Weekly News Friday, August 16, 2013

Quick Links

www.wpcwooster.org

Worship

Sunday August 18th

Worship at 10:00am

Blessing of the Backpacks
Pastor Dries Preaching
Scripture: Isaiah 5:1-7

Sunday August 25th

Worship at 10:45am

College of Wooster Student Welcome
Pastor Dries Preaching

Change in Worship Time

Next Sunday, August 25 we will return to our regular Worship hour of 10:45 am.

Choir Resumes

We are excited as we will be welcoming back our choir in worship next Sunday after their summer break. This coming Wednesday, August 21 there will be Choir Rehearsal at 7:00pm in Mackey Hall. We would love to see some new faces (as well as our regulars)!

September Sign Up for Sundays

The September signups are now available for Sunday flowers, greeters before worship, and goodies for fellowship time after worship. If you are interested in helping, please sign up through Sign up Genius, the signup sheet at the refreshment table after church, or by contacting Carly Jones at 330-263-2398 or e-mail at cjones@wooster.edu.

Mark your Calendars

Sunday, September 1st: Social Justice Potluck after worship
Sunday, September 8th: Mieke Vandershall Visit
Sunday, September 15th:
Children's Sunday School begins
Thursday, September 19th: Vegan Potluck

Sunday, September 29th:
Habitat for Humanity Fundraiser Auction & Lunch

Message from Dries

On Sunday we will have our annual "Blessings of the Backpacks" as Wooster City Schools start back on Monday. For our children and their families, this time of year is filled with excitement as a new academic year begins. At the same time, it can be very stressful as we have to change our routines after the summer, enter a new grade, meet new teachers, and possibly a new school.

This is why it is so important to start this new school year with a ritual, "The Blessings of the Backpacks". Through ritual we want to communicate to our kids that "who they are" is grounded in God. And, as a community of faith we want to affirm them as individuals and let them know that who they are and what they are doing and going through is important to us.

We so often forget that these seemingly "everyday events" can be more meaningful if we see the scared in the details, and ritual can help us to sanctify these day-to-day events.

So, dear members and friends of Westminster, this Sunday I am inviting you to join our children and bring your satchels, backpacks, and purses, and let blessings abound as we mark this important event in the lives of our children and their families.

Blessings to all,

Dries

Being in Conversation: Worship on Sunday

I love feedback after worship on Sundays! Personally, I see worship as a time of transformation, as God, as experienced in the community, interacts with us and we respond. Too often we see the "sermon" as the only response and forget that real transformation takes place in the midst of the community as we talk to one another. This week I want to thank Don Gordon for his e-mail after worship on Sunday.

"As a follow up to your meditation this past Sunday, I thought you might appreciate the following excerpts from an article by Ray McGovern entitled "The Moral Imperative of Activism".

"It seems we are guided far more by profits than by prophets. And without prophetic vision, the people perish."

"Is it right to fire teachers, police and firefighters; to close libraries; leave students in permanent debt; gut safety-net programs - all by feigning lack of money? Yet, simultaneously, is it moral to squander on the Pentagon and military contractors half of the country's discretionary income from taxes - an outlay equivalent to what the whole rest of the world put together spends for defense?"

James Madison's warning: "If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy."

"He or she who is not angry, when there is just cause for anger, sins." Fourth-Century Doctor of the Church, John Chrysostom

Martin Luther: "If, I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at the moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing him. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved and to be steady on all the battlefield, except there, is mere flight and disgrace if one flinches at that point."

Passing on the Faith: Teaching the next Generation [1]

Started last week, we will link an article from scholars, practitioners, teachers, and parents from diverse traditions and perspectives to share their wisdom, insights, and best practices as they discern; "How do we pass on our faith to children? This is a question most religious traditions care about deeply. We are concerned, perhaps, for our children's spiritual well-being, their moral grounding and behavior, and perhaps for the ultimate state of their souls. Without the commitment, creativity, and zeal of the next generation, our own values and beliefs may die with us. But what is the best way to communicate faith? If faith is 'caught, not taught,' then what can we do to make our spirituality contagious?" [1]

This week we will hear from Mark Yaconelli as he talks about "Less Talk, More Action"; "So much of religious education is abstract-stories, beliefs, ideas about how life works. Meanwhile youth long for experience. They long to do something. If we could listen to the restless yearning hidden within the hearts of the young, we might hear something like, "No more talk of love. No more tales of suffering. No more cautionary fables. Give me someone to kiss. Give me a road to walk. Give me ashes to grieve. Help me make my own regrets." This kind of raw desire is troubling to parents and manipulated by advertisers, and yet it's exactly this honest ache for life and relationship that Christian communities should cultivate and address." ...>>>

Last week we heard from Phyllis Tickle [3) as she discusses

"My Six Essentials for Passing on the Faith"; What we want to implant is an easy and natural affection for the holy, an inherent connectedness to an on-going story, and a sense of membership within a sustaining community that is always there to hold all of us as well as demand some things of us. ...>>>

Once again I invite you to be in conversation with me as I believe that this discussion is essential for Westminster as we meet our future. Please talk to me during the time of fellowship after worship, come by the office, e-mail me, or call me at the Church Office.

[1] Patheos.com

Collections

Church World Service

Our annual collection for Church World Service (Presbyterian Disaster Assistance partner) is on! We need toothbrushes and nail clippers for hygiene kits. For school kits, we need:

School Kits (to make 100 kits)

147 - 70 page spiral notebooks (enough for 49 kits)

35 boxes of 24-count crayons

30 pencil sharpeners

Hygiene Kits (to make 50 kits)

36 nail clippers

10 wide tooth combs

4 hand towels

Thanks for your donations to this important cause!

People to People Ministries Needs for August

Food:

Staple items are always needed - We are very low on canned fruit, apple sauce, syrup, complete pancake mix, crackers, spaghetti sauce, and spaghetti.

Personal Products:

Diapers, tampons, razors, laundry soap, paper towels, and toilet paper.

Household Items:

We can really use bed pillows, king size sheet sets, adult sleeping bags, and wash cloths. We can also use shower curtain liners, dish sets, coffee cups, large casserole dishes, coffee pots, irons, pots and pans, crock pots, throw rugs, and sweepers.

Clothing Items:

Adult and children's low cuff white socks, Men's boxers all sizes, Teen boy's jeans sizes 29, 30, 40 and larger, boy's and girl's jeans sizes 6, 7, and 8, men's tennis shoes, and men's work boots.

etween now and September 1, Westminster has the opportunity to receive twice the reimbursement for Our Family labels. The Mission Committee asks you to scour your cupboards for Our Family labels and bring them to the box in the narthex of the church. We will trim or remove them, count them, package them, and send them off. All money raised goes to help others achieve a better life.

Fundraiser Events

Camo's Salsa Sizzle

You are invited to the Salsa Sizzle, the annual Fundraiser for the Women's Shelter in Honduras August 17th at the Wooster Inn. There is a live band, wonderful music, great people, and dancing...food did I mention food?! We are hoping to get a Westminster table together for the event, so if you are interested, please contact Carly in the church office (cjones@wooster.edu or 330-263-2398).

Christian Children's Home of Ohio

How can a burger, ice cream, and day of fun bring healing in Jesus' name to hurting children and families in Ohio? When they're enjoyed at Christian Children's Home of Ohio's Great Grill-Off on Sunday, August 18, from 12:30-4 at 2685 Armstrong Road, Wooster. Enjoy a mini burger contest with area restaurants and CCHO teams, picnic foods, live music, children's activities, stables open house, and more. The event is free; simply make a monetary donation at the gate. Proceeds will provide critical upgrades to CCHO's children's residential center. Learn more at www.ccho.org or call 330.345.7949.

Volunteer Opportunities

Holly House Needs Volunteers

What: Scraping & Preparing for Painting Exterior of HOLLY House Inc.

Where: HOLLY House - 217 E. Larwill Street Wooster Ohio 44691

When: Every SUNDAY in August 2013 from 12:30 - 4:30 pm **or by appointment. Items needed for the task/Volunteers should bring - scrapers, wire brush, goggles or sunglasses, sunscreen, hats/gloves, sandpaper, or an electric sander.

Hot dogs, lemonade, water, and chips have been donated/made available for snack or lunch.

(Adults and youth under 18 must sign a Volunteer Release form prior to working. Forms provided by HOLLY House and are available on site.

Volunteers must be at least 13 years of age and we ask that no children under 12 be on site for safety reasons.)

Advocacy

This August, tell your Members of Congress in person that peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians need to be founded on justice.

In recent days, there has been a lot of attention on the launch of negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. While many have lauded this development, core concerns will need to be addressed in order for there to be a just and sustainable resolution of the conflict. Without these foundations of justice, negotiations could be used as a pretense for ignoring ongoing injustices.

Reports indicate, for example, that Israel is set to approve as many as several thousand housing units over the coming months in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. In late June, the Israeli Knesset (parliament) began consideration of the Prawer Plan, which would expel more than 30,000 Palestinian Bedouins from the Negev desert region and confiscate much of their land.

These kinds of actions work directly against a vision of sustainable and just peace. Rather than seeing this as inevitable, the U.S. government would do well to heed the action taken by the European Union which announced in mid-July that member nations would not do business with Israeli entities in the occupied territories, including East Jerusalem.

If the U.S. were to follow suit, it would send a clear signal that the settlements are illegal and are not to be used as a negotiating tactic against the Palestinians. A just resolution of the conflict will require:
* A commitment to respect human rights;
* An end to the Israeli military occupation of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem;
* A shared Jerusalem;
* An end to discriminatory confiscation and distribution of land and water resources and the dismantling of the illegal separation wall; and
* Justice and security for Palestinian refugees.

The prophet Jeremiah decried those who say "'peace, peace, when there is no peace" (6:14). The biblical vision of peace rests on the solid foundation of justice and right relationships. Indeed, Jeremiah urges the people to seek "the good way": "Thus says the Lord: Stand at the crossroads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls" (6:16).

To see that peace is founded on a solid foundation of justice and right relationships, the 216th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) affirmed:

The security of Israel is inexorably dependent on making peace with their Palestinian neighbors, by negotiating and reaching a just and equitable resolution to the conflict that respects international law, human rights, the sanctity of life, and dignity of persons, land property, safety of home, freedom of movement, the rights of refugees to return to their homeland, the right of people to determine their political future, and to live in peace and prosperity.

Meet with your members to ensure that the rights of all Israelis and Palestinians will be protected to achieve true and lasting peace!

The August recess (August 5 through September 6) is a great time to visit local offices of your representative and senators. They need to hear from you and other constituents that you strongly support peace between Israelis and Palestinians, but that this peace must be based on a foundation of justice.

Green Tip of the Week

Back to School

We all know instilling good habits is easiest when we're young, so more and more parents and educators are working to make kids aware of the importance of caring for our planet. As kids get ready to return to school in the fall, here are some simple tips to encourage sustainable habits and support a healthy environment... and healthy kids!...>>>

Presbyterian Church (USA) Weekly Blogs:

Celebrating a Decade of Hearing and Singing New Songs to God

08-14-2013 16:48:12 PM

The voices and perspectives of women of color have too often been devalued, excluded or silenced throughout the history of the church and society. Responding to God's call for the church to be more diverse and to inspire women to all forms of leadership and service, the 220th General Assembly (2012) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) reaffirmed the church's commitment to recognize the gifts of women of color in the church and extended the "Decade of Hearing and Singing New Songs to God" until 2022. ...�

'Rosie': hands across the HealthLine

08-14-2013 16:48:12 PM

CLEVELAND When people of faith and institutions of healing join hands in cooperation, God surely smiles on what the world can be. ...�

Transformed from the inside out

08-14-2013 16:48:12 PM

Kristi Van Nostran PC(USA) mission co-worker SAN SALVADOR Grace and peace to you in Jesus' name! I hope this letter finds you well and enjoying the longer and lovely days of summer. ...�

What's happening at Westminster this week?

All events can also be found on our website

www.wpcwooster.org
We hope to see you there!

Sunday, August 18, 2013

10:00am - Worship in Mackey Hall. "Blessing of the Backpacks" Pastor Dries will be preaching.

11:15am - Immigration Advocacy Committee meeting in The Lounge.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

2:00pm - Congregational Life Cohort in The Lounge.

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

7:00pm - Choir Rehearsal in Mackey Hall.

Friday, August 23, 2013

7:00am - Dance Group in Mackey Hall.

Sunday, August 25, 2013

9:30am - Choir Rehearsal in Mackey Hall.

10:45am - Worship in Mackey Hall. Pastor Dries will be preaching.
Welcome, College of Wooster students! Brownie reception following worship.

"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,

Andries J. Coetzee
Pastor, Westminster Presbyterian Church

353 East Pine Street, Wooster, OH 44691

acoetzee@wooster.edu