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Sleepy Hollow Presbyterian Church Newsletter
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Weekly Happenings at SHPC
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February 26, 2015
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Second Sunday of Lent - Sacred Circle
Nourishing Prayer
Do you pray? Does it help? The Bible shows us Jesus rising early to find a quiet place away from the disciples and the crowds, so that he could start the day with prayer. Jesus taught his disciples the Lord's Prayer, and he also taught them how NOT to pray (Luke 18:9-14), but there are as many ways to pray as there are people. This Sunday, March 1, 2015, we'll explore what Jesus modeled and taught about prayer, examine our own prayer practices, and discover nourishing prayer. Our scripture passages will include Luke 11:1-4 and Luke 22:39-46. The SHPC Singers will bring us Down to the River to Pray, and we will celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Communion.
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A Note from
Pastor Bev
Come one, come all for another fun GAME NIGHT at the church! Saturday, Feb. 28 from 5-7 p.m. you are all invited to come and eat pizza and play your favorite games. We have lots of board games and cards at the church, and I'll be dealing out hearts, bridge, or whatever card games you like! This is fun for all ages! Bring family, friends, and neighbors!
Our special Lenten Bible Study started last night, and it was a beautiful experience. Lent is an especially good time to set your intention and attention towards growing and deepening spiritually. Consider adding a Bible Study, Wednesday night from 7-8 p.m. or Friday from noon until 1 p.m. This might be the one hour you add to your life that makes your load feel lighter!
In the peace of Christ,
Bev
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Thursday, February 26 7:00 p.m. |
Choir Practice - New Singers Welcome! | |
Friday, February 27
12:00 p.m.
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Bible Study |
Saturday, February 28
5:00 p.m. |
MOLOTH Game Night - All Welcome!
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Sunday, March 1
9:30 a.m.
10:30 a.m.
10:45 a.m.
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SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT
Nourishing Prayer
Coffee and Refreshments - All Welcome!
Let's Talk about Prayer with Lora East
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Wednesday, March 4
7:00 p.m.
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Lenten Bible Study | |
Thursday, March 5
7:00 p.m.
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Choir Practice - New Singers Welcome!
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Friday, March 6
12:00 p.m. |
Bible Study |
Sunday, March 8
9:30 a.m.
10:30 a.m.
10:45 a.m. |
THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT
International Women's Day - Jesus, Friend to Women
Coffee and Refreshments - All Welcome!
Let's Talk about Women in the Church
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Wednesday, March 11
6:30 p.m. Session meets at the church
7:00 p.m. Lenten Bible Study
Thursday, March 12
7:00 p.m. Choir Practice
Friday, March 13
Noon Bible Study
Sunday, March 15 FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT
9:30 a.m. Sung and Spoken Word w/ Guest Poets
10:30 a.m. Coffee and Refreshments - All Welcome!
10:45 a.m. Let's Talk - Cathy Sarkisian on Emily Dickinson and her Poems about God
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 Bible Study - Friday, Feb. 27 - We'll start with Luke 11:1-4 and 18:9-14!
For the Season of Lent we are adding a second weekly Bible Study.
Lenten Wednesday Evening Bible Study @ 7:00 pm - All are Welcome!
Whatever your experience with the Bible might be, you are welcome to come and learn and make meaningful friendships.
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 Asking God to do what's beyond what we can think or imagine
There are certain mysteries about the interaction between our prayers and God's actions that I can't explain. I even wonder
if the Lord puts us in impossible situations at times so Jesus can demonstrate how smart, in touch, and engaged He wants to be if we let Him. I am convinced that it is through challenging and frustrating situations that God is best able to grab us and convincingly whisper, "I love you, and I've got your back"
In Jeremiah 32:27 the Lord says, " Behold I am the Lord, the God of all flesh, is there anything too hard for me?", and in the New Testament Jesus says "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God" (Luke 18:27).
During these hectic days in Chicago I always take a portion of every day to set my mind on things above. I feel the presence of God here with me - I experience divine hugs. Believe me, meditating on the things above, takes me to a stage much bigger that the one we rehearse on every day. I believe we are the keys to God's desire to be present and active in today's society. Christ came to earth to teach us how to live. To help us have self control, restrain our tempers, to not over react, to be able to deal with others who speak evil of us, and to remain steady and at peace when things are turbulent all around us.
In order to do this, I truly believe we need help big time. That's why asking God to do what's beyond what we can think or imagine is such an important concept to grasp. We are human. We are limited. We are reactionary. And if we're honest, we'll admit how difficult certain personal or professional relationships can be or how challenging certain situations have become.
I'd like to encourage you to do something. Pick something big, something frustrating, and throw it into God's lap. Have faith that God caught it, is actively going to do something about it, and may, in fact, address the situation in a way that is beyond what we can think or imagine. Some day I hope when we're together we can share the outcome of some of the things we tossed to God.
God's network is a network of the possible. That's where I want to tune in. Some of us really need to change our channel and get to this network. If we do, we will plug into a power and problem solving competence that is beyond what we can think or imagine.
From Chicago ... Paul
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Please Remember in Your Prayers
Chris Lopin's mother and father, for healing;
Cat Caldwell and her family as they mourn the loss of Cat's mother;
The family of Clyde Ongaro, who died December 30; may Clyde's spirit be blessed and may Merle and the family be surrounded by God's comfort;
Ahmed Abu-Aly, for healing;
Patty Sanders, for healing for her hip;
Jean Brockett, mother of Jody, for full recovery, and for Jody and her father;
Carolyn O'Hara, mother of Laurie, for healing, and for strength and support during her recovery;
Andrea Proster, sister of Nancy Elberg, for complete healing, and for Nancy for strength in companioning her;
Jerry Lambert, mother of Paul, for healing, and for blessed assurance of God's constant presence;
For victims of violence everywhere, may they know healing and peace;
For the unhoused community;
For those suffering with ALS, and for those who love them;
For the caretakers;
For those who are bullied;
For those who are lonely;
For our church community, for creativity, compassion, unity in the Spirit, and energy for mission.
Please take time this week to pray for those on our list.
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Season of Lent and Easter
Last week started the Season of Lent and Easter, where we are invited to step into the Sacred Circle, for a deeper encounter with Jesus.
- Sunday, March 1 - Nourishing Prayer
Luke 10:21-24, 18:9-14
- Sunday, March 8 - International Women's Day - Jesus, Defender of Women
Mark 14:3-9, John 8:1-11
- Sunday, March 15 - Sung and Spoken Word with Guest Poets
- Sunday, March 22 - From Grief to New Life
John 11
- Sunday, March 29 - Palm Sunday - Jesus the Radical?
Mark 11
- Friday, April 3 - Good Friday
- Sunday, April 5 - EASTER! Egg Hunt for the youngsters!
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How Many Presbyterians Does it Take
to Move These Chips into Place?
Answer: We don't know yet!
The woodchips for the garden arrived Sunday - too late for our garden work day, but a fun task for this week!
If you have an hour to spare, grab a bucket and a buddy and stop by church to spread woodchips on the weed cloth between the garden beds.
The delivery truck attempted to drive the chips up to the beds, but got stuck in the mud and had to leave the load by the parking lot.
You'll need the key to open the double gates. The key is located in the key box to the left of the door inside the furnace room.
We also have a wheel barrel in the first shed if you want to build up your arm strength. Again, key is in the furnace room box. PLEASE make sure you return all keys to the key box - thank you.
We have a garden meeting on Saturday, March 7th, so if needed, we'll finish off the pile then.
Thanks in advance!
Patti, Mission Elder
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Game Night!
Saturday, Feb. 28th
5 - 7 p.m.
All Welcome! All ages!
Join MOLOTH (our middle schoolers) and Family Ministries for Game Night. There will be games, pizza, and fun!
Bring your favorite game or play one of the many games from the church closet -- and Pastor Bev will be teaching Hearts, Bridge, or whatever card game you'd like to learn that is in her repertoire!
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Mexico Mission 2015!
Informational BBQ this Sunday, Mar. 1 at 5 p.m.
The Mexico Mission home-building trip is a life changing opportunity to go outside of our comfort zones and make a meaningful change in the lives of families living in poverty. This year's trip is scheduled for Saturday, June 13 through Saturday, June 20, 2015.
Sleepy Hollow church and the Mexico Mission Leader Team will host an informational barbecue for those interested in going on this year's trip. Students 9th grade and older are eligible, and please bring your parents to learn about the 2015 trip, and to get to know our adult leaders. The barbecue will be at the church at 100 Tarry Road, San Anselmo on Sunday, March 1st, from 5:00-7:00 pm. We will supply the barbecue and drinks; please bring a side dish (see below).
It is important for you to attend this event to learn about the application and commitment requirements for this year's trip. Applications and Intention to Participate forms will be due back to us on March 8th. The forms will be available March 1, but if you can fill them out and send them in advance or bring them to the barbecue, that would be great. And, yes, we do require a paragraph or so on why you would like to join this year's Mission.
Forms can be found here.
The completed forms can also be dropped off / mailed to Sleepy Hollow Presbyterian Church, 100 Tarry Road, San Anselmo, CA 94960, e-mailed to Mark Sarkisian, or sent to Mark at 667 Butterfield Road.
Please e-mail Mark with your RSVP (include "Mexico Mission" in the subject line of the e-mail) for the barbecue by Thursday, February 26th to confirm attendance so that we can plan for enough food and beverages. Please bring a side dish (organized by last name):
Last Name Starting with A - K: Salad, chips, vegetables
Last Name Starting with L - Z: Dessert, fruit
Participants will be required to have a current passport for the trip since Federal Laws require one for travel to Mexico. If a new passport is needed, the process could take a long time, so please get started now.
Please contact us if you have any questions. We've had a lot of interest so far and we're looking forward to another great trip. If you know others that would be interested in the trip, please feel free to pass the information along.
| Mark Sarkisian | Allie Duro | | Cell Ph: 415.812.3395 | Cell Ph: 415.497.5006 | | Email: mark.sarkisian@som.com | Email: alliemduro@gmail.com |
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Let's Talk! about Prayer
with Lora East
Sunday March 1
10:45 a.m.
All welcome!
Cathy Sarkisian
Ethan Russell
Fred Morfit
Richard Peltzman
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 7th Annual "DHS...On The Same Page (DOTSP)" Event
Monday, March 2nd @ 6:30 pm
Drake High School - Student Center
Jack Adler, Polish Holocaust and Auschwitz survivor, Drake grandparent of Matt Adler ('07), and Eli Adler, Drake parent, will honor us with their attendance at our 7th Annual DOTSP Event.
On Monday, March 2nd at 6:30 pm Jack will discuss his memoir, and provide a personal connection to his story in a way that only this charismatic, thoughtful and reflective man can. Jack's warm heart and passionate delivery brings balance to his tragic and desperate experiences with the darkest sides of humanity.
Y: A Holocaust Narrative is crafted well and will allow students of all reading abilities to access its powerful message, and will allow for teachers to connect historically, socially and emotionally to the War, family, politics, fate, destiny, and the themes of perseverance and resilience. Jack's story seeks to bring a civility and level of respect to the reality that human beings will not always like one another; and that "The necessity is respect and it is only through the mutual nature of this attribute that we can survive as the race of man. Mutual respect is the glue that bonds us in civility."
Many Jews survived the horrors of the Holocaust and came to America to put the past behind them. For decades they kept their awful memories secret, even from their children. But their silence ended when a band of neo-Nazi thugs threatened to march in their quiet village of Skokie, Illinois "because that is where the Jews are."
We ALSO will screen segments of Emmy Award winning filmmaker Eli Adler's intensely personal documentary Surviving Skokie; the story of a community's battle against the voices and gestures of hate, of a quiet village and its once-turbulent history. It is a universal story about the importance of speaking up and out. And it is the personal story of a quest through which a man and his father rediscover their pasts.
Additional resources to support Jack's book and Eli's film:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Y-A-Holocaust-Narrative/239370786161975
http://www.amazon.com/Y-Holocaust-Narrative-Jack-Adler/dp/0984984240
http://www.survivingskokiemovie.org
Thank you to The Drake Fund for supporting this powerful learning opportunity.
Many thanks,
Kendall Galli
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A Big and Overdue Thank You from the Church
To our own Alex Caldwell, who is a CPA and Partner with Friedlander Cherwon Capper, and a long-time member of SHPC, for providing so much behind the scenes volunteer tax, financial, and payroll expertise over the years to the church. Alex, we really appreciate your generosity and your faithful service! Thank you!
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Report from the Annual Meeting
Held Sunday, Feb. 22
The Congregation held its annual business meeting last Sunday. Elders were available to answer questions on the Annual Report, and the 2015 Budget was presented. New elders Fred Morfit (Building and Grounds) and Patti Vance (Mission) were elected. Robin Abu-Aly and Marie Ongaro were elected to the Board of Deacons, and Sue Burr and Koren Grubb join Sharon Adams on the Nominating Committee. The Pastor's Terms of Call were approved as presented, except that SECA reimbursement was increased to 50% from 42%. Discussion ensued as to how to fund the Pastor position to bring it into line with comparable positions in the Presbytery. The Session will be taking all comments into careful consideration, and reporting back to the congregation. Thank you all for your participation in the Annual Meeting!
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 THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TO TAKE MEALS TO WIL AND BETTY!
Now's your chance to share your cooking and your love! Thank you and bless you for taking a hot meal and your love to Wil and Betty on Wednesday nights.
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It Takes a Village --
Thank you so much to all the volunteers who are making our church so warm and welcoming with coffee hour hospitality!
Fellowship time is organized by your Deacons, but we rely on everyone pitching in to help. While each Parish is assigned a month for Fellowship, that time may not be convenient for your schedule. So now you can sign up online! Just click here and pick a Sunday that's most convenient for you.
February 2015 - Parishes: Laura Taylor and Patti Eisinger
March 2015 - Parishes: Nancy Elberg/Frankie Eakes and Patti Eisinger
Sign up now before the good slots are all taken!
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Greeters Needed for Sunday Mornings: March 8, 15, 22, 29 (The Season of Lent) and the month of April
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. Thank you to all who have signed up so far!
Jody Brockett Schmetz,
Worship Elder
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Toiletry Donations
Thank you to all who have donated toiletry items for the homeless community! We have reached capacity for the year and will be delivering the box full of items to a nearby facility.
With many thanks!
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SFTS: Labyrinth Moon Walk
Thursday, March 5
7:00-8:30 pm
San Francisco Theological Seminary
105 Seminary Road
San Anselmo, CA Join us as we gather under the light of the full moon for our Quarterly Labyrinth Moon Walk, an exercise that focuses the mind and induces a peaceful meditative state. Refreshments will be provided.
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Where's The Party?
Redwood, Drake, and Tamalpais High Schools Invite You to a Community Event:
Jonathan Scott - Where's The Party?
Monday, March 9th
7:00-8:30 pm
Redwood High School
Phil Roark Gym
Cost: FREE
Where's The Party?, written by Jonathan Scott and Kelly Townsend of Miles To Go Drug Prevention Education, offers parents of middle and high school age students a systematic outline of the best ways to manage the challenges presented by teenage parties where drugs and alcohol may be present. A multi-point plan for dealing with party planning and attendance is backed up by extensive chapters on peer pressure, teen brain development, the use of consequences when things go awry, and the dangers that result from drug and alcohol use by teenagers.
Click here to register and for more information about the event.
Jonathan Scott is a professional speaker, educator and recovering addict working to enlighten people on the subject of substance abuse. Jonathan focuses on comprehensive drug facts, the social and political environment surrounding drugs (legal and illegal), and the chemistry of drugs, alcohol, tobacco and their effects on the body.
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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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