Steve's Scratchings
It's a busy time of year in the church: annual reports, year-end financial statements, capital campaign, staff reviews, planning for a very early Lent and Easter. Let me step back a bit for some perspective.
Part of Kathleen's and my curriculum for new member classes is a
thumbnail sketch of the history of Christianity. I do that part. A true historian would quail my oversimplification, yet even at the "thumbnail" level, church history gets pretty complex. As I talk about the four branches of the Reformation (Lutheran, Reformed/Presbyterian, Anabaptist, and Anglican), and the various denominational offshoots from those four streams, eyes start to glaze over. When I get to the contentious history of Presbyterians in America, eyelids start to droop. Yet I persist, because I believe history and traditions are important. Not that we are slavishly bound by them, but because they have much to tell us, much wisdom to impart.
While talking about these things in a recent new members class, I was reminded that all of this history - all of the churches, all of the theological formulations and disputes, all of the denominations, all of the church governments and structures, all of the cherished traditions of worship and church life - have arisen from people's experiences of God. Throughout the centuries, God's love and power and grace have entered and transformed individual lives. In response to their experiences of God, men and women throughout the centuries have invested their best creative, intellectual, and organizational talents in building and supporting Christ's mission through the church.
On the one hand, such efforts have always fallen short. Like Peter at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17), we want to "build booths" to preserve and share our most powerful experiences of God. But the buildings and denominations and theological systems are seldom fully equal to this task: the transforming power of the experience can't be contained in bricks or books or denominational bodies.
But this is not to say that books and buildings and church bodies aren't important. They are vitally important in the preservation and passing on of the faith. After all, the Holy Spirit gave us the church as the Body of Christ. If the Body of Christ is to be more than a concept, then it must be "embodied" in a real gathering of people, and those people must have a place in which to meet and experience Christ's presence. The books and buildings and church bodies we have inherited from our ancestors continue to nurture the faith of members, and help bring others to faith.
Our congregation is blessed to be in a beautiful church building with a strong feeling of "the holy." Unlike many newer church buildings, which deliberately emulate shopping malls in an effort to make non-churched folks feel comfortable, our building is unmistakably a church. The moment you walk into our Sanctuary or Chapel, you feel you are in a hallowed place, a place set apart, a place where you might well encounter God. And the God whom you might meet is not just your buddy; it is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of majesty and power. As younger generations come to faith, more and more are seeking the fullness and transcendence of God represented in our building.
As we think about investing to preserve our building, and about the possibility of expanding it to include a new worship space for the Bridge, I invite you to reflect on all they ways that this building has nurtured your faith, and its potential to nurture the faith of generations to come.
The beginning of a new year is always refreshing. We look to
change things about ourselves, and the way we do things for the
better. We are not planning on changing anything with our
Children's Programs, except to have any children in kindergarten
through 6th grade come and participate in Sunday School. We meet
at 10:45 a.m. on the second floor in Fountain View Library. We have
kind of been following a Workshop Rotation upstairs. We work on
one Bible story for 3-4 weeks and learn it in different ways. There is
art, computer, drama, games, and cooking. The children like to go to all of the different
"Love your neighbor as yourself." One way Presbyterian Women try to walk the path of Jesus is by promoting and supporting mission opportunities. On
January 27, the congregation will be asked to
support the Tools of Hope/Blanket Offering of Church World Service. Five
dollars will purchase a blanket for someone who is cold; $15 provides a
hoe, shovel, and rake to a family, enabling them to grow food; $30
provides twenty five-gallon jugs of water, bringing clean, safe water to
those in need; $72 provides an emergency food pack. We have received so
much – let's share with our neighbors! We can make a difference, and we
will – January 27 ! 
Habitat for Humanity Apostles Build Project 
Susanna's
Kitchen is an ecumenical soup kitchen currently housed in First
Congregational Church, at Third and Marion. Our congregation serves food the
fourth Monday of each month. Volunteers need to be there from 10:45-12:30.
If you would like to help, sign up in the Gathering Place or call Walt or
Beth Davis(293-7786).
Flower of the Month
Fundraiser -
We sold all 25 of the Linton certificates. Thanks to all who
participated and enjoy your flowers.
Pencils - We are still collecting new
unsharpened pencils for Church Women United throughout this month.
Look for the baskets up and downstairs.
Mitten
Trees -
The following items were delivered to St. Paul's Clothes Closet: 41
pairs of mittens; 48 pairs of gloves; 27 hats, 18 scarves; and 1
hat & glove set; 1 headband. Thanks for giving to this
project.
Soles 4
Souls - This is a new
mission for PW. Watch for further information and details about this
project soon.
