First Presbyterian Church, Las Cruces, NM December 2017
Christmas Joy Offering The four churchwide Special Offerings of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) are a collective witness to Jesus Christ's love for the whole church. One Great Hour of Sharing, Pentecost Offering, Peace & Global Witness Offering, and Christmas Joy Offering play an important role in defining what it means to be a connectional church. Over the years these offerings have provided ways for individuals and congregations to join together with each other and in partnership with other Christians in responding to a variety of concerns. This December we give to the Christmas Joy Offering. Funds from the Christmas Joy Offering help the Assistance Program of the Board of Pensions provide critical financial assistance to eligible workers in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and their families, and to qualifying retired church workers and their families. The Christmas Joy Offering also supports the education and development of our future leaders at Presbyterian-related racial ethnic schools and colleges. These schools are dedicated to creating opportunities and environments for racial ethnic students built on a foundation of Christian values The Assistance Program of the Board of Pensions provides aid to church works with often meager pension plans. Rooted in a 300-year-old tradition, the Assistance Program embodies the connectional Church at its best. As the Assistance Program relies for its funding not on dues but on voluntary gifts, legacies, endowments, and one-half of the Christmas Joy Offering, it provides a way for caring Presbyterians to support those who serve the Church during their times of need. Assistance is granted for needs that lie beyond the scope of the Benefits Plan. In 2017, the Assistance Program distributed more than a thousand grants, for a total of more than $5 million, to qualifying PC(USA) pastors, missionaries, other church 2
workers, and their families. The Assistance Program offers eight distinct programs in one of two categories: retired church workers with financial and housing needs church workers with financial and vocational needs One of the schools which receives support from this offering is Menaul School in Albuquerque. Menaul School is a faith-based, college preparatory day and boarding school for students in grades 6 12. Menaul School is an independent school producing leaders in our community with a reputation for excellent values, ethics, and moral character since 1896. Christmas Joy gifts have helped Menaul School change lives for generations. A good example is Gary Lucero, Jr. He has 28 relatives who attended Menaul, and his family continues its commitment to both the church and the school. One of the special things about Menaul is that the average class size is 12 and that about 90 % of its students go on to college. It has a very attractive campus in the middle of Albuquerque. More information about the school can be found on the internet at the URL http:// www.menaulschool.org/. Your gifts to Christmas Joy help make it possible for students to learn and grow in faith at Presbyterian-related racial ethnic schools and colleges. To learn more about the Christmas Joy Offering please visit: Assistance Program of the Board of Pensions: www.pensions.org, click on Plans & Programs Presbyterian-related racial ethnic schools and colleges: www.presbyterierianmission.org/ministries/resc/ From this page, you can also link to the institutions supported. 3
Calendar It is difficult to get the calendar on one page in readable form. Here there are no entries (except for the Dec 2 church decorating party) for Friday and Saturday so two columns have been left off. It is also hard to keep the calendar completely up to date. 4
The Bible and Charles Dickens Reverend Larry Hicks Mr. Brill assigned us the reading of Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities in English class at Orange County (Virginia) High School in 1962. Since I was more interested in how many home runs Mickey Mantle was hitting (30) and who would win the World Series (the Yankees beat the Giants), an old Victorian novel was not of much interest to me that fall. So, I did the next best thing and read the Cliffs Notes, wrote a book report and got an A. Fast forward to May, 2012: retirement to Las Cruces, New Mexico. Remembering how I never really read Dickens before (except for A Christmas Carol), I picked up his Bleak House at Savers and became captivated. Then came Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Little Dorrit, Our Mutual Friend, Great Expectations, Hard Times, Dombey and Son and The Mystery of Edwin Drood. And I used no Cliffs Notes! While reading Dickens, I began to make notes that related to Biblical texts. Then, I developed the class that I am teaching now for adults on Sunday mornings entitled The Bible and Charles Dickens. Each class of the seven-week study has Biblical texts along with readings from several of Dickens works. For example, the class on Pride and Humility for November 19 looks at these Biblical texts: Luke 18:10-14 and I Peter 5:6-7. Then, I compare a reading from Dickens on the same subject in his book The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby. I plan for Dickens to occupy a lot of my time the rest of my retired life. Each summer finds me wending my way to the University of California at Santa Cruz, California for a week s seminar entitled The Dickens Universe. One of his books is studied each summer via lectures, drama, music, film and even dance. This summer s book will be Dickens Little Dorrit. One of my favorite quotes from this work says: Be guided, only by the healer of the sick, the raiser of the dead, the friend of all who were afflicted and forlorn, the patient Master who shed tears of compassion for our infirmities. There 5
can be no confusion in following Him, and seeking for no other footsteps, I am certain. (Little Dorrit, p. 792) By the way, a new Dickens movie comes to theaters on November 22 entitled The Man Who Invented Christmas. It tells the story of the writing and publishing of A Christmas Carol in a six-week period leading up to Christmas 1843. And if you want a nice little book for your children or grandchildren, check up Dickens The Life of Our Lord. Notes and Announcements Deacon s Food Basket Each year the deacons provide Christmas Food Baskets to those in need from our congregation, Salt and Light, as well as Hospice and others. You will see Christmas trees at each entrance to the sanctuary with stars and monetary values. Please pick up a star and place it in an envelope with cash or check made payable to the church by December 14. This envelope can be dropped in the offering plate on Sunday or taken to the office. The deacons will prepare and distribute the food baskets Saturday, December 16. Thank you for your support with this project. Fellowship, Food, and Fun Sunday, December 3, the Congregational Life and Outreach team will be hosting a soup and games party after worship. A meal based on good homemade soup is provided; all you need to bring is your appetite. You can bring a dessert if you really want to bring something, but that is totally optional. The main point is to join us. The soup and games will be at Watkins Hall, which is our fellowship hall on the northeast side of our church campus. Dates of Note Christmas Joy Offering is Sunday December 24 Worship on Sunday December 24 at 10:30 AM, Candlelight service at 4 PM and at 7 PM. Church office will be closed on Monday December. 25 and Tuesday December 26 for the Christmas holiday. And Linda will be out of the office on December 27-29. Church office will be closed on Monday January 1 for the New Year s holiday. 6
The Cover The cross on the cover needs no introduction. It is a Celtic cross familiar to all Presbyterians. But the surroundings of the cross do need a description. It is a chrismon. Chrismons are little cross-stitched ornaments which often contain crosses or some other Christian symbol. This chrismon is a very special one. It was created by Alice Cooper who dad been a long-time member of our church. She created many, which were mounted as Christmas tree ornaments by the Women s Association. They have been displayed on a Christmas tree for many years. The photograph here shows the tree, decorated with the chrismons, displayed near the main entrance of the church. In recent years the tree has been placed in the fellowship area of Jones Hall. For some time, Alice s chrismons were displayed on our web site and were copied by people in many parts of the world. Photographs provided by Alex Burr First Presbyterian Church 200 East Boutz Road Las Cruces, NM 88005 Tel (575) 526-5559 E-mail linda@fpc.lc Web URL http://fpc.lc Rev. Dr. Norman Story, Pastor The The Lantern Lantern is a monthly is a monthly publication publication of First of First Pres- Presbyterian Church, Las Cruces, NM. NM. Articles and and photos, photos, preferably are in welcome, computer and readable will be used form at are the welcome, discretion will be of the used publisher. at the discretion For further of the information publisher. call For fur- and 526-5559 ther information send call e-mail (575) to linda@fpc.lc. 526-5559 or send This, e-mail and to back aburr@aol.com. issues, are available on the Internet at http:// lantern.qzxservices.com. Editor: Alex Burr Editor: Production: Alex Burr Linda Ramirez Production: Linda Ramirez 7
P FIRST E S B Y T E R I A N 200 E. Boutz Rd. Las Cruces, NM 88005 Christmas Eve Services December 24, 4 PM 7 PM Mission Vision Statement Statement for 2007-2008 To be a To place emulate where the Christian work, the love word, is modeled and the way of Jesus Christ in ministering to the needs of members and preparing them for Christian outreach to people within and outside the Church of Jesus Christ. Mission Statement To be Our a place Vision where Christian Objectives love is modeled for 2007-2008 through: are: 1. Understanding, celebrating, and sharing God s Word. To create spiritual leaders from within our congregation to recognize and minister to members in need. 2. Following obediently where God is leading us 3. Leading, nurturing, and serving our community for Christ To develop and maintain specific ways for members to reach out and draw the community into our fellowship. To create a God-centered atmosphere for worship that will attract and bind individuals, families and youth to our church. 8