THE NEWSLETTER of St. Philip Presbyterian Church U.S.A. Volume 59, Number 23 Houston, Texas Rev. Dr. John W. Wurster Pastor, Head of Staff Rev. Keatan King Associate Pastor Omar Rouchon Ministry Associate Dr. Thomas Goetz Director of Music Dr. Matthew Dirst Organist Alicia Chew Children s Music Associate Lorrie Castle Office Manager Denise Ferrell Bookkeeper Micah Meyers Communications Assistant Wilbert Parada Facilities Supervisor Dimas Parada Custodian Lorrie Castle Newsletter Editor philip-eye@saintphilip.net St. Philip s DECEMBER S COMMUNION OFFERING BENEFITING PROJECT C.U.R.E. Project C.U.R.E. is a humanitarian relief organization that collects donated medical supplies and equipment from manufacturers, distributors, hospitals, clinics, and individuals. The donated supplies are collected, sorted, and then delivered to underdeveloped countries. In its 27-year history, Project C.U.R.E. has distributed medical supplies in 130 countries. It ships more than 100 forty-foot containers each year from its warehouse operations in Denver, Nashville, Houston, Chicago, and Phoenix. Members of St. Philip have been active volunteers at Project C.U.R.E since the Houston warehouse opened 12 years ago. With the help of those who have the same passion and commitment to helping those in need, Project C.U.R.E. continues to deliver health and hope to the world. LESSONS AND CAROLS for the SEASON OF ADVENT The season of Advent is a time of preparation for the birth of Christ. The service at St. Philip at 11:00 a.m. on December 13 will follow the English tradition of a musical service consisting of prayer, scripture readings, carols, hymns, and anthems which combine to tell the story of God s grace and love as seen in the coming of the Light of the World. The service features The St. Philip Choir, Youth Choir, guest soloist Melissa Givens, Chamber Orchestra, Matthew Dirst, Organist and Harpsichordist, and Thomas Goetz, Director of Music. The choirs, soloists, and orchestra will present contemporary works by English composers Philip Ledger, Gabriel Jackson, Malcolm Archer, and John Rutter. Two choruses from Handel s celebrated oratorio, Messiah, are included, along with seasonal carols and hymns sung by congregation and choirs. This service is the December offering of the Music at St. Philip Concert Series. It is our hope that the music, scriptures, and prayers will deepen our celebration of Advent a season to look forward to Christ s light and love, and to pause and touch the sacred, enabling us to live life fully and serve God faithfully. There will be no 8:30 service on December 13th.
Philip-Eye Page 2 Dear Friends, I ve been here long enough to know that the thickened traffic in the streets around the church is a sure sign of the holiday season. Calendars are filling, lists are lengthening, and there is much to be done. To help keep perspective and find some peace, plan to join us for worship through the seasons of Advent and Christmas. You will find in the Philip-Eye and on the web site the complete schedule. We again are offering thirty-minute communion services at noon on Wednesdays, beginning December 2. In addition to the music and prayers of Advent, Keatan, Omar, and I will deliver brief reflections on the day s scripture readings. For those who can stay, lunch is available afterwards in the Gathering Area. I find that gathering for worship midday and midweek interrupts our patterns just enough so that grace can find us in unexpected and joy-full ways. Our Sunday Advent worship is highlighted this year by a Service of Lessons and Carols on December 13. The St. Philip Choir and Orchestra will be up front to lead us through the biblical stories of prophecy, expectation, and hope. That could be an especially good day to invite someone to join you for worship. Note there will be no 8:30 service on December 13. December 20 is our Service for the Longest Night. At 5:00 in the sanctuary, we are offering a service of hope and healing. Acknowledging that the holidays bring forward a variety of emotions, we claim God s promises to be with us and for us in all things, even amidst deep darkness. The service includes candle-lighting and, for those who wish, anointing with oil and prayers through the laying on of hands. Over the years, this service has become an especially meaningful aspect of this season. Christmas Eve worship is at 5:30 and 8:00. The first service will include a dramatic, even humorous, telling of the Christmas story. At 8:00, we will have a Service of Word and Sacrament with music from the St. Philip Choir. Both services will include candle-lighting. Christmas continues on December 27 with a single service at 11:00. The Second Sunday of Christmas is January 3. We will sing all of the unsung carols and celebrate communion for the New Year at both services. Epiphany worship is Wednesday, January 6, at 6:30 p.m. This brief and festive service points us with gladness and thanksgiving to the radiant light of Jesus Christ. There are many things before us, many good things. May God bless us, every one., HANDICAPPED PARKING - The property committee is trying to meet the requests of church members to add more handicap parking spaces. Until they are able to implement plans, please leave the 7 non-handicap spaces on the west side of the new Education Building (along the alley/hallmark Street) for those individuals who have handicapped tags on Sundays or for church events. IN OUR PRAYERS Family of Wayne and Sandra Truxillo, upon death of his sister Linda Joullian, on Sunday, November 29th. Jack Fox, in Methodist Hospital Helen Harris in the hospital; if you wish to send cards, please contact church office for address to use. Terri Clemmons recuperating from surgery Cynthia Shoup - recovering from surgery for breast cancer Jean Benson Miksch - cancer treatment for breast cancer - daughter of Mary Benson Pat Clark - treatment at MD Anderson Steve Carmichael - Lyme disease Jamie Reed - MD Anderson receiving cancer treatments Ellen MacDonald - recuperating at home with cracked tibia HL Britton - residing at Belmont Village Larry Dean - Seven Acres Joe Anne Berwick - residing at Belmont Mike Tomforde, Jr. - Hallmark HC Recuperating at home: Malcolm Host Rusty Howard Jo Jones Virginia McFarland Penny Vieau Dick Weber
Philip-Eye Page 3 SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASSES FOR ALL Nursery and Preschool Infants and children through 3 years old 8:30 am to 12:30pm - Room 106 Staffed by professional childcare providers Age 3 through Kindergarten Godly Play Class - Room 104 Elementary Grades 1,2, and 3 meet in Room 105 Grades 4 and 5 meet in Room 103 Middle School Grades 6-8 meet in Room 206 High School Grades 9-12 meet in Room 205 Jubilate with Children s Music Associate 1st through 5th grades 9:30 am 10:00 am in Room 105 with Alicia Chew SPa CLASS - Room 200 The SPa (Saint Philip Adults) class is a fellowship of adults from all walks of life who gather for learning and community. Our discussion-based class meets each Sunday morning; this fall, we will be using material from the well-regarded Thoughtful Christian series. Topics will be timely and relevant. Please visit www.thethoughtfulchristian.com for more details. Please email to spa@spafellowship.org for more information about the class. BIBLE STUDY - Room 204 The class is engaged in a study of the book of Judges which continues the narrative of the Israelites conquest and occupation of the land of Canaan after the death of Joshua. For the next few weeks we will focus on Judges 13-16 which recounts the time of Samson s rise to leadership in Israel and his tragic fall. This is an amazing narrative of God s ability to turn Samson s flaws into triumphs for Israel. The Bible study class utilizes the insights of a variety of scholars to expand our understanding of God s message of faithfulness to His people. Nancy Cook and Al Waldrop lead the discussions. All are welcome. CHURCH & SOCIETY - Room 201 Dec. 6 - Sacred Music for Advent - presented by Dr. Matthew Dirst, Organist at St. Philip. Dec. 13 - Advent in the Fine Arts - presented by Prof. Linda Neagley, Dept. Chair and Associate Professor of Art History, Rice University. Dec. 20 - Christmas at the Movies - presented by Kate Burkart film/ media presenter for St. Philip. WEEKDAY STUDIES MONDAY EVENING STUDY GROUP Join the discussion in the dining room (in the administration building, at the south end of campus) December 14 with St. Philip s Monday evening study group! Besides conversation, our meetings include fellowship, refreshments, and a brief prayer, as we conclude our study of Short Stories by Jesus by Amy-Jill Levine. We will be discussing chapter 9, the rich man and Lazarus. We meet each second and fourth Monday, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m., though we will not meet December 28. Come even if you haven t done the reading; the discussion is always timely and thought-provoking. We expect to begin our next book, The Historical David, by Joel Baden, January 11. MIDWEEK BIBLE STUDY Wednesday Bible study with John Wurster continues with a focus on the Gospel of John. While containing some of the most familiar passages in the whole Bible, John also offers a distinctive, often complex, presentation of Jesus. The class meets weekly in the dining room - 10:30-11:30. PRESBYTERIAN MEN S WEEKLY FELLOWSHIP The Men s Weekly Fellowship meets every Friday in the Conference Room at 12:00 pm. They have selected Words Made Flesh by J. Pittman McGehee. Robert Estill has copies of the book available for $15. Those men who wish to participate should bring bag lunch and refreshments will be provided. All men welcome. The group wraps up promptly at 1:00 pm. THEOLOGY ON TAP Join a community of folks in their 20s and 30s for compassionate conversation! Bring your questions, your friends, and your thirst for knowledge. In our tradition, Advent is the time when we prepare our hearts for the coming of our Lord, and one way to anticipate Christ s arrival is to bring good news to the poor. We will have a Kids Against Hunger packing session on December 7 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at St. Philip. Then we ll clean up and walk over to Berryhill for tacos and fellowship! We will collect among ourselves a Young Adult offering to contribute to the KAH ministry.
Philip-Eye Page 4 ADVENT VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL - THE ANGELS ANNOUNCE GOD S MESSAGE We will kick off the Advent season with a day full of art, drama, music and many other activities to help our children learn about Advent and prepare for the birth of Jesus. This year s Advent VBS will be on Saturday, December 5 from 9 a.m. 2 p.m. Come hear the story of the angels and God s message to the world. There is no cost, and all children ages 3rd 5th grade are invited to join us! ARTS & CRAFT STUDIO The next scheduled Saturday craft is December 5th, from 12 p.m. til 6 p.m. Please RSVP to Lorrie@saintphilip. net so we have enough supplies. We will make terra cotta snowmen as seen below; look up terra cotta crafts on Pinterest to see other figures you can replicate. You should have time to work on your own scrapbooks or cards following. Please bring a snack to share with everyone. Have any type of craft project that you would like to work on and just need the company. Come join us! Opportunities CCSC MONTHLY BOOK CLUB A monthly interest group for women who like to read books, socialize, and have a night out meets the 2nd Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at a member s home. Our next meeting, December 10 will be a social, This self-led, interactive group produces lively discussions and wonderful fellowship. For more information go to: www.saintphilip.net/bookgroup. SEAFARER CHRISTMAS BOXES St. Philip will be participating in the 2015 Christmas Shoebox Program. Please join us for fellowship, food and filling the boxes on Sunday, December 13, at 5:30 p.m. A light supper will be served. Packing and wrapping the boxes will begin at 6 p.m. Many hands make light work. The boxes will be distributed to visiting seafarers by volunteers and chaplains working with the Houston International Seafarer s Center. Place your donations in the wishing well in the Gathering Area. Please RSVP to the church office or Caryn Bahruth at caryn.bahruth@energytransfer.com
Philip-Eye Page 5 CMEF GRANTS Our Central Mission Endowment Fund Council recently completed the 2015 grant cycle. Grants totaling $322,000 were awarded to the following organizations: Sodzo International to provide funding for a water well, school building and dormitory at a farm that will serve as a transitional facility for children currently living on the streets of Meru County, Kenya. United Campus Ministry of Greater Houston for a program director for two years (2015, 2016) Seafarers ministry at the Port of Houston to provide increased salary for one current part time chaplain to become full time Nabors House towards renovating five classrooms at St. John Presbyterian Church in order to open a day care center for underserved children Medical Benevolence Foundation to support a developing primary non-profit mission hospital in Haiti Good Neighbor Health Clinic to support primary health care to low income patients in Houston Ghost Ranch to provide scholarships to young people for conferences and to support ongoing outreach educational programs to local children Faith and Grief Ministries to provide promotion and scholarships for a three day grief workshop at Mo Ranch Prayers of the People (POP) to fund a new chaplain position that will provide pastoral and educational support to volunteer chaplains working in hospitals outside the Medical Center Amazing Place to complete their Memory Preservation Nutrition Program Continuation grants (the second of three years) totaling $88,200 were awarded to Christian Community Service Center, Presbyterian Pan American School, and Interface-Samaritan Counseling Center. Opportunity Grants and Disaster Assistance Grants totaling $20,500 were awarded to Presbyterian Association of Musicians, Texas Southern University Baptist Student Ministry/University Presbyterian Church, The Presbyterian Outlook, NEXT Church, Covenant Network of Presbyterians, and Interfaith Ministries/Refugee Services. 2015 Central Mission Endowment Fund Council members are Bebe Burns (presiding member), Dick Howard, Rusty Howard, Larraine Lyter-Reed, Cathy Patterson, Jeanette Wennenweser, and John Wurster. CHANCEL GUILD The CHANCEL GUILD invites you to participate in preparing our worship space for services. Every six months we solicit volunteers to take one Sunday to oversee that preparation. Our primary duties include checking the flowers before worship and emptying the water in the baptismal basin after the service. Currently we are seeking volunteers for October 2015 through March 2016. Please join us! Look for the signup sheet in the Gathering Area. Contact Jane Larkin at 713-621-1222 or l.larkin6561@att.net for more information. PRIMETIMERS LUNCHEON The Primetimers Christmas Luncheon will be Saturday, December 19-11:30-1:30 p.m. at the Junior League of Houston. Invitations have been mailed. Please RSVP to the office with your preference for chicken or fish. DUERR LECTURE SERIES 2016 ST. PHILIP PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Speaker for the 19th annual Duerr Lecture Series, February 21, 22, and 23, 2016, will be Dr. Joshua Ralston, Lecturer in Muslim-Christian Relations at the University of Edinburgh School of Divinity (Scotland). Dr. Ralston s lectures, Bearing Witness: Reframing Christian-Muslim Encounters, will explore ways for Christians and Muslim to encounter one another, debate our truth claims, and work for the common good. Dr. Ralston holds degrees from Wake Forest University, New College University of Edinburgh, Candler School of Theology, and Emory University. Mark your calendar and plan to attend these lectures as we explore how we might seek peace, inter-religious understanding, and justice without giving up on our particular faith commitments. Dr. Ralston will preach at the Sunday morning worship services (8:30 and 11:00) and present lectures each evening at 7:00.
Philip-Eye Page 6 Christmas Poinsettias Donations of any amount accepted I/we would like to make a donation to purchase poinsettias to adorn our chancel during this Christmas season. Please indicate: in honor of or in memory of Please print your name(s) as you wish it to appear in the Bulletin. Place donation in envelope in the offering plate or return it to the church office by Sunday, December 13th. Payments can be made on the church website - please indicate Poinsettias Donation.
Philip-Eye Page 7 THE COIN JAR: CENTS-ABILITY HUNGER PROGRAM AT ST. PHILIP Have you wondered about that big jar full of coins that sits up in front of the sanctuary on the first Sunday of each month? That big jar is one of the ways our congregation helps fight hunger. Cents-ability began in 1975 when a group of Presbyterian Women in Florida pledged to give 2 per meal to help combat hunger in their community and beyond. The program grew, and it now is an important part of the PCUSA s Presbyterian Hunger Program (PHP). In 2014, PHP Cents-ability funds went to support a wide variety of programs aimed at food security, both here in the US and around the globe. A few examples: +Community of the Beloved, Asheville, NC to purchase and outfit a food truck/mobile kitchen called The Lunch Box to deliver healthy meals directly to children in food-insecure neighborhoods +First Presbyterian Church, Fontana CA to build an organic neighborhood garden to serve the food needs of the community +Ionia Project, Kasilof, Alaska to increase food sovereignty and health food knowledge among native Alaskan peoples +Ecologic Development Fund, Guatemala to train women to become community leaders in the stewardship of natural and agricultural resources Here at St. Philip, we send half of what we collect to the national Presbyterian Hunger Program, and the other half stays here to support hunger programs in the Houston community. Taking part in Cents-ability is easy, and it s something that anyone can do. Set aside just a few cents a day, and on the first Sunday of each month bring your coins to drop in the jar. That resonant jingle reminds us of all that we have and all we can share. Happy are those... who give food to the poor. (Psalm 146: 5-8) SUPPORT FOR REFUGEES The Peacemaking and Social Justice Committee would like to thank the generous St. Philippians who contributed household goods toward the donation drive in support of Interfaith Ministries Refugee Services in October. The drive was a great success, and multiple loads of linens, kitchen items, and housewares went to IM s Refugee Services, to help fit out apartments of refugees newly arrived in Houston. Special thanks go to Peg Palasin and Gary Gardner, who spearheaded the drive and transported all the donations to the IM offices. Houston is one of the most frequent destinations for refugees coming to the United States from around the world. Harris County receives about 30 out of every 1,000 refugees that the U.N. officially resettles anywhere in the world, which is more than any other American city and more than most other countries. (Houston Chronicle, August 31, 2015) The need for assistance for refugees here remains great. While St. Philip s donation drive is over, individuals can still donate directly to Interfaith Ministries. If you have household goods that you would like to contribute to IM Refugee Services, please contact Alva Sanchez at Interfaith Ministries, 713-533-4931. The Peacemaking and Social Justice Committee is continuing its focus on support for refugees and we welcome any input from the congregation. The Houston Chronicle recently printed an open letter from several faith leaders in Houston including the General Presbyter of New Covenant Presbytery, Mike Cole addressing the issue of refugee resettlement. That letter can be found on line at http://www.houstonchronicle.com/local/gray-matters/article/about-those-syrian-refugees-an-open-letter-from-6646322.php Matthew 25:35 For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited me in. LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE Thanks to all who have returned 2016 pledge cards. As of November 24, we have received 140 pledges for a total of $889,044. Our goal for next year s budget is $1,062,000. Pledge cards and Time and Talent Sheets can be placed in the offering plate today or returned to the church office.