MPC NEWS MAGAZINE November 2018 What s Happening in November? ACTC Thanksgiving Project Each year the Assistance Center of Towson Churches (ACTC) gives out over 2200 special bags of food for our neighbors who otherwise might not be able to celebrate Thanksgiving. It is a lot to come up with from the churches, but we seem to be able to do it each year. We can only continue if you join in this year. ACTC has asked us to provide 40 bags! That will be a stretch for us but we re hopeful that we can at least come close to that goal. Donations of food (see right column) will be gratefully accepted at MPC through Wednesday, November 14th. Please consider buying everything on the list (or sharing the purchase). Please pack each complete bag in a reusable shopping bag and mark it complete. Or you can buy a prepacked bag at the supermarket In addition to food, supermarket gift cards are given to each recipient to help pay for perishable food items. (Please do not put any in the bags!) Monetary donations are also welcomed to help pay for the gift cards and other expenses of the program. Envelopes are in the pews. Thank you for your help with this joyful community project. Leslie Erickson To be a part of MPC s efforts this year, please include ONLY the following in each bag (all additional items should be in separate bags and marked Miscellaneous ): 1 can sweet potatoes/yams (23-29 oz) 2 cans meat/main dish (beef stew, chili 15-24 oz) 1 large can fruit (20-30 oz) 4 cans vegetables (15 oz) 1 can cranberry sauce 2 pkgs macaroni & cheese 1 box instant mashed potatoes 1 cake or brownie mix 1 bag or box of stuffing mix 1 lb bag or box of rice Fall back Nov. 4th All Saints Sunday November 4th, 11:00 AM Each year we remember friends and family who have gone before us. If you did not get your loved one s name on the list and it did not get in the bulletin, you can tell David and he will add it. See about a Legacy Lunch after worship on page 3. Purchase Pre-Packed Thanksgiving Baskets This year we have 4 grocery stores participating in the Thanksgiving Basket Drive. All bags will be packed in advance at each of the stores and can be picked up at the Customer Service counter. This also includes a re-usable bag. If you are picking up multiple bags, please call in advance. Giant Supermarket Timonium (across from the Fairgrounds) 2145 York Road Timonium, MD 21093 410 308-3868 Rob Eickhoff, Manager $23.00 Giant Supermarket Baltimore $23 (across from the Drumcastle Center) 6340 York RD Baltimore, MD 21212 410-377-2673 Amy Steinbrook, Manager $23.00 Giant Supermarket Towson (near Taylor Avenue) 8100 Loch Raven Boulevard Towson, MD 21286 410-377-2673 Lekeita Sedgwick, Manager $23.00 ShopRite 37 Aylesbury, Rd., Timonium, MD 21093 410-308-8700 Steve Starzynski, Manager $24.75 Bags will be available as of November 1, 2018 Sunday Brew See page 5
Page 2 MPC has nine new members Left to right: Katrina Neyman, Nicole Reibe, Andrea Madsen, James Evans, Sean Dirge Rebecca Fyfe, Lorie Conway, Cindy and Trish Tindall-Dabrowski Welcome all of you. Three bios below. The others will be in the December newsletter. We ve known Lorie Conway and Rebecca Fyfe, partners, for a long time! It s great that they are now members in the MPC family. Currently living in Bel Air, Rebecca has Quaker roots in New Hope, PA. Her great grandfathers built the Rebecca Lori Quaker meeting houses there in the late 1600 s! She is currently a special education social studies teacher for Baltimore County. Lorie works for Core Source, and has been a health care benefits administrator for 30 years. She also does spiritual direction and retreat ministry work, sometimes right here at MPC. She is a contemplative at heart. Rebecca grew up and continues to be grateful to God, the creator of all, for everything. Lorie grew up Roman Catholic but has spent time at the Metropolitan Community Church in Baltimore and with the United Church of Christ. Both love outdoor activities. Rebecca, loves fixing things with her 90 year old Dad and Lorie loves connecting with people in spiritual conversations. Lots of siblings between these two ladies! I guess it s wrong to say, Welcome to MPC, as these ladies are not strangers. So we ll say: It s good to see you at church! You recognize one of our new members, Katrina Neyman, from playing the French horn on Sundays. Katrina is originally from Pennsylvania but now lives in Glen Burnie, MD. She was raised in the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church. Currently she is a band/strings teacher for the Anne Arundel Public School System. She s been playing the French horn for 15 years. Katrina used to sing for the Sweet Adeline s Quartet. She also enjoys crocheting and spending time with friends. Welcome to MPC Kristina! Vicki Pat At this time of year, on All Saints Day, we remember those in our church family who have joined the other saints the past year. They will always hold a special place in our hearts and our memories...pat Cornman and Vicki Sjolander
Page 3 Harvest Sunday Published for the members and friends of Maryland Presbyterian Church, 1105 Providence Road, Towson, Maryland 21286. (410) 825-0719 Editors: Jo Sack, Rick Dezes Production and distribution Dale Salah, Alma Smith, Other Contributors to this Issue: David Norse, Leslie Erickson, Mary Jo Zimbro, Editorial Comment STUdents Beware! Susan wonders if we can make words with S, T, and U. Not many U s, fewer T s, but S s, quite a few. I Trust by The end of This, U won t be in a Stew! Sally has Total and a Tangerine when she gets Up. For lunch, a Tuna Sandwich with some Tea in a cup. Later, Spaghetti in Tomato Sauce, Shared with an Urban pup. Ted Usually attends the Sunday Service at MPC. He s Uplifted by Second Thessalonians, chapter Three. The Soloist Sings Softly accompanied by a Ukulele. Theresa has an Ulcer in her Uterus; the Surgeon operates. After that, a Stomach ache and an Urge to Urinate. Then an Umbilical hernia, it s more than she can Tolerate. Sam Took a Trip Urgently to Springfield, Illinois. His younger Sister had Tiny Twins, a girl and a boy. Traveling from Upstate, he reached on Tuesday with joy. Tanya Says She Sits Singing Under the Sycamore Tree. Looking Up, She Sees a Swallow and a chickadee, Surrounded by Some Snapdragons and a bumble bee. Tom lives in Timonium, but came here from Spain. Understands English, but Speaks it with a Strain. His Son teaches Spanish at the University of Maine. Tina has a Stenography job in Utah. Typing is a Success. Her Supervisor is a Snob, She Threatens to quit, Unless, She is given an Upgrade, Somehow relieved of The Stress. Ursula Trapped Snap Turtles in The Long Island Sound. Under Those She Saw Sardines and Trout abound. A Skunk, Squirrel, Tiger, and Urial were on the ground. I Say we must put an end to This Utter Foolishness. You See it is becoming a Total Useless, Spiritless mess. These Stanzas were meant not to be a Stew but a Success. Ugh! Jo Sack November 18 If you would like to help Lynn Flanigan decorate the table by contributing items, money or yourself, please let her know. It will be sometime the weekend before Thanksgiving. Nov. 2017 Congregational Meeting to Approve Rev. David s Terms of Call for 2019 November 18th, immediately after Worship You are invited to a Legacy lunch potluck on Sunday, Nov. 4th after worship. We will celebrate the legacy of those we remember during or All Saints Worship Service, and have an opportunity to learn more about how we can leave a legacy to MPC through planned giving, endowing your pledge in perpetuity, contributing to our newly created building fund or purchasing a leae in our beautifully restored Memorial Garden that will provide for its care. Please join us. Rev. David Hanging of the Greens Sunday December 2nd at 11:00 AM Bring an ornament to decorate our Christmas tree, We will sing favorite Christmas carols, and transform our sanctuary. Laugh of the Month Why some men prefer a dog to a wife: * The later you are, the more excited your dogs are to see you. * Dogs like it if you leave a lot of things on the floor. * A dog's parents never visit. * Dogs agree that you have to raise your voice to get your point across. * You never have to wait for a dog; they're ready to go 24 hours a day. * Dogs like to go hunting and fishing.
Page 4 Prayer in the Context of Progressive Christianity by Rev. Mark Sandlin Presbyterian Church USA I definitely don't see prayer as coins for the great vending machine in the sky. Theologically, that kind of belief leaves us with either a God whose will and actions can be influenced or even controlled, or it leaves us with a God who is unconcerned and flippant about responding to prayer. Pragmatically, it's demonstrably untrue and believing that it's true can lead to a lifetime of wounds and anger with God. Ultimately, it's a question of the providence of God. How does God interact with Creation? Personally, I see God interacting through us reflections of God. So, even if prayer somehow influenced the will of God, I don't see God reaching down from the sky and mucking about with the world all haphazardly. Instead, I see God impacting the world through relationship with each of us and the actions we take in the world. That's both an internal and external God. For me, prayer is one of the ways we connect with that internal/external God. It is a chance to grow in that relationship including speaking about the difficult places in life and in the world. It's an opportunity to commune with God and to be oriented toward God. Intersessions are still important in that perspective, but we must understand that it is not us asking God for a result from the great vending machine, but rather us being reminded that we are how God intercedes. She Came Back Home It was so great to see Sue Batton Leonard at church on Homecoming Sunday. She really did come home! MPC has been at the center of her heart for many, many years since her Dad's company, F.C. Batton & Son, built the sanctuary in 1958, and she was confirmed in the church and became a member of MPC. Sue is an award-winning author who enjoys reaching her readers by inspiring them to find the positive in all situations and to live with an appreciation for the little things in life. Sue has an award-winning audio book, "Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected. She is also a blog mistress for AllThingsFulfilling.com, and a web site, sowtheheart.com/ You should check them out. Here are links to three posts Sue has written about MPC: http://www.sowtheheart.com/uncategorized/howcould-it-be/ http://www.sowtheheart.com/uncategorized/anappointment-with-providence/ http://www.sowtheheart.com/uncategorized/a-garden -of-memories/ Say hi to Sue the next time you see her at worship. It s so wonderful that she s come back home!
Page 5 Mission Update Call For Habitat-for-Humanity Volunteers No funds have gone out this month Your Letters to Congress, a Success On September 28th, this letter from Bread for the World: Today, the U.S. House of Representatives reauthorized the Global Food Security Act for five more years thanks to your persistent advocacy and support! The Senate passed the reauthorization earlier this year. This affirms our government's commitment to improving agriculture and the nutrition of women and children around the world. The reauthorization is a victory for Nepal s Jokhan Chaudhary and nine million others like him who escaped poverty because of programs like Feed the Future, authorized by Congress through the Global Food Security Act, to reduce global hunger and malnutrition. Jokhan received agricultural and business training that he then used to train thousands of local farmers to increase production and feed their families. God calls on us to end hunger. This important victory will make a significant difference in the lives of millions of people around the world. This bipartisan effort began under President George W. Bush and was brought to fruition by President Obama. Now President Trump has the opportunity to carry it forward Sundays at 9:30 Check out the bulletin board in the social hall. We will gather at 9:30 for Theology and coffee, that is, conversations about topics you would like to discuss. 1. Prayer practices 2. Encountering God through art forms 3. Current sociological issues. 4. Scripture 5. Others If you have questions, please see Darrell Wheeler or Rev. David. November 10, 2018 A scheduled work day has been set for Saturday, November 10, 2018 at our Habitat-For-Humanity mission project at McCabe Avenue off of York Road (just south of Northern Parkway). Physically able MPC volunteers are needed to help out with construction work on that day (family members and friends are most welcome to participate). Since we are partnering with other churches, we are limited to five volunteers. The shift will start at 9AM and end at 3PM (including one 30-minute lunch break). To date, 22 members from MPC have volunteered since the project started in 2014. Let s add to this number! Please consider volunteering if you have not already done so (or even if you have). For further information or to register as a volunteer, please contact me. Mary Jo Zimbro. Our First Salvadoran Saint On October 14th of this year, Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero was officially recognized by the Catholic Church as El Salvador s first Saint. Prior to and following his assassination by a right wing death squad on March 24, 1980, Monsignor Romero was already a spiritual guide and a source of hope for thousands of poor and traditionally marginalized people in El Salvador. A defender of human rights and the "voice of the voiceless", his legacy, his message and his example will endure, especially among the poor, the people who made him holy. His life and death will remain symbols of hope and inspiration and his martyrdom will not be in vain. Monsignor Romero lives within the Salvadoran people and in the hearts of those who suffer from injustice around the world. From Share El Salvador MPC s sister parish in El Salvador celebrates a great event.
Page 6 Homecoming Sunday What a wonderful worship service held on September 16. Singing, instrumental music, conversation, fellowship, communion. There was even a children s chat! There were quite a few people who attended, members and friends alike. Rev. David gave everyone a chance to listen to someone else as he invited all to find someone they didn t know all that well and sit and listen to their story. (Remember, the words listen and silent are made of the same letters.) We spent 10 minutes getting to know our partners, and they us. David also held a children s chat in the prayground. When s the last time that happened at MPC? It is so wonderful to have some regularly attending families. Music was a big part of Homecoming Sunday as Mary Murray, Joe Wright, Lynn Flanigan, and Donna Mistr led with vocals and The Deep Rooted Folks with Brittany Bowen on bass, Kevin Barrett on guitar (also soloist) and our music director, Greg Metzler, providing piano and violin accompaniment. Pastor David also joined in on percussion. Communion was served and then everyone went to the fellowship room to have more time together over good food. A little bit at a time, each Sunday brings a new way to do something. Ushers no longer bring offering plates to the seats. Instead, everyone is invited to bring their offering to the front. There s a prayground in the back of the sanctuary. David individualizes his prayer when we get a chance to lift a specific concern to God. You ll notice a new arrangement of furniture in the front. The choir now sits with us, coming together at the chancel to sing the anthem. But most of all, there are more people old faces, new faces, friends, people that are attracted to MPC for reasons known only to themselves. What a homecoming! Rick Dezes
Page 7 October Session Digest Our Session met on Tuesday, October 9th, and began by sharing about a time we made a choice to prioritize our health, happiness or relationships. These rounds questions continue to build our deep sense of relationships as a body. We celebrated our nine new members, and looked ahead to how we can continue to welcome visitors, follow up with them, and invite folks to be a part of our community. Our work with The Center continues, as we integrate more aspects of community organizing into the culture of Maryland Presbyterian Church. We will be looking to schedule a retreat for mission team members and elders, along with key leaders from the congregation, in the future. In January, our mission focus of the month will be on Community Organizing. I requested the opportunity to attend the NEXT Church Community Organizing Training for continuing education, and the session approved my attendance, and I look forward to sharing about what I learned in January in worship. The session also reviewed my terms of call, which is Presbyterian speak for my compensation package. This will be presented to the congregation for approval at a brief congregational meeting on November 18th. We celebrated Tom Koch s many years of faithful service to MPC, and discussed plans for his retirement from the Session at the end of December. We are excited to report that Danell Gill has been nominated to join the session in 2019, and will be presented for election to our session at our January Congressional Meeting. Finally, we spent a good amount of time evaluating a few new experiences in worship at MPC. Evaluation is a key skill in Community Organizing, and the framework of sharing What worked? What didn t work? What should we do differently next time? was utilized to evaluate the Deep Rooted Folks, New Member Sunday, and our children s chats in worship. As we look ahead to our stewardship campaign in November, Advent, and Christmas, we are excited to explore new ways of being family in this space, and learning who we are called into being. David Norse With permission
MPC News Magazine Maryland Presbyterian Church 1105 Providence Road Towson, Maryland 21286 mpc@mpc.org October Events Above: Donna Mistr leads the 9:30 AM Adult Forum in Lectio Divina, divine reading on October 28th. Left: Rev. David reads to the children. Sundays during worship. It s called Children s Chat. New member s hospitality cake See page 2 Mission: To be a welcoming, progressive faith community, nurturing inquisitive Christians for life and service in the twenty-first century. Thursday Choir rehearsal 7:30 PM Sunday Worship 11:00 AM Communion Sunday to be announced November 2018 Church Staff Rev. David Norse, Minister Greg Metzler, Director of Music Anne E. Culbertson, Choir Section Leader Lauren Rohrs, Administrative Director Kathy Ramirez, Custodian Sun 4 Worship 11:00 AM; Legacy Lunch after worship See page 3 Tue 9 Session 6:30 PM Sun 11 Worship 11:00 AM Mon 15 Finance 6:30 PM Sun 18 Worship 11:00 AM; Congregational meeting after worship Sun 25 Theology and Coffee 9:30 AM Worship 11:00 AM Visit our Website at www.mpc.org