On Friday evening, March 30 at 7:30 p.m., the Chamber Singers will present a service of Choral Evensong for the Lenten Season. (Please note this event was originally scheduled for March 23 but has been moved to the 30th.) As Lent draws to a close, and with Palm Sunday just around the corner, the Singers will bring an evening of devotion for your Lenten meditation.
In recent years both the Singers and the Choir have enjoyed a number of anthems by American composer, Lee Hoiby (1926 – 2011). In this service we will introduce his Evening Service, settings of the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis which were written in memory of the late Larry King, long time organist-choirmaster of Trinity Church, Wall Street in New York. As always, Hoiby brings a fresh perspective to
these ancient texts. In addition, the Singers will present his lovely anthem, “Hear Us, O Hear Us Lord,” with text by John Donne.
Hoiby, whose major work was done in opera, was persuaded by Richard Dirksen, late Canon Precentor of Washington National Cathedral to try his hand at writing for the church in the late 1960s. The result is a small, but significant body of work, all with texts of the highest caliber, that have enriched the repertoire immensely.
Following the service, the Singers will present Benjamin Britten’s wonderful cantata, “Rejoice in the Lamb.”
This is a twenty minute work of immense beauty and creativity. The text by Christopher Smart (1722 – 1771) is one of the most charming in all of music. Smart was a deeply religious man whose genius
Creation Care At Pine Street
by Bonnie Peckham
Creation Care at Pine Street is a program of the Mission Committee that has been approved by our Session and PC (USA). In the fall of 2011 the concept was introduced to the congregation, an environmental audit for PC (USA) was completed and the congregation was asked to suggest topics of interest that might provide interesting projects or educational pieces for the church community.
Why choose creation care as a focus?
Bagels & Belief
March 4
“The Sad Story of the Embarrassed Farmers”
Rev. Alex Lang
April 1
“Loves Always Wins . . . Sometimes”
Rev. Russell Sullivan
May 6
“Why Doesn’t God Like Religious People”
Rev. Alex Lang
June 3
“Pardon My Insistence”
Rev. Russell Sullivan
All forums are held in Fellowship Hall at 9:40 a.m. MAPS Continued from page 1
bordered on insanity, and, indeed, much of his life was spent in an asylum. The three hundred page poem from which the text is excerpted is full of colorful imagery as well as incoherent texts. Britten has culled the best of the huge work into a series of eight brief scenes that describe the praise of God by all creation. The quirky text is greatly enhanced by Britten’s creative score for choir and organ.
The service will be led by Dr. Sullivan. We invite all to come and spend an evening in thoughtful worship adorned with beautiful music. Admission is free, with an offering received. Parking is available in the South Street Garage. And child care is provided!
CREATION
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In Genesis 1 the first Creation story recounts that creation is "good" —God the Creator declared it so. Creation has value in itself it is not simply utilitarian in terms of what humans can make of it. Creation does not exist apart from God. Creation's existence is because of God's divine will and action. Therefore we who love God love what God has made.
In Genesis 2:7 Adam whose very being was created by God was created from "adamah" (topsoil). Scientific evidence exists that suggests earth (clay) served as the bonding material for the molecules that form DNA (the coding mechanism for all life forms). In Genesis 2:15 Adam was placed in the garden and told to "till and keep it," or cultivate it lovingly. This first job description included loving creation so it would provide sustenance for all living things.
Humans are formed in God's image. According to Presbyterian theologian William Gibson, to bear God's image is to have "potential to be with God."
Consequently we do have license to be rational, moral and to have a creative capacity to be responsible representatives of God's values not to be in despotic dominion over creation. If we assume the despotic view of creation humankind can rationalize that creation has nothing more than a utilitarian value which serves only human desire and enterprise. In short, we expand our vocation of "tilling” and reduce our vocation of "keeping" setting ourselves apart from the rest of creation and rendering ourselves as the only thing God did that has importance.
See CARE on page 5
Session Notes for February
Approved a motion to allow participants of the Youth Mission Trip to Glenwood, Florida, June 23 to July 1, to pursue fund raising efforts to offset the cost of their trip. The efforts will take place on Palm Sunday, and Easter Sunday, 2012
The Annual Meeting of the Congregation will be held Sunday, March 25, 2012, following the 11:00 a.m. service.
Prior to the Session meeting the annual meeting of the Session, Trustees and Deacons was held.
Thank you to Cheryl Goode and to the Pine Street youth involved in the Sunday Souper Bowl collection. Their efforts netted $407.70 for Downtown Daily Bread. That $407 will help feed 200 people for lunch or fund two days of lunches for the hungry men and women who eat at DDB.
Thank you to everyone who participated in this special collection on Souper Bowl Sunday.
Elaine
A Day in the Life of Downtown Daily Bread
by Dr. Stephen Heller, DDB Counselor
You can walk into Downtown Daily Bread almost any day between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. and find and identify what you would call “homeless” men and women. These homeless individuals may be living on the street, in a shelter, in a relative’s basement, in a friend’s spare room, an abandoned building or a room in a SRO (single room occupancy) apartment.
According to the legal definitions of homeless, each of these individuals IS homeless because they have no legal status in their place of occupancy.
Having worked in Downtown Daily Bread for approximately two months, I have come to learn to know many individuals who come here for a variety of services, including a hearty lunch voluntarily served by individuals in the local religious community, showers three times weekly, clothing, lockers for extra clothing and personal articles, medical attention, legal services and referrals for case management and medical assistance and cash assistance. We also provide referrals for employment as well as transportation to and from jobs through the YWCA. These services open the door for a variety of programs available in the Dauphin County area, as well as state and federal assisted financial help including cash assistance, food stamps, and medical and housing assistance.
I have learned that depending on how one defines “homeless,” there are approximately 300 males and females living on the street, in single room occupancy apartments and shelters, in beds provided by a variety of programs or with relatives and friends. In all cases, because there is no long-term lease involved, these individuals are one short step from being relocated to the streets of Harrisburg, to fend for themselves on the streets, under a city bridge, or in a vacated building or alleyway.
It may sound romantic to some to live this lifestyle for a short time, but put into that position, I am not sure how long the novelty would last.
Having previously worked in social services as both a counselor and program director (both substance abuse and mental health, as well as a combination of these referred to as co-occurring disorders) in both New York State and Pennsylvania, I find the challenge of working with our clients a most rewarding one, paying back those who need a listening ear, a helping hand and the patience to work through the myriad of obstacles that each of these individuals can be confronted with on a daily basis.
It is said that the best way to help yourself is by helping others in need. That statement has held true for me most of my life, and I trust that I can continue to pay back for those who have assisted me throughout my entire lifetime.
One Great Hour Of Sharing
by Debbie Olson
It has been two years since the January 2010 earthquake devastated Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Following the earthquake, through a shared grant project, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and the Presbyterian Hunger Program provided seeds and tools for thousands of Haitian farmers, enough to grow food for hundreds of thousands of displaced Haitians. This grant allows Haitians to participate in their own recovery and makes use of indigenous seeds and grain.
In the United States, Self-Development of People partnered with the South Plaquemines Parish United Fisheries Cooperative in Louisiana to create the Step One-Recovery project. This business provides economic development opportunities to address poverty in the Louisiana fishing industry.
These are programs supported by the One Great Hour of Sharing. Programs like these depend on continued and increased support. One Great Hour of Sharing continues to offer hope for those most hopeless. It walks toward recovery and wholeness with those whose lives have been shattered by disaster. It stands with communities facing the slower crises of hunger, disease, unemployment, and environmental degradation that make them vulnerable even before disasters strike. In sharing resources with people in need around the world, we not only witness God’s love in action in their lives — we also feel it moving in our own lives.
One Great Hour of Sharing began more than sixty years ago, in response to the devastation of World War II. A Saturday evening nationwide broadcast asked Americans to give generously the next morning in their churches. More than 75,000 churches responded — churches of many denominations. Now, sixty years later, each denomination decides how their contributions will be dispersed. PC(USA) divides our contributions into three programs: Self-Development of People (32%), Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (32%), and the Presbyterian Hunger Program (36%). Four percent of the Presbyterian Hunger Program money is used for its work on homelessness and affordable housing. None of the One Great Hour of Sharing offering stays at Pine Street Church — it all goes to help those who have much less than any of us.
PLEASE, actually read the bulletin inserts you will see during the Lenten season. These stories are about real people. People who none of us will probably ever meet. But they are God’s children, just like us. By chance many of them were born into poverty, into countries where there are no policies or infrastructure in place to provide for them. And they need us to reach out to them.
We, as members of Pine Street Church, are Christ’s disciples in today’s world. Each one of us has SO MUCH MORE than any of the people this offering will help. Please give generously — again. God loves the cheerful giver!!! Thank you. And those who will receive the benefit of this offering thank you.
Lenten Organ Recitals
Wednesdays at 12:10 p.m. in the Sanctuary
February 29
Anthony Ciucci Church of the Good Shepherd, Camp Hill
March 7
Rev. Steven Middernacht
First Lutheran Church, Carlisle
March 14
Dr. Shirley S. King
First Presbyterian Church, Carlisle
March 21
David Binkley
Camp Hill Presbyterian Church
March 28
Dr. Alan P. Weamer Court Street Church, Flint, Michigan
Each recital is followed by a Soup and Bread lunch in the Gathering Place. The cost is $3.00, and all proceeds go to Downtown Daily Bread.
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Fortunately, increasing awareness of our ecological situation has prompted us to reexamine our biblical heritage. The ethicist James Nash notes we are rediscovering the first covenant, the one made with Noah (Gen. 9: 8-17), sometimes called the Rainbow Covenant. In this covenant, God, the Creator clearly extends God's pledge to all of creation and to all generations.
Humankind is expected to respect this covenant. A breach of it is, as Nash puts it, "an attack on the created order itself. It is disloyalty to God, to other creatures, other humans, future generations and ourselves for we are all bound together with common interests in saving the ecological integrity of our home, the earth."
With these thoughts in mind Creation Care of the Mission Committee will offer the following opportunities to learn, more about caring for God's creation:
• Use the Lenten calendar to reflect and act in the spirit of fasting and feasting for Lent. The calendar may be downloaded from EcoNotes our e-newsletter from PC(USA) at www.pcusa.org/ eco-notes
LILIES ORDER FORM – 2012
If you would like to purchase a lily that will be used for decorating the sanctuary for Easter, please complete the form below.
The form can be either mailed or put in the box in the Gathering Place along with your check made payable to Pine Street Presbyterian Church (please specify in the memo that this is for lilies). The cost of the lilies are $8.50 each. Deadline for orders is April 1, 2012.
WORDING OF DEDICATION: In Memory of In Honor of
You are encouraged to take your plant following the 11:00 am worship service.
*Payment is due when order form is submitted.
Mailing address is: Pine Street Presbyterian Church, 310 N. 3rd Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101
WE MUST HAVE THE ABOVE FORM FILLED OUT AND PUT IN THE BOX IN THE GATHERING PLACE (BOX IS MARKED). IF YOU DO NOT FILL OUT THIS FORM, YOU WILL NOT HAVE YOUR MEMORIAL LISTED IN THE EASTER BULLETIN, EVEN IF YOU HAVE MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO HAVE IT DONE AUTOMATICALLY FROM YEAR TO YEAR.
• Sign up to help creation care by recycling at church (take recyclable materials to a recycling center or put in your home bin.)
• Reduce use of paper and postage by using the website and duplexing copies whenever possible.
• Share food by donating to the Food Bank during Lent
• Come to our Earth Day
service on April 22, 2012
• Watch for and participate in an Interfaith Earth Day project announcement.
• Participate in our Creation Care seminar on June 17 & 24 during adult Sunday school. We will have a guest, show the documentary "Renewal." and have discussion and snacks.
Please join us in celebrating and keeping God's Good Creation.
News From Our Church Family
Sam Guenin recently spent 10 days in The Hague, Netherlands where he was a deligate to the Model United Nations Conference. Sam is a senior at Lancaster Country Day School.
Congratulations to Veronica Bani for her performance at the 2012 Mid-Penn Swimming Championships. Veronica, a freshman at Cedar Cliff High School, took the medal for 6th place in the girls 500 freestyle.
Spring Cleaning
Please join us on Saturday, March 24 from 9:00 a.m. to noon to “spruce up” our Sanctuary before Easter Sunday. We will be cleaning pews and pew cushions, dusting the wood around the pulpit and lecturn, and sweeping the floor. Bring a bag lunch to eat after we finish cleaning. Sign up online at www.pinestreet.org/ category/events/ or at the Welcome Center.
January 24, 2012
Dear Friends —
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! What a marvelous celebration you all organized last Sunday. I’m still speechless — all the goodies, gracious words, a plaque, a money gift — were all unexpected but greatly appreciated.
I honestly feel I should be honoring you, for allowing me the privilege of ministering among you. It was a joy serving at Pine Street!
Again, thanks for all you have given me, especially the gift of your friendship and support.
Fondly,
Heather Sigler
Be On The Leading Edge
by George Kunkle
Pine Street is looking for several people to learn how to use and help operate the sound board, lighting board, video system and internet streaming in the sanctuary. Our church is on the leading edge of technology for Harrisburg area churches. With the streaming of the service every Sunday morning it is critical that someone is available at every 11:00 service to operate the equipment. Currently there is only one person who knows how to program the lighting system in the sanctuary and only two people who know how to operate the video system, sound board and streaming. A problem arises from the fact that two of the people are retired and can both be absent at the same time. Another person is a deacon and has duties most Sunday mornings and cannot be at the equipment for the entire service.
The church is looking for volunteers to learn how to use these systems and be available to help out when needed. Volunteers will receive individualized training and will work with one of the experienced people until they are comfortable using the equipment. This is your chance to be involved with the newest technology here at Pine Street as we send our service around the world on the Internet.
If you are interested please contact Rev. Alex Lang at church or George Kunkle at georgekunkle@ comcast.net
Did you know...?
Each Sunday evening at 6:00 Pine Street’s Senior Youth Fellowship is streamed live over the Internet. You can watch the lesson and follow along wtih the texts just by going to “Watch Live” under the “Youth” tab on the web site, or to teens. pinestreet.org/livestream/. While you’re there, check around the Youth pages and watch the Youth Blog and view videos from mission triips to Chicago and West Virginia.
