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Gracias! Lots of Notes of Thanks that We Should Share
| Thanks to all those who led worship on Sunday in my absence, including:
James Fisher, Gwen Wray-Samans, Molly DeMaret, Grant Mandsager, Billian Burgess, Ron Bookbinder, Chuck Abbott, Mike Bagwell, and Reg Mitchell.
It is truly a gift to serve such a talented, faithful, enthusiastic community who always steps up when called upon to lead in all kinds of ways. Thank you.
Thanks to James for hosting coffee time. We look forward to Toni Bissessar's hospitality for this Sunday's coffee time.
(You can check the coffee hour schedule each week on the calendar on the CPC web site.)
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Christian Education and Spiritual Group Gathers Sunday
| Last month we began a process of discernment and conversation about the way we are being called to deepen our spiritual lives and our understanding of our Christian faith at CPC.
We began with an hour of prayer, reading, listening and conversation framed by a brief excerpt from Parker Palmer, and a lectio divina reading of a passage of scripture.
Our conversation brought forward more questions than answers, which is exactly what one would expect for this first stage of a discernment process.
We will continue the conversation this Sunday morning following worship. Grab a cup of coffee and join us, as we reflect together on what God is calling us toward.
This week we'll use as a prompt this brief meditation from Sr. Joan Chittister. |
| Mark Your March Calendars! | |
Coming soon to the wee kirk:
CE/Spiritual formation discernment group, March 6, 11:30 a.m.
Ash Wednesday, soup supper and worship, March 9, 6:00 p.m.
Wii Kirk pizza and games night, March 11, 6:30 p.m.
Family Circle Sunday School, March 13, 11:30 a.m.
John Bell concert and community sing, March 13, 7:00 p.m. Arlington Presbyterian.
Lenten Soup Series begins Thursday, March 17, 6:30 p.m.
Mission discernment group and worship planning team, March 20, 11:30 a.m.
Bullied! A special showing of a powerful documentary film, March 20, 3:00 p.m. at Church of the Pilgrims.
Lenten Soup Series Thursday, March 24, 6:30 p.m.
Bryan McFarland in concert, March 26, 7:00 p.m.
Rebuilding Together, April 30.
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| MLP at the Movies | |
Open Doors/More Light Presbyterians is sponsoring a special showing of the documentary Bullied at Church of the Pilgrims, Sunday, March 20, 3:00 p.m.
Bullied is a documentary film that chronicles one student's ordeal at the hands of anti-gay bullies and offers an inspiring message of hope to those fighting harassment today. It can become a cornerstone of anti-bullying efforts in middle and high schools.
The showing will be followed by a discussion featuring Diana Bruce, director of Health, Education and Wellness, District of Columbia Public Schools.
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Lent Begins In Ashes
Progressive ... Inclusive ... Diverse |
March.2011
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Greetings!
 The liturgical recovery movement that hit the Mainline Protestant churches in 1980s brought the season of Lent back from post-Reformation purgatory -- and I do hope you appreciate that shot at some churchy, historical-ish humor! Come on, people, lighten up! After all, Lent begins next week. The choir at CPC jokes every year that we "give up good hymns" for Lent. So much of the traditional hymnody of the season is, well, rather dirge-like. That sensibility reflects only one aspect of Lent, and the one most abused by the church over the years: the idea of self-inflicted suffering as a path of penitence. As one of our texts for this Sunday ( Matthew 6:1-21) reminds us quite clearly, however, Jesus did not think very highly of shows of penitence such as public fasting. Personally, I am more fond of "taking things on" than of "giving things up" during Lent. For example, taking on the practice of writing notes to friends on a daily basis means more than giving up chocolate, and, for one as note-deficient as I am, it would be more difficult. One year I took on the practice of speaking only kindly (or not at all) of the Christian Right during Lent, and that was surely a challenging 40 days! I'm not sure yet what practice I may take on this Lenten season, but one thing I do know is that beginning the season grounded in worship helps guide me. I always look forward to the simple Ash Wednesday evening service, and this year I'm looking forward to it even more because we're beginning that evening (Wednesday, March 9) with a simple meal at 6:30. Clark Chesser and Cheryl Lederle, who will be leading our Lenten small group series on hospitality, will lead us into Lent with hospitality on Ash Wednesday. Join us for supper at 6:30, and then we will gather in the sanctuary at 7:00 for a time of worship. Come and worship! peace, David PS: Please respond to the various opportunities below, including the Lenten series and the John Bell concert and conference. Thanks. PPS: We may have a journalist working on a piece on homosexuality and the church with us in worship on Sunday (so puhleeze try to behave!) |
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 Lent Soup Series Coming Soon to a Thursday Near You
The season of Lent offers a time for paring down and refocusing our lives. We'll work on that this year with a series of soup suppers and conversations beginning on Ash Wednesday and continuing for the following four weeks on Thursdays.
Ash Wednesday we will gather for a simple soup supper at 6:30 and then share in a time of worshipful conversation in the sanctuary.
Then on Thursdays (March 17, 24, 30 and April 7) we'll share soup and stories beginning at 6:30 p.m. on each of those four evenings.
Clark Chesser and Cheryl Lederle will guide us as we consider insights from Naomi Remen's Kitchen Table Wisdom, and from our own lives. We will continue our focus on the Christian spiritual practice of hospitality during this series, and we'll talk about some of the practical ways that we participate in this spiritual practice as well as the ways that it shapes our lives in community.
RSVP to Cheryl and Clark. Please! |
Come and Sing! John Bell Is Coming to Arlington
John Bell, who led an evening of congregational song at Clarendon two years ago, is returning to Arlington to lead a series of workshops and worship services at Arlington Presbyterian Church, March 13-16.
John is a minister in the Church of Scotland and a member of the Iona Community, where he has helped to lead a broad renewal movement in congregational singing and global hymnody.
Details are available on the National Capital Presbytery web site, and there's a flyer on the bulletin board outside the office at church.
If you've never had the opportunity to sing with John, make sure you mark your calendars for Sunday evening, March 13, at 7:00, when he will lead a community sing. You will be part of making some beautiful music, and you'll have a blast while doing it.
Please let me know if you would like to join the CPC contingent for any part of the John's time in Arlington.
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Come and Sing!
Bryan McFarland In Concert at CPC
 Singer-songwriter-Presbyterian pastor Bryan McFarland is coming to CPC! Bryan will be in concert at Clarendon on Saturday, March 26, at 7:00 p.m. Bryan combines spirituality and emotional storytelling into a sentimental yet lighthearted style. He tours listening rooms, theaters and coffeehouses and leads workshops and retreats at colleges & universities, churches, conference centers, and private venues. As Salem Presbytery's Hunger Action Advocate, Bryan staffs two committees who collect & distribute the presbytery's Pennies for Hunger offering and he speaks, sings and lobbies on issues of hunger and social justice. Bryan has served local PCUSA congregations in Kentucky and Indiana and as campus minister at Maryville College, the University of Louisville, and the University of North Carolina Greensboro. He lives in Greensboro, NC with his wife, daughter and their pets. |
Prayers of the People
Our Seasons of the Spirit prayers for the coming week (and some from last week when there was no e-mail) include those who have suffered abuse in families, schools, workplaces and church; those who advocate on behalf of the abused; and these members of the CPC family: Ron Bookbinder, Marty Rosensweig, Ben Layno, Michelle and Ricardo Hoyos. Please let them know that you are holding them in the light.
Our texts for the week includeJoel 2:1-2, 12-17; Isaiah 58; Psalm 51; Psalm 25; 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:10; and Matthew 6:1-21 .
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A-10 Update as of March 2
As of yesterday, the presbyteries vote on proposed amendment 10-A stood at 57 presbyteries in favor and 42 opposed (including one tie that counts as a "no" vote). The voting thus far includes a dozen presbyteries that "flipped" from "no" votes two years ago to "yes" votes this time, and one that went the other way. A net gain of nine presbyteries is necessary to "flip" the final result.
Clarendon's session drafted one of the overtures to last summer's General Assembly that formed the basis for the present 10-A. If adopted, the amendment would remove the current language of section G-6.106b in our Book of Order and insert this wording:
Standards for ordained service reflect the church's desire to submit joyfully to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in all aspects of life (G-1.0000). The governing body responsible for ordination and/or installation (G.14.0240; G-14.0450) shall examine each candidate's calling, gifts, preparation, and suitability for the responsibilities of office. The examination shall include, but not be limited to, a determination of the candidate's ability and commitment to fulfill all requirements as expressed in the constitutional questions for ordination and installation (W-4.4003). Governing bodies shall be guided by Scripture and the confessions in applying standards to individual candidates.
It takes 87 presbyteries (a simple marjority) voting in the affirmative to change the constitution.
In terms of raw vote totals, 55 percent of votes cast at presbytery meetings thus far have favored the change. This does not include a handful of affirmative voice votes.
National Capital Presbytery votes on the amendment at a special meeting, Saturday, April 30.
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