All Souls Parish
The Presbyterian Church
The Messenger
March 10, 2010 - Number 2074
Pastor’s Message…
I just got back from a clergy retreat that the
Presbytery sponsored. It was one of
those days when I left. There was the
Sunday service followed by the deacons meeting followed by a CROP Walk meeting
followed by getting lost (kind of, I got off an exit or two too early) going up
to the retreat center. By the time I got
there, I really needed a retreat.
The retreat leader was Mary Boyz,
a professor from Union Seminary, who led us in reflecting on the cross and
resurrection. That first night there was
a lively discussion about the meaning of the cross/crucifixion and what it
meant, what it means, how we can understand it in the context of who we are in
this time in this place. How do we
understand the blood sacrifice that
is so often presented to us in an age when ritual sacrifice is so alien to our
lives? How do we understand Jesus dying for our sins in order that we
might find salvation and that being
the most important part of his existence?
Well we talked about salvation and how we need to be
saved every day, how we need to be salvific for
others every day, how there are small moments of salvation that happen all
around us every day. Salvation after all
comes from the same Latin root as health/healing. We need to be healed every day. We need to be a healing presence to others
every day. We need to notice those
incredible moments which pass us by every day that speak to the healing
presence of our loving God.
Salvation is not pie in the sky by and by. It is what needs to be part of our everyday
living. When we are running from pillar
to post and get kind of lost (either on the road or in our lives), we need to
be saved, to be healed, to find that risen Christ among us and within us. That is the real Easter miracle, to find the
risen Christ even now just like those disciples on the road to Emmaus, just
like those frightened disciples shut up in that upper room, just like grieving
Mary in the garden.
I know it’s still Lent and we need to be doing
that self-examination and reflection before we get to the BIG DAY, but looking
for, being that risen Christ may not be a bad Lenten discipline for us to take
up. Be healed, and go out and heal
others. Lord knows the world, and you
and I could use it. -Bruce
News
From The Pews…
Continued prayers are asked for…
V All ministries of this parish; Small Group ministries, Sunday School/Bible Study, Healing Ministries, Saturday Evening Worship, Chancel Choir, Session & Deacons, General Assembly, Parish Nurse, Spirituality Group, Soup Kitchen and Carver Center; for our youth and children.
V For Laura continued prayers for healing.
V
Our president, his staff, our military
and those around the world living in fear and praying for freedom.
V
For all soldiers and troops.
V
Our personnel abroad in places of danger and
those at home experiencing new worries.
V
People who are seeking employment.
V
The people of
V
The refugees in
V
Our troubled world, prayers for our enemies.
V
For all veterans.
V
For those who are suffering from addiction.
V
For all of those traveling.
V
Rose Cumming & Roberta Gillan.
It was a joy…
V
Julie
B., Rob H. & Ken H. birthdays.
V
Martha’s
father doing well.
V
Zaccara’s dinner.
V
Hernando
& Caroline’s
work on the Crop-Walk website.
Please remember to pray for…
V
Penny
D’s family as they mourn her passing.
V
Gary
& family on the death of Constance.
V
Emily
and her family as she recovers from knee surgery.
V
Healing
for Penny’s friend Eileen.
V
Nate
W. and the PCMS students going to
V
Carly’s roommate as she mourns the loss of her uncle.
V
Marissa’s
family.
V
Martha’s
father who has a heart condition.
V
Pat’s
mother Lucy recovering from surgery.
V
Ethel
& Miriam both recovering.
V
Penny’s
niece as she awaits test results.
V
The
People of
V
Deb
for healing.
V
Diane
for peace.
V
Rosalie
as she mourns the loss of her daughter.
V
Engle’s
family.
V
Carey’s
good friend Walter and family on the passing of his wife Bunny in
V
Julie’s
Aunt Ellen.
V
Jinny’s niece Linda recovering from brain
surgery.
V
Sam’s
sister for continued strength and healing.
V
Travelling
mercies especially for Jen.
V
Sam’s
mother looking for employment.
V
Caroline’s
friend Sandra taking citizenship test.
V
Al
M. who will be having surgery.
V
Rose
Cumming and family as they mourn the death of her cousin Rose Frattarola who was 93 years old.
V
Rose
Cumming for strength and healing.
V
Trevor
for direction.
Worship This Sunday…
This Sunday we will hear Jesus’ wonderful
parable of the prodigal son. How
heartening it is to know that no matter how much we mess up, if we turn back to
God, we will be welcomed with loving arms.
The Chancel Choir will sing “My Crown of Creation”, with the
powerful text by Jaroslav Vajda,
set very creatively to the ‘Simple Gifts’ tune by Charles Ore. The children will sing a lovely song by Mary
Lu Walker, “Golden String”, a parable
about loving relationships. The prelude will be a tender setting of
“Great Is Thy Faithfulness”, by the jazz composer Chuck Marohnic.
Eight O’Clock Hour…
Please read
chapter 4 Faith in, "The Case For God" by Karen Armstrong for Sunday
March 14. Ken Nilsen
Bible
Morning Evening
March 7 Mark
10 32-52 Deut. 3, 4
March 8 Mark
11 1-18 Deut. 5, 6,
7
March 9 Mark
11 19-33 Deut. 8, 9, 10
March 10 Mark
12 1-27 Deut. 11, 12, 13
March 11 Mark
12 28-44 Deut. 14, 15,
16
March 12 Mark
13 1-20 Deut. 17,
18, 19
March 13 Mark
13 21-37 Duet. 20, 21, 22
Daylight Saving Time…
Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday, March 14th.
Please remember to turn your clocks one hour ahead before bed on Saturday,
March 13th.
Part of what we are called
to do as believers is to remember that we are all part of the same body, and
that if one member of the body is in pain, the whole body suffers. If one part of the body rejoices, the whole body
joins in their elation. With that in
mind we ask that you remember those of this congregation and those of our
presbytery family listed below as you offer your daily prayers. Mary &
George Betz, The Brakewood Family, Betty Dineen, Doug & Shenoa Carey, Calvary,
newburgh First Chruch Wappingers Falls. We
are all one body in Christ.
This Saturday, March 13th
there will be a healing Litany as part of our regular Saturday
evening Taizé service. During the time of
intercessory prayer, you can share your prayer concerns with a healing
minister who will then offer prayer with you. Deborah Pfau
will serve as Healing Minister for this service. The Saturday evening service
is a more meditative time, and all are invited to share in this quiet
time with God.
This year we will prepare for our Holy Week journey with a half day quiet retreat led by Renate Sutterlin. Renate has led the Spirituality Group here at All Souls for over a decade, but her experience in helping people discover their spiritual path extends far beyond that. She did graduate work at Fordham in this discipline and was the director of the Guild for Spiritual Development for nearly two decades. Our Day of Quiet will be March 27, the Saturday before Palm/Passion Sunday. It will be a half day event, and there will be a sign up sheet in the narthex. The purpose of this day is to help us center ourselves as we prepare to take the final steps of our Lenten journey.
Preacher: Rev. J. Bruce Baker
Organist: Joanna Nilsen
Liturgist: Deborah Pfau
Counters: Audrey Thime &
Mary Betz
Sunday School: Elise Lemire
& Carolee Brakewood
Greeter: Debby Tedesco
We Care Team III: Deacons
Ethel Mellon & Miriam Rodriguez
Team Members: Caroline & Hernando Acuna,
Felicity Fuller, Sue & Roy Haney, Penny & Sim
Kovacic, Joan Stevenson, Andrea Winchester, Eleanore Wolf.
e-mail address: AllSoulsParish@Yahoo.com Web site: http://www.allsoulsparish-portchester.org/
Editorial Staff
Editor: Enza
Giglio
Circulation: Ethel
Mellon
Reporting Staff: All
Members
STAFF
Pastor: Rev. J.
Bruce Baker
Minister of Music:
Joanna Nilsen
Bookkeeper: Debbie Bunnell
Secretary: Enza Giglio
Sexton: Vilma Torres
Office Hours
Monday-Friday 8:45-11:45am Church Phone (914) 939-4300 Fax # (914) 935-0865
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