All Souls Parish



The Presbyterian Church Port Chester, New York
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 Iraq and our troops stationed there.

V       The refugees in Sudan.

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 Chile and Haiti.

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 Florida.

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.

 

Eight O’Clock Hour…

Please review chapter 2 and read chapter 3 Reason in "The Case For God", by Karen Armstrong for Sunday March 7. Ken Nilsen

 

Bible Readings for the Week…

                        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

               

Holy Week…

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

 

A Day of Quiet…

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.

 

Praying for the Church…

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.

 

Serving This Sunday…

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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