The Church Chimes. North Shore United Methodist Church April Pastor paragraphs

Transcription

1 The Church Chimes North Shore United Methodist Church April 2016 Pastor paragraphs Dear friends, Each morning, before I begin my work day, I spend my early hours reading and reflecting on that morning s daily devotional. There are two of them that arrived in my box each day. One is from the Upper Room, and the other is the Stillspeaking Daily Devotional. Each one offers a scriptural reference, a reflection, and the prayer. Below, is a recent reflection from Stillspeaking that was published on March 10. I found the authors observation enlightening and helpful; perhaps you will too. Grace and peace, Pastor Glenna Functional Atheism. Molly Baskette "This command I gave them, 'Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people; and walk only in the way that I command you, so that it may be well with you.' Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but in the stubbornness of their evil will, they walked in their own counsels, and looked backward rather than forward." Jeremiah 7:23-24 A lot of us claim to believe in God, but then act as if everything depended on us, on our efforts and wisdom, on our ability to keep all the little planets of our concerns in perfect orbit around the great blasting sun of our inner control freak. Meanwhile, we are white-knuckling it all the way. Nadia Bolz Weber calls this "functional atheism." Some verbal hallmarks that you are a functional atheist: "I can handle this all by myself." "Don't worry about me." "Yup, just fine." 1

2 One of the great sicknesses of the 21st century is our solitariness, our isolation from each other and from God. We are allergic to asking for help and have a pathological fear of being thought "needy." Some of us will walk in our own counsel right off a cliff rather than show our vulnerability to another human being, or turn to God in prayer. Here's a news flash: You're just as God made you, and that includes being needy. Control freaks, perfectionists and fiercely independent types are not of much use to the God who made us to fit together, interlocking parts that hold the whole Creation in place. Prayer: God, I know my strong-man biceps are puny compared to what You can bench-press on a bad day with a migraine. Take away my shame that I really can't handle this all by myself, and use my neediness to show the world what Your power is really like. ********* MOLLY BASKETTE IS BETWEEN CHURCHES, WORKING ON TWO NEW BOOKS BEFORE STARTING HER NEXT CALL. YOU CAN READ MORE FROM HER IN HER TWO CURRENT OFFERINGS, REAL GOOD CHURCH AND NAKED BEFORE GOD 2

3 March 2, 1925 March 2, 2016 Our Deepest Condolences Our Deepest Condolences to Tull Monsees and family on the passing of his wife Carol Monsees to Rev. Barbara Javore and family & Mary Figueredo and family on the passing of their mother Helen J. Burczak Born into everlasting life December 20,

4 Our Deepest Condolences to Scott Javore and family on the passing of his brother James J. Javore August 8, 1944 ~ March 10, 2016 OUR THOUGHTS & PRAYERS Prayers for Phyllis Jones, the mother of Jim Simmons. Prayers for the family and friends of Carol Monsees as they mourn her loss. Prayers for the family and friends of Helen Burczak as they mourn her loss. Prayers for the family and friends of Jim Javore, Scott s brother, as they mourn his loss. Prayers for Carolina Ibarra. Ed Kemp and family. Linda Fetzer. Tull Monsees, who is at The Mather in Evanston. For all those in need of healing. For the unemployed and/or searching for meaningful work. Ruth Woods. For an end to gun violence in our cities. For the Refugees of the Middle East. 4

5 Dinner/Movie Night Friday, April p.m. The Fellowship Committee will invite the families participating in Family Promise during that Friday for dinner and a movie. To accommodate the children in those families, Disney s Madagascar will be featured. Please join us APRIL BIRTHDAYS 1 - Jenny Shults 3 - Emily Bloom 4 - Alice Muir 6 - Donna Kemp 7 - Mary Figueredo 8 - J. T. Compher 9 - Caroline Falk 10 - Richard Kirsch 11 - Mary Kate Scarafile 12 - Michael Gurtisen 18 - Rob Powell 20 - Les West 21 - Leslie Muir 27 - Bev Fetzer, ] Veronica Moskow 5

6 April Fools Day April Fools Day is not a national holiday in any country; however, the UK, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South America and the United States take the time to recognize it. The days celebrations take different forms throughout the world. In their volume, The Lore and Language of Schoolchildren (Oxford, 1967), Peter and Iona Opie explain an interesting aspect of this holiday. According to these authors; in the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South America, it is customary for April Fools Day pranks to end at noon on that day. Those who perform tricks beyond the assigned hour receive the title of being a fool. They further explained that the Scots dedicated the day to satires dealing with the buttocks, earning the day the name of Taily day. Some sources speculate that the kick me sign goes back to Scottish origins. A small variance of the kick me sign appears in French customs. Primarily, children (but also adults when appropriate) tape paper fish on each other s back and shout Poisson d'april (April Fish). It is not clear how fish came into the equation. Some people are of the opinion that the reason may have something to do the Zodiac sign of Pisces in the Julian calendar. Several theories about the day s origin exist. The earliest recorded suggestion of a connection between April 1st and foolishness comes from Chaucer s Canterbury Tales from Another possible origin may be the pagan Roman feast of Hilaria (Encyclopaedia Britannica) held on March 25. On the same day, Christians celebrated The Feast of the Annunciation. In Europe of the medieval times, March 25 also marked the beginning of the new year. It was Dionysius Exiguus in that in the year A.D. 525 who first instituted the Anno Domini and assigned March 25 at the beginning of the cycle. At that time, new year celebrations lasted for a week until April 1, 6

7 Some proclaim that the modern custom originated in France in 1564 when Charles IX decreed that the new year would no longer begin on Easter but rather on January 1. The speculation continues by indicating that news traveled very slowly at the time of the change, and so some people did not know about the change because of that. Those who knew played foolish pranks on those who did not, creating the beginning the fool s day. A major problem with this explanation of the Day s origin is that the Gregorian Calendar was not immediately adopted by all the nations of Europe in existence at the time primarily only Catholic countries adopted the calendar. Protestant countries did not accept the new calendar until April Fools Day was wellestablished in England before this time, as seen by Chaucer s reference to it in his work of Consequently, the unequivocal truth is that we do not know the exact origin of this day; nevertheless, something we hold true is that April Fools Day is a day filled with fun for adults and children alike, wherever celebrated. 7

8 Get Reacquainted With...By Ellen Paseltiner As Bev Fetzer described it, she was "born into" the North Shore United Methodist Church family. She has been in the choir since she was in third grade. Bev's grandparents, Ella and William Fox, were some of the founders of the church. The Foxes moved to Glencoe in 1909 from Englewood. There was no Methodist Church from the town of Wilmette to Highland Park at the time, so they joined with fellow Methodists to found North Shore Methodist Church. They built their house on Longwood. They also purchased property for the church sanctuary at the present corner of Greenleaf and Hazel, which they donated in The church sanctuary building was dedicated in The Foxes built the parsonage in the 1920's and expected to give it to the church, but the Great Depression hit, and they moved into the house. William Fox died, and Bev's grandmother lived in the house until 1946 when she moved in with Bev's parents at the Fetzer's present home on Greenleaf Avenue for another five years. At that time, Bob Pierce was the minister, and he and his family moved into the parsonage. Bev remembers Reverend Pierce hooking up a wire along the telephone poles from the church to her grandmother's bedroom in their Greenleaf house so that she could listen to the sermons when she could no longer attend. As Bev described her growing up at North Shore, "church was everything." It was their family's social life from going to church and Sunday school, to working at the bazaars, the rummage sales, and dinners. For Sunday school, Bev recalled that on Children's Day each June, they would receive a bar for the year of attendance. Bev still has the pin with its bars attached framed in her home. Bev said that there were two Sunday services when she was growing up - one at 9:30 a.m. and one at 11:00 a.m. The Junior Choir would sing at the 9:30 service. For confirmation, Bev still has her book that she made with articles and projects. She remembers attending Conference Point Camp at Lake Geneva for a week in the summertime when she was in middle school. Activities included vesper services, campfires, staying in cabins, crafts, water sports and spiritual lessons. One vivid memory 8

9 that Bev has about Sunday school class was the time her teacher, Mrs. Buck, told her story of a near death experience. Mrs. Buck had undergone an operation and apparently "died on the table". She related to the class that she saw herself rise out of her body and then saw a bright light at the end of a tunnel. Mrs. Buck said that the experience was one of happiness. She then survived the operation. Bev said that this story made a huge impression on her as a young girl! Bev and her husband Wade met at New Trier High School. Wade went to the University of Colorado for a year, and Bev went to the University of Wisconsin. Wade transferred to Wisconsin and finished with Bev there. They were married after college and lived in Evanston for two years, Northbrook for five years and London for three years. They moved to Glencoe in 1969 and bought Bev's parents' home on Greenleaf Avenue. As Bev said, she has lived in the Greenleaf house for all of her life except for ten years. Bev and Wade were married at North Shore as were her parents, her sister, and brother and daughter Laurie. Bev's involvement at church over the years includes the ten years that she and Wade led the Methodist Youth Fellowship. They saw a whole generation of kids go through the program. There were twenty-five to thirty kids involved each year. Bev chaired the Board of Trustees for about ten years, generously prepared and supplied the lunches during Rummage Sale, helped create the Church Archives, taught Sunday school, and participated in church women's groups. She still hosts the women's Ornament and Cookie Exchange Christmas party each December. Bev has lived through many of the church renovations. When she first started coming to church as a child, there was no education building. The present choir room was the kitchen, and the Upper Room was where dinners took place. Overflow seating for dinners would be down in the Narthex. Sunday School was held in the basement in three of the rooms with some of the classes in the Narthex because there were doors that would close off the sanctuary at that time. In the 1960's the education building was added which changed much of the layout and usage of the old building. When asked what she likes about North Shore, Bev sighs and says, "It's like going home." So many years of memories belong here. She loves the people at church - wonderful people of all ages, younger or older. She loves the sanctuary and the building, the music each week, and the ministers who have served. She feels it is all ingrained in her. She remembers a motto that the church had which stated "a church large enough to serve you but small enough to know you." She feels that the church s welcoming, friendly atmosphere is very special. Bev is someone who embodies the spirit of the North Shore United Methodist Church, someone who connects us back to our beginnings. We are fortunate that she, Wade and her family continue their long time connection and presence which reminds us of who we are and where we came from as a congregation. 9

10 Looking Ahead at NSUMC Sunday, April 3, :00 am ~ Worship Service Valerie LaBounty preaches Friday, April 1 Sunday, April 10, Pastor Glenna out of office Thursday, April 7, :30 pm ~ Choir Rehearsal Sunday, April 10, :00 am ~ Worship Service Barbara Javore preaches Family Promise Week begins Friday, April 15, 2016 Dinner/Movie night 6:30 PM "Madagascar" Sunday, April 17, :00 am ~ Worship Service Family Promise Week ends Thursday, April 28, :30 pm ~ Choir Rehearsal Saturday, April 30, 2016 Mini-Rummage Sale Time TBD APRIL 2016 Saturday, April 30 Housewares, linens & furniture encompass the only items sold at this minirummage sale. Thursday, April 21, :30 pm ~ Choir Rehearsal Saturday, April 23, 20 9:00 am ~ Trustees meeting 10:00 am ~ Church Council meeting Sunday, April 24, :00 am ~ Worship Service The time has not yet been assigned. For more detail, please call the church office at

11 Family Promise Hosting Starts April 10 th Family Promise helps local homeless families find stability and permanent housing by providing temporary shelter, meals, and the needed resources to locate and maintain a place to live. Our congregation, in partnership with Congregation Hakafa, will be providing overnight housing for Family Promise guests starting Sunday, April 10, and ending Sunday, April 17. There are many jobs to fill in making our week a success including setting up sleeping rooms for the families, shopping for supplies, cooking and serving dinner, leading evening activities, sleeping overnight at the Church, and helping the families depart in the morning for the Evanston facility, work or school. We need everyone s help. Sign up is available online through Sign-Up Genius or on sign-up sheets in the Narthex. If you have questions regarding Family Promise or how you can help, feel free to talk to the many Church members who volunteered last year: Nancy Haynor, Ellen Paseltiner, Glenna Olumstad, Marty Olumstad, Walter Calhoun, Cherie Abuls, Valerie Compher, Leslie Muir, Art Muir, Lisa Goodale, Ed Goodale, Tim Fleming, Barbara Leppman, Valerie LaBounty, Seth LaBounty, Ellen Bryant, Brian Brandt, John Martin, Vicki Bosler, Peggy Bird, Bev Fetzer, Wade Fetzer, Dave Langenbach, Carolyn Langenbach, Brad Langenbach, Karla Cavanaugh and Kathy Cole. Thanks for all your help. Family Promise Mission Statement Our mission is to help homeless and low-income families achieve sustainable independence through a community-based response. Vision statement A nation in which every family has a home, a livelihood, and the chance to build a better future

12 NORTH SHORE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 213 Hazel Avenue Glencoe Illinois Website: STAFF Senior Pastor Rev. Glenna Olumstad Youth/Children Ministries Rev. Dr. Barbara Javore Education Intern Valerie LaBounty Choir Director David Rubens (interim) Organist Tomoko Shibuya Secretary Peggy Bucklin Custodian Rick Short Chimes Editor Carlos Figueredo Place label here THE CHURCH CHIMES APRIL 2016 Greeters April Greeters & Ushers Ushers April 3: Nancy Cole Peter Olson/Marty Olumstad* April 10: Leonia Burton Walter Calhoun April 17: Judy & Stuart Phillips April 24: Mary & Carlos Figueredo *Captain The DEADLINE for submission of articles for June 2016 chimes is April 20, The chimes staff needs to work several weeks ahead of printing date Please contact Carlos Figueredo or call him at