Weekly News From Westminster Presbyterian Church

Weekly News Friday, April 26, 2013

Quick Links

www.wpcwooster.org

Worship

April 28: Fifth Sunday of Easter. Westminster will be celebrating our Seniors both from The College of Wooster as well as Wooster High School. Pastor Dries preaching.
Gospel Reading: John 13:31-35

May 5:

Sixth Sunday of Easter. The Gomes Choir will be with us to share their talents in worship. Pastor Dries preaching.

Memorial Service for Cinny Gooch

Please join us in a celebration of the life of Cinny Gooch. Her memorial service will be held Saturday, April 27th at 10:00am in Mackey Hall with a time of fellowship following.

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.

If you want to receive the Prayer List please e-mail Carly Jones at cjones@wooster.edu

Crackers!

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.

SPRING ACADEMY OF RELIGION EXAMINES FAILING U.S. PRISON SYSTEM

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. ....>>

Visit the Archives

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.

Hospitality Reminder: Parking

On Sunday mornings, we ask all able parishioners to park in the Wishart parking lot across Pine Street from the church and reserve the parking in the Mackey lot for handicapped parking. Thank you so much for your help in this regard and in making Westminster more accessible to all.

Message from Dries

Mission Retreat

Thanks to all of you who attended the Mission Retreat last week. It was exciting, energizing, and inspiring to have about 20 of our members talk about mission at Westminster. In the next weeks we are looking forward to sharing our experiences with you as we will give you a full report of our morning time of discerning.

Senior Recognition

This coming Sunday, April 28 we will celebrate our Seniors, both from The College of Wooster and Wooster High School. Marking these times of transition is important and we invite you to help recognize this very important right of passage with our students. As a community of faith we do not always realize the significant role we play in these young people's lives. The following is an essay Catherine Gillette wrote for the Presbyterian Outlook--College Partnership Award about her time at The College of Wooster and Westminster:

"Despite being the daughter of two (pretty incredible) PCUSA pastors, my decision to attend The College of Wooster had very little to do with the school's Presbyterian founders. Instead, I was enamored with the beautiful campus, impressive faculty, friendly student body, and delicious vegetarian options. Although my faith has always been a very important part of my life, I initially had no idea just how much the school would influence my spiritual growth and development. As I look back over the past four years, I am confident that my experience at The College of Wooster has deepened, if not transformed, my faith, and I am grateful.

Confession time - I did not attend church regularly during my first year of college. Though I began the year by checking out local churches, none of my friends were particularly religious, I did not immediately feel connected to any of the congregations that I visited, and an extra hour or two of sleep was always tempting! Fortunately, I found other outlets for my spiritual growth. Within the first few weeks of school, I became a member of Peace by Peace, a student organization committed to social justice and nonviolence. Although the group was secular, it provided me with opportunities to think critically about the connections between my faith and activism. Quickly, I realized that much of my motivation to respond to social justice issues comes from my faith.
Upon becoming co-president of Peace by Peace during my sophomore year, I learned that Westminster Presbyterian Church helped to sponsor the organization. Impressed by their apparent commitment to social justice and hungry for a church community, I decided to pay the church another visit. Of the many decisions I have made while at school, rolling out of bed that morning to attend worship is easily one of the most influential. Walking through those doors was like going home. Westminster is a small congregation that meets in a plain college-supplied building located on the edge of campus. Rather than pews, they have rows of chairs that are set up each Sunday morning. This simplicity is something I deeply admire.
Almost immediately, I realized that Westminster Presbyterian Church was serious about their commitment to living faithfully and loving unconditionally. Over the past few years, I have heard countless sermons reminding me about the importance of inclusion, compassion, and action. I have watched members of the congregation travel around the world to learn, grow, share, and speak out. Simultaneously, I have experienced Westminster's love and support as I have explored new topics and places. Members of the congregations have encouraged me to ask difficult questions and grow in my faith, provided me with opportunities to worship and serve, and cared for my overall well-being (offering home-cooked dinners, rides to the airport, plant-sitting over breaks, and driving me to doctor appointments). Never ceasing to amaze me, Westminster recently teamed up with another local Presbyterian Church to form a chapter of UKIRK, a sort of youth group for college students. I am thrilled with this development, as I am sure it will allow them to influence countless others as they have influenced me over the past three years.

At this point, I am not exactly sure what the future holds-hopefully a year of service with the Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) program of the PCUSA followed by grad school for social work; however, despite this uncertainty, I am excited! My time at Wooster has not only taught me to conduct research and think critically; instead, it has been an opportunity to examine my life, faith, and action. I have stretched, struggled, and ultimately grown in my faith. I feel prepared to transition into the "real world" and look forward to contributing the skills that I have acquired. All and all, my time at The College of Wooster has been an absolute blessing"

We thank Catherine for these kind words in sharing the impact we have had on her life and also for reminding us what we are about as a community of faith. We can so often think that students are "just" with us for four years and forget what an impact we can have on one another. Help us to celebrate the temporary, like Jesus did!

See you on Sunday as we celebrate our ministry together,

Dries

Ohio's Budget and Wooster's Future

All members of Westminster 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 be recorded. 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 7:00)

For More information, 330-264-9250

Senior Recognition Sunday, April 28th

This coming Sunday, April 28th we will be recognizing our seniors. This year we will not only celebrate the "ties that bind" a number of the College of Wooster Seniors to us, but also our own Lyle Whited who is graduating from Wooster High School. Lyle is planning to attend the University of Mount Union to study some combination of Japanese and anthropology/archaeology or pre-law.

Gomes Choir in Worship,Sunday May 5th

On Sunday, May 5th we will be joined by the Gomes Choir in worship. The choir will arrive on from New York City on Friday, May 3rd and return after worship on Sunday. As in the past they will stay the weekend in the Westminster Church House and we will feed them on Friday night, Saturday morning, Sunday morning, and prepare box lunches for them for Sunday lunch. Additionally, this year they will be participating in Saturday evening Mass at St Mary's where they will be treated to a meal.

During Sunday morning worship they will be joined by the Westminster Choir for one of their songs. Pastor Dries will share a Meditation and Communion will be celebrated.

Cookies Needed!

In extending our hospitality to the Gomes Choir on Sunday, May 5th we will need cookies. Please call Carly (cjones@wooster.edu) at the church office if you can provide a dozen (or more) cookies.

Social Justice Potluck, May 5th after Worship

On May 5, we will host our second monthly Social Justice Potluck. Join us on this first Sunday of the month, Communion Sunday, as we "extend the table".

Local Roots will again provide the vegetarian main dish. We invite you to bring a salad or dessert to round out the table. Students needn't bring food, just come!

The program for May's potluck will be presented by College of Wooster senior, Katie Morton, whose I.S. is entitled, "Neglected Human Rights: Examining the Causes of Socio-Economic Rights Violations within the Occupied Palestinian Territories".

Katie has this to say about her project: Katie Morton

Socio-economic rights are systematically denied around the world, yet little research focuses on state abuses of these rights. My study attempts to understand the causes of socio-economic rights violations within the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Specifically, I examined Israeli government leadership and Israeli public opinion to see if these had an impact on Palestinian socio-economic rights.

I traveled once to Jordan in 2009 as part of a delegation to Women2Women, a peace conference which brings together girls from the Arab/Muslim world with girls from the United States. I returned in the spring of 2012 to spend a semester abroad and learned about the modern political, social, and cultural issues within Jordan and the broader Middle East. After my semester ended, I traveled to Israel and Palestine with fellow classmates to gain a better understanding of the conflict and visit the holy sites within Jerusalem and the West Bank. Someday I would like to return to the West Bank and work for an international development agency to improve Palestinians' quality of life.

RSVP to Carly Jones (cjones@wooster.edu), sign up in Mackey, or through Sign Up Genius at http://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090B44A8AA2DA31-social. Please join us around the table!

Westminster Letter Offering for a "Fair Farm Bill"

On Sunday, May 5, after the worship service, we invite you to participate in Westminster's first "letter offering". Our purpose is to urge our congressman and senators to work for passage of a new farm bill that will promote food justice and help protect our soil and water.

A ready-to-sign letter advocating for programs that support local, small-scale agriculture, organic production, and good conservation practices, funded through reductions in currently unlimited subsidies for crop insurance and large-scale production of big commodity crops, will be available at our advocacy table. Just sign and seal it in one of the envelopes provided. All of the letters offered will be put into the mail the following day through the church office. If you prefer you are welcome to compose your own message, or add a postscript to the letter provided.

Submitted by David Gillespie

Ecumenical Movement in Wooster for Peace and Justice

The second meeting of the Peace and Justice working group was held at St. James Episcopal Church, Wooster at 7 pm April 25, 2013. Donald and Nahida Gordon and David Gillespie represented Westminster at this meeting.
The meeting began by considering three questions:
1) What in your tradition has brought you to this work?
2) What are the spiritual underpinnings of what we do? Or, What transforms you spiritually in your peace and justice work?
3) Develop a project focus where working collaboratively is important.
After discussing these three questions as a group and as an outcome of these discussions, we divided into three interest areas: poverty, violence, and the environment. Each group had four or more members with the poverty group being the largest. The Westminster attendees participated in the violence group which consisted of six individuals. We pledged to work together in the interim until the next meeting of the entire group which will be sometime in August, 2013.
If you are interested in joining in this effort, please contact Nahida at nahida.gordon@case.edu.

Submitted by Nahida Gordon

Staff Changes at Westminster

This past month both Tony McNeil, our Weekday Custodian, and Godwill Chewachong, our Sunday Custodian, resigned from their positions due to time constraints. We are grateful to Tony and Godwill for their service to Westminster.

We are pleased to introduce Matt Nagel, our new temporary custodian who started at Westminster Thursday, April 25. As Matt is new in the position and is still learning job responsibilities, he will keep hours during the week from 7:00-10:00am so that we can supervise and train him, and on Sundays from 8:30am - 1:30pm. The Westminster Staff is excited to have him join our team and we hope that you will welcome him into our midst.

Green Tip of the Week

Have you ever taken a good look at the products that you have been using to clean your house? Many of the traditional commercially available cleaning products contain harmful chemicals such as chlorine bleach, ammonia, petrochemicals and VOCs that can cause a multitude of health problems, including allergies, asthma, sinusitis or bronchitis. The manufacturing and disposal of these products is also problematic; with many of them having to be handled through hazardous waste collections.