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Gracias! Lots of Notes of Thanks that We Should Share
| Thanks to Clark Chesser and Cheryl Lederle for hosting another great Wii Kirk evening. Mr. and Ms. Pizza are going on hiatus for the summer months. We salute their tireless and gracious hospitality, and look forward to the return of Wii Kirk next fall.
Thanks to Tom Hull for coordinating our Rebuilding Together project. Amber, Carol, Cheryl, Chuck, Dave, Hans, Jessica, Martin, Marty and Sean put in long hours on Saturday. Cheryl, Jeannette, Reg and Sallye worked hard in the pack up before the rebuild day.
Thanks to Mike Bagwell for coordinating a great morning of worship in music and spoken word, and to all of you who shared your talents.
Thanks to Amber for coordinating an evening of service with A-SPAN, and to Dave, James, Marlin and Martin for serving meals.
Thanks to Chuck Abbott for hosting coffee time last week.
We look forward to the hospitality of Paula Green this Sunday.
Coffee hour hosts are listed on the church calendar on our web site.
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| Mark Your March Calendars! | |
Coming soon to the wee kirk:
Choir practice, Thursday, May 5, 7:00 p.m.
Peter Mika in concert at CPC, Saturday, May 7, 7:00 p.m.
Pancake Breakfast, Saturday, May 14, 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Sacred space & CE/spiritual formation discerning groups, Sunday, May 15, following worship.
AFAC grocery bagging, Monday, May 16, 7:00 p.m.
Session meets, Wednesday, May 18, 7:30 p.m.
Worship planning team, Sunday, May 22, following worship.
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Peter Mika Brings Chamber Music to CPC
| Clarinetoist Peter Mika brings Ensemble Appassionato to CPC, Saturday, May 7, at 7:00 p.m. for an evening of chamber music.
The program will feature Beethoven's clarinet trio in B-flat major, and Brahm's clarinet trio in a minor.
Peter has graced us with his music during worship on several Sundays this year, and will be playing with the choir on Easter Sunday. He is also planning a piece to share on Sunday, May 1, as part of Music and Spoken Word Sunday.
The linked flyer details the ensemble and the program. Please share it with all of your music-loving friends.
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Come and Eat for a Cause!
| The young people of the church are hosting a pancake breakfast Saturday, May 14, 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. in Wilson Hall.
Proceeds from the even will be used to purchase a llama through Heiffer International.
Heiffer works around the world helping people help themselves and their communities build sustainable economies.
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Coating Equality!
| This request from a the More Light network.
Lindsay Biddle, who went to seminary with Peg True, has been tapped to serve as our denomination's delegate to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.
For the occasion she will wear a coat that bears the names of ordained gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender Presbyterians.
If you'd like your name to appear on the coat, e-mail Lindsay. Include your partner's name and she'll put you together in the x-shape of St. Andrew.
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CPC Springs to Action!
Progressive ... Inclusive ... Diverse |
May.2011
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Greetings!
 Friends, there is a whole lot going on at CPC this month. Please read the news here, and respond as you feel called. Some years it seems that just about the time we celebrate the empty tomb the church goes to sleep for a long while. Summer comes and all signs of life disappear. There is nothing wrong with some good summer Sabbath time, and I hope that each of us will find some during the coming months, but it's abundantly clear already that the sunny months of 2011 are going to be full of life at CPC. In the 10 days since Easter we have celebrated a joyous Music and Spoken Word worship, held the final Wii Kirk evening of spring, helped rebuild a home in south Arlington, and fed about 50 people working with the Arlington Street Peoples Assistance Network. And we're just getting started! The e-news this week is filled with opportunities to worship, serve and celebrate in community, so please take a few minutes and read through the news of the community. We ground all that we do in joyous worship, and during this season of Eastertide our worship will focus each Sunday on sacraments of everyday living. Come and worship! peace, David PS: Don't miss clarinetist Peter Mika this Saturday evening at 7:00 in the sanctuary. An evening of beautiful chamber music. |
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CPC Takes Food to the Streets. Join Us Again, Soon!
 | | ... when I was hungry, you fed me. |
Tuesday evening a mission crew from CPC joined the Arlington Street People's Assistance Network for its evening food distribution.
James Fisher, Amber Hodgen, Martin Lederle-Ensign and Dave Norman joined three of Amber's friends as we distributed soup and sandwiches at two sites in Arlington.
As in previous efforts, the food distribution was marked by great spirits, friendly conversation and much laughter, as we served simple meals to about 50 women and men in Virginia Square and Rosslyn.
We'll do it again Tuesday, May 24. If you'd like to be part of this mission outreach, please contact Amber Hodgen. |
CPC Rebuilds Together!
 | | ... when I was cold, you sheltered me. |
Saturday, April 30, under the skilled guidance of crew chief Tom Hull, volunteers from CPC joined our friends from Falls Church Episcopal to restore a home in south Arlington.
Starting before 8:00 Saturday morning, the crew repainted four interior rooms, replaced most of the windows in the house, repaired minor plumbing issues, repaired exterior railings and tackled a few additional small repairs. The last of the work was completed as the sun set about 8:00 Saturday evening.
Through the day Tom directed, organized and instructed as crews replaced windows (Amber, Hans, Martin, Sean), painted inside and out (Carol, Cheryl, Jessica, Marty), cleaned, fetched and carried supplies (Cheryl and Dave), cleaned up (Chuck and Jessica), and swooped in at the last minute to cheer (yours truly!).
Cheryl, Reg, Jeannette and Sallye served as an advance team packing and preparing the house for the work during the week before the 30th.
 CPC has participated in Rebuilding Together for three consecutive springs, working with the crew from Falls Church.
We are working on a joint worship celebration with our friends from Falls Church. Watch the weekly news and the Sunday bulletin for details.
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Presbyterian Disaster Assistance in Alabama, Elsewhere
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is on the ground in various places struck by the massive wave of tornadoes last month. At least seven Presbyterian churches sustained damage in the storms, including five in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (including Covenant Presbyterian, the church where Pastor David was baptized a few years ago).
At this point the biggest need is financial support. To contribute to the relief efforts through Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, click here for a link to PDA's secure giving site.
The Arlington Interfaith Council last week received a request through local disaster assistance networks for volunteers to help in the clean up in southern Virginia. If you are interested in further information, please contact David.
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CPC Is Teaming With Discernment:
We Need Your Discerning Mind
Following up the input from the congregation received during small-group gatherings last fall we are in the midst of a season of discerning our congregational callings around mission, education, spiritual formation, worship, and the use of our space.
About 20 members of the congregation have participated in prayerful gatherings to talk about worship, mission, education and spiritual formation, and next month we'll hold the first gathering of a group whose focus will be how we use, decorate, arrange and care for our space, including the sanctuary.
Each of the meetings has followed a pattern of prayer, reading and discussing scripture, and actively listening for what the Spirit is saying to the church about the concerns in front of us. Every voice is important, and we need you to participate.
The Christian education and spiritual formation team meets again Sunday, May 1, following worship. The sacred space team holds its first meeting Sunday, May 15, following worship.
If you have questions and the process or purposes of these teams, please let me know.
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National Capital Approves 10-A; Passage Expected Soon
At a special meeting April 30, National Capital Presbytery voted overwhelmingly (204-80-3) to affirm the proposed change to the Book of Order that will, upon adoption by 87 presbyteries, clear the way to the ordination of otherwise qualified gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender candidates for church office (deacon, elder, and minister of word and sacrament).
CPC elder Travis Reindl brought down the house -- and effectively brought debate to a close -- when he went to the microphone after almost 25 minutes of debate and said, "as an elder in the Presbyterian church, and a legally married gay man, I call the question." (You can read David's brief statement made at the meeting here.)
The presbyteries' vote on proposed amendment 10-A stands at 84 presbyteries in favor and 62 opposed as of Wednesday. In voting this year, 17 presbyteries have moved from the "no" column two years ago to the "yes" column this time.
It takes 87 presbyteries (a simple majority) voting in the affirmative to change the constitution. Between now and early June the remaining 35 presbyteries will cast votes on the amendment.
Celebrating a Generation of Work for Equality
Three more affirmative votes are needed to pass the amendment, and although past trends are no guarantee, it seems likely at this point that the 87th affirmative vote will be cast in mid-May.
Michael Adee, executive director of More Light Presbyterians, has a beautiful brief reflection on the long journey to equality that you can read on the MLP home page.
The Open Doors/MLP chapter of National Capital Presbytery plans a worshipful celebration currently scheduled Sunday, May 22, at Western Presbyterian Church at 5:00 p.m.
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.
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Nominating Committee Begins Its Discerning
Sunday, June 5, following worship, the nominating committee will meet to begin its discernment for a slate of three people to fill the session class of 2014. We hold the election of officers as part of the October meeting of the congregation. All members of the congregation are eligible to stand for election to the office of elder. The term of service is three years, and it begins in January, 2012. If you are interested in exploring your own sense of call to serve in this vital ministry, or if you have suggestions for the committee to consider, please contact either of the elder members of the committee: Amber Hodgen or Marit Simenson.
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