Loading...I lift up my eyes to the hills; *
from where is my help to come?
My help comes from the Lord, *
the maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121: 1-2
This Sunday we'll say a familiar Psalm, at least the opening lines of the Psalm are familiar. They are often memorized and helpful to remember when we are challenged by life.
When life seems difficult, it can be hard to explain that we look to God. How can God feed us when we have no money for food? How can God shelter us when the mortgage payment is due and we don't know how to pay it? How can God heal us when we are sick? How can praying, looking to God, living in the teachings of the trinity really help us?
All I can say, is that resting in God somehow brings help. Whether it is calming us down so we can think more clearly or sending others our way to meet our most urgent and necessary needs, our help does come from the Lord.
For instance, this past week, I felt led by the Holy Spirit to stop and see someone. I was met with a huge hug and an exclamation of surprise about coming at just the right time. The person had just enough of a break for us to talk a little about what was going on. God did send the help and both of us were blessed.
Many blessings as you finish your week!
Love, Rebecca+
This Sunday, we commission all Ushers and Coffee Hour hosts.
This Sunday, we observe Women’s History month.
This Sunday is Godly Play.
The confirmation class meets this Sunday. Marion Fluchere will speak about writing icons and praying with them.
Please pray for our confirmands. O God, you prepared your disciples for the coming of the Spirit through the teaching of your Son Jesus Christ: Make the hearts and minds of Ethan, Lily and Sophia ready to receive the blessing of the Holy Spirit, that they may be filled with the strength of his presence; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Book of Common Prayer, p. 819.
Please say "yes" if Lily, Ethan or Sophia asks to interview you during coffee hour today. They will ask the following questions: When you were little, what church did you go to? Where and how often? When did you start going to church? Why do you think church is important? Why do you worship God?
Next Sunday, Darlene Amsler leads Morning Prayer and preaches. Rebecca will be at the Diocesan Jr. High Retreat with our confirmands.
Parlor People, Sunday, 11am – noon. March 5 – April 2, we continue our discussion on forgiveness, using The Book of Forgiving by Desmond and Mpho Tutu. This Sunday, Kay Cramer leads our discussion on Part Two, chapters 4 and 5: Telling the Story and Naming the Hurt. Next week, Bill Rohm leads.
Men’s Breakfast - each Wed., 9am, Espresso Yourself Café.
Women’s Breakfast – Wed., March 22 & April 12, 9am, May’s Railside Grill.
Choir Practice - The Choir will practice Wednesdays at 10:15am.
Taize’ Tuesdays, 5:00pm. Twenty minutes of Centering Prayer followed by a Taize’ service.
Upcoming Meetings
March 22-24 – Water Justice Conference, Trinity Institute 2017
March 26, Noon, Worship Committee
March 26, 1:00pm Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ), Perry County
We are creating our Lenten altar of food for the Perry County Food Bank. Bring your donations and put them up by the altar each Sunday. For a list of the items needed by the Food Bank, go to their website at //www.perrycountyfoodbank.org/ and click on their wish list. Canned vegetables, fruit, nut butters and protein are always needed.
NAMI Peer-to-Peer Recovery-Focused Education for people living with mental illness, Thursdays, March 16 – May 25, 6:30-8:30pm, Highland United Presbyterian Church, 11 Church Rd, Newport. Ten classes for people living with mental illness.
The Newport Ministerium Weekly Lenten series for 2017 Giving Out Instead of Giving Up Wednesdays, March 8 through April 5, Incarnation United Church of Christ, 47 N. 4th Street, Newport, from 5:30-7:00pm. A soup supper begins at 5:30, with an informal service beginning at 6:15pm.
Food Demonstration and Lunch at Episcopal Commons, March 14, Noon – 2pm. We’ll provide lunch and a food demonstration. Please let Lynne Mitchell or Wendy Day know if you can provide something for lunch or will attend.
We will be hosting a viewing and discussions of the 2017 Trinity Institute: Water Justice, March 22-24. With a sharp focus on the need for water justice initiatives in areas of access, droughts, pollution, rising tides, and flooding, Trinity Institute aims to offer actionable guidance for individuals, congregations, and the larger faith community surrounding these issues. This year we’ll hear from Barbara Boxer, Christiana Peppard, Winston Halapua, Thabo Makgoba, Katharine Hayhoe, Maude Barlow, David Toomey, Kim Stanley Robinson, and others. If you’d like to attend all or part of the conference, please contact the church office.
Prayer Shawl Ministry of Newport meets Thursday, March 30. Bring your projects and also learn how to knit or crochet.
All who have been baptized by water in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, are welcome to receive communion. You may receive bread only or bread and wine. You may receive the wine by common cup or by dipping your wafer into the chalice. If you would prefer to receive a blessing, please come forward and cross your arms across your chest.
Race for Reading to benefit The Perry County Literacy Council, May 6, is seeking silent auction items for their event. Please contact Miguel Gonzales if you have an item you’d like to donate to the auction.
Baking needs and chocolate items available through Equal Exchange. See the cart in the parish hall. We are now a wholesaler for Equal Exchange, a company that supports small farmers who use sustainable practices for chocolate, cocoa, coffee, tea, nuts, olive oil and other baking items. A price list and basket are available to pay for the items you choose to buy. Also, be sure to write down what you’ve purchased to help us maintain our inventory. A catalogue is also available. If there’s an item you’d like us to order, please see Jane Hoover.
Help people in need around the world! A Thankoffering box is available by the coffee pots in the kitchen if you'd like to make donations that way. United Thankoffering is a project of the Episcopal Church Women of The Episcopal Church. Boxes are available to collect your offering, which is brought to church twice a year. A wonderful spiritual practice is to put something in the box each time you are thankful to God. If possible, count the money in your box and write a check to the church in that amount.
Join Hands Items of the Month – Paper Products (toilet paper, paper towels, etc.), Diapers (all sizes with emphasis on 4, 5, 6), Toiletries (shampoo, soap, conditioner, tooth paste, etc.)
Honor or Remember a loved one or a special occasion with flowers on the altar! Flowers help make our worship space more beautiful and remind us of the blossoming life we have in Christ. Please consider sponsoring the flowers in memory of a loved one, or to celebrate your thanksgivings. Flowers are $30. A sign-up chart is in the Undercroft.
Help People in Need when you buy your Groceries! See Gail Shull or Pat Szabo to purchase cards in various amounts to use at Giant, Mutzabaugh's, or Weis Stores. 5% of the cost of each card stays with the church and is used for outreach and mission projects.
From Episcopal Public Policy Network:
This week, the House of Representatives unveiled the American Health Care Act, a bill that aims to repeal and replace elements of the Affordable Care Act. This legislation would swap current income-based health care subsidies for a system of tax credits that privileges wealthier and younger Americans at the expense of low-income and elderly persons. The proposed legislation would also phase out the Medicaid expansion while defunding Planned Parenthood, furthering jeopardizing the health of vulnerable populations. Unfortunately, the Act is moving forward without a Congressional Budget Office evaluation--a critical accountability step that would offer greater clarity into the full impact of this legislation.
Call your members of Congress today! Tell them Americans deserve better than the American Health Care Act!
Using our action center, you can easily find the phone numbers for your member of Congress and a talking points for making your calls. We encourage you to share personal anecdotes illustrating why effective, accessible, and affordable health care is important to you as an American citizen and a member of the Episcopal Church.
//advocacy.episcopalchurch.org/app/make-a-call?8&engagementId=308813
When you put in your name and address in the webform, you'll be directed to a page to make the calls with the exact number you should call in Washington DC. There is also a feedback form to summarize your call. This system directs you to each call to make. There will be 3 calls - 1 to each Senator (Casey and Toomey) and 1 to your Representative. Here are the points to raise:
Point 1: As an Episcopalian, I am concerned that the American Health Care Act will jeopardize the welfare of these at-risk populations.
Point 2: The proposed tax credit system in this Act privileges wealthy Americans at the expense of low-income and elderly people—I would like for our health care system to provide affordable access to all Americans.
Point 3: Phasing out the Medicaid expansion and defunding Planned Parenthood (which provides low-income women with broad-based health services, including cancer screening) could further jeopardize at-risk populations.
Point 4: I urge you to reject the American Health Care Act and to enact economically viable legislation that better supports the needs of low-income and vulnerable communities, while ensuring an accountable process that includes a thorough review by the Congressional Budget Office.
