From the Interim Pastor’s
Pen
Happy New Year! We have just said good bye to the old and
welcomed in the new. The events of 2005
have passed into the history books, and a new year --fresh, full of promise and
uncertainty--have been welcomed in.
Most of us have our own rituals for bringing
in the New Year. For some, the birth of
the New Year means a party with friends.
For others, New Year's Eve is spent watching football or watching a ball
in Time Square or going to a First Night celebration or staying up until
We all have our rituals. We have our rituals of church life and home
life and work life. Often our daily lives seem much removed from God. For some, the church ritual has been reduced
to worship attendance at Christmas and Easter and to socially required ceremonies
such as baptisms, weddings and funerals.
For others, there is restlessness and longing to encounter God, but we
have become complacent in our church involvement. There are little expectations of the
transcendent God entering into our daily routine.
The majority of Americans go through the
ritual of making New Years Resolutions:
lose weight, exercise more, spend more time with your kids, save more
money. I am one of these people who have
the habit of making resolutions each year.
My resolutions have included very healthy tasks: pray more, read through
the Bible, be more outspoken about my faith, be a better mom. This year I did notice one major item
missing. . . the invitation for God to break into my well mapped out plan, to
do something very different and unexpected in my life. I had left out the allowance for God to
totally change my agenda and replace it with God’s agenda, the transcendent God
entering into my daily customs.
Where is God in all of your plans for
welcoming in the New Year?
Let me encourage all of us this New Year
with the truth that Jesus Christ is in our midst and He calls us both from the manger
and from the cross to break through the ritual and routine of our lives
and give meaning to our every endeavor.
Let’s expect the living God to enter in and
join with us in a new and dynamic way this year. Without God, our rituals and more
specifically the ritual of the New Year is merely the passing of the old year
into another just like it.
By God’s grace we can claim 2006 as A.D.
2006, "the year of our Lord."
Kathleen
Waters, Interim Pastor
Worship
for January 2006
Worship at 10:25 AM, Child Care provided
Before worship coffee
fellowship with Adult Ed groups at 9 AM, beginning Jan. 8th
Fellowship Time each week
after worship in Fellowship Hall
January 1 Epiphany
Sunday
Sermon:
“Seeing is Believing” Rev.
Dr. Kathleen Waters
Scriptures: Isaiah
61:10-62:3; Luke 2:22-40
Liturgist: Connie Caldwell
(
January
8 Baptism of the Lord Sunday
10:25 AM Sermon:
“Baptism” Rev.
Dr. Kathleen Waters
Scriptures: Psalm 29; Mark
1:4-11
Sacrament of
Baptism: Sean O’Malley, son of Pam and Pete O’Malley;
Conner Cronin, son of Courtney and Chris Cronin,
grandson of Dave and Gail Sandle. Rev. Tom Murphy will be assisting with
the baptism.
Liturgist: Rev. Tom Murphy
January 15 Human Relations Sunday & Martin Luther
King Jr. Birthday
10:25 AM Sermon: “Saved by Grace
Through Faith” Rev. Patricia Dykers Koenig
Scriptures: Selected
passages from Romans
Liturgist: Rev. Dr. Kathleen Waters
January 22 Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
10:25 AM Sermon:
“The Breakfast Call” Rev. Dr. Kathleen Waters
Scriptures: Psalm 62:5-12; Mark
January 29 Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
10:25 AM Sermon:
“Commandment Five: Family Values” Rev. Dr. Kathleen Waters
Scriptures: Exodus 20:1-4,
7-9, 12-20; Psalm 111; Mark 1:21-28
Commissioning of 2007
“Seekers Class”
11:30 AM Annual Financial Meeting of the
Congregation & Corporation
Luncheon provided by UCF
Youth and Youth Ministries Committee!
(Donations will be
received for youth Night Watch & Mission Trip)
Welcome our
Guest Preacher for January 15th – Rev. Patricia Dykers Koenig:
The Worship and Spiritual Life Committee is
delighted to have the Rev. Patricia Dykers Koenig as our guest preacher for Human
Relations Sunday. She is the National Organizer for The
Covenant Network of Presbyterians, an organization seeking to “articulate and
act on the church’s historic, progressive vision and to work for a fully
inclusive church.” Rev. Dykers Koenig is
a graduate of McCormick Theological Seminary and resides in
Pastoral Care: Rev. Waters, works with our Congregational Care Committee and can be reached through the church office (637-3186), elders of the month, or at home.
Elders of the Month for January: Gloria Manuel and Linda Hickok.
Purpose of Elders of the Month: For members with a crisis, emergency situation, a particular concern or need for care, the elders of the month are available to assist the pastor, when a pastor is unavailable, or when the church office is closed.
Procedure for calling:
please call the church office weekdays between
December 2005 Adult Education
Forums and
Bible Study
Sundays
Join us for coffee, fellowship & discussion
I. Forums in Beard Lounge
Forums are presentations and discussions which focus on timely topics of Christian social concern, personal and spiritual development, Bible study, or explorations of our Christian heritage and world religions. Through Forums we seek to provide a place for understanding special topics or current issues of our Christian presence in the community and world.
Jan 1: No Adult Forum
Jan. 8: We
will watch and discuss two interesting tapes about “Those Other Christians”,
from American Religious History
Series which will focus on Mormons and the Oneida Community.
Jan.15: Sister
Kathleen Osbelt, founder and executive director of the Francis House will tell us about her work at Francis House
focusing on end of life issues.
Jan.22: Sandi
Yingling, an elder and member of the Mission Committee, from Park Central Presbyterian Church will tell us about
her experiences in
Jan.29 Eric
Kingston will speak on the topic, “My brother’s Keeper”. Eric is an SU professor who is an expert on Social Security issues.
II. Bible Study in Women’s Lounge
9:00 AM The Sunday morning Bible study group reads and studies scripture with Fred Davey as the lead teacher. They are currently studying from the book of Romans. Come and be welcomed.
III. A Parents’ Place [Downstairs
in Room 5]
Suggestions for future Adult
Forums – please speak with Chairperson Ed Clarke or a member of the
committee: Lois Coleman, Shirley
DeHority, Dorothy Harrold, Jason Larson, Dick Lang, Jackie Meyer, Carol
Reinsmith, Lois Spitzer, Joe Steiner.
Worship &
Spiritual Life – January 2006
Epiphany Season of Light!
"Arise, shine; for
your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you" (Isaiah
60:1).
Our response to God’s glory is to reflect that
light back – “You are the light of the world...let your light shine before
others...so they may see...and give
glory to God” (Matt. 5:14,16)
The
“Epiphany of the Lord” is January 6th, or the 12th day of
Christmas (the coming of the Wise Men!). It is immediately followed by the
Baptism of the Lord Sunday, Human Relations Sunday with M.L. King’s birthday
Jan. 15th, lifting up the light of justice, and several Sundays
before Lent begins, Ash Wed. Mar. 1st.
During
this Epiphany season of light, several hymns reflect the theme of God’s glory
that has come to dwell among us, a light to the nations. During the next two months in worship we may
sing some of these: Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies, Christ is the World's
Light, I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light, Here in this Place, Arise, Shine,
for Your Light Is Come, We Are Marching in the Light of God, Lord be
glorified.
Guest Preacher on Human Relations Sunday
On Sunday, Jan. 15th we welcome Rev. Patricia Dykers Koenig,
a Presbyterian pastor from
Choirs ready for the New Year….
Visit a choir and find out how you can be part of the music-making team
at UCF. January is a good time to join a
choir! Three choirs meet on Sundays as
part of Christian Ed:
Cherub Choir (preK-2nd Gr)
Children’s Choir (3rd-6th Gr)
8:50 AM The choir will begin singing
pieces for January and February services and also begin working on the musical
for after Easter called “Paul & Co.”
Come and find out how you can be a part of it!
Youth (Handbell/Vocal) Choirs (7-12th)
Wed., Jan. 4th: Joyful Sign Choir,
Thurs, Jan. 5th: Adult Handbell Choir,
Online Devotional Resources for all ages!
Last year’s Revisioning report indicated that
DAILY DEVOTIONS - Visit www.upperroom.org/devotional for a daily resource of
devotions, you may also sign up to receive a free email devotion to your email
address (see the sidebar on the page).
FOR CHILDREN – see Pockets magazine online at: www.upperroom.org/pockets. This website offers things to do for
children, a daily sentence prayer and scripture, calendar, games and
activities, kids cook, art gallery, jokes and poems, prayer wall. There is also a section on the site for
adults with articles, family litanies, books, writers corner, etc.
FOR TEENS – see DevoZine magazine online at: www.upperroom.org/devozine for youth 12-18, written
by youth (and adults who work with and care about teens). Purpose is to help teens develop a lifelong
habit of spending time with God and reflecting on what God is doing in their
lives. Offers weekly “devos”, poems, prayer wall, discussion room, writers
corner, electro poetry; a guide for mentors and small groups.
Many “Gifts of Christmas” were shared in
worship and in our community during Advent!
Concerts in the community!
Handbell Ringers made the holidays bright for many at Wynwood
Commons. Twenty three youth and adult ringers presented a lively concert of
Christmas carols in the living room of Wynwood Commons on Saturday afternoon,
Dec. 11th. Casey Kohler and
Bob Craft narrated the performance and we were especially happy to play for two
UCF resident members, Margaret Stinson and Nancy Emerson who were in attendance
at the concert!
St. Nicholas Festival “Brass and Bells
Concert” & Combined Choirs Festival
The Youth Ringers made a grand entrance with a bell processional of
carols at the “Brass and Bells” Concert on Sunday evening Dec. 18th.
Both the Adult and Youth Handbell Choirs played at tables set up across the
front of the sanctuary and gave exciting performances for the capacity
audience. We were again treated to a
thrilling concert by the SU Brass Ensemble under the direction of our
own Jim Spencer. What a wonderful
gift they give to our church and community!
Donations were also received for the F-M Food Pantry as part of the St.
Nicholas Festival sponsorship of the concert.
The Dec. 4th combined choirs Lessons & Carols program at
Immaculate Conception was also another wonderful choral worshipful experience
for the community! Thanks to Alice
Borning for her coordination of the festival.
Glo-ria…. Heard in the community…
Three carloads of UCF singers visited homebound members
on Sat. afternoon Dec. 11th.
The annual Christmas Caroling visits were coordinated by Barbara McKean
and the Congregational Care Committee; a fun group of singers and soloists, we
used our Tone Chimes to accompany the singing of favorite carols.
Dec. 18th’s Festival service on
the “Gifts of Christmas”
How do we learn about giving gifts? Where do we
learn what a gift is? In readings from scripture, in carols and anthems,
stories and drama, we celebrated the gift that reveals God's inmost heart, a
heart beating with mercy and overflowing with love. We heard the stories read by Marjorie Julian
and Fred Davey of a “Mustard Seed Christmas,”
the story of the “Christ Child who was too poor,” a poem by Ann Weems,
“Gifts from God.” At the end of the service, in response to the poem “Star
Giving,” children in the play passed out stars to the congregation. This year’s pageant, the musical play “The
Drum” was a delightful story ending with the familiar carol of “The little
drummer boy.” Congratulations and thanks
to the peddler and orphans played by Greg Ketcham, Lyn Watts, Sarah Ketcham,
the cast and chorus of all the choirs. Special thanks to director Judy
Spencer who directs everyone so beautifully, costumer Lynn
Scharbach, and I always enjoy working with Jim Spencer and Sarah
Vonhof who work weekly with the children’s choir. Throughout the service the Senior Choir sang
beautiful Christmas carol anthems with piano duets, some interpreted by the
Joyful Sign Choir. Thanks to my piano
partners – Jennifer Greene, Richard Blumenthal and Sarah Vonhof, and conductor
Jim Spencer. It was a weekend of
dedicated efforts by many to bring it all together.
Christmas weekend at
The 5 PM Christmas Eve Family Service began with the Youth
Christmas orchestra directed by Jim Spencer, and included solos by Mwelwa
Bwalya, Emily Olmsted and Rachael Mou-Thiel.
Thanks to the cast for the play “Waiting for the Christmas Guest,” Mike,
Sarah, Emily Olmsted, Kevin Sweder, Bob Craft, Laura & Sue Boland who led
us in reflecting on the meaning of waiting for the Christ child and living our
faith in our everyday encounters with the unexpected visitors we meet.
The
Christmas Morning began with a trumpet solo
by Katie Dehority, included a solo with guitar by John Price and an anthem by a
super choral ensemble of eight! The
congregation provided the joyful musical accompaniment to everything in the
service with lots of rhythm instruments throughout! What birthday celebration is complete without
birthday cake? It was enjoyed by all in Women’s Lounge after the service. Alice Dickerson Hatt, Minister of
Music & Worship
All
teachers are asked to meet in the Women's Lounge at 11:45 a.m. on January 8.
The first part of this meeting will provide an opportunity to informally share
creative ideas for teaching, brainstorm about upcoming lessons in the
curriculum and discuss any questions or concerns. The second portion of the
meeting will be an orientation for the new teachers and will cover safety
issues and teaching resources. 
