MPC NEWS MAGAZINE November 2016 Next in November

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1 ack B l l Fa ov. 6. on N MPC NEWS MAGAZINE November 2016 Next in November ACTC Thanksgiving Project Each year the Assistance Center of Towson Churches (ACTC) gives out over 2200 special baskets of food for our neighbors who otherwise might not be able to celebrate Thanksgiving. It is a lot to come up with from the churches but we seem to be able to do it each year. We can only continue if you join in this year. ACTC has asked us to provide 50 bags, if we can! That is more than we have ever contributed but we re hopeful that we can at least come close to that goal. To be a part of MPC s efforts this year, please include ONLY the following in each basket (all additional bags items should be in separate bags and marked Miscellaneous): Supermarket gift cards are given to each recipient to help pay for perishable food items. (Please do not put any in the bags!) Donations of food will be gratefully accepted at MPC through Wednesday, November 16th. Please consider buying everything on the list above (or sharing the purchase of a basket with a friend). Please pack each complete basket in a reusable bag and mark it complete. 1 can sweet potatoes/yams 1 can cranberry sauce Monetary donations are also welcomed to help pay for (23-29 oz) 2 pkgs macaroni & cheese the gift cards and other expenses of the program. Please 2 cans meat/main dish (beef 1 box instant mashed potatoes make checks payable to MPC but note that they are for stew, chili oz) 1 cake or brownie mix ACTC Thanksgiving. 1 large can fruit (20-30 oz) 1 bag or box of stuffing mix Purchase Pre-Packed Thanksgiving Baskets 4 cans vegetables (15 oz) 1 lb bag or box of rice This year there are 3 grocery stores participating in the ACTC Thanksgiving Basket Drive. All bags will be packed in advance (by November 1st) at each of the stores listed and can be purchased at the Customer Service counter for $ This also includes a re-usable bag. If you are picking up multiple bags, please call the store in advance. Please mark bags complete and bring to MPC. Giant Supermarket (across from Timonium fairgrounds) - $ York Road, Timonium, Kimberly Carr, Manager Giant Supermarket (across from Drumcastle Center) - $ York Road, Baltimore, Nick Hyfon, Manager ShopRite - $24 37 Aylesbury Road, Timonium, Steve Starzynski, Manager Thank you for your help with this joyful community project! Leslie Erickson Sunday Brew Living in the Presence: Theology and Coffee Sunday 6 and 20 at 9:30 AM Sojourner Sunday Contemplative Prayer Practices Weekly Gatherings continue: Wednesdays 11/2, 11/9 7:00pm Sunday 13 at 9:30 Led by Jocelyn McKeon and Darrell Wheeler Call for Habitat-for Humanity Volunteers Nov. 19th See more on page 4 Lorie Conway

2 Page 2 A New Those Were the Days...at MPC Monthly Oktoberfest Column For close to four decades, every October, MPC held its annual Oktoberfest celebration. This yearly event was looked forward to by many in our community. The highlight of the day was the German food which featured grilled sausages, sauerkraut, and the church's own recipe for German potato salad. YUM! A bake table was nearby featuring goods made by members E A R L R I C K of the congregation. Activities for the children such as face painting and games were nearby. Inside the church was a huge flea market with goods donated by other members. People lined up early at the door eagerly awaiting to buy the treasures inside. Live music accompanied the festivities. Each year, the event was held to raise money for a specific reason, usually for a mission project. It took a lot of work by many people to make Oktoberfest successful. Planning began early in March. At the end of the day, everyone was exhausted. Then, Baltimore County enacted a regulation that said all food served to the public must be cooked in an approved kitchen. Our kitchen was/is not up to those county codes. The regulation also applied to the bake table. So, MPC had to improvise. One year, we had the food catered, which cut our profits in half. Another year we used St. Thomas's kitchen and transported the food back across the street. The bake table featured bought pies from Weber's and Baugher's Markets. These efforts proved to be too labor intensive or cost prohibitive and the annual event was ended. Yet, all those who contributed in some way, as well as all those who attended, remember fondly the good times spent in the crisp fall air, leaves turning colors, music playing (Brent Mathews set up a kiosk with live music), and the smell of sausages on the grill. A personal recollection: I always looked forward to manning the grill with Earl Tingstrom. Earl had a unique sense of humor and was full of stories. He and I would eat those Bratwursts that occasionally fell on the ground. We'd just brush off the leaves and put a little mustard on them. Another time, someone donated a John Deere toy riding tractor. It was an original. Initially, it was marked quite cheaply. But when we discovered its real value, I believe it sold for close to $200! Rick Dezes Confirming Membership Marion Wilson has been a Baltimorean all her life. Her Glass family...coy, Scott, Jeff, Rob and Sue were members of MPC for a number of years. Marion is so happy to return to MPC. She and husband Don had belonged to Episcopal churches in the interim. They had a home in Florida for many years which they used in the winter months. For a few years, Marion worked in real estate. She is a bird watcher, and likes to paint, golf, play bridge, and do needlework. Welcome back to the MPC family Marion! Fond Farewell On Sunday, October 9, MPC bid a very fond farewell to 4 members. PJ Widerman and Vicki Sjolander are moving to Florida and David and Ellen Rebstock are moving to Minnesota. PJ and Vicki will be spending winters now in warmth and will return to their beach home in Delaware for the summers. David and Ellen will now be close to their son and grandchildren. We wish them much happiness in their new homes but know they will always be a part of our church family...even though distance separates us. Rick Dezes

3 Page 3 Published for the members and friends of Maryland Presbyterian Church, 1105 Providence Road, Towson, Maryland (410) Editors: Jo Sack, Rick Dezes Production and distribution Dale Salah, Alma Smith, Other Contributors to this Issue: Leslie Erickson, Carol Mason, Mary Jo Zimbro, Rosemary McFarland, J.Wright Witcher Editorial Comment An Animal Tail This morning when I was BEARly awake, my daughter ROBIN said she needed help with her MOUSE. I told her she OTTER replace the BATtery. Then friend BOB CATS phoned to tell me that his latest wears a ZE BRA. Wow! You re LION, I said, that s a lot of BULL. You sound HORSE, he said. I replied, Yesterday, I guess I did a lot of YAKing. What s GNU? my husband asked. I told him, It s going to REIN DEER so you better DUCK under your umbrella. No, he said, I don t need an umbrella in my JAGUAR. What are EWE fixing for supper? Well, I know that for PORK U PINE, so I m making some cutlets if you promise not to NAG. My ANT Lydia CAME Last night from BUFFALO with her HARE in curlers, wearing a YELLOW JACKET. Lydia is a CRAB and quite demanding. She asked me to TUN A cello she brought. It s a gift for my new boyfriend LEO PARD, she said. Obviously she s also a bit LOONy. Not only that, Leo proposed, but she has lost HER RING, so now I cant ELOPE, she SPITZ. We are having dinner tonight with our friend JACK ALan. He was once a BOXER, but now plays first BASS for the Baltimore ORIOLES, BATting mostly FOWL balls. Years ago he tried to WORM himself into my HART. I told him, I m sorry, but I don t GOPHER you, and I m FLYing soon to TURKEY. I read recently about CARDINAL DON KEYote who left the priesthood to become a GERMAN SHEPHERD. His flock are real GRASS HOPPERS. ST. BERNARD is his patron saint. WOLF Blitzer on CNN reported that the Baltimore RAVENS beat the Philadelphia EAGLES. FOX news reported that 2 men were injured when a CRANE fell on BEAVER Dam Rd. Ah PANDAmonium! Jo Sack Harvest Sunday is November 20th. On Saturday (19), Lynn Flanigan and helpers will be decorating the communion table again. She welcomes any assistance, either materials or time. Please let her know if you can help. All Saints Sunday will be observed during worship on November 6th. You still have time to record your request in the Book of Remembrance in the narthex Laugh of the Month Punnies I recently sold my vacuum. It was just collecting dust. My daughter asked me for a pet spider for her birthday, so I went to our local pet shop and they were $100!!! Heck with this, I thought. I can get one cheaper off the web. I will not sleep until they find a cure for my insomnia! My first job was working in an orange juice factory, but I got canned... couldn't concentrate. Then I worked in the woods as a lumberjack, but I just couldn't hack it, so they gave me the ax. After that I tried to be a tailor, but I wasn't suited for it... mainly because it was a so-so job. Next I tried working in a muffler factory, but that was too exhausting. Then I tried to be a chef...figured it would add some spice to my life, but I just didn't have the thyme. From Humor Project.com

4 Page 4 Mission Update $3,150 has been sent to the Presbytery for the McCabe Project (Uptown Ministry Group). $1,150 of that total will go to Habitat for Humanity and $2,000 to the community developer fund for the project. $3,000 is from the operating budget and an additional $150 donation. In 2016, we did not request designated funds (envelopes in the pews) for McCabe but it does not mean folks cannot help out anyway and so they did. Thank you Disaster in Haiti Needs our Help Call for Habitat-for Humanity Volunteers November 19th A scheduled work day has been set for Saturday, November 19th at our current Habitat-ForHumanity mission project at McCabe Avenue off of York Road (just south of Northern Parkway). Physically able MPC volunteers are needed to help out with the construction restoration work on that day (family members and friends are most welcome to participate). Since we are partnering with two other churches, we are limited to four volunteers. The shift will start at 9AM and end at 3PM (including one 30-minute lunch break). To date, 15 members from MPC have volunteered since the project started in Let s add to this number! Please consider volunteering if you have not already done so. Advanced registration is required and is now done online. For further information or to register as a volunteer, please contact me. Mary Jo Zimbro. With permission God comforts us in all our trouble so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. (2 Cor. 1:4 NIV) Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) urges your support for those affected by Hurricane Matthew. The category 4 hurricane has already been blamed for hundreds of deaths and continues on a path of destruction toward the southeastern US coast. Earliest assessments confirm extensive damage in southwestern Haiti and eastern Cuba. PDA was already active in the area, doing long-term recovery work related to the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and Superstorm Sandy of PDA will immediately begin working alongside established partners to respond to this latest crisis. Immediate response will help provide essential food, water and supplies for impacted communities and villages. As long-term recovery needs are determined, PDA will continue to support those in impacted areas to ensure a comprehensive recovery. As more information becomes available of the conditions in Haiti, Cuba, the Bahamas, and the United States, PDA will update this information and keep the church apprised on the emerging disaster response and community needs for recovery. Thank you for your generosity in prayer and in giving to those whose lives have been impacted by wind and water; as the Holy Spirit once brooded over the unformed waters of the earth and created order and life, so your prayerful gifts bring hope out of chaos. The needs for the response will be great. God s people are once again called on to stand in the GAP Give. Act. Pray. Checks to support this emergency effort should be made out to MPC with "Haiti Relief" in the notes section. The funds will ultimately go to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance through the Presbytery at the beginning of December. Thank you!

5 Page 5 Book Review War of the Worldview Science vs Sprituality By Deepak Chopra and Leonard Mlodinow If one starts a journey at one end of a long path, perhaps at dawn in a summer season, while another begins the same trek at the opposite end, as night falls and a bitter wind arises, each traveler might describe the trip quite differently than the other. If you have like-minded companions accompanying you they may reinforce your impressions. Deepak traveled with Lord Krishna, blessed by Rama, with Carl Jung and John Wheeler at his side. Leonard was traveling with Einstein and Darwin and he even brought along Schrodinger s cat. It was only when the entourage met in the middle and sat around the campfire that their own worldviews were tested. At first Deepak and Leonard were almost like star-crossed lovers drawn to one another as the moth to the flame. They had so much in common asking the same questions, even loving the same cosmos, each experiencing Einstein s state of wonder and awe. It was only when they contemplated the future and the whys of it all that an impasse arose. Like so many infatuated souls before them they struggled to find a way to keep their friendship and respect intact beyond this basic incompatibility. For the sake of the children and their future and above all for the sake of their own authenticity they began this book. The book is divided into five parts, consisting of eighteen essays written in a point/ counterpoint style, in full intellectual regalia. The spiritualist Deepak and the scientist Leonard are well matched as they suit up to begin en garde! War is too strong a word to describe this stimulating jostling. Each understands that the purpose of discussion is not to invalidate anyone else s opinion but rather to illuminate how you arrived at your conclusions. Deepak recognizes the future as foreshadowed by the sages of the Rg Veda, a precursor of quantum physics defined some five to seven thousand years before western thought discovered it. Leonard works backward, using mathematical precision to uncover the germinating seed, the Ur source of our present realities. They meet at the point of hydrogen and helium reaction but trace very different explanations for how they resulted in DNA. Consider adding your voice to this debate in our Faith Journey Group sessions. If you aren t reading the book come on the journey anyway. There is always room in the rumble seat! If you re not a philosopher or a scientist don t worry. That didn t stop Van Gogh from expressing his vision of Starry Night. Even Edna St. Vincent Millay contemplated the heavens: I, too, have mused upon the way the sun comes up and makes the day.until it seemed I must behold Immensity made manifold.the ticking of Eternity. That s the magic of Stardust! Whether we be poet, painter or partisan we are all children of the cosmos, free to express our starring worldview, under the same sky. PRAWDA LEZY w GWIAZDACH From the Polish Truth lies in the stars JAB MAIN MERE ANDAR DEKHO, MAIN CHEEJON KO BANAANE KE LIE. From the Hindi When I look inside of me, I create things. Rosemary McFarland Advances in Outer Space Recycling ECO-Info How astronauts on the International Space Station recycle to conserve resources It s been nearly 50 years since astronaut Neil Armstrong uttered those famous words, One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind, during the first lunar landing. Humanity s reach into the solar system has grown exponentially since the Apollo missions, as rovers now explore Mars surface and a space probe orbits the gas giant Jupiter. As astronauts prepare for long-term missions into deep space, researchers study how to conserve and optimize resources to increase efficiency. To do this, researchers rely on recycling technology. Currently on the International Space Station (ISS), trash is stored in bags and containers until an unmanned cargo vessel arrives. Astronauts empty the vessel of fresh supplies, pack it with trash, and send it back to Earth where the vessel safely burns up while re-entering the atmosphere. In February 2016, astronauts on the ISS launched a cargo vessel filled with 1.5 tons of trash into the atmosphere above the Pacific, where the trash incinerated. Researchers agree this isn t the best way to dispose of space trash. Jettisoning items into the atmosphere creates a lot of space debris, dangerous to other spacecrafts and orbiting satellites From the Resource

6 Page 6 Your Session in September 2016 Clerk s Report: Communion was served on the first Sunday in September. Carol Mason was elected as the commissioner to the General Presbytery Meeting on September 15 at First Presbyterian of Bel Air. Purity Njagi s change of membership from affiliate to full status was approved. She and Marion Wilson, who is re-activating her membership, will be received by the Congregation on Sunday, September 18th. A review of the rolls was made and letters will be sent to those who may be moved to inactive status, requesting that their intent be confirmed. Committee Reports: Tom Koch, chairman of the Nominating Committee reported that Darrell Wheeler and Alma Smith have agreed to be candidates for the Nominating Committee. Their names will be presented for election at a Congregational Meeting on October 9. It was determined that the Personnel Committee will be a Session sub-committee. Tom Koch, Donna Mistr, and Mary Jo Zimbro will serve for three years or until their Session term is completed. The Manual of Operations will be edited to reflect this. Pastoral Considerations and Transitions Report: J Wright, as treasurer, will be asked to summarize the Financial Review results during service on September 25. Printed copies of the summary will be available at that time. The Interim Pastor contract was renewed for a three month term and will run from Nov. 15, 2016 through February 15, The Pastor Nominating Committee will begin meeting on September 20th, in consultation with the Rev. Jeanne Gay. The committee will elect leadership, and learn about the process of selecting the new minister at this meeting. Next they will begin compiling MPC s profile that will be posted online for potential candidates. Before posting, this report will need to be approved by both the Session and the Committee on Ministry. We will kick off a Stewardship Campaign on October 16th. Members of the congregation will provide testimonials on four Sundays; a stewardship letter, including a pledge card will be mailed; and pledge cards will be collected during the offering on November 20th. The Session approved our continued support of the Covenant Network and also registering with the More Light Presbyterians. Membership in these groups promotes awareness of our support for the LGBTQ community, and provides us with opportunities to minister to these groups. Old Business: Upon the recommendation of the treasurer, sign language funding will now be a part of the general worship budget. Fortunately, BGE has trimmed the trees in the utilities alleyway between MPC s property and our neighbors at no cost to us. There was concern that we were responsible for clearing that area. New Business: A reception for PJ Widerman and Vickie Sjolander (and possibly the Rebstocks) will be held during hospitality on October 9th. This is our opportunity to wish them well in their new endeavors. PRAYER: Carol Mason closed the meeting in prayer. Carol Mason

7 Page 7 Finance and Administration Summary September 2016 MPC operated with a modest loss of $890 during September. This further reduced year to date Operating Funds Available to ($5,177) at the end of the month. Contributions during the last quarter will largely determine whether or not MPC can break even (or better!) in YTD 9/30/16 Income and Expense, Balance Sheet and Fund Highlights (Statements Available on Request) Operating Income: $ 131,232 Operating Expenses: $ 160,554 Operating Funds Available: $ (5,177)* Reconciled PNC Balance: $ 48,932 Restricted Fund Balances: Mission: $ 954 General: $ 8,681 Memorials: $ 44,098 Total Endowment: $ 375,485** *Operating Funds Available (OFA) is our reconciled bank balance, minus both payroll liabilities and the sum of restricted fund balances. MPC started 2016 with operating funds available, carried over from 2015, of $19,640. **This balance reflects an end-of-year update to actual market value on December 31, 2015, less Endowment withdrawals as the year progresses. J. Wright Witcher Free Milk No Reservations Required

8 October Activities MPC News Magazine Maryland Presbyterian Church 1105 Providence Road Towson, Maryland Right: Lori Conway led an excellent Introduction to Contemplative Prayer Practices at a workshop on October1st. Left: Child Health Foundation Greeting Card Sale: October 23rd. Right: Dr. Laurie-Taylor Mitchell gave an excellent presentation about Food For Thought on Oct. 16th. Mission: To be a welcoming, progressive faith community, nurturing inquisitive Christians for life and service in the twenty-first century. Thursday Choir rehearsal 7:30 PM Sunday Worship 11:00 AM Communion First Sunday of each month Church Staff Rev. Bill Sitterley, Interim Minister Greg Metzler, Director of Music Dale Salah, Administrative Director Anne E. Culbertson, Choir Section Leader Kathy Ramirez, Custodian November 2016 Wed 2 Contemplative Prayer 7:00 PM Sun 6 Coffee and Theology 9:30 AM; All Saints Sunday Worship 11:00 AM Wed 9 Contemplative Prayer 7:00 PM Sun 13 Sojourner Sunday 9:30; Worship 11:00 AM; Faith Journey Group 4:00 PM Mon 14 Finance 6:30 PM Tue 15 Session 6:30 PM Sun 20 Coffee and Theology 9:30 AM; Harvest Sunday Worship 11:00 AM; Mon 21 Mission Action Group 6:30 PM Thu 24 Thanksgiving Sun 27 Worship 11:00 AM Visit our website at Facebook and Twitter