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| Westminster members exploring GreenPoint Garden on May 3 after worship
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As Westminster literally gets our hands dirty this weekend, I invite you to contemplate on gardening, family togetherness, and experiencing the closeness of God. This week (May 26) the Wooster Daily Record, published the following column by Melinda Hill, entitled Let Nature Help You Heal, Booster Your Energy.
"Those of you who know me, know I would much rather be outside than in. I enjoy the sunshine, working in the dirt for a garden, the mulch around the flowers and the paths in the woods. I feel so blessed when I can spend time with friends and our horses on a ride through the woods.
Last weekend, I was privileged to enjoy a rather wet, but wonderful, time reconnecting and re-energizing in the woods trail riding and camping. What is it you enjoy that gives you a boost in your energy?
As I looked a little further, there's a fair amount of research that talks about what we gain when we spend time outside.
The University of Minnesota shares, "Research reveals that environments can increase or reduce our stress, which in turn impacts our bodies.
What you are seeing, hearing, experiencing at any moment is changing not only your mood, but how your nervous, endocrine, and immune systems are working.
The stress of an unpleasant environment can cause you to feel anxious, or sad, or helpless. This in turn elevates your blood pressure, heart rate, and muscle tension and suppresses your immune system. A pleasing environment reverses that."
So, when we enjoy time outside, the activities of digging in the dirt or walking in the woods can reduce the stress in our life. We can let go of the "to do" list and savor the sights and sounds around us. Think for a minute, how the sounds change from your office or your home to the woods, or a walk in the park. Which one brings you relaxation? Nature helps us heal and soothes our bodies and souls.
Nature has a way of restoring our mood also. We can go from stressed and depressed to relaxed and more positive after spending time outside. "It provides a respite for our overactive minds, refreshing us for new tasks."
Next, the beauty of the color pallet is really astounding.
Look around at the shades of green, the variety of shapes and sizes and the depth of color around you. With children, try a matching game with the leaves or even a page from a coloring book to color with leaves and flowers from the woods.
Additional research indicates trees were calming to adults and adult responses to plants are influenced by their childhood interactions with nature.
The more time they spent outside as a child, the more positive their attitudes toward nature as an adult.
As the school year draws to a close and many home routines change, please consider making the outdoor classroom part of your summer routine.
There are many parks and trails in our community that offer a new opportunity for exploration and observation with each trip.
If your children are grown, commit with a friend or neighbor for a regular walk or hike.
Don't just read about what being outdoors can do for you, try it and see how your experience might change your perspective."
Blessings and hope to see many of you over the weekend,
Dries
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Gardening Today & Tomorrow
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| | April Gamble, Dave Schmidt, and Eric Miller check out Westminster's garden beds at Wooster Community Hospital's GreenPoint Garden |
Today, Friday May 29th, from 2:00pm - 4:00pm and Saturday, May 30th from 9:00am - 11:00am you are invited to join a group from Westminster at the Wooster Community Hospital's GreenPoint Garden. We encourage you to bring your own tools and gloves, although there is some equipment that we can share.
We will have 3 separate 60 foot rows and invite members and friends of all abilities to participate. One of the rows is set up for tomatoes (has a sturdy climbing fence already in place), the second row has a black cloth ground covering with holes punched in - this would be perfect for green peppers, which are easy and pretty disease -free, and the third row is exciting- it is a 2 foot off the ground raised bed with a tall trellis built in - perfect for climbing plants. It is also great for people who find getting down on their knees difficult.
In the spirit of fellowship we also invite all our gardeners to an Open House at the Coetzee's tonight, Friday, May 29th at 6pm. Beth and Dries will provide a meat dish and drinks and we invite you to bring a side or dessert.
Looking forward to seeing you in the garden!
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This week in Worship we will celebrate Sarah Veney and Dallas Davis as they graduate from Wooster High School.
Sarah has played flute in symphonic band for 4 years and was a member of the marching band all 4 years. She served as a squad leader for 2 of those seasons. Sarah ran cross country during 9th and 10th grade, as well as track in 9th grade. She was a member of National honor society in 11th and 12th grades. Sarah will be attending Allegheny College next year and at this time she is interested in studying math or science.
Dallas Davis, long-time Westminster summer visitor, had an opportunity to complete his senior year with on-line courses which he did in slightly less than 3 weeks. Thus, he is graduating from high school in 3 years, completing one year in Maine and two in Wooster. He now has extra time to determine his future direction. |
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New Worship Opportunity at Oak Hill Park
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| | Oak Hill Park Easter Sunrise Service 2015 |
This summer we invite you to a new worship opportunity led by Pastor Dries, entitled "Walking in Mindfulness," at Oak Hill Park on the first Sunday of each month beginning June through September at 7:30am. This worship opportunity is in addition to our regular worship in Mackey Hall at 10:00am.
Maybe you are looking for a different worship opportunity in nature, maybe you want to come to worship early and have the rest of the day free, or maybe you just want to get some steps in while walking in community. Join us on the first Sunday of June, July, August, and September.
Our rain location will be Mackey Hall. Dries will be updating our website if there is a change of plans or let Dries know if you are interested and he will be sending group texts. The weather will really have to be bad for us to cancel. E-mail Dries at acoetzee@wooster.edu if you are interested.
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"Fish and Loaf" by Hazel Shreve
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Worship is at 10:00am in Mackey Hall in the Westminster Church House, 353 E. Pine Street. At Westminster we believe that worship is everything we do, both inside and outside the church. The worship life of our community is defined by our calling to peacemaking, a more just future for our world, and our desire to be mindful and "Intentionally Inclusive" as symbolized by the mosaic that is purposefully positioned for worshipers to see as they leave Mackey Hall. The fish was the first symbol to be used by Jesus followers with the bread and fish combined refer to Jesus' miraculous feeding of the multitude.
Worship at 10:00am in celebration of Trinity Sunday. In recognition that the doctrine of the Trinity has become a stumbling block for many, worshipers will be invited to experience the mystery of the Divine through silence, music, prayers and poems. The service will include a live performance of "Spiegel im Spiegel' by Arvo Part. ...>>>
Sunday, June 7
For the College of Wooster Alumni Weekend our guest minister will be Wooster alum, Dr. David L. Petersen '65, who retired in 2013 from Candler School of Theology, Emory University. All alumni are welcome to join us for worship at 10:00am followed by a reception. ...>>>
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Christian Children's Home Grill-Off
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 Christian Children's Home of Ohio's Third Annual Great Grill-Off is Sunday, June 14, from 12:30-4:00 p.m. at 2685 Armstrong Road, Wooster. The event includes a burger tasting contest from area restaurants and teams, picnic foods, live music, children's games and crafts, hayrack rides, Poplar Ridge Stables open house and miniature horse rides. Admission is free; simply make a monetary donation at the gate. Info and registration for this charity event to support CCHO's Christian mission to hurting children and families is at www.ccho.org or 330.345.7949.
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We recently received a note from Mary Stockton, member of First Presbyterian Church and regular attender at our Vegan Potlucks.
"I am a volunteer for Meals Together, an ecumenical, free community meal that is held at the United Methodist Church in Wooster each Thursday evening. You may be familiar with it. For over 25 years, Meals Together has been providing a hot meal virtually every Thursday night. Each year, about 4,000 meals are prepared and served by generous volunteers. We are able to cover the cost of the food through donations. Meals Together has significant financial need right now, so we are expanding our efforts to raise funds. This June 3rd, we are going to try to raise some money through the Bob Evans 'Dine to Make a Difference' program."
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People to People Donations
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What's for lunch?
This month Westminster is collecting tuna fish, mayonnaise, peanut butter and jelly for the People to People box in the Narthex.
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Making Fleas Flee and Ticks Take Off
How do you get rid of them - without harming your pet, your family or the planet? Here are some tips:
- Most commercial flea and tick sprays contain carbaryl, which works by attacking pests' nervous systems. But carbaryl also can harm developing fetuses in both animals and humans.
- Fortunately, there are less-toxic alternatives. For example, some pesticides contain pyrethrin, a natural ingredient made from chrysanthemums. It works just as well, though it still should be used with care.
- Many pesticides don't affect insects' eggs and larvae, which represent 95% of the flea population. That may require a kind of pesticide called a "growth regulator." They keep eggs from becoming adults.
- Another way to keep fleas off pets is to add garlic and brewer's yeast to pets' meals, which makes pets taste bad to bugs. Many such products are sold in pet supply stores. But pets may need to take these remedies for several weeks before they work.
- Don't overlook the basics. Keep your pet clean. Use a fine-toothed flea comb on your pet to remove existing fleas. And don't forget to dust and vacuum regularly. Fleas simply hate clean homes.
information provided by www.earthshare.org
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What's happening at Westminster this week?
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Friday, May 29th 6:00pm - Garden Party at Coetzees' Saturday, May 30th
For the latest and most up-to-date information visit Westminster's calendar here. |
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