The Corner Stone Stone Church ~ The Church on the Green

Transcription

1 Stone Church ~ The Church on the Green February 2017 The purpose of Stone Church is to be an inviting, spiritual community of Christ, engaging in worship that inspires and challenges us to learn and grow as we reach out in caring and service, trusting in the love of God. WORSHIP IN FEBRUARY February 5, th Sunday after Epiphany (Communion) Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12) God rejects false worship. Psalm 112:1-9 (10) The blessings of the righteous 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16) God's wisdom revealed through the Spirit Matthew 5:13-20 Jesus has come to fulfill the law and prophets. Told by Sherry Robinson Sermon: The Power of the Human Spirit Scott Leonard, CLP preaching February 12, th Sunday after Epiphany (and Installation of Officers) Deuteronomy 30:15-20 Choose life! Psalm 119:1-8 Happy are those who observe God s law. 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 Paul is saddened by divisions in the church. Told by Donna Goodfriend Matthew 5:21-37 Jesus goes beyond the requirements of the law. Sermon: Standards and Practices Scott Leonard, CLP preaching February 19, th Sunday after Epiphany Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18 The law comes down to love. Psalm 119:33-40 Teach me, O Lord, the way of your law. 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, We are all builders of God s temple. Told by Donna Goodfriend Matthew 5:38-48 Not retaliation, but love The Rev. Jeff McArn preaching February 26, 2017 Transfiguration Sunday (Communion) Exodus 24:12-18 Moses encounters the glory of God on mountain top. Told by Donna Goodfriend Psalm 99 Worship on God s holy mountain. 2 Peter 1:16-21 God bore witness to the truth on the mountain. Matthew 17:1-9 Jesus is transfigured on the mountain. Sermon: Glory Days Scott Leonard, CLP preaching

2 Page 2 What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Juliet in Shakespeare s Romeo and Juliet, Act II Scene II Would it really? If a rose bush were called an odiferous pricker, would we really think of it the same? In fact in the play, Juliet is lamenting that Romeo s last name is Montague while hers is Capulet, two families that, for unstated reasons, have a long-standing family feud. Should it really matter what their names are? Can t they just live together anyway, happily ever after? Well, they don t call Romeo and Juliet a tragedy for nothing. T H E P A S T O R S C O R N E R Names do matter. When someone insulted you as a child, you probably said at one time or another, Sticks and stones will break my bones, but names will never hurt me! More times than not, though, you probably were fighting back the tears when you said it. Names matter because they can become labels so that in people s eyes when they hear the name, they immediately associate a number of notions with it. If you say, I am a Republican or I am a Democrat, there are immediate, sometimes visceral, reactions and fixed ideas about the kind of person you are or what you believe, often unfairly or inaccurately. Jesus had this problem. People tried to pin him down whether he was the Messiah or not. He tried to be circumspect in public because when he said he was the Anointed One (Messiah), he meant something very different than people s concept. He tended to call himself obliquely (in the third person) the Son of Man, an enigmatic title that scholars argue about even today, but was clear he was talking about being sent by God. After the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus his disciples and followers didn t really have a name. They were Jews (for the most part), but going down a different path because they saw Jesus as the fulfilment of the Torah. As a consequence, apparently for a while they were called people of the Way (Acts 9:2). They were first called Christians probably a dozen years or so after the crucifixion in Antioch, Syria (Acts 11:26), perhaps first as an insult then as a badge of honor. Almost 2,000 years later, though, if you say, I am a Christian, that means widely things to different people. So much so that some people end up saying, I m not *that* kind of Christian (in response to whatever that was about). I share that concern because I ve struggled with the label of Christian myself. In my own faith journey I wasn t sure if I was a scholarly Christian or a Christian scholar and tended to think I wasn t much of either. Over the past few years I ve felt a better description was a follower of Christ because it is easier to discuss what it means to *do* than to *be*. We fall short of being the Christian, but we can still say we are actively following Jesus, sometimes stumbling, sometimes falling, but always trying to keep on the path, to be People of the Way. We can look at what Jesus calls us to do and in response to God s grace try to do it, which, only slightly simplified, is to worship God and help those in need, particularly those on the fringes of society, with a free and open heart. In a similar manner to call ourselves a church can also be a bit opaque these days as it literally was when we hosted the Clinton Chamber of Commerce monthly networking breakfast on January 4. So many attendees were surprised by what they saw behind our stone edifice bright, clean, well-maintained rooms, a Fair Trade Shop that rivals any commercial business in style and class, and a story of all our missions we support. Our church got in the way of seeing our church. Because to be a church is more than just being a follower of Christ; we must be a community of faith, a people that are in communion with one another and with God. And as a community of faith that means we need to be in the community at large where we can show and live out what it means to be a follower of Christ, thanks to the grace of God. In name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen. Shalom,

3 Page 3 Annual Congregational Meeting The Annual Meeting of the Congregation of Stone Presbyterian Church was held in conjunction with worship on Sunday, January 22, The committee reports were highlighted with all we accomplished in The only official business was the election of officers. The congregation voted to accept the Nominating Committee s slate of candidates for session: Elizabeth Smith and Mary Ann Stiefvater renewing terms and David Duncan to serve his first term (ever) and for deacons: Judy LaGasse, Gary LaGasse, and Brooke Villiere renewing terms and Grace Whittemore, Helen Leonard, and Jim Gavett coming back on the board. Below is the list of all the officers. We thank the Nominating Committee elder Elizabeth Smith (chair), deacon Bev Miller, members-at-large Ceil Gilbert, Jim Gavett, and Lauralyn Kolb for all their hard work. We also thank those coming off session, John Stiefvater, and off deacons, Hal and Linda Rance, for their many years of faithful and dedicated service! Ordination and Installation of officers will be conducted during worship on February 12. Elders Class of 2017: Donna Goodfriend John Menard Peter Massi Class of 2018: Mary Ann Stiefvater Sherry Robinson Emily Hughes Class of 2019: Elizabeth Smith David Duncan The annual joint meeting of the deacons and the session will be held 7:00 p.m. Monday, February 13, Deacons Class of 2017: Mary Chamberlain Emily Massi Class of 2018: Gary LaGasse Judy LaGasse Bev Miller Class of 2019: Jim Gavett Helen Leonard Brooke Villiere Grace Whittemore Thanks, Hamilton! Thanks to Aaron Oh ('18) and Ben Walsh ('19) from Hamilton College's HAVOC group for coming on Saturday, January 21 to Stone Church from noon to 3:00 p.m. to help get our study, Sunday School room, Christian Ed room, and toddler room ship shape! Under the enthusiastic direction and help from Elizabeth Smith along with Helen and Scott Leonard a lot got done (and pitched)! Aaron Oh ( 18), Ben Walsh ( 19)

4 Page 4 Church is a gift from God. Some assembly required. And assemble we did in the Church dining room on Saturday, January 14. Not only did we assemble (as in gathering together), we assembled (as in putting together) 124 delicious meals for Your Neighbors. What fun we had as we organized the various casseroles, meats, vegetables, fruits and, of course, Brooke s cookies, into well-balanced, interesting meals. Once the meals were portioned into the dishes, we applied lids, enclosed them in a plastic bag, included a menu and stacked them in cardboard cartons. When Carole Grove, Your Neighbors marvelous liaison to Stone Church, arrived, all that was left to do was carry the cartons to her car. She expressed her most sincere appreciation for our generosity with a follow-up , saying: Thank you and thank your group for such a successful cooking event. I had one of our freezers completely empty and now it s completely full. You have really helped us come out of the Christmas slump! I cannot say it any better. Thank you all for your generous contributions, whether financial support, meals and/or help on Saturday. We truly are a group that knows how to assemble to do God s work. Mary Ann Stiefvater Country Pantry Update The Country Pantry will continue to collect soup, chili, peanut butter, and beef stew. Please note that loose change collected in worship on the third Sundays of each month is sent to the Country Pantry. Thank you for your generosity! Questions? See Judy LaGasse. Budget Review David Duncan, our Finance Committee Chair, conducted an informal review after worship on January 15 in the Norton Room of the budget that the session approved. The purpose was to review in some detail with the congregation the 2017 budget as well as how 2016 came out. The good news was that we finished 2016 in the black for the first time in memory, thanks to reduced expenses and a bequest from Gil Palmer!

5 Page 5 Historical Period Revisited A Glimpse into Stone Church s Past The Game Room /Boy Scout Room transformed into a Fair Trade Shop After over forty years with nothing but a dirt cellar below the sanctuary, the Men s Club poured a 3 inch concrete floor on the Williams St. side of the church in The men constructed side walls along the left center aisle of the basement and a ceiling at no cost to the trustees. Not long after, two bowling alleys donated from Hamilton College were installed. Later table shuffleboard and floor shuffleboard were added. When the men s club ceased to exist, the bowling alleys were no longer properly maintained. Boy Scout Troop 9 moved into that room after Rob Willson removed the alleys as his Eagle Scout Award project. By 2014, the troop had dwindled in size to only two scouts. Adam Blanks, for his Eagle Scout Award project, helped in readying the room into useable space for the Fair Trade Shop by the end of that year. Let s back up a bit to the fall of 2003, when the Mission Committee headed by Elaine Mushtare, introduced the Presbyterian Coffee Project to sell coffee and tea products through the Equal Exchange fair trade organization. All Presbyterian churches were encouraged to take part. We considered the coffee project a mission where members of the church could contribute as buyers. Different flavored coffees were tried at the Sunday coffee hour and it became obvious the people enjoyed the coffee. With the increase in sales, chocolate bars were added. A Fair Trade Shop was not even envisioned at this time! George and Carole Grove had both been to Nicaragua (an economically poor country) and shared a slide presentation of the production of the Equal Exchange coffee. That program inspired more sales. Two years later soups and jams were added. By 2006, items of jewelry from SERRV International were introduced and with the growth of sales a suggestion was made to sell our products at the Farmer s Market. Pat and Buzz Joseph, who tirelessly donated their time to haul equipment and goods to the Farmer s Market also provided a canopy for shade and protection from inclement weather. Many volunteers helped with the set up, sales and toting items back to the church at closing time. Sales were over $1000 that year. In 2007, Hannah Rosenstein named our project Building Stones Fair Trade Shoppe and that sign was hung on the canopy each week. When customers asked, we explained that money went directly to the people producing the goods at a fair price for their product as a mission sponsored by our church. Maggie s Organics, clothing made from organically grown cotton, was added next followed by (BeadforLife) jewelry (jewelry made from recycled paper) - a very popular product. Our items were stored in the former Christian Education office and sales were also sold from a portion of the Norton Room. Growth led to being open all year on Thursdays in the Norton Room 10-1 and 5-6:30 and later on we were open 10-6:30. In 2011 the Session voted to give seed money of $5500 to the project to order items wholesale. After reinvesting and buying wholesale, we were able to purchase more goods and the increased sales enabled us to pay the session back within two years. In 2012, Dave and Carol White joined us, bringing in their goods from Ten Thousand Villages and SERRV International. They had been selling goods out of their home for 20 years as their own personal mission project. Keeping their inventory separate from the church s inventory became problematic. So the decision was made for our shop to buy out their inventory which simplified bookkeeping. The Whites continued as volunteers for us a great asset to our cause. Dave White also helps with the computer where his expertise is valuable to us. Midge Bakos (to be continued)

6 Page 6 Clinton Chamber Networking Breakfast at Stone Church Stone Church hosted the Clinton Chamber of Commerce monthly networking breakfast 8:00-9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 4. Thanks to Jackie Walters, Chamber Director, and all the Chamber members who came and got to see the inside of our church, some for the first time and some not for a long time. Pastor Scott Leonard gave a little talk about the church and upcoming community events that we're sponsoring as well as giving a tour of the building, ending up, of course, at the "gift shop" (Building Stones Fair Trade Shoppe)! Thanks to all the church members who helped put on a spread to feed a village and make our visitors feel like guests: Linda Rance, Brooke Villiere, Donna Goodfriend, Mary Ann Stiefvater, John Stiefvater, Emily Hughes, Pat Joseph, and Helen Leonard. Bible Study The Stone Church Bible study meets every other Monday evening at 6 p.m. Everyone is welcome! Bring yourself, a friend, a relative, a neighbor and join the fun! Our February meeting dates are the 6th and the 20th. Hope to see you there! Questions? See Elizabeth Smith or Donna Goodfriend. Chocolate Lovers Sale Our annual Chocolate Lovers Sale will be held on Saturday, February 11 th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. We are asking for donations of any kind of chocolate goodies (pies being the most popular). If you are unable to bake, a monetary donation would be greatly appreciated. All proceeds from this sale will go to Hope House in Utica (a place where anyone can get a warm meal served with a smile). Come and help us celebrate Valentine s Day by purchasing something chocolate-y for yourself or some loved ones. Questions? Please see Ceil Gilbert or Donna Goodfriend. Welcome Jacob Massi! We welcomed a new soul into the world just before 2016 closed out. Blessings and joy on him and his parents Emily and Peter! When can I use the labyrinth? The labyrinth is available in the Stone Church sanctuary for those who would like to use it for prayer and meditation. The church is open Monday through Friday 8:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Also, the church is open Thursdays while the Fair Trade Shoppe is open until 6:30 p.m. Questions? See Lauralyn Kolb or Scott Leonard.

7 Page 7 WANTED: New Storytellers to Take Part in Our Palm Sunday Epic Telling of the Story of the Gospel of Matthew Have you ever found yourself listening to one of the storytellers during worship and thinking, I wonder what it s like to learn and tell a story from scripture? Well now it s your chance to find out! Every year since 2008 the Stone Storytellers have presented a gospel or other major event on a Sunday evening in the spring as our Epic Telling. This Palm Sunday evening, April 16 we plan to tell stories from the Gospel of Matthew. If you d like to take part, we d love to have you do so! It can be a one-time thing or the start of a regular thing! If you have the desire, you can become a storyteller, just like all the Stone Storytellers have! The Stone Storytellers focus on the spiritual dimension of learning the texts of scripture by heart, on improving our skills, and on taking what we have to offer out to other churches. We are uniquely blessed by God to have these gifted and committed people who so eagerly share the joy and vitality of telling the sacred texts by heart. We always welcome newcomers! The Stone Storytellers meet monthly (usually on the fourth Monday at 7:00 p.m.) at Stone Church to tell stories and make plans for telling the texts by heart in worship and at the Epic Telling. Our next meeting is scheduled for Monday, February 27. For more details see Scott Leonard. I will open my mouth in a story (Psalm 78:1). Reminder: Beginning February 11, 2017 you must start including the area code for all phone calls! Be sure to reserve Wednesday evenings in March for the Lenten video series hosted by St. James. Fair Trade Shoppe is having a sale! The Fair Trade Shoppe at Stone Presbyterian Church, 8 South Park Row in Clinton, will hold a 25% off Valentine s Day Sale from January 26 th through February 11 th. (Some restrictions apply.) The shop is open every Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and the 2 nd Saturday of every month from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For the sale, we will also be open on February 4. The shop sells fair trade products from around the world. Purchasing fair trade items ensures artisans and small farmers fair wages and healthy working conditions, providing dignity, sustainable development, and hope to marginalized people. Items include jewelry, accessories, collectibles, clothing, baskets, carved stone and wood, and much more. Gift certificates are available. Entrance is on Williams Street. For more information, call , visit our website at or like us on Facebook at Hope House thanks A huge thank you to the following people who volunteered at Hope House during It is always a wonderful and rewarding way to practice hands-on faith. Hope House could not exist without volunteers and Stone Church members have been graciously helping out for many years. Please forgive me if I have left out anyone. Mary Chamberlain Anne Dunn Emily Hughes Sarah Lalonde Helen Leonard Bev Miller Thank you, Ceil Gilbert, Coordinator Hal Rance Linda Rance John Stiefvater Carol White Dave White Grace Whittemore

8 Page 8 Deacons Corner THE BLACK DOT A few weeks ago I received an from a friend. It was an inspiring short story that has a real important lesson. The story is by Claire Terink. I feel this story is more worthwhile than what I planned to write so, here it is!!! One day a professor entered his classroom and asked the students to prepare for a surprise test. They all waited anxiously at their desk for the exam to begin. The professor handed out the exams facing down, as usual. Once he had handed them all out, he asked the class to turn over the papers. To everyone s surprise, there were no questions just a black dot in the center of the sheet of paper. The professor, seeing the surprise on everyone s faces, told them the following: I want you to write about what you see there. The students, confused, got started on this inexplicable task. At the end of the class, the professor took all the papers, and started reading each one of them out loud, in front of all the students. All of them, with no exception, defined the black dot, trying to explain its position in the center of the sheet. After all had been read, the classroom silent, the professor started to explain: I am not going to grade you on this, I just wanted to give you something to think about. No one wrote about the white part of the paper, everyone focused on the black dot and the same thing happens in our lives. We have a white piece of paper to enjoy, but we always focus on the dark spots. Our life is a gift given to us with love and care and we always have reasons to celebrate.nature renewing itself, our friends around us, the job that provides our livelihood and the miracles we see every day. The dark spots are very small when compared to everything we have in our lives, but they are the ones that pollute our mind. So, what is THE LESSON we should take away from this story? Take your eyes away from the dark dots in your life. Enjoy each one of your blessings each moment life gives you. Be happy and live a life filled with love!!!!! Hope you all enjoyed this meaningful story. Love & Peace, Your Deacons No Cooking Necessary! Many thanks to all of the Stone Church members and friends who faithfully serve dinner each month at Hope House. Your efforts are greatly appreciated! As always, volunteers are needed on the fourth Monday of each month at 3:00 p.m. A sign-up sheet is in the back of the sanctuary. Questions? Contact Ceil Gilbert. Hope House s Wish List This month s wish list includes the following: Food: breakfast cereal, coffee, sugar, hot chocolate, butter or margarine Toiletries: deodorant, shampoo, conditioner Paper goods: napkins, toilet paper Please leave items in the narthex. Questions? Contact Ceil Gilbert.

9 Page 9 Happy Birthday, Gene! Gene Lawson will celebrate his 96th birthday on February 27. Some of you may not remember that he moved to the Lutheran Home recently. Please send best wishes to: Gene Lawson Lutheran Home, Room Utica Rd. Clinton, NY or you can pay him a visit! February Birthdays 1 - John Gilbert 9 - Desiree Padgett 10 - David Goodfriend Elizabeth Menard 12 - Michele McDonough 13 - James Monohan Gayle Copfer 17 - Celeste Clawson 18 - Jill Pavlot 20 - Doris Locke 21 - Jesse Dewey 22 - Amanda Andrews Jim Gavett 24 - Craig Lalonde 27 - Eugene Lawson Remember in Prayer - Doris Locke - Danuta and Boleslaw (Ewa s parents) - Ewa Lawrence - Carole Grove - Courtney Britcher Gus and family - Family of Susanne Deborah Henderson Stickles - Judy Raney - Chris Woods and his family - Moore family - Joann - Lynn - Family of Gilbert Palmer - Family of Kelly Connors-Sugarman - Family of Robert Grozl - Family and friends of Carol Gilley - John Prall - Family of Wilma Lawson - Family of Laura Grace Eisenhower - Cheryl (Scott s nephew s mother-in-law) - Florence Morgan - Family of Shirley Sollinger - Esther Kanipe - Susanne Max (Emily Hughes sister) - Family of Keith Dewey (Dennis father) - Carolyn Barnum - Bishop/Huther families - Debra LaFont - Shirley and JoAnn Tolbert - Prayer of thanks for volunteers - Family of Eleanor Palmer - Refugees - Joy for the Menard/Coven families - Joy for the Leonard/Hirshfield families - Willis Monie - Robert Simon - Elizabeth Willson It s good to hear from the Mushtares! When Staples in Rome closed three years ago, Randy s new job took the family to Bath, NY. He now has a similar position at Rite Aid. When their daughter Taylor recently finished her internship at Virginia Tech, she was hired as head dietitian for the Mary Immaculate Hospital in Newport News, VA and loves it! Their son Oliver is working with a team of lawyers helping veterans at a large VA Center in Bath. The Mushtares older son, Jeremy, was recently appointed Deputy Commander of 82nd Airborne 2nd Brigade in the states after arriving safely home following a tour of nine months in Baghdad. Elaine continues working at CVS. In a recent note, she writes, I hope Stone Pres. keeps going. I know you have a very close congregation and we feel lucky to have been a part of it. Elaine and Randy Mushtare 49 Geneva St. Bath, NY Don t forget the Deacons! Please keep the Deacons in mind on the first Sunday of each month. All of the loose money collected on those Sundays goes to support the ministry of the Deacons.

10 Stone Presbyterian Church P.O. Box 33 (8 S. Park Row) Clinton, NY CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Clinton, NY Permit No. 37 Scott Leonard, Commissioned Lay Pastor Cell: Rev. Gerald R. Platz, Pastor Emeritus Director of Music: G. Roberts Kolb Sexton: Jesse Miller Office Manager: Peggy Weldon Clerk of Session: Sherry Robinson Treasurer: Peter Massi Newsletter Editor: Midge Bakos Office: Sunday Worship: 10:30 a.m.; Office hours: 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Monday-Friday Newsletter team Many thanks to Midge Bakos, Trudi Christeler and Bev Miller who have collated, folded, taped and labeled this issue of The Corner Stone just for you! Please note The deadline for the March issue of the newsletter is Monday, February 20. Contact Midge Bakos, editor, at with questions or comments. To see a color version of this newsletter in pdf format, visit stonepres.org.

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