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Special Congregational Meeting
| Session has called a special congregational meeting for Sunday, April 3, following worship, to review budget changes. A letter detailing the changes and a copy of the revised budget have been mailed to all members of the congregation this week.
We will hold the meeting in Wilson Hall over coffee and light snacks.
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Gracias! Lots of Notes of Thanks that We Should Share
| Thanks to Paula Green for sharing her musical gifts with us in worship last week!
Thanks to Gwen Wray-Samans for hosting a delicious coffee time.
Help Wanted!
We have run to the end of the current sign ups for hosting coffee time. If we are to have coffee time this Sunday, we need a host. Please let me know if you can take this one. If we are to have coffee in the weeks ahead, we need folks to sign up on the sheet that will be circulating Sunday morning. Thanks.
(You can check the coffee hour schedule each week on the calendar on the CPC web site.)
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| Spring Cleaning! | |
Saturday, April 2, we're going to clean up the grounds, fix a few things around the place, paint a little, organize some, and generally have a fine time of it.
Come for an hour, or come for the whole day, or come for anything in between. Just come!
We'll have a task list and supplies on hand, and folks will be working throughout the day. Let's get the joint spruced up in time for Easter.
He is risen! We should clean up a bit ...
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| Mark Your March Calendars! | |
Coming soon to the wee kirk:
Lenten Soup Series Thursday, March 24, 6:30 p.m.
Bryan McFarland in concert, March 26, 7:00 p.m.
Spring clean up day is Saturday, April 2.
Maundy Thursday worship, April 21.
Good Friday worship, April 22.
Rebuilding Together, April 30.
Music Sunday, May 1.
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Celebrate Hope!
Progressive ... Inclusive ... Diverse |
March.2011
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Greetings!
 Our Lenten journey thus far has included the invitation to journey, the setting aside of those things that we need to let go of in order to journey, and a time of lamentation. But the journey of Lent is, ultimately, a journey of hope, and this weekend we will "live into hope," as the hymn puts it. Beginning tomorrow, as Presbyterians from across the country gather for an Ecumenical Advocacy Days training day at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, continuing Saturday with an evening concert (doors open at 6:30, show time is 7:00) at CPC featuring Bryan McFarland, and concluding Sunday with "Rumors of Hope," we will remind ourselves of the authentic purpose of Lent. Meanwhile, we continue our Lenten exploration of Christian hospitality together, as Clark Chesser and Cheryl Lederle lead us on a month-long journey toward a deeper, fuller understanding of table fellowship. Come and see! Come and eat! We'll continue that conversation tonight at 6:30, gathering around tables set up in classroom A, on the ground floor. Come in through the glass door off the parking lot. Sunday morning we also continue our Lenten journey in worship. Throughout Lent, members of the community will be sharing stories from their own faith journeys. Jessica Johnson will share some reflections this week. Come and worship! peace, David |
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 Lent Soup Series Continues Tonight
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 tonight at 6:30.
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.
Tonight we will focus on the practice of listening. |
Come and Sing! And RSVP ...
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. (Doors open at 6:30.) 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. A note letting me know that you're planning to attend will be extremely helpful as we set up for the event: revdocdee@gmail.com. |
Prayers of the People
Our Seasons of the Spirit prayers for the coming week include the artists and musicians in our midst; those toiling diligently on causes the world calls hopeless; and these members of the CPC family: Alta Mercer and Alice Mason; Reg Mitchell.
Our texts for the week include 1 Kings 8:61-66; Psalm 95; Psalm 66; Isaiah 56:2-8; 1 Corinthians 1:18-25; Colossians 1:9-16 .
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A-10 Update as of March 24
Presuming an affirmative vote today from Baltimore Presbytery (historically a strong supporter of inclusive church), the presbyteries' vote on proposed amendment 10-A will stand at 74 presbyteries in favor and 52 opposed (including one tie that counts as a "no" vote).
It takes 87 presbyteries (a simple majority) voting in the affirmative to change the constitution.
The voting thus far includes a 14 presbyteries that "flipped" from "no" votes two years ago to "yes" votes this time, and one that went the other way. That makes a net gain of 13 presbyteries thus far. 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.
In terms of raw vote totals, 55 percent of votes cast at presbytery meetings thus far have favored the change. This does not include six affirmative voice votes and one voice vote to disapprove.
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