Church News

HOLY WEEK and EASTER: Remember Me

This special week called “Holy Week” begins as we remember the “passion” or the “suffering” of Christ who said to his disciples, "the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be killed, and be raised the third day."

Sunday, March 28: Palm/Passion Sunday - We begin our week on Palm Sunday by remembering Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, riding on the back of a donkey, the streets lined with people cheering and waving palms. For the crowd, this entry announced to all the coming of the “Anointed One,” the long-awaited King, the Messiah. But, this week we call holy saw some rather unholy confrontations between Jesus and the religious leaders of his time.

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Thursday, April 1: Maundy Thursday service at 6:30 p.m. - As the week continued, Jesus shared the Passover meal with his disciples, a last meal which became for us as Christians, the Last Supper or the Lord’s Supper or Holy Communion. We remember this last meal on Maundy Thursday. The name 'Maundy' is derived from the Latin word “mandatum,” meaning a commandment. Jesus Christ, at the Last Supper, commanded: 'And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.' John 15:12 On the night that they shared at table together, Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, betrayed Jesus. Because of this betrayal, Jesus was arrested and placed on trial, actually several trials before the Sanhedrin, Herod and before the Roman authorities. These trials ended with the pronouncement of death for Jesus…death on a cross.

Friday, April 2: Good Friday service at 6:30 p.m. - The death of our Lord came on a day we have come to call, “Good Friday.” Questions are always raised about calling this very somber day, “good.” Throughout the years the understanding of this terminology has varied. Some say the word “good” comes from it’s association with all that is holy and pious. Others say that “God’s Friday” through scribal errors became “Good” Friday. Whatever it’s origin, we remember that this could have been the end of the story, if it were not for the “good” power of God. We cannot deny the tragedy of Good Friday, but we can face it knowing that not all was lost. Our hope rests in the belief that not even death can overwhelm God’s providence, love and grace.

Saturday, April 3: Egg Hunt/Spring Fling

Sunday, April 4: Easter/Resurrection Sunday services at 8:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. - The surprise awaiting the women and disciples who went to the grave early in the morning on the first day of the week was the ultimate gift of God’s love for all people. Jesus who died had been raised from the dead and was alive! With joy, we gather to celebrate God’s promise of life everlasting, of hope eternal and love unending and to do as our Lord has asked, “Remember me!”

As we have moved from Lent to Easter, we remember the symbols: the ashes, a reminder of our sin; the palms, a reminder of the cheers of the crowd that too quickly disappeared; the bread and the wine, signs of the broken body and shed blood of Christ; the cross, a reminder of the worst human can do to its own; the tomb, the place of hopelessness and death emptied by the power of God. Remembering the death and resurrection of our Lord, we celebrate the gifts of God’s redemption in Jesus Christ.

We remember the appearances that Jesus made following his resurrection, and we know that the story has still not come to an end. The Good News of God’s resurrecting power, hope and love are ours to continue showing and sharing.

 

MISSION OPPORTUNITY

Haiti: Help is on the Way - What is Needed, What is Not

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance continues to respond in Haiti. As of January 28, 2010, in addition to a key expert being assigned to Haiti to carry out assessments, $409,000 has been sent to assist with emergency needs. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is responding as a member of the ACT Alliance (ACT.)

The response in Haiti is still in the relatively early phase of emergency relief. The most effective way to respond is through financial support. PDA is not requesting material aid, other than the preparation of Gift of the Heart hygiene and baby kits, to replenish the supply after more than 35,000 kits have been directed to Haiti.

Hygiene Kit (previously Health Kit)

• 1 — hand towel (approximately 16" x 28", no fingertip or bath towels)
• 1 — washcloth
• 1 — wide-tooth comb
• 1 — nail clipper (no metal files or emery boards)
• 1 — bar of soap (bath size in wrapper)
• 1 — toothbrush (in original packaging)
• 6 — Band-Aids® or other adhesive bandage strips

Please do not add toothpaste to the Hygiene Kit. Toothpaste which has an extended expiration date will be added to Hygiene Kit shipments just prior to shipment. Seal all items in a one-gallon plastic bag with a zipper closure.

Baby Kit

• 6 — cloth diapers*
• 2 — T-shirts or undershirts (no onesies)
• 2 — washcloths
• 2 — gowns or sleepers
• 2 — diaper pins
• 1 — sweater or sweatshirt
• 2 — receiving blankets (one can be a hand-knitted or crocheted baby blanket)

All items should be new and under 12 months in size. Wrap items inside one of the receiving blankets and secure with both diaper pins.

During the month of March these Items will be collected in the travel crib on a table in the Fellowship Hall. During the Egg Hunt/Spring Fling celebration, participants will be offered an opportunity to package all items not already assembled.

 

AN INVITATION TO… GO WHERE YOUR PRAYERS HAVE GONE!

Join Texas Presbyterian Foundation in a Lenten Mission tour to several of the institutions of the Synod of the Sun located in central Texas. The tour will leave from the Presbyterian Mission Center in Irving at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, March 22 and returning by 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 24. The tour will visit the following: Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary; Presbyterian Pan American School; Schreiner University; Mo Ranch (also the site for evening lodging); and Presbyterian Children's Homes and Services.

At each site staff/students will show us what God is doing on their campus and lead us in a Lenten Devotional. Stops also at James Avery Jewelers Foundry in Kerrville to be inspired by the variety of crosses this artist has imagined and at the WildSeed Farm in Fredericksburg, to be inspired by God's own imagination, in full bloom.

Cost: $227/person double occupancy ($320/person single occupancy). Eight meals and luxury coach transportation included. Leadership: Laura Mendenhall, Senior Philanthropy Advisor, Texas Presbyterian Foundation; Daniel Klein, President of the Texas Presbyterian Foundation; Diana Warner, Associate Director - Development, Texas Presbyterian Foundation Feel free to contact the Texas Presbyterian Foundation with any questions regarding the trip. We can be reached at 214-522-3155. You may also contact the Church Office.

 

 

 

Did You Mark Your Calendars?

The 2010 Church Campout is already in the planning stages!! October 29-31.

 

 

The Blessings of Children

What a blessing the children of Eastminster are! Their wiggles, giggles and energy always create a bright spot in our days and warmth in our hearts. During the months of February and March, Pastor Sherry will be meeting the kids on their “playground” as she travels to their schools to have lunch with them. This is just one way we adults can show how much we care. Can you think of others?

 

Knowing God’s Triune Story

2010 Lenten Study February 24 to March 24, 2010

Using Scripture, questions from the Study Catechism and much more, this Lenten study, written by PC(USA) pastor, Michael Lindvall, seeks to examine how the three persons of the Trinity form the unity of God’s embrace on humanity.

Homework? Yes. The study is designed for both personal and group discussion and reflection. Daily readings lead to a group setting allowing for questions, answers, and conversation.

In order to faithfully begin our study together on February 24, please call the church office and request your copy of this book.The sessions are scheduled for these Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the church parlor. Come and enjoy table fellowship before each session with a meal being served from at 5:30-6:15 p.m.

 

 

 

NOTES FROM FRED

Thanks to Margret Pearce for her alterations to my robe. Without them I was endanger of tripping going up and down stairs and my sleeves getting caught on objects such as music stands, fans, etc. Her creativity found a solution to my problems and I wanted others to know about her help. Again Margret thanks!

We happy to welcome back to the choir some members who have been away: Loren Beatty, Shirley Karlen and John Randall! There are some others in the congregation that have been away for whatever reasons and we hope God will lead them back to the choir to help lead the congregation in worship and contribute to the unique fellowship that is the choir.

Several years ago it was the rage in many churches at the time to create alternative worship experiences. Every thing from the 1800’s idea of small “upper room” Maundy Thursday dinners and communion to the use of folk songs, some commercial music adapted to sacred ideas such as the Coke commercial “I’d like to teach the world to sing” and some contemporary composed songs. Some communions served coke and hamburgers for communion instead of the traditional wine and/or grape juice and unleavened/leavened bread. I even know of one group when I was teaching music at Bethel College in Indiana that felt one needed to bear themselves totally naked during confession and the communion service (thank God that didn’t catch on). There was also a rise in congregations of “contemporary worship services” aimed primarily at the youth and young adults. Usually with guitars, bass, drums, etc. Some of the songs from that era have survived into the current resurgence of what has many styles of songs lumped into the category of “praise songs.”

At 1st Presbyterian Dallas at that time, the Senior Pastor, John Anderson met with me as director of youth and youth music, and asked me to change the 8:30 worship service which was a repeat of the 11 service into a “contemporary service” with a band (Terry Tosch, in Mesquite High School where I was teaching, was the pianist) and the youth choir was the music leadership for that service for a few years. It was moved from the sanctuary to the fellowship hall. Later, I was called to a different congregation and the service again went back to the usual 8:30 repeat of the 11 time. One of the things I learned was we had not taught the lasting hymns of the church to the youth, some young adults and new adult Christians of that period. I recently renewed an acquaintance on Facebook with one of the middle school choir members from that time, and they told me when they started back as a senior high member in the regular worship service they didn’t know many of the hymns the congregation sang and found pleasure in learning them.

Some church musicians examined their hymnals and found them lacking in songs dealing with moral issues of injustice to the poor and minorities. Some reworked old hymns such as Sydney Carter, a British folk writer reworked the American Shaker tune “Simple Gifts” into his own version, “Lord of the Dance” and there are many other examples too numerous to list in this setting.

There was a huge effort to remake the old hymns politically correct, changing masculine terms (God is not a “He”) to gender-neutral pronouns. Many of these revisions were absurd and went to picky extremes such as William Cowper’s classic “O For A Closer Walk with God,” the editors of one hymnal decided that “walk” excluded the disabled (they apparently couldn’t think in metaphoric terms i.e. walk = life, etc.) and they changed it to “O For a Closer Bond with God.”

But that was nothing compared to the rise of the garage bands that had always existed from the early 60s and still do today where everyone is the next big band or American Idol. The garage bands I’m talking about here though are the ones that began to marry Jesus lyrics to the electric rhythms of rock and roll. While mostly unwelcomed in the larger church at the time, they persisted and in 1973, Maranatha! Music company was formed and within a very few years its “praise and worship” music with skillful marketing found a home, not only in churches but on tapes, cds, radios, and now in all existing formats and delivery systems. Today it is a multimillion-dollar industry with royalties being paid etc. Even we contribute to this as we have to purchase a license to print lyrics and sometimes music for use in our services.

Often the lyrics are imposed on pop songs that formerly concerned romantic longings and backseat “situations.” Many of our hymns that have proven worthy and still speak to people also had some background and tunes that used pop music of their time. One of the most sung, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” by Martin Luther, was wed by him to a popular German beer drinking song familiar to his congregation. While the “praise songs” of the 60s and 70s were rooted in folk music and a desire to express justice and other sacred themes through them, today’s are more influenced by international pop tunes. Sure some of the early reformers may have been preachy and moralizing, but the praise song writers and composers make heavy use of first-person pronouns above all others. They use accessible lyrics and constant repetitions to make what appear to be self-obsessed points. Since they are backed by huge corporations, the question is: Is this about God or money? I also get a strange feeling when hymns are set to pop ditties or rock tunes such as “Amazing Grace” to the tune of the Eagles’ (a favorite band of mine) “I Got a Peaceful Easy Feeling.” Has corporate greed, and “we’ve got to attract and keep the youth” subverted religious song? These questions are not easy to answer and require a lot of thought and discussion which are the reasons that I bring them up.

Certainly there as been hymn pabulum and junk throughout the church’s history and there are some praise-song bands like Jars of Clay that seem to have a committed integrity of their beliefs and do not succumb to easy cash as their lyrics seem anything but saccharin. In the book, Simple Gifts: One Man’s Search for Grace by Bill Henderson, Dan Haseltine, a leader and principal lyricist of the group Jars of Clay, criticizes his own business: “The message of Christianity is a hard thing to want to spend time pondering. The fact that we are sinners, that apart from Christ we’re nothing, these are things that are not easy to listen to, yet Christian music tries to make whatever is played easy to hear. It’s the good package mentality.” He goes on to say that it is not him (unlike many egos in Christian Pop industry) but God working in the hymns/lyrics that are the foundation for what I write.”

Many praise and pop Christian songs sound like idiocy, starting with “Jesus made me higher than I’ve every been before,” but I could say the same thing for many of the thoughts of Fanny Crosby’s efforts or some very un-inspired sounding compositions of John Newton. For example just think of the old Gospel song, “What can wash away my sins, Nothing but the blood of Jesus,” wedded to a tune that is frivolous at best and even made more so with such a serious text.

Over the years since Eastminster opted to do what is called a “blended service,” meaning one that uses hymns of the church from the past and the category “praise songs.” We have tried to use the best blend of both extensive libraries continuing to expose and teach the “great” hymns of the church and hopefully the better lyrics and wedded tunes of the “praise songs” to our children, youth, young adults and adults.

What am I trying to say, I’m not sure except I pray the church, ours and worldwide, will not do as some of us did in those previous times and totally discard the hymns, praise songs, anthems and even Scriptural translations that still speak to all age groups, and continue to find that blended balance of music and language that kindle the memories, feelings, thoughts of loved ones with us and beyond, passion and God with and in us through the Holy Spirit!

As always, may our music and worship be “To the Glory of God”

 

Eastminster Presbyterian Women

In the month of March women’s Bible study groups will meet on Tuesday evening, March 2, at 7:00 p.m. and on Tuesday morning, March 16, at 10:00 a.m. Women of the church are encouraged to choose the more convenient time and join the discussion in that circle.

Lesson Seven in The Horizon Bible Study book will be the focus in March. Entitled, God’s concern for Justice, this lesson deals with the establishment of cities of refuge in the land of Canaan as Moses had instructed. Joshua designated six cities as safe havens for Israelites and the strangers who dwelt with them. These cities were to be established to protect the innocent and vulnerable as part of God’s vision for a land where justice and righteousness would flourish.

 

Easter Story Cookies

To be made the night before Easter

You need: 1 cup whole pecans, 1 tsp. vinegar, 3 egg whites, pinch salt, 1 cup sugar, zipper baggie, wooden spoon, tape, Bible.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees (this is important - don't wait until you are half done with the recipe!) Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, He was beaten by the Roman soldiers.

Read John 19:1-3
Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, He was given vinegar to drink.

Read John 19:28-30
Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life.

Read John 10:10-11
Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin.

Read Luke 23:27
So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him.

Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16
Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus.

Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3
Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid.

Read Matthew 27:57-60
Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed.

Read Matthew 27:65-66
GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.

Read John 16:20 and 22
On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! Explain that on the first Easter, Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.

Read Matthew 28:1-9

Thank you Jesus for what you did for us!

 

Flowering of the Cross

Although the cross functions as a brutal form of execution, it stands at the center of our faith as the symbol of life. Without Good Friday, there would be no Easter and without the Crucifixion, there would be no Resurrection. The “flowering cross” is found in Christian art as early as the sixth century and is based on a legend that says that the cross itself burst into bloom at the moment that Jesus died.

A modern expression of this idea may be found in the custom of flowering of the cross. On Easter morning, during the 11:00 a.m. service, all children will be invited to come forward and place flowers on an otherwise barren cross, bringing it to life. Flowers will be provided by the church, but, if your child wants to bring flowers from his or her own yard, please feel free to do so. It is our hope that this symbol of new life will not only add beauty to the sanctuary, but also provide an opportunity for families to talk about the meaning of the cross and the resurrection.

As Easter draws nearer, more instructions about receiving the flowers and placing them on the cross will be coming your way.