the PRES March 2018 Pastor’s Corner: Sabbath “Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy.” Exodus 20:8 During the season of Lent, I thought I would share one of my spiritual practices and what I have learned through the practice. I have been attentive to my Sabbath-keeping practices since college (sometimes more successfully than other times). My understanding of what Sabbath is and what Sabbath is for have evolved as I have grown and changed and as my circumstances have shifted. In my years of practicing Sabbath, here are a few of the lessons I have learned:
Have you tried practicing Sabbath? What do you find restorative? What have you learned along the way? LENTEN SCHEDULE 2018 March 7th- 6:30pm EFPC Soup Supper with Wednesday Lenten Service at 7:30pm March 21st -6:30pm Good Shepherd Soup Supper with Wednesday Lenten Service March 25th-10:30am Palm Sunday Service March 28th -6pm Soup Supper at EFPC hosted by St Bridget's with Stations of the Cross at 7:30pm at St Bridget’s March 29th -7:30pm Maundy Thursday, Tenebrae Service in EFPC Fellowship Hall April 1st -9:00am Easter Breakfast in EFPC Fellowship Hall followed by Children's Easter Egg Hunt. Easter Service at 10.30 am GOD’S COVENANTS We are God's people and he has made covenants with us. What is a covenant? It is an agreement or contract drawn up between people. In ancient times, there were promissory covenants between a suzerain and his vassals (master and servant) which rewarded the servant for his loyalty. God made covenants with Noah, Abraham, Moses and David and a New Covenant with Jeremiah. We will explore these covenants throughout this Lenten Season. Lent 3, March 4th @10:30am: Exodus 20:1-17 (-21) Communion. Covenant with Moses, creating the Ten Commandments Lent 4, March 11th @10:30am: Ephesians 2:1-10. We are saved by grace Jeremiah 31:31-34. The New Covenant made with Jeremiah that is written not on stone tablets but on the hearts of God's people Lent 6, Palm Sunday, March 25th @10:30am: Mark 11:1-11 EASTER MORNING BREAKFAST The Deacons will be helping to coordinate Easter breakfast again this year. Please look for more information in the month of March on how to sign up for bringing a dish to share. CLAY POTS AND PROMISES Clay is used throughout the Old and New Testaments to describe how we are to be molded by God. "Yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand" Isaiah 64:8. Throughout this Lenten season, we will be talking about God's Covenants with His people. A Covenant is a contract, agreement or promise. Lent is a time of self examination, reflection and sacrifice. Each week in the bulletin, you will find a list of possible promises that correspond to the Scripture lesson. We are asking you to reflect on God's promises to us and to make some promises back to God. Maybe one or two on the list resonates with you or you may be moved to make a different promise. You may tear the promise from the printed list or write your own at the bottom of the sheet. During the offering, place you promise to God in the Clay Pot closest to you. Or you may wish to take the lists home and meditate on your promises. Be willing to let the Potter mold you this Lent.
Week 1 - Rainbow as God's promise not to destroy the earth
Week 2 - Water, symbolizing Baptism
Week 3 - Stone, symbolizing the 10 commandments on stone, and also God as our rock
Week 4 - Soil, symbolizing God's rich treasure
Week 5 - Seedling, symbolizing God's promise written on our hearts, or as a seed implanted within us Instructions for Building Your Own Terrarium can be picked up in the Narthex Anthems from March Lenten Services to Easter Sunday: Sunday 3/4/18 “Glory In the Lord” Wednesday Soup Supper 3/7/18 “Glory In the Lord” Sunday 3/11/18 "God So Loved the World" Sunday 3/18/18 “Create In Me” Palm Sunday 3/25/18 “Ain’t No Rock Gonna Shout For Me” Maundy Thursday 3/29/18 “The Heart of Jesus” Easter Sunday 4/1/18 “Forth He Came At Easter” and congregational singing of Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” During the Lent Season, we will be offering Lenten Stations, similar to the Advent Stations we have at Christmas time. During the 6 Sundays of Lent starting Sunday, February 18th, there will be two different stations each week set up on the stage in the Fellowship Hall, for a total of 12 in all. They will be available before the church service starting at 10:00am and also after church during the Coffee Hour. Sunday School groups can also explore them during their class time. We will have the stage curtain closed during this time in order to provide a dedicated quiet space for reflection and prayer. These stations are a self-guided personal journey to reflect on and apply the themes of Lent to our everyday lives. We encourage you to make it a habit each week to stop by the stations and seek the Spirit's direction. Please contact Janelle Spedding for further information. FINANCE COMMITTEE REPORT Our investment for 2017 did well, with an overall Return of 16.20% before withdrawals OR 11.67% after withdrawal. (Please keep in mind --Past performance does not guarantee future earnings) We are also pleased to welcome Carolyn Wallace to our committee beginning 2018 Unrestricted Portfolio Value 12/31/2017 $910,393.89 Market Value Increase 121,482.59 Dividends and Interest 21,427.43 Long Term Capital Gain 18,152.07 Short Term Capital Gain 2,061.73 Restricted Portfolio Value 12/31/2017 $568,459.00 Market Value Increase 33,046.03 * Dividends and Interest 16,359.91 Long Term Capital Gain 10,814.07 Short Term Capital Gain 1,289.10 BOTH PORTFOLIOS TOTAL INCOME for 2017 $ 70,104.95 ** * $50,000 withdrawal for Kitchen renovation not included ** Does not include Increased Market Value UP COMING DATES DAYLIGHT SAVINGS BEGINS: SUNDAY, MARCH 11th SPRING BEGINS: TUESDAY, MARCH 20th Community Gardening, anyone? Sister Margaret from St. Bridget shared this information Sarah Mikolowsky is a new member of the East Falls community. She is new to the Philadelphia area. She grew up in CT, but spent the last decade farming in the Pacific Northwest. Her life path has landed her here in East Falls and she is very much interested in getting to know more of the folks in the neighborhood and becoming more involved. Sarah is an event floral designer at Vault + Vine and she feels specifically called to make moves toward involvement in community gardening and perhaps facilitating some others to do the same. She is reaching out to folks that are somehow involved in community service, a community garden, or has expressed interest in community gardening. Sara has heard that there are a couple of existing community plots in East Falls, but doesn’t know too much about them. Please write to her or come stop by Vault + Vine to say "Hi" if you have some information, names or ideas. She is there consistently in the afternoons Wednesday through Sunday! <sarah.mikolowsky@gmail.com> MARCH BIRTHDAY LISTING Naomi Davis 4-Mar Elliot Baker 5-Mar Starla Richardson 19-Mar Ella Garcia 23-Mar Jane Wilson 28-Mar Heather Allcorn 30-Mar HAPPY BIRTHDAY! No matter where you travel in IRELAND, the rolling countryside is as green as you have ever seen. Even in the rain, everything in Ireland is GREEN. During the early 1800's, a large number of immigrants came to the United States from Ireland and settled in the Philadelphia area, working in the textile mills including those around East Falls. It should be no surprise that our Church was established by many Irish families in East Falls. |