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April 10, 2006 |
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April 10, 2006 |
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The Days In-Between When
I was a young girl, I remember the Easter season for me was marked by two
events: waving palms while bringing forth my fish-box offering in a
procession on Palm Sunday, and dressing up in my new Easter dress and hat on
Easter Sunday to squish into crowded pews and sneeze at the abundance of
Easter lilies in the sanctuary. I greatly enjoyed both days with their
energy, special music, joyful stories, new clothes, and community
interaction. As
an adult I’ve come to appreciate the days in-between Palm Sunday and
Easter Sunday. Growing up we only participated in the Sunday services, so I
never experienced the suffering and darkness of Jesus’ story as I had
the joyful procession into Jerusalem and resurrection. Sure, I had heard the
stories of the betrayal, trial, and crucifixion, but those stories
didn’t get the same focus and attention. A few years ago I experienced
my first Tenebrae service, where the worship leaders dramatically read the
events of Jesus’ last week and gradually snuffed out candles to
represent the Light, Jesus, leaving this world. The slow, meditative pace and
mournful music moved me. In my hectic life I was so busy with tasks and
preparations for Easter and life in general that I jumped straight from the exuberance
of Palm Sunday to the joy of Easter. The service allowed me to sit in the
dark moments, to more fully contemplate and experience Jesus’ despair,
isolation, and suffering. The contrast between this darkness and the light of
Easter morning bring so much more depth, meaning, and true hope than just
jumping from joy to joy. This
week in church life is hectic. As you prepare to lead your congregations in Maundy
Thursday services, Good Friday services, and the many Easter Services, I pray
that you will be blessed with a peace and awareness to focus on the trenchant
events of, as Peter Nord calls it, this “wonderful terrible
week”. I also pray that we will all be disturbed and unsettled so that
we can be brought to an awareness of the great lengths God went to in order
to reestablish relationship with us through Jesus’ suffering. Sunday
will come; but, for this week, I’m content to let myself experience the
darkness of the days in-between. Love
in Christ, Janice
Kominski Coordinator
of Communication |
Inside this issue Events of the
Week Non-traditional Lenten Experience Wednesday, 4/12: 6:30-9:30pm The Backus House, Baltimore Thurs., 4/13: Maundy Thursday Fri., 4/14: Good Friday Sun., 4/16: Easter Take Note/Act
Now § Journey Toward Hope § Youth Rally Registration Deadline § Worship for African Int’l
Persons § Rescheduled Katrina Workshop § Dinner for GA Participants § EAPCE Spring Meeting/Training § Annual Assoc. of Retired Ministers § PC(USA) Mission Thank-you DVD § Ministry Evaluation Tools Prayer
Concerns Barrelville PC Taiwanese PC |
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People Bill
Sitterley had minor surgery last Thursday. Judy
Forrester continues to recover from a broken rib and is
improving enough to be back in the office part-time. |
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Prayer Concerns Barrelville
PC asks for prayers: ·
for God’s
blessing upon our small church ·
for our declining Sunday School ·
Blessings for many of our members who are
aging and have contributed so much to our church ·
Thanksgiving for our lay speakers who have
helped us keep our church doors open ·
For a daughter who struggles with chronic health
issues, for a grandson with leukemia, for a brother who had one leg
amputated and a recent knee replacement on the other, and for a member
who will be having surgery asks for prayers: ·
for the survival of
the Taiwanese Presbyterian Church ·
for help that the
church might grow again ·
for the safety of
Taiwan from missile attacks by China ·
for the continuation
of the democratic system in Taiwan as opposed to the dictatorship of China |
Take Note/Act Now Baltimore
Presbytery Items The
Next Generation Project is hosting “Journey Toward Hope”, a
non-traditional Lenten experience. Come for a self-guided, hands-on time for
contemplation & reflection that will take you inside the mystery of
Jesus’ life, death & resurrection, whether you are familiar with
the story or not. Doors open at 6:30pm & close at 9:30pm at the Backus
House next to First & Franklin (more
information). Last Call: registrations for the annual
Baltimore Presbytery Youth Rally
are due to Marla Youkers by April 17th. The rally will take place
on April 29th at 1st PC of Howard County. Registration forms
are available from the Presbytery home page calendar. Hunting
Ridge PC invites you to a worship service with the New Children of the New Covenant Fellowship Group, a ministry of
evangelism and outreach to African
Internationals and other persons in the Baltimore area, Sunday, April 30,
2006 at 3:00pm. A time of refreshment and fellowship will follow the service. Hurricane Katrina work trips
& training: A
rescheduled workshop for those who want to organize such workgroups will be
held Saturday, May 20th at First PC of Howard County. RSVP by May
12th. (New
Flyer). The
Presbytery will host a dinner for everyone
attending General Assembly from Baltimore on Saturday, June 17, at
6:00 PM at the Cobb Lane Restaurant http://www.cobblane.com/. The
cost will be $10 and reservations must be made in advance. Contact
Wanda Morgan at the Presbytery Office and also indicate if you prefer chicken
roulade or herb encrusted pork tenderloin. Synod and GA
items The
spring meeting of the Eastern Region
Association of Presbyterian Church Educators, will be held at Princeton
Theological Seminary on May 1st through 3rd. (View brochure
and letter
from the EAPCE President). Retired folk are invited to the Annual Association of Retired Ministers,
Their Spouses or Survivors Convention June 8-11 in Pittsburgh.
Contact Ginny Nyhuis for more information at (888) 728-7228 ext. 5472. The
PC(USA) mission-funding thank-you
video can be viewed off of the PC(USA) website at http://media.pcusa.org/05specialreq/dec/missionfunding-thankyou.wvx
If you do not have DSL or a cable
modem, you may contact Rita Walters at the Presbytery office to request hard
copies of the DVD. Other Resources and Articles Follow
this link http://www.alban.org/weekly/2006/060410_EffectiveMinistry.asp
to Jill Hudson's 12 characteristics for successful ministry in the 21st
Century. Jill has created a self-evaluation
tool and a personnel committee's assessment based on these
characteristics. If you would like these tools, please request such
from pnord@baltimorepresbytery.org. Also on our website Don’t miss all the new Local Church Announcements at: http://www.baltimorepresbytery.org/announcements.html
Presbytery
Yearly Calendar Past Issues of Tidings are available at: http://www.baltimorepresbytery.org/midweekmail.html. |
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Bill Millen, Associate Executive bmillen@baltimorepresbytery.org |
Deb Milcarek Associate of |
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Charles Forbes, Stated Clerk |
Director of Development rwalters@baltimorepresbytery.org |
Julie Erickson Director of Public Policy |
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Alice McGee Coordinator of Information Services |
Judi Forrester Coordinator of Financial Services |
Wanda Morgan Coordinator of Resources |
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Janice Kominski Coordinator of Communications jkominski@baltimorepresbytery.org |
Questions? Comments? E-mail Janice
Kominski or office@baltimorepresbytery.org
To unsubscribe email Alice McGee or call the
office. |
Office: 410-433-2012
or 800-511-0087
Fax: 410-433-2066
Online: www.baltimorepresbytery.org |
