EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN",

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1 On Sunday, the last week of July, Mark Paczkowski will be preaching and the Gospel lesson is Luke 11:1-13. So today, knowing I won t be preaching this lesson this year, I can t help but sit here thinking about it anyway thinking about the Lord s Prayer - a prayer we all know well. We pray it in church together every Sunday and on lots of other occasions. We pray it in public as well as in private, aloud and silently in our heads. We pray it when we are afraid and we can think of no other words to pray. There is a lot to be said for learned scripture and prayers, for they live deep within us even when it seems we have lost everything else. Twice a month I visit one-on-one with a dozen residents at Evangelical Homes who are in varying stages of memory loss. We mostly talk about the same things we spoke about two weeks before the family they miss, the way they are being treated by staff, their life before, and sometimes even their faith. We always end our too brief visits with the Lord s Prayer, and it doesn t matter what else they have forgotten, they remember every word of that. I can sometimes feel them tremble as we hold hands and say it together and I am, once again, profoundly blessed by this fulfilling work God has given me to do. So though I believe it is good to know this prayer by heart, I believe it is even better to live this prayer every day. Remember the words God spoke to Jeremiah: But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Are the words of our Lord s Prayer that you know so well written on your heart? These words, written by an unknown author say it well. May you take them to heart. I CANNOT PRAY I cannot pray "OUR", if my faith has no room for others and their need. I cannot pray "FATHER", if I do not demonstrate this intimate relationship to God in my daily living. I cannot pray "WHO ART IN HEAVEN", if all of my interests and pursuits are in earthly things. I cannot pray "HALLOWED BE THY NAME", if I am not striving for God's help to be holy. I cannot pray "THY KINGDOM COME, if I am unwilling to accept God's rule in my life. I cannot pray "THY WILL BE DONE, if I am unwilling or resentful of having it in my life. I cannot pray "ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN", unless I am truly ready to give myself to God's service here and now. I cannot pray "GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD", without expending honest effort for it or if I would withhold from my neighbor the bread I receive. I cannot pray "FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US", if I continue to harbor a grudge against anyone. I cannot pray "LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION", if I deliberately choose to remain in a situation where I am likely to be tempted. I cannot pray "DELIVER US FROM EVIL", if I am not prepared to fight with my life and my prayer. I cannot pray "THINE IS THE KINGDOM", if I am unwilling to obey the King. I cannot pray "THINE IS THE POWER AND THE GLORY", if I am seeking power for myself and my own glory first. I cannot pray "FOREVER AND EVER", if I am too anxious about each day's affairs. I cannot pray "AMEN", unless I honestly say "Not MY will, but THY will be done", so let it be. 1

2 NOTES FROM THE CONSISTORY PRESIDENT It is hard to believe but over half of the 2010 summer is almost over. Consistory took a break from pool parties, BBQs and fireworks to discuss several issues. First, we have several guest preachers coming during the month of August as Pastor will be away for both professional development and vacation. On August 15, Diane White will be back to preach. Pastor Mary Alice will lead us on August 22 and Gail Popyk will preach on August 29. Additionally, August will see us having Vacation Bible School from 7 to 9pm from August 2 to 6. Limited sign up will be available at the door, so please encourage neighbors, friends and relatives to attend. Because many of our children are getting older, we are introducing a new Tweens and Teens group this year as well. Don t forget about Pastor Terri s new Second Sunday Adult Forum. The July introduction went well and she is hoping to see even more people on August 8 when she will be discussing Practical Steps in Planning for End of Life Issues. Keep that rummage coming in! Our next sale is scheduled for September 25. Also, if you are planning on getting rid of good-condition living room type furniture, please let Pastor Terri or me know. There are plans for furnishing a new Youth Room and donations would be greatly appreciated. Finally, Consistory voted to support a new Food Pantry that will service those in need in our area. The cost is only $50 per month. This will be funded primarily through the money St. Paul collects at the Thrift Shop. Consistory has pledged to make up for any shortfall that may happen. See Pastor Terri if you have any questions about this new Outreach program that we are supporting. Enjoy the rest of your summer. Peace, Brent Grawburg TREASURER S REPORT As of July 19 th we had $3, in our operations account. This is down from the $11, that we had on the first of January We have barely been making ends meet so far this year. Expenses are up in most categories. We may need another pledge drive or more fund raising to meet our expected expenses for the remainder of the year and for next year. The consistory is always looking for ways to make further cuts in spending as well. As of July 19 th we had $141, in our church s Raymond James brokerage account. Our memorial funds account for $38, of that and $102, are our bequest funds. Donations for our memorial or bequest funds are always welcomed and greatly appreciated. Steve Popyk, Co-Treasurer 2

3 Women s Fellowship Chit-Chat I hope that you are all enjoying your summer. It has been just a tad to hot for me. While you are staying indoors to stay cool, clean out those closets and cupboards with things you do not wear or use and bring them into the rummage room. We have a few things coming up in September. We will be hosting the quilt group from Quilt-n- Friends for 2 days and we will need to provide lunches for them. Right now it looks like we will have about 30 women. The following week we will be having our annual Fall Rummage sale. We will also be having our Over-all meeting during that week. Enjoy the rest of your summer and be ready to help in September. Yours in Christian Love, Sally Paczkowski, Secretary Please help us keep our records up to date, with new numbers, addresses etc. Thank you Valerie Thank you for supplying food to our food pantry. We could use the following: Beans-baked, pork & beans Canned vegetables, fruit Paper Towels Ravioli Chunky Soups* Soups-regular Spaghetti sauce & pasta 3

4 Toilet Paper Tuna Any type of microwaveable food items (non-frozen) since some people live in motels and have access to a microwave more so than a stove. Please give food that you would eat, any items that do not move will be sent to a local food pantry. Please do not bring in any items that contain milk as it expires way before it s taken. 9. Cindy Weiler 11. Betty Wolgast 24. Ron Austin 25. Rev. Terri Bracy 31. Harold Shipley August Birthdays Happy Birthday to all those born in August! If you would like to be added please contact the church secretary. Please pray for our shut-ins Edith & Ellsworth Anthony Willow Ct. Warren Ronald Couts Bunert Warren Marilyn Dopp 5859 West Maple Rd. West Bloomfield Esther Hornyak 8050 Menge Centerline Margaret Kelly 6071 York Blvd. Los Angeles CA Mae St. Clair Hayes #1008 4

5 Clinton Township Susan Schlemmer Millar Clinton Township Irene Stricker Martha T. Berry Medical Care Center Elizabeth Mt. Clemens Barbara Tefft Schoenherr Sterling Heights Lou Wylie Flynn Warren Dorothy Zink Independence Village of Grand Ledge 4775 Village Dr. Apt 220 Grand Ledge Greeters: 1. Barb Radke, Mable Adamson 8. Trudy Calabrese, Lisa Kennedy 15. Clara & Oz Frangquist 22. Eleanor Veramay, Kathy Hefley 29. Lorri Berry, Audrey Blasky Ushers-Roxann Byars, Lauren Byars, Anne Pyciak, Carl Schroeder Please check the bulletin board when you are in church to see if there are other dates you might be able to sign up for! August 2-6,

6 This year s theme is GO! Go Obey! Go Risk! Go Lead! Go Tell! Go Serve! MALAWI MOMENT I wish this month s report could be longer than it will be. As you may remember, during May and June we focused our OCWM (Our Church s Wider Mission) efforts on putting together joy boxes through the Tabita Project for our friends in Malawi. Our congregation s children will pack up the joy boxes during Vacation Bible School. A few generous individuals within the congregation did step forward with funds or items for this purpose, but overall we are still finding it a challenge to put together enough to send to Malawi. There are so many requests for funds and other donations in today s world, and it is the summer season when so many people are so busy, that it is perhaps understandable that this effort has produced such disappointing results. Still, the need is so very great and we have been so blessed that it would be wonderful to share these blessings. As you read this, there is still time to make a donation (through the end of July). There is a list of needed items on the black countertop, or you can donate funds to be used in purchasing needed items. If you have any questions, please contact Pastor Terri or Gail Popyk ( ). Let s try to bring some joy to others this summer! Gail Popyk What a wonderful Sunday it was in June to celebrate our 60 th Anniversary here at St. Paul s with all of you!! We thank you for you beautiful cards and good wishes. We were married here at St. Paul s, June 24, 1950 by Rev. Melvin Mill. How time flies! We are blessed. Herman & Betty Wolgast 6

7 Note from Secretary Even though my hours are shortened, you can still get in touch with the pastor by leaving a message at the church, or calling her at home. I will generally be working Tues, Wednesday and Thursday, 9-2 unless something is needed. You should always call the office first to be sure someone will be here if you have things to drop off. i.e. rummage items, or groups making payments. While on a road trip, an elderly couple stopped at a roadside restaurant for lunch. After finishing their meal, they left the restaurant, and resumed their trip. When leaving, the elderly woman unknowingly left her glasses on the table, and she didn t miss them until they had been driving for about forty minutes. By then, to add to the aggravation, they had to travel quite a distance before they could find a place to turn around, in order to return to the restaurant to retrieve her glasses. All the way back, the elderly husband became the classic grouchy old man. He fussed and complained, and scolded his wife relentlessly during the entire return drive. The more he chided her, the more agitated he became. He just wouldn t let up for a single minute. To her relief, they finally arrived at the restaurant. As the woman got out of the car, and hurried inside to retrieve her glasses, the old geezer yelled to her While you re in there, you might as well get my hat and the credit card. A DRIVING NEED Hundreds of older and disabled neighbors in our community need help getting to doctor appointments, the grocery store, or other essential errands. Being able to get food and medical care can make it possible for them to remain in their own homes for as long as possible. The Macomb County Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers program is in need of volunteers who can provide transportation in the local area. We especially need drivers who are available during daytime business hours - mornings and afternoons. If you have just a couple hours a month that you can give to someone in need, you can make a huge difference in the life of a struggling neighbor. You tell us what days, times and areas are convenient for you, and we call you with specific appointments that meet these criteria. If you are free, say yes. If you're not, simply decline and we will call you another time. Even one more ride a year will make a big difference to the person who needs it! Please call Connie today at (586)

8 What is HOPE? Hope Center in Macomb is a one-stop-shop, also referred to as a human services mall, It provides access to services for individuals and families in need. The focal point is the client-choice food pantry. This is the cornerstone and main focus of Hope Center. Other services are provided onsite or by referral to the appropriate county or community agencies. Clients may visit the client choice food pantry at no cost. An average family of 4 will qualify for 90 pounds of non-perishable food and approximately 30 pounds of perishable food. 10 local Meijer stores will be donating significant amounts of perishable foods weekly and Gleaners will donate funds to help purchase non-perishable foods at discounted rates. Hope Center is located just north of 14 Mile Rd., on the east side of Groesbeck Highway at Groesbeck, Fraser. It is within a 10 mile radius of Macomb County s most populous communities. It is easily accessible by Public transportation; a SEMTA bus stop is within one block of the facility. WHY HOPE? According to US Department of Labor, unemployment rates doubled in all Southeast Michigan counties in the past two years. 13.2% of the population in Southeast Michigan lives in poverty. 77,251 of these individuals live in our own backyard. 93,000 projected families in the next 6 months will have exhausted their unemployment benefits. (50,000 in Metro Detroit) St. Paul UCC has agreed to support the Hope Center by becoming a 50/50 Church Partner to offset their operations and utility cost. Volunteers for various duties are needed; a form is enclosed in this newsletter. We extend a big thank you to Audrey Blasky for pruning and trimming all the bushes and shrubs around the church this last Sunday. Thank you everyone for keeping us in your prayers, sending cards and calling with well wishes. We appreciate that several of you picked up the little jobs we do around church to prepare for worship. What a wonderful church family we have. Diane and Dick 8

9 A sincere thank you for all the calls and cards from my recent hospital stay. Joan Newbury OUR CHURCH SANCTUARY.. is a beautiful space, one that inspires peace and joy as we worship. But like anything else, our sanctuary could use a periodic freshening up. If you like color or design, if you enjoy working with your hands or planning how an interior looks, please join us in an exciting new project. We will be planning and making new banners for our altar area. No special skills are needed we already have folks lined up who can turn our plans into reality. So if you have enthusiasm for how our worship space looks, and you want to get your creative juices flowing, please join us. How often we meet will be decided by the group, so just let us know you re interested by signing up on the sheet on the black counter top. If you have any questions, please contact Gail Popyk ( ). A VERY SPECIAL INVITATION Would you like to learn more about the New Testament? Is there a particular gospel account or a letter to the congregations of the newly forming church that has always puzzled you? Do you wonder why one book seems to contradict another or why there are different accounts of the birth, death and resurrection of Christ? Of course you have! And do we have the class for you! Join us as we learn how the New Testament is a key to our Christian discipleship. Starting in September, we will meet in the St. Paul library to discuss key portions of the New Testament, using a study guide and a translation that features everyday English. We will meet at a time that is convenient for everyone who wishes to participate evening, Saturday or Sunday during the day, week days. Once we know who wants to participate, we will decide together when to meet. Those meetings will be every two weeks (or less often we will decide as a group), and you can complete the reading at your own pace at home. This is your opportunity to deepen your faith as you learn more about the New Testament, on your own time, and in your own way. There will be sign-up sheet for those who are interested on the black counter top. Join us as we explore this sacred text one of the most interesting books in history and a key to our faith.. If you have any questions, please ask Pastor Terri or Gail Popyk ( ). SECOND SUNDAY: THE THOUGHTFUL CHRISTIAN ADULT FORUM (11:30-12:30) On August 8 th, we will explore end-of life matters. As technology advances, we are faced with so many more options than simply whether we live or die. Have you thought about what you want to happen to you if you are in an accident and wind up in a persistent vegetative state? Or if you have an illness and are placed on a respirator and are unable to live without it? Do you want to remain 15

10 alive no matter what the cost? In case of death, do your loved ones know what your will is regarding burial and funeral? Have you filed an advance directive? This forum will give you some practical information to think about in order to prepare for end-of-life matters whenever they occur. 16