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Weekly News Friday, April 19, 2013
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Worship
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April 21: Fourth Sunday of Easter. Pastor Dries preaching in a worship service celebrating Earth Day and Sue Brown's service to Westminster. Gospel Reading: John 10:22-30
April 28: Fifth Sunday of Easter. Pastor Dries preaching.
Gospel Reading: John 13:31-35 |
| Westminster Prayer List |
Have you been missing the Westminster Prayer List?
We now send out our Weekly Prayer List in a separate e-mail, usually on Tuesdays or Wednesdays.
We made this change for privacy since our Weekly News is published on our website and Facebook. In our Prayer List we are also now publishing more resources for your daily spiritual practices.
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Crackers!
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 There is a wooden barrel in the narthex, placed there by the Mission Committee. This is Westminster's "Ye Olde Cracker Barrel." Over the next two months we are challenging all to bring in different kinds of crackers and donate them to our People To People Cracker Barrel. Just think how many types of crackers are available these days - saltine crackers, Ritz crackers, oyster crackers, rye crackers...even Cracker Jacks! We'll keep a tally and share the results with you at the end of May. Get to know the cracker aisle in your local food market and let's put a box of crackers on everyone's table.
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Holly House Fundraiser
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Come enjoy a spaghetti dinner, silent auction, raffle, and live music and help raise money for Holly House. Saturday, April 20th from 5-9pm at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Hall
Suggested Donation is $12 for adults and $6 for children 12 and under.
Tickets are available at the door, area churches, postnet, and other local businesses.
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Addressing Immigration Reform |
A Statement from Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly
April 17, 2013
While the press conference for the release of the Gang of 8 (a bipartisan group of eight Senators who were appointed to craft a proposal for comprehensive immigration reform) to officially introduce their proposed legislation* to the American public has been postponed due to the tragedy in Boston on Monday, an outline of the "Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013" has been released. read more... |
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SPRING ACADEMY OF RELIGION EXAMINES FAILING U.S. PRISON SYSTEM
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WOOSTER, Ohio - Can a nation founded on the principles of justice and human rights possibly undo the failings of an inefficient and ineffective prison system by turning to the fundamental tenets of its faith traditions?
The 47th Spring Academy of Religion will address that question and a host of others when it presents "Bars to Our Humanity: The United States Prison System," a five-part lecture series that begins this month at The College of Wooster. The sessions will take place in Lean Lecture Room of Wishart Hall (303 E. University St.) from 7:30-9:30 p.m. every Thursday from April 11-May 9. ....>>
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Visit the Archives
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Do you sometimes feel that you would like to read some of the previously mailed Weekly Mailings. Now you can visit our archive page by following this link included in the Quick Link section of each Weekly Mailing.
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Invitation from Dries for Tomorrow's Mission Retreat
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I hope to see you on Saturday, April 20th from 9:00am until noon at our Westminster Mission Retreat. As I wrote last week in the Weekly Mailing, attending this gathering "is about doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with God; it is about following the ways of Jesus of Nazareth who multiplied fish and bread to feed five thousand and proclaimed that the kin-dom of God is at hand; and it is about the future of our Community of Faith where you are called to serve."
See you tomorrow,
Dries
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Message from Dries
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This coming Sunday, April 21 we will be celebrating Earth Day during our 10:45am worship service. T he National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Program states that "many of us have similar Sunday morning routines. These routines, like our other daily activities, create an ecological "footprint," which impacts God's Creation - both people and planet." In this edition of our Weekly News we will examine two of Westminster's "routines" and see how we are adjusting them to create smaller ecological footprints so we can be better caretakers of God's Creation and improve lives around the world.
Drinking Coffee
 "For some, drinking coffee on Sunday (or any other day) is a critical activity. Coffee is the second most widely traded commodity after oil. But modern coffee cultivation requires the removal of large swathes of tropical forests. These forests are important for maintaining clean air and water in addition to protecting valuable, rare plants and animals,
including migratory songbirds. Naturally occurring varieties of coffee plants are shade-loving shrubs that do not require clear cutting of the rainforest. Until two decades ago, all coffee was grown in the shade. Then new full-sun hybrids were developed that produced higher yields. This created a rise in agribusiness-style plantations that used clear-cutting. Clear-cutting destroys not only ecosystems, but also impacts indigenous communities, which rely on forests for food, shelter, and their livelihoods."
Eating Meat
 "The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization estimates the meat industry generates nearly one-fifth of the man-made greenhouse gas emissions that are accelerating climate change worldwide . . . far more than transportation. And annual worldwide demand for meat continues to grow.
The water needs of livestock are tremendous, far above those of vegetables or grains. An estimated 1,800 to 2,500 gallons of water go into a single pound of beef. Soy tofu produced in California requires 220 gallons of water per pound.
On average, about 40 calories of fossil fuel energy go into every calorie of feed lot beef in the U.S. Compare this to the 2.2 c
alories of fossil fuel energy needed to produce one calorie of plant-based protein."
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Mission Retreat, April 20th
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 You are invited to participate in a Mission Retreat on Saturday, April 20th from 9:00am till noon in The Meeting Place. We encourage all members of Westminster to participate in this planning session as we explore how we all can work together for the common good. Please mark your calendar for this event as the ministry of Westminster needs your participation. Submitted by Elaine Smith Snyder, Shelly Peterson and Nahida Gordon
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Celebrating Sue Brown, April 21
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 We invite you to join Westminster in celebrating Sue Brown's 20 years of service to our community of faith. On April 21, after the 10:45 am worship service, we will share a meal in honor of Sue.
We would appreciate contributions of salad, as Sue-min will provide the main dish (meat & vegan), bread, and dessert. You are also invited to donate money towards a gift for Sue. If you wish to do so, please make your check out to WPC and write Sue Brown in the memo line. As a church we are grateful for Sue's ministry among us as secretary, a position she fulfilled with deep commitment and dedication. She has always been willing to help and serve all who enter the Church House and has been a wealth of information regarding The College and the Wooster Community. Sue is well loved by our congregation and we will miss her presence among us. |
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Directory Information Reminder
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 Thank you to those who have already returned their Directory Information packets to the church office. Just a reminder that we would like them back to the office by April 21st so that we can move forward with updating the information and preparing the directory. Thanks again for your help in this project.
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Ohio's Budget and Wooster's Future
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 All Westminster's members are invited to attend a public hearing sponsored by ECCOHIO (Ecumenical Community for a Compassionate Ohio). State Representative Ron Amstutz has agreed to respond to Concerns about State budget priorities. Oral testimony will berecorded. Written statements will be copied. Both will be delivered to public officials who cannot attend the public hearing.
When:
Monday, April 29th 7-9 PM
Where:
Red Cross Building, Second floor,
244 West South Street, Wooster
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. ALL ARE WELCOME!
(To testify, sign your name and topic as you arrive, but before 7 PM )
For More information, 330-264-9250
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Easter Baskets of Joy
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Thanks to Ferenc & Candy Relle for assisting our children in the making and delivering of Easter Baskets to some of our members on Palm Sunday. Our kids found out that being the Easter Bunny is a good gig and produces lots of heartwarming smiles in both receivers and givers. Mary Baird wrote, "Thank you so much for the pretty Easter basket, full of all kinds of candy." Linda Rea's thank you note read: "I am so pleased that you visited me and also brought the goodies in the Easter Basket. Your visit warmed my heart and I'll share the treat with my grandkids. Blessings to you!"
 
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 Pathway for Change: Making Coffee |
 Did you know that for the past two years Westmisnter has been serving fair trade coffee? Our deacons and hospitality team are s upporting the Presbyterian Coffee Project on Sunday mornings and at special events, as well as meals. This project offers a special link between congregations and communities around the world. Churches can now reach out to neighbors overseas not only with the prayers and offerings we give, but with the goods and products we purchase. A warm cup of coffee (or tea) in our hands is perhaps the most tangible daily connection we have with farmers around the world. It represents warmth, hospitality, fellowship, hard work, and life's pleasures both fine and simple. Buying fair trade through the Presbyterian Coffee Project ensures that more of the money we spend on coffee reaches the hardworking farmers who actually grow it. Participating congregations testify that the Presbyterian Coffee Project is a great way to help people in need while enjoying fellowship and an excellent cup of coffee. Fair trade practices complement our mission with farmers in Latin America, Africa, and Asia as well as our commitment to stewardship of the natural environment. By using fair trade coffee in our congregations, offices, and homes, Presbyterians help guarantee that farmers will earn the income they need to feed their families, educate their children, and improve their communities. Fair trade is a simple solution that means the difference - quite literally - between surviving and not surviving for small-scale coffee farmers.
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| Pathway for Change: Eating Less Meat |
Vegan Meal
 At Westminster, we work to answer questions such as " How can we ensure that all people have access to healthy food? Are our daily eating practices reflective of our spiritual beliefs? How can food be a vehicle for putting those beliefs into practice?" Below are links to the steps we are taking:
Westminster's Vegan Meal group started as a support group for those choosing a vegan diet. Members who were not vegan, but interested in healthy, sustainable meals also started attending. We now have monthly pot-luck vegan meal evenings for church and community members plus College of Wooster students who care to attend. In addition to the meal, we oftentimes have a short program such as a discussion regarding a related movie, like Food, Inc., led by a local cardiologist about the heart-healthy benefits to vegan eating, an organic farmer, or a student with an interest or expertise in sustainable agriculture or environmental issues.
Our mission is to provide an open venue to support one another as we explore the many options and challenges in following a plant-based diet. A desire to eat healthily, concerns about animal treatment, and concerns about agricultural practices and food processing as we "strive for equitable sharing and sustainability of God's world with all peoples," (from our Missions goals) are some of the reasons we are exploring these concerns together as we enjoy a variety of foods and flavors available in a plant-based diet.
Meatless Mondays
Maybe Veganism is too "radical" for you; how about  going meatless only one day a week. Meatless Mondays is a non-profit initiative of The Monday Campaigns, in association with the Johns Hopkins' Bloomberg School of Public Health. They provide the information and recipes you need to start each week with healthy, environmentally friendly meat-free alternatives. Their goal is to help you reduce your meat consumption by 15% in order to improve your personal health and the health of the planet.
Presidents Wilson, Truman and Roosevelt galvanized the nation with voluntary meatless days during both world wars. Our intention is to revitalize this American tradition. We're spearheading a broad-based, grassroots movement that spans all borders and demographic groups. By cutting out meat once a week, we can improve our health, reduce our carbon footprint and lead the world in the race to reduce climate change. Read more about Meatless Mondays.
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| Westminster's Response to Boston Marathon Bombings |
 O n Tuesday April 16 Westminster mailed the following response to the Boston Marathon bomb explosions to all those subscribed to our Weekly Prayer List; "As a nation we once again mourn the loss of life and feel the brutality of violence after yesterday' bomb explosions at the Boston Marathon. For believers it is sometimes hard to find the right words to express ourselves, therefore I encourage you this week to let silence be your prayer.
During this time you are invited to empty yourself before God and invite God to fill you with the presence of Christ, feeling the pain within yourself and that of those who were affected by the violence through loss of life, pain, injury, trauma, and grief.
I invite you to go even further in your prayers, asking God to fill you and our Nation with the passion of Jesus of Nazareth so we can connect through this violence on our soil with those beyond our nation's borders and boundaries who live with such violence on a daily basis."
"Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayers."
May peace prevail,
Dries
Helpful Readings to Ponder and to Share on Faith and Terrorism
This study guide is based on a paper developed for the 2011 Ecumenical Centennial Gathering of the National Council of Churches and Church World Service held in New Orleans.
A study guide on the Resolution on Violence, Religion, and Terrorism adopted by the 216th General Assembly (2004) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Quote at the front of the resource: "The ultimate response of Christian people to terrorism is the response of the angel to the first two Marys' fear on discovering the stone rolled back from the tomb: "Do not be afraid." (Matthew 28:5)
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Green Tip of the Week
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Sometimes, people that are really diligent about recycling and energy efficiency at home are not necessarily that committed at work. Sometimes the lack of motivation is driven by the company; sometimes by the maintenance staff not keeping recycling separate, and sometimes by co-workers. But whatever the cause, you can champion the movement to green your workplace. You will probably find that most people want to do the right thing but are not sure how to go about it. Follow this link to find out tips.
Courtesy of: Go Green Galloway Task Force for Sustainability
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Presbyterian Church (USA) Weekly Blogs:
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Mark your Calendar:
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Date Time Event Location
April 20th 9:00-noon Mission Planning Retreat The Meeting Place
April 21st Following Worship Sue Brown Retirement Party Mackey Hall
April 27th 10:00am Cinny Gooch Memorial Service Mackey Hall
April 28th During Worship Senior Recognition Mackey Hall
May 5th During Worship Gomes Choir Mackey Hall
June 3rd 5:30-7pm OLO Welcome Picnic Patio or Mackey Hall
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What's happening at Westminster this week? |
Sunday, April 21, 2013
9:30am - Choir Rehearsal in Mackey Hall
9:45am - Children's Sunday School in the Sunday School Room
10:45am - Worship Service in Mackey Hall. Pastor Dries preaching.
12:00pm - Sue Brown's Retirement Party in Mackey Hall
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
7:00pm - Session Meeting in the Lounge
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
7:00pm - Choir Rehearsal in Mackey Hall
Thursday, April 25, 2013
7:00pm - Dance Group in Mackey Hall
Saturday, April 27, 2013
10:00am- Cinny Gooch Memorial in Mackey Hall. All are invited to a time of fellowship after the service in Mackey Hall.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
9:30am - Choir Rehearsal in Mackey Hall
9:45am - Children's Sunday School in the Sunday School Room
10:45am - Worship Service in Mackey Hall. Pastor Dries preaching.
12:00pm - Deacon's Meeting in Mackey Kitchen
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"We are an Intentionally Inclusive Church"
Westminster Presbyterian Church embraces the "house" metaphor for our community as we worship at the Westminster Church House and have a strong sense of hospitality and desire to be a welcoming and inclusive church for all. We endeavor to give voice to a "progressive" expression of Christianity that emphasizes among other things:
- intellectual integrity in matters of faith;
- acceptance of all people regardless of race, creed, age, cultural background, or sexual orientation;
- openness toward the value of other religious traditions;
- a strong commitment to social justice, peacemaking, and the care of our planet.
Sincerely,
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Andries J. Coetzee
Pastor, Westminster Presbyterian Church
353 Pine East Pine Street, Wooster, OH 44691
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