The Link. Last June I posted on my Facebook page a. Learning from Dr. Seuss, Theologian

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1 The Link Westminster Presbyterian Church, Ann Arbor, mi Volume 24, number 7: July 2011 Learning from Dr. Seuss, Theologian Last June I posted on my Facebook page a quote attributed to Theodore Geisel, also known as Dr. Seuss. He said, Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don t matter, and those who matter don t mind. Within a minute a clergy friend of mine posted the response: Stephen, will you be my spiritual guide? Since the original quote was Dr. Seuss, I decided to reply in a Seussian rhyme. I wrote: Greg, I will be your guide On solid ground or slip and slide We can walk through thick and thin Grace abounding over sin. Together whether in a box Or walking past a fox with socks Lending ears to hear a Who The One that whispers, I love you. We can learn as we re able With humility, strong and stable Yes, I ll guide the spiritual climb And will you, a guide, be mine? James Kemp is a retired United Methodist pastor and author now living in Lexington, Kentucky. In his book, The Gospel According to Dr. Seuss, he says he considers Theodor S. Geisel to be his favorite theologian. On Wednesday, July 13, we will enjoy Wednesday Night Live! dinner at 5:45, followed by Praise and Prayer worship at 6:30. We will explore the Gospel according to Dr. Seuss, and use Dr. Seuss-style rhymes for our liturgy. It will be fun, inspiring and engaging for children and adults. The call is given to all who hear the love that speaks to more than ear. Come one and all to worship God, The One who formed us from the sod. Come everyone, all who are able, Come know your Savior born in a stable. Oh, the places we may go! The seeds of grace we may sow! Joy will come dancing with tears As the love dissolves the fears. Looking into the face of God Revealed within the human sod Known through Christ, who is the Tao Finding forever in the now. Certain only through self that dies Reborn in empty grasp surprise All who practice Gospel truth Blessed with trust as their proof. Come see the One whose throne s a Cross, Come kneel before the Servant-boss. The God known as the Three in One; Eternal Father, Spirit, Son. Come wearing suit, dress, or jeans Come worship the I Am who redeems. Blessings, Stephen in this issue Bylaw changes proposed, 2 Vacation Bible School pics, 2 A Prayer Walk (part 2), 3 July calendar, 4 Omega mission and 5th grade partner photos, 5 From the Director of Children s Ministries, Tina Shaw: Thank you to all who helped this year with our children s programs. Whether you served as a Worship Center teacher, a Sunday celebration leader, a childcare provider, a Wednesday Night Live! leader, a helper at our Easter Celebration or in any other capacity you are awesome and I love you. Thank you.

2 Changes to Westminster bylaws are proposed Two changes are proposed to the Westminster bylaws: 1. The Session is recommending the consolidation of the Memorial Gifts Committee and the Endowment Committee into a single Endowment and Memorial Gifts Committee. Both committees have several similar functions including receiving and acknowledging gifts, making recommendations on the use of the gifts, keeping records, and reporting to the congregation, and both have members that are elected by the congregation. Combining these committees will eliminate redundancies and gain efficiencies. Memorial gifts and endowment gifts will not be comingled. Gifts given specifically as memorial gifts will not be invested in the endowment fund, and likewise, gifts to the endowment fund will only be invested in the endowment fund. With the approval of the recommended changes, the Memorial Gifts Committee will be disbanded at the end of Current members of the committee will be encouraged to serve Westminster through other elected positions and committee membership. 2. The Presbytery of Detroit is encouraging each church to review its bylaws for several changes. The recommended changes are already included in the Westminster bylaws except for a statement that congregation and corporation meetings shall be conducted in accordance with Roberts Rules of Order. This statement will be added to the bylaws. Watch for an announcement about a meeting of the congregation to approve these changes. Please contact Margaret Klammer with questions. Westminster was transformed into a first-century village for three days in late June, when Vacation Bible School participants both young and old learned about Jesus childhood in Nazareth. Crafts, stories, songs and games helped convey the story of Jesus love for us all. 2

3 A Prayer Walk in the Woods (part 2) With summer well underway, the labyrinth in the woods has become even more hidden. Lush groundcover makes the path difficult to discern and there s a new challenge: poison ivy has emerged. Let me describe my latest experience of walking the path: Emerging into the clearing, the rock at the center is still plainly visible. It rises above the dense groundcover and beckons. It is still possible to make out the edges of the path; easier if you look carefully and let the limbs along the edges guide the way. Poison ivy appears occasionally at first and is easy to avoid, but upon entering the outside circle, it becomes much more dense... in fact, avoiding it becomes a major distraction, taking the attention away from the path altogether. This is the place it s most possible to stray and there is a great temptation to step out altogether and abandon the journey. The resting stops along the way, once clear and enticing are now overgrown and hard to find, but once spotted provide an interesting vantage point. Sitting on the stump yields a closer look at the groundcover around and it becomes wonderfully evident that there is much more safe, lush plant life than poison. Although they coexist, the threatening plants are not choking out the rest, in fact, the opposite might be true. This observation is helpful and hopeful and gives courage for the remainder of the journey to the center. And the trip is worth it. At the center is calm and rest, light and peace. As I reflect on the walk, I m reminded of the parable of the Wheat and Weeds, Matthew 13: Seeds of the evil one grow alongside seeds of the Son of Man... coexisting by divine command. When I first discovered the poison ivy, I considered taking a shovel to it and systematically removing all of it from my walk. Let both of them grow together, the Scripture says. Does the continued existence of evil along the journey of our lives serve any good purpose? Does its very presence cause us to be more alert, more disciplined in order to stay on the path? Isn t it interesting how evil itself can be so distracting as we seek to avoid it that it may in fact succeed in its purpose to thwart the journey toward God altogether? But its power is a ruse. Truly the power of evil is not greater than the power of God. Even when its presence is particularly dense and palpable, seeming to face us at every turn, God is stronger still. Darkness will not overcome light. So, lift your head and walk on... trusting in the depth of God s love and life. And then there s my dog. Totally oblivious, he s just rolling in it all without a care in the world as if it s all his playground. With a whistle he comes bounding to the center, gets a treat and runs off again with sheer abandon to explore all that awaits... each butterfly a wonder to behold... each squirrel a brand new adventure... each birdcall a reason to pause, to look up, and to listen with full attention. Might there be something to learn from him as well? Cathi King 3

4 Worship with communion at 10 am 6:30 pm Men s softball game July 2011 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday :30 pm Parables, Potluck and Practicing Faith Together am Morning 9 8 am Morning 2 2 pm Joan and Bob Piatt s 50 th wedding anniversary celebration 10 Worship at 10 am 11 6:30 pm Missional 12 noon Sarah Circle 13 1 pm Ladies Bible 14 7 pm Property 15 Deadline for August 16 Monday* committee 7 pm Finance Study Committee issue of The Link meetings; men s softball Committee 8 am Morning game 5:45 pm Wednesday Night Live! dinner 6:30 pm Praise and Prayer Worship; theme: Dr. Seuss Worship at 10 am Detroit mission and Alpha mission teams depart, returning Friday, July 22 6:30 pm Men s softball game 4 pm Memorial Garden Committee 7 pm Session meeting 1 pm Needlecrafters 7 pm Deacons 8 am Morning Detroit mission and Alpha mission teams return home 24 Worship at 10 am 25 6:30 pm Men s softball game pm Ladies Bible Study 6:30 pm Parables, Potluck and Practicing Faith Together am Morning Worship at 10 am * Missional Monday committee meetings include Administration, Adult Education, Children, Endowment, Fellowship, Membership, Mission, Stewardship and Finance, Worship, and Youth and Young Adults. A few committees meet at other times. Meeting locations and times are online at See also Today s Meetings on the church media center. The official church calendar is maintained in the church office by Office and Facilities Administrator Judy Slater. All event dates and room assignments in our building must be cleared with her. Summer Wednesday Evenings Every week Riverside, 4:30 pm July 6, 6:30 pm Parables, Potluck and Practicing Faith Together (on the east lawn; bring a dish to pass; children are welcome to eat and play) July 13, 5:45 pm Wednesday Night Live dinner followed at 6:30 by Praise and Prayer worship July 27, 6:30 pm Parables, Potluck and Practicing Faith Together On our web site The Westminster Weekly, Sunday worship guide, plus sermon title and Sunday Bible readings are placed online on Fridays. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/westpresa2. Join us on Facebook at (Friends of Westminster Presbyterian Church Ann Arbor MI). You can help us save paper, ink and postage by signing up to receive The Link via . You can access the print version of each issue with the pdf link, and print it at home if you like. Or you can click through to the html version which includes color photos and sometimes a little more text than fits onto the printed page. 4

5 Omega teens worked hard and played some on their week-long mission trip in West Virginia in late June. Fifth graders learned in May who their year-long partners were. The children and adults enjoyed a delicious brunch on a Sunday morning between worship services. Westminster finances are reported May 2011 Budget Actual Pledges received 46,697 52,266 Other income 9,244 +8,807 Expenses 55,941 51,892 Receipts minus expenses = $9,180 Year-to-date balance: $15,852 Questions or concerns? Please contact Jeff Kennedy, Treasurer or David Hammond, Financial Secretary. Westminster Presbyterian Church We believe those who claim Jesus is Lord are the church called by the Holy Spirit as a demonstration and instrument of God s mission in the world. We are a caring community of Christians devoted in joyful worship and service to Jesus Christ, called by Him to reach out to all people so together we may: Know God s saving grace and call on our lives through, word, devotion, relationship with God Grow in devoted discipleship through service, faith development, small groups, leadership development, mentoring Show our faithful thanksgiving through worship, praise, caring ministry, community of faith, fellowship, relationship with others, hospitality, stewardship Sow Gospel seeds of hope and love through mission (locally and around the world), calling, witness, grace, compassionate outreach, encouragement, invitation, volunteering, using gifts, contributing time and talents KNOW GROW SHOW SOW Westminster staff: All staff members may be contacted by calling the church office ( ) or by . The Rev. Stephen R. Carl, Pastor, Head of Staff revsrc@westpresa2.org The Rev. Catherine King, Associate Pastor cdking@westpresa2.org Tina Shaw, Director of Children s Ministries tlshaw@westpresa2.org Leslie Picken, Director of Youth Ministries lesliepick@yahoo.com Shawn McDonald, Minister of Music smtenor@yahoo.com Linda Lang, Director of Sacred Dance lglangm3@aol.com Judy Slater, Office and Facilities Administrator wpcoffice@westpresa2.org April Wright, Bookkeeper/Assistant Financial Secretary alwright@westpresa2.org Marti Burbeck, Director of Media and Communications thelink@westpresa2.org Isaias Celestino, Custodian Florence Westrum, Organist Emerita Officers: David Hammond, Financial Secretary Marla Johnston, Moderator, Board of Deacons Jeff Kennedy, Treasurer Margaret Klammer, Clerk of Session The Link is published at the beginning of each month. The deadline for each issue is the 15 th of the prior month. The editor is Marti Burbeck, thelink@westpresa2.org or Submit articles electronically or in the Link mailbox in the church office; the editor will always confirm receipt of articles submitted electronically. Articles may be edited for length or content. The Link is also on the world wide web at westpresa2.org; you may sign up there to receive notification of web posting of each issue. To receive print copies by mail, please call the church office at

6 Westminster Presbyterian Church 1500 Scio Church Road Ann Arbor, Michigan Summer Sunday worship at 10 am The Link Summertime might be your chance to help with local mission What s happening in the Westminster garden? Glad you asked! If you ve looked recently at the northwest corner of the church property, you ve noticed the sharing garden has doubled in size. In it you ll see lettuce, spinach, collards, kale, carrots, peas, potatoes, zucchini, tomatoes and peppers, and soon you ll see beans too. Additionally, you ll find a beautiful flower garden, recently-installed bright bottlecap art signs and a privacy fence that blocks the view of the trash bins. A bench will soon be installed in the pines. All vegetables harvested from our garden are donated to Food Gatherers or Riverside. Last year we donated 200 pounds of food. How can you help? Sign up for a week of watering (signup sheet is in the entrance to the fellowship hall). Get your hands dirty in ongoing weeding and maintenance. Harvest produce for dedication at Sunday worship. Deliver the week s harvest on a Sunday to English Gardens or Food Gatherers. Pray for the harvest and for those who will be fed by it. Riverside : Can I help? Riverside is a weekly meal and relationship-building ministry. Every Wednesday night from 5 to 5:30 pm approximately 30 guests eat and enjoy one another s company at First Presbyterian Church in Ypsilanti. You can be a part of this amazing ministry: Help prepare and serve the meal (arrive by 4:30). Join the guests at the table for food and conversation. Make a special dessert and deliver it, labeled, to the church by noon on Wednesday. Host a craft night. The guests love to participate in simple holiday or seasonal art projects. We ve painted pumpkins, created leaf wreaths, formed God s Eyes from sticks and yarn, colored murals and more. Arrive by 4:30 with supplies and invite guests as they arrive to join in the fun. Provide dinner music. You re welcome to come play the piano (there is one available in the room), flute, recorder, guitar, or other instruments. It adds a touch of class. Questions? Please contact Sue Flynn ( ), Elizabeth Tidd ( ) or Pastor King ( ).