WMPCWEEK LY Volume LI
September 27, 2017
No. 39
God Keeps Promises: Sowing and Reaping ...whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 2 Corinthians 9:6 Growing up with a gardener taught me many lessons. My grandmother, the gardener, was always walking in the yard and digging in her garden. She was always touching the soil. Rubbing it in her fingers. Checking the moisture. She constantly planted as if her life depended upon it. She was an abundant sower. In my sermon this past Sunday, thinking about this text from 2 Corinthians, I said, “Paul says to the Corinthians that if they sow sparingly, they will reap sparingly. But if we give bountifully we can reap bountifully. How can he say this? Because giving beyond ourselves, sharing from the trove of our treasure, our blessings and our gifts is a sign of trusting in God. God will provide.” Deep down, my grandmother knew this lesson. She knew that if she gave of herself to the garden, spent money on fertilizer, spent time walking the rows of okra, tomatoes and beans, spent hours pruning the roses, starting the amaryllis, transplanting the hydrangeas, that the goodness of God’s created order would keep its promise through its purpose of growing. The more time she gave to the tomatoes, the better the tomatoes would be. If she bought better seed, the beans would be all the more buttery. There is no shortcut, no bargain-basement fire sale, when it comes to the experience of blessings. Especially if the blessings we have are blessings that the rule of faith is calling us to share. It is said that knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing that tomatoes don’t make great ice cream or the best fruit salad. Wisdom and experience teach us that we cannot put this idea of abundant sowing into a single spiritual equation and expect, like quid pro quo, an automatic reward. If only it were so easy! If only we could promise that the most generous among us automatically suffers least. If this were so, we could eliminate suffering from the earth in a very short time. But wisdom and experience do teach us this: we will reap nothing if we invest nothing. This is true of tomatoes. It is also true of the human spirit and the health of our souls. Those who give no time to the practice of faith reap no rewards of faith. Those who invest nothing to church come to church and leave church feeling nothing. Friends, the call is before us to be generous: generous as a response to God’s promises. As a child I was gifted with experiences of my grandmother in the garden. These memories have forged me as an adult. She planted a lot. And, in due course, she grew a lot. The amazing thing was she took all that produce and she went to relatives and neighbors, to schoolmates and distant cousins, and she gave almost all of those tomatoes and all of that produce away. May sowing grace abound,
Christopher Edmonston
Ride the Shuttle!
Avoid the traffic around the church and ride the shuttle from Carolina Place, 2626 Glenwood Avenue, on Sundays. Shuttle service begins at 8:45 a.m. and continues until the 11:00 a.m. worship service concludes and everyone is back to their cars. Hayes Barton United Methodist operates a shuttle from the same location, so look for the WMPC sign in the shuttle bus window.
Joys and Concerns Prayers and Christian Concerns to: Lyn Maness on the death of her mother , Car olyn J ones Maness, September 20. Hospitals (*designates discharged): Duke: Car l Stoddar d; Springbrook Nursing and Rehab Center, Clayton: Doyle Long.
In the Church Triumphant Nancy Jean Moser – September 19, 2017 Betsy Reid Viall – September 22, 2017 WMPC family members: son and daughter-in-law, George and Debbie Viall; grandson and wife, Trey and Jessica Viall; grandson, Gregory Viall; and niece and husband, Linda and Jim Hancock
Is a White Memorial Friend or Relative in the Hospital? Please call the church office to let us know of relatives and friends who are in the hospital so that our pastoral staff may visit them. Due to HIPAA regulations, hospitals do not inform us when a member is hospitalized (even though a request for your church affiliation may appear on the admissions form.) We print members’ names in this newsletter and on our hospital board at church so we may pray for them. Please tell us if you or a relative do not want your name included; otherwise, we will follow our usual practice. Contact Sarah Clapp at ext. 210 during business hours.
Birth Announcements Sometimes, due to short hospital stays and weekend births, we miss finding out about our “new Presbyterians.” Call Rebecca Turner at 919-834-3425, ext. 222, if you have a new baby.
Home Communion Visits Church elders and pastoral staff are available to provide home communion if you or someone you know cannot attend worship. If you would like to schedule a visit to share the sacrament of communion in your home, please contact Judy Pidcock at 919-834-3425, ext. 238, and let us know of your interest. Medical Equipment Exchange One of the services of WMPC's Health Ministry is to provide medical equipment when needed such as - walker, bedside commode, wheelchair, bed rails. If you have unused medical equipment or need any, contact Carolyn Elliott.
Let’s worship God together and give thanks for our companion animals through song and prayer. A brief meditation will be offered, our pets and companion animals will receive a special blessing, and we will have a time to honor those companion animals who are no longer with us.
Blessing of the Animals Sunday, October 15
5:30 p.m.
Carol Copeland Courtyard
Sponsored by Companion Animal Ministry Supplies such as food, litter, toys, etc. will be collected for the SPCA of Wake County.
The WMPC Weekly, September 27, 2017 Page 2
OCTOBER 5
Flu shots will be given by Hayes Barton Pharmacy on Wednesday, October 4, from 4:00-7:00 p.m. in C200. Flu shots are open to all church members and staff. You must be at least 14 years old to receive a flu shot at White Memorial Presbyterian Church. Please bring your insurance card. Reservations are encouraged but not required. Please visit whitememorial.org/register to RSVP.
Ben O’Neal, Prof. Em. NC State, OLLI Instructor: Emotional Intelligence (EI) - Host: Gary Mock
OCTOBER 12 Linda Harris, Methodist Conference: Storytelling – Host: Ruth Chell
OCTOBER 19 Tour: Duke Lemur Center Host: Judy Pidcock
OCTOBER 26
Bob Dean: IBM Goes to the Grocery Store Host: Liz Dean
German Masterpieces BACH, BEETHOVEN & BRAHMS A Recital by
First Friday Movie Night
(reservations required) Where: K100 When: Friday, October 6 Who: K - 5th grade Registration: $5 per child = pizza and bottled water Time: Drop off and pizza dinner 5:45 p.m. followed by movie. Pick-up at 8:00 p.m. Bring your own sleeping bag or blanket! Register and pay online at whitememorial.org/register.
Associate Director of Music White Memorial Presbyterian Church
Friday, September 29, at 7:30 p.m., Sanctuary White Memorial Presbyterian Church Reception to follow in Jane Bell Gathering Space
The WMPC Weekly, September 27, 2017 Page 3
Help Wanted, Service and Mission Weekday School Book Collection During the week of September 25, the Weekday School will collect new and gently used books to support the NC Reads initiative. These books will be distributed to preschoolers and elementary students. As we look to increase the percentage of students reading on grade level, access to books at home from birth plays a key role. Busy Hands are Happy Hands Come join Russia, Etc. Knit and Crochet on October 3 at 9:30 a.m. in C200. We have plenty of yarn, patterns, hooks and needles. Everyone is welcome to join us for coffee, snacks and lots of conversation. Contact Faye Senter at
[email protected] with questions. Yam Jam Yam Jam is the Society of St. Andrew’s annual sweet potato gleaning season spanning five weekends in October and November. On October 6 and 7, we will harvest sweet potatoes in Louisburg at Jason and Tay Brown's First Fruits Farm from 9:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Sweet potatoes harvested on October 7 will be cured and then distributed at a later date. On October 14, 21, 28 and November 4, we will glean sweet potatoes in Wake, Johnston or Harnett Counties from 8:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. each day. If you have any questions, contact Meg Spears-Newsome at 919-683-3011 or
[email protected]. Rebuild NC Day of Service On behalf of those displaced by Hurricane Matthew, join Governor Roy Cooper and Cabinet Secretaries on Saturday, October 7 for the Rebuild NC Day of Service - a volunteer day to help those families and communities recovering from Hurricane Matthew one year since the storm. For details, visit www.nc.gov/agencies/volunteer/north-carolina-disasters. Attention All Women! Have you ever been on a mission trip with other women at WMPC? Reunite with your travel companions at the October 9 Women’s Fellowship Luncheon featuring women talking about their mission experiences. The luncheon is at noon, and the cost is $5. Register online for the lunch and childcare by noon Friday, October 6, or contact Tonya Higgins at 919-834-3425, ext. 216, or
[email protected]. Disaster Assistance Update If you would like to make a contribution to the hurricane relief in Texas and Florida, please make a check payable to White Memorial and designate disaster relief in the subject line. Our contributions will go to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, which works with local agencies in affected areas of devastation.
Oak City Outreach Collection Help the WMPC Young Adults collect donations for Oak City Outreach. Items needed are: bars of soap, wash cloths (dark colors), lotion, shaving cream, deodorant (men and women), toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, cough drops, tissue (individual packs), lip balm, disposable razors, over the counter pain relievers. Items need to be travel size and unopened/unused. Drop off items in marked bins located in The Connector. International Interest Group Do you enjoy learning about other cultures? Have you thought about going on a mission trip, but traveling is not your thing? Does taking a mission trip help you get out of your comfort zone and learn more about yourself and those who are different from you? There are many ways to support international mission efforts right here at home, whether it’s by joining a group reading a current book about our mission partners, sharing in meals from another culture or other activities. All you need is a desire to learn about the world and its people. More information is forthcoming, but we would like to know who may have an interest. Contact Ray Watson at
[email protected] or Gloria Johnson at
[email protected].
W H O WA N T S TO S AV E A L I F E ?
Lend an arm for the blood drive.
October 23, 2017 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. | Pickard Hall Appointments are required. Register at www.whitememorial.org/register.
Historic Oberlin Marker Unveiling Join the Friends of Oberlin Village as we unveil the Historic Sign Marker honoring Oberlin Village on Sunday, October 15, at 12:50 p.m. The location of the marker is 1002 Oberlin road in front of the Turner Historic home. Light refreshments will be served after the very brief unveiling ceremony. The WMPC Weekly, September 27, 2017 Page 4
Presbyterian Women Circles - October All are invited to the Women’s Monthly Fellowship Luncheon hosted by Presbyterian Women.
Give Back
Serve
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This month we will collect coats for adults and children. Place donations in the crates in The Connector.
Monday, October 9 noon, Pickard Hall The program will feature a panel of church members discussing International Missions. Contact Tonya Higgins at 919-834-3425, ext. 216, by noon Friday, October 6, or register for luncheon and childcare at whitememorial.org/register.
CIRCLE INFO
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For more information about membership in Presbyterian Women, contact Julie Screws or Linda K. Turner. Presbyterian Women— Service, Fellowship & Study
Circles will meet on Monday, October 9, unless otherwise noted.
Circle A: 10:15 a.m. in C200; Reps. - Cam Lewis, Judith Bundy Circle B: 9:30 a.m. in Geneva (hostesses); Reps. - Ann Carney, Madge Dhus Circle C: 10:00 a.m. in K200; Reps. - Lauren Smith, Julie Leon Circle D: Oct. 12, 11:00 a.m., The Cypress, Building A, Parlor; Reps. - Bettye Gunter, Carolyn Holding Circle E: 10:30 a.m.; Hostess: Susan Ricks; Reps. - Marlene Batchelor, Lynn Ogburn Circle F: 9:45 a.m.; Hostess: Bonner Jones; Reps. - Debbie Pappas, Maggie Black Circle G: 9:45 a.m.; Hostess: Margie Pipkin; Reps. - Marsha Blackburn, Cathy Johnson Circle I: 10:00 a.m. at Springmoor; Reps. - Linda Hancock, Susie Jackson Circle K: Oct. 10, 7:00 p.m.; Hostess: Leigh Ibach; Reps. - Cathy Lehman, Julia Reeder Circle L: Oct. 11, 7:00 p.m. in W400; Reps. - Kathy Kidd, Jackie Mullin Circle M: 7:00 a.m. each Tues. in K100; Reps. - Susan Allen, Miriam Dorsey Circle N: Oct. 10, 11:30 a.m., Glenaire Private Dining Rm; Reps. - Ann Harris, Lois Jenny Circle 0: Oct. 11, 7:00 p.m. in C203; Rep. - Sally Nunnally The WMPC Weekly, September 27, 2017 Page 5
High School and Middle School Basketball Register October 9 – November 10, 2017 Registration fee: $40 Forms available Youth Ministry Office (W119) or online at whitememorial.org/youth/forms/ .
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY WALL BUILD
October 21 Time: 7:30 a.m. | Habitat Construction Facility
2615 Westinghouse Blvd. All hands are needed to complete a wall build for Habitat for Humanity. No experience is needed. Volunteers for the wall build may be as young as 16. Volunteers under 18 must print and sign a completed permission slip.
To sign up, go to http://vhub.at/whitememorial and scroll to the date October 21, or email
[email protected].
The WMPC Weekly, September 27, 2017 Page 6
Calendar for the Week
High School Retreat Beach Retreat will be September 30October 1. Meet in Dover parking lot at 8:00 a.m. October 1 return ETA 5:30 p.m. PYC Middle School only, 5:00-7:00 p.m. in Pickard Hall. Dinner will be $5. NO High School PYC on October 1 due to Fall Beach Retreat. Looking Ahead Prayer Breakfast, Tuesdays, 6:30 a.m. at Bruegger’s Bagels/Stonehenge on Creedmoor Prayer Breakfast, Wednesdays at 6:45 a.m.; Chick-fil-A, Cameron Village Impact Groups, October 8, 5:00-6:30 p.m. Meet in assigned homes; see Youth News for addresses Middle School Fall Retreat, October 6-8; online registration now open NO Middle School Impact Group on October 8 due to Fall Retreat. Weekly Youth Email Newsletter Do you want to receive the weekly youth email newsletter that’s full of great information? Contact Deb Smith at
[email protected] to be added to the contact list.
Sunday, October 1 (Proverbs 3:27-32; Matthew 20:1-16) World Communion Sunday Worship/Communion (8:15, 9:30, 11:00 a.m. - Sanctuary; 11:00 a.m. - OnPoint@1704, Pickard) 9:30 a.m. - Confirmation Communion Workshop (Chapel); OnPoint House Band (Pickard); Cover to Cover (C302) 11:00 a.m. - Welcoming Children to the Lord’s Supper (OnPoint@1704, Pickard) 4:00 p.m. - Youth Choir (S300) 4:30 p.m. - Cancer Companions Support Group (C203) 5:00 p.m. - Middle School PYC/Dinner (C100, C102-103/Geneva) 5:30 p.m. - SG2-Leden (C301-302) Monday, October 2 (Ps. 62; 2 Kings 17:24-41; 1 Cor. 7:25-31; Matt. 6:25-34) 9:15 a.m. - Toddler Open Gym/Worship (Pickard) 9:30 a.m. - Presbyterian Women Coordinating Team (K200) 5:30 p.m. - T’ai Chi for Exercise (Pickard) 6:00 p.m. - Stephen Ministry Leaders (K202) 6:30 p.m. - Stephen Ministry Recruiting Picnic (Geneva) 6:45 p.m. - Ross Bible Study (C203) 7:00 p.m. - Alcoholics Anonymous (C100); Handbell Choir (S300); Stephen Ministry Continuing Ed./Supervision (K200) 8:00 p.m. - Adult Basketball (Pickard) Tuesday, October 3 (Ps. 12; 2 Chron. 29:1-3, 30:1-27; 1 Cor. 7:32-40; Matt. 7:1-12) 6:30 a.m. - High School Prayer Breakfast (Bruegger’s Bagels, Creedmoor Rd.) 7:00 a.m. - Men’s/Women’s Breakfast Bible Study (Geneva/K100) 8:30 a.m. - Yoga for Exercise (C100) 9:30 a.m. - Fit after Fifty (Pickard); God Talk (W400); Russia Etc. Knit/Crochet (C200) 11:00 a.m. - Study: Short Stories by Jesus (C103) noon - Senior Adult Ministry Committee (W400) 3:00 p.m. - Labyrinth Open for Walking (Chapel) 6:00 p.m. - StepUp Life Skills Program/Dinner (Geneva) 7:00 p.m. - Seasonal/Chancel Choir (S300) 7:30 p.m. - Boy Scout Troop 395 (Pickard) Wednesday, October 4 (Ps. 96: 2 Kings 18:9-25; 1 Cor. 8:1-13; Matt. 7:13-21) 6:45 a.m. - High School Prayer Breakfast (Chick-Fil-A, Cameron Village) 8:00 a.m. - Clothing Closet (W100) 9:30 a.m. - Presbyterian Women Bible Moderators (W400) 10:00 a.m. - Chair Yoga (C200) 11:15 a.m. - Yin Yoga (C200) 4:00 p.m. - Flu Shots (C200) 4:30 p.m. - Carol Choir (L304); Joyful Noise Choir (S300); Cherub Choir (L311) 5:00 p.m. - First Wednesday Spaghetti Supper (Pickard) 6:30 p.m. - Disciple I (K307); Christ of the Celts: The Healing of Creation (C301/Chapel) 6:45 p.m. - OnPoint House Band (K100) 7:00 p.m. - Young Adult Bible Study (C102) 8:00 p.m. - Al-Anon (C100) Thursday, October 5 (Ps. 116; 2 Kings 18:28-37; 1 Cor. 9:1-15; Matt. 7:22-29) 9:30 a.m. - Lilies of the Field Bible Study (C301); Thursday Morning Bible Study (W400) T’ai Chi for Exercise (C200) 10:45 a.m. - Keenager Program: Emotional Intelligence (K100) noon - Keenager Lunch (Geneva) 4:00 p.m. - Labyrinth Open for Walking (Chapel) 6:00 p.m. - Yoga for Exercise (C200) 7:00 p.m. - Thursday Evening Bible Study (C301)Seasonal/Sanctuary Choir (S300); Community Allocations (W400) 7:30 p.m. - Webelo Scouts (K304-307) Friday, October 6 (Ps. 84; 2 Kings 19:1-20; 1 Cor. 9:16-27; Matt. 8:1-17) 9:30 a.m. - Fit After Fifty (Pickard) 3:30 p.m. - Middle School Fall Retreat Check-In (K100) 5:45 p.m. - Families w/Young Children First Friday Movie Night (K100) 8:00 p.m. - Alcoholics Anonymous (C100)
October 18 newsletter deadline: Tuesday noon, October 3
Saturday, October 7 (Ps. 63; 2 Kings 19:21-36; 1 Cor. 10:1-13; Matt. 8:18-27) 8:30 a.m. - Sunday School Setup (Classrooms) 9:00 a.m. - NAMI Basics (C303) 10:00 a.m. - Let’s Do Lunch (Geneva)
The WMPC Weekly, September 27, 2017 Page 7
Faith Formation Celtic Worship Service All are welcome to join in a brief Celtic Worship Service on October 4 at 7:30 p.m. in the Davidson Chapel. If you would like to join in reading Christ of the Celts by J. Philip Newell, we will have a discussion of the first two chapters at 6:30 p.m. in K301. This is part of a three-class/worship series looking at Celtic Christian spirituality. Contact Gloria Johnson at
[email protected] with questions. Christ of the Celts: The Healing of Creation Written by J. Philip Newell, one of the foremost experts on Celtic spirituality, this book offers a reflection on the “forgotten” Jesus, the Christ of the Celtic tradition. The Celtic Christ offers new hope for achieving harmony, healing and renewal for human beings and for all creation. Newell connects the Celtic tradition with our more conventional Christian beliefs and offers a vision of concern for healing creation and the environment—for the presence of the sacred in nature and all creatures. This was the essence of the ancient vision of Christ. Christ of the Celts shows us a new picture of who Christ is today combined with the ancient reverence for harmony with God and nature. This study will be three Wednesdays—October 4, February 7 and April 18— from 6:30 -8:00 p.m. in C301. Each class will be a group discussion of assigned chapters and will end with a worship service. Please register online at whitememorial.org/events. Contact Gloria Johnson at 919-823-3425, ext. 207, or
[email protected] with questions.
Travelogue This year marks the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. In May a group from White Memorial traveled to the EWST Education Center in Wroclaw, Poland, and then traveled to Germany to visit many important places where Reformation events took place. Please plan to come to hear about their travels on Wednesday, October 11, at 6:30 p.m. in C200. This event is sponsored by the Poland Committee and the Adult Faith Formation Committee. Caldwell Library Open House The Caldwell Library may be White Memorial Presbyterian Church’s best-kept secret! If you have never been to the library or haven’t been recently, we want you to discover this untapped resource available to our church members. (The Caldwell Library is in the Witherspoon Building across from the receptionist’s desk.) We have books for toddlers, young children, teenagers and adults. We have resources for Bible study and books on current topics. We hope you will come to Open House and see for yourself the many wonderful books and resources in our library. The Open House will be Sunday, October 15, from 9:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and on Wednesday, October 18, from 4:30-5:30 p.m. We will have a small gift for everyone who attends! Please come, bring your children, bring a friend, bring your spouse and bring yourself!
