February 1, 2011
Winter Seminar 2011 – February 26th ConneCting Role and S oul:
by Ron Poorman
InFeb
Feb 6 Sign up for Lenten Breakfast begins (p.6)
Feb 11
Feb 12 Men’s Breakfast (p.6)
Feb 20
Feb
PSL deadline Articles, photos and items of interest for the March issue of Pine Street Life are due by February 15, 2011. Please e-mail to Sue Black at
the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, following his baptism in the Jordan River and after being tempted by Satan, he was “full of the Holy Spirit.” When he returned to Nazareth, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath and read from the scroll of Isaiah that was given to him. Jesus said: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Older translations of the Bible use the phrase “…to bind up the broken-hearted” to refer to those in need of spiritual healing.
Just who might these “broken-hearted” people be? We may not see ourselves exactly as broken-hearted. That may be too dramatic a phrase. We may feel somehow disconnected, though, from our faith when the realities of daily life present themselves. Or, we may feel somehow unable to draw on our faith resources when we most need them. It seems to me that Jesus was talking about our wholeness when he says we are broken hearted. Being broken hearted, in this Christian context, is not about sadness. It is about our lives being disconnected from our faith. If you sometimes feel disconnected from your faith or isolated from others because of our faith, Pine Street’s Winter Seminar may be just what you need.
Pine Street — A Safe Church, part 2
by Cheryl Goode & Diana Robertson
Last month we told you that the Safe Church committee met, created a policy and presented it to session, which they approved. If you have seen the policy you will have noted that we included training of our staff and volunteers, and education for the congregation as a whole. We will shortly be announcing a training session with a professional counselor. This will be mandatory for staff and all volunteers working with children, but it will also be open to the officers and the congregation at large. Additionally we will be bringing you information from time to time which will enlighten you as to
Bagels and Belief Topics & Speakers
February 6, 2011
What we believe about the Trinity
Dr. Lee Barrett
March 6, 2011
What we believe about God’s Ultimate Purpose
Rev. Russell Sullivan
April 3, 2011
What we believe about the Church
Rev. Heather Sigler
May 2, 2011
What we believe about Evil Rev. Alex Lang
June 5, 2011
What we believe about Christianity and Other Religions
Guest Presenter
Bagels & Belief meets in Fellowship Hall at 9:40 a.m.
Seminar
Continued from page 1
This year’s seminar is titled Connecting Role and Soul: Integrating Faith and Daily Life. Our leader will be Marjorie Thompson, a widely sought-after retreat leader and speaker in the area of Christian Spirituality. Says Thompson: “Many of us feel a sense of disconnect between our true selves and our work related roles. The culture, even in the church, tends to support certain role competencies without necessarily affirming the deeper gifts and needs of our soul-life. What stories, teachings and spiritual practices might help us reconnect the divide between role and soul? How do we help heal the divide by knitting our understanding of our faith more fully into the fabric of our daily work?” These questions and concerns will guide our retreat time together. The workshop will use stories, poems, sharing, scripture and discussion of spiritual practices to examine ways to reconnect role and soul.
Many of us feel a sense of disconnect between our true selves and our work related roles.
Connecting Role and Soul will take place on Saturday, February 26, 2011 from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm. Registration (with light refreshments) begins at 9:00 am. A light luncheon will be served. The cost for the event is $10 per person. The event is underwritten by Pine Street’s Spiritual Formation Fund. A registration form and event brochure are available at www.pinestreet.org or in the Gathering Place at the Welcome Center. The event will be held in McCormick Hall. Enter from South Street. Handicapped access will be via the Third Street Ramp.
Marjorie J. Thompson is an ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church(USA). She received her Bachelor of Arts in religious studies from Swarthmore College and her Master of Divinity degree from McCormick Theological Seminary. Following a postgraduate pastoral internship, she became a Research Fellow at Yale Divinity School where she studied Christian spirituality with Henri Nouwen and did independent research in ecumenical traditions of prayer.
Ms. Thompson has served as adjunct faculty for several seminaries, including McCormick, Auburn, Wesley, and Vanderbilt Divinity School. She has taught in The Upper Room’s Academy for Spiritual Formation, and directed the foundational program for Stillpoint (Programs in Spiritual Direction and Contemplative Prayer) in Nashville.
In 1996, Marjorie took a full-time position with The Upper Room as Director of the Pathways Center for Spiritual Leadership, which is now called Pathways for Congregational Spirituality. After 13 years of serving Upper Room Ministries, Marjorie returned to freelance work in retreat leadership, teaching and writing.
It is sometimes said that human beings take themselves too seriously. I don’t believe that Jesus would level that criticism at his followers. In fact, it may be just the opposite…that we don’t take our roles and our souls seriously enough. Try this year’s Winter Seminar as a way to begin binding up your broken heart. x
Safe Church Continued from page 1 where a threat might be. What follows are some statistics about child molesters for you to consider. These statistics are presented not to scare you but rather to educate you.:
• 90 to 95% are male
• 91% are heterosexual
• 91% are religious
• 75% are married or have been married
• 73% are Caucasian
• 65% earn middle income or higher
• 80% have normal intelligence
• 48% are college educated
• 71% are under the age of 35
• 30-50% start abusing as teens
• 80-90% are known and trusted by their victim x
Stewardship Puzzle
By Chris Ewing
Unscramble each of the clue words.
Take the letters that appear in boxes and unscramble them for the final message.
Answers on page 7
Session Notes for January
The Session will experiment with a new meeting format in the upcoming months Time will be spent on planning, studying and problem solving . Did you Know?
You can access Pine Street’s library catalog of over 2500 books, CDs, DVDs, and resources online at http://www. librarything.com/catalog/pinestreet
AN
INITIAL
OFFERING ENVELOPE
can be found in your box of Offering Envelopes this year. We ask members to use this envelope to defray the costs of both offering envelopes and also the per capita expense. “Per Capita” is what we pay per active member to underwrite the administrative costs of General Assembly, the Synod of the Trinity, and our own Presbytery of Carlisle. The connectional nature of our church requires our support. Together the cost of envelopes and per capita is approximately $25 per member. Please contribute as soon as possible to help defray this early expense. Use the INITIAL OFFERING envelope and place it in the offering plate or note “initial offering” on the check and mail it to the Church Office.
The Giving Tree-2010 Report
by Eileen A. Kunkle
The Mission Committee would like to thank everyone who helped make the Giving Tree project a success this year. Special thanks are extended to the individuals who helped with sign-ups and gift delivery. This is a project that creates a lot of excitement and helps many less fortunate individuals in Harrisburg and around the world. If you have not participated before, you are encouraged to do so next year. Total monetary donations of $2260, an increase of approximately $600 from last year, given to:
• Heifer Intn’l – $1396
• HELP Ministry – $300
Annual Report 2010
Becky & Eric Hinderliter
PCUSA mission co-workers, Lithuania
The year 2010 was divided into two parts: one doing ‘mission interpretation’ in the USA and one part back in Lithuania as teachers. While in the US Becky and I were guests at 30 Presbyterian churches. This included seven sermons and six presbytery meetings. We were mission advisory delegates to the 219th General Assembly in Minneapolis. It was good for us to reconnect with fellow Presbyterians. We are refreshed when we visit supporting churches like you folks at Pine Street Presbyterian. Warm Christian hospitality is a virtue that we experience with great joy. We enjoyed our time with all of you last spring.
The year 2010 was one of personal milestones. Psalm 90:12 advises, “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” We have now been at LCC for ten years. On our return to Lithuania we quickly assumed our role as classroom teachers. The students were anxiously awaiting us. Becky had 118 students in accounting; Eric had the same number spread over four subjects. We helped a number of students with admission to graduate school and to new jobs. Becky was recognized with an award for her teaching excellence at the end of the semester. We also resumed teaching at the men’s prison. These men were even more anxious to see us. They most want to know that someone on the outside cares about them and is waiting for them, as they easily imagine that they will be forgotten. Our present appointment with the PC(USA) runs through 2013. Our hope and dream is to finish out our working lives as mission co-workers. This means we hope for six more years (until you know who is eligible for Medicare). Three things will be required for this to happen. First, we’ll need health, patience and energy. Second, the Presbyterian Church will need to support us—both spiritually and financially. And third, God will need to ‘give the increase.’ The fruits of our work depend on God: Paul writes, “as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building” (I Corinthians 3: 5-9).
Other events in 2010 were full of disappointment. Mother Ruth died at age 90 in July. We remember her with joy. She was a faithful Presbyterian all her life and she did much to pass on her faith. We long to hear her admonitions again. Some were very practical: “you can never have too much education,” “be home by dark,” and “stay in town.” She said many times, “love comes from God” and we now know how right she was. Her favorite verse was, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4: 13). Daughter-in-law Elizabeth has had many health setbacks this year as her debilitating condition is worsening. This is not what one hopes for. Son Paul is an excellent caregiver with the patience of Job. For us the cost of mission is measured in these losses—and the family moments when we are too far away to help.
As we enter 2011, we are grateful to members of Pine Street for being faithful friends and mission-minded Presbyterians. Thanks for sending us to Lithuania—and thanks to Pine Street Presbyterian for keeping us at the teaching task God has called us to do.
• Delta Community – $200
• DDB– $225
Various contributions were also made to
• Delta Community – gifts for 12 individuals
• Promise Place – gifts for 13 individuals
• YWCA – various gifts to be distributed as needed
• Downtown Daily Bread – warm hats, scarves, gloves, and toiletries distributed to individuals on December 19
• Community Check-up Center – several boxes of books to be given to children
Eric & Becky Hinderliter http://gamc.pcusa.org/ministries/ missionconnections/hinderliter-eric-andrebecca-20101114/
Pine StreetWalkers
There will not be a hike in February for the Pine Streetwalkers due to heavy snow cover in the area. No, really no hike (not sure about the amount of snow), just take the day off from hiking and exercise on your own before curling up in front of the fire for the afternoon.
Filling Our Wells
The annual Pine Street Women’s Retreat will be held March 11 – 13, 2011 at Camp Hebron in Halifax. The theme for the weekend — led by our own Heather Sigler — is, “Filling Our Wells.”
Begin the weekend with Bible study, fun and fellowship. Saturday brings more Bible study, along with time for hiking, horseback riding, massages, games and crafts, or just plain rest and relaxation. A wonderful worship service Sunday morning will set you off on your Lenten journey filled to the brim with God’s spirit.
The cost of the weekend is $140, which includes two night’s of comfortable lodging and five terrific meals. There are a limited number of spaces, so signup at the Welcome Center today.
Love Songs for Valentines … a Cabaret!
Tickets are still available for an evening of gourmet desserts and love songs from Broadway and Hollywood presented by the Pine Street Choir and friends. Plan your rendezvous for Friday evening, February 11 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 and available at the Welcome Center.
Snow Tubing at Ski Roundtop
Round up the mittens and scarves — it’s time for Pine Street’s second annual snow tubing outing! The date is Saturday, March 5. Meet the gang at Round Top Mountain Resort in Lewisberry at 10 a.m. for two hours of exhilarating fun followed by lunch at Cheryl and John Goode’s home. All this for just $25 per person. (Kids ages two to five use the Kiddie Tubing area for $8.) Sign-ups have begun at the Welcome Center.
Crazy for You
The Congregational Life Committee invites you to attend Theatre Harrisburg’s matinee performance of the Broadway musical Crazy for You at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 20th at the Whitaker Center.
This Gershwin extravaganza is filled with song, dance, and hilarious dialogue. It’s a boy meets girl tale set in the Wild West, where they spread goodness and ultimately fall in love. Tunes such as “They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” “Nice Work if You Can Get It,” and “Someone to Watch Over Me,” will fill your February afternoon with delight.
Just $15.00 assures you a seat for this award-winning musical. Pay for your reservation when you sign up and pick up your ticket at the Welcome Center after 9:40 a.m. on the day of the performance. Tickets are limited, so don’t delay — sign-up today!
Births
December 23, 2010
Lucy Ryan Sastre daughter of Jose & Jaclyn Sastre
Baptisms
January 9, 2011
Elijah Robert Lang Deaths
Tessie Danner
June 18, 1921 –December 24, 2010
R. Lamar Gilchrist
August 2, 1945 –December 29, 2010
Men’s Breakfast
Pine Street Men will meet for breakfast on Saturday, February 12, 2011. It’s not too late to keep that New Year Resolution and join in with other Pine Street Men for breakfast on the second Saturday of the month. There is no better way than to start your Saturday than with a hearty breakfast and great fellowship. Breakfast will be served at 8:00 a.m., conversation and fellowship will follow. Sign-up at the Welcome Center.
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