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Westminster World
| January 2012
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Race and Discrimination
This coming month is of great significance here at Westminster where we see ourselves as a people called to make God's justice a reality, as we will address racial discrimination here in Wooster, Ohio and abroad. Starting with ourselves, we will address race relations with the Wooster president of the NAACP in worship at 10:45am on January 15th, to thank God for the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Part of the worship will be set aside for reflection on how our white privilege maintains and advances the evil power structures that oppress and dehumanize people of color. You are also invited to join me and other members of Westminster for the community celebration service of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday night at 7:00pm at Second Baptist Church and meal prior to that at 5:30.
 Another significant event this coming month regarding discrimination is the overture that our Session has sent unanimously to our Presbytery. This coming Tuesday, January 10th, our Presbytery will meet here at Westminster, and vote on the overture that reads: "The 220th (2012) General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) recognizes that Israel's laws, policies, and practices constitute apartheid against the Palestinian people. The General Assembly urges its members, congregations, presbyteries, and national staff units, including the Office of Interfaith Relations, to study this matter and to seek appropriate ways to bring an end to Israeli apartheid." As your pastor I realize that not all members at Westminster are in support of this overture, and I hope and pray that we will continue to be in conversation with one another. When I was in seminary I was told by some of my professors that it is best for a pastor to be neutral when it comes to controversial issues, so as not to alienate or hurt some members of the congregation. At this point in my life I cannot disagree with them more. Personally I feel that my belief in Jesus Christ brings about vulnerability in my life and leads me to be open and truthful to you as to who I am and where I stand. Also, I feel that expressing my views on these issues will hopefully show you the trust that I have in our community and our relationships with one another. Maybe the foremost reason I feel I need to share my support of this overture with you is that it is deeply seated in who I am as a person. Continue reading further down. |
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Note from Bill Weiss:
Dear Friends,
Thank you for your expressions of love during my recovery from surgery. The prognosis is good, and Cheryl and I are grateful for the prayers and concerns of our Westminster family.
Bill Weiss
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Note from Wooster Y.M.C.A.
Dear Westminster PC:
Thank you for your dessert donation and all the helpers who came and served. We served over 400 people at the Community Thanksgiving - all because of your willing hearts and hands to serve. God Bless! Lori Colon and
YMCA Staff
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Due Date For February Westminster World
January 30
For contributions
please contact
Sue Brown
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(Listen to past sermons on our website)
Westminster Presbyterian Church is a safe place for all people to worship regardless of race, creed, age, cultural background or sexual orientation.
 Sunday, January 8, 10:45am
We will celebrate the Baptism of Jesus with the ordination and installation of elders and deacons. Pastor Dries will preach from Mark 1:4-11.
Quote to Ponder:
"We need to remember that our fist call was not to be an elder or a deacon; our first calling, the baptismal call, is the one that simply loves and names: You are my child. I delight in you. The words embrace us and promise to hold us. This is where it begins, and this is also, we dare claim, the last word, the one that holds our future. Yet in between that beginning and that end, this baptismal call will often become a call to action. It will mean mission and ministry and all kinds of risks." (From unknown author)).
Sunday, January 15, 10:45am
Pastor Dries will lead worship with Mr. Emmanuel Stone, Wooster-Orrville Unit President, Ohio Conference NAACP 2nd Vice-President, Assistant District Coordinator as our guest speaker to honor the legacy and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. The Scripture Reading of the day will be Mark 4:1-20.
Quote to Ponder:
"Racism is the one of the most pernicious and permeating realities of life in North America. If left unchecked, racism will destroy both people of color and people of European origin. The Gospel insists that the church be anti-racist and pro-reconciling." (Ronald J. Allen, Dale P. Andrews, Dawn Ottoni-Wilhelm (2011-08-09). Preaching God's Transforming Justice: A Lectionary Commentary, Year B (p. 72). Westminster John Knox Press. Kindle Edition.)
Sunday, January 22, 10:45am Pastor Dries preaching from Mark 1:14-20. Quote to Ponder: "Jesus therefore calls his disciples to a new way of fishing, a new catch, a new purpose. No longer does their work have to do with the food of daily living; they will be about the realm of God that has come near. This new future is one that does not send people into exile but gathers people together. Community becomes more important than individual acquisition. What some consider the inevitable sacrifice of families, neighborhoods, cities-even nations-comes to seem ridiculous." The greater call-Jesus' invitation-is inclusion." (Ronald J. Allen, Dale P. Andrews, Dawn Ottoni-Wilhelm (2011-08-09). Preaching God's Transforming Justice: A Lectionary Commentary, Year B (p. 80). Westminster John Knox Press. Kindle Edition.)
Sunday, January 29, 10:45am Quote to Ponder:
"How different from the conception of power and authority in our politics! Our politicians try to manipulate us. They say one thing and do another. They use their authority for self-aggrandizement. They look for short-term gain, even if that means doing the wrong thing, rather than doing the right thing and trusting that in the long-term, history (not to mention God!) will vindicate them. Will the future be any different? Jesus' authority and kingdom ministry invite us to imagine a different world - and to live towards it." (Stephen Hultgren Assistant Professor of Theology Fordham University New York, NY)
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Fellowship, Sunday January 8 at 9:30am
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Introduction of elders and deacons to be ordained and installed
9:30 a.m. in The Lounge/Office Area
All are invited to join us in fellowship for the introduction of elders and deacons during the Education Hour on Sunday, January 8th at 9:30am. At 9:45 newly elected elders and deacons will share their faith stories and why they are willing to serve in leadership at Westminster. We will hear from the following parishioners who will be ordained and installed during worship:
As Elders:
Nahida Gordon (2nd term)
Caryl Slater (2nd term)
Bill Weiss
As Deacons
Jean Brazee (2nd term)
Christine Jones
Shelley Peterson
Peggy Schmitz
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Fellowship, Renewing an Old Favorite
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Suppers for Six or So
 Looking to bring some cheer into the dreary days of winter? There's a new opportunity on the horizon for camaraderie! Suppers for Six is a fellowship program where six people (or so) - couples or singles (and hopefully some students!) - get together three times (once each month) for dinner, taking turns hosting each month. After being randomly put into groups, they decide what they want to do for their dinners. Some prefer to meet for dinner, some for brunch. Some prefer potluck with the host furnishing the entrée; other groups prefer to have the host couple fix the entire meal. If you are looking for a great way to get to know your fellow Westminsterites better, this is the program for you. If you are interested, please call Beth Coetzee, 330-317-9914 or email me at bcoetzee@wooster.edu. In order to get started in February, please contact me with your interest by January 22.
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"Way Beyond Vietnam"
Staring January 15th at 9:30 a.m. in The Lounge
In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, beginning January 15 at 9:30 a.m., Lauren and Matt Courtman will begin a four-week Adult Sunday School Class entitled "Way Beyond Vietnam." The class will explore the tension between the teachings of Christ and the glorification of militarism in American culture. Following our Church's tradition of social justice, all are invited to contribute to what promises to be a lively discussion of possible responses to this tension.
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 Message from Dries Continues
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 As many of you know, I was born in 1971 in the midst of apartheid in South Africa as a Afrikaner, the small minority of whites from European descend who oppressed the majority of blacks. I grew up with segregation between black and white and it was "the way of life". I attended all white schools and received a world class education and had wonderful privileges because of the color of my skin. During those years I remember how most of us whites were convinced that Nelson Mandela was a terrorist, including the Government of the United States of America who only declassified him as a terrorist in July of 2008. We also viewed Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his tireless activism against apartheid, in a bad light and branded him as a communist. I can also vividly remember the release of Nelson Mandela, the negotiations leading up to our first democratic general election in South Africa, and the devastating stories of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. As I attended seminary in South Africa, studied the Scriptures and continued my ministry in the United States of America in several settings, I have always been confronted with my past and growing up as the oppressor. Although difficult, it is these moments of struggle that bring about healing. It is in this struggle for wholeness that I realized how the system of apartheid dehumanized us all, oppressed and oppressor. As whites we took away the humanity of our fellow black brothers and sisters by denying them basic human rights and as whites we lost our humanity by our denial of loving others as we loved ourselves. Disturbing to me is how we white South Africans took the pain and suffering that was inflicted on us by the British in the Boer wars, where many women and children died in concentration camps and men were sent away as prisoners of war, and turned it into a nationalism that led to the exclusion and the oppression of black people. Also troubling is the way in which we lived our lives with a terrible fear that the black majority wanted to kill us all and force us out of a country that we saw as God's promise to us as a people. Our government even used this fear to control and manipulate us to the extent that all young white men (as young as 16) were forced to do compulsory military service, with countless lives lost on both sides in wars serving the rich and the powerful.
It is with sadness that I traveled to Israel and Palestine last year only to observe very much the same world of my country of origin, South Africa. In fact, many South African anti-apartheid activists like Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu will tell you that the conditions in Israel/Palestine are even worse than that of apartheid South Africa. When I was there I could see the same fear in the young Israelis that I experienced in South Africa, the humiliation of the Palestinians at the checkpoints, the apartheid wall, the unequal distribution of wealth and natural resources, and the lack of freedom of movement for Palestinians; in fact some call Gaza, the largest open air prison in the world.
So this is the reason I support the overture, as it is my prayer that it will bring liberation to the people of Israel and Palestine as similar overtures did for the people of South Africa. Today I am thankful for the International Community, including the Presbyterian Church  (USA), who was willing to speak out, to name the sin of apartheid, even during a time when the United States Government supported the apartheid regime. It was in naming the sin of apartheid that justice was done and the door was opened to reconciliation and the realization that all people are created in the image of God. It was in facing the truth that oppressor and oppressed realized their dependence on one another and enabled the nation to celebrate its rich diversity. Although South Africa is still a struggling nation, most of us are very proud to belong to a generation that has accomplished such a milestone in world history and many of us continue to work hard to build the nation so all people might have a better future. This is my prayer for Palestinians and Israelis alike, that they one day will see each other as human beings created in the image of God and celebrate their rich diversity. Yes, I am supporting this overture as I know that God is using Westminster and the Presbyterian Church (USA) in a very special way, once again to bring about wholeness to peoples in deep fear and pain.
With humility,
Dries
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Local Mission
Westminster Supports Meals on Wheels 
Did you know Westminster is committed to delivering meals to homebound Wayne County residents every Friday of the month, from about 10:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.? Started when Tuck and Paul Gustafson served on the Mission Committee, a team of 2 delivers meals to residents of the downtown senior apartments and those on the southwest side of Wooster and outskirts. Known for consistency, we've been asked to fill in for others and to consider taking another day of the week. Delivering meals are Jean Brazee, Sue Coleman, Mary Kilpatrick, Linda Barbu, Don Fraunfelder, Ruth MacKenzie, Kathy Hothem, Joe Whited, and Barbara and Frank Hays. If you'd like to assist with meal deliveries, contact Sue Coleman.
Food for People to People Ministries
MANGIA ITALIANA Now that the holiday season is over the Mission Committes is requesting spaghetti, sauce and all items that go to make a robust Italian meal for the People To People box in the narthex. We hope our food contributions will bring visions of beautiful sunny Italy with its sunny vineyards, glorious art museums, friendly people and delicious cuisine.
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Immigration Advocacy
Westminster Presbyterian Church's immigration advocacy peace initiative belongs to Presbyterians for Just Immigration. If you would like to be an individual member of PFJI, you may register at the site. Also, go to our own Immigration Advocacy at the Westminster Presbyterian Church website for current national immigration information.
 BorderLinks Trip: The 2012 Westminster BorderLinks trip delegation (March 10th -17th) is comprised of a strong group of WPC members and College of Wooster students. There is one space left. If you are interested, please contact Cheryl Weiss by January 15th.
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Middle East Peace
Nahida Gordon's Presentation to the Presbytery of Muskingum Valley of behalf of Westminster.
My name is Nahida Gordon. I am here on behalf of the Session of Westminster Presbyterian Church, Wooster and as Moderator of the National Middle Eastern Presbyterian Caucus to speak in support of the overture, "Recognition that Israel's Laws, Policies, and Practices Constitute Apartheid Against the Palestinian People." This overture to the 2012 General Assembly is presented with the hope it will foster a peaceful reconciliation between the peoples of Israel and Palestine.
The Session of Westminster asks that you prayerfully study the document which contains the overture and its supporting documentation.
Just twenty years ago, the South African government used apartheid laws to establish a preferential legal status and material privileges to one group of people based on their identity while discriminating against another group. Similarly, in Israel/Palestine today one ethnic group curtails the rights of another ethnic group.
The peaceful reconciliation of the peoples of South Africa and the creation of a stable political state were accomplished only after the world's churches, of which the PCUSA was a leader, and the nations of the world spoke out in opposition to South Africa's apartheid laws, practices, and policies. It is expected that international opposition to Israel's apartheid laws, practices and policies will compel its government to change its treatment of the Palestinian people and undergo a similar peaceful transformation.
I also speak as a Palestinian-American, born in Jerusalem, Palestine to Presbyterian parents. I and my siblings were baptized as infants in St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Jerusalem. My family traces its Christian roots back for centuries in Palestine.
I remember the sweetness of Palestine - the abundance and beauty of its land and above all the friends and acquaintances: Jewish, Muslim, and Christian. Life in Palestine was a rich blend of three faiths and many cultures as can be experienced by listening to the sounds of Jerusalem waking up: the distant call to prayer before dawn; the sound of church bells; snatches of overheard conversations of diverse peoples; and the cacophony of motor cars.
 Jerusalem has more than 60 Churches. The first time I heard the sad toll of Jerusalem's church bells on Good Friday, I was puzzled by the look on my grandmother's face which told me that this was a very solemn occasion. Someone close and beloved to my grandmother had died. It was the day of the Funeral mass for Jesus. Then on Sunday, the glorious toll of the Church bells rang out in celebration of the Resurrection and of life.
The tragedy of Palestine is that powerful outside forces shaped our lives and the lives of its new Jewish immigrants. And these outside forces continue to shape the Palestine-Israel conflict, frequently more for ill than good.
If you would visit Palestine and speak to its people, you would find that by far the majority of Palestinians seek peace and yearn to be free to enjoy life in its fullest without restrictions on their movements; on their ability to build a life for themselves and their children; and for the freedom to have their own nationality so that they can move freely as full citizens of the world. They wish for the freedoms enjoyed by us here in the United States but which are denied them by the apartheid laws, practices, and policies of the Israeli government.
It is sad to see the daily reality of the occupation in the Palestinian territories. Life contains uncertainties and fear: the fear of having one's house demolished, fear of deportation, fear of the inability to have sufficient food to feed one's family, fear of not being able to reach a hospital in case of an emergency, fear of arrest and fear of sudden death due to violence. These are among the daily fears experienced by both Christian and Muslim Palestinians and are the bitter fruits of apartheid.
The Christian presence in Palestine has dwindled to a mere 1.2 percentage. The land where Jesus was born, lived, taught, and witnessed to God is in danger of losing its entire population of Christians because of the difficulties and uncertainties created by apartheid. This is a reality that saddens me and many around the world including the Presbyterian Church USA, and the Session of Westminster Presbyterian Church. To me it is as if I can hear the sad toll of Jerusalem's church bells on Good Friday from my childhood. But, as I now embody the Easter Faith of my grandmother I know that this is not the end - as I pray that I will hear the glorious toll of the Church bells ringing out in celebration of the Resurrection and of reconciliation.
It is in this abundance of life that flows from the resurrection that we are called to action and be Christ's hands and feet to bring justice to the peoples of Palestine/Israel.
This is not a justice where one party or the other triumphs, but is a justice built upon truth telling, repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation. We believe the prophetic mission of the church is to speak the Word of God courageously, honestly and lovingly. To speak out against the apartheid inflicted against the Palestinian peoples can only further our testimony to the truth and to God's love made known to us through Jesus of Nazareth.
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Vegan Potluck, January 19th
The "regulars" of the Vegan Meal Group would like to invite/encourage you to join us at our next vegan potluck on Thursday, January 19th, at 6:00 p.m. in Mackey Hall. We have discovered that the meals are as much an opportunity for fellowship with members of our congregation and with increasing numbers of students (who like to be fed!) as anything else. In fact, the majority of us are not vegans. We simply enjoy each other's company, trying interesting recipes, and meeting C.O.W. students as we explore an ever-widening array of flavors within a plant-based diet. Our interests range from sustainable living to healthy eating to simply a love of good food and good company.
Please join the group this month on the 19th at 6:00 p.m. in Mackey Hall. If you have not attended before and want recipe ideas, contact Cheryl Weiss or Chris Kovach for some ideas. The meals are a lot of fun.
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Meeting of the Presbytery of Muskingum Valley at Westminster
Westminster is hosting a meeting of the Presbytery of Muskingum Valley on Tuesday, January 10th from 1:00pm - 4:00pm. At the meeting commissioners will vote on the overture from our Session regarding naming the Israeli occupation, apartheid. |
| Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration
Monday, January 16, 2012
7:00 pm
Second Baptist Church
245 South Grant Street, Wooster
Dinner: 5:30 p.m. ($7.00)
Dinner tickets available at:
Second Baptist Church (330-262-3373)
Trinity United Church of Christ (330-264-9250)
Westminster Presbyterian Church (330-263-2398)
You are invited to join a Community-wide Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration on Monday, January 16, at 7:00pm at Second Baptist Church, 245 South Grant Street, Wooster. Dinner will be served at 5:30pm and tickets are available until Monday morning January 9 at Westminster Presbyterian Church and thereafter at Trinity United Church of Christ in Wooster. Please make checks out to Second Baptist Church.
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Church Directory Update
 February is the month we publish our new Church Directory. If you have any changes or additions you would like to add to our Directory, please contact Sue Brown at (sbrown@wooster.edu or 330-263-2398). |
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Every Woman's House
 Westminster member Bobbi Douglas, have a young client who just left the Every Woman's House shelter and is living in an apartment. She is in need of a washer and dryer, a dining room table and chairs and a box spring for a twin bed. |
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Are you missing something?
Over the last several weeks we have had some dishes and containers left behind after pot lucks, etc. These will be put on the counter in the kitchen after the service on Sunday for people to check and pick up whatever they may have left.
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For more information please contact:
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