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Sleepy Hollow Presbyterian Church Newsletter
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| Weekly Happenings at SHPC | July 17, 2014 |
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Summer Storytelling Series continues with...
The Story of Elijah: Many Miracles and
God's Still Small Voice
The stories of the great prophet and miracle worker Elijah are some of the most memorable, colorful, and touching in the Hebrew scriptures. No wonder that when Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do the crowds say I am?" they told him that some were saying he was Elijah (Luke 9:18-19). This Sunday, July 20, 2014, at 9:30 a.m., we'll get to know Elijah, a miracle worker who freely called on God for miraculous manifestations. We'll take some time to wake up to the miracles in our midst, so that we can bring awe and wonder back into our own lives and into the lives of others.
Our texts are 1 Kings 18:20-39 and 1 Kings 19:3-19. The SHPC Singers will bring us fresh music!
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A Note from
Pastor Bev
Our theme this week, as we get to know the prophet Elijah, is miracles. Elijah was a renowned miracle worker in his own time, and so revered centuries later, in the New Testament period, that many thought that Jesus, another miracle worker, was actually Elijah!
We are invited by miracle stories to consider what constitutes a miracle, and how our lives have and haven't been touched by them. We are also reminded that the Christian spiritual practices of awakening, noticing, and thanking God could be a more regular part of our daily lives!
I was in the desert, near Palm Springs, earlier this week, where it is 110 degrees at mid-day. Is a verdant golf course in such a climate a miracle or a waste of water? Waiting for the Airporter bus at SFO, was the foggy breeze a miracle or chilly? Be thinking about the miracles in your life story, and bring them to church this Sunday!
It is my great joy to serve as your pastor.
Bev
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July/August Calendar
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Thursday, July 17
7:30 p.m. SHPC Singers Rehearse at church -
New singers welcome!
12:00 p.m. Bible Study with Pastor Bev
Sunday, July 20
9:30 a.m. The Story of Elijah - Miracles and God's Voice
10:30 a.m. Coffee and Refreshments - All Welcome!
Thursday, July 24
7:30 p.m. SHPC Singers Rehearse at church -
New singers welcome!
Sunday, July 27
9:30 a.m. The Story of Ruth - Rev. Scott Clark, SFTS Chaplain
10:30 a.m. Coffee and Refreshments - All Welcome!
Thursday, July 31
7:30 p.m. SHPC Singers Rehearse at church -
New singers welcome!
Friday, August 1
12:00 p.m. Bible Study
Sunday, August 3
9:30 a.m. The Story of Elisha - Raising the Dead
10:30 a.m. Coffee and Refreshments - All Welcome!
Thursday, August 7
7:30 p.m. SHPC Singers Rehearse at church -
New singers welcome!
Friday, August 8
12:00 p.m. Bible Study
Coming up Next: The Book of Daniel and the Apocalypse
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 Bible Study - Friday July 18-
1 Kings 18 and 19 - Elijah
Bible Study meets at noon on Fridays in the Pastor's office except NO Bible Study on July 25th. Whatever your experience with the Bible might be, you are welcome to come and learn and make meaningful friendships.
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To Think BIG...We Have to Trust BIG!
If you're like me you probably have a big imagination. Big imaginations breed big ideas. And big ideas generate change.
I once heard a minister say "Wherever God guides, God provides," and I believe it.
I would encourage you to be bold as new ideas (big ideas) enter your thoughts.
Tim Storey, a great friend and Bible teacher, says "God gives you the sight, the right, and the might to do great things, but you have to develop the fight." Here at Sleepy Hollow we have a tremendous group of progressive thinkers and supporters of individuals with fresh ideas. I believe that is why we are growing as a Church and reaching out in imaginative ways with our love and inclusiveness for others.
Speaking in Jeremiah 29:11 God says "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Getting to know God through the scriptures and business experiences is giving me a calmness, steadiness, and anxiousness to be there for others; to be open to their needs and uncertainties.
The big lesson for me in my recent flurry of activities is "It's not so much what I am 'doing' that matters, but what I am 'becoming' that matters."
Hopefully our experiences, Bible study, and Church activities are making us more Christ-like. If so, what we are doing really is affecting what we are becoming. And that's exciting because we are an extension of Christ's presence, concern, and character wherever we are.
Back home in Sleepy Hollow ...
Paul Lambert
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Please Remember In Your Prayers
Sharon Adams, for comfort on the loss of her father and her sister, Ceilia;
Andrea Proster, sister of Nancy Elberg, for healing, and Nancy, for strength in companioning her;
Jerry Lambert, mother of Paul, for healing;
Gregg Elberg, recovering from surgery, and mourning the loss of his mother;
Clyde Ongaro, for healing;
The people of Gaza, Israel-Palestine, Syria, Iraq, and the Ukraine, for an end to war, terrorism, home demolitions, and the cycle of retributive violence and revenge;
Children and young people who have no possibilities in their homelands, who take grave risks to come to the U.S.;
Americans, especially those who live in border states, for empathy for unaccompanied minors coming into this country, and our government, for creativity and compassion in finding solutions;
The passengers and crew on the Malaysia Airlines passenger jet shot down in the Ukraine, and their loved ones.
Please take time this week to pray for those on our list.
Back to the top
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The SHPC Justice Garden's Journey - Coming Soon,
Our Garden Collective's Farmstand on Butterfield
and the SHPC Glean Team
Many thanks to Ethan Russell for creating this beautiful collage.
For information or to volunteer to be part of the Garden Collective and/or the Glean Team, email Emma Jones at jonesea@whitman.edu.
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COOKS NEEDED SOON!!!
Please sign up for more Wednesday night dinner deliveries!
From the Food Barrel ministry to the 2 cents ministry, no one does more for the hungry than Wil and Betty. PLEASE sign up for a few Wednesday night dinner deliveries to Wil and Betty; a few folks are doing more than their share right now.
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 Greeters Needed for Sunday Mornings - PLEASE sign up for our ministry of hospitality!
Help with our ministry of hospitality by signing up to be a greeter! All you have to do is get to church by 9:15, light the candles, and hand out bulletins with a smile. This is a great way to serve the church and share your friendliness.
--Jody Brockett Schmetz, Worship Elder
sign up here |
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 Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza: IPMN Shares Report from United Nations Relief and Works Agency 
Dear Friend,
Click here to read UNRWA Commissioner-General Pierre Krahenbuhl's press briefing from Gaza.
Despite the danger, UNRWA staff in Gaza remain completely dedicated to providing emergency assistance and protection to the 1.2 million refugees we serve there. Here's just some of the emergency work we're currently carrying out:
- Since yesterday, UNRWA has opened the doors of its schools to 17,000 terrified and desperate people, including women, children, elderly, disabled, and even the dying who are seeking safety from the immediate threat of Israeli bombings;
- In those shelters, UNRWA is providing psycho-social support to families, many of whom have now evacuated to UNRWA schools three times in the past 5 years;
- More than 650 of our dedicated health staff are reporting to work at UNRWA's health clinics, serving approximately 6,000 patients each day;
- Our food distribution centers remain open, serving 830,000 hungry refugees, despite some centers suffering damages;
- UNRWA is providing emergency fuel distributions to ensure that water pumping and sewage treatment plants can continue to run despite severe power outages.
For the past 66 years, UNRWA has been the most trusted organization providing critical humanitarian support to the people of Gaza. We are the largest service provider, and one of the only organizations in Gaza able to bring in life-saving food, medicine, and emergency support to those families who are living in fear and facing potential death.
In peace,
Abby Smardon
Executive Director
UNRWA USA
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 17th Annual Memorial Procession In Honor of Those Who Have Died on the Streets of Marin County Sunday, July 27th
2:00 p.m.
First Presbyterian Church
1510 Fifth Avenue
San Rafael
The Marin Interfaith Homeless Chaplaincy invites all to gather in the courtyard at First Presbyterian Church, San Rafael. Following a brief service, we will proceed to the courtyard at St. Raphael's Church where we will read the names of our brothers and sisters who have gone before us.
For more information, please contact Rev. Paul Gaffney, Marin Interfaith Homeless Chaplain, at 415.302.0248. For more information or to donate, please visit www.homelesschaplaincy.org.
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 Labyrinth Moon Walk: Honoring Our First Responders Sunday, August 10th
8:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
San Francisco Theological Seminary
Geneva Terrace
105 Seminary Road
San Anselmo, CA 94960
Join us for a spectacular view of Mt. Tamalpais during a Super Full Moon, when the full moon coincides with the moon's closest approach to Earth. This evening's Labyrinth Walk will be in honor of the service of our community's first responders, and will include live instrumental music and refreshments.
Click here to view the flyer and for more information.
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Sleepy Hollow Presbyterian Church,
100 Tarry Road, San Anselmo, CA 94960
Allie Duro, Editor/Office Administrator
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E-mail us at shpchurch@comcast.net or call us at 415-453-8221
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