WORSHIP AT STONE IN MAY

Transcription

1 May 2010 THE CORNER STONE Stone Church ~ The Church on the Green 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 AT STONE IN MAY May 2, th Sunday of Easter Acts 11:1-18 Peter s vision of inclusion changes the church. Psalm 148 Heaven and earth praise the Lord! Revelation 21:1-6 John sees the new heaven and new earth. John 13:31-35 Jesus gives a new commandment. Sermon God s Embrace May 9, th Sunday of Easter Acts 16:9-15 Paul baptizes Lydia. Psalm 67 May all the nations offer praise. Revelation 21:10, 22B-22:5 the new Jerusalem John 5:1-9 Jesus heals a paralyzed man. Sermon A Stream in Macedonia Thursday, May 13 Taizé A service of quiet meditation, chant-like song, candlelight prayer, silence and scripture. May 16, 2010 Ascension Sunday Hymn Sing Service: Uplifting Hymns! Acts 1:1, 6-8 Jesus questioned about the future. Psalm 47 The Lord has gone up with a shout. Ephesians 1:15-23 God has enthroned Christ over all things. Luke 24:44-53 Jesus ascends into heaven. May 23, 2010 Pentecost The Lord s Supper Acts 2:1-21 The Spirit rushes down on the disciples. Psalm 104:24-34, 35b The Spirit of God renews the earth. Romans 8:14-27 The Spirit prays with us and through us. John 14:8-17 Jesus promises the Holy Spirit. Sermon Spirituality 101 May 30, 2010 Trinity The Lord s Supper Proverbs 8:1-4, The divine Wisdom was with God in the Beginning. Psalm 8 Who are we that God is mindful of us? Romans 5:1-5 God s love poured into our hearts through the Spirit. John 16:12-15 The Spirit guides us in truth. Sermon Spirituality 401

2 Page 2 Welcome to May I remember as a kid having a May Day celebration at church. The Sunday School teachers would plant a Maypole in the church lawn; streamers would be attached to the top, and we kids would each be handed the end of a streamer to dance around the pole until it was tightly wound with colors crepe. I wonder if those Sunday School teachers had any idea that the custom of the Maypole was a Germanic, pagan fertility rite!? It does not take a Sigmund Freud to figure out what that tall pole represented! THE CORNER STONE PASTOR S C O R N E R An ancestor of mine, William Bradford, governor of Plymouth colony, wrote contemptuously of an incident in which a number of indentured servants set up a maypole in the center of their settlement: They set up a Maypole, drinking and dancing about it for several days at a time, inviting the Indian women for their consorts, dancing and frisking together like so many fairies, or furies rather, to say nothing of worse practices. It was as if they had revived the celebrated feasts of the Roman goddess Flora, or the beastly practices of the mad Bacchanalians.* As Christians we often feel the tension of living a life of discipleship (with its rhythms of the Christian year and the story it tells) in a secular culture (with its own calendar and traditions). The month that lies ahead of us is full of blessings: the bursting buds and cheerful birds, the early flowers and the greening grass. It is also the month in which we observe and celebrate the Ascension of the Lord, Pentecost and Trinity Sunday. What our culture calls Mother s Day we at Stone are dubbing Blanket Sunday, a time to remember that God s maternal embrace extends to the whole human family and that we have an opportunity to share in that reality through our support of Church World Service s mission to provide the shelter, utility and comfort that blankets represent to distressed/displaced mothers and their children around the world. Also in May you will engage in an inspiring hymn sing while I am in Houston and Dallas doing storytelling with three Texas churches. On May 6 I will be accompanied by Grace Whittemore, taking the Lord s Supper to our homebound. On May 20 I will offer the prayer at the Kiwanis Community Prayer Breakfast. On May 25 I was to have been installed as Moderator of Presbytery at its meeting at Paris, but the Council has decided (in light of the Presbytery's state of transition) to keep me in the Vice Moderator position for one more year, moving me to Moderator in for a two year term instead of the customary one! And the last weekend in May I will lead a memorial service for my mother in her hometown church in Pennsylvania. The currents and tides of our lives wash over the calendar. And all time is God s time. Blessings on your merry month of May! Deepeace, * accessed am EDT

3 Page 3 A carillon will soon chime the hour! God is working with us at Stone! Many generous donations have been sent to us for replacement of the carillon. The latest was a grant of $4,375 from the Andy Mazloom Fund of the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties! We are also receiving a $500 donation from the Questers. We now have the $9,000 we have needed to order a new carillon!!! Thank you so much to all of you who have contributed so generously over the past months. The music will soon be back in Clinton. Thank you! Dave Forbes Mother s Day/Blanket Sunday Celebrate Mother s Day with a contribution to the Church World Service Blanket program. What a wonderful way of remembering those who provided warmth and love by sharing that warm feeling with others. By donating to the Blanket program, you will help mothers around the world care for their children. Light weight blankets are available at this time of the year for chilly nights and mornings. Envelopes are available in the pew (and cards to honor moms are on the back table) or you may send your donation to the church office. Please make your check out to the church. Many of you have seen our new logo in the bulletin and probably wondered about it. We are planning the first annual Stone Soup Storytelling Festival for June of The 3 day event will consist of a variety of storytelling at various venues in the community and culminate with worship on Sunday morning at Stone Church that will center around biblical storytelling. Our goals and objectives include: to fulfill our mission of Sharing God s Stories; to demonstrate that we are a vibrant, active community-oriented church; to create an interest in children and young adults in storytelling and in God s story that will carry over to youth oriented programs of storytelling at Stone Church; to create an annual ongoing process, sponsored by Stone, to attract the community to the church and to the storytellers. We think it will be great fun! More information will be available as plans progress. Dave Forbes

4 Page 4 In case you are wondering, our officers are... Highlights of the April 12, 2010 Session Meeting Elders Class of 2010 Scott Leonard John Menard Lora Schilder Dave Wilbur Class of 2011 David Kolb John Stiefvater Class of 2012 Dave Forbes Donna Goodfriend Pat Joseph Lauralyn Kolb Mary Ann Stiefvater Deacons Class of 2010 Nikki Reynolds Joyce Wilbur Class of 2011 Midge Bakos Shelly Coe Jim Gavett Helen Leonard Class of 2012 Gil Adams Emily Hughes Grace Whittemore Noted that the Reverend Dennis Dewey was duly installed as pastor of Stone Presbyterian Church at the Utica Presbytery Meeting held Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at Stone Presbyterian Church. He is no longer our designated pastor. The clerk received a letter from presbytery thanking us for all the work we did to host the meeting and the installation. Donna Goodfriend did a fabulous job as our chief coordinator. The session voted to accept the auditors report, performed by Gene Lawson and Cecelia Gilbert. The report said everything was satisfactory, but did note that there are a number of expenses that, though there are receipts for all of them, simply noted as reimbursements without any further explanation. The Treasurer and Finance Committee will explore getting a corporate credit card and categorizing reimbursements more precisely. Note from the Treasurer The first quarter of 2010 ended in the black with income over expenses by more than $10,000. Thank you to all who gave pledges in advance. Recent donations for the carillon, including a grant of $4,375 from the Andy Mazloom Fund of the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties, have put us over the top and will allow us to purchase a new carillon soon. Questions? Contact Treasurer Shelly Coe at or mcoe@inbox.com. Correction Fundraising expenses for 2009 were approximately $143 instead of $800 as shown on the budget report initially. Thanks to pre-payment of pledges to date we are in the black, preserving our investment accounts. We will finalize the new Parish Group configurations next month. itech will be our new copier supplier. We will save money and own the new copier in 4-5 years. We received almost $5000 in donations since December for the carillon and the session voted to authorize the purchase of a new one, now that we have sufficient funds. The session reviewed the proposal for the Stone Soup Storytelling Festival (3SF) and voted to explicitly support the effort and provide $2500 initial seed money. Presbytery voted March 23, 2010 on the final terms from Access Federal Credit Union for us to mortgage the manse. We now move on through the court system for approval.

5 Page 5 Soup at School in Africa program will continue in new locations. With our next Soup At School in Africa Concert set for May 2, I had hoped to bring you news of the near completion of the well project at the Vezulwazi Primary School. Unfortunately, the current political situation in South Africa has made it necessary for a change of plans. The murder of a white right-wing extremist by two black farm workers has stirred up simmering racial tensions in the country, and although President Zuma has appealed for calm, the board of SASiA fears it would be unwise to finish the project at this time, since traveling in the townships is not safe for those who would do the work. They have instead identified two urban schools that are also in need of this solar system. I am including excerpts from Adrian Meyer's recent . Please note, that we will continue supporting the work of this organization. Please plan to attend our concert on Sunday, May 2, at 2 p.m. Continuation of the program is not in doubt whatsoever The situation is such only for South Africa. We have made great progress with the identification of schools in Kenya, Cameroon, Algeria, Ethiopia and Nigeria for inclusion in the SASA program. However, as we are not in a position to work directly with schools in the townships here, we recommend that we support needy schools that are located outside the townships in low-income urban areas There are a large number of these schools, where black students attend school as their parents have moved into urban areas after the abolition of apartheid in In these schools there are also white students whose parents are unemployed, and where the need for a food program exists We have two schools that we can invest the present funding into and where the investment of the American people will not be wasted: a. Hercules High School [West Pretoria Region] Our Program started there more than a decade ago, and we have the formal support of our Government to support this school. b. New Hope School [or Sonitus School] for children with disability [East Pretoria region]. Students here are needy and disabled, so I feel strongly about investment here. Both these schools really suffer financially and I can assure you that this will be a good investment choice. Both the schools have water wells that are basically inoperable due to the high cost of electricity. We can therefore proceed immediately with the installation of the water tank and solar system at either of the schools. I took a lot of time to investigate whether our program as a whole has a future. My reaction is: [it] has very significant support in countries in Africa, and we are working hard to make it a success. In South Africa we have to move out of the townships to needy schools in urban areas. Here we are in a position to provide as important a service to orphans. In these schools we also have a better control over the donations, and are in a better position to monitor the results, for feedback to you. The resistance against such racial stirring up is limited to certain areas, and the supporters of this are a small minority. The many school students in our SASiA program are loyal and express themselves strongly against such activities... [and] express the opinion that such racial stirring is extremely bad for the country, and limits their prospects for the future. Please pray for the children of South Africa. Lauralyn Kolb

6 Page 6 Stone Storytellers Are Busy The Stone Storytellers have been very busy over the past month and have many plans for the future. On Palm Sunday evening about 150 guests filled the pews to hear the telling of the Gospel of John. Led by Dennis the rest of the troupe joined in with selected stories from John. The Reynolds family - Larry, Nikki and Owen, Sherry Robinson, Joyce Wilbur, Pat Joseph, Donna Goodfriend, Scott Leonard, Dave Forbes (who came back from South Carolina early), Katrina Schell, and David Kolb all did a great job. What happens next year since we have done all four gospels? Stick around to see. Some members of the group have been meeting with Hamilton College students at the Chapel once a month while Rev. Jeff McArn is in Scotland for the semester. Coming soon is the summer music and storytelling program being planned for the week that school ends. This is being planned by Donna Goodfriend and Lorraine Fay. You will be hearing more about this as the weeks go by. The long range plans are for The Stone Soup Storytelling Festival, planned for June 10, 11, and 12, This will be a community wide festival with both biblical and secular stories being told in various venues around town. Tentative plans include food booths, craft sales, children s stories and an open mic time for all interested. Plans are underway and more volunteers who may be interested in contributing should talk to Rev. Dewey or Dave Forbes. Pat Joseph Thank you notes There are many kinds of ministry that taken together constitute the mission of Stone Presbyterian Church. We are grateful for all who minister in ways great and small. This month we extend our thanks to Ceil Gilbert, Donna Goodfriend, Emily Hughes, and Bev Miller for providing refreshments on Sunday, March 28th following the Stone Storytellers performance of the Gospel of John.... the Women s Association for purchasing soup bowls for the kitchen.... Midge Bakos for setting up the Easter garden in the sanctuary.... Grace Whittemore, Donna Goodfriend, and Midge Bakos for arranging the Easter flowers in the sanctuary.... Ceil Gilbert, Barbara Stockbridge, Bev Miller, Donna Goodfriend, Grace Whittemore, and Judy LaGasse for providing a delicious Good Friday luncheon.... the Stone Storytellers for leading worship on Sunday, April Buzz Joseph for his chili after church on April Ken Coe for the shelves and lock so that we can move some fair trade items to the narthex. Note: If you d like to express thanks for a service ministry someone has done, please let us know and we ll include it in a future newsletter.

7 Page 7 Congratulations, graduates! Stephanie Leonard Stephanie officially graduated in December 2009 from Cornell University with a B.S. in Human Biology, Health, and Society and a minor in Global Health. This past semester, she has been conducting research for one of her professors and will attend commencement on May 30. She plans to go to Santa Barbara and work for a year before going for a master s degree. Her goal is to work in the Public Health field. Sarah Machold Sarah graduates from Siena College May 16 and will receive a B.A. degree in Psychology. She will attend the University of South Carolina in August working for a 2 year MSW degree in counseling. She is already working at SUNY IT in the business office for the summer. Kate Monohan Kate receives her B.A. degree in Journalism from the University of Connecticut May 9. She plans to attend Syracuse University in the fall entering the Newhouse School of Communication and Public Relations for a master s degree. Oliver Mushtare Oliver graduates from SUNY Cortland May 23 with a B.A. in Political Science and hopes to further his education in a law school to study Constitutional Law. Are you graduating? If you are graduating from high school or college this spring, please let the church office ( , stonepres@verizon.net) know so we can put your name in our June newsletter. Thanks! Spring Cleaning Our first group Spring cleaning day at Stone Church was Saturday morning, April 17. We organized and cleaned most of the downstairs kitchen and some of the dining room. I want to thank Sherry Robinson, John Menard, Dave and Joyce Wilbur, Grace Whittemore and Hal Rance. We all had fun and a lot of laughs. Our next cleaning session will be sometime in May. Check your bulletins for the date. Thank you! Memorial Committee s News Vacation season begins soon for many Stone families. Lively exchanges will probably occur especially in these very volatile times. An opportunity to talk about Stone Church could be a time for your suggestion of the Memorial Fund as your preference for gift giving. We would like to complete the restoration in stabilizing our beautiful windows - a ten-year project - as well as several worship and study enhancements. We invite your participation on the committee. Call Emily Hughes at Linda Rance

8 Page 8 Historical Period Revisited A Glimpse into Stone Church s Past Old Stone Church Fire - July 10, 1876 Research into the fire is limited. Clinton Couriers were microfilmed with the exception of a few issues in 1876 that included the July 13, 1876 Courier. The Utica Morning Herald and an article from the September 17, 1953 Clinton Courier recapping the Stone Church fire provides insight into that fateful Monday afternoon July 10, The origin of the fire really dates back to Saturday night at the Condon property on College Street that originally had been a saloon and considered an eyesore to the village. The saloon had not been occupied for some time. It was fired by an incendiary and the firemen quickly extinguished the fire. But on Monday and with a light breeze present, the property was the scene of a brisk fire that was being carefully watched. At 4 p.m. that afternoon, the danger to the church had not been anticipated and a small curl of smoke was seen coming out of the bell tower. The firemen quickly put their new hand pumper to the test positioning it by the park fountain. courtesy of Mel and Evelyn Edwards However, the wind started whistling and soon the tower s flames were too formidable to conquer at such a height against the advantage of the strong upward draft. The steeple swayed to the west and fell upon the burning Mannering Block. The fire department fought valiantly to prevent falling cinders and intense heat from igniting the Willard property east of the church. Meanwhile, the Utica Fire Department had received a telegram at 4:30 p.m. asking for assistance but their fire department had to wait for the departure of the train at 5:15 p.m. for transportation. They arrived too late to be of much help except to quench the embers. They used 1600 feet of hose for water from the Chenango Canal. The community really responded with an outpouring of support for both fire departments with sandwiches, iced tea, and lemonade. The Utica Department complimented the Clinton ladies and gentlemen who provided food and entertained them so hospitably. The old clock struck four just before the cupola tower, bell and clock tumbled over upon the Mannering Block. The west wall fell outward at about 6:30 p.m. The property east of the church had to be destroyed because the woodwork was considered extremely flammable due to the intense heat from the fire. The total loss to the church was $47,000. Linked to the community by sacred and pleasant memories, the people were disheartened but voted a week later at a congregational meeting to rebuild at once. Midge Bakos

9 Page 9 Baby Kits for those in need As part of our ongoing mission to help those in the greatest need around the world, following is a list of items needed for baby kits to be made and sent to Church World Service. Each kit costs about $39.00 to assemble and $2.00 should accompany each kit in order that CWS has the funds needed to send them to the poverty stricken corners of the world. Assembled Baby Care Kits may be left in the Norton Room or on the table in the back of the Sanctuary in a box so labeled. To assemble a Baby Care Kit you will need: Six cloth diapers Two T-shirts or undershirts (no onesies) Two washcloths Two gowns or sleepers Two diaper pins One sweater or sweatshirt (Can be hand knitted or crocheted) Two receiving blankets (one can be a hand-knitted or crocheted baby blanket) Items must be new and under 12 months in size. Wrap items inside one of the receiving blankets and secure with both diaper pins. Questions? Contact Grace Whittemore, A Very Successful Pie Sale! We would like to thank everyone who baked, bought or worked at our annual spring pie sale on Saturday, April 17th. We raised $ to be used for our many Mission projects. Women's Association Hope House Needs Hope House is in need of the following items: Broths (especially low sodium), pepper, Italian seasoning, all hygiene products (both large and small sizes), books (especially for kids) and umbrellas for a possible spring giveaway. Please leave items in the Norton Room. Questions? Contact Ceil Gilbert, No Cooking Necessary! Many thanks to all of the Stone Church members and friends who 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. Please add this rewarding opportunity to your schedule! Sign up now in the sanctuary! Questions? Call Ceil Gilbert,

10 Page 10 Remember in Prayer Gil Adams Family Kaytryn Bentley and Family Dortha and Bill Glaser Carrigan and Katrina Lori Sherwood Doris Locke Fay Brandis and Family Eleanor Palmer Elaine Schmidt and Family Allen Solomon Britcher Family Kurt Whittemore Lori Chamberlain and Family Peter Forrester Ginny Francis and family Brenda Sue Bishop Peter Bishop, Sue Bishop s son Bill Henry Marilyn Wood Rosalie Lauber Keith Dewey & Dennis brothers and sisters and extended family 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. May Ushers May 2 May 9 May 16 May 23 May 30 Jim Gavett & Helen Leonard Doris Locke & Midge Bakos Judy & Gary LaGasse Hal & Linda Rance Ceil Gilbert & Midge Bakos Mark your calendars now! Don t miss these upcoming events: May Birthdays Happy Anniversary!!! May 2 - Soup at School concert May 9 - Blanket Sunday June 19 - Strawberry Festival June 29 to July 1 - Storytelling and Music Camp August 28 - Art and Music Festival October 22 - Retreat Watch for more details in Sunday bulletins and the June issue of. What do Presbyterians believe...? Ever wondered? Well, if you have access to the internet, just go to believe.htm and you can find out! Eleanor Palmer has moved to an assisted living facility in Pinehurst, North Carolina. She can be reached at her daughter s address: 80 Tamarisk Lane Pinehurst, NC We wish Eleanor and her family our very best! Gene & Wilma Lawson Pat & Buzz Joseph May Hosts May 2 Jim Gavett & Helen Leonard May 9 Sherry Robinson May 16 Elaine Mushtare May 23 Emily Hughes May 30 Pat Joseph 4 - Alan Petrie 6 - Donna Goodfriend 8 - Hal Rance 10 - Jesse Miller Leanne Hirshfield 11 - Fay Brandis 16 - Debbie Altdoerffer Sara Coe 17 - Sue Raitt 18 - Paige Pavlot 22 - Hannah Rosenstein 24 - Audrey Russo 25 - Ralph Newell 26 - Debbie LaFont 29 - Dianne Tuttle 31 - Elaine Mushtare

11 Page 11 Book Club The next Book Club meeting will be on May 15 at 9 a.m. We will be finishing up the current study at this time and then will be discussing A Shepherd s Look at the 23rd Psalm by Philip Keller. Questions? Call Joyce Wilbur, Save the dates October 22-23, 2010 Community Prayer Breakfast Thursday, May 20 7:00-8:30 a.m. Lutheran Care Ministries, Community Room 110 Utica Street, Clinton The guest speaker, David Mathis, Oneida County Workforce Development, will speak on Scouting for Work. Rev. Dennis Dewey will lead the annual prayer for our community, state, nation and world. And the usual, tasty breakfast buffet will be provided. Advance registration is appreciated. Call or Rudge44@aol.com. This event is open to the public and is not a fund raiser, so the cost is just $8 for the food. Hosted by Clinton Kiwanis Club Kirkland Community Bloodmobile Saturday, May 8, :00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. VFW Post Franklin Avenue, Clinton, NY for Stone Church s Retreat at Christ the King Spiritual Life Center in Greenwich, New York (North of Albany). This overnight experience will be a time of fellowship and spiritual renewal. We ll conclude with a visit to the New Skete Monastery for vespers on Saturday afternoon and then have dinner at Boca DiBepo Italian Ristorante in Albany. Questions? See Dennis Dewey. New and past blood donors needed. Please note that there is an ongoing need for 0, A-, & B- type blood. Contact Bill Rudge at or Rudge44@aol.com to schedule your appointment. Double Red donation appointments for 0-, 0+, A-, and B- only. Walk-ins are essential and will be very welcomed. Sponsored by Kirkland Community Organizations Note: Stone Church will provide lunch for the workers. Scout News Troop 9 had a fun weekend of camping at Camp Woodland in Constantia, NY on March 27. Scouts worked on Scout skills and advancement work. On May 1 Troop 9 is planning to work with Pack 9 Cub Scouts on a service project at Erie Canal Village in Rome. The Scouts will be repairing a walking path and a small bridge which leads visitors from the site of old Fort Bull to a very old, historic tree which dates from the 1700s. The staff and historians of Erie Canal Village will direct the work of the Scouts and also tell them about the history of the site. After the work project, the Scouts will camp in the village for the night. The Troop is beginning to practice some Scout skills to showcase at the Centennial Encampment Camporee, which will be held from May 14 16, 2010 in Unadilla, NY. Troop 1 in Unadilla is the oldest continually chartered Boy Scout Troop in the US and will be hosting the event. Scouts will be working on map and compass skills. The Troop will continue our work on the Traffic Safety merit badge in April and May, including instruction on bike safety just in time for spring bike trips. Yours in Scouting, Submitted by Gerry Gogel, Troop 9 Committee Chair

12 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 Rev. Dennis Dewey, Pastor Home Phone: ; Cell (emergencies): Rev. Gerald R. Platz, Pastor Emeritus Director of Music: G. Roberts Kolb Sexton: Cros Harvey Treasurer: Shelly Coe Clerk of Session: Scott Leonard Office Manager: Peggy Weldon Newsletter Editor: Midge Bakos Office: Church Office hours: 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday Newsletter collators Many thanks to Midge Bakos, Carolyn Barnum, Trudi Christeler, and Barbara Stockbridge. Please note The deadline for the June issue of the newsletter is Wednesday, May 19. Contact Midge Bakos, editor, , with articles for submission.