As I write this, it is a few days after the election. Some of us are sad at the outcome, some of us are happy. All of us, I think, have been rocked by the divisiveness we have seen this past election season.
In the Bible, particularly in the books of I and II Kings, we are told of a series of monarchs: some are good, most are bad, for, we are told "they did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord."
Our Christian hope is pinned not on earthly rulers, who are transient and fallible, but on Christ the King, who is eternal, who rules with justice, who is the Prince of Peace.
At Christmas, we are reminded, again, of the paradox of this: that the King we worship is a helpless baby, born in an out of the way place. That the ruler of the universe begins life as we did: no voice but a cry, no power but love, no wealth or worth, but the angels came to sing of the glory of this child.
Psalm 146 says "Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save." The psalm goes on to say: "Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob".
Friends, we are blessed, because the helpless baby who comes at Christmas is the same One who made the world, who saves us on the cross, and the One who rules for all time.
In the words of the angels: "Be not afraid, for behold, I bring to you good news of great joy, which shall be for all people: for to you is born this day a Savior, which is Christ the Lord."
Christ is born! May your Christmas be filled with Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. Amen.
Pastor Nancy
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Sunday, November 27, 2016
Christmas! or "Whose Birthday is it, Anyway?"
Many families find the rush to the holidays stress making and, busy and ultimately... empty. We love our children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews... but they can end up with so many toys and gifts they don't really remember or appreciate what they have received. If Christmas is about Jesus' birthday, then why do WE get so many presents?
Some families have been looking for different, meaningful ways to celebrate Christ's birth.
Some families have been looking for different, meaningful ways to celebrate Christ's birth.
#1 Four Gifts
Families report that limiting gifts to 4 per child gives them more time, more money, and more meaning and enjoyment in the gifts they do receive.#2 Advent Calendars
Many families are reviving the Advent Calendar tradition - a way to help pass the time of waiting until Christ is born. This year, beginning Nov 27 (the first Sunday in Advent), there will be kits for families to make their own Advent calendars that look like this: Each tree is made up of strips of paper with Bible verses on them. You could also put a task on the paper strips as well: be a friend, help Daddy with a chore, send a card to a shut in, etc.#3 A different kind of Advent Calendar
Rather than get something, each day of Advent, the child/family places a food item in the box, which is then donated to the local food pantry, or pet items which are donated to the local shelter.#4 Alternative Christmas Gifts
Gifts which support others, or gifts which are produced by artisans. We will have Alternative Christmas Gifts at the December 18 Coffee Fellowship: Heifer International, PC(USA), and Church World Service all offer unique gifts for those who already have too many sweaters and scarves.
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
God's Promises are Faithful, and We Respond in Faith
When we hear "stewardship" perhaps we cringe, or sigh, or reach for our pen and checkbook. Because we know what's coming, right? It's the pledge season at church. This fall, we have been hearing the stories of God's promises: to Abraham and Sara, to Isaac, to Moses and the people, to Hannah and David. God's Promises are Faithful... and we respond in Faith.
Stewardship is a positive word. It expresses not only what we do, but who we are. We trivialize stewardship in the church if we limit it to financial campaigns. Granted, the finances of the church are crucially important. The church cannot carry out its ministries and be God's mission to the world without financial support. Therefore, stewardship does surely embrace our financial commitments to the church. But there is more.
Stewardship is what we do with the resources we have been given by a generous God. What we do with resources expresses who we are.
So, truly, being a "steward" is a central metaphor for our Christian lives. Stewardship is all embracing.
Stewardship is the broadest possible image of who we are and what we do. To view our lives through stewardship is to open windows to new perspectives that can enlarge our vision and show us ways of living we never envisioned before.
We support the church financially to enable the church's ministries to take place.
To love as good stewards is a great gift. Good stewardship constitutes our response to a generous, loving God who created us and loves us and saved us in Jesus Christ. Stewardship is our life of gratitude to the God who loves and redeems creation in Jesus Christ. God's grace is given to us, and we respond in gratitude. This is the rhythm of our lives.
Pledges will be dedicated in church on Sunday, November 13. Please prayerfully consider how you will respond to God's Faithful Promises, and support this church.
Stewardship is a positive word. It expresses not only what we do, but who we are. We trivialize stewardship in the church if we limit it to financial campaigns. Granted, the finances of the church are crucially important. The church cannot carry out its ministries and be God's mission to the world without financial support. Therefore, stewardship does surely embrace our financial commitments to the church. But there is more.
Stewardship is what we do with the resources we have been given by a generous God. What we do with resources expresses who we are.
So, truly, being a "steward" is a central metaphor for our Christian lives. Stewardship is all embracing.
Stewardship is the broadest possible image of who we are and what we do. To view our lives through stewardship is to open windows to new perspectives that can enlarge our vision and show us ways of living we never envisioned before.
We support the church financially to enable the church's ministries to take place.
To love as good stewards is a great gift. Good stewardship constitutes our response to a generous, loving God who created us and loves us and saved us in Jesus Christ. Stewardship is our life of gratitude to the God who loves and redeems creation in Jesus Christ. God's grace is given to us, and we respond in gratitude. This is the rhythm of our lives.
Pledges will be dedicated in church on Sunday, November 13. Please prayerfully consider how you will respond to God's Faithful Promises, and support this church.
Pastor Nancy
Saturday, October 15, 2016
Pastor's Message
Fall is my favorite time of year — the cool crisp weather, the beautiful leaves, and apples and pumpkins. This fall also marks a passage in the life of this church: It is one year since Rev Bev's retirement, and we are well on our way to calling a new pastor for this church. The Pastor Nominating Committee was elected by the congregation in August, and by the time you receive our newsletter, will already be commissioned for their work in worship, and will have begun meeting. This work is appropriately seen as ministry, not (just) serving on a committee.
As we begin the journey to find new pastoral leadership, the next few months will be exciting, tedious, joyful, spiritually fulfilling, frustrating, inspiring, lengthy, and purposeful. The process is one of discernment and will challenge us as a congregation to listen closely for the will of God for its mission and ministry in this new stage of the congregation's life.
This is a new step of faith that will bring our congregation together around the common goal of identifying who God is calling to serve your congregation. Please pray for the Pastoral Nominating Committee, and whoever God is calling to serve as your next pastor.
Blessings! Pastor Nancy
"This is what God says, the God who builds a road right through the ocean,
who carves a path through pounding waves, the God who summons horses and chariots
and armies—they lie down and then can't get up; they're snuffed out like so many candles:
"Forget about what's happened; don't keep going over old history.
Be alert, be present. I'm about to do something brand-new. It's bursting out! Don't you see it?"
(Isaiah 43:16-19 - The Message Bible)
who carves a path through pounding waves, the God who summons horses and chariots
and armies—they lie down and then can't get up; they're snuffed out like so many candles:
"Forget about what's happened; don't keep going over old history.
Be alert, be present. I'm about to do something brand-new. It's bursting out! Don't you see it?"
(Isaiah 43:16-19 - The Message Bible)
As we begin the journey to find new pastoral leadership, the next few months will be exciting, tedious, joyful, spiritually fulfilling, frustrating, inspiring, lengthy, and purposeful. The process is one of discernment and will challenge us as a congregation to listen closely for the will of God for its mission and ministry in this new stage of the congregation's life.
This is a new step of faith that will bring our congregation together around the common goal of identifying who God is calling to serve your congregation. Please pray for the Pastoral Nominating Committee, and whoever God is calling to serve as your next pastor.
Blessings! Pastor Nancy
Saturday, September 10, 2016
Bazaar News!
The Holiday Bazaar is right around the corner and we hope all are thinking about this year’s "Street of Shops" bazaar. We are looking for people who would like to donate to the:
Confections Shop - homemade fudge, jellies, jams, breads, cookies, candies
Second Hand Shop - (please only unique gift items, any rummage sale style items will be discarded)
Christmas Shop - homemade Christmas ornaments, decorations, unique Christmas items
Crafters Corner - homemade items other than Christmas themed
Apothecary - homemade candles, healing ointments, lotions, and Raffle items are needed
We will also need help in the kitchen - serving a lite breakfast of coffee/pastry and then a lunch beginning at 11:00am.
This is such a wonderful time for fellowship, laughter and an opportunity to release our creative and crafty inner-selves. Come join in this special time of year.
Confections Shop - homemade fudge, jellies, jams, breads, cookies, candies
Second Hand Shop - (please only unique gift items, any rummage sale style items will be discarded)
Christmas Shop - homemade Christmas ornaments, decorations, unique Christmas items
Crafters Corner - homemade items other than Christmas themed
Apothecary - homemade candles, healing ointments, lotions, and Raffle items are needed
We will also need help in the kitchen - serving a lite breakfast of coffee/pastry and then a lunch beginning at 11:00am.
This is such a wonderful time for fellowship, laughter and an opportunity to release our creative and crafty inner-selves. Come join in this special time of year.
Peacemaking Offering
On October 4th we will celebrate World Communion Sunday and receive the Peacemaking Offering. The theme this year is from Ephesians 6:23 "Peace be to the whole community, and love with faith." This offering supports a variety of peacemaking efforts.
On this day we join with Christians around the world to celebrate the unity that we find at the Table of the Lord. We receive the Peacemaking Offering to support the efforts of our congregation, our presbytery, our synod, and the General Assembly to spread the peace and justice in places far and near. 25% of the offering will stay in our church, 25% is used by synods and presbyteries, and 50% is allocated to General Assembly ministries.
On this day we join with Christians around the world to celebrate the unity that we find at the Table of the Lord. We receive the Peacemaking Offering to support the efforts of our congregation, our presbytery, our synod, and the General Assembly to spread the peace and justice in places far and near. 25% of the offering will stay in our church, 25% is used by synods and presbyteries, and 50% is allocated to General Assembly ministries.
Thursday, September 1, 2016
Where are We in the Journey?
On Sunday, August 21, 2016, immediately following worship, the congregation of Watkins Glen Presbyterian Church voted unanimously to elect 9 people to serve in the ministry of the Pastoral Nominating Committee. The people who were elected are: Dannie Brown Anne Centurelli, Wendy Drake, Harriett Farrell, Rachel Houseknecht, John King, Marzi Lewis, Tom Weidemann, Ken Wilson. We give thanks to God that these people have said "yes" to serving God and the church in this way.
The Pastoral Nominating Committee (PNC) will begin their work together soon. They will take the Mission Study Report (prepared earlier this summer, and approved by both our Session and the Committee on Ministry (COM) of the Presbytery), discern what characteristics, gifts and skills of a minister would best serve the ministry and mission of this church, and use that information to create what is essentially the church resume: The Ministry Information Form. After that form is completed and approved by COM, it will be placed on the Church Leadership Connection of the PCUSA. Pastors and seminarians who are looking for pastoral calls also post their resumes, called Personal Information Forms (PIFs). Some PIFs will be sent automatically, through the matching feature of the system; others will be sent directly from people seeking calls.
In this technology savvy age, much of this will take place electronically: the old days of getting stacks of paper resumes sent through the mail is over. Potential candidates most often have sermons available for viewing on youtube or vimeo, and skype and conference calls are used for initial interviews. All of this use of technology not only cuts down costs, but also allows the PNC to have a better idea of who is applying, and helps the search process enormously.
I hope that you will hold the PNC in prayer, will respect their decisions, will allow them the time and confidentiality to discern who God is calling to be your next pastor. Please take some time to thank them for this ministry, as well as to thank the Nominating Committee for their work and discernment as well.
Blessings
- Pastor Nancy
The Pastoral Nominating Committee (PNC) will begin their work together soon. They will take the Mission Study Report (prepared earlier this summer, and approved by both our Session and the Committee on Ministry (COM) of the Presbytery), discern what characteristics, gifts and skills of a minister would best serve the ministry and mission of this church, and use that information to create what is essentially the church resume: The Ministry Information Form. After that form is completed and approved by COM, it will be placed on the Church Leadership Connection of the PCUSA. Pastors and seminarians who are looking for pastoral calls also post their resumes, called Personal Information Forms (PIFs). Some PIFs will be sent automatically, through the matching feature of the system; others will be sent directly from people seeking calls.
In this technology savvy age, much of this will take place electronically: the old days of getting stacks of paper resumes sent through the mail is over. Potential candidates most often have sermons available for viewing on youtube or vimeo, and skype and conference calls are used for initial interviews. All of this use of technology not only cuts down costs, but also allows the PNC to have a better idea of who is applying, and helps the search process enormously.
I hope that you will hold the PNC in prayer, will respect their decisions, will allow them the time and confidentiality to discern who God is calling to be your next pastor. Please take some time to thank them for this ministry, as well as to thank the Nominating Committee for their work and discernment as well.
Blessings
- Pastor Nancy
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