All Souls Parish
The Presbyterian Church
The Messenger
March 3, 2010 - Number 2073
Pastor’s Message…
The constitution of our denomination is made up of two
parts. There is the Book of Confessions which includes various historic statements of
faith beginning with the Nicene Creed written in the fourth century going up to
the three latest statements written in the twentieth century. The other part of what defines who we are as
a faith community is the Book of Order. This three part volume identifies what we are
to do and what we are not to do as we work and worship together as well as what
happens when we do not follow the rules.
When we recently installed new officers in the church
those of you who were present may have noticed something different in the
responses to the ordination questions.
Some of those being installed answered a particular question by raising
a scruples reservation. Those reservations had to do with a paragraph
in the Book of Order which in essence
denies ordination to anyone who is in a physical relationship with someone
outside of marriage. In affect it denies
ordination to anyone who is homosexual even if they are in a committed
relationship since they could not be married.
For some of those being installed, this was a problem.
While our denomination, our faith, and the scriptures
welcome all to be part of the family of God, to faithfully commit themselves to service in the church, this one paragraph
denies that possibility to those who are gay and lesbian, bisexual and
transgender. In recent action by the
denomination those who are part of the GLBT community have been ordained after
declaring a scruples objection to that section of the constitution.
Those who made a similar declaration at the recent
installations here did so because they had strong reservations about the
efficacy of that paragraph because it seems to be at odds with so much of the
rest of our constitution, our faith and the Bible itself. We are all sinners. We are all in need of God’s grace, and
none of us can earn that grace. It is a
free gift of God.
This is not a matter that was taken lightly by those
new officers, and it is not a matter to be taken lightly by us as a
church. We will continue to study and
listen, to learn and to grow as we seek God’s way for us in this place. -Bruce
News
From The Pews…
Continued prayers are asked for…
V All ministries of this parish; Small Group ministries, Sunday School/Bible Study, Healing Ministries, Saturday Evening Worship, Chancel Choir, Session & Deacons, General Assembly, Parish Nurse, Spirituality Group, Soup Kitchen and Carver Center; for our youth and children.
V For Laura continued prayers for healing.
V
Our president, his staff, our military
and those around the world living in fear and praying for freedom.
V
For all soldiers and troops.
V
Our personnel abroad in places of danger and
those at home experiencing new worries.
V
People who are seeking employment.
V
The people of
V
The refugees in
V
Our troubled world, prayers for our enemies.
V
For all veterans.
V
For those who are suffering from addiction.
V
For all of those traveling.
V
Rose Cumming & Roberta Gillan.
It was a joy…
V
For
Children’s Choir & Music program.
V
Sim
K., Nate W., & Johnny’s birthday and for all
birthday celebrations.
V
Al’s
successful surgery.
V
Thanks
for all the prayers from Lexie.
Please remember to pray for…
V
Carly’s roommate as she mourns the loss of her uncle.
V
Marissa’s
family.
V
Martha’s
father who has a heart condition.
V
Pat’s
mother Lucy recovering from surgery.
V
Ethel
& Miriam both recovering.
V
Penny’s
niece as she awaits test results.
V
The
People of
V
Deb
for healing.
V
Diane
for peace.
V
Rosalie
as she mourns the loss of her daughter.
V
Engle’s
family.
V
Carey’s
good friend Walter and family on the passing of his wife Bunny in
V
Julie’s
Aunt Ellen.
V
Jinny’s niece Linda recovering from brain surgery.
V
Sam’s
sister for continued strength and healing.
V
Travelling
mercies especially for Jen.
V
Sam’s
mother looking for employment.
V
Caroline’s
friend Sandra taking citizenship test.
V
Al
M. who will be having surgery.
V
Rose
Cumming and family as they mourn the death of her cousin Rose Frattarola who was 93 years old.
V
Rose
Cumming who is in need of your prayers for strength and
healing.
V
Trevor
for direction.
Worship This Sunday…
The Old Testament lesson for this Sunday tells us
to come, and eat and drink of God’s great mercy. The choir anthem is Jean Berger’s “A Rose Touched
by the Sun’s Warm Rays”.
This 19th century Pennsylvania Dutch text reminds us that,
when we allow ourselves to be open to the warmth of God’s mercy, our
souls can bloom with joy and gladness. Scripture lessons: Isaiah 55:1-9; I Corinthians 10:1-13; Luke 13:1-9.
Please
review chapter 2 and read chapter 3 Reason in "The Case For God", by Karen
Armstrong for Sunday March 7. Ken Nilsen
Bible
Morning Evening
February 28 Mark
6 30-56 Num 17, 18,
19
March 1 Mark
7 14-37 Num.23, 24,
25
March 2 Mark
8 1-21 Num.26, 27
March 3 Mark
8 22-38 Num. 28, 29, 30
March 4 Mark
9 1-29 Num. 31,
32, 33
March 5 Mark
9 30-50 Num 34, 35, 36
March 6 Mark
10 1-31 Duet. 1, 2
I know that it seems as though Lent just began, but
Holy Week will be here before we know it.
Following is a list of events around that season. Mark your calendars now.
Saturday,
March 27 Quiet Day retreat
Sunday, March
28 Palm/Passion Sunday
(distribution of palms)
Thursday, April 1 Maundy Thursday service 6:30pm
(pot luck dinner in fellowship hall
followed
by an explanation of the
Seder meal, and then communion.)
Friday, April
2 Good Friday service at 12:00 noon
Saturday,
April 3 Easter Vigil service at 5:30
Sunday, April 4 Easter service with Easter egg hunt for the
children after church
This year we will prepare for our Holy Week journey with a half day quiet retreat led by Renate Sutterlin. Renate has led the Spirituality Group here at All Souls for over a decade, but her experience in helping people discover their spiritual path extends far beyond that. She did graduate work at Fordham in this discipline and was the director of the Guild for Spiritual Development for nearly two decades. Our Day of Quiet will be March 27, the Saturday before Palm/Passion Sunday. It will be a half day event, and there will be a sign up sheet in the narthex. The purpose of this day is to help us center ourselves as we prepare to take the final steps of our Lenten journey.
Part of what we are called
to do as believers is to remember that we are all part of the same body, and
that if one member of the body is in pain, the whole body suffers. If one part of the body rejoices, the whole
body joins in their elation. With that
in mind we ask that you remember those of this congregation and those of our
presbytery family listed below as you offer your daily prayers. Mary &
George Betz, The Brakewood Family, Betty Dineen, Doug & Shenoa Carey, Freedom
Plains Union Newburgh. We are all one
body in Christ.
Preacher: Rev. J. Bruce Baker
Organist: Joanna Nilsen
Liturgist: Jack Zaccara
Counters: Sim Kovcic
& John Carey
Greeter: Elise Lemire
Communion: Penny Kovacic,
Hernando Acuna,
Servers: Jack Zaccara
& Mary Betz
We Care Team II: Deacons
Jack Zaccara & Mary Betz
Team Members: Margaret Calabrese, Steven
& Rosa Calabrese, Jane Gibbs, Connie Howard, Phil & Marg
Scibona, Audrey Thime and
Jeanine Zaccara.
e-mail address: AllSoulsParish@Yahoo.com Web site: http://www.allsoulsparish-portchester.org/
Editorial Staff
Editor: Enza
Giglio
Circulation: Ethel
Mellon
Reporting Staff: All
Members
STAFF
Pastor: Rev. J.
Bruce Baker
Minister of Music:
Joanna Nilsen
Bookkeeper: Debbie Bunnell
Secretary: Enza Giglio
Sexton: Vilma Torres
Office Hours
Monday-Friday 8:45-11:45am Church Phone (914) 939-4300 Fax # (914) 935-0865
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