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Sleepy Hollow Presbyterian Church Newsletter
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| Weekly Happenings at SHPC | April 3, 2014 |
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SHPC Singers Present an Original Musical:
The Stranger
How do we close the gap between stranger and neighbor, so that we can live the love commandment? What do we do about the fear we experience on encountering the unknown? This Sunday, April 6, 2014, at 9:30 a.m., the SHPC Singers present "The Stranger," an original musical featuring Wil Swalberg as the Stranger, Scott Hamilton as John, Sharon Hamilton as Jamie, and Nate Hamilton as the Youth. The Singers function as a "Presbyterian chorus," commenting on the proceedings. All are invited to meet with the cast and creative team after the service to discuss the play, its basis in scripture, and the creative process that Hallie Foster (music and lyrics), Cathy Sarkisian (book), the Singers, and the Cast have been engaged in these past few month. Our texts are Isa. 58:2-8 and Matthew 25:31-46.
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A Note From
Just a few short years ago, our church was a very quiet place. If you wanted to schedule something here, you pretty much had the church to yourself. Today I'm looking at the schedule for this weekend, and trying to figure out where to put the Junior High meeting, when we have Senior Highs cooking for the REST program and the Mexico Mission Homebuilding Trip Movie Night meeting at the church. Wow! What a blessing to have all this new life in the church! What a huge blessing to have junior and senior highs getting together here to work on service in a community which builds self esteem and lives positive values. If you feel called to work with youth, let me know. What a rewarding ministry!
There are many opportunities to pitch in and help out a little or a lot here, in many different areas of the church's life. Send me an email or let's talk and find a spot for each one of you.
With joy,
- Bev
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April Calendar
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Thursday, April 3
7:30 p.m. Choir practice at the church
Friday, April 4th
12:00 p.m. Bible Study with Pastor Bev
Sunday, April 6th
9:30 a.m. Fifth Sunday in Lent
The Stranger presented by SHPC Choir
10:30 a.m. Coffee and Refreshments - All Welcome!
10:45 a.m. Adult Discussion with creators of The Stranger
3:30 p.m. MOLOTH (11+)Youth Group Meeting until 5:00 p.m.
5:00 p.m. Mexico Mission Mandatory Meeting and
Movie Night until 8:00 p.m.
Thursday, April 10
7:30 p.m. Choir practice at the church
Friday, April 11
12:00 p.m. Bible Study with Pastor Bev
Sunday, April 13
9:30 a.m. Palm Sunday, with Pastor Bev
Collection for One Great Hour of Sharing
10:30 a.m. Coffee and Refreshments - All Welcome!
Thursday, April 17
7:30 p.m. Choir practice at the church
Friday, April 18
7:00 p.m. Good Friday Service with Stephen Iverson
and Pastor Bev
Sunday, April 20
9:30 a.m. Easter Sunday, Rejoice! with Pastor Bev
10:30 a.m. Coffee and Refreshments - Egg Hunt for kids
Thursday, April 24
7:30 p.m. Choir practice at the church
Friday, April 25
12:00 p.m. Bible Study Recess
Saturday, April 26
Evening Botswana Night with the Baigrie Family
Sunday, April 27
9:30 a.m. Second Sunday of Easter, with
Guest Preacher Rachel Pence
10:30 a.m. Coffee and Refreshments - All Welcome!
4:00 p.m. Mexico Mission Mandatory Meeting:
Team Building
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Bible Study
Bible Study meets regularly at noon on Fridays in Pastor Bev's office. All are welcome, and you are invited to bring your lunch. If you are new to studying the Bible, join us! This week our text is Isa.58:2-8 and Matthew 25:31-46.
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"How We Think" and "How We Act" Has a Lot to do with
"Who We Are"
Meet little Roxanne, who was frustrated, tugging at my feet, and wanting me to pick her up this past Saturday. I was in Las Vegas in the back yard of one of the performers of a dazzling show at the Venetian Hotel. He was having a birthday party for his twins - kids were running everywhere - jumping, screaming,
and needing attention.
Needless to say, I was like a worm in hot ashes - tripping and skipping over toys.
This little incident, however, started me to think. Roxanne was in need. She was lost and looking to me for help.
In Matthew 25 there is an amazing passage of scripture where Jesus speaks directly about helping those in need. He also addresses the consequences of ignoring people in need.
Every day we have the chance to "help" ... (or ignore) ... individuals who consciously or unconsciously need our help. They often are people who live and work in our immediate environment. It could be a close family member, a person at work, a relative, or a total stranger. If we ignore them, Jesus has indicated there are consequences
to pay. Developing a concern for those in need, and starting to focus on opportunities in our immediate surroundings is a mental discipline.
Now, when I start my day, I try to focus for a moment on opportunities to help someone - known or unknown - it may
be a waitress, an airline curbside helper, or someone close to me that is sick or has just received some bad news.
Seeking to help others is a state of mind. Imagine starting your day ... everyday ... with a prayer to God saying, "Lead me to someone who needs my help today ... and help me to recognize it".
This Friday Pastor Bev will be exploring Isaiah 58:2-6 and
Matthew 25 : 31-46 in our noon Bible Study. We will explore the difference between a sheep and a goat (ha ... that should be worth coming for alone!). We will also explore what Jesus meant when He discusses "eternal life vs eternal punishment" ... in the context of helping those in need or avoiding this Biblical responsibility. See you at Bible study 12 noon on Friday.
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Lost and Found Table
Sunday April 6, 10:30 a.m.
Have you been missing something? Perhaps a pair of reading glasses, a jacket, or an umbrella? How about a hat, a water bottle, or a coffee mug? Would you believe shoes have been left behind? Or a Reisenthel rolling shopping bag? We have all kinds of goodies in our lost and found. Please come to church this Sunday, April 6th and claim your items from our lost and found table during coffee hour.
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MOLOTH Meets Again!
Sunday April 6, 3:30 to 5:00 p.m.
The 11 and up Youth Group (aka MOLOTH) met last Sunday and will meet again this Sunday, April 6 from 3:30 until 5 p.m. at the church. Weather permitting, we'll do a scavenger hunt for canned food for the hungry in our immediate neighborhood, and then create art for Palm Sunday. All 11 and up are welcome!
Charles Wei and Pastor Bev
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Mexico Mission Donations Requested
The Mexico Mission, in its 17th year, gathers high school and college students each spring, provides training in team-building and leadership, home construction, respect and neighborliness, and collaborates with nonprofit Amor Ministries each June to build one or more homes for poor families along the border with California.
SHPC will launch its week long Mexico Mission trip this year on June 14th. In the Spring, participants are busy raising funds to support their participation in the trip, as well as for those less financially able. The cost per participant is $925. If you would like to help sponsor a particular participant or if you would like to make a general donation to the program, it is easy to do. Just click here to make a tax deductible donation online on the SHPC website. Every donation to Mexico Mission in any denomination is truly appreciated.
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Please Remember In Your Prayers
The Schmetz family, mourning the loss of Karl's father, Frank, who died on March 24th;
The family of Paul Kreider, who died on March 22nd;
Andrea Proster, sister of Nancy Elberg, for healing, and Nancy, for strength in companioning her;
The Paige Family, dear friends of Diane Latta, and for Diane, mourning the loss of Aunt Glo and Uncle Mo;
Alexa Ehlen, stepmother of Matt, for healing;
Jerry Lambert, mother of Paul, for healing;
Gregg Elberg, recovering from surgery, and mourning the loss of his mother;
Clyde Ongaro, for healing;
For the Oso landslide victims and their loved ones;
For the youth of our church, and for their continued service to the community.
Please take time this week to pray for those on our list.
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Faith and the Common Good Lecture at the San Francisco Theological Seminary
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Dinner 6:00 p.m.
Lecture Only 7:30 p.m.
The Faith & The Common Good Lecture is a continuing education event at SFTS that offers an opportunity for alumni, students, friends of the seminary, and the wider community to hear from and become inspired by people of faith who serve others through their vocations.
Dr. David Batstone will be this year's featured speaker. He is the Professor of Ethics at the University of San Francisco (USF) School of Management, and President and Co-founder of the nonprofit organization Not For Sale, which raises awareness about the 27 million human slaves in the world today and combats human trafficking throughout the globe.
The $30 Dinner is optional, and begins at 6:00 p.m. The lecture begins at 7:30 p.m., with an optional donation. Both the dinner and the lecture will be held at Alexander Hall, 40 Kensington Road, San Anselmo, CA 94960. To register, click here. For more information, contact Janel Stewart at 415-451-2830.
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Scripture, Culture and Agriculture with Ellen Davis
Sunday April 6, 1:00 p.m.
Join Interfaith Sustainable Food Collaborative this Sunday afternoon for a conversation and lunch with Ellen F. Davis author of: Scripture, Culture and Agriculture: An Agrarian Reading of the Bible. The Collaborative is very pleased to host this nationally recognized theologian during her rare visit to California. In her book, Davis integrates biblical studies with a critique of industrial agriculture and food production.
"Rather than seeking solutions from the past, Davis creates a conversation of ancient texts and contemporary agrarian writers; thus she provides a fresh perspective from which to view the destructive practices and assumptions that now dominate the global food economy." (Cambridge University Press, 2009)
Ellen F. Davis is Amos Ragan Kearns Distinguished Professor of Bible and Practical Theology at Duke University Divinity School. Her research interests focus on how biblical interpretation bears on the life of faith communities and their responses to urgent public issues, particularly the environment crisis and interfaith relations.
The event will be held at St. John's Episcopal Church, Norman Cram Hall, 530 "C" Street, Petaluma. Admission is $15 and includes a light lunch. To view a copy of the flyer, click here. To RSVP, please send an email to info@interfaithfood.org.
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In Search of Steak
An Entry from Forty Days for Food Justice
The 40 Days for Food Justice project continues with daily Lenten entries on food justice. Please read the Day 24 entry below by MargaretAnne Overstreet, a Presbyterian pastor and food justice advocate, about her search for healthy food. If you want to get the remaining entries directly, click here. For more information about Presbyterian hunger programs, click here.
Day 24: In Search of Steak
by Rev. MargaretAnne Overstreet
When I first began to change my eating habits, my goal was to make food choices that fostered greater health for my body and the planet, as well as to opt out (as much as possible) of the injustices of the industrial food system.
Some of the choices were easy.
- Organic produce instead of conventionally-grown produce.
- Buying local food in season and freezing or canning extra to use at other times, instead of food that had travelled hundreds or thousands of miles.
- Whole foods not processed foods.
- No products with ingredients that I couldn't pronounce or couldn't identify.
Other choices were more difficult. The looming question was: where would I find sustainably and humanely raised local meats in my small rural community?
I was flummoxed. I didn't even know where to begin to look. So, I just started asking friends and like-minded food folks. What I found surprised me.
I discovered a local freshwater shrimp industry, a Mennonite meat market that provides local grass-fed beef, a local farmers' market vendor that offers humanely raised pork, and a fisherman who spends half the year fishing for salmon in Alaska and the other half selling his catch at a farmers' market in a community near where I live.
I found friends who could provide me with fresh eggs from their chickens and who, several times a year, could provide whole chickens, as well.
It's hard for me to remember the time when I was nervous about giving up purchasing meat at a supermarket, weighing my commitment to compassionate treatment of God's creatures and greater health for my body against my love of sausage with my pancakes or the occasional urge for a beautifully grilled steak.
I do, however, remember my delight in discovering the wide range of wonderful alternative options that were available to me, once I took the time to look for them.
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Sleepy Hollow Chili Cook Off
Saturday April 5th, 6:00 pm
Come enjoy fresh chili, cornbread, salad and dessert this coming Saturday at the Third Annual Sleepy Hollow Chili Cook-Off. The event takes place at the Sleepy Hollow Clubhouse, 1317 Butterfiled Road, San Anselmo, CA. Tickets are $15 per person; Beer, wine and Legendaritas will be available. Awards will be given to Best Chili and Most Creative Presentation.
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Sleepy Hollow Presbyterian Church
100 Tarry Road, San Anselmo, CA 94960
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E-mail us at shpchurch@comcast.net or call us at 415-453-8221
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