sold. GEDCO Holiday Gifts A special thank you to the church members who donated special gifts for the residents of the GEDCO programs. Our 10 gift recipients received wonderful items, thanks to the generosity of our church. Christmas Donations Thank you to everyone who donated to the DEAR Fund and Bread Fund this holiday season. The DEAR Fund is used throughout the year to support church members who have emergency requests. The Bread Fund is used for food related mission work, such as the Thanksgiving baskets we provide each year to identified families in need. Upcoming Deacon Event Cookies for CARES In February, we will again be collecting cookies around Valentine's Day to give a sweet treat to our community members in need who get items from the CARES food pantry. Lasagna BINGO In March, we will hold our annual night of BINGO at Harford House. More information to come around how you can get involved in supporting this fun event. Joy Day by Ann Scheck So much pain, my choice The table went from being full of alternative gift items to being almost empty very quickly. Over $1600 was made from the table, which will be used for various mission projects throughout the year. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! but no more. Today is a day for joy. Arms open wide to receive the miracles, each one just for me.

9 - 9 - Beverly Mills Baker Kay Ballard The Bernard Family Paula & Peter Burger The Burns Family Catherine Clark Sue & Joe Dockman John & Debra Colmers The Colmers Family Phyllis Compton Chris & Mercy Dunyoh The Herber Family Susan Johnston Lew Johnston Wendy Maginnis & Susan Kronmiller The Marinacci Family Moira McGill David Meyers Karen & David Meyers Mildred Miller Neil & Robin Nemser Pat & Jack Nesbitt Nancy Pohl Gail Poorbaugh Sharon Witzke Reinhard Ron & Judy Sperling Maimah Stewart Ted & Evelyn Wallace Krista & Reggie Wallace In memory of James D. Baker, Sr. In memory of my parents, Lawrence & Marie Fréy; God parents, William & Adele Scheeler In memory of Richard & Martha Key Bernard and Eugene Kickerson In memory of Ernest & Anna Phillips and Willard & Fannie Burger In memory of George & Dorothy Fuller, Stan Burns, Lorene & Paul J. Burns, and Robert Wilson In memory of David Clark In memory of Loved Ones In memory of our beloved Grandparents In memory of Rudi & Rosemarie Colmers and Richard Paul In memory of William Compton In celebration of Frances Compton In celebration of Carol Dunyoh In celebration of Family In memory of Floyd & Polly Groff In memory of Janet Johnston In memory of William Maginnis and Selma Kronmiller In memory of Nicholas Marinacci, Dorthea Coppola and Gay Atkinson In memory of William Phillip McGovern In celebration of Joan McGovern In memory of Ray & Esther Meyers In memory of Sylvia Guerra In memory of Loved Ones In celebration of our Children & Grandchildren In celebration of their Family and Judy & Ron Sperling In memory of Robert W. Pohl In memory of Warren Chandler, Jr. In memory of Carolyn Witzke In memory of Loved Ones In Celebration of our Children & Grandchildren In memory of my mother, Mary Goba In memory of our parents and Pearl, Doris and Marlene In memory of Alvin Wallace

10 Beverly Mills Baker Kay Ballard The Bernard Family Cathy Billings Carol Preston Boardman & The Reverend Dr. Donald Boardman and Reverend Richard Randell Preston Phyllis Compton Doris Cowan Chris & Mercy Dunyoh Doris Cowan & Family The Colmers Family Karen Meyers Pat & Jack Nesbitt Gail Poorbaugh Mike, Dawn & Kelsey Shirey Janet Thomson Pat Thomson Janice Williams In memory of Robert T. Mills In celebration of Susan & Carl Scheir In memory of Loved Ones In celebration of Mary Nickerson, Jim Kautz In memory of Haley Teirney In memory of Michael Billings In memory of Mr. & Mrs. Harry Boardman, Sr., Harry Boardman, Jr., Mr. & Mrs. C.H. Preston In celebration of Samuel Springer In memory of Parents & Family In celebration of the Bread Fund In memory of Ward Cowan In memory of George Jenkins In memory of Albert & Elvira Carle In memory of Frank Robey In celebration of Bettie Chandler, Family & Friends In memory of Richard Earl Shirey and Forrest & Marge Leverty In celebration of Pat Thomson and Karen Burd In memory of Jim Thomson and family In celebration of Faith Church Family In memory of Elizabeth Williams Kay Ballard Cathy Billings Doris Cowan The Bernard Family The Curtis Family Moira McGill Audrey & John Trapp Janice Williams In memory and celebration of Loved Ones In celebration of Mike, Dave, & Christy In celebration of my Church Family; Children & Grandchildren In celebration of our Faith Family In celebration of Margaret Curtis In memory of Loved Ones In celebration of Barbara McGill and Paul Samuel In celebration of our Families In memory of Loved Ones

11 Book Club January 23 at 7:00 p.m. Healthy Working Families Act The Social and Environmental Justice Council (SEJ) is gearing up for the New Year and the 2017 session of the Maryland General Assembly. Following an overwhelmingly positive response to the survey we conducted at the block party about interest in fresh produce deliveries; we are investigating the possibility of working with Gather Baltimore to bring low-cost produce to neighborhoods around the church. Barbara McGill, who was aware that the shortage of grocery stores in the area was exacerbated by the closing of the Mars at Loch Raven Boulevard and Northern Parkway, initiated the effort. During the 2017 Maryland General Assembly Session, the Healthy Working Families Act will be introduced for the fifth year. It addresses a problem that keeps many of our fellow citizens in poverty. Currently, 700,000 Marylanders have no paid sick leave and have to choose between staying at home and losing their pay and possibly their jobs when they or their children are ill, or going to work sick. Many of those affected are in food service jobs, which make this not only an issue of fairness, but also a public health concern. If this bill is finally passed, employees of companies with more than 15 employees will be able to earn one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours they work. Governor Hogan is proposing a somewhat watered down version of the bill which requires only companies with 50 or more employees to comply. To support the original bill, contact your state delegate (link to look up Representatives) and let him/her know you support HB65, the Healthy Working Families Act. The Book Club had a good discussion of Hammerhead Six at our December meeting, and the consensus was to recommend that anyone who hasn't read it should keep it on their reading list. It is a very eye-opening account of unconventional war and a quite moving testament to our common humanity. Thanks very much to Ron Sperling for recommending it. For January, we have decided to read Let the Great World Spin, by Colum McCann. This bestseller and National Book Award winner was published in 2009, but somehow escaped most of our notices. Jay Chalfant, though, has read it and enthusiastically endorsed the pick, which is also a personal favorite of one of the Ivy Bookstore principals. It is the story of a number of ordinary people in New York City whose lives the author connects in a mosaic of the human condition. The New York Times Book Review called it "an emotional tour de force...one of the most electric, profound novels I have read in years." Other reviews refer to it as "stunning, mesmerizing, magnificent, brilliant, luminous, impressive, captivating, shimmering, shattering." Which makes one wonder how we missed it. The Book Club meets monthly at the home of Jack & Pat Nesbitt. For more information about joining this group contact Pat Nesbitt at

12 January Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat :00PM WM 11:00AM WB Epiphany Deacons Bible Study 1 10:45AM ST Worship 7 9:00AM WM Cuba Encuentro Orientation 8 9:30AM WM Adult Forum 10:30AM JL Fellowship 10:45AM - ST Worship 11:30AM WB Church Growth 9 7:00PM WB Finance 10 7:00PM WM Men s Group 11 11:00AM WB Bible Study Noon ST Edith Elliot Memorial 15 9:30AM WM Adult Forum 10:30AM JL Fellowship 10:45AM - ST Worship 11:30AM WB Worship & Arts 22 9:30AM WM Adult Forum 10:30AM JL Fellowship 10:45AM - ST Worship 11:30AM Annual Meeting 16 MLK Birthday Office Closed 11AM Now What? Baltimore Presbytery presentation 23 7:00PM OC Book Club 17 7:00PM WB Session 18 11:00AM WB Bible Study :00AM WB Bible Study :00AM WM Cuba Encuentro Orientation 29 9:30AM WM Adult Forum 10:30AM JL Fellowship 10:45AM - ST Worship 11:30AM SEJ Meeting Locations ST Sanctuary WB Woodbourne Room WM Woodmont Room FH Fellowship Hall JL Jackson Lounge OC Off Campus