News & Notes 1/31/08
Dear St. John’s Church family,
Time flies when you’re having fun!! I feel old saying this, but can you believe that this is the last day of January? Didn’t we just take yesterday off for “New Year’s Day?” Time going quickly or not, I AM having fun! Life at St. John’s is terrific, and God is good!! . . . All the time!
I’ll be taking my 93 year old Dad home to Orr’s Island today. It’s been terrific for Wendy and me to have him here the last couple of weeks. Dad lives with my sister, Joanne - whom we just found out yesterday has a reoccurrence of her breast cancer. She will see her doctor this afternoon to see how they will “address” it. My extended family would covet your prayers.
And under the category of asking for prayers, Wendy has said that I could mention her to you - that she will have her second corneal transplant surgery (for her Fuch’s Disease/Corneal Dystrophy) this coming Tuesday, in Portland. We would ask for your prayers for her, too. Hopefully this will be her last (of four) eye surgery.
“Learn Something New” takes place this Saturday, November 2nd. I lift that up as a reminder to all those who signed up. And I would imagine you wouldn’t be “kicked out” if you hadn’t signed up for a class but came anyway. The coffee and goodies will be ready at 9 AM - classes begin around 9:30 AM.
United Methodist Men will gather for breakfast this Sunday - at 7:30 AM - in Hartford Hall. All the men of the church are invited to attend!
Sunday will be the first Sunday of the month, meaning it’s Communion Sunday. Our newly commissioned Healing Team will offer their ministry for the first time during Communion. And as always, there will be “Communion offering envelopes” in the bulletin, for all who wish, to make a gift toward the Pastor’s Discretionary Fund.
Whether you are hosting a Super Bowl Party, going to one or staying home to watch the game in peace, there’s one thing you’ll need - FOOD! The youth group is preparing deliciously fresh subs, veggie platters and chili to deliver to your doorstep in time for the big game Sunday as a fundraiser for their Katrina Mission Trip. No order is too big or too small! For more information, call Brenda Borchers at 343-4424 or e-mail her at Godcayers4uandme [at] yahoo [dot] com. (Not even the least bit interested in football? You’ll still need to eat! Give us a call!)
We’ll also be auctioning off a cake to the highest bidder during first service coffee hour. At 10:20 AM, the bidding begins! Good luck and thanks for your support!!!
Next Wednesday will bring the beginning of Lent!! Our Ash Wednesday service will take place in our sanctuary at 7 PM. Many of us will remember that the season of Lent was traditionally a time to “give something up” as a reminder of the suffering of Christ. A newer take on that spiritual discipline is to encourage disciples of Christ to “take something on” - as Christ took on the burden of our sin - he picked up his cross, and he calls us to do the same. What might you take on during this Lenten season - something that would make a difference in your life, and the life of someone else? Could you make visits in a local nursing home? Could you volunteer at the local Library? Could you make some phone calls to some of the shut-ins of our church, just to say “hi, I’m thinking of you?” Your Easter celebration might be just that much richer if you tried something like this.
SECOND SUNDAY CONCERT Sunday, February 10, at 3:30 pm. The guest artist is R. P. Hale, who is also a harpsichord and dulcimer builder and performer. He is originally from Mexico and has conducted intensive research in the Hispanic and pre-Hispanic music of Mexico and Central America, and in the Mayan and Aztec calendars, learning the Aztec Nahuatl language in the process. Mr. Hale teaches early music, harpsichord, clavichord, and hammer-dulcimer at St.Paul’s School and serves as the organist at St.Paul’s Episcopal Church, in Concord, NH. He was recently cited by the Smithsonian Institution as one of this country’s premier harpsichord/dulcimer makers. This concert also marks 2008 as the 20th anniversary of the re-installation of our 1876 Hutchings-Plaisted tracker organ. For more information see : http://zhi.net/spotlight/hale.shtml
One of our own has a very specific need. Deb Calabro’s car was recently vandalized — incuring $2,000 in uninsured repairs. She cannot afford that expense and is looking to purchase an older, used car — that she can pay for over time, or is about $500 (her income is SS disability plus a small income from a part-time job). If you have a vehicle that fits that description, or know someone who does, could you call Deb at 343-5632? Thanks.
These next two things come from an email note I received from “The Progressive Christian” magazine:
Among the many pundits interpreting the impact of President Bush’s “State of the Union” speech, TPC NeXus notes that of a caller to National Public Radio’s “Diane Rehm Show” Jan. 29. The caller pointed out that the additional funding the president seeks for “No Child Left Behind” amounts to $20 for each of the 10 million low-income children in America. Meanwhile, the caller said, continuing tax cuts for the rich amounted to a benefit of more than $287,000 per person for those in the top 1 percent income bracket in America. What would Jesus say about this benefit gap? See Matthew 19:11-21.
JUMPIN’ FOR JESUS: They may be scruffy-looking, with their tattoos and piercings, but the ‘boarders of King of Kings Skateboard Ministry are out to bring the message of Jesus to younger generations, writes Cheryl Heckler for Ecumenical News Service. “We tell the kids it’s OK to do their own thing, to be who they are, but we also are trying to bridge a gap, to give them a message of hope and plug them back into their parents,” says founder Darren Wells, whose ministry has been described in The New York Times as an “edgy, modern version of the old-fashioned revival meeting.” Some estimates suggest that there could be 300 skateboard outreach ministries affiliated with churches throughout the United States, as well as 30 to 50 skateboard teams, such as King of Kings, that travel, sometimes internationally, to skate and preach.
Finally, let me leave you with this thought: An invisible man marries an invisible woman. The kids were nothing to look at either.
See you in church! Peace, Mark