Newsletter of Sewickley Presbyterian Church. December 2017

Transcription

1 Newsletter of Sewickley Presbyterian Church December 2017

2 Hours Monday - Friday 9 AM - 5 PM Phone Fax Address 414 Grant Street Sewickley, PA Web Address The SPC newsletter, Interpretation, is published once a month. The deadline for submitting content is the 2 nd Tuesday of each month. Please make submissions to Jennifer Johnson at jjohnson@ sewickleypresby.org. If you or a member of your family are in the hospital and would like a visit, please call the church office to let us know. REV. KEVIN J. LONG Pastor home: klong@sewickleypresby.org REV. SARAH BIRD Associate Pastor sbird@sewickleypresby.org REV. STEWART LAWRENCE Volunteer Parish Associate jeanstewl@gmail.com SHARON BARBER Assistant to the Pastor sbarber@sewickleypresby.org DAVE BREIT Media Engineer dbreit@sewickleypresby.org MIKE CREAMER Director of Youth Ministries mcreamer@sewickleypresby.org R. CRAIG DOBBINS, CCM Director of Music Ministries cdobbins@sewickleypresby.org JENNY HAY Director of FriendShip Preschool jhay@sewickleypresby.org JENNIFER JOHNSON Director of Communications jjohnson@sewickleypresby.org BRIAN MACK Director of Children s Ministries bmack@sewickleypresby.org LAURA MIKUSH, CCA Business Administrator lmikush@sewickleypresby.org STEPHANIE SMITH Administrative Assistant ssmith@sewickleypresby.org ELIZABETH SZUBA Youth Program Coordinator eszuba@sewickleypresby.org CHARLIE BARNHART WILL BETTS JOEY TOMALES Custodial Staff JEREMY FISHER Worship Leader jfisher@sewickleypresby.org BETH ROM Volunteer Coordinator bethrom@live.com

3 PREGNANT PAUSE by Rev. Sarah Bird In his book, Whistling in the Dark, Frederick Buechner paints a familiar scene of the hushed anticipation before a show or concert with this description: The house lights go off and the footlights come on. Even the chattiest stop chattering as they wait in darkness for the curtain to rise. In the orchestra pit, the violin bows are poised. The conductor has raised his baton. The extraordinary thing that is about to happen is matched only by the extraordinary moment just before it happens. Advent is the name of that moment. What a poignant picture of the season. No doubt, the performance we anticipate will be grand indeed the arrival of a newborn Savior! But still, the hush before the curtains open is pregnant (no pun intended!) with promise. However, we are often unable to enjoy it, so distracted are we by the trappings of the season. No sooner have we polished off the last of the Halloween candy than we are bombarded with the frantic push towards Christmas. All of this makes Advent that much more countercultural. As the world is telling us to buy, Advent tells us to give give of ourselves to God and to others. As the world is telling us to hurry, Advent tells us to wait wait for the promised Messiah. As the world tells us to stress, Advent urges us to prepare by pausing and savoring this time of expectation. I don t know where you are this holiday season. Perhaps your family has had the joy of welcoming a new member through birth or marriage. Perhaps you are grieving this year a frightening diagnosis, the death of someone you love, separation or divorce, loss of a job or, with all that is happening in our world today, lamenting over the violence and oppression that seems to only worsen. Perhaps you look eagerly to the warmth of the holiday season or maybe you are dreading the hassle. Wherever you find yourself, take a moment -- imagine yourself in that darkened theater, chatter hushed, breath bated, heart still as we wait for the Light of the World to appear once again on center stage. WHAT S INSIDE? Pregnant Pause... 3 Men s Breakfast... 4 FriendShip Preschool Dollar & Sense SPC Committee Highlight: Mission Advent & Christmas... 5 Women s Retreat in Review... 6 The Bible Project... 7 The Hebrew Text of Psalm Christmas & Kids SPC Youth Mission Matters New Members Advent Lessons & Carols Service

4 Have you ever taken part in our monthly Men s Breakfast? The group meets on the first Saturday of each month at 8 AM. You ll experience an hour around God s word along with a yummy breakfast. All men are welcome and encouraged to join in! Please contact Matt Braksick with any questions: braksick@comcast.net. DOLLARS & SENSE In 2016, we used 24 gallons or 6,144 ounces of disinfectant for cleaning bathrooms! FRIENDSHIP PRESCHOOL GENEROSITY was the November Fruit of the Spirit in FriendShip Preschool. As we prepared for Thanksgiving, the children thought about all of their many blessings and donated food items to aid with the Christmas Food Baskets. The children enjoyed watching the food piles grow and grow within their classrooms and assisted in carrying them to the Willets Room. This is always a wonderful hands on learning project. It is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:35. December is always very busy as we prepare for Christmas decorating the classrooms with our wonderful festive artwork, SPC COMMITTEE HIGHLIGHT: MISSION SPC supports many different local, national, and internationl organizations throughout the year. Thanks to this committee (who does all of the leg work) your tithes and offerings go towards furthering the work of Christ Jesus. Our Mission Committee works hard, each month, looking for ways to support organizations and individuals who need financial help to support their ministry. They also research new opportunities and respond to requests for monetary support. The committee then works with Laura Mikush, our Business Administrator, to distribute funds. To be a part of this committee, all it takes is a love for spreading the good news of Jesus through mission. If you would like more information about the role you could play, please contact Mission Committee Chair, Toby Graham at tograham43@gmail.com. singing fun holiday songs and making family Christmas gifts. It is an exciting time watching the enormous Christmas tree being delivered and put up in the Robinson Room. It always smells so good! The Fruit of the Spirit this month is JOY. It is with great joy that the PreK and FriendShip II classrooms will gather in the sanctuary with Pastor Sarah and hear the wonderful story of Jesus being born in a manager in Bethlehem. I bring you news of great joy.a Savior has been born; He is Christ the Lord. Luke 2: Jenny Hay, Director of FriendShip Preschool

5 When they saw the star, they rejoiced! Share in the excitement of our Savior s birth this December! Advent Lessons & Carols Service December 10 4 PM Sanctuary Discover the miracle of the Advent season through beautiful music & scripture readings. Music will be performed by our Chancel Choir, Calvin Handbell Choir, Westminster Ringers, Soloists & Instrumentalists. Light in the Darkness: A Service of Remembrance & Hope December 13 7 PM Chapel With Scripture readings, prayer, & hymns, this candlelit worship service will give space for silence to remember those we ve lost & to give assurance that nothing can overcome the Light that shines from our Savior, Christ Jesus. Christmas Pageant December 17 9 AM Sanctuary Enjoy this yearly delight as the members of SPC perform a pageant telling the story of the birth of Jesus. Middle & High School Christmas Party December 17 4:30 PM Faith House Join us for a festive night with our hot chocolate bar, gift exchange, ugly sweater contest and more! Church-Wide Christmas Caroling December 17 6:30 PM Sewickley Neighborhood All ages & musical abilities are encouraged to help spread holiday cheer as we walk to 316 Beaver, Linden Place & other locations singing Christmas carols! Afterwards, enjoy hot cocoa & cookies in the Faith House. Advent Worship Service December AM Sanctuary Celebrate the fourth Sunday of Advent on Christmas Eve morning. Christmas Eve Candlelight Services* All held in our Sanctuary 5 PM A service of familiar hymns & scripture telling the story of Jesus birth. 8 PM Music by the Chancel Choir and sermon by Rev. Kevin Long 10 PM This service will have the Lord s Supper and sermon by Rev. Kevin Long *Childcare available for 5, & 8 PM services Matthew 2:10 New Years Eve Worship Service December AM Sanctuary End the year worshiping together! 5

6 WOMEN S RETREAT IN REVIEW Restore to me the JOY of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit. Psalm 51:12 These are the words on the cover of the notebooks given to each of the 55 women who came to the second edition of the renewed Sewickley Presbyterian Church Women s Retreat. These words were not only printed on the notebooks women received; they were the theme of the retreat: finding JOY. The retreat was again held at Antiochian Village outside Ligonier and led by our own Rev. Sarah Bird. Sarah skillfully incorporated teachings from St. Ignatius and led us through the examen, a method of reviewing our day in the presence of God. We focused on finding God in all things, and in showing gratitude. That gratitude leads to joy. Of course, since Sarah was our leader, she radiated joy during each presentation- smiling, singing, and laughing. Joy was certainly present everywhere at the retreat! It was seen in the faces of old and new friends being welcomed at the registration table; it was seen in the surprise on the faces of women as they received a delicate hand-crocheted cross; it was heard as women enjoyed the abundant and delicious food prepared by the staff at Antiochian Village; it was seen and heard in laughter as people created beautiful Christmas ornaments with swirly paint; it was heard in the enjoyment of salty and sweet snacks during conversations both serious and silly. Joy and thoughtfulness were present during the small group sessions after Sarah led us through imaginative prayer, putting ourselves into the Bible stories of the ten lepers Jesus healed and the Prodigal son. Joy was certainly present as we looked or walked outside in the beautiful grounds of Antiochian Village, with red, yellow, and rust-colored leaves still on the trees. And joy was present, finally, in the Vespers service and closing Communion worship service in the exquisite chapel at Antiochian Village. The sounds of 55 women singing surely restored the joy of your salvation, and sustained a willing spirit within each of us. For those of us who came, let us savor and re-experience the joy of this twenty-four hours. For those of us who wanted to but couldn t come, due to poor health or other circumstances, stay tuned for future retreat announcements. This is something you don t want to miss! Thanks to the retreat task force for their hours of planning and preparation: Sarah Bird, Nancy Bunce, Rita Hoepp, Jana Joseph, Deborah Murdoch, Jane Shadle, Julie Throckmorton, and Jenny Valente. Thank you to Jennifer Johnson and Laura Mikush for their invaluable assistance. And a huge thank you to Sharon Barber who was the bottom line at the church. Without Sharon, this retreat would not have happened! -- Jane Shadle 6

7 Read the Bible in just ONE year! Have you ever wanted to read through the entire Bible but needed some guidance as to how to go about it in the best way? Or are you the kind of person who needs encouragement to stick to it? Well, starting on January 1, 2018, you can join others at SPC as we read the entire Bible through together! The plan we have will get you through the ENTIRE Bible by December 24, 2018! The plan is simple and easy to follow. There are TWO ways to follow the plan: 1 2 Download the Read Scripture app (it s free!). Grab a Read Scripture Plan in the Robinson Room. Log in on January 1 and begin reading! Everyday you will read from the Old Testament (or New) and also from the book of Psalms. At the end of each day s reading, hit the check mark and the app will keep track of how far you have come and how far you have to go! Begin on January 1! The plan gives you a day-by-day guide as to what to read. Check off each day as you read! Begin on & end on ! 7

8 THE HEBREW TEXT OF PSALM 92 by Jeremy Fisher, 9 AM Worship Leader FOR THE SABBATH DAY Psalm 92:1-5, 8 translation by Jeremy Fisher 1. It is a precious thing to praise and give thanks, O Lord To make music to your name, O Most High 2. To proclaim your devotion, your covenant love in the morning And your faithfulness in the watches of the night 3. Upon the whole collection of strings From the low to the high, sound everything 4. For you make me glad with your works, O Lord I sing out for joy at the works of your hands 5. O how great are your works, O Lord How very deep are your thoughts 8. You are on high forever, Lord PSALM 92:1-5, 8 New Revised Standard Version 1. It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; 2. to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night, 3. to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre. 4. For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy. 5. How great are your works, O Lord! Your thoughts are very deep! 8. but you, O Lord, are on high forever. I love to sing the Psalms in worship. This is the prayer and song book of Israel. When we sing modern versions of these ancient prayers, we connect ourselves to some of the earliest days of our faith. Through their poetry, our ancient sisters and brothers reach out across the ages to touch our hearts, to inspire and convict us, and to encourage us onward in our covenant relationship with the Lord. Consequently, the act of creating a modern musical setting for a Psalm proves to be a deeply meaningful process. In October, members of Arise, Shine graciously shared my translation and musical setting of Psalm 92:1-5, 8, which I titled after the Psalm s superscription, For the Sabbath Day. The Hebrew text of this passage is very interesting, and I would like to share a few of the highlights of the text and my experience working with it. Hebrew poetry is notoriously difficult to translate, and working with these passages is humbling and intriguing. At times, even the best language scholars must say a prayer and offer an educated guess. Like modern writers, the Hebrew poets exercised a poetic license regarding syntax, grammar, and vocabulary. This makes translating poetry between any two languages a difficult task. Exponentially compounding this common difficulty is the fact that many Hebrew poetic texts comprise the oldest portions of Old Testament, and the grammar and vocabulary of some sections are so archaic that even the ancient copyists, those whose careful efforts preserved the text for us by copying and recopying the texts generation after generation and century after century, were befuddled by some of the archaic words. If only the ancient poets could have saved their creations in a PDF document and ed them to us, and, while they were at it, maybe thrown in an MP3 of the recording! Well, then the act of prayerfully engaging the text would not be the same exercise in faith, and it would be a whole lot less fun. Fortunately for translators, the Hebrew poets typically wrote in parallel phrases called bicolons. If the first half of a verse says, the sky is blue, then the second half will say, it is the color of the sea. They say the same thing twice; they say one thing in two different ways. The context can illuminate difficult words and phrases. Thank the good Lord for the bicolons. Without them, we might never decipher some of these ancient passages. God provides a way. Of the 150 psalms, Psalm 92 is the only one with the superscription for the Sabbath Day. The uniqueness of this inscription made the task of titling my musical setting an easy one. As for translating the poetry, I try to operate in the same manner as most commentators and translation committees. For the bulk of the text, I consider the intended purpose of the translation (in this case, congregational worship), the Hebrew textual variants, and many English translations; then I select English phrases from one of the many established translations such as the NRSV or the NIV or occasionally translations proposed by a respected commentator. In this business, it is usually best to copy, and to copy (continued on next page)

9 THE HEBREW TEXT OF PSALM 92 continued from the best. In a few spots, when I cannot find a phrase in any of the literature that satisfies, I might take the liberty of offering an alternative translation. PRECIOUS THING The phrase precious thing in 92:1 is a translation for the Hebrew word, tov. Of course, this is the well known adjective in the common Yiddish phase, Mazel tov. The most common translations for tov are good and beautiful. These options are certainly succinct possibly sufficient in that they are efficient. Unfortunately for our Bibles in English, these common words lack some of the weight and significance that they might want to carry for such an important Hebrew word. In Genesis 1, when God enters into the act of creation and calls creation good (1:4, 10, 12, 18, 25, 31), God is calling creation tov. This term bears cosmological, anthropological, and theological nuances. Perhaps the phrases according to God s well-ordered design or in the manner that God intended it to be could serve us well, particularly when translating the Priestly literature; however, these lack both brevity and poetry. Das ist ein köstlich Ding, or it is a precious thing, was Martin Luther s suggestion for tov in 92:1. The German word, köstlich, can also mean delectable or delicious. Perhaps this sounds a little flowery; not every instance of tov should drip like honey on the tongue. Nevertheless, I followed Luther here, and not just because I was working on the text in the weeks leading up to the 500 year anniversary of his famous bit with the hammer and nails. I think Luther s phrase serves us well. It is both poetic and succinct. In a way, it synthesizes good and beautiful. How does it read in Genesis 1? God saw that the light was a precious thing (1:4, emphasis added). I think it reads well, and that it serves the text. Luther played it safe in Genesis 1 and translated with the German gut, good. Was he tempted to use köstlich Ding? The old daredevil. We will never know. COVENANT LOVE We find the second point of interest in 92:2. Your devotion, your covenant love is a grammatically liberal and, I think, adequate translation of the Hebrew word, hesed (clear your throat on the h ). Love, devotion, steadfast love, and loving-kindness are the established translations for hesed. This is such a significant biblical term, and so difficult to capture in English, that one commentator refused to translate it at all, choosing instead to retain the single Hebrew word, hesed, in the middle of her English translation. Hesed is a love or devotion which occurs within the context of a covenantal relationship. Covenant is central to Israelite relationship with God in the same way that the clan mentality is central to their social organizational structure. In Psalm 92, an all-purpose word such as love seems to fall short of hesed. In fact, every English word and phrase seems insufficient. In some ways, a culture displays how highly it values any given thing by the number of words it requires to express that thing. Essential, universal concepts can be expressed quickly. TV. . Text. Loving-fidelity-and-devotion-within-a-covenantal-relationship. Since the English language is not very good at expressing this concept, I chose to use two parallel phrases. Remember what I wrote about the bicolon in Hebrew poetry? Well, to paraphrase the popular adage about the long-necked waterfowl, what s good for the ancient Hebrew poet is good for the English translator, I suppose. Since I am translating for use in worship, I feel that I can take this sort of liberty in using multiple phrases to translate a single concept if it helps me to get closer to the meaning. Thus, for hesed, I translated your devotion, your covenant love. An adjectival form, covenantal love could be more grammatically clear than the paratactic hendiadys that I used, but covenantal does not roll off of the tongue very nicely. If covenant love could be mistaken as meaning God s love of the covenant rather than God s love of us through and in the context of the covenant, any potential confusion is clarified through the parallelism of your devotion. Thank the Lord for the bicolon. STRIKE UP THE BAND The final area of interest that I wish to highlight occurs in 92:3. My translation, upon the whole collection of strings; from the low to the high, sound everything reads very differently from the NRSV, to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre. In most of my psalm-song translations, there is one verse where I feel compelled to take a bit of a leap. In Psalm 92, this is that verse. As a musician and guitarist, I think this verse is really neat. It names three mysterious and ancient stringed instruments. The first is literally translated the ten-stringed, which is arguably some sort of lute or tall lyre. The second is another stringed instrument, either a type of harp or a zither. The third is probably a smaller lyre. The instrumentalist in me finds the scholarly discussions of the stringed instruments represented here, their Near-Eastern parallels, and possible depictions on various artifacts supremely engaging. However, I could not bring myself to include the terms lyre, lute, or zither in my translation. These terms carry very little meaning in today s worship context. I considered replacing these with piano, guitar, and bass. At least this would re-contextualize these mysterious ancient instruments and adjust for current stringed instruments in worship. This, too, seemed lacking. The psalmist is calling for three different stringed instruments to play a proclamation. I decided to minimize the instruments themselves and to focus on their significance to worship. I hear the psalmist saying, Strike up the entire band! Give it all you ve got! Bang on pots and pans if you have to! Make a joyful noise to the Lord with anything you can find! This is what I hear in 92:3. Focusing on the call to worship, and not the instruments themselves, felt like the most respectful interpretation of the text. With a little work, I found a rhyme between the words strings and everything. This would be my refrain. My studies in Biblical Hebrew, and particularly my fascination with and enjoyment of those studies, proved the most surprising part of my seminary experience. Studying Hebrew is like looking under the hood of well-oiled and tuned automobile that I drive every day. No, it is like taking apart each component of that automobile and re-examining its alloys, tolerances, and design specifications down to the millimeter and gram. Each and every phrase of an English translation like the New Revised Standard Version or the New International Version requires a translation committee to decide on its target audience and operational methods and then grapple with the text verse by verse through the entire Old Testament. Every once in a while, it is a real blessing to take a look under the hood and wink at the ancient poets through whom God has blessed us so richly. 9

10 CHRISTMAS & KIDS by Brian Mack, Director of Children s Ministries I love this time of year. I love singing Christmas songs and I love seeing houses decorated with lights, trees, reindeer and just everything! But my guilty pleasure this time of year must be cheesy holiday movies. Turn on the Hallmark channel and watch as an attractive young couple overcomes some generic adversity to save Christmas. Or watch as a child helps a town recover their Christmas spirit so Santa can fulfill his holiday duties. If neither of those plots suits you, there is always a lonely person who takes 80 minutes to figure out that an equally lonely person is exactly whom they were looking for, and they fall in love on Christmas. I m sure as you read this you have had several movies pop into your head, which was precisely the point. You can t make a holiday movie without one of these elements present, and if they aren t, then chances are you re thinking of a particularly good (or particularly bad) holiday movie. I find it funny how often Christmas is at risk of not happening in these films, but I suppose that s what happens when you put the whole weight of Christmas onto a single tree, a specific tradition, or one abstract event. But if you ve been paying attention for the last two thousand years, it s not a tree, or a light show, or a performance that makes Christmas truly Christmas each year. It s the birth of our Savior, and it already happened. Nothing can change that, and if any one thing does go wrong this year, be sure in knowing that Christ has come, He was born, He grew up, and He died for you. The true meaning of Christmas has already been fulfilled, it s simply our job to remember it and to share that good news. With that being said, here s everything that is going on this holiday season with our children. First, we have our Christmas Pageant on December 17 at the 9 AM service. Children, youth, and adults will be working together to bring the Christmas story to life as part of our regular worship service. We will have a practice the day before (Saturday, December 16) at 10 AM in the sanctuary where we will run through the Pageant in its entirety as we prep for the next morning. If you or anyone you know has an interest in participating or helping with the pageant, please contact me, as we would love to have you join us! That same night, December 17, at 6:30 PM, we would like to invite members of the church to join us for a night of Christmas Caroling! We will be meeting at the Faith House and head to local apartment complexes and houses to sing our favorite holiday tunes to members of our church and community. Afterwards, we will return to the Faith House where we ll enjoy cookies and hot chocolate as we end our night of fellowship. This event is for all members of our church, so if you don t have kids but you love singing, then please join us! Finally, I d like to remind you of our Giving Tree, where you can help a local family in need by providing a gift card for the parents to do Christmas Shopping for their own children. Please check out the tree in the Robinson Room, and return your envelopes by December 11. Be an angel this year by helping those less fortunate, and who knows, maybe someone will write a Christmas movie about you some day! 10

11 ALL-YOUTH CHRISTMAS PARTY On December 17 from 4:30-6:30 PM we will be having our annual Christmas Party. Be thinking now about what your ugly sweater will look like, what White Elephant gift you d like to bring, and what your favorite Christmas carols are! Afterwards, join us for Christmas caroling in the community! HIGH SCHOOL LAURELVILLE RETREAT The weekend of December 1-3 we will be taking our high school students to Laurelville. We are very excited about having a solid group of teens ready to go and hang out for the weekend. Pray for us as we gear up for what will probably be a cold weekend, but also for the Holy Spirit to move in the lives of our teens as we spend this precious time away! M.S. LAURELVILLE Worship; Pizza; Dancing; Mud; GaGa; McDonalds; What do these things have in common? Laurelville For the first time ever we took our Middle School youth away on a retreat to Laurelville through the Pittsburgh Kids Foundation (with 150 other middle school students from the Pittsburgh area), and we had a BLAST! It was such a pleasure to spend the weekend with our students, laughing, challenging each other to ninja, racing, sitting at the fire, worshipping through song, and so much more. There is something special about retreats that can t be replicated anywhere else in ministry. Getting away from the everyday routines of school, sports, and even churh, is SO important for all of our growth. We cannot wait to go back next year, as we are all pros at the mud pit now. YOUTH CAMPFIRE Some people are scared of the cold and let it keep them from enjoying the outdoors, but not our youth! We had our annual campfire a few weeks back and love it. We had fun sitting around the fire and cooking (burning) s mores and hot dogs together. From spikeball and basketball to night at the museum and slacklining, we had plenty to do to keep ourselves busy in the chilly weather. One of the coolest parts of the night was being able to see our students interacting with adults who came to help keep the chaos to a minimum. There is something special happening in our church family. It may seem normal here, but in most places it is NOT normal for adults and teenagers to spend time together talking, growing, and laughing. But this is precisely what it means to be a church family. We are so excited for what God is doing in our church right now, and that our teens get to experience the love of Christ with both their peers and the adults in our congregation. 11

12 DISASTER ASSISTANCE By Barb Swan Presbyterian Disaster Assistance enables congregations and mission partners of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) to witness the healing love of Christ through caring for communities adversely affected by crisis and catastrophic events. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) is the emergency and refugee program of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. The core budget, including staff and administrative costs, is funded through the One Great Hour of Sharing, and its program work is additionally funded through designated gifts. PRESBYTERIAN DISASTER ASSISTANCE: Focuses on the long term recovery of disaster impacted communities. Provides training and disaster preparedness for presbyteries and synods. Works collaboratively with church partners and members of the ACT Alliance (Action by Churches Together) internationally, and nationally with other faith based responders. Connects partners locally and internationally with key organizations active in the response United Nations, NVOAD (National Voluntary Agencies Active in Disaster), World Food Program, Red Cross, FEMA and others. The Mission Committee regularly sends money to PDA in response to various disasters. In 2015, we designated $10,000 for the earthquake in Nepal. In 2016, we sent $2,000 for earthquakes in Ecuador and Japan, $5,000 for Hurricane Matthew, and over $6,000 for flooding in West Virginia. This year, we have sent a total of $12,000 to PDA for relief efforts after Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, and to assist with the wildfires in Northern California. There are many ways individual members of the congregation can help PDA in its important work. We can give generously to the One Great Hour of Sharing offering. We can give directly to PDA, to the general fund, or by designating gifts to a specific disaster account. We can volunteer with PDA as part of a work team, or by assembling kits. And most importantly, we can all pray, seeking God s presence on behalf of those in need. For more information, visit the PDA website at MVANO ORDINATION AT CHONDE CCAP SPC member Barbara Swan recently received the following from Charles Kilowe, Pastor at Chonde CCAP: Dear my sister. Our brother Masowa (Congregation Treasurer, who died earlier this month) had been buried properly at his home village, but this morning we had ordained 44 Mvano (Women s Association) women and it was wonderful. Here are some of the photos. May God be with you. Greet the church. Once again thanks for your prayers All the best. Rev CN Kilowe 12

13 CHRISTMAS FOOD BASKETS Ends December 10 Every November and December, we gather grocery items to be given away to families who are in need at Christmas time. Our church has been a part of this great mission for over 25 years! There are thermometers hanging in the Robinson Room for each grocery item that is needed. Every Wednesday afternoon our kids from Club 345 count the items that are donated and track the donations for all of us to see. Be sure to check them out! Baskets are located at each entrance of the church building for you to place your donated items. Please use the list below to do your shopping, and thank you for you generosity. If you have any questions, please contact the church office. CFH CHRISTMAS AUCTION December 2 10 AM One of the Center for Hope s major fundraisers is it s annual Christmas Luncheon and Auction. Funds from this event go directly to support the Center s Food Pantry. This year s luncheon and auction will be on Saturday, December 2 at the Ambridge High School gym. Doors will open at 10 AM to begin the silent bidding. Lunch will be served at 12 PM. Tickets for admission and lunch are $10 each. Please see Sharon Barber in the church office if you are interested in purchasing tickets. WE NEED YOUR HELP! December 16 We will have 100 Christmas Food Baskets to deliver in a couple of weeks! On December 15, Deacons will be at the church packing up the baskets. Then on the next day they all need to be delivered to individuals and families in our surrounding communites. Please consider helping deliver a few baskets this year. You can find the sign-up sheet on our website. If you have any questions, please contact the church office. 13

14 Welcome our Newest Members! Luke, Holly & Cole Tyson not pictured: Jeff Tyson Jeff Jeff p: Holly e: Holly p: Patricia Stover e: p: Angie Lehman e: p: Jake, Nolan, Erica & Amelia Lyons Jake e: Jake p: Erica e: Erica p: Tom & Denise Shipley Tom e: Tom p: Denise e: Denise p: Geoff & Marylu Murken e: p:

15 SERVICE December 10 4 PM Featuring members of Sewickley Presbyterian Church Clergy & Staff Chancel Choir & Soloists Calvin Handbell Choir Westminster Ringers Instrumentalists If you ve never had the pleasure of attending our Advent Lessons & Carols service, then you are missing a true delight! Plan on attending as beautiful songs are sung and as scripture is incorporated into the service. Advent Lessons & Carols will help prepare your hearts and minds for the upcoming celebration of the birth of our Savior. Don t miss this great opportunity to hear members of Sewickley Presbyterian Church share the joy of the Advent season with you! 15

16 414 Grant Street Sewickley, PA This newsletter is published by Sewickley Presbyterian Church