News & Notes
This is an unusual week. Pastor Mark, who produces News and Notes, is in Slidell, Louisiana. So are nineteen other members of St Johns. They are the mission team working on rebuilding projects there. We’ll get to hear all about it when they return Sunday night, but if you want a preview, check out the bulletin board in Hartford Hall. Or you can access the St John’s Website and get the news. I am a member of the Methodist Church because of their Social Action in the world. I salute these twenty members of St Johns who put their bodies where their mouths are.
Our benediction this Sunday says “…may God bless us with the foolishness to think we can make a difference in the world, so we will do things which others say cannot be done.”
The Outreach Committee is offering an opportunity to write to your congresspersons regarding two issues.
- The first issue is about the African country of Dafur. You have read over many months about the killing, maiming, raping of thousands who live in this country. You have read about the survivors who have seen their villages burned and who have managed to reach a refugee camp. The US Government needs to use its mighty influence to change this situation.
- The second issue is a local one. It involves a law in many states, including the state of Maine that denies social security benefits to a group of people who work in both the private sector and the educational community.
Please be informed and then write to your congress-people.
This Sunday you can do it after both services.
Our benediction this Sunday says ”…May God bless us with hope for justice, equity and peace.”
St John’s Church is a community of faith. We love and respect and help our members in ways that are reflective of the commitment we feel toward each other.
- Sheryl W. learned that she has breast cancer. She has dealt with pain all over the place. Please pray for her as she faces a new challenge.
- Bob and Madeleine W. are embedded in Dover. They are a part of the very landscape. Pray for them and for their family.
- Kevin D. came to church last Sunday and many people were delighted to connect with him. He has completed chemotherapy at Wentworth Douglass and will be planning what to do next. Pray for him and for Lynn and their two daughters.
- Gerry S. is a beloved member of this congregation. He welcomes, exhorts, and encourages us all. He is out of ICU and in Room #219A at Portsmouth Regional Hospital. No calls or visits. Please send a card.
- The red rose on the alter this Sunday is there in memory of Miriam McFann who died recently. She was a fragile but determined woman, cared for by her grandson and his wife, Wendy, and her delightful great-grandaughter, Audrey.
- Donald F. is going to begin physical therapy. He and Sherrie have been through so much but they can see the end of the road. The church family has loved and supported them throughout their ordeal.
May God bless us with tears to shed for those who suffer, so we will reach out our hands to comfort them and change their pain to joy.
Donna M. has agreed to take over the job of arranging Adult Studies. During Lent there are a variety of offerings. There are bible studies at two nursing homes, which will take place in the morning. There are Tuesday evening studies from Thinking Out Loud about Homosexuality, to a study about Baptism and a bible study led by Judy S. using a book called, And the Angels Were Silent. There are studies for young adults and children. Check out the bulletin board in Hartford Hall and sign up for a study.
May God bless us with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that we will live deep in our hearts.
The world rolls on and so many things happen, almost before we know it. But this is our world and we need to pay attention. May God bless us with anger at injustice, oppression and exclusion.
With love,
Judith Custer