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Join Pastor Dries this coming Monday night, March 21st at 7:45 pm as the Wooster/Orrville NAACP and Wooster community members engage in conversation with the Wayne County Fair Board regarding their decision to permit private vendors to sell Civil War merchandise including, but not limited to, Confederate and Union flags and banners, clothing, and memorabilia.
To many in our community the Confederate Flag is not a symbol to be celebrated as it represents a deeply shameful period in our nation's history with the harmful and hateful effects still felt today by African Americans and the nation as a whole. Please help us build an open, welcoming Wooster and join us on Monday night at the Fair Grounds, 200 Vanover Street, Wooster (map) at 7:45pm.
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Those who, in the biblical phrase, would save their lives - that is, those who want to get along, who don't want commitments, who don't want to get into problems, who want to stay outside of a situation that demands the involvement of all of us - they will lose their lives.
What a terrible thing to have lived quite comfortably, with no suffering, not getting involved in problems, quite tranquil, quite settled, with good connections politically, economically, socially - lacking nothing, having everything. To what good? They will lose their lives.
Oscar Romero (1917-1980)
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| | Westminster members and friends learning more about South Africa's apartheid past and hopeful future at Constitutional Hill, Johannesburg. |
It is good to be back at Westminster after our unforgettable time in South Africa. As a group of travelers we are immensely thankful to Westminster for its support of Beth's and my time to organize this trip and to accompany the travelers in South Africa.
Personally it has been a privilege to introduce Westminster members and friends to my country of birth, the land and the peoples that formed and shaped me, including my family. In many ways it is this reconnection and remembering that has left me restless with a sense of urgency and a desire to make a difference. Seeing and experiencing the many facets of South African society and the current state of politics leaves one feeling helpless in many ways; but as a local South African put it to me on the flight back from Cape Town To Johannesburg, "How can I not hope for the future, ... I have young children." The reality is that the same is true for the United States of America. "How can we not have hope?" One of the the first questions asked by South Africans time and again as we traveled the country was, "What is happening with American politics?"
Hopeful to me was David Noble's (child, longtime member, and elder at Westminster) sermon this past Sunday as he reflected on sustainability and the role of Westminster in our community. In his sermon David reminded us that we are a community of faith that embraces pluralism, saying;
"This is a non-doctrinaire congregation. In fact, we believe we can learn from everyone. We can be enriched by the stories, traditions and rituals of others. We are intentionally inclusive." He then continued to say that "the principal goal of this congregation should be building and nurturing relationships." (you can read his sermon here).
As pastor I would like to add to David's sermon and underscore the importance of the transforming power of spirituality, especially as we face very divisive issues in our community. Join Westminster in worship on Sunday at 10:45am as we explore the power of spiritual transformation. Also, set yourself open to the transformation of spirituality and join us for Holy Week and Easter as we commemorate Jesus of Nazareth's journey through triumph, betrayal, torture, death, and resurrection! See our full Holy Week and Easter schedule below.
Blessings,
Dries
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 Holy Week and Easter at Westminster |
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| | Holy Week and Easter 2015 |
Palm Sunday, March 20 will be our annual tradition of delivering Easter baskets to our homebound members. Under the faithful direction of Ferenc and Candy Relle, all children are invited to join in on the fun at 9am in the Sunday School room to color eggs and decorate baskets for our homebound members. All materials will be provided. Please RSVP to Emily if you plan to help deliver baskets after church so that we have adequate transportation for the event. Come one! Come all! All children and grandchildren (and children-at-heart) are welcome!
Thursday, March 24, Maundy Thursday
Join us as we continue to observe
Holy Week. Gather for a simple meal of soup and bread at 6pm in the Meeting Place. After the meal we will move to Mackey Hall for a service of shadows. In commemorating the last three days of the life of Jesus of Nazareth, we can more fully celebrate the joy of Easter morning.
Friday, March 25, Good Friday
The Wooster Area Interfaith Partnership invites you to an Interfaith service, entitled "For The Common Good," on Friday, March 25 at 5:30pm at the Gazebo, Downtown Wooster. As people of faith we feel the urgent need to express our commitment and deep desire to be in relationship with all our siblings, especially in the midst of an election year with its polarizing politics. This service coincides with the Christian season of Holy Week, specifically the day called Good Friday. For many Christians this day is a sacred time of reconciliation and restoration with humanity and the whole of creation. For this reason, area churches along with our Jewish and Muslim siblings feel moved to express our commitment publicly to cultivate acceptance of all and to help grow Wooster, Ohio in its welcome. After the service you are invited to join for a free cup of coffee or hot chocolate at The Gathering Grounds Coffee House, 131 N Market St., Wooster, OH 44691 to continue the conversation as we work "For the Common Good". Although Good Friday is a sacred Christian day, all people are invited to express our commitment to one another in this Interfaith service!
When: 5:30 pm, Friday, March 25, 2016
Where: The Gazebo, Downtown Wooster, OH
Sunday, March 27, Easter Sunday
7:00am Sunrise Service at Oak Hill Park pavilion
9:00am Easter Breakfast in The Meeting Place
10:45am Easter Worship with Communion in Mackey Hall
12:00pm Fellowship following worship in Mackey Hall
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| | Westminster has a long history of engagement in Israel/Palestine. Groups from Westminster visited the area in 2010 and 2012 |
I am anticipating my trip to Israel/Palestine from April 4th through April 16th with the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program through the national PC(USA). I will be traveling alongside 29 other Presbyterians from the U.S. to the Holy Land to witness the "mosaic" of perspectives and voices surrounding the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. As a Tucson "Borderlands" YAV, last year - partnering with not only Borderlinks but also the bi-national Presbyterian border ministry, Frontera de Cristo - I am eager to travel to a new place where barriers and borders impact the daily social, economic, political, spiritual and interfaith parts of daily living. During our trip we will travel to the YWCA refugee camp school in Jericho. I am asking that all UKIRK participants during Tuesday morning's Agape Latte bring back coloring pencils and coloring books from spring break; I will give these resources to our brothers and sisters in Jericho.
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| | | Visiting Mary Vimmerstedt last year | |
This Sunday, March 20th at 9am in the Sunday School room, we will be engaging in our annual tradition of creating decorated Easter baskets and colored eggs for our homebound members. Under the guidance of Ferenc and Candy Relle, we will create many Easter treats for our friends at WPC! Following service, we will eat pizza & then head out to meet home-bound members. Ice cream at Hartzler's will follow after our visits.
Looking forward to this Sunday's festivities!
Peace & Thanks,
Emily
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Start Spring Cleanup Now!
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The Lincoln Highway Buy-Way multi-state yard sale will take place this year on August 11-13. The Benevolences Work Group will take part with a yard sale at 2104 East Lincoln Way on the historic Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor. We are asking you to begin rummaging through your closets and cupboards for items you are willing to part with, and to give them a second life by donating to our giant weekend sale.
We will welcome kitchen gadgets and small working appliances, books, garden tools, children's and adults' clothing - just about anything that is too good to discard. Please price your items and if you are unable to store them at your home until August, we have some storage in Sue Coleman's garage.
Let's recycle and earn money for mission at the same time. And, if a scenic drive through the Midwest in August appeals to you, join the thousands who traverse America's Heartland.
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What's happening at Westminster?
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