2015 To submit articles, e-mail a word document to barb@intracsystems.com Help is Needed!!! Church Work Day The Trustees are having a Church Work Day on Saturday, May 9, from 8 am till noon. There are many things that need to be done outside. They are asking the congregation to come and help. Please bring your own rakes, hoes, shovels & wheelbarrows if you can. They appreciate your help! Adopt an Area There is a diagram in the Lobby of the outside areas of the church. We need people to adopt an area that they can take care of through the summer weeding, trimming etc. Please sign up by the area you can take care of. Thank you for your help!!! National Day of Prayer, May 7, 2015 Mother s Day, May 10, 2015 Ascension of the Lord, May 14, 2015 Armed Forces Day, May 16, 2015 Pentecost, May 24, 2015 Memorial Day, May 25, 2015
Sunday, May 24 Pentecost Sunday is a commemoration and celebration of the receiving of the Holy Spirit by the early church. John the Baptist prophesied of the first Pentecost when Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Matthew 3:11). Jesus confirmed this prophecy with the promise of the Holy Spirit to the disciples in John 14:26. He showed Himself to them after His death on the cross and His resurrection, giving convincing proofs that He was alive. Jesus told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the Father s gift of the Holy Spirit, from whom they would receive power to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:3-8). After Jesus ascension to heaven, they returned to Jerusalem and joined together in prayer in an upper room. On the Day of Pentecost, just as promised, the sound of a violent wind filled the house and tongues of fire came to rest on each of them and all were filled with the Holy Spirit. They were given the power of communication, which Peter used to begin the ministry for which Jesus had prepared him. After the coming of the Holy Spirit, the disciples did not stay in the room basking in God s glory but burst out to tell the world. This was the beginning of the church as we know it. Today, in many Christian churches, Pentecost Sunday is celebrated to recognize the gift of the Holy Spirit, realizing that God s very life, breath and energy live in believers. During this service, John 20:19-23 may be the core of the message about our risen Savior supernaturally appearing to the fear-laden disciples. Their fear gave way to joy when the Lord showed them His hands and side. He assured them peace and repeated the command given in Matthew 28:19-20, saying, As the Father has sent me, I am sending you. Then He breathed on them, and they received the Holy Spirit (John 20:21-23). The celebration of Pentecost Sunday reminds us of the reality that we all have the unifying Spirit that was poured out upon the first-century church in Acts 2:1-4. It is a reminder that we are co-heirs with Christ, to suffer with Him that we may also be glorified with Him; that the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good (1 Corinthians 12:7); that we are all baptized by one Spirit into one body (1 Corinthians 12:13); and that the Spirit which raised Jesus from the dead lives inside believers (Romans 8:9-11). Page 2
A Parable with a twist There was once a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way he was attacked by robbers who took his clothes, beat him up, and went off leaving him half-dead. Luckily, it was a well-travelled road. Soon a priest came along, but when he saw the beaten man he angled across to the other side. Then, soon after, a good Levite, a religious man, showed up; he also avoided the injured man. Then a Samaritan traveling the road came on him. When he saw the man s condition, his heart went out to him. He gave him first aid, disinfecting and bandaging his wounds. But the man needed to get to a place where he could be taken care of and the Samaritan was not strong enough to lift him by himself. Before long a good Christian came along. He saw the wounded man and immediately, for he was a man of good heart, came to the Samaritan s aid. He was just about to help the Samaritan lift the man when he thought he, I wonder if this Samaritan believes the same things I believe about the bible. Does he believe that Jesus is truly God and truly human? Does he believe in the Trinity? Is he a supporter of gay marriage? He felt he needed to know these things because he did not want to work with someone whose beliefs were undermining the true gospel. He thought that by working with such a person he would be supporting ideas that were not only not Biblical, but were destroying Christianity. Meanwhile the beaten man died! For the past months I have been asking people what they think is the most fundamental mission of the church. I get lots of different answers To proclaim the gospel To introduce people to Jesus Christ To get people saved To help people To show people God s love All good answers. You know what people never say? They never say anything like: To teach people all the right doctrines so that they will be able to be one of us and be right with God. Now, if you are one of my brothers or sisters who is uncomfortable with the decision that our denomination has made to allow our pastors to preside at gay weddings in states where it is legal, I want to let you know that I understand your discomfort. You love Jesus. You love the church. You feel like this decision is not only wrong, but that it is potentially damaging to the church and to the cause of Christ. I get that. But I also think that our being angry at and divorcing one another is far more damaging to both cause of Christ and the church. The world is dying to know the love of God that was revealed in Jesus. And while they might understand us lovingly disagreeing about what the Bible teaches about gay marriage, I think they will have a hard time understanding us walking away from each other over such disagreements. I know that some of you have been wrestling with leaving our church and denomination over this issue. I want to say to you that that would make me very sad. I love you. We love you. We would miss you. You are part of a family of beautiful people here at Fairview Pres. People who are trying to embody God s love to each other and the world. But also people who don t all see eye to eye on everything. Also imperfect people who make mistakes. I believe that we show God s love to world much more effectively when we love each other despite differences and imperfections. Isn t that what the gospel of grace is really all about? Love Ya Pastor Chuck Page 3
Page Rhodes - was in a car accident and in a coma. Debi Smith passed away Sunday, April 12. Prayers for her family. Alma Getz had a mastectomy on April 6. She is 75. Anna Mae Traut's son-in-law Carl Schnaufer has a malignant brain tumor that is inoperable. Prayers for peace for him and his family. Jen Hutchinson, Louise Hutchinson's daughter-in-law, had cancerous polyps removed from her thyroid. She will be going through radiation treatment. Mary Ann - a co-worker of Shannon Sanders - lost her nursing job due to false alligations that she abused her teenage daughter. Her boys were taken away. A brother of one of Heather Adams' students - John- was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma. He will be undergoing radiation, chemo, and at least one surgery over the next 9-12 months. Ann Lewis's daughter Jen - the cancer is back. Stephanie Mitchell's brother Matt is searching for a job. Pat Kloecker, a co-worker of Annette Hutchinson, who is 29, a husband & father of 3, has a brain tumor. Prayers for him, his family, and his doctors. Safety for Jenna Mucciarone, who lives in Tel Aviv Israel. Continued prayers for Hagan Hetz and his family Lori Straub continues to battle both MS and Sjogren s disease. Lori,her husband & mother have just moved to Savannah, Georgia. Deb Pifer and Julie Seggi both continue battling MS. Jackie Ostergaard has Alzheimer s and is at Sarah Reed Our Young People in the Military Joe Grimaldi Scotty Case - Mississippi Page 4
In a Different Voice (a monthly column written by Judith Johnston) Strange, interesting, weird, charming, scary as America becomes increasingly diverse, we are confronted by more & more people whose ways are not our ways. Yet, God seems to have spoken to his children in many different places at very different times. Some of these diverse views will be featured each month to encourage a healthy curiosity about other spiritual writings and to open us up to possibilities for a larger spiritual awareness. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Deuteronomy 4:9 Those who consume the orphans' properties unjustly, eat fire into their bellies, and will suffer in Hell. Koran 4:10 The Muslim law does not recognize adoption. Henry Yabah, 80, of Corpus Christi, Texas, who was orphaned at age 2, is looking for his Navajo family. He remembers nothing about losing his mother at the age of 2, or where exactly he lost contact with his siblings, or even how many siblings he has. He remembers only bits and pieces of his formative years at the Good Shepherd Mission Orphanage in Fort Defiance, AZ. At the urging of his wife of over 30 years he is making an attempt to find out where he comes from and who his people are. So far the search has only turned up a few scraps of paper and the census numbers of his long-lost siblings who have remained lost. In 1955 Harry Holt, an Oregon farmer, was so moved by the plight of orphans from the Korean War that he and his wife, Bertha, adopted 8 children from South Korea. Harry and Bertha Holt created what has become the largest agency in the U.S., specializing in Korean children - Holt International Children's Services - which has placed some 60,000 Korean children into American homes. Initially, the majority were mixed-race children of American (and other United Nations) military fathers and Korean women. Then, the children were called "dust of the streets" in Korea. An old saying in Vietnam: Children without a father are like a home without a roof. Hindu child adoption in India has been a prevalent social practice from ancient times. In the past, a childless couple would adopt a child from one s own family. Now, adoption is not limited to the children of relatives. He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus Matthew 18:2, 3 Page 5
Riders on the Orphan Train by Alison Moore Roadworthy Press (2012) 441 pages This is, indeed, what one critic said, a book of striking imagery, passages of dense, passionate writing and scenes of gut-wrenching emotion. I had a maternal grandmother, who at around age 14 was sent from Ukraine to friends of her family in America where she met and married a man 10 years her senior, reared 10 children, was highly successful at raising chickens, cows, many vegetables in large gardens, sewing, cooking, laundering on a scrub board countless loads of coal miner clothing along with the family wash, and passing on Ukrainian crafts and customs to her family, yet never learning to read or even write her name. This personal history made every page of this book touch my heart as I reflected on Grandmother s good fortune, despite her status as a peasant immigrant, of always having family support and a permanent home, and never having to experience the wounds of separation and the scars of abandonment that thousands of American orphans experienced. Between 1854 and 1929 over 250,000 orphaned, abandoned, and homeless children between the ages of 4 and 18 were moved on trains from urban tenements in the east to rural America and Canada to live with, and work for, mainly farming families. The majority moved on to a normal adulthood with education, jobs, marriage, and families of their own. Moore s fictional riders, 11-year-old Ezra Duval and 12-year-old Elizabeth Farrell ride the same orphan train in 1918 and are then separated. This novel follows their separate lives into adulthood with alternating chapters revealing the hardships each endured. Ezra lives a comfortable life in New York City with his father until his father abandons him for a position in Egypt. Elizabeth, first known as Maud, sails to America from Ireland in the over-crowded steerage compartment of an old ship, eager to be reunited with her widowed father. Both children exhibit extraordinary resilience and motivation as they move through their respective childhoods. Moore s account of their adventures, their hopes and fantasies, their triumphs and crushing disappointments, and their desire for reunion with each other are described with the sensitivity of poetry and the tension of a mystery plot. Many sentences invite re-reading just to feel again the power of her descriptions. Judith Johnston Page 6
Cooking Classes Second Harvest and Penn State Behrend will be offering cooking classes here at the church. They will be held every Wednesday beginning May 13, through June 10, from 11 am until 2 pm. These classes will teach how to cook healthy meals at an affordable price. Anyone wishing to take part, please call the church office. Café del Soul The Nurture Committee will be having a Coffee House on Friday, May 22 from 7-9 pm. Aleks Zaytsev and a couple musician friends will be playing. Come out for a relaxing night of music and fellowship! New Expense Reimbursement Form If you need to be reimbursed for any purchase that you made on behalf of Fairview Presbyterian Church, please complete the new Expense Reimbursement Form, attach all receipts, and give it to Amy. She will see that it gets to the proper person for reimbursement.amy has copies of the Expense Reimbursement Form for your use. Thank you for your cooperation. Women s Tea "Lavender & Lace" Our annual Women s Tea will be on Saturday, May 30, 2015, from noon to four pm. This year there will be a fashion show presented by Sassy Peacock! There will be a guest speaker, Chinese Auction, and a variety of vendors such as jewelry, purses, candies, etc. There is a signup sheet on the table in the Lobby. Tickets will be on sale soon!!! Baskets are needed for the Chinese Auction. If anyone can donate any, please bring them in to the office. Sound System Help We could really use another person (or two) that can run the sound system on Sundays. We are very grateful for Eric, but he needs to have a day off once in a while! If anyone is interested, please see Eric or Amy. There will be plenty of training before anyone has to do it on their own! 2015 Graduates We will be honoring our 2015 graduates on June 14. If anyone has a high school or college student in their family who will graduating this year, and would like to have them be included, please call Amy at the church office. Sunday School Children s Sunday school will end for the summer on May 17. Chucks class will continue for a couple weeks after that, and the bible study class in the adult lounge will continue through the summer. Page 7
ANNOUNCING VBS 2015 July 27 th to the 31 st Dinner at 5:30, program 6-8 pm G-Force Adventure Park God s Love in Action In this mission focused VBS, kids experience God s unstoppable love and discover how to fuel up and move in and through life with God. But we need your help to make this year a success. We still need: Activity Leader and assistant Science assistant Preschool to k Leader 3 rd to 6th grade Leader 7 th to 8 th grade Leader Kitchen staff Please call the office or sign up on the table in the Lobby. Thank you!! According to Acts 2, on Pentecost some people accused the disciples of being drunk. Why? A. Because they were still asleep at 9 in the morning. B. Because all the wine was gone. C. Because they were all speaking in foreign languages. D. All of the above. Answer: C Page 8
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1 Bryan Tuten Wendy Case Jared Hanas 2 Al Copeland 3 Beth McAleer 4 Linda Tobolewski 5 Scott Case 6 Collin Crawford 7 Jean Joseph Sherry Jarvi 8 Chuck Cammarata Joe Nies Austin Hughes 10 Luke Tobolewski 11 Arlene Miller Fred Ralph Emily Crawford 14 Karen Bryant 15 Ella Wagner Carson Young Jackob Hughes 16 Susan Lee Barb Mucciarone 17 Brian McNally 18 Gavin Eberlin 20 Russ Warley 21 Jeff Sanner Sydney Nelson Claire Iszkula Dan Weber 22 Amy Tessier Lori Straub 24 Colleen Warley 26 Lisa Dominick 28 Susan Thompson 28 Susan Thompson Carter Lee Henderson 30 Heather Nichols Page. 10
Editor s Page At Christmas and Easter especially, I think of how luck Jenna is to be living in a place so rich with religious history. Unfortunately, at Christmas when it would be so exciting to travel to Bethlehem, she is unable to due to the fact that politically the area is not safe. How very sad that is. This past Christmas Jenna did travel to Jerusalem to spend the holiday with her Christian friend from college (Maggie) who now lives there with her husband (Kurt). Then, at Easter Jenna had the most wonderful experience. Maggie and Kurt (who both work for a Christian church in Jerusalem) were in charge of organizing a sunrise service at the Garden Tomb, a tomb where many people believe Christ was laid after the Crucifixion and from which he rose on Easter Sunday. Since Jenna was with Maggie and Kurt, she had access to the whole garden area including the entrance to the tomb. The tomb itself was closed that day, but she was able to have her picture taken at the door to the tomb. Isn t that great?! The sunrise service was telecast streaming live from Israel so Mike and I were able to watch it here on our computer. They had some amazing speakers and incredible music from the worship team from Maggie and Kurt s church in Jerusalem. Some of the songs were ones I recognized from our own services here at Fairview! The cameramen quite often panned the audience and Mike and I were able to see Jenna sitting with Maggie and participating in the service. It was incredibly moving. And our little girl was right there in the midst of it! Tel Aviv (where Jenna lives) is a very metropolitan city and it s easy to forget that it sits in the middle of an area so rich with history. Tel Aviv is relatively new (compared to other areas of Israel) and is right on the Mediterranean Sea, so it is a tourist attraction as well as a bustling city in its own right. Yet a mere half-hour from there are ancient cities that Christ visited and called home. What an adventure Jenna is having. I have to admit, though, that I wish she weren t so far away. She s been there over 4 years now, and her mother and dad think it s about time to come home!! Thank goodness it looks like Spring is really about to be here; it s been a long, long winter, and the flowers budding are a welcome sight. Aren t we all ready for it? I wish a Happy Mother s Day to all the mothers out there. How special you all are. Enjoy your day! Barb Mucciarone Page 11